Search PubMed⌕ Search

Biomedical subjects

M Okamoto

Publications and source records attributed to M Okamoto.

At least 379 records · Page 21Linked to original sources
PubMed1997

High-sensitivity detection and postsource decay of 2-aminopyridine-derivatized oligosaccharides with matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization mass spectrometry.

The sensitivities of oligosaccharide derivatives in matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOFMS) were compared using two matrixes, 2,5-dihydroxybenzoic acid (DHBA) and alpha-cyano-4-hydroxycinnamic acid (CHCA). For this purpose, maltopentaose was tagged with 2-aminopyridine (PA), 4-aminobenzoic acid ethyl ester (ABEE), and trimethyl-(p-aminophenyl)ammonium chloride (TMAPA). DHBA was more advantageous for enhancement than CHCA. Among the derivatives, the sensitivity with the PA-tagged maltopentaose showed a 100-fold improvement over the native one with DHBA as a matrix, while the oligesaccharide derivatized with ABEE and TMAPA gave 30- and 10-fold increases in sensitivity over the underivatized one. To obtain structural information from these derivatized oligosaccharides, postsource decay (PSD) during flight in the field-free drift in MALDI-TOFMS was measured. Predictable and reproducible fragmentation patterns could be obtained in all cases. Furthermore, we found matrix-dependence fragmentation with the PA-labeled oligosaccharide. With CHCA, a simple spectrum ascribable to Y series ions was obtained. On the other hand, both B and Y series ions were clearly observed in the DHBA case. The results demonstrate the usefulness of derivatives for sensitive analysis of oligosaccharides with MALDI.

Aminopyridines↗
PubMed1997

Interleukin-6 functions as an autocrine growth factor in human bladder carcinoma cell lines in vitro.

Interleukin (IL)-6 is reported to function as a growth factor for renal and prostatic carcinomas. We conducted the present study to define the role of IL-6 in the growth of normal and neoplastic urothelial cells. Human bladder carcinoma cell lines (253J, RT4 and T24) and primary cultured human urothelial cells derived from normal ureters were used. Recombinant human IL-6 stimulated the growth of bladder carcinoma cell lines far better than that of normal urothelial cells (p < 0.001). All carcinoma cell lines tested produced and released IL-6, whereas normal urothelial cells did so only at marginal levels. Furthermore, treatment with lipopolysaccharide derived from Escherichia coli, tumor necrosis factor-alpha or IL-1 increased IL-6 secretion by bladder carcinoma cell lines but not by normal urothelial cells. Growth of bladder carcinoma cells was significantly inhibited by anti-IL-6 neutralizing antibody or the anti-sense oligonucleotide for IL-6 cDNA. We conclude that IL-6 functions as an autocrine growth factor for bladder carcinoma cells but not for normal urothelial cells and that it may be a factor accounting for the marked enhancement of inflammation-associated bladder carcinogenesis and tumor growth.

Antibodies, Blocking↗
PubMed1997

Hedgehog and patched gene expression in adult ocular tissues.

We analysed the expression of members of the hh gene family in adult ocular tissues of newt, frog and mouse by RT-PCR method. Shh displayed restricted expression in the neural retina that was conserved in each species analyzed. X-bhh, X-chh and mouse Ihh were detected in the iris and in the retinal pigment epithelium, while mouse Dhh was detected additionally in the neural retina and faintly in the cornea. We also found that two types of ptc genes, potential hh targets and receptors, were expressed in these tissues, suggesting the presence of active hh signalling there.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1997

Detection of prostate carcinoma using prostate specific antigen, its density, and the density of the transition zone in Japanese men with intermediate serum prostate specific antigen concentrations.

