Search PubMed⌕ Search

Biomedical subjects

M Ochiai

Publications and source records attributed to M Ochiai.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources
PubMed2000

A pattern-recognition protein for beta-1,3-glucan. The binding domain and the cDNA cloning of beta-1,3-glucan recognition protein from the silkworm, Bombyx mori.

The beta-1,3-glucan recognition protein (betaGRP) has strong specific affinity for beta-1,3-glucan, a component of the fungal cell wall. Its interaction with beta-1,3-glucan initiates the activation of the prophenoloxidase cascade, which is an important defense system in invertebrates of many species. We cloned the cDNA of the betaGRP of the silkworm Bombyx mori. The betaGRP mRNA transcript was constitutively expressed in the hemocytes, fat body, and epithelial cells of the naive silkworm. At the same time, a bacterial or yeast challenge was indicated to intensify the transcription. Comparison of the deduced amino acid sequence with known sequences revealed that the betaGRP contained a region (Thr(264) to Pro(386)) displaying significant similarity to the catalytic regions of bacterial beta-1,3-glucanases and much higher similarity to the glucanase-like regions of Gram-negative bacteria-binding proteins found in the silkworm B. mori and the mosquito Anopheles gambiae. The region (Thr(264) to Pro(386)) of the betaGRP, however, was demonstrated not to have appreciable affinity for beta-1,3-glucan. A recombinant peptide corresponding to an N-terminal region (Tyr(1) to Ala(102)) of the betaGRP bound strongly to beta-1,3-glucan. These results indicate that the binding domain of the betaGRP for beta-1,3-glucan is located in the N-terminal region. Glucanases and the current pattern-recognition proteins that contain a glucanase-like region seem to have a common origin in their molecular evolution.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed2000

Polymorphism in the promoter region of the alpha(2A)-adrenergic receptor gene and panic disorders.

alpha(2)-Adrenergic receptors have been thought to play a crucial role in the etiology or treatment of panic disorders. Polymorphism(s) in the promoter region of the alpha(2) receptor may affect gene expression and be associated with panic disorders. We studied the polymorphism of the alpha(2A) receptor gene at position -1291 reported by Lario et al. (Lario, S., Calls, J., Cases, A., Oriola, J., Torras, A., Rivera, F., 1997. Short repeat on DNA marker at candidate locus. MspI identifies a biallelic polymorphism in the promoter region of the alpha(2A)-adrenergic receptor gene. Clinical Genetics 51, 129-130.) in 114 healthy control subjects and 55 patients with panic disorders. There was no statistically significant difference between controls and patients in either genotype or allele frequency. Our results suggest there is no association between this polymorphism in the promoter region of the alpha(2A) receptor gene and panic disorders.

Adult↗
PubMed2000

New long-tip guiding catheters designed for right transradial coronary intervention.

New long-tip catheters, one for the left and the other for the right coronary artery, were designed specifically for right transradial intervention. We utilized the overbending principle to achieve more precise control of the catheters. We also analyzed principal factors involved to determine guiding catheter support considering the anatomy of the innominate artery, ascending aorta, left and right coronary arteries. Catheter shapes were designed to exploit favorable factors to compensate for mechanically disadvantageous anatomy. The catheter for the left coronary artery has an initial loop to make use of the angle between the innominate artery and the ascending aorta to introduce the catheter to the correct position to provide strong backup support. The catheter for the right coronary artery has a unique three-dimensional curve that provides sufficient backup support and compensates for the angles between the innominate artery and the proximal portion of right coronary artery to achieve coaxial engagement. The distal portions of these catheters include long tips aiming to minimize the loss of transmitted force. The performance of these catheters was studied in 143 patients with 161 lesions. Successful engagement was achieved in 138 patients with 156 lesions (97%) and coronary intervention was successful in 136 patients with 154 lesions (99%). No major complications or coronary artery dissection occurred due to use of these catheters. This study showed the present long-tip catheters to be safe and highly effective for right transradial coronary intervention. Cathet. Cardiovasc. Intervent. 49:218-224, 2000.

Angioplasty, Balloon, Coronary↗
PubMed2000

Anatomic variations of the radial artery in patients undergoing transradial coronary intervention.

