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Biomedical subjects

N Maeda

Publications and source records attributed to N Maeda.

At least 595 records · Page 33Linked to original sources
PubMed1984

Rheological characteristics of desialylated erythrocytes in relation to fibrinogen-induced aggregation.

The effect of fibrinogen and sialic acid content of erythrocytes on the aggregation of erythrocytes was quantitatively examined by using a rheoscope combined with a television image analyzer and a computer. (1) The electrophoretic mobility of erythrocytes was proportional to the sialic acid content of erythrocytes (the surface potential of erythrocytes could be expressed by the sialic acid content). (2) The aggregation of erythrocytes was accelerated by increasing fibrinogen concentration in the medium (due to the increased bridging force among erythrocytes) or by decreasing the sialic acid content (due to the reduction of the electrostatic repulsive force among erythrocytes). (3) An empirical equation expressing the velocity of aggregate formation (v, in micron2/min) by the concentration of fibrinogen (F, in g/dl) and the sialic acid content (S, in mumol/ml red blood cells), log v = -0.065 F-1.2S + 2.2 F0.35, was deduced. (4) The contribution of the bridging force of fibrinogen to the erythrocyte aggregation was much greater than that of the electrostatic repulsive force produced by sialic acid on the surface of erythrocytes.

Adult↗
PubMed1984

Effect of 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 on alkaline phosphatase activity and collagen synthesis in osteoblastic cells, clone MC3T3-E1.

A stimulative effect of 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 was tested on osteoblastic cells, clone MC3T3-E1, cultured in serum-free medium with 0.1% bovine serum albumin. This steroid increased alkaline phosphatase activity in a dose-related fashion. The steroid also stimulated dose-dependently collagen and non-collagen protein syntheses, their maximal effects being observed at 12 and 24 h, respectively. The incorporation of [3H]-proline into collagen or non-collagen protein in cells exposed to this steroid for 12 h was 2.9 or 1.9-fold over that of control cultures, respectively. These results strongly indicate the stimulative effects of 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 on the differentiation of osteoblasts in vitro.

Alkaline Phosphatase↗
PubMed1984

Appearance of distinct types of proteoglycan in a well-defined temporal and spatial pattern during early cartilage formation in the chick limb.

Our recent studies have shown that chick embryo epiphyseal cartilage synthesizes three distinct species of proteoglycan (PG-H, PG-Lb, and PG-Lt) which are analogous in having glycosaminoglycan side chains of the chondroitin (dermatan) sulfate type but different from one another in regard to the structure of core protein. In the present report, the expression of PG-H and PG-Lb has been studied in developing chick hind limbs (stages 19-33), using antibodies specific for these substances in indirect immunofluorescence. At the onset of cartilage morphogenesis (stage 24), PG-H became recognizable in the cartilage primordia, whereas a parallel section stained for PG-Lb showed no reaction. The first evidence of PG-Lb appearance was seen in a stage 28 cartilage (e.g., tibia) in which the cells in the middiaphysis became elongated in a direction perpendicular to the long axis of the cartilage. The PG-Lb fluorescence was confined to the zone of these flattened, disc-like cells, whereas the fluorescence for PG-H was uniformly distributed throughout the cartilage. With further development of cartilage (stage 29 approximately), the zone of flattened cells spread proximally and distally, and simultaneously large hypertrophied cells appeared at the diaphyseal region. During these zonal changes of cell morphology, the PG-Lb fluorescence remained restricted to the zone of flattened cells. Parallel sections stained for PG-H, in contrast, showed an evenly distributed pattern of the PG-H fluorescence throughout the cartilage. The results indicate that the appearance of PG-Lb is closely associated with the zonal changes of cell shape and orientation along the proximal-distal axis of the developing limb cartilage, and further suggest that the flattened chondrocytes in this particular zone have undergone additional changes in gene expression to form an extracellular matrix of still another chemical property.

Animals↗
PubMed1984

Effect of transferrin on alkaline phosphatase activity and collagen synthesis in osteoblastic cells derived from newborn mouse calvaria.

