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Biomedical subjects

N Kondo

Publications and source records attributed to N Kondo.

At least 271 records · Page 15Linked to original sources
PubMed1997

[Studies on ocular positions at close distance with a new system of measuring ocular positions].

The purpose of our study was to develop a new system of measuring ocular positions and to assess its clinical applicability. This system is derived from that of the Hess coordimeter and is used at a distance of 40 cm. Our system enables us to distinguish tropia from phoria by testing the ocular positions both with and without a fusional target which can be seen by both eyes. All devices are installed in one structure and it can be used in a lighted room. The system was checked in 10 normal subjects by plotting the data of the charts onto a graph and deriving a static eye position curve. There was no significant vertical deviation, and there was an exodeviation of 5.32 +/- 3.78 (mean +/- standard deviation) degrees without a fusional target, but no significant deviation occurred when the fusional target was lighted. In 37 of the 38 patients with ocular motor disturbance, the results with this system corresponded well with those obtained by the Hess coordimeter or prism cover test. One particular case with extraocular myositis involving more than two extraocular muscles showed an atypical complicated pattern. We believe that our system is simple and easy for clinical evaluation of ocular movement abnormality in ophthalmic diagnosis.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1997

[Mitrofanoff procedure with bladder-sparing urethrectomy in female urethral carcinoma: report of a case].

A 60-year-old woman with urethral carcinoma treated by bladder sparing surgery is reported. A tumor of Grabstald's clinical stage C2 arose from the anterior urethra infiltrated into the distal wall of vagina with invasion of vaginal mucosa. Pathological findings revealed poorly differentiated squamous cell carcinoma. She underwent a wide local excision of the urethra and the anterior vaginal wall with preserving the bladder. An appendicovesicostomy (Mitrofanoff procedure was selected for the urinary diversion. This technique provided a small stoma, appropriate continence, normal bladder sensation and preseving renal function. Bladder-sparing urethrectomy could be an alternative treatment for female urethral tumors.

Appendix↗
PubMed1997

Newly identified Chinese hamster ovary cell mutants defective in peroxisome biogenesis represent two novel complementation groups in mammals.

We isolated peroxisome biogenesis mutants from Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells, using the 9-(1'-pyrene)nonanol/ultraviolet (P9OH/ UV) method and wild-type CHO-K1 cells that had been stably transfected with cDNA encoding Pex2p (formerly peroxisome assembly factor-1, PAF-1). Three mutant cell clones, ZP110, ZP111, and ZP114, showed cytosolic localization of catalase, thereby indicating a defect in peroxisome biogenesis, whereas ZP112 and ZP113 contained fewer but larger catalase-positive particles. Mutant ZP115 displayed an aberrant, tubular structure immunoreactive to anti-catalase antibody. Mutants lacking morphologically recognizable peroxisomes also showed the typical peroxisome assembly-defective phenotype such as severe loss of catalase latency and resistance to 12-(1'-pyrene)dodecanoic acid (P12)/UV treatment. ZP110 and ZP111, and ZP114 were found to belong to two novel complementation groups, respectively, by complementation group analysis with cDNA transfection and cell fusion. Cell fusion with fibroblasts from patients with peroxisome biogenesis disorders such as Zellweger syndrome revealed that ZP110 and ZP114 could not be classified to any of human complementation groups. Thus, ZP110/ZP111 and ZP114 are the first, two peroxisome-deficient cell mutants of newly identified complementation groups distinct from the ten mammalian groups previously characterized.

Acetyl-CoA C-Acyltransferase↗
PubMed1997

Coronary to bronchial artery anastomosis in patients with noncyanotic cardiopulmonary disease: report of seven cases.

