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Biomedical subjects

M Takada

Publications and source records attributed to M Takada.

At least 613 records · Page 34Linked to original sources

Homogeneous determination of C-reactive protein in serum using liposome immune lysis assay (LILA).

Recently, we have developed an analytical system based on a complement dependent liposome immune lysis assay (LILA) to measure antibody against protein antigens. This paper describes the application of LILA to measure protein antigens by inhibition reaction. We choose human C-reactive protein (CRP), one of acute phase reactants, for a model of antigen determination. CRP antigen is coupled to the carboxyfluorescein entrapped multilamellar liposomes by using N-hydroxysuccinimidyl 3-(2-pyridyldithio) propionate and dithiothreitol, and a specific lysis of liposomes is achieved upon the addition of anti-CRP antibody in the presence of complement. Inhibition of this assay can be observed by the addition of competing amounts of CRP in human serum. This inhibition assay is simple, fast, highly sensitive, reproducible and homogeneous. The assay covers the ranges 10-500 micrograms/l. In an experiment using 50 samples, the results by LILA correlated well with those by single radial immunodiffusion and enzyme immunoassay (correlation coefficient: 0.99 and 0.93, respectively).

Antigens↗

Attributes of microorganisms that contribute to recurrence and intractability of vaginal mycosis.

Recurrence or intractability of vaginal mycosis may be ascribable to various factors. Attributes of microorganisms that contribute to recurrence and intractability of vaginal mycosis have not fully been elucidated. We studied this problem by means of a modern fungal identification method, strict measurement of the minimum inhibitory concentration and close clinical analysis. As for the detection rate for Candida albicans (C. alb.) and Torulopsis glabrata (T. glab.) as pathogens of vaginal mycosis, we found a relative increase was observed in T. glab. that so far has shown strong adaptability, even under unfavorable environments, to general fungi. The MIC values for clotrimazole (CTZ) against T. glab. were about 4 times as high as those against C. alb. No acquired resistance to CTZ was observed in these 2 groups. Conventional identification methods have been unable to provide conclusive evidence of the self-infection of vaginal mycosis from the anus to the vagina via the vulva. In some of the cases examined in this study, the modern fungal identification method succeeded in demonstrating that the fungal species detected in these three regions were of the same origin. Some of the C. alb. and T. glab. strains which reappeared after treatment were found to be different from those detected before treatment, a finding indicating that reinfection, apart from recurrence, occurred. Besides, treatment occasionally resulted in replacement of C. alb. with T. glab.

Candida↗

[A randomized control study of the antiemetic efficacy of betamethasone versus methylprednisolone].

A randomized control study of the antiemetic activity of betamethasone (B) vs. methylprednisolone (MP) was carried out. Fifty-six patients receiving CDDP (60 mg/m2-80 mg/m2) were entered. B (8 mg/body on day 1, 4 mg/body on days 2 and 3) was administered intravenously in 18 patients, and MP (1,000 mg/body on day 1, 500 mg/body on days 2 and 3) was administered intravenously in 19 patients. Severe vomiting occurred in 5 of the 19 (26.3%) with MP, 10 of the 18 (55.6%) with B, and 11 of 19 (57.9%) controls. Severe nausea occurred in 3 of the 19 (15.8%) with MP, 6 of the 18 (33.3%) with B, and 5 of the 19 (26.3%) controls. Methylprednisolone was thus considered effective (P less than 0.05) for CDDP-induced emesis.

Betamethasone↗

Cerebral cortical projections to the reticular regions around the trigeminal motor nucleus in the cat.

