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Biomedical subjects

M Okuno

Publications and source records attributed to M Okuno.

At least 217 records · Page 12Linked to original sources
PubMed1984

Comparative metabolism of 3,5-di-tert-butyl-4-hydroxytoluene (BHT) in mice and rats.

In male and female DDY/Slc mice given single oral doses (20 or 500 mg/kg body weight) of 3,5-di-tert-butyl-4-hydroxytoluene (BHT) labelled with 14C at the p-methyl group, 14C was distributed mainly in the stomach, intestines, liver and kidney, and then excreted in the urine, faeces and expired air. During the 7 days after treatment, 41-65, 26-50 and 6-9% of the 14C dose was excreted in faeces, urine and expired air, respectively, and the total recovery was 96-98%. Levels of 14C in 21 male and 22 female tissues 7 days after treatment were less than 1 microgram BHT equivalents/g tissue (ppm) in mice given 20 mg/kg and less than 11 ppm in mice given 500 mg/kg. When [14C]BHT was given orally to male mice at 20 mg/kg/day for 10 days, 14C was rapidly excreted and did not exhibit any tendency to accumulate in any tissues. Thin-layer chromatography and high-performance liquid chromatography analyses showed that more than 43 metabolites were present in the urine and faeces of both species, and all of these were identified to determine metabolic pathways for BHT in mice and rats. Major metabolic reactions of [14C]BHT in mice were the oxidation of the p-methyl group attached to the benzene ring and of the tert-butyl groups. The products from the latter reaction were cyclized to some extent by reacting with the adjacent phenolic OH group to give hemiacetals or lactones. The carboxyl derivatives from the p-methyl oxidation were conjugated with glucuronic acid. When single oral doses of 20 or 500 mg [14C]BHT/kg were given to male Sprague-Dawley rats, metabolites similar to those in mice were found. However, the major biotransformation was oxidation of the p-methyl group, and oxidation of the tert-butyl groups was a minor reaction in rats.

Animals↗
PubMed1983

Initiation of sperm motility in teleosts.

In salmonid fish (rainbow trout and chum salmon) or freshwater cyprinid fish (goldfish), change of potassium concentration or osmolality of the environment surrounding the spermatozoa at spawning in fresh water directly affect the flagellum and regulate the initiation of sperm motility. A change in these external factors induces intraflagellar cAMP through some changes of plasma membrane in flagellum and cAMP triggers the initiation of axonemal movement through activation of cAMP-phosphorylation system in initiation of sperm motility in teleosts.

Animals↗
PubMed1981

Effects of AMPPNP and vanadate on the mechanochemical crossbridge cycle in flagella.

The non-hydrolysable ATP analogue, beta,gamma-imido-adenosine-5'-triphosphate (AMPPNP, adenylilimidodiphosphate) does not reduce the stiffness of demembranated sea urchin sperm flagella measured in the rigor state in the absence of MgATP2- and does not cause relaxation of rigor bends. The competitive inhibitions provide further evidence that the dynein-tubulin crossbridge cycle in flagella is similar to the actin-myosin crossbridge cycle.

Adenosine Triphosphate↗
PubMed1981

Effects of antibodies against dynein and tubulin on the stiffness of flagellar axonemes.

Antidynein antibodies, previously shown to inhibit flagellar oscillation and active sliding of axonemal microtubules, increase the bending resistance of axonemes measured under relaxing conditions, but not the bending resistance of axonemes measured under rigor conditions. These observations suggest that antidynein antibodies can stabilize rigor cross-bridges between outer-doublet microtubules, by interfering with ATP-induced cross-bridge detachment. Stabilization of a small number of cross-bridge appears to be sufficient to cause substantial inhibition of the frequency of flagellar oscillation. Antitubulin antibodies, previously shown to inhibit flagellar oscillation without inhibiting active sliding of axonemal microtubules, do not increase the static bending resistance of axonemes. However, we observed a viscoelastic effect, corresponding to a large increase in the immediate bending resistance. This immediate bending resistance increase may be sufficient to explain inhibition of flagellar oscillation; but several alternative explanations cannot yet be excluded.

Adenosine Triphosphatases↗
PubMed1980

Inhibition and relaxation of sea urchin sperm flagella by vanadate.

