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Biomedical subjects

N Nagashima

Publications and source records attributed to N Nagashima.

At least 55 records · Page 3Linked to original sources

Cysteinyldopa isomers and dopa in lesions and urine of Japanese patients with malignant melanoma.

Cysteinyldopas and Dopa in the urine and tissues of Japanese melanoma patients were investigated quantitatively by means of high-performance liquid chromatography. Cysteinyldopa isomers were detected in the urine of eumelanic Japanese patients. The amount (X +/- SD%) of each isomer of cysteinyldopa in the urine was 80.26 +/- 4.66% in 5-S-cysteinyldopa, 9.39 +/- 1.64% in 2-S-cysteinyldopa, 7.07 +/- 3.33% in 2, 5-S, S-dicysteinyldopa, and 3.28 +/- 1.43% in 6-S-cysteinyldopa. The amount of cysteinyldopa in melanoma tissues was 26-314 times more than that of Dopa. The amount (X +/- SD%) of cysteinyldopa in the tissues was 80.34 +/- 1.75% in 5-S-cysteinyldopa, 11.06 +/- 1.91% in 2-S-cysteinyldopa, 6.27 +/- 1.43% in 2, 5-S, S-dicysteinyldopa, and 2.34 +/- 0.61% in 6-S-cysteinyldopa. The fact that the percentages of each isomer of cysteinyldopa in the urine and in the tissues were approximately constant suggests that the cysteinyldopas secreted from melanoma cells were excreted into the urine without being metabolized.

Cysteinyldopa↗

Studies on amelanotic melanoma with the fluorescence method (Falck and Hillarp) and biochemical analysis of 5-S-cysteinyldopa in the tissues.

Histochemical findings of primary and metastatic amelanotic melanomas were shown by the formaldehyde-induced fluorescence method (Falck and Hillarp). All or some of the amelanotic melanoma cells were discovered to emit green specific fluorescence. Results of the determination of 5-S-cysteinyldopa and DOPA in amelanotic melanoma tissues indicated that the specific fluorescence emitted by these cells is primarily due to the presence of 5-S-cysteinyldopa. The values of 5-S-cysteinyldopa in these tissues were lower than those in melanotic melanoma, but were approximately the same as those in pigmented nevus. When unpigmented tumors were histopathologically revealed to be malignant, amelanotic melanoma could be definitely diagnosed by the fluorescence method of Falck and Hillarp and the biochemical analysis of 5-S-cysteinyldopa in the tissues.

Adult↗

Formaldehyde-induced fluorescence method for touch preparations from amelanotic melanoma tissues: a simple and rapid method for the demonstration of melanogenic activities of amelanotic melanoma cells.

Touch preparations from four amelanotic melanoma tissue samples were studied with the formaldehyde-induced fluorescence method. Fluorescent amelanotic melanoma cells could easily be detected under a fluorescence microscope. The fluorescence microscopic pictures obtained by the touch-fluorescence method were equally evaluated with those obtained by the classical fluorescence method. The method made it possible to demonstrate the melanogenic activity of amelanotic melanoma cells within 30 min. The routine application of this method to the diagnosis of amelanotic melanoma is suggested.

Fluorescence↗

Serum amino acids in hepatic encephalopathy--effects of branched chain amino acid infusion on serum aminogram.

Encephalopathic patients with cirrhosis of the liver consistently showed elevated levels of the aromatic amino acids, phenylalanine, tyrosine and free tryptophan as well as methionine in serum, whereas levels of the branched chain amino acids, valine, leucine and isoleucine, were depressed. Comatose patients with fulminant hepatitis had markedly elevated levels of all amino acids, the results being greatly different from those of cirrhotic patients. Molar ratios of (valine + leucine + isoleucine)/(phenylalanine + tyrosine) decreased both in cirrhotics with and without encephalopathy and in cases with fulminant hepatitis. Infusion of a commercially available L-amino acid solution in a cirrhotic patient induced a strikingly abnormal aminogram documented in hepatic encephalopathy. Therefore, effects of branched chain amino acid infusion on the deranged amino acid pattern were primarily studied for the purpose of improvement in hepatic encephalopathy by normalization of serum amino acid patterns. Elevated levels of the aromatic amino acids and methionine could be apparently depressed in a cirrhotic patient by this type of infusion but not in a case of fulminant hepatitis probably because of the poor utilization of these amino acids in severely impaired liver.

Adult↗