Cerebral cortical regions which send projection fibers to the reticular regions around the trigeminal motor nucleus were identified in the cat by the horseradish peroxidase (HRP) method. The reticular region around the trigeminal motor nucleus are known to contain many interneurons for masticatory motoneurons. After injections of HRP into the reticular regions around the trigeminal motor nucleus, HRP-labeled neuronal cell bodies in the cerebral cortex were found in layer V. They were distributed bilaterally in the orbitofrontal cortical regions, mainly in the rostral extension of the orbital gyrus close to the presylvian sulcus; more were located in the floor and lateral bank of the presylvian sulcus than in the crown of the orbital gyrus. After injections of HRP conjugated with wheat germ agglutinin (WGA-HRP) into these cortical regions, many labeled presumed axon terminals were distributed bilaterally in the reticular regions around the trigeminal motor nucleus; mainly in the region ventral to the trigeminal motor nucleus and in the intertrigeminal region between the main sensory trigeminal nucleus and the trigeminal motor nucleus. Terminal labeling in these regions was more prominent after WGA-HRP injection into the lateral bank of the presylvian sulcus than after WGA-HRP injection into the crown of the orbital gyrus. Thus, the present results indicate that the main part of the cortical region projecting directly to the reticular regions around the trigeminal motor nucleus in the cat is folded into the presylvian sulcus.

Animals↗

Leucine-enkephalin-like immunoreactive afferent fibers to pudendal motoneurons in the cat.

Leucine-enkephalin-like immunoreactive (ENK-LI) afferent fibers to the feline homologue of the Onuf's nucleus (pudendal motoneurons) originate mainly from lamina X of the sacral cord. They make synaptic contacts chiefly upon dendrites of pudendal motoneurons; the synaptic terminals most often contain pleomorphic synaptic vesicles and occasionally round synaptic vesicles. Large-cored vesicles in the axon terminals within the Onuf's nucleus often showed ENK-LI.

Animals↗

Direct cortical projections to the parabrachial nucleus in the cat.

Direct projections from the cerebral cortex to the parabrachial nucleus in the cat were examined by the horseradish peroxidase (HRP)method. When HRP was injected into the parabrachial nucleus, retrogradely labeled neuronal cell bodies were seen, bilaterally with an ipsilateral predominance, mainly in the orbital gyrus, the lateral bank of the presylvian sulcus, and a restricted region in the infralimbic cortex on the medial surface of the frontal lobe (stereotaxic coordinates; Fr: 22, L: 1, H: -1); all labeled neurons were in deep pyramidal cell layer. After injecting HRP conjugated to wheat germ agglutinin (WGA-HRP) into the cortical regions where retrogradely labeled neurons were found after injecting HRP into the parabrachial nucleus, anterogradely labeled cortical fibers were traced to the parabrachial nucleus. Corticoparabrachial fibers originating from the orbital gyrus and the lateral bank of the presylvian sulcus ran ipsilaterally through the internal capsule and the cerebral peduncle down to the lower brainstem, whereas those from the infralimbic cortex coursed down ipsilaterally through the medial forebrain bundle. These cortical fibers to the parabrachial nucleus were distributed bilaterally with an ipsilateral predominance. Cortical fiber terminals in the parabrachial nucleus were topographically arranged: Corticoparabrachial fibers from the lateral bank of the presylvian sulcus ended most massively in the dorsal part of the lateral parabrachial nucleus. Corticoparabrachial fibers from the orbital gyrus ended most heavily in the medial parabrachial nucleus and less heavily in the lateral parabrachial nucleus. Corticoparabrachial fibers from the infralimbic cortex ended mostly in the parabrachial regions surrounding the brachium conjunctivum.

Animals↗

Topographical projections from the thalamus to the putamen in the cat.

Thalamic projections to the putamen (Put) in the cat were studied by the retrograde horseradish peroxidase method. Major thalamic projections to the Put originate from the midline and intralaminar nuclear regions including the centre médian-parafascicular complex (CM-Pf). The other thalamic projections to the Put arise mainly from the suprageniculate nucleus (Sg), magnocellular division of the medial geniculate nucleus (MGm), caudomedial part of the lateroposterior nucleus (LP) and ventrolateral part of the ventromedial nucleus (VM). The VM projects to the rostral Put, while the posterior thalamic regions (Sg, MGm, LP) project to the caudal Put.

