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Biomedical subjects

M Umeda

Publications and source records attributed to M Umeda.

At least 109 records · Page 6Linked to original sources

Ulcerogenic and healing impairing actions of monochloramine in rat stomachs: effects of zinc L-carnosine, polaprezinc.

Effects of a novel zinc compound (polaprezinc), N-(3-aminopropionyl)-L-histidinato zinc, on the mucosal ulcerogenic and healing impairing responses induced by monochloramine (NH2Cl) were examined in rat stomach. Oral administration of NH2Cl (> 60 mM) produced severe hemorrhagic lesions in unanesthetized rat stomachs with a marked increase of thiobarbituric acid reactants (TBAR). Pretreatment of the animals with polaprezinc (3 approximately 30 mg/kg, p.o.) showed a dose-dependent inhibition against gastric ulcerogenic and TBAR responses induced by NH2Cl (120 mM). Likewise, mucosal exposure to NH4OH (60 mM) in urethane anesthetized stomachs made ischemic by bleeding from the carotid artery (1 ml per 100 g body w.t.) resulted in severe gastric lesions. This ulcerogenic response caused NH4OH plus ischemia was also attenuated by prior application of polaprezinc as well as taurine (25 mg/ml, 1 ml). On the other hand, the healing of gastric mucosal lesions induced by NH2Cl occurred more slowly than of ethanol-induced lesions, and the latter was significantly delayed by the repeated administration of NH2Cl. Polaprezinc (> 10 mg/kg, p.o.) given twice daily for 7 days not only accelerated the healing of NH2Cl-induced gastric lesions but also antagonized the delayed healing of ethanol-induced lesions in the presence of NH2Cl as well. Polaprezinc showed a scavenging action against NH2Cl in vitro. These results suggest that NH2Cl caused deleterious action on the healing of pre-existing acute lesions as well as irritating action to the mucosa in the rat stomach. Polaprezinc not only protects the stomach against injury caused by NH2Cl but also promotes healing of NH2Cl-induced gastric lesions as well as the delayed healing of ethanol-induced lesions caused by NH2Cl. Although the detailed mechanisms underlying these actions of polaprezinc remain unknown, they may be partly attributable to a scavenging action of this agent against NH2Cl.

Administration, Oral↗

Effect of various properties of hydroxyapatite ceramics on osteoconduction and stability.

Hydroxyapatite ceramics (HA) are widely used for clinical applications as a bone substitute or dental implant because they have been shown to be biocompatible and exhibit excellent osteoconductivity when grafted into the bone tissue. However, the influence of the physical properties of HA on the osteoconduction and stability remains unclear. We examined here the effect of various properties of HA granules on osteoconduction and stability using 6 types of HA granules. The HA granules were grafted into the rabbit tibia and the initial bone formation and long-term stability of the new bone were studied histologically. The following results were obtained; 1. Osteoconduction of the HA granule was influenced by the shape. Multi-nuclear granules with continuous pores ranging from 30 to 200 microns in diameter showed both excellent osteoconduction and stability. 2. Solubility behavior of HA granules, which was effected by the relative surface area sizes, also seemed to be an important factor for osteoconduction and stability. 3. Stable bi-phase ceramics with HA and beta TCP were produced at the sintering temperature of 1200 degrees C when Mg was added. The beta TCP and Mg content did not negatively influence the initial osteoconduction or long-term stability.

Animals↗

Mammalian cell mutants resistant to a sphingomyelin-directed cytolysin. Genetic and biochemical evidence for complex formation of the LCB1 protein with the LCB2 protein for serine palmitoyltransferase.