The effect of transferrin was tested on osteoblastic cells (clone MC3T3-E1) cultured in serum-free medium containing 1% bovine serum albumin (BSA). Transferrin (Tf) stimulated increases of protein content and protein synthesis, but not of DNA content and cell number, in the cells. This protein also increased alkaline phosphatase activity and collagen synthesis in combination with 1% BSA. Actinomycin D and cycloheximide inhibited alkaline phosphatase activity induced by Tf, suggesting that Tf may enhance de novo synthesis of the enzyme. These results indicate that Tf may be involved in differentiation of osteoblastic cells, but not in their proliferation, in vitro.

Alkaline Phosphatase↗
PubMed1984

Clones from the human gene complex coding for salivary proline-rich proteins.

The salivary protein gene complex consists of a series of loci coding for related but distinct proline-rich proteins (PRPs) found chiefly in saliva. We have screened a library of human genomic DNA fragments in bacteriophage lambda Charon 4A with a PRP cDNA synthesized and cloned from rat parotid gland mRNA. Two phages (PRP1 and PRP2) hybridizing to the rat probe under moderately stringent conditions contain related but not identical DNAs. Preliminary nucleotide sequence data indicate that both DNAs include regions comprised of nearly identical tandemly repeated sequences, each able to code for about 21 amino acids. The decoded consensus repeat sequence is homologous to the repeating amino acid units found by others in human PRPs. This and other features demonstrate that these two clones are members of the PRP gene family. Polymorphic differences between the DNAs of different individuals were observed after probing digests of human genomic DNA with a HinfI fragment from PRP1. These DNA polymorphisms reflect size differences, possibly caused by frequent unequal crossing-over between the repeated units in the PRP genes.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1984

Induction of fructose 1,6-bisphosphatase and glucose 6-phosphatase by dibutyryl cyclic adenosine monophosphate in fetal mouse liver.

In fetal mouse liver fragments maintained in organ culture, the activities of fructose 1,6-bisphosphatase and glucose 6-phosphatase are elevated in the presence of dibutyryl adenosine 3',5'-monophosphate (Bt2-cAMP). Isobutyl-1-methylxanthine at 2.5 mM increased the two enzyme activities. The enzyme activities returned to the normal levels following removal of Bt2-cAMP from the culture medium. Glucagon at concentrations from 10(-11) M to 10(-6) M induced both enzyme activities. The developmental increases in the two gluconeogenic enzymes are supported by cyclic AMP elevated by glucagon. Only at unphysiologically high concentrations did prostaglandin-E1 show weak stimulatory effects. alpha-Adreno-agonists did not stimulate the enzyme activities. Actinomycin D and cycloheximide reduced the enzyme activities stimulated by Bt2-cAMP. Both inhibitors and removal of Bt2-cAMP prevented the incorporation of [3H]leucine into the bisphosphatase. The kinetic properties, subunit-size, and antigenic nature of the bisphosphate showed that the type of enzyme induced by Bt2-cAMP in vitro is identical to the adult liver type. The results are interpreted as indicating that cyclic AMP acts at certain sites in the syntheses of these two gluconeogenic enzymes in the fetal mouse liver.

1-Methyl-3-isobutylxanthine↗
PubMed1984

Effect of glucocorticoids on induction of fructose bisphosphatase and glucose-6-phosphatase in fetal mouse liver.

Glucocorticoids significantly affected the developmental appearance of fructose-1,6-bisphosphatase [EC 3.1.3.11] and glucose-6-phosphatase [EC 3.1.3.9] in fetal mouse liver. In fragments of 15- or 16-day-old fetal livers maintained in organ culture in the absence of serum, induction of the bisphosphatase by dibutyryl cyclic AMP was repressed completely when the tissue was treated with 10(-7)M dexamethasone for 24 h during the second day of culture. The induction of the glucose phosphatase was greatly stimulated after a lag of 1 to 2 days. The glucocorticoid action continued over a period of 2 days even though the steroid had been washed out. The dose response curve of hydrocortisone with the half-maximally effective concentration of roughly 2 X 10(-8)M is in the physiological range. The corticoid action was specific for glucocorticoids, and aldosterone or progesterone was ineffective. When the tissue was cultured for 4 days before addition of dexamethasone, the bisphosphatase induction became insensitive to the steroid. Glucose-6-phosphatase induction, however, remained sensitive, but the long latent period required for the appearance of the hormone action disappeared. These results indicate the involvement of glucocorticoids in the developmental appearance of glucose-6-phosphatase in fetal liver.

