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Biomedical subjects

M Shiraishi

Publications and source records attributed to M Shiraishi.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources

[Analysis for microbial contamination in production of Japanese-style confectionery "Monaka"].

Food hygiene in Japanese-style confectionery factories is hard to practice because the businesses are small. In a supporting system of voluntary-based hygienic management in this field, we microbiologically investigated the production processes of "Monaka" in a workshop in Tokyo. We microbiologically assessed the processing environments as well as the products in the workshop, then proposed some improvements in the production of the confectionery. After the improvements, microbial contamination of the processing environments was reduced and no microbial contamination was found in the sugared bean, or "An" produced, though the product "Monaka" was still contaminated, especially by molds. It was clarified that the molds came from contaminated baked wheat shells, or "Kawa" and further that the wheat shells were contaminated by molds during storage.

Food Handling↗

[Anesthesia for patients with unexpected pulmonary embolisms due to a large abdominal tumor obstructing with inferior vena cava].

Several reports have highlighted the risk of pulmonary embolisms during the preoperative period in patients with large abdominal tumors obstructing the inferior vena cava. We describe a patient who developed pulmonary embolism just before surgery. A 68[correction of 64]-year-old female was scheduled to undergo elective resection of a large abdominal tumor under general anesthesia. She had no signs of deep venous thrombosis, but on the day of the operation, pulmonary embolism developed suddenly. Anticoagulant therapy was performed. Capnography and pulmonary artery pressure were monitored during the perioperative period to detect the recurrence of pulmonary embolism. The percutaneous cardio-pulmonary support (PCPS) was also prepared. The operation was performed successfully. In this patient, the pulmonary embolism occurred suddenly during the preoperative period, even though we had ruled out the existence of deep venous thrombosis. This case report emphasizes the risk of pulmonary embolism in any patient with a large abdominal tumor obstructing the inferior vena cava. This case of a large abdominal tumor suggests that capnography, monitoring of pulmonary artery pressure and preparation of a PCPS in case of pulmonary embolism during surgery are necessary even in patients without signs of deep venous thrombosis.

Abdominal Neoplasms↗

[Anesthesia using propofol for a patient with arthrogryposis multiplex congenita].

Arthrogryposis multiplex congenita (AMC) is a syndrome with multiple persistent limb contractures, often accompanied by associated anomalies. Pediatric patients with AMC frequently require operations, necessitating general endotracheal anesthesia. We report on the anesthesia used for a 14-year-old male with AMC, who required the surgical removal of soft tissue from both hip joints. We used propofol and vecuronium bromide to induce anesthesia, and maintained anesthesia with 40% nitrous oxide, oxygen, and propofol at 6 mg.kg-1.1 hr-1. Both induction and maintenance were smooth, and no hyperthermia occurred perioperatively. Propofol can be safely used for anesthesia in AMC patients.

Adolescent↗

[Difficult ventilation during induction of anesthesia in a patient with Arnold-Chiari malformation type II].

Arnold-Chiari malformation is a congenital disorder with caudal displacement of the cerebellar tonsils through the foramen magnum into the cervical canal. We report difficulty with ventilation during the induction of anesthesia due to apnea and laryngospasm in a 5-year-old female with Arnold-Chiari malformation type II diagnosed at birth. She had had short periods of apnea during infancy, but was asymptomatic recently. Slow induction of anesthesia was performed using sevoflurane, but just after induction, the patient developed apnea and we could not ventilate her due to laryngospasm. We woke her up, and induced anesthesia with barbiturates. The operation was performed without complications, but she had another apnea attack with laryngospasm at extubation. This case suggests that it is important to be aware of the possibility of apnea due to disorder of the respiratory center in patients with Arnold-Chiari deformity.

Anesthesia, Inhalation↗

Inhibition by tramadol of muscarinic receptor-induced responses in cultured adrenal medullary cells and in Xenopus laevis oocytes expressing cloned M1 receptors.

Tramadol is a widely used, centrally acting analgesic, but its mechanisms of action are not completely understood. Muscarinic receptors are known to be involved in neuronal function in the brain and autonomic nervous system, and much attention has been paid to these receptors as targets of analgesic drugs in the central nervous system. This study investigated the effects of tramadol on muscarinic receptors by using two different systems, i.e., a Xenopus laevis oocyte expression system and cultured bovine adrenal medullary cells. Tramadol (10 nM-100 microM) inhibited acetylcholine-induced currents in oocytes expressing the M1 receptor. Although GF109203X, a protein kinase C inhibitor, increased the basal current, it had little effect on the inhibition of acetylcholine-induced currents by tramadol. On the other hand, tramadol did not inhibit the current induced by AlF4-, a direct activator of GTP-binding protein. In cultured bovine adrenal medullary cells, tramadol (100 nM-100 microM) suppressed muscarine-induced cyclic GMP accumulation. Moreover, tramadol inhibited the specific binding of [3H]quinuclidinyl benzilate (QNB). Scatchard analysis showed that tramadol increases the apparent dissociation constant (Kd) value without changing the maximal binding (Bmax), indicating competitive inhibition. These findings suggest that tramadol at clinically relevant concentrations inhibits muscarinic receptor function via QNB-binding sites. This may explain the neuronal function and anticholinergic effect of tramadol.