Lysenin, a hemolytic protein derived from the earthworm Eisenia foetida, has a high affinity for sphingomyelin. Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells exhibited a high cytolytic sensitivity to lysenin, but treatment with sphingomyelinase rendered the cells resistant to lysenin. Temperature-sensitive CHO mutant cells defective in sphingolipid synthesis were resistant to lysenin, and this lysenin resistance was suppressed by metabolic complementation of sphingolipids. Selection of lysenin-resistant variants from mutagenized CHO cells yielded two types of sphingomyelin-deficient mutants, both of which showed less lysenin binding capability than wild-type cells. One mutant strain was severely defective in sphingomyelin synthesis but not glycosphingolipid synthesis, and another strain (designated LY-B) was incapable of de novo synthesis of any sphingolipid species and had no activity of serine palmitoyltransferase (SPT; EC 2.3.1.50) catalyzing the first step of sphingolipid biosynthesis. LY-B cells lacked the LCB1 protein, a component of SPT, and transfection of LY-B cells with the hamster LCB1 cDNA restored both SPT activity and sphingolipid synthesis to the cells. Expression of an affinity peptide-tagged LCB1 protein in LY-B cells caused the endogenous LCB2 protein to adsorb to a tag affinity matrix. In addition, an anti-hamster LCB2 protein antibody co-immunoprecipitated both SPT activity and the wild-type LCB1 protein with the LCB2 protein. Thus, cell surface sphingomyelin is essential for lysenin-induced cytolysis, and lysenin is a useful tool for isolation of sphingomyelin-deficient mutants. Moreover, these results demonstrate that the SPT enzyme comprises both the LCB1 and LCB2 proteins.

Acyltransferases↗

Human monocytoid leukemia cells are highly sensitive to apoptosis induced by 2'-deoxycoformycin and 2'-deoxyadenosine: association with dATP-dependent activation of caspase-3.

The adenosine deaminase (ADA) inhibitor 2'-deoxycoformycin (dCF) significantly inhibits the proliferation of leukemia and lymphoma cell lines. When cells were incubated in the presence of both dCF and 2'-deoxyadenosine (dAd), the concentration of dCF required to induce apoptosis of monocytoid leukemia cells was much lower than that required for myeloid, erythroid, or lymphoma cell lines. Among the cell lines tested, U937 cells were the most sensitive to this treatment. The concentration of dCF that effectively inhibited the proliferation of U937 cells was 1/1,000 of that required for lymphoma cell lines, on a molar basis. However, the uptake of dCF or dAd in U937 cells was comparable with that in other leukemia and lymphoma cell lines. The intracellular accumulation of dATP in U937 cells was only slightly higher than that in other leukemia cells in dCF-treated culture. Treatment with dCF plus dAd induced apoptosis in U937 cells at low concentrations, and this apoptosis was reduced by treatment with caspase inhibitors. Induction of caspase-3 (CPP32) activity accompanied the apoptosis induced by dCF plus dAd. No activation of CPP32 was observed in cytosol prepared from exponentially growing leukemia and lymphoma cells. However, dATP effectively induced CPP32 activation in cytosol from monocytoid cells, but not in that from nonmonocytoid cells, suggesting that dATP-dependent CPP32 activation is at least partly involved in the preferential induction of apoptosis in monocytoid leukemia cells. The combination of dCF and dAd may be useful for the clinical treatment of acute monocytic leukemia.

Apoptosis↗

Detection of tumor promoters by early antigen expression of EB virus in Raji cells using a fluorescence microplate-reader.

As an in vitro assay for possible tumor promoters, we designed a quantitative immunofluorometric method to detect Epstein-Barr virus early antigen (EBV-EA) expression in Raji cells. In this method, anti-EBV-EA monoclonal antibody, a fluorogenic substrate and a fluorescence microtiterplate-reader were employed. 12-O-Tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate (TPA) was shown to be a potent inducer. EBV-EA induction by TPA was related to the activation of protein kinase C and phospholipase A2. The chemicals that reacted positively were okadaic acid, diethylstilbestrol, progesterone, sodium phenobarbital, aldrin and dieldrin. Lithocholic acid, testosterone and DDT were equivocal in the present experiments. Eight other chemicals tested did not react.

Acetophenones↗

A distinct cyclin-dependent kinase-activating kinase of Arabidopsis thaliana.

