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Biomedical subjects

N Itoh

Publications and source records attributed to N Itoh.

At least 253 records · Page 14Linked to original sources
PubMed1996

Optimal schedule for administering granulocyte colony-stimulating factor in chemotherapy-induced neutropenia in non-small-cell lung cancer.

A prospective randomized study was conducted to determine the optimal schedule of rhG-CSF (recombinant human granulocyte colony-stimulating factor). A group of 33 lung cancer patients treated with MVP therapy (mitomycin, vindesine, and cisplatin) were randomly assigned to three groups: an early prophylaxis group in which rhG-CSF was initiated on day 2 of the MVP cycle; a late prophylaxis group in which rhG-CSF was initiated on day 8; and a therapeutic group in which rhG-CFS was initiated after the onset of neutropenia. Ten patients who had received MVP therapy without rhG-CSF were also analyzed as a no-support group. The incidence of neutropenia was 80% (16/20 courses) in the early prophylaxis group, 44% (8/18) in the late prophylaxis group, 94% (17/18) in the therapeutic group, and 94% (16/17) in the no-support group. The incidence of neutropenia in the late prophylaxis group was less than in the early prophylaxis group (P<0.05), the therapeutic group (P<0.01), and the no-support group (P<0.01). The late prophylactic rhG-CSF schedule was therefore more effective in countering neutropenia than either the early prophylactic or therapeutic schedule.

Aged↗
PubMed1996

Extradural extension of glioblastoma multiforme into the oral cavity: case report.

A rare case of glioblastoma multiforme with oral extension is presented in a 41-year-old female. She underwent two surgical treatments and both radiotherapy and chemotherapy for the right temporoparietal glioblastoma multiforme. A follow-up computed tomographic scan and magnetic resonance imaging demonstrated destruction of the temporal base and extradural extension of the tumor into the orbital, nasal, and oral cavities. This is the first report of the oral extension of glioblastoma multiforme. The mechanism for the extradural extension is discussed.

Adult↗
PubMed1996

Dominant TCR alpha-chain clonotypes and interferon-gamma are expressed in the pancreas of patients with recent-onset insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus.

In order to clarify the nature of T lymphocytes infiltrating the pancreatic islets of patients with insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (IDDM), we analysed T cell receptor (TCR) gene transcripts expressed in pancreatic biopsy specimens of patients with recent-onset IDDM. We also investigated the expression of cytokines (interferon-gamma: IFN-gamma; tumour necrosis factor-alpha: TNF-alpha; interleukin-4: IL-4; interleukin-6: IL-6) in the same specimens. The TCR V beta repertoire was not restricted either in the pancreas or the peripheral lymphocytes of IDDM patients. In contrast, the TCR V alpha repertoire was restricted in the pancreas, but not in the peripheral blood lymphocytes, of IDDM patients. The sequence analysis of the complementarity-determining region 3 (CDR3) of the TCR alpha revealed the presence of dominant clonality in alpha chains of T cells in the patients. IFN-gamma mRNA was highly expressed in the pancreas of IDDM patients, while IL-4 mRNA was deficient. A lower level of expression of IL-6 mRNA was detected in the IDDM pancreas than in the control tissue. These results indicate that T cells bearing a distinct TCR alpha chain are selectively retained and activated within the pancreas of recent-onset IDDM.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1996

Distribution of and age-related changes in ciliary neurotrophic factor protein in rat tissues.

We developed a sensitive enzyme-linked immunosolvent assay for measuring ciliary neurotrophic factor (CNTF) and examined age-related changes in the CNTF contents of a variety of rat tissues during postnatal development. CNTF contents were substantially higher in the sciatic nerve and spinal cord than in the other tissues tested, the kidney coming third. In all the tissues except the sciatic nerve (90 ng/g), the CNTF content was less than 1 ng/g at 1 week of age, then gradually increased. It was highest at 5 weeks of age in the sciatic nerve (3171 ng/g), spinal cord (118 ng/g), and kidney (36.8 ng/g), after which it slowly decreased. In contrast, the maximum in the brain stem (9 ng/g) and cerebellum (3.6 ng/g) was at 8 weeks of age, whereas in skeletal muscle it was at 2 weeks of age (14.6 ng/g). These findings indicate that CNTF functions in the postnatal development of the rat.

Aging↗
PubMed1996

Role of IL-7 and KL in activating molecules controlling the G1/S transition of B precursor cells.