Acetylcholine↗

Two circadian oscillatory mechanisms in the mammalian retina.

To investigate the mechanism that controls circadian rhythms in the mammalian retina, we examined the mRNA expression rhythms of serotonin N-acetyltransferase (NAT), the mammalian clock gene rPer2 and a clock-controlled gene Dbp in the retina of rats with lesions of the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN), the master clock in mammals. Northern blot analyses showed that retinal NAT mRNA still exhibited the circadian expression in the SCN-lesioned rats, whereas the lesion abolished the rhythms of rPer2 and Dbp mRNAs. These findings suggest that the mammalian retina has two circadian oscillatory mechanisms: one can generate rhythmicity independent of the SCN and the other requires the SCN to maintain circadian oscillation.

Animals↗

Discovery of novel, potent, and selective small-molecule CCR5 antagonists as anti-HIV-1 agents: synthesis and biological evaluation of anilide derivatives with a quaternary ammonium moiety.

The search for new small-molecule CCR5 antagonists by high-throughput screening (HTS) of the Takeda chemical library using [(125)I]RANTES and CHO/CCR5 cells led to the discovery of lead compounds (A, B) with a quaternary ammonium or phosphonium moiety, which were synthesized to investigate new MCP-1 receptor antagonists. A series of novel anilide derivatives 1 with a quaternary ammonium moiety were designed, synthesized, and tested for their CCR5 antagonistic activity. Through the optimization of lead compounds, we have found N,N-dimethyl-N-[4-[[[2-(4-methylphenyl)-6, 7-dihydro-5H-benzocyclohepten-8-yl]carbonyl]amino]benzyl]tetrahydr o-2 H-pyran-4-aminium chloride (1r, TAK-779) as a highly potent and selective nonpeptide CCR5 antagonist with a IC(50) value of 1.4 nM in the binding assay. Compound 1r also inhibited the replication of macrophage (M)-tropic HIV-1 (Ba-L strain) in both MAGI-CCR5 cells and PBMCs with EC(50) values of 1.2 and 3.7 nM, respectively. The synthesis and structure-activity relationships of 1r and its related compounds are detailed.

Amides↗

Granular cell tumor of the rectum: a case report and review of the literature.

A 47-year-old Japanese woman with a 5-year history of alcoholism was admitted to the Ryukyu University Hospital for the treatment of the alcoholism. For evaluation of observed changes in her bowel habits, she underwent colonoscopy, which revealed seven small polyps spread throughout the entire large intestine. Six of the polyps were in the colon; one was an adenoma and five were hyperplastic polyps. The remaining polyp, in the rectum, was an 8-mm submucosal tumor. Pathological analysis of a biopsy of the lesion in the rectum indicated a possible diagnosis of adenocarcinoma. Endoscopic ultrasonography (EUS) demonstrated a submucosal hypoechoic nodule, involving the mucosa and the muscularis propria. Subsequently, the patient underwent a radical low anterior resection of rectum. The lesion was a submucosal tumor with ulceration. The tumor consisted of granular tumor cells which were positive for S-100 protein, neuron-specific enolase, and periodic acid schiff (PAS) stain, but negative for desmin and vimentin. Granular cell tumor is rare in the gastrointestinal tract. As a result, such tumors can be misinterpreted to indicate a possible malignancy on either a biopsy or EUS.

Biomarkers↗

Limitations of exogenous L-arginine in exerting a cytoprotective effect on hepatic ischemia/reperfusion injury.

To test whether or not the L-arginine/nitric oxide (NO) pathway induces a protective effect, we investigated the effect of exogenous L-arginine on hepatic ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) injury, using ex vivo perfusion of the isolated rat liver. The rat liver was removed and preserved in cold saline for 60 min, followed by 120 min of reperfusion with oxygenated perfusate at 37 degrees C. Either 600 mg/kg of L-arginine (groups 1 and 4), D-arginine (group 2), N(G)-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester (L-NAME) (group 3), or saline (group 5) were administered through the portal vein starting from 5 min before reperfusion to 5 min after reperfusion. In group 4, 600 mg/kg of L-NAME was preadministered at 10 min prior to the administration of L-arginine. The intrahepatic nitric oxide (NO) levels showed only a temporal elevation (227% +/- 70% of the pre-reperfusion levels at 5 min) after reperfusion in group 1. Pretreatment with L-NAME suppressed the elevation of the NO levels immediately after reperfusion in group 4. The lactate dehydrogenase release to the effluent perfusate significantly decreased and the histological findings showed that the sinusoidal damage observed after reperfusion was mitigated in group 1 more than in the other groups. These results thus suggest that exogenous L-arginine produced a relatively small amount of NO and therefore resulted in a slight decrease of hepatic I/R injury.