BACKGROUND: This study was undertaken to determine whether the prostate specific antigen (PSA) density (PSAD) and PSAD of the transition zone (PSADT) are useful in the detection of prostate carcinoma in Japanese men with intermediate levels of serum PSA. METHODS: Two hundred and eighty-seven Japanese men with intermediate serum PSA levels (2.1 ng/mL to 10 ng/mL) underwent measurement of prostate volume by transrectal ultrasound (TRUS) and systematic biopsy under TRUS guidance. The volume of the transition zone was also measured by TRUS in 134 patients. The PSAD and PSADT were determined for each patient, and their relationship to prostate carcinoma detection was examined. RESULTS: Prostate carcinoma was detected in 30 of 287 patients (10.5%). Although the serum PSA levels were similar in patients with benign and malignant prostate disease (P = 0.541), the prostate volume (P 0.0009) and PSAD (P < 0.0001) differed significantly in the two groups; in the patients with prostate carcinoma, the prostate volume was smaller, and the PSAD higher, than in the patients with benign disease. At the PSAD cutoff value of 0.18 ng/mL/cm3 or greater, the sensitivity was 70% and the specificity was 67% for the diagnosis of prostate carcinoma. The PSAD was found to be significantly better in the differentiation between benign and malignant prostate disease than the serum PSA in the receiver operating characteristic analyses (P = 0.045). However, the receiver operating characteristic curve for PSAD was not significantly different compared with that for PSA in the men with negative digital rectal examination findings. Prostate carcinoma was detected in 9.0% (12 of 134) of the patients who underwent PSADT determination. Receiver operating characteristic analyses showed that PSADT was not superior to PSA in the detection of prostate carcinoma. CONCLUSIONS: In Japanese men with intermediate serum PSA concentrations, PSAD offers additional information useful in the detection of prostate carcinoma, but PSADT does not. Although use of PSAD may decrease the number of unnecessary biopsies, a significant number of prostate carcinomas may be overlooked. Therefore, the authors recommend that serum PSA levels continue to be used as an indicator for biopsy in Japanese men.

Adult↗
PubMed1997

Increased expression of interleukin-2 receptor alpha on peripheral blood mononuclear cells in HTLV-I tax/rex mRNA-positive asymptomatic carriers.

Using the double-nested reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction, we assayed human T-cell leukemia virus type I (HTLV-I) tax/rex-encoded mRNA in the peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) of asymptomatic carriers as an index of the expression of HTLV-I in vivo in relation to the proviral DNA level. HTLV-I tax/rex mRNA was detected in only 1 (3.3%) of 30 samples with medium or lower proviral DNA levels, but it was detected in 11 (39.3%) of 28 samples with high HTLV-I proviral DNA levels, estimated as equal to or more than the proviral DNA of 10 ng of HUT102 (i.e., HUT102 cells were used as positive controls). The mean number of interleukin-2 receptor alpha (IL-2R alpha)-positive cells as a percentage of the total number of PBMCs was higher (13.2%) in the tax/rex mRNA-positive carriers with high proviral DNA levels than in the carriers who were mRNA negative (8.4%) (p = 0.004, Wilcoxon test). These results suggest that virus activation as indicated by the presence of tax/rex mRNA in asymptomatic carriers with high proviral DNA levels is associated with an elevation of the IL-2R alpha-positive cells in vivo.

Carrier State↗
PubMed1997

Tumorigenic conversion of a non-tumorigenic rat urothelial cell line by overexpression of H2O2-generating peroxisomal fatty acyl-CoA oxidase.

Hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) and some cytokines that are released during the inflammatory process are important factors for the development of urinary bladder carcinoma and for its growth. Sustained induction of H2O2-generating peroxisomal fatty acyl-CoA oxidase (ACOX) in the liver of rats and mice by non-genotoxic peroxisome proliferators leads to the development of liver tumors. To examine the role of intracellular H2O2 generated by ACOX during urinary bladder carcinogenesis, we overexpressed rat ACOX in a non-tumorigenic rat urothelial cell line, MYP3, under the control of the cytomegalovirus promoter. The clones overexpressing rat ACOX, when exposed to a fatty-acid substrate (150 microM linoleic acid), demonstrated strikingly higher levels of intracellular H2O2 (p > 0.001) and formed colonies in soft agar in proportion to the duration of exposure to linoleic acid. Furthermore, all the transformants, which were selected at random from soft agar, demonstrated an accelerated growth potential on a plastic surface, as well as tumorigenicity in athymic nude mice. In addition, the growth of these transformants was stimulated by cytokines, interleukin-6 and tumor necrosis factor-alpha, better than the growth of ACOX-overexpressing, but non-transformed cells or that of the parental cells. Our results clearly demonstrate that H2O2 induced by ACOX acts as a carcinogen on urothelial cells, and that transformed cells have acquired an advantage for growth over nonneoplastic cells because of their selective response to the stimulatory action of several cytokines.

Acyl-CoA Oxidase↗
PubMed1997

Group II phospholipase A2 as an autocrine growth factor mediating interleukin-1 action on mesangial cells.