An angiographically visible coronary to bronchial artery anastomosis was found in seven (0.12%) of 6045 patients with noncyanotic cardiopulmonary disease who underwent coronary angiography between 1989 and 1995. Aortitis syndrome was associated with four patients, whereas pulmonary embolism, aortic regurgitation and vasospastic angina were the diagnoses in the others. Coronary stenotic lesions were not observed in any patients. In five of six patients who underwent pulmonary perfusion scintigraphy, perfusion defect was observed in the area supplied by the bronchial artery, which had the anastomosis to the coronary artery. In each patient this anastomosis seemed to function as collateral circulation, compensating for decreased perfusion in either the lung or the heart. When coronary to bronchial artery anastomosis is found, ischemic conditions in either the lung or the heart are likely.

Angina Pectoris↗
PubMed1997

[A case of paraplegia after graft replacement of the ascending aorta and the total aortic arch for the DeBakey type I acute aortic dissection].

A rare case of paraplegia after an emergency operation for DeBakey type I acute aortic dissection was reported. The patient was a 52-year-old female who complained of severe chest and back pain. She underwent graft replacement of the ascending aorta and the total aortic arch. No neurological symptoms were observed before the operation. The cause of the paraplegia was assumed to be a thrombotic occlusion of costal arteries which originated from the false lumen.

Aortic Dissection↗
PubMed1997

[Binocular functions in amblyopia and strabismus].

Regarding the changing trends in the concept, definition, etiological classification, and criteria for diagnosis of amblyopia, we reviewed a total of 4,693 cases of amblyopia seen during the past 37 years. The amblyopia was divided into four types: strabismic, anisometropic, ametropic, and form vision deprivative. There was a definite trend for the incidence to decrease and for the diagnosis to be made during earlier age in recent years. Although favorable recovery of visual acuity is obtained after treatment of amblyopia and strabismus, there are difficulties in obtaining good binocular functions in early-onset amblyopia and strabismus. This feature was evaluated in regard to motion perception asymmetry (MPA) and binocular depth from motion (DFM). Many cases of early-onset amblyopia and strabismus showed no disparity stereopsis, or position stereopsis, in spite of the presence of DFM. The MPA appeared to be closely related to early-onset esotropia regardless of age, while it disappeared and motion perception became symmetric 4 to 5 months after birth in normal infants. The DFM seemed to play an important role in maintaining good motor alignment for several years after surgery. I developed a checkerboard pattern stimulator in 1978. This method proved to be useful in developing binocular functions and motor alignment by applying simultaneous bifoveolar stimulation and anti-suppression. Extensive exposure to the stimulation was essential for therapeutic success.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1996

Peroxisomal disorders: clinical aspects.

Peroxisomal disorders are divided into two groups from a clinical point of view. Diseases in the first group, peroxisome-deficient disorders (PDD), Zellweger-like syndrome, and isolated deficiencies of peroxisomal beta-oxidation enzymes, are characterized by common clinical features including psychomotor retardation, hypotonia, hepatic dysfunction and visual disturbance. The second group includes diseases with a unique manifestation, such as X-linked adrenoleukodystrophy, hyperoxaluria type I and rhizomelic chondrodysplasia punctata. We investigated clinical aspects and the genetic basis of PDD, and the significance of peroxisomes in the development of human brain. Neuroradiological and neurophysiological studies revealed that thick cortex, colpocephaly and multifocal spikes were characteristic findings of PDD patients in the early infantile period. Cytogenetic studies elucidated the presence of eleven complementation groups among PDD, indicating the presence of eleven pathogenic genes for PDD. Molecular studies elucidated two of these genes, PAF-1 and PXR-1. Immunohistochemical studies clarified that the catalase-positive neurons appeared in the basal ganglia, thalamus, and cerebellum at 28 weeks of gestation, and in the cortex at 35 weeks. Immunopositive glial cells appeared from the deep to superficial white matter with increasing gestational age. These results suggest the important role of peroxisomes in neuronal maturation and myelinogenesis.

Brain↗
PubMed1996

Microsatellite instability in B-cell lymphoma originating from Bloom syndrome.

