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Biomedical subjects

N Harada

Publications and source records attributed to N Harada.

At least 523 records · Page 29Linked to original sources
PubMed1990

[A case of bone and lung metastasis of breast cancer successfully treated with radiotherapy, chemotherapy and endocrine therapy].

A 34-year-old female patient with breast cancer metastasizing to bone had a remission after a course of treatment with medroxyprogesterone acetate (MPA) 1,200 mg/day, but again had a metastasis to the lungs. The patient was then instituted on a combination therapy with UFT 400 mg/day, and MPA 1,200 mg/day. As a result, the pulmonary metastasis disappeared, along with the consolidation of the bone involved.

Adenocarcinoma↗
PubMed1989

Waardenburg syndrome type I in a child with de novo inversion (2)(q35q37.3).

We report on a child with Waardenburg syndrome type I and a paracentric inversion of chromosome 2. This 20 month-old boy has dystopia canthorum, sensorineural deafness, heterochromia iridis, partially albinotic ocular fundi, and partial leukodermia. He does not have mental retardation or any skeletal abnormalities. Family history was unremarkable. Cytogenetic studies demonstrated that the patient has a paracentric inversion (2)(q35q37.3); his parents have normal chromosomes. These findings suggest that the locus of the gene for Waardenburg syndrome type I may be at 2q35 or 2q37.3.

Abnormalities, Multiple↗
PubMed1989

Heart rate variation and serum dopamine-beta-hydroxylase activity in workers exposed to vibration.

Tests of autonomic nervous function were conducted on 38 workers who had been exposed to vibration [16: VWF(+) group, 22: VWF(-) group, VWF: vibration-induced white finger] and 17 workers who had not been exposed to vibration (control group). Measurements were made of R-R interval variation of the electrocardiogram at rest and during deep breathing, and serum dopamine-beta-hydroxylase (DBH) activity during an immersion test of the hand in 10 degrees C water. Heart-rate variation related to respiratory arrhythmia indicates parasympathetic activity, and serum DBH activity is regarded as an indicator of sympathetic activity. The variations in the R-R interval during deep breathing were smallest in the VWF(+) group, followed by the VWF(-) group (P less than 0.05 and P less than 0.01, compared with the control group). The DBH activity of the VWF(+) group was larger than those of the VWF(-) group and the control group, however, the differences were small and not statistically significant. The reduced R-R interval variations in the VWF(+) and the VWF(-) groups support the hypothesis that autonomic nervous function can be affected by exposure to vibration. The change of DBH activity induced by cold exposure may be an unsuitable index of sympathetic tone. Further study of the autonomic nervous function in workers with vibration syndrome is recommended.

Adult↗
PubMed1989

Satellited chromosome 9 in a boy with multiple anomalies.

A 5-year-old boy with multiple congenital anomalies showed a satellited long-arm chromosome 9, a previously undescribed abnormality. Various banding analyses of his chromosomes and those of his parents indicated that a reciprocal translocation, t(9;22)(q34.3;q11.21), occurred in the father's gonad, and one of the translocation chromosomes was then transmitted to the patient. Thus, the patient's karyotype was interpreted as 46,XY,-9,+psudic(9),t(9;22)(q34.3;q11.21). He showed several features similar to those of the Williams syndrome. The gene(s) responsible for the syndrome thus could be at either 9q34.3-qter or 22pter-q11.2. Southern blot analysis of the patient's DNA indicated the presence of two copies of the argininosuccinate synthetase gene which had been assigned to 9q34.1-qter. In view of the fact that the 9q34.3-qter segment is monosomic in the patient, the gene locus was deduced to be at 9q34.1-q34.2 segment.

Abnormalities, Multiple↗
PubMed1989

Therapeutic strategy for intrahepatic lithiasis.