The proliferation of mesangial cells plays a central role in the progression of glomerulonephritis. We studied the role of group II phospholipase A2 in interleukin-1-stimulated proliferation of mesangial cells. Cultured rat mesangial cells secreted 5.3 units group II phospholipase A2/24 h per 10(5) cells in response to stimulation of 200 U/ml of interleukin-1. Northern hybridization analysis showed that mRNA for group II phospholipase A2 was induced by exogenously added group II phospholipase A2 (15 U/ml) as well as interleukin-1. The pretreatment of quiescent mesangial cells with interleukin-1 augmented [3H]thymidine incorporation caused by platelet derived growth factor. Exogenous group II phospholipase A2 (5-36 U/ml) purified homogeneously from rat spleen also increased [3H]thymidine incorporation by platelet derived growth factor-stimulated mesangial cells in a dose dependent manner (36 U/ml phospholipase A2; 1.9-fold). The stimulatory effect of interleukin-1 on DNA synthesis of mesangial cells was specifically blunted by immunoglobulin raised against group II phospholipase A2. Group II phospholipase A2 (16 U/ml) amplified a platelet derived growth factor-stimulated increase in the mesangial cell number by 1.5-fold. Among the products of the phospholipase A2-catalyzed reaction, lysophospholipids including lysophosphatidylcholine, lysophosphatidylethanolamine and lysophosphatidic acid, but not fatty acids, mimicked the stimulatory effect of interleukin-1 and phospholipase A2. These results suggest that group II phospholipase A2 acts as a signaling molecule that mediates interleukin-1-induced growth of rat mesangial cells through yielding lysophospholipids.

Animals↗
PubMed1997

Direct interaction of the rat unc-13 homologue Munc13-1 with the N terminus of syntaxin.

unc-13 mutants in Caenorhabditis elegans are characterized by a severe deficit in neurotransmitter release. Their phenotype is similar to that of the C. elegans unc-18 mutation, which is thought to affect synaptic vesicle docking to the active zone. This suggests a crucial role for the unc-13 gene product in the mediation or regulation of synaptic vesicle exocytosis. Munc13-1 is one of three closely related rat homologues of unc-13. Based on the high degree of similarity between unc-13 and Munc13 proteins, it is thought that their essential function has been conserved from C. elegans to mammals. Munc13-1 is a brain-specific peripheral membrane protein with multiple regulatory domains that may mediate diacylglycerol, phospholipid, and calcium binding. In the present study, we demonstrate by three independent methods that the C terminus of Munc13-1 interacts directly with a putative coiled coil domain in the N-terminal part of syntaxin. Syntaxin is a component of the exocytotic synaptic core complex, a heterotrimeric protein complex with an essential role in transmitter release. Through this interaction, Munc13-1 binds to a subpopulation of the exocytotic core complex containing synaptobrevin, SNAP25 (synaptosomal-associated protein of 25 kDa), and syntaxin, but to no other tested syntaxin-interacting or core complex-interacting protein. The site of interaction in syntaxin is similar to the binding site for the unc-18 homologue Munc18, but different from that of all other known syntaxin interactors. These data indicate that unc-13-related proteins may indeed be involved in the mediation or regulation of synaptic vesicle exocytosis by modulating or regulating core complex formation. The similarity between the unc-13 and unc-18 phenotypes is paralleled by the coincidence of the binding sites for Munc13-1 and Munc18 in syntaxin. It is possible that the phenotype of unc-13 and unc-18 mutations is caused by the inability of the respective mutated gene products to bind to syntaxin.

Animals↗
PubMed1997

Stavudine selectively induces apoptosis in HIV type 1-infected cells.

We evaluated the cytotoxic effects of various human immunodeficiency virus (HIV-1) reverse transcriptase inhibitors (zidovudine, didanosine, zalcitabine, stavudine, and nevirapine) on HIV-1-infected and uninfected T cell lines. Among the compounds, only stavudine (not the others) proved to be more cytotoxic to MOLT-4/IIIB cells (MOLT-4 cells chronically infected with HIV-1) than to uninfected MOLT-4 cells. Its 50% cytotoxic concentrations were 59.8 and 2.2 microM for MOLT-4 and MOLT-4/IIIB cells, respectively. Stavudine was also more cytotoxic to CEM/ROD (CEM cells chronically infected with HIV type 2) than to uninfected CEM cells. Microscopic analysis revealed that stavudine induced apoptosis in MOLT-4/IIIB cells. Apparent chromatin condensation in the nucleus was observed by electron microscopy. Furthermore, a DNA fragmentation ladder was detected by agarose gel electrophoresis. Addition of thymidine to the culture medium could rescue the cells from stavudine-induced apoptosis. The expression of anti-apoptotic protein Bcl-2 was partially downregulated in MOLT-4/IIIB cells after treatment with stavudine. This downregulation was not identified in MOLT-4 cells. These results indicate that stavudine selectively induces apoptosis in HIV-1-infected T cells and may have potential as a novel strategy for effective chemotherapy of the acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS).