Bloom syndrome (BS) is a rare autosomal recessive genetic disorder characterized by lupus-like erythematous telangiectasias of the face, sun sensitivity, stunted growth infertility and immunodeficiency. In addition, BS patients are highly predisposed to cancers. Although recently the causative gene of BS (BLM) was identified as a DNA helicase homologue, the function of BLM in DNA replication has not been elucidated. In this study, p53 mutation and microsatellite instability in B-cell lymphomas originating from 2 sibling BS patients were investigated. In the originally developed tumor of both patients, no p53 mutation was detected. In one patient, however, after treatment by ionizing radiation the B-cell lymphoma recurred, showing a 9-bp deletion in exon 7. In lymphoma cells and an EB-virus-transformed cell line from BS lymphocytes of this patient, microsatellite instability was also detected from the reduced length of microsatellite DNA markers, although in the other patient microsatellite instability was not detected. Thus, 2 B-cell lymphomas, despite having the same BLM mutation, showed different phenotypes in terms of p53 mutation and microsatellite instability.

Adult↗
PubMed1996

Polymorphisms of dopamine D2-like (D2, D3, and D4) receptors in schizophrenia.

The result of most association studies and linkage analyses have suggested a negative association between schizophrenia and D2-like (D2, D3, and D4) receptor polymorphisms. Although the polymorphisms of the D2-like receptor in themselves may not account for the etiology of schizophrenia, they can contribute to the severity of the symptoms. Thus, we studied the associations between the polymorphisms and their combinations, and the vulnerability of schizophrenics. Fragments of the D2-like receptor genes were amplified by means of the polymerase chain reaction, and the polymorphisms were identified by the restriction fragment length polymorphism and single-stranded conformation polymorphism methods. There were no statistically significant differences in the polymorphisms and their combinations between schizophrenics and controls. Schizophrenics with D4E1(A1/A2), which contains 2 and 1 tandem repeats of a 12-base-pair sequence in exon 1, had a lower total positive symptom score before medication than schizophrenics with D4E1(A1/A1). There was no association between the polymorphisms and negative symptoms.

Adult↗
PubMed1996

Molecular cloning of cDNA encoding rat very long-chain acyl-CoA synthetase.

The cDNA encoding rat very long-chain acyl-CoA synthetase (VLACS) was cloned, using degenerative primers synthesized according to the partial amino acid sequences of the peptide fragments of the purified rat liver enzyme. The longest cDNA insert was 2972 base pairs with a 1860-base pair open reading frame encoding 620 amino acids. The calculated molecular mass of 70,692 daltons was consistent with size of the purified enzyme. In Northern blot analysis, a single band was detected at the position of about 3 kilobases, corresponding to the size of the cloned cDNA. cDNA-directed expression in Escherichia coli resulted in accumulation of expressed protein, as an inclusion body. An antibody was raised using this expressed protein to characterize the cDNA and the enzyme. The subcellular localization of VLACS in peroxisomes and microsomes was demonstrated in Western blot analysis. The specific activity and the substrate specificity of the cDNA expressed enzyme in COS-1 cells were consistent with those of the purified rat enzyme. The predicted amino acid sequence of VLACS had a high sequence similarity to fatty acid transport protein (Schaffer, J. E., and Lodish, H. F. (1994) Cell 79, 427-436), and was considered to have domains for adenylation and thioester formation. The entire structure of VLACS was dissimilar to that of long-chain acyl-CoA synthetase (Suzuki, H., Kawarabayashi, Y., Kondo, Y., Abe, T., Nishikawa, K., Kimura, S., Hashimoto, T., and Yamamoto, T. (1990) J. Biol. Chem. 265, 8681-8685), except for the domains.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1996

Studies on the N-[(trans-4-isopropylcyclohexyl)-carbonyl]-D-phenylalanin e (A-4166)receptor in HIT T-15 cells. Displacement of [3H]glibenclamide.

