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N Mori

Publications and source records attributed to N Mori.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources
PubMed2004

Poor maternal care and high maternal body mass index in pregnancy as a risk factor for schizophrenia in offspring.

OBJECTIVE: We investigated whether antenatal factors in mothers would increase the risk of schizophrenia in the offspring, and also examined any relationship between these factors and histories of obstetric complications (OCs). METHOD: Using the Mother and Child Health Handbooks of 52 patients with schizophrenia and 284 healthy subjects, we evaluated the risk-increasing effects of the frequency of antenatal care visits and mothers' body mass index (BMI) at both early and late pregnancy. RESULTS: In logistic regression analysis, there was a significant association between the number of antenatal care visits and the risk of the disorder; an increase in a unit of visits corresponds to a reduction of the risk by 12%. We also found a 24% increase in the risk with a one-unit increase of BMI at the early pregnancy, and a 19% increase at the late pregnancy. These antenatal factors were found to contribute, in part, to an excess of OCs in individuals with schizophrenia. CONCLUSION: Poor maternal care during pregnancy and comparatively high maternal BMI especially at early pregnancy may cause a predisposition to schizophrenia in the offspring.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2004

Regression of idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura after endoscopic mucosal resection of gastric mucosa associated lymphoid tissue lymphoma.

Recent reports have suggested an association between Helicobacter pylori infection and both gastric mucosa associated lymphoid tissue (MALT) lymphoma and thrombocytopenic purpura. Although treatments eradicating H pylori lead to regression of these diseases in some cases, the exact mechanisms are still controversial. This case report describes a patient with thrombocytopenic purpura accompanied by an early stage gastric MALT lymphoma. Endoscopic mucosal resection of the lesion in this patient led to dramatic regression of thrombocytopenic purpura, and t(11;18)(q21;q21), which means resistance more likely to H pylori eradication therapy, was confirmed by fluorescence in situ hybridisation. There is no evidence of recurrence and his platelet count is within normal limits after 24 months of follow up. This is the first case report describing regression of thrombocytopenic purpura after mucosal resection of a gastric MALT lymphoma. We suggest that while some cases of thrombocytopenic purpura may be induced by H pylori, others may be due to an autoreactive antibody produced by MALT lymphoma B cells.

Aged↗
PubMed2004

Human herpesvirus 8 (HHV8) sequence variations in HHV8 related tumours in Okinawa, a subtropical island in southern Japan.

BACKGROUND: Although rare in mainland Japan, classic Kaposi's sarcoma (KS) is frequently reported in Okinawa, a subtropical island in southern Japan. Human herpesvirus 8 (HHV8) has been identified in the tumours and geographical differences occur. AIM: To sequence HHV8 in classic and AIDS associated KS in Okinawa. MATERIALS/METHODS: Eight classic KS cases, one AIDS associated KS, five granuloma pyogenicum cases, two inflammatory pseudotumours, two Castleman's disease cases, one angiosarcoma, and one primary effusion lymphoma (PEL) were studied. As a control, HHV8 positive cultured PEL cells (TY-1) were used. The presence of HHV8 sequences was evaluated by PCR and in situ hybridisation. PCR products were sequenced. RESULTS: There were no histological differences among KS resulting from the different virus genotypes. HHV8 was detected in all cases of KS, in one PEL, and one granuloma pyogenicum. Eight classic KS cases and one granuloma pyogenicum were infected with HHV8 genotype II/C (K1 region) or subtype C (ORF26 region), which had a five amino acid deletion at K1 VR2 region. An AIDS associated KS and a PEL were infected with type I/A virus. CONCLUSION: In Okinawa, classic KS cases and one granuloma pyogenicum case were infected with HHV8 genotype II/C, also classified as subtype C. AIDS associated KS and PEL were infected with a different HHV8 (genotype I/A), similar to that found in the USA. In Okinawa, HHV8 infection is more than four times higher than in mainland Japan, resulting in many cases of KS because of HHV8 genotype II/C infection.

Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome↗
PubMed2004

[Schizophrenia and ocular misalignment: phenotypic and genetic association analysis].