The activation of cyclin-dependent kinases (CDKs) requires phosphorylation of a threonine residue within the T-loop catalyzed by CDK-activating kinases (CAKs). Thus far no functional CAK homologue has been reported in plants. We screened an Arabidopsis cDNA expression library for complementation of a budding yeast CAK mutant. A cDNA, cak1At, was isolated that suppressed the CAK mutation in budding yeast, and it also complemented a fission yeast CAK mutant. cak1At encodes a protein related to animal CAKs. The CAK similarity was restricted to the conserved kinase domains, leading to classification of Cak1At as a distinct CDK in the phylogenetic tree. Immunoprecipitates with the anti-Cak1At antibody phosphorylated human CDK2 at the threonine residue (T160) within the T-loop and activated its activity to phosphorylate histone H1. Whereas CAKs in animals and fission yeast are involved in regulation of the cell cycle and basal transcription by phosphorylating the carboxyl-terminal domain (CTD) of the largest subunit of RNA polymerase II, Cak1At did not phosphorylate the CTD. An Arabidopsis CTD-kinase isolated separately from Cak1At was shown to interact with the yeast protein p13(suc1), but it had no CDK2-kinase activity. Therefore, the CTD of RNA polymerase II is probably phosphorylated by a Cdc2-related kinase distinct from Cak1At. cak1At is a single-copy gene in Arabidopsis and is highly expressed in proliferating cells of suspension cultures.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

Lysenin, a novel sphingomyelin-specific binding protein.

Lysenin, a novel 41-kDa protein purified from coelomic fluid of the earthworm Eisenia foetida, induced erythrocyte lysis. Preincubation of lysenin with vesicles containing sphingomyelin inhibited lysenin-induced hemolysis completely, whereas vesicles containing phospholipids other than sphingomyelin showed no inhibitory activity, suggesting that lysenin bound specifically to sphingomyelin on erythrocyte membranes. The specific binding of lysenin to sphingomyelin was confirmed by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, TLC immunostaining, and liposome lysis assay. In these assays, lysenin bound specifically to sphingomyelin and did not show any cross-reaction with other phospholipids including sphingomyelin analogs such as sphingosine, ceramide, and sphingosylphosphorylcholine, indicating that it recognized a precise molecular structure of sphingomyelin. Kinetic analysis of the lysenin-sphingomyelin interaction by surface plasmon resonance measurements using BIAcoreTM system showed that lysenin associated with membrane surfaces composed of sphingomyelin (kon = 3.2 x 10(4) M-1 s-1) and dissociated extremely slowly (koff = 1.7 x 10(-4) s-1), giving a low dissociation constant (KD = 5.3 x 10(-9) M). Incorporation of cholesterol into the sphingomyelin membrane significantly increased the total amount of lysenin bound to the membrane, whereas it did not change the kinetic parameters of the lysenin-membrane interaction, suggesting that lysenin specifically recognized sphingomyelin and cholesterol incorporation changed the topological distribution of sphingomyelin in the membranes, thereby increasing the accessibility of sphingomyelin to lysenin. Immunofluorescence staining of fibroblasts derived from a patient with Niemann-Pick disease type A showed that lysenin stained the surfaces of the fibroblasts uniformly, whereas intense lysosomal staining was observed when the cells were permeabilized by digitonin treatment. Preincubation of lysenin with vesicles containing sphingomyelin abolished lysenin immunostaining. This study demonstrated that lysenin bound specifically to sphingomyelin on cellular membranes and should be a useful tool to probe the molecular motion and function of sphingomyelin in biological membranes.

Animals↗

A novel MT gene of rice plants is strongly expressed in the node portion of the stem.

We identified a cDNA encoding a metallothionein (MT)-like protein from a cDNA library of rice endosperm. This cDNA (ricMT) encoded an open reading frame of 80 amino acids, with two cysteine-rich domains at the amino-terminus and carboxy-terminus, respectively. The deduced amino acid sequence was homologous to those of class I MT-like proteins. Southern blot analysis revealed that the gene exists at one locus in the rice genome. Northern blot analysis with rice seedlings showed that the transcript level in shoots was elevated by the addition of metal ions, such as Cu, Zn, Cd, Fe, Pb and A1, whereas in roots it was reduced in the presence of metal ions other than copper. The expression level of ricMT in mature rice plants was extremely high in stems relative to leaf blades, leaf sheaths, endosperm and roots. In the first nodes, the yield of the transcript was 150-times higher than that in leaf blades. These results suggest that ricMT protein may play an important role in the metabolism of metal elements in the stem.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

Protective effect of the combined treatment of pancreatic and neutrophil elastase inhibitors on acute pancreatitis elicited by lipopolysaccharide in rats given intraductal injection of taurocholate plus trypsin.