While chemically defined conditions for culturing normal tissue have been attained for only a few cell types, the sustained proliferation of B precursor cells expressing IL-7 receptor and c-Kit can be supported under chemically defined conditions containing recombinant IL-7 and the ligand for c-Kit (KL). To understand the biochemical basis of the cell cycle progression of B precursor cells proliferating under these conditions, we investigated the correlation between growth factor stimulation and CDK4 activity. Consistent with our findings that IL-7 regulates the G1/S transition, while KL has only a little role in this process, the kinase activity of CDK4 was related closely with IL-7 stimulation but not KL stimulation. We investigated the mechanism underlying CDK4 activation in the IL-7 stimulated B precursor cells. Our results showed that (i) CDK4 and cyclin D3 are the G1/S regulators in B precursor cells; (ii) their expression levels are unchanged between the cells in G1 arrest and cycling cells; and (iii) they are present in an associated form even when the cell cycle stage is arrested at G1. Thus, the regulation of the expression of CDK4 and cyclin D3 or regulation of their assembly are not the mechanisms for activating CDK4 in the B precursor cells. On the other hand, a number of molecules co-immunoprecipitated with CDK4 were enhanced in the lysate of IL-7-stimulated B precursor cells. Thus, we present a possibility that CDK4 activation might be regulated by molecules associated with the CDK4-cyclin D3 complex in IL-7-dependent manner.

B-Lymphocytes↗
PubMed1996

Polymerase chain reaction for the detection of Chlamydia psittaci in the feces of budgerigars.

The polymerase chain reaction (PCR) targeting the ompA gene of Chlamydia psittaci was evaluated for its ability to detect chlamydiae in fecal specimens of budgerigars as compared with isolation procedures using cell culture and embryonated egg inoculations. Several procedures for PCR template DNA preparation were compared so as to determine their detection levels for chlamydiae propagated in cell culture in the presence of fecal materials. Tween-20 and proteinase K treatments followed by centrifugation of the template DNA were found to be an appropriate procedure for DNA preparation for primary PCR. Subsequent nested PCR was shown to detect 4.8 IFU/ml or 84 particles/ml of chlamydiae. Chlamydiae in 50 fecal specimens from apparently healthy budgerigars were examined by nested PCR and several other methods. Nested PCR detected chlamydiae at a higher rate (12/50, 24%) than the isolation procedure in embryonated eggs (6/50, 12%). Primary PCR combined with the isolation procedure in cell culture gave a detection rate (5/50, 10%) similar to that of isolation from embryonated eggs. Detection rates by primary PCR (1/50, 2%) and in cell culture (0%) were inferior to the other procedures.

Animals↗
PubMed1996

Mature teratoma of the placenta.

A rare case of a mature teratoma of the placenta is reported. The tumor lay between the amnion and the chorion and contained skin and its appendages, bone, cartilage, fat and ganglia, without organization. There was no evidence of a recognizable umbilical cord. We concluded that the tumor was a mature teratoma of the placenta. The distinction between a teratoma and a fetus acardius amorphus, and the possible origin of the tumor in this site, are discussed with a brief review of the literature.

Adult↗
PubMed1996

Bilateral deoxycorticosterone-secreting adrenocortical adenoma.

A case of a 58-year-old man with bilateral deoxycorticosterone (DOC)-secreting adrenocortical adenoma is reported. Before surgery, plasma levels of DOC and corticosterone were markedly elevated, but both adrenal hormone levels normalized after the surgical removal of the bilateral adrenal tumors. The histologic examination revealed bilateral adrenocortical adenoma, but curiously, the tissue concentrations of DOC and corticosterone were elevated only in the right adrenal gland.

Adrenal Cortex Neoplasms↗
PubMed1996

Genome analysis of adenovirus type 3 isolated in Japan.

Adenovirus type 3 (Ad3) isolates, isolated from 45 patients with acute conjunctivitis during the year 1990 in Japan, were studied by DNA restriction enzyme analysis with restriction endonucleases recognizing 6-bp sequences (BamHI, SmaI, HindIII, BglII) and endonucleases recognizing 5- or 4-bp sequences (HinfI and TaqI). All 45 isolates of Ad3 were identified as the genome type Ad3f by six endonucleases. They were further classified into three varieties by HinfI, varieties H1 (87.5%), H2 (8.9%), and H3 (2.2%), and into five varieties by TaqI, varieties T1 (75.6%), T2 (13.3%), T3 (2.2%), T4 (4.5%), and T5 (8.9%). The use of HinfI and TaqI was sufficient to distinguish six subgenome types: types Ad3fH1T1, Ad3fH1T2, Ad3fH1T4, Ad3fH1T5, Ad3fH2T1, and Ad3fH3T3. Among them, Ad3fH1T1 was predominant in areas where the virus is epidemic. The study showed that the same Ad3 genome type, genome type Ad3f, caused acute viral conjunctivitis even in different areas in Japan. The source and the route of infection were suggested to be common in areas where the virus is epidemic.

Adenovirus Infections, Human↗
PubMed1996

Rapid diagnosis of adenoviral conjunctivitis by PCR and restriction fragment length polymorphism analysis.