The increased incidence of minor physical anomalies (MPAs) in schizophrenia is the fundamental basis for the neurodevelopmental hypothesis of schizophrenia etiology. Ocular misalignment falls into the category of MPAs, but this phenotype has not been assessed in schizophrenia. This study reveals that constant exotropia displays marked association with schizophrenia. To assess the genetic mechanisms, we examined the transcription factor genes ARIX and its paralogue, PMX2B. We identified frequent deletion/insertion polymorphisms in the 20-alanine homopolymer stretch of PMX2B, with a modest association between these functional polymorphisms and constant exotropia in schizophrenia. The polymorphisms were also associated with overall schizophrenia and more specifically with schizophrenia manifesting strabismus. These results suggest a possible interaction between PMX2B and other schizophrenia-precipitating factors, increasing the risk of the combined phenotypes. This study also highlights the unique nature of the polyalanine length variations found in PMX2B.

Exotropia↗
PubMed2003

Transcription factor REST dependent proteins are comparable between Down syndrome and control brains: challenging a hypothesis.

Impairment of the RE-1-silencing transcription factor (REST) and REST-dependent genes in Down Syndrome (DS) neuronal progenitor cells and neurospheres has been published recently. As dysregulation of this system has been shown at the RNA level and considering the long and unpredictable way from RNA to proteins, and as it is the proteins that do the function in brain, we decided to test this hypothesis at the protein level. Cortex of brains of patients with Down Syndrome at the early second trimester were used. REST-dependent structures as synapsin I, brain derived neurotrophic factor BDNF and neuronal growth-associated protein SCG10 were determined at the protein level using immunoblotting. Proteins were comparably expressed in fetal Down syndrome and control brains. Even when normalized versus housekeeping genes (glyceraldehyde-6-phosphate-dehydrogenease) and a marker for neuronal density (neuron-specific enolase) DS results were resembling controls. Therefore, we cannot confirm the REST-hypothesis by our studies in the 18/19th week of gestation at the protein level in brain and taking into account that the hypothesis was based upon studies in progenitor cells.

Brain↗
PubMed2003

Oral premedication with fentanyl may be a safe and effective alternative to oral midazolam.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: Although midazolam is commonly given orally to infants and small children for premedication, the taste is sometimes unacceptable even when mixed with syrup. We tested the efficacy and safety of oral fentanyl compared with oral midazolam in a randomized open-label study. METHODS: Fifty-one children, aged 12-107 months and weighing 10-25 kg, were randomly assigned to fentanyl or midazolam treatment groups. Midazolam (5 mg) or fentanyl (0.1 mg) was given orally from a small bottle with a small orifice 30 min before transfer to the preoperative holding room. The excitation-sedation conditions of the patients were assessed before and after general anaesthesia. RESULTS: The preoperative scores did not differ significantly between the two groups. No major complications were observed in either group. Postoperative vomiting occurred in 5 of 27 (18.5%) patients treated with oral fentanyl and in none of 24 of those treated with midazolam. CONCLUSIONS: Oral administration of fentanyl 30 min before entrance to the holding room for an operation from a bottle with a small orifice is a premedication option for children between 1 and 8 yr of age.

Adjuvants, Anesthesia↗
PubMed2003

Dendritic cells transduced with gp100 gene by RGD fiber-mutant adenovirus vectors are highly efficacious in generating anti-B16BL6 melanoma immunity in mice.

Dendritic cells (DCs) are the most potent professional antigen-presenting cells for the initiation of antigen-specific immune responses, and antigen-loaded DCs have been regarded as promising vaccines in cancer immunotherapy. We previously demonstrated that RGD fiber-mutant adenovirus vector (AdRGD) could attain highly efficient gene transduction into human and murine DCs. The aim of the present study is to demonstrate the predominance of ex vivo genetic DC manipulation using AdRGD in improving the efficacy of DC-based immunotherapy targeting gp100, a melanoma-associated antigen (MAA). Vaccination with murine bone marrow-derived DCs transduced with AdRGD encoding gp100 (AdRGD-gp100/mBM-DCs) dramatically improved resistance to B16BL6 melanoma challenge and pulmonary metastasis as compared with immunization with conventional Ad-gp100-transduced mBM-DCs. The improvement in antimelanoma effects upon immunization with AdRGD-gp100/mBM-DCs correlated with enhanced cytotoxic activities of natural killer (NK) cells and B16BL6-specific cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTLs). Furthermore, in vivo depletion analysis demonstrated that CD8(+) CTLs and NK cells were the predominant effector cells responsible for the anti-B16BL6 immunity induced by vaccination with AdRGD-gp100/mBM-DCs, and that helper function of CD4(+) T cells was necessary for sufficiently eliciting effector activity. These findings clearly revealed that highly efficient MAA gene transduction to DCs by AdRGD could greatly improve the efficacy of DC-based immunotherapy against melanoma.