Anatomic variations of the radial artery and their effect on the use of the radial artery as a route for transradial coronary intervention (TRI) were studied. Ultrasonography of the radial artery was performed prospectively in 115 patients selected to undergo elective TRI. Anatomic variations were observed in 11 of 115 patients (9.6%). Variations included six tortuous configurations (5. 2%), two stenoses (1.7%), two hypoplasias (1.7%), and one radioulnar loop (0.9%). The hypoplastic radial arteries and the radioulnar loop were inaccessible for catheterization, and coronary intervention was planned via the femoral artery. The transradial approach was attempted in the remaining 112 patients (97.4%) with only one instance of access failure, in a patient who had a stenotic vessel. These findings indicate that anatomic variations of the radial artery is not rare, and that preoperative ultrasound examination may help to exclude patients with inaccessible arteries and those at high risk for access failure.

Aged↗
PubMed2000

Angiographic and clinical outcome of a new self-expanding intracoronary stent (RADIUS): results from multicenter experience in Japan.

The RADIUS coronary stent featuring a multisegmented slotted tube design and self-expanding nitinol delivery system has a high radial force and flexibility, uniform expansion, and contours to the shape of the vessel. Successful stent deployment was achieved in 104 stable angina patients (106 lesions; 44% LAD, 19% circumflex, and 37% RCA). Mean minimal lumen diameter (MLD) increased from 0.77 +/- 0.46 mm to 2.88 +/- 0.61 mm and mean percent diameter stenosis (% DS) decreased from 73 +/- 14% to 6 +/- 13% immediately after the procedure. At 6-month follow-up, two patients (2%) underwent urgent target revascularization, and cerebral bleeding occurred in one patient (1%). Angiographic follow-up was performed in 94 lesions (89%) and mean MLD and mean % DS were 2.08 +/- 0.92 mm and 30% +/- 24%, respectively. Stent restenosis (>50% diameter stenosis at follow-up) was observed in 16 (17%) of all lesions. The high success rate for stent deployment, low incidence of major adverse cardiac event, and lower restenosis rate after stent implantation indicate that the RADIUS stent is useful for coronary intervention.

Adult↗
PubMed2000

Evaluation of the applicability of the bacterial endotoxin test to antibiotic products.

Fundamental conditions for applying the bacterial endotoxin test to antibiotic products were investigated so as not to affect the level of regulation by the rabbit pyrogen test. According to accuracy evaluation of test methods, the kinetic-turbidimetric and kinetic-colourimetric assays were shown to allow more accurate measurement and, therefore, more sensitive detection of interference to the bacterial endotoxin test than the gel-clot method. In total, 102 antibiotic products were evaluated on their interfering effect to show that the antibiotics could be categorized into three groups depending on intensity of the interference. Although the test was shown to be applicable even to the group showing the strongest interference, it was assumed to be crucial to use appropriate reagents and an accurate test method for avoiding approval of a pyrogenic product. Accordingly, lists of antibiotics are presented to provide limits of concentration for eliminating interference and endotoxin limits for approval to facilitate effective bacterial endotoxin tests.

Animals↗
PubMed2000

Assessment of in vivo glucose kinetics using stable isotope tracers to determine their alteration in humans during critical illness.

Glucose plays a central role in energy metabolism, and alterations in its utilization have been reported under a variety of physiological and pathological conditions. The extent and direction of its changes provide useful information to promote the understanding of pathophysiology. The regulation of in vivo glucose kinetics is important because it is closely linked to energy production and the control of amino acid and protein metabolism. Although alterations in glucose kinetics have been demonstrated in critically ill patients, the mechanisms responsible are not well understood. The measurement of glucose kinetics in humans using stable isotopic glucose tracers provides a better understanding of the responses to nutritional support in these patients. While tracer methods have been used to quantitatively measure in vivo kinetics in patients with a variety of critical illnesses as well as in normal volunteers during fasting and exercise in European countries and the United States, they have not received the same attention in Japan. Stable isotopic glucose tracers can be safely given to humans since they are themselves naturally occurring substances, accounting for a small percentage of the total, depending on the isotopic species. The intravenous administration of a glucose tracer allows quantitative assessment of in vivo glucose kinetics under a variety of conditions. This method has wide potential for obtaining kinetic data on all aspects of in vivo glucose metabolism, with major advantages for conducting metabolic studies in humans.

Amino Acids↗
PubMed2000

The development of an elevated lesion associated with colitis cystica profunda in the transverse colonic mucosa during the course of ulcerative colitis: report of a case.