To detect and identify adenovirus (Ad), we used a combination of PCR and restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) analysis. Nested PCR with two primer sets that hybridize to the conserved region for hexon proteins of 14 prototypes of Ad, Ad serotype 1 (Ad1) to Ad8, -11, -14, -19, -37, -40, and -41, amplified a 956-bp DNA fragment. The amplified fragments from the 14 prototypes were completely differentiated with a combination of three restriction endonucleases, EcoT14I, HaeIII, and HintI. We applied this new method for 127 samples of conjunctival scrapings from patients with conjunctivitis and compared the results with those obtained with the combination of culture isolation and a neutralization test (NT). PCR gave a positive result in 69 of 127 cases (54.3%), while only 61 of the 127 samples (48.0%) tested positive by culture isolation. Compared with isolation, the PCR method had a sensitivity of 100% (61 of 61). Positive PCR samples were further classified as Ad37 (59.5%), -3(31.9%), -11 (4.3%), -8 (2.9%), and -4 (1.4%) by PCR-RFLP analysis. Of eight samples that were PCR positive and culture isolation negative, six were Ad37 and two were Ad8 by PCR-RFLP analysis. These differentiations of isolation-positive samples were identical to the results obtained by the NT. It took only 3 days to detect and identify Ad by PCR-RFLP analysis, whereas it took at least 3 weeks by culture isolation and NT. Our newly developed method of detecting and typing human Ad by PCR-RFLP analysis is more sensitive, accurate, and rapid than the conventional method of culture isolation and an NT.

Adenoviruses, Human↗
PubMed1996

Loss of fibroblast growth factor receptors is necessary for terminal differentiation of embryonic limb muscle.

Early in embryogenesis, precursors of the limb musculature are generated in the somite, migrate to the limb buds and undergo terminal differentiation. Although myogenic differentiation in culture is affected by several growth factors including fibroblast growth factor (FGF), it remains uncertain whether migration and differentiation of myogenic cells in vivo are directly regulated by such growth factors. To investigate the roles of FGF signaling in the regulation of myogenesis both in the somite and the limb bud, mosaic chicken embryos were generated that consist of somitic cells carrying transgenes expressing one of the following: FGF1, FGF4, the FGF receptor type-1 (FGFR1) or its dominant negative mutant (delta FGFR1). Cells infected with virus producing FGF ligand migrated into the somatopleure without differentiating into myotomal muscle, but differentiated into muscle fibers when they arrived in the limb bud. In contrast, cells overexpressing FGFR1 migrated into the limb muscle mass but remained as undifferentiated myoblasts. Cells infected with the delta FGFR1-producing virus failed to migrate to the somatopleure but were capable of differentiating into myotomal muscle within the somites. These results suggest that the FGFR-mediated FGF signaling (1) blocks terminal differentiation of myogenic cells within the somite and (2) sustains myoblast migration to limb buds from the somite, and that (3) down-regulation of FGFRs or FGFR signaling is involved in mechanisms triggering terminal differentiation of the limb muscle mass during avian embryogenesis.

Animals↗
PubMed1996

Isolation and identification of styrene-degrading Corynebacterium strains, and their styrene metabolism.

By supplying styrene in the gas phase as the sole carbon and energy source, styrene-degrading aerobic microorganisms were readily isolated from soil samples. They were identified as Corynebacterium pseudodiphtheriticum and similar species, or Pseudomonas sp. Growth experiments on some aromatic compounds, resting-cell reactions with them, and the measurement of degrading enzyme activities suggest that Corynebacterium sp. AC-5 and St-5 strains metabolize styrene through styrene oxidation into styrene oxide, then convert it into phenylacetaldehyde by a reaction using styrene oxide isomerase, and phenylacetaldehyde is reduced to 2-phenylethanol. The Corynebacterium sp. ST-10 strain did not have styrene oxide isomerase, and metabolized styrene oxide by an unknown enzymatic reaction. Possible metabolism of styrene was proposed for the Corynebacterium strains.

Biodegradation, Environmental↗
PubMed1996

Biochemical changes in fowl serum during infection with Salmonella typhimurium.

Two groups of White Leghorns were inoculated with Salmonella Typhimurium in the breast muscle. One group was injected with amikacin every 9 hr (8 times) from 24 to 96 hr after the bacterial inoculation and the other group was given no amikacin. In both groups, a significant increase in the levels of aspartate aminotransferase and creatine kinase, and a significant decrease in the levels of alkaline phosphatase, total cholesterol and glucose were found 96 hr after inoculation. There were, however, no significant differences in the blood chemical values between the amikacin-treated group and non-treated group. The results from the present study may provide basic data for further investigation of blood chemical values during Salmonella infection and amikacin therapy in fowls.