Adenoviridae↗
PubMed2003

Comparative effect of clinidipine and quinapril on left ventricular mass in mild essential hypertension.

The aim of this study was to compare the regressive effect of clinidipine on left ventricular mass (LVM) with that of quinapril. Sixty patients with mild essential hypertension aged more than 39 years were randomly allocated to two groups to receive cilnidipine (10 mg; n = 30) or quinapril (10 mg; n = 30). The patients underwent echocardiography before and 12 months after drug treatment. Sixteen patients in each group underwent 123I-metaiodobenzylguanidine (MIBG) cardiac imaging before and 12 months after drug treatment. In both groups systolic and diastolic blood pressures significantly decreased to similar levels. In the clinidipine group, both end-diastolic and end-systolic diameters and posterior wall thickness significantly decreased, while only end-systolic diameter significantly decreased in the quinapril group. However, LVM (206 +/- 36 g to 189 +/- 40 g, p < 0.02 for the quinapril group, 195 +/- 60 g to 171 +/- 48 g, p < 0.004 for the clinidipine group) and the LVM index (127 +/- 20 g/m2, to 116 +/- 20 g/m2, p < 0.02 for the quinapril group, 121 +/- 32 g/m2 to 106 +/- 24 g/m2 p < 0.003 for the clinidipine group) significantly decreased in both groups. Regarding MIBG imaging, in the cilnidipine group, the heart-to-mediastinum ratio significantly increased (p < 0.02) and the washout rate significantly decreased (p < 0.02) after drug treatment. In contrast, there were no significant changes in MIBG parameters in the quinapril group. Clinidipine produced a greater decrease in LVM in essential hypertension than quinapril, probably due to the long-term suppression of the cardiac sympathetic nervous system. Clinidipine is useful for hypertensive patients with left ventricular hypertrophy and may improve their prognosis.

3-Iodobenzylguanidine↗
PubMed2002

Hemophagocytic syndrome as the primary clinical symptom of Hodgkin's disease.

It is now well recognized that hemophagocytic syndrome (HPS) is occasionally associated with malignant lymphomas. However, its association with Hodgkin's disease has been only rarely reported. We present here a 72-year-old woman manifesting with HPS as the primary and solitary clinical symptom of Hodgkin's disease. She had been suffering from high-grade fever and anemia for more than a month. Based on the findings in bone marrow aspirates, she was diagnosed as having HPS. In spite of extensive surveys including various cultures, serological tests for collagen disease, abdominal and cardiac sonography, chest computed tomography (CT), and renal biopsy, the origin of the fever was not determined. She was treated with steroid pulse therapy and then referred. Radiological studies revealed only mild hepatosplenomegaly and small lymph node swellings around celiac and common hepatic arteries. Reevaluation of the bone marrow specimen revealed the infiltration of small numbers of CD30-, CD15-, and EBER-1-positive large-sized lymphocytes with bizarre nucleus. Under the diagnosis of Hodgkin's disease, she was treated with combination chemotherapy containing pirarubicin, cyclophosphamide, vincristine, and prednisolone. However, it was not effective and she died of rapidly progressive hepatic failure on the 5th day of the chemotherapy. Autopsy was performed, which showed proliferation of lymphoma cells in para-aortic lymph nodes. We believe that diagnostic survey to rule out the underlying lymphoma should be vigorously performed for patients with hemophagocytic syndrome of unknown origin.

Aged↗
PubMed2002

Nerve-mast cell (RBL) interaction: RBL membrane ruffling occurs at the contact site with an activated neurite.