Direct measurements of the stiffness (elastic bending resistance) of demembranated sera urchin sperm flagella were made in the presence of MgATP2- and vanadate. Under these conditions, the flagellum is in a relaxed state, with a stiffness of approximately 0.9 x 10(-21) N m2, which is approximately 5% of the stiffness obtained in the rigor state in the absence of MgATP2-. MgADP- dose not substitute for MgATP2- in producing relaxed state. A progressive inhibition of movement is observed after addition of MgATP2- to flagella preincubated with vanadate, in which new bend generation, propagation, and relaxation by straightening are distinguished, depending on the ratio of MgATP2- and vanadate. At appropriate concentrations of vanadate, increase of the velocity of bend propagation is observed at a very low concentration of MgATP2- that is not enough to induce spontaneous beating. Vanadate enhances competitive inhibition of beat frequency by MgADP- but not by ADP3-, ATP4-, or Pi. These observations, and the uncompetitive inhibition of beat frequency by vanadate, indicate that vanadate can only bind to dynein-nucleotide complexes induced by MgATP2- and MgADP-. The state accessible by MgATP2- binding must be a state in which the cross-bridges are detached and the flagellum is relaxed. The state accessible by MgADP- binding must be a cross-bridged state. Bound vanadate prevents the transition between these two states. Inhibition and relaxation by banadate in the presence of MgATP2- results from the specific affinity of vanadate for a state in which nucleotide is bound, rather than a specific affinity for the deteched state.

Adenosine Diphosphate↗
PubMed1979

Inhibition of movement of trition-demembranated sea-urchin sperm flagella by Mg2+, ATP4-, ADP and P1.

Three clinical patterns of inhibition of MgATP2--activated flagellar motility have been found by measuring the motility of Triton-demembranated sea-urchin spermatozoa beating with their heads attached to a glass surface. Inhibition of beat frequency by the reaction products, ADP and Pi, is competitive with the normal substrate, MgATP2-, and the inhibitory effects are similar to a reduction in MgATP2- concentration. Inhibition of beat frequency by ATP4- is competitive with MgATP2, but is accompanied by an inhibition of bending, as measured by the angle between the straight regions on either side of a bend, which is not seen when MgATP2- concentration is reduced. Inhibition of beat frequency by Mg2+ is not competitive with MgATP2-, and is accompanied by an increase in bend angle, so that there is no change in the rate of sliding between flagellar tubules. These differences suggest unexpected complexity of dynein ATPase action in flagella. The beat frequencies of both swimming and attached spermatozoa show a linear double reciprocal dependence on MgATP2- concentration, with identical slopes. The calculated sliding velocities between tubules also give linear relationships, but the slopes are different, suggesting that beat frequency may be the more fundamental dependent variable in this system.

Adenosine Diphosphate↗
PubMed1977

The effect of myosin antibody on the division of starfish blastomeres.

Antiserum against starfish egg myosin was produced in rabbits. Antibody specificity to myosin was demonstrated by Ouchterlony's immunodiffusion test and by immunoelectrophoresis in the presence of sodium dodecylsulfate (SDS). The latter technique showed that the antibody binds to both heavy and light chains of egg myosin. Furthermore, the antibody reacted with starfish sperm mysosin and starfish adult muscle myosin at both the heavy and light chains. It did not react with bovine platelet mysosin or rabbit skeletal muscle myosin in Ouchterlony's test; however, a weak reaction was observed in the presence of SDS between the antibody and these myosin heavy chains. Ca- and Mg-ATPase activities of egg myosin were not affected by the antibody, but it did inhibit actin-activated ATPase activity of egg myosin. Microinjection of the antibody into blastomeres of starfish eggs at the two-cell stage was carried out. Anti-egg myosin gamma-globulin inhibited the subsequent cleavages at an amount of more than 0.3 ng when injected at interphase. The inhibition was reduced when the injection was carried out near the initiation of cleavage. At the onset of the second cleavage the antibody was not inhibitory; however, an appropriate amount inhibited the third cleavage. Although the disappearance of the nuclear membrane was observed in the presence of the antibody, the formation of the mitotic apparatus was more or less disturbed. However the formation of daughter nuclei seemed to be scarcely affected by the antibody except that the distance between the nuclei was significantly smaller than normal.

Actins↗