We report the case of a 53-year-old man with a long history of ulcerative colitis in whom an elevated lesion in the epithelium of the affected transverse colon was initially diagnosed as a benign inflammatory polyp by endoscopic biopsies. After 4 years of follow-up, because the tumor had enlarged and villous components were endoscopically observed on the surface, a colonic resection was performed. The tumor was found to consist of hyperplastic colonic epithelium associated with multiple mucinous cysts lined with dysplastic colonic epithelial cells. Moreover, the mucinous cysts were primarily located beneath the submucosal layer and appeared to intrude into the muscularis propria of the colonic wall. This lesion had a unique pathological feature, presumably indicating neither benign inflammatory epithelium nor a neoplastic lesion of the colonic epithelium. Mucinous cysts lined with colonic epithelial components in the muscularis propria suggest a loss of normal integrity of the colonic wall. Areas of the epithelial cell lining of the mucinous cysts showed apparent structural and nuclear atypia and positive expression for p53, suggesting that this portion of the specimen was dysplastic epithelium. These pathological findings may indicate one longitudinal aspect of tumor development which could provide evidence of premalignant change or initial pathological features during the long-standing course of ulcerative colitis.

Colitis↗
PubMed2000

Hyperplastic polyp of the gallbladder in a child.

We report a case of hyperplastic polyp of the gallbladder in a 6-year-old girl, successfully treated by laparoscopic cholecyctectomy after a 2-year follow-up from the original diagnosis. On her first admission, serum amylase level was very high, so that congenital pancreaticobiliary maljunction (PBM) was suspected. Although it became clear afterwards that the high serum amylase level was derived from a mumps infection, the diagnosis of PBM was not excluded until intraoperative cholangiography was conducted. The tumor in the gallbladder had doubled in size in 2 years. It was not possible to obtain biopsy specimens for histological diagnosis, so the risk of the tumor being malignant could not be completely excluded until surgical resection had been carried out. In spite of the rapid tumor growth, no neoplastic features were seen in the tumor by histopathological examination of the resected specimen; thus, a diagnosis of a hyperplastic polyp of the gallbladder was made.

Child↗
PubMed2000

Submucosal dermoid cyst of the rectum: report of a case.

Despite the relatively common incidence of sacrococcygeal dermoids, rectal cysts are uncommon. We report the case of a submucosal dermoid cyst occurring in the rectum. A 30-year-old woman visited the Gynecology Department because of pregnancy. A pelvic tumor was accidentally found during the checkup after miscarriage. A barium enema showed an anterior shift of the rectum by the presence of the tumor. Computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging revealed a tumor located posterior to the rectum occupying almost the entire pelvic cavity, and the tumor was resected. The tumor was located in the submucosal layer of the posterior rectal wall and was well circumscribed. The resected tumor was a cyst entirely covered with a fibrous and firm capsule, which was filled with an amorphous white creamy substance. The histological findings showed the cyst consisting of a keratinizing stratified squamous epithelium with sebaceous gland and hair follicles, which was compatible with benign cystic teratoma. Primary rectal teratoma is very rare and only 36 cases have been reported in the literature worldwide. Furthermore, while the majority of cases were polypoid-shaped dermoid cysts protruding into the rectal lumen, only 3 cases were submucosal dermoid cysts. Therefore, such cases are considered to be extremely rare.

Adult↗
PubMed2000

Metastasis to the forearm skeletal muscle from an adenocarcinoma of the colon: report of a case.

While the liver and lung are primary targets for distant metastasis from colorectal carcinoma, metastasis in other distant sites is rarely found. We report herein an unusual case of metastasis to the skeletal muscle of the right forearm from an adenocarcinoma of the transverse colon. A 60-year-old man was originally admitted to our hospital for surgical treatment of an intestinal obstruction caused by a transverse colon carcinoma. Transverse colon resection along with lymph node dissection was performed and no evidence of distant metastatic foci was found. Angiography-enhanced computed tomography scanning done 14 months after the first operation revealed multiple hepatic metastases which were resected. A metastasis was subsequently detected in the right extensor carpi ulnaris muscle 2 years after the primary resection, and a major part of the right extensor carpi ulnaris and the extensor digiti minimi muscle were resected, warranting a sufficient margin of 5 cm of normal tissue from the tumor. Reattachment of the residual muscles into the ulna was performed. Metastases to bone and/or soft tissues from colorectal carcinomas are extremely rare and to our knowledge, only eight other cases have been reported in the world literature. This low incidence may be related to the anatomical characteristics and/or the biochemical environment of the skeletal muscle, but it is also possible that the true incidence is underestimated. Recent improvements in interventional radiological procedures may facilitate a diagnosis of skeletal muscle metastasis being made more frequently.

Adenocarcinoma↗
PubMed2000

Proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy of lenticular nuclei in simple schizophrenia.