Among the various benign biliary tract diseases, intrahepatic lithiasis is the most refractory condition to treat surgically. Recently, endoscopic treatment (mainly cholangiofiberscopic lithotomy) has been more and more frequently employed. A nationwide survey by questionnaire was conducted in 1985 to clarify the exact status of the current therapies for intrahepatic lithiasis in Japan. A total of 143 institutions (33.4%) responded to our questionnaire, and 2614 cases over a 10-year-period were collected and analyzed. Operation alone was performed in 53.8%, operation plus endoscopic treatment in 38.6%, operation plus dissolution therapy in 5.5%, operation plus endoscopic treatment and dissolution therapy in 0.04% and endoscopic treatment alone in 2.1%. The most common treatment was surgery. This was employed in 97.9% of all the patients, but endoscopic treatment was added in 40.7% of the cases to extract stones mainly intra- and/or post-operatively. Dissolution therapy was carried out occasionally, but with poor results. Conducting both adequate surgical biliary drainage and cholangiofiberscopic lithotomy may result in a marked improvement in the treatment of this intractable disease.

Cholelithiasis↗
PubMed1989

Differential regulation of the degradation of myofibrillar and total proteins in skeletal muscle of rats: effects of streptozotocin-induced diabetes, dietary protein and starvation.

In order to examine the effects of streptozotocin-induced diabetes, dietary protein, and starvation on protein degradation in skeletal muscle of perfused rat hindquarters, rates of myofibrillar and total protein degradation were estimated from the release of 3-methylhistidine (N tau-methylhistidine, 3-MH) and tyrosine, respectively. In rats fed a 20% protein diet (controls), the fractional degradation rate of myofibrillar protein was approximately 56% of the total muscle protein. In streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats, 3-MH release by perfused muscle increased significantly on d 1 of treatment and sustained a high level thereafter. By contrast, tyrosine release did not change. Feeding a 50% protein diet for 1 wk altered neither 3-MH nor tyrosine release. Protein-free feeding, though, suppressed tyrosine release to 49% of controls, but did not affect 3-MH release. Starvation for 3 d did not affect tyrosine release, but did increase 3-MH release to 203% of controls. These results indicate that in diabetic and starved rats myofibrillar protein is preferentially degraded, while in protein-deficient rats, non-myofibrillar protein degradation is selectively suppressed. From these observations, we conclude that the degradation of myofibrillar and non-myofibrillar proteins in skeletal muscle can be differentially regulated.

Animals↗
PubMed1989

Mechanisms of the interleukin 5-induced differentiation of B cells.

Interleukin 5 (IL5), a lymphokine produced by T cells, induces differentiation of B cell chronic leukemia BCL1-B20 cells into IgM-producing cells accompanied with growth arrest. To elucidate the intracellular mechanisms, the roles of Ca2+ mobilization and protein phosphorylation in the activation of the cells were examined. F(ab')2 fragment of anti-immunoglobulin (anti-Ig), which cross-links membrane-bound Ig, and calcium ionophore A23187 caused a rapid increase in the intracellular free calcium concentration [( Ca2+]i), whereas these stimulants did not give rise to differentiation of the cells. In contrast, treatment with IL5 did not affect either [Ca2+]i or the rates of Ca2+ uptake from the outside and release from the inside of the cells. Analysis by two-dimensional gel electrophoresis revealed that the in vitro phosphorylation of acidic 80-, 60-, and 45-kDa proteins was induced upon stimulation with IL5. Treatment with IL5 also caused a marked decrease in the in vitro phosphorylation of an acidic 100-kDa protein which was highly phosphorylated in the unstimulated state. Addition of phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate (PMA) to the culture inhibited IL5-mediated differentiative responses. Therefore, these results suggest that Ca2+ mobilization is not involved but activities of stimulatory and inhibitory kinases may be involved in the IL5-mediated differentiation process.

Animals↗
PubMed1989

Hyperthermia with simultaneous administration of interferon using established human renal carcinoma heterotransplanted in nude mice.

Using human renal carcinoma heterotransplanted in nude mice, the effects of the combined use of hyperthermia and interferon (natural human interferon-alpha; IFN-alpha, and recombinant interferon-gamma; IFN-gamma) were examined. The hyperthermic device used was the Clini-Therm, Mark VII, 915 MHz, microwave. The administration of interferon was started immediately before hyperthermia and carried out on consecutive days. The combined use of hyperthermia and IFN was compared with hyperthermia and with IFN alone. The combined use of hyperthermia and IFN-alpha was shown to have significant anti-tumour effects compared with the former or latter alone. Of 10 nude mice (10 implanted tumours) used for the experiment, 5 showed complete disappearance of the implanted tumours and the others showed prolongation of survival. Combined treatment with IFN-gamma and hyperthermia showed no significant effect when compared with other treatment groups. Combined treatment with local hyperthermia and IFN-alpha may have some application to the clinical management of renal carcinoma.

