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Biomedical subjects

N Azuma

Publications and source records attributed to N Azuma.

At least 145 records · Page 8Linked to original sources

[Absorption of 5-FU orally administered in a patient with postoperative gastric cancer under artificial dialysis].

A patient under artificial dialysis due to chronic renal failure suffered from gastric cancer concurrently. This patient underwent subtotal gastrectomy followed by consecutive oral administration of 5-FU (tablets) as a postoperative adjuvant chemotherapy. The 5-FU level in the peripheral blood on oral administration at 50 mg remained at 0.007-0.01 microgram/ml over 2 hours. This feature of 5-FU blood level is not seen in gastric cancer patients with normal renal functions on administration of 5-FU tablets, and it seems to approximate the features of a 5-FU prodrug level in the blood upon oral administration. Neither the influence of dialysis on the absorption of orally administered 5-FU nor side effects caused by 5-FU were observed. The above findings suggest that it may be possible to maintain a certain blood level of 5-FU and to perform adjuvant chemotherapy even in cancer patients under artificial dialysis, as long as the dose is controlled carefully.

Administration, Oral↗

Electron microscopic study of the developing human vitreous collagen fibrils.

Vitreous fibrils, and collagen fibrils in other ocular tissues, were observed in 5-, 6- and 7-weeks human embryos. The vitreous fibrils in 7-weeks embryos were distinctly different from the fibrils of other ocular tissues. The vitreous fibrils near the rim of the optic cup were similar to the fibrils in the anterior cavity of the lens vesicle in the 6-week embryo. Broad fibrils were demonstrated with a diameter of 30-40 nm and a striated banding pattern of about 60 nm periodicity.

Collagen↗

Morphological study on the human developing vitreous collagen fibrils and persistent hyperplastic primary vitreous.

The human primary vitreous fibrils were similar to the secondary vitreous fibrils on electron microscopic observation. On the other hand, the intravitreal strand in a persistent hyperplastic primary vitreous (PHPV) contained large numbers of collagenous fibrils with 40-50 nm diameters and about 65 nm cross-striation periodicity. Besides these, other types of noncross-striated fibrils, ranging in diameter from 10 to 30 nm were observed in the circumferential region of the intravitreal strand. Moreover, there was complete morphological continuation between the intravitreal strand and the optic disc. Their histochemical properties were very likely collagenous and in part glial. Although the results are based only on 1 case of PHPV, present observations showed that components of the intravitreal strand of PHPV considerably differed from the primary vitreous.

Collagen↗

A 20,000-dalton casein fragment in human milk.

A new peptide of 20,000 daltons was found in human milk as a constituent of the casein micelle. Enzymic digestion with plasmin or trypsin revealed that the peptide was identical with a degradation product of human beta-casein. The amino acid composition of the degradation product and the previously reported sequence in the N-terminal region of human beta-casein suggested that the peptide was a fragment of beta-casein lacking the C-terminal region. The thermal sensitivity of this peptide was higher than that of beta-casein, but the peptide lost the property of calcium-dependent precipitation, which intact beta-casein possesses.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

[Clinical trials of plasma exchange therapy in patients with recurrent colon cancer].

Plasma exchange was performed in patients with recurrent colon cancer with evaluable liver metastasis or abdominal tumor with dissemination. This therapy was undertaken a total of 19 times in 11 cases. The cases were divided into effective and ineffective cases according in terms of the clinical effects, and changes in blood parameters and prognosis were examined in each case. Subjective symptoms, such as increase in appetite and disappearance of general fatigue or pain, were remarkably improved in 6 cases, and these patients were allowed to be discharged from the hospital. Marked regression of hepatomegalia was observed in 2 cases out of these 6 cases, but no remarkable effect was noted in patients with abdominal dissemination. In the effective cases the following parameters were significantly improved; beta- and gamma-globulin of serum protein fractions, IgG, IgA and IgM of immunoglobulin, alpha 2-macroglobulin, ceruloplasmin, and transferrin. However, since these effects are temporal and short-lived, one must consider applying plasma exchange therapy in conjunction with anticancer drugs, and the like. Plasma exchange seems applicable to cases of colon cancer with metastasis in the liver, because this therapy showed improvement in clinical symptoms, decreased hepatomegaly and prolonged survival.

Abdominal Neoplasms↗

Retinal detachment in Morning Glory syndrome.

A 9-year-old girl with bilateral Morning Glory syndrome developed bilateral bullous retinal detachment. There was a small break on the temporal margin of the disc in the left eye. The retinal detachment in this eye was successfully treated by drainage of the subretinal fluid, vitrectomy, intravitreal air injection, and photocoagulation around the edge of the anomalous disc. It is suggested that some retinal detachments in the Morning Glory syndrome may be rhegmatogenous in nature.

Child↗

Histopathological study on N-ethyl-N'-nitro-N-nitrosoguanidine-induced colon cancer in dogs.

We prepared a suppository containing 50 mg of N-ethyl-N'-nitro-N-nitrosoguanidine (ENNG), and successfully produced experimental colon cancer with good reproducibility by continuous intrarectal insertion of one or two suppositories per day in dogs. The tumors were very similar to human colon cancers, macroscopically and histologically. In one of three dogs subjected to histopathological study, metastases to the lymph nodes, lung, liver and kidney were observed. This animal model produced by a simple procedure will be helpful in investigating treatment of rectal cancer.

Adenocarcinoma↗

Comparison of casein of cynomolgus monkey (Macaca fascicularis) with human casein.