Animals↗

Topographical projections from the posterior thalamic regions to the striatum in the cat, with reference to possible tecto-thalamo-striatal connections.

Projections from the posterior thalamic regions to the striatum were studied in the cat by the anterograde tracing method after injecting wheat germ agglutinin-horseradish peroxidase conjugate (WGA-HRP) into the caudalmost regions of the lateroposterior thalamic nucleus (caudal LP), suprageniculate nucleus (Sg) and magnocellular division of the medial geniculate nucleus (MGm). The results were further confirmed by the retrograde tracing method after injecting WGA-HRP into the regions of the caudate nucleus (Cd) and putamen (Put) where afferent fibers from the caudal LP, Sg and MGm were distributed. Fibers from the MGm, Sg or caudal LP were distributed mainly in the medial, middle or lateral part of the caudal half of the putamen (caudal Put), respectively. Although there was a considerable overlap, thalamostriatal fibers from the caudal LP terminated more caudally than those from the MGm. On the other hand, thalamocaudate fibers from the MGm, Sg and lateral part of the caudal LP overlapped with each other in the ventrolateral part of the caudal half of the caudate nucleus (caudal Cd). Fibers from the medial part of the caudal LP were distributed in the ventral part of the caudal Cd. In the superior colliculus (SC) of the cats with WGA-HRP injections in the caudal LP, retrogradely labeled neuronal cell bodies were mainly seen ipsilaterally in the superficial SC layer, and simultaneously, anterogradely labeled axon terminals were observed in the striatum. On the other hand, when WGA-HRP was injected into the Sg or MGm, labeled SC neurons were mainly located in the intermediate and deep SC layers. Thus, ascending impulses from the superficial SC layer may possibly be conveyed ipsilaterally via the caudal LP to the ventral and ventrolateral parts of the caudal Cd and the lateral part of the caudal Put, whereas those from the intermediate and deep SC layers may be relayed via the Sg and/or MGm to the ventrolateral part of the caudal Cd and the middle and medial parts of the caudal Put.

Animals↗

Antibodies to rheumatoid arthritis nuclear antigen (RANA) in Japanese patients with rheumatoid arthritis.

We studied antibodies to rheumatoid arthritis nuclear antigen (RANA) by the Ouchterlony method in 0.5% agarose plates, using soluble antigen extracted with 0.25 M sucrose solution from cultured Raji cells. Anti-RANA antibody was found in sera from 24 to 40 (60%) patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA), from 4 of 20 (20%) patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), and from 2 of 30 (7%) healthy controls. When sucrose extracts from BJAB, Ramos, and JM cells were used as the cellular antigens, no anti-RANA precipitin lines were detected. Indirect immunofluorescence study, using Raji cells or human B lymphocytes transformed by EB virus as substrate tissues, demonstrated anti-RANA antibody as fine speckled nuclear staining. Although RA patients with positive anti-RANA antibody usually had high titers of anti-Epstein-Barr nuclear antigen (EBNA) and anti-viral capsid antigen (VCA) IgG antibodies, the Wilcoxon ranks sum test showed no close statistical correlation between the presence of anti-RANA antibodies and the titers of anti-EBNA or anti-VCA (IgG) antibodies. These data showed that the incidence of positivity of anti-RANA antibodies in Japanese RA patients is almost the same as that in American and European RA patients.

Adult↗

Effect of implanted ethylene-vinyl alcohol copolymer matrices containing 5-fluorouracil on Ehrlich ascites carcinoma.

The antitumour activity of ethylene-vinyl alcohol (EVAl) copolymer matrices containing 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) was evaluated against Ehrlich ascites carcinoma in mice. A prolongation of the life-span of tumour-bearing mice following intraperitoneal implantation of therapeutic matrices was noted. These results indicated that EVAl matrices containing 5-FU may be effective in cancer chemotherapy. Matrices composed of EVAl copolymer could be useful vehicles for implanted, inserted, or surface-applied delivery systems for anticancer agents.

Animals↗