Anti-HIV Agents↗
PubMed1997

Simultaneous expression of ferredoxin, ferredoxin reductase and P450 in COS7 cells.

cDNA fragments encoding mouse ferredoxin and ferredoxin reductase were simultaneously introduced into COS7 cells by using an expression vector, pUC-SR alpha plasmid. When using the mitochondrial fraction prepared from the transfected cells, cytochrome-c reductase activity was detected. This activity was highest when 7.5 micrograms of the ferredoxin expression plasmid (pSR alpha F) and 2.5 micrograms of the ferredoxin reductase expression plasmid (pSR alpha FR) were transfected into COS7 cells. In this system, NADPH could be replaced by NADH as a cofactor for the reduction of cytochrome-c although the cytochrome-c reductase was more dependent on NADPH than NADH at a low concentration. When CYP24 expression plasmid was transfected into COS7 cells along with both pSR alpha F and pSR alpha FR, the transfected cells revealed a 3-fold higher 25-hydroxyvitamin D3-24-hydroxylase activity than COS7 cells transfected with CYP24 expression plasmid.

Animals↗
PubMed1997

Interleukin-6 as a paracrine and autocrine growth factor in human prostatic carcinoma cells in vitro.

Interleukin (IL)-6 plays a significant role in genitourinary carcinomas. The present study was conducted to define the role of IL-6 in the growth of prostatic carcinoma and benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH). An in vitro experiment was carried out using human prostatic carcinoma cell lines (LNCaP, which is androgen sensitive and slow growing, and DU145 and PC3, which are androgen insensitive and fast growing), and primary human epithelial and stromal cells derived from BPH. Cells were treated with recombinant human IL-6 or conditioned medium (CM) derived from the above cultured cells to identify possible paracrine and autocrine pathways. LNCaP was clearly responsive to exogenous IL-6 and to the CM derived from stromal cells, but not to the CM from LNCaP cells (P < 0.001). DU145 and PC3 were slightly stimulated to grow by exogenous IL-6 and the CM derived from both stromal and respective homologous cells (P < 0.01). In contrast, BPH-derived epithelial cells showed little or no response to IL-6. The stimulatory effect of CM on prostatic carcinoma cells was significantly reduced by the addition of anti-IL-6 antibody to the culture medium. Furthermore, the growth of DU145 and PC3 in serum-free medium was also inhibited by anti-IL-6 antibody (P < 0.001). All cell lines tested, except for LNCaP, secreted IL-6 into the culture medium. Results of reverse transcriptase-PCR analysis indicated that IL-6 receptor mRNA was present in all carcinoma cell lines but not in epithelial cells or stromal cells derived from BPH. These results suggest that IL-6 functions as a paracrine growth factor for LNCaP and as an autocrine growth factor for DU145 and PC3, but it has no stimulatory effect on epithelial cells derived from BPH.

Antibodies, Anti-Idiotypic↗
PubMed1997

HIV-1-infected myelomonocytic cells are resistant to Fas-mediated apoptosis: effect of tumor necrosis factor-alpha on their Fas expression and apoptosis.