Casein of cynomolgus monkey was compared with those from human and bovine milk. Cynomolgus monkey casein showed similar electrophoretical patterns to those of human casein on Disc- and SDS-electrophoresis. It consisted of beta- and kappa-casein-like components. The component corresponding to bovine alpha s1-casein was not detected. The beta-casein-like fraction of cynomolgus monkey showed 9 bands on Disc-PAGE. These were suggested to be the same protein binding different levels of phosphorus by dephosphorylation experiment using an acid phosphatase. The kappa-casein-like component of cynomolgus monkey was highly glycosylated (about 50% carbohydrate) similarly as human kappa-casein and the constituent carbohydrates were same as those detected in human kappa-casein (galactose, fucose, N-acetylgalactosamine, N-acetylglucosamine, and sialic acid). Amino acid composition of cynomolgus monkey kappa-casein bore a resemblance to those of both human and bovine kappa-caseins. Amino acid composition of cynomolgus monkey beta-casein was also similar to those of human and bovine beta-caseins.

Amino Acids↗

Inhibitory effect of MgATP on the release of regulatory light chain from scallop myosin and light chain composition of scallop myosin hybridized with abalone light chain 2 at 30 degrees C.

The experimental conditions for release of the regulatory light chain (RLC) of scallop myosin at 30 degrees C were studied. Substantially all RLC was released from myosin by incubation for 5 min in medium containing buffer and KCl. This release of RLC was inhibited strongly by Ca2+, while the effect of Mg2+ was about 10,000 times weaker than that of Ca2+. Even in the absence of Ca2+, MgATP and MgADP inhibited the release of RLC, while the protective effect of AMPPNP was negligible. Other Mg nucleotides also showed some protective effect, though appreciably less than MgATP. The incubation of scallop myosin with abalone regulatory light chain (LC2) at 30 degrees C for 5 min produced a hybrid myosin. In the presence of 5 mM MgCl2, 1 of the 2 mol of RLC per mol of scallop myosin was exchanged with 1 mol of LC2. In the presence of Ca2+ or MgATP, myosin bound 1 extra mole of LC2 besides the 2 mol each of SH-LC and RLC.

Adenosine Triphosphate↗

[Oral administration of oil bleomycin combined with sodium polyacrylate for the treatment of esophageal cancer].

With anticipation of potentiation of the regional effect of bleomycin on the lesion of esophageal carcinoma, 12 patients with esophageal carcinoma were medicated orally with 5 ml of a paste-like mixture of 1 g of Sodium polyacrylate (PANA Kayaku) and 30 mg of oil bleomycin every day for 7 to 43 preoperative days. These 12 patients were further medicated with the mixture 1 hour before operation, and in 9 of them, bleomycin levels in the tumor and normal tissue of the resected portion of the esophagus and also in the regional lymph nodes were determined. The level in the normal tissue was on average concentration of 1.2 micrograms/g, while the level in tumor showed a tendency to higher level, being an average concentration of an being 4.4 micrograms/g. Bleomycin was found being efficiently transferred into the regional lymph nodes, where it was detected the average concentration of 1.7 micrograms/g. It may be anticipated that this mixture will be effective against preoperative and inoperable esophageal carcinoma and for ther studies on dosage and administration schedule is desirable.

Acrylic Resins↗

[Plasma exchange therapy in colonic cancer with hepatic metastasis].

The plasma exchange using Carcino embryonic Antigen (CEA) value as an index was performed for 3 colonic cancer patients with liver metastasis. A remarkable regression of hepatomegaly in two cases with rectal cancer was obtained and a significant decrease of CEA was observed in all patients.

Aged↗

Light chains of abalone myosin. UV absorption difference spectrum and resensitization of desensitized scallop myosin.

1. Abalone myosin consisted of one kind of heavy chain and two kinds of light chain according to SDS gel electrophoresis. The molecular weights of the light chains were estimated as 16,600 daltons (Light Chain-1: LC-1) and 14,500 daltons (Light Chain-2: LC-2). 2. The amino acid composition of LC-2 was not appreciably different from that of LC-1 except that the valine residue was 1 mol per mol of LC-2. 3. both LC-1 and LC-2 showed a calcium-induced UV absorption difference spectrum through the apparent binding constants for Ca2+ were low (2.5 x 10(-3) M for LC-1 and 3.2 x 10(-4) M for LC-2). 4. The modification of carboxyl groups of LC-2 by 1-ethyl-3(3-dimethylaminopropyl)carbodiimide caused the disappearance of the calcium-induced UV absorption difference spectrum. 5. Manganese ion could also induce a UV absorption difference spectrum with these light chains although the concentration of Mn2+ required to produce the difference spectrum was very high. 6. Abalone LC-2 bound to desensitized scallop myosin and restored the calcium sensitivity of the myosin but LC-1 did not.

Actomyosin↗

Isolation and properties of human kappa-casein.

Human kappa-casein was isolated from human whole casein by gel filtration with Sephadex G-200 and hydroxylapatite chromatography in the presence of sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS). The kappa-casein was calcium-insensitive and did stabilize human beta-casein and bovine alpha s1-casein against precipitation by calcium ions. Formation of micelles from human beta- and kappa-caseins, and calcium ions was confirmed by electron microscopic observation. On SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE), a single band was obtained. The formation of para-kappa-caseins by chymosin was confirmed by SDS-PAGE. Two para-kappa-caseins with apparent molecular weights of 13,000 and 11,000 appeared. The molecular weight of intact human kappa-casein was estimated to be approximately 33,000. The human kappa-casein contained about 40% carbohydrate (15% galactose, 3% fucose, 15% hexosamines, and 5% sialic acid) and 0.10% (1 mol/mol) phosphorus. Its amino acid composition was similar to that of bovine kappa-casein except for serine, glutamic acid, and lysine contents.

Amino Acids↗