Mast cell-neurite interaction serves as a model for neuroimmune interaction. We have shown that neurite-mast cell communication can occur via substance P interacting with neurokinin (NK)-1 receptors on the mucosal mast cell-like cell, the rat basophilic leukemia (RBL) cell. Neurite (murine superior cervical ganglia) and RBL cell [expressing the granule-associated antigen CD63-green fluorescent protein (GFP) conjugate] cocultures were established and stimulated with bradykinin (BK; 10 nM) or scorpion venom (SV; 10 pg/ml), both of which activate only neurites. Cell activation was assessed by confocal imaging of Ca2+ (cells preloaded with fluo 3), and analyses of RBL CD63-GFP+ granule movement were conducted. Neurite activation by BK or SV was followed by RBL Ca2+ mobilization, which was inhibited by an NK-1 receptor antagonist (NK-1 RA). Moreover, membrane ruffling was observed on RBL pseudopodial extensions in contact with the activated neurite, but not on noncontacting pseudopodia. RBL membrane ruffling was inhibited by NK-1 RA, but not NK-2 RA, and was accompanied by a significant increase in granule movement (0.13 +/- 0.04 vs. 0.05 +/- 0.01 microm/s) that was most evident at the point of neurite contact: many of the granules moved toward the plasmalemma. This is the first documentation of such precise (restricted to the membrane's contact site) transfer of information between nerves and mast cells that could allow for very subtle in vivo communication between these two cell types.

Animals↗
PubMed2001

Constitutive expression of the cyclooxygenase-2 gene in T-cell lines infected with human T cell leukemia virus type I.

Cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2), an inducible enzyme that catalyzes the formation of prostaglandins and other eicosanoids from arachidonic acid, is constitutively expressed in several human carcinomas. COX-2 expression, however, has not been extensively studied in leukemia. Human T cell leukemia virus type I (HTLV-I) is the etiologic agent of adult T cell leukemia, an aggressive form of human T cell malignancy. We studied COX-2 mRNA expression in various human T-cell lines. Northern blot analysis revealed that COX-2 mRNA steady-state levels were high in 4 of 7 T-cell lines infected with HTLV-I. COX-2 mRNA, however, was not expressed in any of 3 HTLV-I-negative T-cell lines. We also confirmed COX-2 expression in 6 of 7 HTLV-I-positive T-cell lines by reverse transcription-PCR. HTLV-I Tax is known to increase the expression of cellular genes and thus we assayed Tax for its ability to increase transcription from the COX-2 promoter. Although Tax increased transcription of the COX-2 promoter in a T-cell line, Tax expression did not induce COX-2 mRNA expression, indicating that Tax alone is not sufficient for significant accumulation of COX-2 mRNA, which probably requires an additional viral protein. To evaluate the potential role of COX-2 in T cells, the HTLV-I-infected T-cell lines were treated with NS398, a selective COX-2 inhibitor. NS398 treatment inhibited proliferation and induced apoptosis of HTLV-I-infected T-cell lines and downregulated Bcl-2 and Bcl-x(L) mRNA expression, followed by chromosomal DNA fragmentation. Our data suggest that COX-2 is expressed selectively in T-cell lines infected with HTLV-I and that this gene may play a role in cell survival.

Apoptosis↗
PubMed2001

Nm23-H1 gene as a molecular switch between the free-floating and adherent states of gastric cancer cells.

The contribution of the nm23-H1 gene to metastasis in malignant tumors, including gastric cancer, is controversial. In this study, we compared nm23-H1 levels in two cell subtypes with different morphologies (floating and adherent states), but that were derived from the same gastric cancer cell line, KATO-III. A real-time quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction showed that the number of nm23-H1 mRNA molecules in floating cells was significantly higher than that in adherent cells (P<0.0001). The average of the copies in floating cells was approximately 2.4-fold higher than that in adherent cells. Consistent with mRNA levels, intracellular levels of nm23-H1 protein were higher in floating cells than in adherent cells. There was no difference in cell cycle characteristics between the two subtypes. In conclusion, our present data indicate that expression of nm23-H1 by a tumor could be altered during the different steps in metastases, suggesting that nm23-H1 may act as a molecular switch between the free-floating and adherent states of cancer cells.

Cell Adhesion↗
PubMed2001

Structural features of a wheat plastome as revealed by complete sequencing of chloroplast DNA.

Structural features of the wheat plastome were clarified by comparison of the complete sequence of wheat chloroplast DNA with those of rice and maize chloroplast genomes. The wheat plastome consists of a 134,545-bp circular molecule with 20,703-bp inverted repeats and the same gene content as the rice and maize plastomes. However, some structural divergence was found even in the coding regions of genes. These alterations are due to illegitimate recombination between two short direct repeats and/or replication slippage. Overall comparison of chloroplast DNAs among the three cereals indicated the presence of some hot-spot regions for length mutations. Whereas the region with clustered tRNA genes and that downstream of rbcL showed divergence in a species-specific manner, the deletion patterns of ORFs in the inverted-repeat regions and the borders between the inverted repeats and the small single-copy region support the notion that wheat and rice are related more closely to each other than to maize.