To get insight into the involvement of tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) and Fas (CD95) ligand in apoptosis (programmed cell death) of monocyte/macrophages in HIV-1-infected individuals, various T cell and myelomonocytic cell lines, including the HIV-1-infected clones OM-10.1 and U1 cells, were cultured in the presence of either TNF-alpha alone, anti-Fas agonist monoclonal antibody (Fas-mAb) alone, or their combinations. TNF-alpha moderately decreased the viability of myelomonocytic cell lines in a dose-dependent fashion (1-100 ng/ml). Unlike HIV-1-infected T cell lines, the viability of OM-10.1 and U1 cells was not affected by the treatment with Fas-mAb alone at concentrations up to 1,000 ng/ml. However, the viability of OM-10.1 cells further decreased with increasing concentrations of Fas-mAb when exposed simultaneously to TNF-alpha, suggesting that TNF-alpha sensitizes the cells to Fas-mAb-induced cell death. FACScan analysis and DNA gel electrophoresis revealed that the cell death was due to apoptosis. Such an effect of Fas-mAb was not identified in U1 cells. TNF-alpha but not Fas-mAb activated latent HIV-1 in OM-10.1 and U1 cells. Although all myelomonocytic cell lines expressed Fas on their cell surface, TNF-alpha significantly up-regulated the expression of Fas in only OM-10.1 cells. These results indicate that, unlike T cells, HIV-1-infected myelomonocytic cells are generally resistant to the Fas-mediated apoptosis. However, they would become sensitive to the apoptosis if the expression of Fas could be up-regulated by TNF-alpha or other factors.

Antibodies, Monoclonal↗
PubMed1997

An enzyme- linked immunosorbent assay for heparan sulfate proteoglycans.

An enzyme- linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) for heparan sulfate proteoglycan (HSPG) was developed based on the high affinity binding profile of HSPG to lipoprotein lipase (LPL). LPL was shown to bind to precoated HSPG in dose dependent manner and was determined spectrophotometrically using specific anti- LPL antibody. This ELISA allowed to evaluate HSPG produced by PC12 cell with clear linearity at range of 10 - 500 ng/ml. Soluble chondroitin sulfate proteoglycan (CSPG) from rat brain, which was not detectable by this method, did not exhibit any inhibitory effects on affinity binding of HSPG to LPL, even if 8 times higher concentrations of CSPG to HSPG was added. The sensitivity of this ELISA was about 100 times higher than that of conventional carbazole reaction method. These findings indicated its potential usefulness of this method for measuring small amounts of HSPG capable of binding to LPL and for studying biological implications of HSPG - LPL interaction.

Animals↗
PubMed1997

Antihyperglycemic mechanism of M16209, an antidiabetic agent, in 3T3-L1 adipocytes.

We investigated the effect of M16209 (1-(3-bromobenzo[b]furan-2-ylsulfonyl)hydantoin) on glucose transport and the insulin signaling system in mouse-derived 3T3-L1 adipocytes. When M16209 (30 and 100 microM) was added to 3T3-L1 adipocytes and preincubated for 24 hours, the uptake of 2-deoxy-D-[3H]-glucose (2-DG) after insulin stimulation was enhanced. This effect was seen when preincubation with M16209 was performed in the presence of 6 and 20 ng/ml insulin, but M16209 did not increase the response to 600 ng/ml insulin. M16209 (100 microM) did not interfere with (125)I-insulin binding or with tyrosine phosphorylation of the insulin receptor beta-subunit and IRS-1. M16209 (100 microM) also had no effect on the level of glucose transporter (GLUT1 and GLUT4) protein, but it promoted the translocation of intracellular GLUT4 to the plasma membrane. In contrast, M16209 had no effect on the translocation of GLUT1. In summary, M16209 enhanced 2-DG uptake by 3T3-L1 adipocytes. Insulin binding to its receptor, autophosphorylation of the insulin receptor beta-subunit, and tyrosine phosphorylation of IRS-1 were unaffected by M16209. However, translocation of GLUT4 from the intracellular pool to the plasma membrane was facilitated.

3T3 Cells↗
PubMed1997

Zona glomerulosa-specific factor: cloning and function.