Animals↗

Participation of mitogen-activated protein kinase in thapsigargin- and TPA-induced histamine production in murine macrophage RAW 264.7 cells.

1. Stimulation of the murine macrophage cell line RAW 264.7 with thapsigargin, an endomembrane Ca(2+)-ATPase inhibitor, induced histamine production in a time- and concentration-dependent manner. 2. The protein kinase C activator, 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol 13-acetate (TPA), also enhanced histamine production. 3. alpha-Fluoromethylhistidine, a suicide substrate of L-histidine decarboxylase (HDC), suppressed the thapsigargin (30 nM)- and TPA (30 nM)-induced histamine production. 4. Both thapsigargin (30 nM) and TPA (30 nM) induced phosphorylation of p44/p42 MAP kinase and p38 MAP kinase. 5. PD98059, a specific inhibitor of MEK-1 which phosphorylates p44/p42 MAP kinase, strongly suppressed both the thapsigargin (30 nM)- and TPA (30 nM)-induced histamine production, whereas SB203580, a specific inhibitor of p38 MAP kinase, inhibited them only partially. 6. The other MEK-1 inhibitor, U-0126, also inhibited both the thapsigargin- and TPA-induced histamine production in a concentration-dependent manner. 7. Thapsigargin (30 nM) and TPA (30 nM) increased the levels of HDC mRNA at 4 h, but PD98059 suppressed both the thapsigargin- and TPA-induced increases in the HDC mRNA level. 8. These findings indicate that thapsigargin and TPA induce histamine production in RAW 264.7 cells by increasing the level of HDC mRNA, and that both the thapsigargin- and TPA-induced histamine production are regulated largely by p44/p42 MAP kinase and partially by p38 MAP kinase.

Animals↗

Analysis of histamine-producing cells at the late phase of allergic inflammation in rats.

To identify histamine-producing cells at the late phase of allergic inflammation, the expression of L-histidine decarboxylase (HDC) was examined in the infiltrating leucocytes in the inflammatory locus. HDC activity and HDC mRNA levels in the infiltrating leucocytes in the pouch fluid of the immunized rats (that were injected with the antigen solution into the air pouch) were increased compared with those in the infiltrating leucocytes of the non-immunized rats. When infiltrating leucocytes collected 8 hr after antigen injection were cultured, histamine production by the cells from the immunized rats was higher than that from the non-immunized rats. In situ hybridization of HDC mRNA revealed that almost all the infiltrating leucocytes of the immunized rats, 4 hr after injection of the antigen, expressed HDC mRNA with high intensity, while those of the non-immunized rats showed only a weak intensity of HDC mRNA. In the immunized rats, approximately 90% of leucocytes infiltrating in the pouch fluid at 4 hr were neutrophils and 8% were monocytes/macrophages. Neither mast cells nor basophils were detected in the infiltrating leucocytes. When rat peritoneal neutrophils were incubated in the presence of 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol 13-acetate, histamine production was significantly increased. These findings suggest that the leucocytes, mainly neutrophils, infiltrating at the inflammatory locus are responsible for histamine production at the late phase of allergic inflammation.

Animals↗

Expression of p53, bcl-2, and bax as predictors of response to radiotherapy in esophageal cancer.

The sensitivity of cancers to radiotherapy or chemotherapy may be influenced by susceptibility to apoptosis. We evaluated whether expression of three proteins regulating apoptosis, p53, bcl-2, and bax, could predict the effect of radiotherapy in esophageal cancers. We used immunohistochemical staining for these protein regulators of apoptosis to study biopsy specimens obtained from 25 patients with esophageal squamous cell carcinoma before they underwent preoperative radiotherapy. Effectiveness of radiotherapy was assessed by barium esophagography, esophagoscopy, and computed tomography. Radiotherapy was effective in 12 patients and ineffective in 13 patients. Biopsy specimens from the 25 patients showed expression of p53, bcl-2, and bax to be 48.0%, 32.0%, and 76.0% respectively. Effectiveness of radiotherapy was correlated with p53 expression (p = 0.047), but bcl-2 and bax expression showed no relationship to effectiveness of radiotherapy. Expression of p53 protein in biopsy specimens may predict effectiveness of preoperative radiotherapy in esophageal cancers.

Aged↗