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Biomedical subjects

M Sakamoto

Publications and source records attributed to M Sakamoto.

At least 721 records · Page 40Linked to original sources

Collagenase synthesis in clonal rabbit odontoblast-like cells (RP cells).

Post-confluent cultures of cloned rabbit odontoblast-like cells (RP: Rabbit Pulp cells) produced latent collagenase, which was isolated from serum-containing culture media by heparin-Sepharose affinity chromatography. RP collagenase was purified 4,420-fold from serum-containing medium to a specific activity of 1,313 units/mg with a yield of 14% by heparin-Sepharose affinity chromatography, carboxymethyl-cellulose ion-exchange chromatography, and by immunoadsorption chromatography. The RP cell culture appears to be a suitable model to use for studying collagenase synthesis in mineralized tissue-forming cells and for elucidating the mechanism of collagen degradation in pulp tissue and dentin matrix.

Animals↗

Alpha-human atrial natriuretic polypeptide is released from the heart and circulates in the body.

In order to clarify whether or not atrial natriuretic polypeptides are hormones in man, we have measured plasma alpha-human atrial natriuretic polypeptide (alpha-hANP)-like immunoreactivity (alpha-hANP-LI) with or without extraction procedure. alpha-hANP-LI was detected in plasma extracts from all 5 normal subjects and 7 patients with heart diseases. The alpha-hANP-LI concentration in normal peripheral plasma was 37.7 +/- 7.0 pg/ml (mean +/- SE). Plasma concentrations of alpha-hANP-LI in the coronary sinus obtained by cardiac catheterization were 3 to 10 times higher than those in the peripheral vein, inferior vena cava, right atrium, pulmonary artery and aorta. High performance gel permeation chromatography coupled with a radioimmunoassay (RIA) for alpha-hANP revealed that alpha-hANP-LI in normal peripheral plasma eluted at the position corresponding to that of authentic alpha-hANP without detectable amounts of high molecular weight forms. alpha-hANP-LI extracted from plasma taken from the coronary sinus of two patients also showed a single peak of alpha-hANP-LI co-eluting with alpha-hANP. In contrast, not only alpha-hANP but gamma-hANP and beta-hANP, high molecular weight forms, were present in the human atrial tissue. These results indicate that alpha-hANP is the predominant form of alpha-hANP-LI in human plasma and that this form generated in the atrial cardiocytes is preferentially released from these cells and circulates in the body.

Adult↗

Existence of atrial natriuretic polypeptide in kidney.

Using a specific radioimmunoassay (RIA) for alpha-atrial natriuretic polypeptide (alpha-ANP), we have demonstrated the presence of alpha-rat ANP-like immunoreactivity (alpha-rANP-LI) in the rat kidney which is considered to be a target organ for atrial natriuretic polypeptides released from the heart. Most of alpha-rANP-LI was localized in the cortex. High performance gel permeation chromatography coupled with the RIA revealed that renal alpha-rANP-LI was eluted at the position of a low molecular weight form corresponding to alpha-rANP without detectable amounts of high molecular weight forms. This is in contrast to the observation that gamma-rANP, a high molecular weight form of 13k daltons, is the dominant form of alpha-rANP-LI in the rat atrium. In water-deprived rats, the concentration and content of alpha-rANP-LI in the kidney showed a significant decrease compared with control rats. In addition, the alpha-rANP-LI concentration and content in this organ revealed a substantial decrease after perfusion with physiological saline. These results indicate the existence of atrial natriuretic polypeptide (ANP) in the kidney and suggest that part of renal ANP may originate from the heart.

Animals↗

Occurrence of atrial natriuretic polypeptide in brain.

In order to determine whether or not atrial natriuretic polypeptides (ANPs) exist in the brain, we have studied extracts from the rat brain using a specific radioimmunoassay (RIA) for alpha-atrial natriuretic polypeptide. The presence and widespread distribution of alpha-rat ANP-like immunoreactivity (alpha-rANP-LI) have been demonstrated in the rat brain. The highest concentration of alpha-rANP-LI (20-22 ng/g) is in the hypothalamus and the septum. Moderate concentrations of alpha-rANP-LI (2-8 ng/g) are also found in the midbrain, cerebral cortex, olfactory bulb, thalamus, pons-medulla and hippocampus. High performance gel permeation chromatography coupled with the RIA revealed that alpha-rANP-LI found in the rat brain consists of three components eluting at the positions of gamma-rat ANP (gamma-rANP), beta-rat ANP (beta-rANP) and alpha-rANP, respectively. Among these a low molecular weight form of alpha-rANP-LI emerging at the elution position corresponding to alpha-rANP is predominant in the rat brain. This is in contrast to the finding that gamma-rANP, a high molecular weight form of 13k daltons is the dominant form of alpha-rANP-LI in the rat atrium. These results clearly show that there exists a widespread neural system containing ANPs in the brain.