Animals↗
PubMed1989

Study of the structure-activity relationships of new dihydropyridine derivatives.

The effects of structure around the 3- and 5-alkoxycarbonyl groups and the 2-carbamate groups of 4-(2,3-dichlorophenyl)-2-carbamoyloxymethyl dihydropyridine derivatives were investigated, concerning their vasodilating action, plasma level, hypotensive action and acute toxicity. High negative linear correlation was found between the plasma levels and the number of C atoms in esterifying alkyl groups in 3- and 5-positions of the dihydropyridine ring. High plasma levels and effective hypotensive action were found in compounds having lower alkyls as esterifying groups of 3- and 5-carboxyl groups, among 2-unsubstituted derivatives.

Animals↗
PubMed1989

[Analysis of subjective symptoms of coldness and numbness in the upper and lower limbs among patients with vibration syndrome].

Coldness and numbness of the lower limbs in patients with vibration syndrome were studied in correlation with the frequency of attacks of vibration-induced white finger (VWF), coldness and numbness of the upper limbs, and awakening at night due to numbness of the arm. Subjects were 229 patients aged 50-69 years without disease other than vibration syndrome who had mainly operated chain saws. The present study showed that patients with more frequent VWF attacks had a higher prevalence and frequency of coldness in the fingers, awakening at night due to numbness of the arm, and coldness and numbness in the legs. Particularly patients having almost daily attacks of VWF had a high prevalence of these symptoms. Positive correlation was observed in prevalence and frequency between coldness of the fingers and that of the legs, and between coldness and numbness in the legs. The prevalence of VWF, numbness and coldness of the fingers, and coldness of the legs was higher the longer the total chain saw operating period. The present findings suggest that patients with severe circulatory disturbances in the upper limbs have severe circulatory disturbance in the lower limbs. Further studies on circulatory disturbances in the lower limbs are indicated, and their mechanism involved should be also pursued from the pathogenetic point of view.

Aged↗
PubMed1989

[Immunologic evaluation in patients with lung cancer with special regard to peripheral blood natural killer cell activity and interleukin-2 productivity].

Thirteen patients with lung cancer and 62 age-matched control subjects were investigated in this study (68.5 +/- 2.7 y.o. and 70.5 +/- 1.1 y.o. respectively). The peripheral blood natural killer (NK) cell activity of patients with lung cancer and control subjects was 59.3 +/- 4.4% and 69.3 +/- 1.8%, respectively. The NK cell activity in these patients was significantly lower than the NK activity of control subjects (p less than 0.05). The Interleukin-2 (IL-2) productivity of stimulated peripheral lymphocytes from patients with lung cancer was 4.96 +/- 0.99 unit, and from control subjects was 12.31 +/- 1.51 unit. When compared with control subjects, the IL-2 productivity in the patients with lung cancer was significantly lower (p less than 0.05). There were no differences in values of OKT series or OKT4/OKT8 ratio between these patients and control subjects. Ten of the 13 patients received schizophyllan intramuscularly once a week (40 mg/week). The NK cell activity was significantly increased on the second day after the second injection of schizophyllan, but there was no change in IL-2 productivity. We conclude that the peripheral blood NK cell activity and IL-2 productivity of patients with lung cancer was decreased. The antitumor polysaccharide, schizophyllan, temporarily raised the NK cell activity of these patients.

Adenocarcinoma↗
PubMed1989

[Report of a case of Herpes zoster].

Herpes Zoster is a viral disease of the skin and mucosa characterized by grouped vesicula eruptions and neuralgic pain along a peripheral nerve. A case of Herpes Zoster in the right region along the second and third trigeminal nerve branches of a 24-year-old male was reported. The first disorder appeared as a grouped vesicular eruption in the center of the lower lip. This was followed by a cutaneous lesion in the area of the right second trigeminal nerve branch. From the first day of hospitalization, the patient began receiving a daily dose of 2500mg of immunoglobulin. The administration of immunoglobulin, cured the oral and cutaneous lesion.