A-4166 is a new type of oral hypoglycemic agent that does not contain a sulfonylurea moiety. To clarify the mechanism of insulin secretion by A-4166, a specific receptor for A-4166 was investigated in a hamster pancreatic beta cell line (HIT T-15), using [3H]A-4166 or [3H]glibenclamide as a ligand. The saturation binding of [3H]A-4166 to HIT cell membranes was not observed up to 10 microM. In the displacement study, unlabeled A-4166 inhibited [3H]A-4166 binding to HIT cell membranes, but glibenclamide did not. On the other hand, A-4166 inhibited [3H]glibenclamide binding to the sulfonylurea receptor (Ki = 248 nM). A-4166 inhibited 86Rb efflux from HIT cells (IC50 = 350 nM). The EC50 for insulin secretion by A-4166 was 20 microM in HIT cells when they were incubated for 30 min in Krebs-Ringer bicarbonate buffer containing 16 mM HEPES supplemented with 5 mg/mL BSA in the absence of glucose. These data demonstrate the possibility of the presence of two kinds of binding sites for A-4166: one of them is the sulfonylurea receptor, and the other might be a binding site specific for A-4166.

Animals↗
PubMed1996

Monophyletic origin and unique dispersal patterns of domestic fowls.

With the aim of elucidating in greater detail the genealogical origin of the present domestic fowls of the world, we have determined mtDNA sequences of the D-loop regions for a total of 21 birds, of which 12 samples belong to red junglefowl (Gallus gallus) comprising three subspecies (six Gallus gallus gallus, three Gallus gallus spadiceus, and three Gallus gallus bankiva) and nine represent diverse domestic breeds (Gallus gallus domesticus). We also sequenced four green junglefowl (Gallus varius), two Lafayette's junglefowl (Gallus lafayettei), and one grey junglefowl (Gallus sonneratii). We then constructed a phylogenetic tree for these birds by the use of nucleotide sequences, choosing the Japanese quail (Coturnix coturnix japonica) as an outgroup. We found that a continental population of G. g. gallus was the real matriarchic origin of all the domestic poultries examined in this study. It is also of particular interest that there were no discernible differences among G. gallus subspecies; G. g. bankiva was a notable exception. This was because G. g. spadiceus and a continental population of G. g. gallus formed a single cluster in the phylogenetic tree. G. g. bankiva, on the other hand, was a distinct entity, thus deserving its subspecies status. It implies that a continental population of G. g. gallus sufficed as the monophyletic ancestor of all domestic breeds. We also discussed a possible significance of the initial dispersal pattern of the present domestic fowls, using the phylogenetic tree.

Animals↗
PubMed1996

Studies on selectin blocker. 1. Structure-activity relationships of sialyl Lewis X analogs.

As part of our studies of selectin blockers, we prepared 1-deoxy-3'-O-sulfo LeX analogs (1-3), 1-deoxy-3'-O-phosphono LeX analogs (4), and 1-deoxy sLeX analogs (5-7), and examined their inhibitory activities against natural ligand (sLeX) binding to E-selectin, P-selectin, and L-selectin. The 1-deoxy sLeX 5 was up to 20 times more potent an inhibitor than the sLeX tetrasaccharide toward P- and L-selectin binding. This indicates that the modification of the 1 or 2 position of sLeX is useful in the design of a more potent selectin blocker.

E-Selectin↗
PubMed1996

Formation of the enzyme complex in mitochondria is required for function of trifunctional beta-oxidation protein.

The first Japanese patient with mitochondrial trifunctional protein deficiency has been identified. The patient's alpha and beta-subunits were synthesized, transported into the mitochondria, and converted to the mature size, but rapidly disappeared. The newly synthesized mature alpha and beta-subunits in the control cells were incorporated into the enzyme complex, alpha4beta4, whereas those in the patient's cells were present as monomers. We propose that formation of the enzyme complex is required for stabilization of trifunctional protein.

Autoradiography↗