DNA, Chloroplast↗
PubMed2001

Calcium-sensitive nonselective cation channel identified in the epithelial cells isolated from the endolymphatic sac of guinea pigs.

We identified a Ca2+-sensitive cation channel in acutely dissociated epithelial cells from the endolymphatic sac (ES) of guinea pigs using the patch-clamp technique. Single-channel recordings showed that the cation channel had a conductance of 24.0 +/- 1.3 pS (n = 8) in our standard solution. The relative ionic permeability of the channel was in the order K+ = Na+ > Ca2+ >> Cl-. This channel was weakly voltage-dependent but was strongly activated by Ca2+ on the cytosolic side at a concentration of around 1 mm in inside-out excised patches. With cell-attached patches, however, the channel was activated by much lower Ca2+ concentrations. Treatment of the cells, under cell-attached configuration, with ionomycin (10 microm), carbonyl cyanide 3-chlorophenylhydrazone (CCCP, 20 microm), or ATP (1 mm), which increased intracellular Ca2+ concentration ([Ca2+]i), activated the channel at an estimated [Ca2+]i from 0.6 microm to 10 microm. It is suggested that some activators of the channel were deteriorated or washed out during the formation of excised patches. Based on this Ca2+ sensitivity, we speculated that the channel contributes to the regulation of ionic balance and volume of the ES by absorbing Na+ under certain pathological conditions that will increase [Ca2+]i. This is the first report of single-channel recordings in endolymphatic sac epithelial cells.

Adenosine Triphosphate↗
PubMed2001

Full-sized RanBPM cDNA encodes a protein possessing a long stretch of proline and glutamine within the N-terminal region, comprising a large protein complex.

Previously isolated RanBPM, a Ran-binding protein in the microtubule-organizing center, which had been thought to play a role in Ran-stimulated microtubule assembly, turned out to be a truncated protein. To clarify the function of RanBPM, we cloned the full-sized RanBPM cDNA that encodes a 90 kDa protein, compared to the previously isolated cDNA that encoded a 55 kDa protein. The newly cloned 5' coding region contains a great number of cytidine and guanidine nucleotides, like the CpG island. Thus, full-sized RanBPM cDNA encodes a long stretch of proline and glutamine residues in the N-terminal region. It comprises a protein complex of more than 670 kDa. Ran was detected in this complex when RanBPM and Ran were both ectopically expressed. New antibodies to RanBPM were prepared against three different regions of RanBPM. All of them detected a 90 kDa protein that is predominantly localized both in the nucleus and in the cytoplasmic region surrounding the centrosome, but none of them stained the centrosome. In this context, our previous notion that RanBPM is a centrosomal protein should be discarded. RanBPM is well conserved in the animal kingdom. It may play an important role in uncovering Ran-dependent nuclear events.

Adaptor Proteins, Signal Transducing↗
PubMed2001

Genomic organization of the Shc-related phosphotyrosine adapters and characterization of the full-length Sck/ShcB: specific association of p68-Sck/ShcB with pp135.

The Shc gene family is an emerging family, containing at least three members designated Shc/ShcA, Sck/Sli/ShcB, N-Shc/Rai/ShcC in mammals. In this study, we determined the genomic organization of the mouse Shc family. Coding regions of ShcA, B, and C each comprised 12 exons, spanned approximately 6, 20, and 65 kb, and located on chromosome 3, 10, and 13, respectively. Based on this genome analysis, we determined the full-length structure of mouse Sck/ShcB as a 68-kD protein. We found that the 68-kD full-length Sck/ShcB was more efficiently phosphorylated upon EGF treatment than the previously-analyzed CH2-deleted form. We also found that Sck specifically interacted with a 135-kD phosphoprotein (pp135) through its SH2 domain following membrane depolarization. The Sck-pp135 interaction was reduced by Src kinase inhibitors. These results suggest that Sck, but not N-Shc nor Shc, transmit signals in conjunction with pp135 following Src activation and/or calcium entry in the cell.

Adaptor Proteins, Signal Transducing↗