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Biomedical subjects

M Tashiro

Publications and source records attributed to M Tashiro.

At least 271 records · Page 15Linked to original sources

Several properties of the partially purified proteinase inhibitor in eggplant exocarp.

A proteinase inhibitor was isolated and partially purified from the exocarp of eggplant, Solanum melongena L., by means of acetate buffer extraction, heat treatment, salting-out and column chromatography on DEAE-cellulose. This preparation showed inhibitory activities on various proteinases; trypsin [EC 3.4.4.4] and Pronase were strongly inhibited while alpha-chymotrypsin [EC 3.4.4.5] and Nagarse were weakly inhibited. The inhibitor was a protein substance, and, therefore, it was gradually inactivated by the long-time incubation with Pronase. The inhibition mode was non-competitive on trypsin and competitive on Pronase on the basis of Lineweaver-Burk plots. The investigations on the inhibition behavior in the co-existence of two kinds of proteinases suggested that the inhibitor was not of multi-headed type.

Chymotrypsin↗

Therapeutic abortions in California.

Therapeutic abortions in California have increased from 5,030 in 1968 to 15,339 in 1969, and over 60,000 are estimated for 1970. Also, there are pronounced regional differences in therapeutic abortions relative to live births. In 1969 the San Francisco Bay Area had six times as many abortions (115 per 1000 births) as did the Los Angeles Metropolitan Area (19). Preliminary figures for 1970 indicate this difference may be narrowed to a two-fold difference by the end of the year. Experience in other countries indicates morbidity and mortality risks are high in procedures done after the twelfth week, and in California one abortion in four is done after this period. Planning is needed to assure access to abortion services in all areas of the State and to meet the obligations of law and equity implicit in the Therapeutic Abortion Act. This should include counseling, follow-up, and referral services and not just the abortion procedure alone. Extension and more effective use of family planning services could substantially reduce unwanted pregnancies and the consequent demand for abortion. Efforts are also indicated to reduce the proportion of women terminating pregnancy after the twelfth week of gestation.Deaths associated with illegal abortions have decreased from 35 in 1966-1967 to 22 in 1968-1969. This is consistent with the view that the number of illegal abortions is decreasing.

Abortion, Therapeutic↗

Hypometabolism in the limbic system of cancer patients observed by positron emission tomography.

Brain images obtained by a positron emission tomography with 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose from 19 pretreatment cancer patients with variable cancers except brain cancers were compared with those from 17 inpatients with benign diseases. Relative reduction in regional cerebral metabolism of glucose was found mainly in the limbic structures including the bilateral orbitofrontal cortex, lateral frontal cortex, cingulate gyrus, thalamus, hippocampus and parahippocampal gyrus, insulae, and basal ganglia. The regional metabolism tended to be low in the patients who had severe pains which required opiates and morphines, and tended to be preserved in the patients who were already disclosed of their malignancy based on previous studies such as biopsy. Our findings would support that psychological deficits in cancer patients are associated with abnormalities in regional brain metabolism in the limbic system.

Aged↗

Reproducibility of PET brain mapping of cancer patients.

Twenty German cancer patients (56.9+/-12.7 years old) without brain metastasis underwent neurological PET. The acquired brain data were compared to the data of ten age and sex-matched controls (53.6+/-15. 7). Scores of Zung's Self-rating Depression Scale (SDS) obtained from 15 out of the 20 patients suggested they might be mildly depressed. Scores of Taylor's Manifest Anxiety Scale (MAS), used for additional psychological evaluation, were close to normal distribution. Hypometabolic areas in the German cancer patients were compared with those demonstrated in our previous study in Japanese cancer patients. Common findings in both studies were observed in the limbic structures, such as the anterior and posterior cingulate gyri, the basolateral frontal cortices, as well as in the basal ganglia (especially the caudate nucleus) and frontal cortex. These results are in accordance with many previous PET studies on major depression. The results show that the positron emission tomography and (18)F-fluoro-deoxyglucose ((18)FDG-PET) brain mapping results could be partially reproduced, and suggest that PET brain mapping of cancer patients has a potential clinical application to the field of psycho-oncology and cancer patient care.

Adult↗

Relationship between trait anxiety, brain activity and natural killer cell activity in cancer patients: a preliminary PET study.

The purpose of this study is to examine the relationship between psychological factors, regional brain activity and natural killer cell activity (NKA). Eight patients with malignant diseases were studied by FDG-PET under a resting condition. NKA and degree of anxiety and depression were measured using Taylor's manifest anxiety scale (MAS) and Zung's self-rating depression scale (SDS). Linear correlation of NKA and psychological measures to the regional brain metabolism in cancer patients was examined using statistical parametric mapping (SPM). Positive linear correlation between NKA and regional metabolic rate ratios was identified in the visual association cortex, anterior cingulate gyrus (CG) and sensorimotor area, and negative correlation was identified in the inferolateral prefrontal cortex (ILPFC), prefrontal cortex (PFC), orbitofrontal cortex (OFC) and anterior temporal cortex. Positive linear correlation to the MAS score was identified in the visual association cortex, anterior CG, primary sensorimotor area and the posterior parietal cortex, and negative correlation was detected in the ILPFC, PFC, OFC and anterior temporal cortex. The NKA and MAS scores positively correlated with each other (p<0.001). The result might serve as supporting data for a hypothesis that psycho-immune interaction is also mediated by the cerebral cortex and limbic system.

Adult↗

Role of Staphylococcus protease in the development of influenza pneumonia.

In influenza the combined virus-bacterial pneumonia is approximately three times more common than primary viral pneumonia. The bacteria most commonly involved are Staphylococcus aureus, Streptococcus pneumoniae and Haemophilus influenzae. S. aureus co-infection is reported to have a fatality rate of up to 42% (ref. 2). It is thought that virus infection in the respiratory tract favours growth conditions for bacteria. In this letter data are presented which show that some S. aureus strains secrete a protease which exerts a decisive influence on the outcome of influenza virus infection in mice by cleavage activation of the virus haemagglutinin.

Animals↗