1. The lenticula nuclei have been suggested to be the site of structural and functional abnormalities in schizophrenia. 2. Recently, several studies involving proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy (1H MRS) showed that the ratio of N-acetyl-aspartate (NAA) to choline-containing compounds (Cho) was significantly reduced in the basal ganglia region in patients with schizophrenia. 3. Simple schizophrenia is characterized by social withdrawal and affective flattening, but not by prominent catatonic, hebephrenic or paranoid features. 4. We studied, using 1H MRS, the lenticula nuclei of 10 patients with simple schizophrenia, and 10 age- and sex-matched healthy controls. 5. No differences between the patients and the controls were found in any of the measured ratios, i.e. Cho/Cr, NAA/Cr and NAA/Cho. 6. Our results suggest the normal viability of neuronal cells, as found on quantification of NAA, Cr and Cho, in the lenticular nuclei of patients with simple schizophrenia. 7. The pathophysiology of simple schizophrenia may be different from those of other types of schizophrenia.

Adult↗
PubMed2000

Angiomyomatous hamartoma and associated stromal lesions in the right inguinal lymph node: a case report.

Angiomyomatous hamartoma is a rare disease with a predisposition for the inguinal lymph nodes. A 51-year-old male patient visited a local hospital because of a right inguinal mass, measuring 3 x 4 cm in size, which was resected. The resected specimen showed irregularly distributed thick-walled vessels in the hilum, extending into the medulla and focally into the cortex of the node, eventually becoming more dispersed and associated with smooth muscle cells splaying into sclerotic stroma. These findings are compatible with an angiomyomatous hamartoma. Another tumor-like mass appeared shortly after the resection at the same location, but was not an angiomyomatous hamartoma, rather it was composed of edematous stromal tissue with proliferating smooth muscle cells. The stromal component included thick-walled blood vessels and lymphatics. Although it could not be determined whether these associated changes in the surrounding stroma are a cause or an effect of angiomyomatous hamartoma, they indicate the clinical difficulty in determining an appropriate area of resection and may provide clues to the pathogenesis of angiomyomatous hamartoma.

Actins↗
PubMed2000

Purification and characterization of biliverdin-binding protein from larval hemolymph of the swallowtail butterfly, Papilio xuthus L.

The biliverdin-binding protein from the larval hemolymph of the swallowtail butterfly, Papilio xuthus L., was purified and characterized. The crude biliverdin-binding protein, obtained by ammonium sulfate fractionation, was purified in two steps, the first one by gel filtration chromatography and the second one by ion-exchange chromatography. The molecular mass of the purified protein was analyzed by SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and estimated to be 21 kDa. The Namino terminal sequence of P. xuthus biliverdin-binding protein analyzed up to the 19th residue showed that 42% of the amino acid sequence are sequence similarity to the bilin-binding protein from Pieris brassicae. These results suggest that the P. xuthus biliverdin-binding protein belongs to the insecticyanin-type.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed2000

Clinical experiences of stenting in patients with esophago-bronchial fistula: report of four cases.

The esophagorespiratory fistula is difficult to treat, and the patients' quality of life is generally poor due to suffering from dysphagia and dyspnea. We performed stent therapy in four cases of the esophagorespiratory fistula associated with esophageal cancer. Three of four patients showed improved symptoms, enabling oral liquid or food intake, although one died of dyspnea despite the therapy. The findings suggest that stent therapy is an effective method to close the esophagorespiratory fistula and to improve the patients' quality of life, although it is temporary and not a radical treatment.

Aged↗
PubMed2000

Efficacy of a new hemostatic device, Adapty , after transradial coronary angiography and intervention.

A novel hemostatic device, Adapty (Medikit, Tokyo, Japan), was developed to achieve effective and comfortable hemostasis following transradial procedures. The device consists of a pad fixed to a transparent plastic plate and a self-adhesive strap. The catheter sheath is removed from the radial artery after the pad has been positioned precisely over the puncture site, with the strap attached to the plate. Compression pressure then is adjusted with the self-adhesive strap, as is required with occlusive clamps. Patients do not need to maintain hyperextension of the wrist after the procedure. The wrist can be mobilized immediately after application. The efficacy of Adapty was evaluated in prospective observations of 200 patients. The device was successfully applied in all patients immediately after sheath removal. No patient required interruption of compression because of pain, congestion or ischemia. Complete hemostasis was obtained in 199 patients (99.5%), and the device caused no vascular complications. This study demonstrates that Adapty is highly effective for achieving hemostasis after transradial procedures.

Aged↗