The rat adrenal cortex is composed of three zones: the zona glomerulosa, the zona fasciculata, and the zona reticularis. Several investigators have claimed the presence of a zona intermedia between the zonae glomerulosa and fasciculata. The cells of zona glomerulosa, a few layers of cells just beneath the adrenal capsule, synthesize and secrete aldosterone, whereas those of zonae fasciculata and reticularis secrete glucocorticoids and androgens, respectively. The function of the cells in zona intermedia is unclear, because they express neither aldosterone synthase nor 11 beta-hydroxylase. To investigate the mechanism underlying the zonal differentiation of adrenocortical steroidogenesis, attempts have been made to isolate and characterize zone-specifically expressed proteins such as steroidogenic enzymes and putative regulatory factors. Having subtracted the mRNAs present in the decapsulated adrenal gland from those in the adrenal capsule, we successfully isolated three distinct clones, each specifically expressed in the zona glomerulosa. One clone encoded a protein named zona glomerulosa-specific factor (ZOG), which had a putative signal peptide at the N-terminus, six tandem epidermal growth factor (EGF)-like repeats, and a transmembrane domain in the central portion and a short cytosolic stretch at the C-terminus. Immunohistochemical studies using the antibody raised against ZOG confirmed the presence of the protein in all layers of cells in the zona glomerulosa. In contrast, cells possessing aldosterone synthase were present only in the periphery of zona glomerulosa, just beneath the capsule. These findings suggest that there are at least two kinds of zona glomerulosa cells in the rat adrenal cortex, one expressing aldosterone synthase as well as ZOG, and another expressing only ZOG. The cells in the zona intermedia did not express ZOG, aldosterone synthase, or 11 beta-hydroxylase, but did express Ad4BP. ZOG was not detected in zonae fasciculata and reticularis where 11 beta-hydroxylase was present.

Adrenal Cortex↗
PubMed1997

A novel slow excitatory postsynaptic current in substantia gelatinosa neurons of the rat spinal cord in vitro.

Whole-cell patch-clamp recordings were made from neurons in the substantia gelatinosa of adult rat spinal cord slices with attached dorsal root to study a slow synaptic current evoked by focal or dorsal root stimulation. Repetitive focal stimulation with a monopolar electrode positioned within substantia gelatinosa elicited a slow excitatory postsynaptic current preceded by a fast excitatory postsynaptic current in 73 of 83 neurons. A similar slow excitatory postsynaptic current was also elicited by stimulation of A delta afferent fibres. The amplitude of slow excitatory postsynaptic currents was unchanged when the recording electrode contained guanosine-5'-O-(2-thiodiphosphate). The slow excitatory postsynaptic current and current evoked by aspartate revealed similar reversal potentials and showed a marked outward rectification at holding potentials more negative than -30 mV, while the glutamate-induced current exhibited a relatively linear voltage relationship. In addition, the slow excitatory postsynaptic currents were reversibly occluded during the aspartate-induced current but were not occluded during the glutamate-induced current. The slow excitatory postsynaptic currents evoked by focal stimulation were depressed but not abolished by 6-cyano-7-nitroquinoxaline-2,3-dione (10 microM) or by 6-cyano-7-nitroquinoxaline-2,3-dione together with DL-2-amino-5-phosphonopentanoic acid (100 microM). Similarly, the aspartate- and glutamate-induced currents were also resistant to these antagonists. These observations suggest that a transmitter released from interneurons or descending fibres which are activated in part by A delta afferents, mediates a slow excitatory postsynaptic currents in substantia gelatinosa neurons and that an excitatory amino acid is implicated in the generation of the slow excitatory postsynaptic current, although the receptor appears to differ from the known ligand-gated channels. C afferents are unlikely to contribute to the slow excitatory postsynaptic current. This slow synaptic response may participate in the pain pathway and play an important role in the processing of nociceptive information in the spinal dorsal horn.

Animals↗
PubMed1997

Sclerosing inflammatory pseudotumor arising from the carotid artery region.

We report a 42-year-old female patient with sclerosing inflammatory pseudotumor. She had found a mass in her left neck after she caught a cold. An elastic hard mass (25 x 15 mm), unaccompanied by any other symptoms, was palpated adjacent to the left carotid bifurcation. The mass extended vertically along the common carotid artery, partially adhering to the pulsating artery. Under ultrasonography, the mass was characterized by a homogenized low echoic shadow surrounding the left common carotid artery. Angiography revealed a slight narrowing of the common carotid artery with a surrounding hypovascular mass. Computerized tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) both showed a mass enclosing the carotid artery; a Ga scintigram also showed a highly concentrated mass. Surgical removal of the mass included removing part of the carotid artery, internal and external carotid arteries and sympathetic trunk. The left internal jugular vein was transplanted to connect the common carotid artery to the internal carotid artery. Although the hypoglossal and vagus nerves adhered to the mass, they were preserved by sharp dissection with the scalpel. Although hypoglossal and vagus nerve dysfunction were observed temporarily after the surgery, Horner's syndrome appeared and persisted. Histological examination revealed markedly fibrotic tissues surrounding the carotid artery with extensive lymphocyte and plasmacyte infiltration and a diagnosis of sclerosing inflammatory pseudotumor was made.

Adult↗