Animals↗

Deficits in manipulative behaviors induced by local injections of muscimol in the first somatosensory cortex of the conscious monkey.

Injection of muscimol (GABA agonist) in the finger region of area 2 of the alert monkey led to the striking yet reversible loss of finger coordination, thus disabling the monkey from picking up a small piece of food from a small hole or a funnel. Symptoms varied depending on sites of injection within the finger region. Neither weakness of hand or finger movements nor deficit in hand reach was observed.

Animals↗

Diversity in receptive field properties of vertical neuronal arrays in the crown of the postcentral gyrus of the conscious monkey.

Single neuronal activity was recorded in the crown of the postcentral gyrus (areas 1 and 2) in 5 conscious monkeys. A total of 93 penetrations were made in the hand and finger region of 9 hemispheres and 827 neurons were isolated. The receptive field characteristics of neurons recorded along each of 88 penetrations which entered perpendicularly to the cortical surface were compared. The majority of neurons in this region were responsive to skin stimulation. In 54 penetrations, neurons related to different sensory submodalities were mixed. In 30, skin neurons predominated, and in 8, 'deep' neurons, while in the remaining 16 penetrations neurons related to different submodalities were equally mixed. In 16 penetrations, neurons responded exclusively to stimulation of skin, hair or nails. In 9 penetrations, neurons were exclusively related to joint manipulation or other types of 'deep' submodality. In 9 penetrations, unidentified neurons were in the majority. In each penetration, the receptive field positions varied considerably on the same finger or encompassed more than one finger. Although neurons of the same submodality, either skin or 'deep' tended to be set in an array, the most adequate stimulus could vary among neurons of a given array. The variability in the receptive field positions or the most adequate stimuli remained constant irrespective of the angle of the electrode penetration in the cortex. The results are compatible with the idea that vertically arranged neuronal array receive inputs of multiple sources, both thalamacortical and corticocortical, so that interactions between different inputs can readilly occur.

Afferent Pathways↗

Vertical neuronal arrays in the postcentral gyrus signaling active touch: a receptive field study in the conscious monkey.

Single neuronal activity was recorded in the crown of the postcentral gyrus (areas 1 and 2) in 5 conscious monkeys. A total of 88 penetrations entered perpendicularly to the cortical surface. Among them, 6 examples are chosen and the receptive field characteristics of constituent neurons were described in some detail. Receptive fields of neurons recorded along a particular penetration were variable in their positions, but the largest receptive field usually covered the others. Neurons with the largest receptive fields were found most frequently in the infragranular layers. Often they included inhibitory receptive fields. The inhibitory receptive fields were arranged side-by-side to the excitatory ones, rather than in a center-surround fashion. The key stimulus common to neurons in a vertical penetration was the contact of an object to the receptive field achieved during animal's active behavior to manipulate the object. We thus designated the largest receptive field as a functional surface. Our results demonstrate that a vertical array of neurons in this cortical region can be regarded as a functional assemblage which deals with a set of information concerning one of various aspects of active touch.

Animals↗

Effect of topical application of 13-cis retinoic acid on skin of hairless rats and hairless mice.

The potential effectiveness of topical 13-cis retinoic acid (13-cis RA) as a sebosuppressive agent was evaluated in hairless ("fuzzy") rats and hairless mice. At nontoxic dosages (i.e., concentrations which induced no weight loss), topical 13-cis RA had no detectable sebosuppressive effects in either of these species. In hairless rats, the topical application of 0.2% 13-cis RA induced more severe symptoms of toxicity than was induced by the administration of equivalent amounts of the drug by either oral or subcutaneous routes. Due to variability in species sensitivity to 13-cis RA, the potential effectiveness of the topical use of this retinoid can probably only be evaluated in human volunteers.

Administration, Oral↗

Leumorphin in human brain.

Porcine leumorphin, a putative opioid peptide corresponding to amino acid residues 228-256 of preproenkephalin B has been demonstrated to exist in the porcine neurointermediate pituitary. A recent study on the sequence analysis of genomic DNA of human preproenkephalin B has shown that human leumorphin differs in 3 amino acid residues from porcine leumorphin. In order to clarify whether leumorphin is an endogenous opioid peptide in man, we have studied its existence and regional distribution in the human brain using a radioimmunoassay (RIA) for leumorphin. Reverse-phase HPLC and high performance gel permeation chromatography coupled with the RIA for leumorphin revealed that human leumorphin existed together with rimorphin (dynorphin B) in water extracts of the human brain. Leumorphin-like immunoreactivity (-LI) and dynorphin-LI distributed in parallel throughout the brain. These results indicate that leumorphin is a novel endogenous opioid peptide in man.