A severe acute pancreatitis was produced by intraperitoneal injection of lipopolysaccharide (LPS) in rats with preexisting hemorrhagic and necrotizing pancreatitis induced by retrograde injection of a 5% taurocholate plus 1% trypsin solution into the pancreatic duct. Mortality and time-course changes in pancreatic, hepatic, renal and pulmonary functions, and organ myeloperoxidase (MPO) levels were examined in this model. LPS at an intraperitoneal dose of 30 mg/kg, which scarcely caused death and had no marked effect on serum parameters and organ MPO levels in rats without pancreatitis, increased the mortality in rats with taurocholate plus trypsin-induced pancreatitis. Pancreatic weight and ascitic volume increased in rats with taurocholate plus trypsin-induced pancreatitis regardless of the presence or absence of LPS. Serum amylase and lipase levels were also significantly increased in rats with induced pancreatitis, but was higher in the group given LPS. Serum glutamic oxaloacetic transaminase (GOT), glutamic pyruvic transaminase (GPT), blood urea nitrogen (BUN) and creatinine levels were significantly elevated in LPS-treated rats with induced pancreatitis, whereas levels in rats with induced pancreatitis not given LPS were only slightly elevated. Renal weight was also significantly increased in rats with induced pancreatitis despite the presence or absence of LPS. In LPS-treated rats with induced pancreatitis, the arterial oxygen pressure, pulmonary weight and pulmonary MPO level were significantly elevated. However, the MPO level in the kidney in these rats was not different from that in control rats, indicating that the renal dysfunction was not produced by the infiltration of neutrophils into the kidney. Increase in the pancreatic MPO level was observed in rats with induced pancreatitis, but combination treatment with LPS did not raise it. Protective effects of prophylactic treatment of 2-(3-methylsulfonylamino-2-oxo-6-phenyl-1,2-dihydro-1-pyridyl)-N-( 3,3,3-trifluoro-1-isopropyl-2-oxopropyl)acetamide (compound 1), a neutrophil elastase inhibitor, and trifluoroacetyl-L-lysyl-L-alaninanilide hydrochloride (compound 2), a pancreatic elastase inhibitor, on mortality were also examined in this model. Results were compared with that of the combined treatment of compound 1 and compound 2. In LPS-treated rats with taurocholate plus trypsin-induced pancreatitis, the combined treatment of compound 1 (2 mg/kg/h) and compound 2 (30 mg/kg/h) significantly reduced mortality, whereas single treatment of compound 1 or compound 2 did not show the beneficial effect. These results suggest that marked hepatic and renal dysfunction accompanies pancreatitis in this pancreatitis model rats, which may be good models for acute pancreatitis in humans. It is also suggested that neutrophil and pancreatic elastases may be synergistically involved in the pathogenesis of acute pancreatitis in this model.

Animals↗

Protective effects of a PAF receptor antagonist and a neutrophil elastase inhibitor on multiple organ failure induced by cerulein plus lipopolysaccharide in rats.