Aldosterone↗
PubMed1984

Amino acid sequences of lower vertebrate parvalbumins and their evolution: parvalbumins of boa, turtle, and salamander.

One major parvalbumin each was isolated from the skeletal muscle of two reptiles, a boa snake, Boa constrictor, and a map turtle, Graptemys geographica, while two parvalbumins were isolated from an amphibian, the salamander Amphiuma means. The amino acid sequences of all four parvalbumins were determined from the sequences of their tryptic peptides, which were ordered partially by homology to other parvalbumins. Phylogenetic study of these and 16 other parvalbumin sequences revealed that the turtle parvalbumin belongs to beta lineage, while the salamander sequences belong, one each, to the alpha and beta lineages defined by Goodman and Pechère (1977). Boa parvalbumin, however, while belonging to the beta lineage, clusters within the fish in all reasonably parsimonious trees. The most parsimonious trees show many parallel or back mutations in the evolution of many parvalbumin residues, although the residues responsible for Ca2+ binding are very well conserved. These most parsimonious trees show an actinopterygian rather than a crossoptyrigian origin of the tetrapods in both the alpha and beta groups. One of two electric eel parvalbumins is evolving more than 10 times faster than its paralogous partner, suggesting it may be on its way to becoming a pseudogene. It is concluded that varying rates of amino acid replacement, much homoplasy, considerable gene duplication, plus complicated lineages make the set of parvalbumin sequences unsuitable for systematic study of the origin of the tetrapods and other higher-taxa divergence, although it may be suitable within a genus or family.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1984

Study on the jaw-closing muscle, Adductor mandibulae, of the salmon, Oncorhynchus masou. 1. Fiber types.

A histochemical study has been made on the jaw-closing muscle, Adductor mandibulae, of the Japanese salmon, Oncorhynchus masou. 3 main types of fibers can be distinguished on the basis of differences in SDH activity: 1. fibers with very high SDH activity; 2. fibers with intermediate SDH activity, and 3. fibers with low SDH activity, containing only a few formazan particles. And, fibers with large ranges in diameter were clearly observed in each of the three fiber types classified on the basis of SDH activity. Fibers with the highest SDH activity were recognized in the most medial part of the deep portion, whereas fibers with intermediate activity were mainly distributed in the lateral side of the deep portion. But, there was no discrete zone in the distribution of these fiber types, differing from the locomotor myotomes in the fish. These facts suggest that the A. mandibulae muscle is composed of, at least, more than 3 types of fibers and the function of this muscle is also complex in the fish as it is in the mammalian.

Animals↗
PubMed1983

Alteration of rheological properties of human erythrocytes by crosslinking of membrane proteins.

The crosslinking of membrane proteins of human erythrocytes by diamide (diazene dicarboxylic acid bis(N,N-dimethylamide) ) was quantified by 4% polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis in 1% sodium dodecyl sulfate. The relation between the crosslinking of membrane proteins and erythrocyte functions (rheological and oxygen transporting) was quantitatively examined. (i) The crosslinking of membrane protein was induced by diamide, without changing the shape and the contents of intracellular organic phosphates (adenylates and 2,3-diphosphoglycerate). The intensity of spectrin 2 in SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis decreased proportionally to diamide concentration. The percentage decrease in spectrin 2 (using band 3 as an internal standard) was the most appropriate indicator for crosslinking ("% crosslinking'). (ii) The suspension viscosity of erythrocytes increased in proportion to the percentage of crosslinking, in the range of applied shear rates of 3.76-752 s-1. (iii) Erythrocyte deformability (measured by a high-shear rheoscope) was reduced by the crosslinking. The change was detectable even at 5% crosslinking. (iv) Rouleaux formation (measured by a television image analyzer combined with a low-shear rheoscope) was inhibited by the crosslinking. The inhibition was also sensitively detected at more than 5% crosslinking. (v) Hemoglobin in erythrocytes was chemically modified by higher dose of diamide (probably by the binding of diamide with sulfhydryl groups). Also the oxygen affinity of hemoglobin increased and the heme-heme interaction decreased. (vi) The reduction of the crosslinking of membrane proteins by dithiothreitol apparently reversed the intensity of spectrin bands in SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and the erythrocyte functions (the suspension viscosity and the deformability), though not completely.