Animals↗

Survival of an extensively burned infant following purulent pericarditis.

This is a report of the treatment and survival of an extensively burned infant following purulent pericarditis with massive pericardial effusion due to Staphylococcus aureus. A 2-year-old boy fell into a bathtub and suffered scalds covering at least 70 per cent of the body surface area. Pericarditis with massive pericardial effusion was diagnosed on post-burn day 36. As conservative treatment was ineffective pericardiotomy and pericardial drainage were carried out. Whole body oedema disappeared promptly and entirely and the patient was discharged from hospital with healed burns and free of cardiac symptoms.

Burns↗

Accelerated natriuresis induced by synthetic atrial natriuretic polypeptide in spontaneously hypertensive rats.

Effects of synthetic alpha human atrial natriuretic polypeptide (alpha-hANP) on diuresis, natriuresis and mean arterial blood pressure (MAP) were compared between 4-5 month-old male spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR) and Wistar-Kyoto rats (WKY) under ether anesthesia. In both groups, the peptide injected (0.5 micrograms/100g body weight, i.v.) caused potent (about ten fold), rapid and short-acting (for 15 min) increases in sodium (Na+) and chloride excretions and also an increase in urine flow and potassium excretion with lesser magnitude. Although ratios of the maximum response to basal value were much the same, net increases in urine flow and Na+ output were significantly greater in SHR than in WKY. As to the effect on MAP, a rapid (within 2 min) fall observed in the two groups. These results suggest that the atrial natriuretic peptide may be involved in the altered regulatory mechanism of fluid and electrolyte balance in SHR models with genetic hypertension.

Animals↗

Monensin inhibits collagenase production in osteoblastic cell cultures and also inhibits both collagenase release and bone resorption in mouse calvaria cultures.

Monensin, a monovalent cation ionophore, inhibited collagenase production in mouse osteoblast-rich bone cell and clonal osteogenic cell cultures. Inhibition of parathyroid hormone-stimulated bone resorption by monensin was also studied in calvaria cultures. Collagenase activity levels in the medium decreased concomitantly with the inhibition of bone resorption by monensin, indicating that monensin inhibited bone resorption by blocking collagenase secretion from osteoblasts in bone explants.

Animals↗

Perturbation of lymphatic endothelial cells in experimental Brugia malayi infections.

Infection with filarial nematodes induces lymphatic dysfunction in many individuals in endemic areas. The present morphometric study describes changes in lymphatic endothelial cells of Brugia-infected cats. Transmission electron microscopy revealed a decrease in the number of cytoplasmic vesicles in endothelial cells from lymphatic vessels harboring filarial nematodes (4.9 vesicles per micron 2 cytoplasm) when compared with similar cells from the contralateral uninfected control vessels (9.0 vesicles per micron 2). The size of the vesicles and their location within the cytoplasm was not changed. Irregular large vacuoles, often containing degenerating organelles, were common in endothelial cells lining Brugia-infected lymphatic vessels. These studies suggest that damage of cells by living or dead worms or worm products may have a direct effect on the endothelial lining of lymphatic vessels. This may compromise the efficiency of vessels that collect and transport edematous fluid in affected limbs.

Animals↗

Enhancement of hepatocarcinogenesis by sorbitan fatty acid ester, a liver pyruvate kinase activity-reducing substance.

Effect on hepatocarcinogenesis of dietary sorbitan fatty acid ester (SorFAE), which had been known to cause decrease in pyruvate kinase (PK) activity, was studied in rats fed a diet containing 0.06% 3'-methyl-4-dimethylaminoazobenzene (3'-Me-DAB) for 6 weeks. The incidence of hyperplastic nodules and/or hepatocellular carcinomas in the rats fed the 3'-Me-DAB diet alone was 45.0% at the end of 51 weeks, whereas the incidence in the rats fed 3'-Me-DAB diet followed by 5 or 10% SorFAE or 0.1% phenobarbital (PB) diet were 76.2, 90.5, and 95.0%, respectively. These incidences were significantly higher compared with the group fed 3'-Me-DAB diet alone (P less than .05). No tumors were observed in rats fed 10% SorFAE diet alone. The results show that SorFAE has an enhancing effect on hepatocarcinogenesis, although the effect was weak compared to that of the effective PB dose. The results seem to confirm our assumption that a chemical that causes decrease in PK activity in rat liver might promote hepatocarcinogenesis.

Animals↗