The inhibitory effects of YM264, a selective platelet activating factor (PAF) receptor antagonist, and 2-(3-methylsulfonylamino-2-oxo-6-phenyl-1,2-dihydro-1-pyridyl)-N-( 3,3,3-trifluoro-1-isopropyl-2-oxopropyl)acetamide (compound 1), a neutrophil elastase inhibitor, on mortality, and pancreatic, hepatic, renal and pulmonary dysfunction were evaluated in a rat model of multiple organ failure (MOF) accompanying acute pancreatitis. MOF was produced by intraperitoneal injection of lipopolysaccharide (LPS, 30 mg/kg) in rats with cerulein-induced pancreatitis. LPS dose-dependently increased the mortality in rats with or without pancreatitis. The threshold dose which produced death in rats without pancreatitis was 30 mg/kg. This same dose evoked death in more than 40% of rats with pancreatitis. Time-course changes in serum enzyme and organ myeloperoxidase (MPO) levels were first examined in rats with induced MOF, and the results were compared with those in rats treated with only LPS or cerulein. Pancreatic weight, and serum amylase and lipase levels significantly increased in rats with cerulein-induced pancreatitis despite the presence or absence of LPS, but recovery of these pancreatic dysfunctions was slower in the group given LPS. However, serum GOT, GPT, BUN and creatinine levels were significantly elevated only in MOF rats. In the MOF rats, the MPO level in the lung was significantly elevated and arterial oxygen pressure was decreased, indicating that infiltration of neutrophils into the lung might be involved in pulmonary dysfunction. However, the MPO levels in the pancreas and kidney in the MOF rats were not remarkably different from those in normal rats. The inhibitory effects of YM264 and compound 1 on mortality and organ dysfunction were examined in this MOF model. The 24-h survival rate for rats prophylactically and therapeutically treated with an intravenous infusion of YM264 at 0.1 mg/kg h was significantly higher than that of controls. The 24-h survival rate for rats treated prophylactically by intravenous infusion of 2 mg/kg h of compound 1 was significantly higher than that of control, whereas a beneficial dose of compound 1 was 5 mg/kg h in therapeutically treated rats. Prophylactic treatment with YM264 (0.1 mg/kg h) and compound 1 (2 mg/kg h) ameliorated organ dysfunction in rats with MOF. In conclusion, pancreatic, hepatic, renal and pulmonary dysfunctions are observed in this rat MOF model. The PAF receptor antagonist and neutrophil elastase inhibitor reduce the mortality rate in rats with MOF due to their inhibitory effects on organ dysfunction, indicating that PAF and neutrophil elastase may play important roles in the development of MOF. These results in the present model are largely consistent with those in patients with MOF, indicating that this model is suited for MOF in humans and may be used as a model to test new therapeutic approaches.

Alanine Transaminase↗

Oxidation of 1-amino-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine, a 1-amino analog of MPTP, by type A and B monoamine oxidase.

A 1-amino analog of MPTP, 1(N)-amino-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine, was synthesized and the oxidation was examined using human synaptosomal mitochondria as sources of type A and B monoamine oxidase. An oxidation product, 1-amino-4-phenylpyridinium ion, was quantified by high-performance liquid chromatography-fluorometric detection. The amino analog was a substrate of both type A and B monoamine oxidase and the oxidation depended linearly on the enzyme amount and the reaction time with an optimal pH around 7.5. After the systemic injection of the amino analog in C57/black mice for one week, 1-amino-4-phenylpyridinium ion was detected in the brain. 1(N)-Amino-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine was proved to be cytotoxic to pheochromocytoma PC12 cells, and it may be a new neurotoxin bioactivated through the oxidation by type A and B monoamine oxidase.

1-Methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine↗

Criteria for diagnosing lymph node metastasis from squamous cell carcinoma of the oral cavity: a study of the relationship between computed tomographic and histologic findings and outcome.

PURPOSE: This retrospective study was conducted to determine the relationship between the computed tomographic findings for cervical lymph nodes (LN), histologic findings, and outcome in patients with squamous cell carcinoma of the oral cavity who underwent radical neck dissection. PATIENTS AND MATERIALS: Sixty-six patients were analyzed. Of these 66 operations, 43 were immediate therapeutic dissections in clinically N+ necks, and 23 were subsequent therapeutic dissections in patients whose necks were initially node free but progressed to positive nodes during observation. RESULTS: When the size criterion (area of the axial section) of nodal metastasis depicted on the scan of 45 mm2 was selected, almost 78% of LN were diagnosed consistent with the histologic diagnosis. As the size of the LN increased, the frequency of extranodal invasion also became higher, whereas patients with the higher histologic grades of malignancy often showed neck metastases with extranodal invasion in the early stage. Patients having LN smaller than 100 mm2, or without extranodal invasion, showed good outcome, whereas those having LN 100 mm2 or larger, with extranodal invasion, showed extremely poor outcome. CONCLUSIONS: These findings indicate that it is possible to delay neck dissection in node-free patients until neck disease is diagnosed with timely CT examination, although great caution is necessary, especially in those with a high histologic grade of malignancy.