Adult↗
PubMed1989

[Multimodality treatment of carcinoma of the pancreas].

Although surgical resection has been the mainstream treatment for carcinoma of the pancreas, the operative results have been so disappointing that most surgeons in western countries have given up performing the resectional procedure. On the contrary, Japanese surgeons have never abandoned their dream of surgical treatment as a cure for the disease. Therefore, more and more aggressive procedures have been performed. Our operative results have not so remarkably ameliorated, but we have become knowledgeable on the pathological features of the carcinoma and believe that the best procedure for carcinoma of the head of the pancreas is a pancreatoduodenectomy with extensive dissection of regional lymph nodes and retroperitoneal tissue, and that surgery itself can not cure the disease but multimodality treatment should be established. Two hundred cases with carcinoma of the pancreas in which cystadenocarcinoma and islet cell carcinoma were excluded, were encountered from 1969 to 1987 in our department. Of 200 cases, only 48 cases underwent resection. Resection was divided into curative and non-curative resection according to macroscopic findings and pathohistological examination of the resected specimen. In cases of curative resection group, the average survival period of cases which underwent multimodality treatment was much longer than that without any adjuvant treatment. However, in cases of noncurative resection group, average survival period of cases with multimodality treatment was almost the same as that without adjuvant therapy. Therefore, multimodality treatment should be applied for curatively resected cases in order to obtain better results. Radiation therapy, especially intraoperative radiation therapy is considered to be a promising alternative modality of extensive retroperitoneal dissection. Hepatic metastasis was found postoperatively in about 27 percent of the resected cases. It seems that this type of recurrence occurred by migration of malignant cells from the tumor into the portal vein due to operative manipulation during surgery. Therefore, intraoperative infusion of an anticancer agent through the portal vein is mandatory, and preoperative and postoperative adjuvant chemotherapy should be considered.

Combined Modality Therapy↗
PubMed1989

Constitutive production of lymphokines by cloned murine B-cell lymphomas--CH12 B lymphoma produces interleukin-4.

B cells can be activated by T-independent antigens or mitogens such as lipopolysaccharide (LPS) which will induce proliferation and differentiation of the B cells into Ig-secreting cells, without the intervention of T cells. The precise mechanism of T-independent proliferation and differentiation of B cells is still unclear. It is possible however that antigen-stimulated B cells may produce some factors which play a role in T-independent B-cell responses. In addition, since it has now been established that B cells can function as antigen-presenting cells, it is possible that they too secrete a molecule which is involved in the activation of T cells, analogous to IL-1 production by antigen-presenting macrophages. A number of human B-cell lines, as well as human normal B cells activated appropriately, have been shown to produce various cytokines, and similar studies are now being undertaken in the mouse. In the present study, six cloned murine B-cell lymphomas of different origin were analyzed for the presence of mRNA encoding a number of lymphokines by hybridization of specific cDNA probes to poly-A RNA, followed by the sensitive S1 nuclease digestion technique. The lymphokines included (IL-) 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and neuroleukin. Whereas none of the lines expressed detectable levels of IL-2, IL-3, or IL-5 mRNA, all the lines expressed high levels of neuroleukin mRNA. Three of the lymphomas (CH12, CH31, and NBL) expressed low levels of IL-1 mRNA. The most striking finding was that one lymphoma, CH12, constitutively expressed IL-4 mRNA. This mRNA appeared to be functional, as IL-4 activity measured by the HT-2 T cell proliferation assay could be detected in supernatants collected from CH12 cells. The growth-inducing activity of CH12 supernatant on HT-2 cells could be completely blocked by an anti-IL-4 monoclonal (11B11), but not by an anti-IL-2 antibody (S4B6), consistent with our observations that CH12 cells produce IL-4 but not IL-2. CH12 cells were also found to express high affinity receptors for IL-4. Proliferation of CH12 cells was not affected by the addition of exogenous IL-4. Addition of anti-IL-4 antibodies to CH12 cells in culture caused a slight but reproducible increase in their proliferation at low cell numbers, which is probably not highly significant. These findings open the possibilities that murine B lymphocytes are capable of lymphokine production or alternatively that aberrant lymphokine production underlies B-lymphocyte transformation.

Animals↗