Alkaline Phosphatase↗
PubMed1996

Antimicrobial effects of amikacin therapy on experimentally induced Salmonella typhimurium infection in fowls.

The antimicrobial effects of amikacin on Salmonella Typhimurium were investigated in fowls using pharmacokinetic parameters of amikacin and the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of the drug for the bacteria. Pharmacokinetic parameters of amikacin after the intramuscular administration into the fowls were measured using the fluorescence polarization immunoassay. As there was no protein binding amikacin, the total concentration was identical to the free concentration. After inoculation of the bacteria, the following intramuscular dosage regimens were carried out to test the antimicrobial effects: injection with 20 mg/kg of amikacin sulfate every 9 hr for 72 hr, injection with 20 mg/kg every 18 hr for 72 hr, injection with 20 mg/kg every 36 hr for 72 hr, and injection with 10 mg/kg every 12 hr for 72 hr. The control birds were not injected with amikacin. Abdominal organs were collected from each bird after the treatment ended. The organs were cultured and the number of colonies on each plate was calculated. No significant differences were detected among the four amikacin-treated groups, whereas the number of colonies in the control group was significantly higher than that in the amikacin-treated groups. An antimicrobial drug concentration exceeding the bacterium's MIC for at least 1/4 of the administration interval might be effective for the treatment of the infection, and the degree of peak drug concentration had no effect on antibacterial activity as long as the duration of the drug concentration above the MIC value remained the same.

Amikacin↗
PubMed1996

Binding of Cd to metallothionein in the placenta of Cd-treated mouse.

The toxicological significance of the placental metallothionein (MT) was studied from the viewpoint of cadmium (Cd) intoxication. The Cd concentration was higher in the placenta than the kidneys until 8 hr after a single injection of 109CdCl2, but was very low after administration of 109Cd-MT. Compared with lower doses, fetal Cd began to increase at the dose of 2 mg/kg. Alkaline phosphatase activity in the placenta was significantly decreased, and dead fetuses appeared at this dose. The MT concentration was not increased by the Cd injection but the ratio of Cd/Zn in MT increased proportionally to the dose up to 2 mg/kg. MT was detected in the placenta during all stages of pregnancy, and its concentration was higher in the earlier stage. The metal bound to MT was mainly Zn, and very little Cu was bound. In the mice that became pregnant after 109Cd accumulation, redistribution of 109Cd was not observed. MT-I and -II in the placenta were identified by column chromatography and immunoblotting methods. These findings suggest that the placental MT might play a protective role against Cd toxicity by trapping of the metal.

Alkaline Phosphatase↗
PubMed1996

[A report of surgical treatment for atherosclerotic aneurysm in the aortic arch associated with type III acute aortic dissection].

A 75-year-old man was admitted to our hospital because of severe chest pain. A chest CT scan demonstrated an atherosclerotic true aneurysm measuring 50 mm in diameter located just distal to the aortic arch as well as a DeBakey type III dissection. Although the patient received medical therapy, the size of the true aortic aneurysm increased to 71 mm and the false lumen of the descending aorta was also enlarged after three weeks. At 11 weeks after admission, the aortic arch and the proximal portion of the descending aorta were replaced with a 32 mm Hemashield graft using moderate hypothermic selective cerebral perfusion. The postoperative course was uneventful, and there were no neurological complications. Coexistence of atherosclerotic true aneurysm and acute aortic dissection appears to increase the risk of aortic rupture, early surgical treatment should be considered.

Acute Disease↗
PubMed1996

[Effect of preoperative oral 5-fluorouracil on cell cycle of advanced cervical squamous cell carcinoma].

Using flow cytometry, we examined the correlations between the tumor stage and the cell cycle in subjects with advanced cervical squamous cell carcinoma as well as between the changes of cell cycle caused by 5-FU and their prognoses. Before 5-FU treatment, 75.9 +/- 9.6% of the patients were at G1 phase, 16.8 +/- 3.9% at S and 7.3 +/- 4.5% at G2/M. The change of cell cycle was not accompanied by the progression of tumor stage. Sixteen patients received oral 5-FU (300 mg/day) for at least 2 weeks before operation. In the patients at stage I, the cell cycle was not changed even after 5-FU treatment. They have been cancer-free for 3 postoperative years. While early recurrence was found in 4 of 5 cases at stage II or III showing progression at G1, all 6 cases who had regressed or remained unchanged at G1 were free from recurrence (p = 0.0152). These results suggested that the cell cycle is not necessarily correlated with the progression of tumor stage in patients with this kind of carcinoma, and that the change of cell cycle due to preoperative oral 5-FU could be a predictive indicator for their prognoses. Especially for those with poor prognoses who had shown progression at G1, more potent adjuvant chemotherapy should be planned.

Administration, Oral↗