Biopsy↗

Cytotoxicity of 1-amino-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine and 1-amino-4-phenylpyridinium ion, 1-amino analogues of MPTP and MPP+, to clonal pheochromocytoma PC12 cells.

1-Methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine (MPTP) induces parkinsonism in humans after its oxidation into 1-methyl-4-phenylpyridinium ion (MPP+) by type B monoamine oxidase. The 1-amino analogues of MPTP and MPP+, 1-amino-4-phenyl-1,2,3, 6-tetrahydropyridine (APTP) and 1-amino-4-phenylpyridinium ion (APP+), were synthesized, and their cytotoxicity to clonal pheochromocytoma PC12 cells was examined using a tetrazolium formazan assay. After incubation for 48 and 72 h, both APP+ and APTP were found to be cytotoxic to PC12 cells, whereas with the N-methyl analogues, only MPP+, but not MPTP, was cytotoxic. The cytotoxicity of APTP increased with incubation time and equaled that of MPP+ after 72 h. It was found that APTP was oxidized to APP+ by type A monoamine oxidase in PC12 cells, suggesting that APP+ itself may damage the cells. In addition to APTP and APP+, N-amino analogues of N-methylisoquinolines and related derivatives were also synthesized and examined for their cytotoxicity to PC12 cells.

1-Methyl-4-phenylpyridinium↗

Biweekly THP-COPBLM (pirarubicin, cyclophosphamide, vincristine, prednisone, bleomycin and procarbazine) regimen combined with granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF) for intermediate- and high-grade non-Hodgkins's lymphoma.

Biweekly THP-COPBLM including pirarubicin (THP), which is thought to be less toxic than doxorubicin, was used to treat non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL) and the remission rate and adverse events were studied in 42 patients younger than 69 years. Complete remission (CR) was achieved in 37 patients (88.1%) and partial remission in five (11.9%). Classified by international prognostic index, CR was achieved in 16 out of 17 low-intermediate-risk patients, 14 out of 16 high-intermediate-risk patients and seven out of nine high-risk patients. The 3-year survival rate was 72.1% and the 3-year event-free survival rate was 58%. Grade 3 or higher adverse events included granulocytopenia in 39 patients (92.9%) and thrombocytopenia in seven (16.7%). The biweekly THP-COPBLM regimen appears useful for the treatment of aggressive intermediate- and high-grade NHL, and G-CSF made it possible to shorten the interval between courses of chemotherapy. Further studies regarding adverse events on organs, other than on bone marrow are required to improve the long-term results of combination therapy on NHL.

Adult↗

A rice homolog of Cdk7/MO15 phosphorylates both cyclin-dependent protein kinases and the carboxy-terminal domain of RNA polymerase II.

The activation of cyclin-dependent protein kinases (CDKs) requires phosphorylation of a threonine residue within the T-loop by a CDK-activating kinase (CAK). The R2 protein of rice is very similar to CAKs of animals and fission yeast at the amino acid level but phosphorylation by R2 has not yet been demonstrated. When R2 was overexpressed in a CAK-deficient mutant of budding yeast, it suppressed the temperature sensitivity of the mutation. Immunoprecipitates of rice proteins with the anti-R2 antibody phosphorylated human CDK2, one of the rice CDKs (Cdc2Os1), and the carboxy-terminal domain (CTD) of the largest subunit of RNA polymerase II of Arabidopsis. Mutational analysis indicated that R2 phosphorylated the threonine residue within the T-loop of CDK2 and Cdc2Os1. R2 was found mainly in two protein complexes which had molecular masses of 190 kDa and 70 kDa, respectively, whilst the CDK- and CTD-kinase activities associated with R2 were identified in a complex of 105 kDa. These results indicate that R2 is closely related to CAKs of animals and fission yeast in terms of its phosphorylation activity and, moreover, that this CAK of rice is distinct from a CAK of the dicotyledonous plant Arabidopsis.

Animals↗