Azo Compounds↗
PubMed1983

Isolation and characterization of a third proteoglycan (PG-Lt) from chick embryo cartilage which contains disulfide-bonded collagenous polypeptide.

Chick embryo epiphyseal cartilage has been shown to contain three different proteoglycan species (PG-H, PG-Lb, and PG-Lt). This report is concerned with the purification and characterization of the third proteoglycan, PG-Lt. The proteoglycan can be separated from the other two by virtue of its low buoyant density in a CsCl density gradient and further purified by consecutive ion exchange and gel chromatography. The final preparation is composed of PG-Lt monomer and PG-Lt oligomer. The amino acid composition of PG-Lt is quite different from that of PG-H and PG-Lb and rather resembles that of collagens with respect to high content of glycine and high degrees of hydroxylation of proline and lysine. PG-Lt monomer is composed of disulfide-bonded subunits of Mr congruent to 120,000 and 190,000 as demonstrated by its gel electrophoretic behavior after reduction with 2-mercaptoethanol. The latter, but not the former, contains dermatan sulfate chains with glucuronic acid/iduronic acid residues and yields a protein-enriched core molecule of Mr congruent to 100,000 after digestion with chondroitinase ABC. Both of the protein subunits are completely digestible with bacterial collagenase. Immunofluorescence microscopic examination of cartilage tissues, using an antibody against PG-Lt, shows that this proteoglycan exists in both the cartilage matrix and perichondrial noncartilagenous region. When chondrocytes are plated onto tissue culture dishes, the antibody stains strands found on the cell surfaces and in the intercellular space of substrate-attached cell layers, suggesting that PG-Lt mediates cell-to-cell and cell-to-substrate contacts.

Amino Acids↗
PubMed1983

Neurotoxins from the venoms of the sea snakes Hydrophis ornatus and Hydrophis lapemoides.

The main neurotoxic components, toxins Hydrophis ornatus a and Hydrophis lapemoides a, were isolated from the venoms of the sea snakes Hydrophis ornatus and Hydrophis lapemoides respectively. The amino acid sequence of toxin Hydrophis ornatus a was deduced to be identical with that of toxin Astrotia stokesii a [Maeda & Tamiya (1978) Biochem. J. 175, 507-517] on the basis of identity of the tryptic peptide 'map' and the amino acid composition of each peptide. The amino acid sequence of toxin Hydrophis lapemoides a was determined mainly on the basis of identity of the amino acid compositions, mobilities on paper electrophoresis and migration positions on paper chromatography of the tryptic peptides with those of other sea-snake toxins whose sequences are known. Both toxins Hydrophis ornatus a and Hydrophis lapemoides a consisted of 60 amino acid residues and there were six amino acid replacements between them. The taxonomy of sea snakes in the Hydrophis ornatus complex has long been confused, and the above snakes were originally assigned to taxa that proved to be inconsistent with the relationships indicated by the neurotoxin amino acid sequences obtained. A subsequent re-examination of the specimens revealed an error in the original identifications and demonstrated the value of the protein amino acid sequences in systematic and phylogenetic studies. The isolation procedure and results of amino acid analysis of the tryptic peptides have been deposited as Supplementary Publication SUP 50121 (8 pages) with the British Library Lending Division, Boston Spa, Wetherby, West Yorkshire LS23 7BQ, U.K., from whom copies may be obtained as indicated in Biochem. J. (1983) 209, 5.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1983

First observation of a muscle spindle in fish.

In many groups of vertebrates, the muscle spindle is a specialized sensory organ for the detection of muscle stretching. The structure of the spindle varies among vertebrate classes. Moreover, Barker has asserted that Amphibia are the most primitive vertebrates to possess muscle spindles. Extensive studies, made mainly on the locomotor myotome, seem to show that the muscle receptors of fish are less specialized than those of more advanced animals, and that muscle spindles are absent. However, little attention has been paid to the jaw-closing muscle. We report here our finding of a very simple muscle spindle with a single intrafusal fibre in the well-developed jaw-closing muscle, adductor mandibulae, in a primitive teleostean, Oncorhynchus masou (Brevoort).

Animals↗