Biomedical subjects

N Nakashima

Publications and source records attributed to N Nakashima.

At least 181 records · Page 10Linked to original sources

PubMed1992

Primary choroid plexus papilloma located in the suprasellar region: case report.

A 34-year-old woman with primary choroid plexus papilloma occurring in the suprasellar region is reported. No connection with the ventricular system was found during intraoperative observations. The findings of pathological examinations such as hematoxylin and eosin staining, transthyretin (prealbumin) immunoreactivity, and electron microscopy were consistent with choroid plexus papilloma. Radiologically, it was extremely difficult to differentiate from tuberculum sellae meningioma. To our knowledge, this is the first case of primary choroid plexus papilloma in this location reported in the literature.

Adult↗

PubMed1992

Type A-insulin resistance with lipopexia on extremities: a case report.

We present the unusual case of a 17-year-old female with insulin-resistant diabetes, acanthosis nigricans, hirsutism, amenorrhea, dental dysplasia and lipopexia on the extremities. She had been diagnosed as having border line diabetes with hyperinsulinemia at age 12 when she was not obese and diabetes mellitus at age 13. On admission, she was obese and had lipopexia only on the extremities. The presence of hyperinsulinemia and poor response to exogenous insulin suggested severe insulin resistance. Insulin binding to transformed B-lymphoblasts derived from her was extremely low compared to the normal control, showing decreased receptor affinity. Her parents and sister exhibited hypersecretion of insulin in response to a 75 g oral glucose tolerance test. Her mother was diabetic, and her father and sister had border line diabetes, whereas her brother had a normal response. These findings support strongly the diagnosis of a type A syndrome with severe insulin resistance associated with lipopexia on the extremities. A genetic defect in the insulin receptor gene may be responsible.

Absorptiometry, Photon↗

PubMed1992

Utility of the latex agglutination nephelometric immunoassay (Albusure Test) in screening for microalbuminuria in patients with diabetes mellitus.

All diabetic patients should be screened for early signs of diabetic nephropathy, because it is a prognostic factor in the disease. The albusure test (AT), a latex agglutination nephelometric immunoassay, is a rapid and low cost test for the detection of microalbuminuria of 30 mg/L or more. We compared the results of AT and of radioimmunoassay (RIA) for urinary albumin to evaluate the clinical utility of AT using fresh urine samples from 74 diabetic patients without persistent proteinuria and from 11 healthy subjects. Urinary albumin levels were 6.0 +/- 2.3 mg/L in the healthy subjects, 11.0 +/- 8.7 mg/L in the AT-negative group (n = 61), and 38.1 +/- 10.2 mg/L in the AT-positive group (n = 13). Using a cut-off value of 30 mg/L by RIA, the rate of coincidence between AT and RIA was 89.2%, although five subjects were false-positive by AT, and three were false-negative. These results show that AT may provide a useful monitor for microalbuminuria, a reliable early marker of diabetic nephropathy.

Adult↗

PubMed1992

[Diagnosis of ovarian tumor by measuring tumor markers].

Values of CA125, CA19-9, TPA, CA72-4, BFP and LDH in sera were detected in 148 malignant ovarian tumors, 41 borderline malignant ovarian tumors, 71 benign ovarian tumors and 64 benign uterine diseases. A new cut-off value was determined by ROC graph for distinguishing malignant and borderline ovarian tumors from benign ovarian tumors. CA125 (cut off: 30 U/ml) was a highly sensitive marker for malignant and borderline malignant ovarian tumors, the value being 88.1% (52/59) and 81.8% (9/11), respectively. On the other hand, in 37 benign ovarian tumors, the positive rate was 21.6% and in 21 benign uterine diseases it was 52.4%. CA19-9 (cut off: 150 U/ml) was inferior to CA125, but it was an effective marker for mucinous ovarian tumors. TPA (cut off: 40 U/ml) was also a sensitive (84.7%, 50/59) marker of malignant ovarian tumors. CA72-4 (cut off: 4 U/ml) was a highly specific (87.0%, 60/69) marker of malignant ovarian tumors. Combination assays of CA125/CA19-9, CA125/TPA and CA125/CA72-4 were not effective. Usefulness of BFP for early malignant ovarian tumors was suggested. Seven cases of dysgerminoma showed extremely elevated LDH levels (1,248 +/- 886 IU/1/37 degrees C). Malignancy and histological type of ovarian tumors could be decided by combination assay of these tumor markers, before surgical operation.

Antigens, Tumor-Associated, Carbohydrate↗

PubMed1992

Platelet-derived growth factor and growth-promoting activity in the serum samples and platelets of patients with non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus.

Although platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF) is thought to be a major mediator of atherosclerotic disease, the pathophysiology of diabetic vasculopathy, including atherosclerosis, is unclear. By means of an enzyme immunoassay that used a monoclonal antibody against human PDGF-B chain, PDGF-like immunoreactivity was determined in serum, platelet-poor plasma, and platelet lysate of 28 patients with non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus and 11 control subjects. Growth-promoting activity was also measured by tritiated thymidine incorporation into DNA of cultured human fibroblasts. The PDGF-like immunoreactivity in serum was correlated (r = 0.42; p less than 0.01) with that in platelet lysate prepared from a fixed volume of blood. Furthermore, a correlation (r = 0.70; p less than 0.001) was found between the PDGF-like immunoreactivity and the growth-promoting activity in platelet lysate but not in serum. There was no significant difference between patients with diabetes and control subjects with respect to the PDGF-like immunoreactivity in serum or in platelet lysate (38.2 +/- 2.2 vs 42.8 +/- 3.1 ng/ml or 49.1 +/- 2.4 vs 56.2 +/- 3.4 ng/mg protein; mean +/- SEM). In contrast, the serum growth-promoting activity was lower (p less than 0.05) in patients with diabetes than in control subjects (88.1% +/- 7.1% vs 117.4% +/- 6.9%) and there was a negative correlation (r = -0.39; p less than 0.05) between the serum growth-promoting activity and the fasting plasma glucose level. The growth-promoting activity in platelet lysate of patients with diabetes did not differ from that of the control subjects (59.9% +/- 11.6% vs 65.9% +/- 11.2%).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Blood Platelets↗

PubMed1991

Differences in the photobleaching process between 7-cis- and 11-cis-rhodopsins: a unique interaction change between the chromophore and the protein during the lumi-meta I transition.

The photochemical and subsequent thermal reactions of 7-cis-rhodopsin prepared from cattle opsin and 7-cis-retinal were investigated by low-temperature spectrophotometry and laser photolysis, and compared with those of 11-cis-rhodopsin prepared from cattle opsin and 11-cis-retinal. Low-temperature experiments revealed that the absorption maxima of batho and lumi intermediates from 7-cis-rhodopsin were at slightly shorter wavelengths than those of 11-cis-rhodopsin while the meta I intermediates of both rhodopsin isomers showed the same absorption maxima. Kinetic experiments of the photobleaching process of 7-cis-rhodopsin using picosecond and nanosecond laser pulses revealed the formation of intermediates corresponding to the batho, lumi, meta I, and meta II intermediates from 11-cis-rhodopsin. An intermediate of 7-cis-rhodopsin corresponding to photorhodopsin (a precursor of bathorhodopsin), however, was not detected. Batho and lumi intermediates from 7-cis-rhodopsin had shorter lifetimes (approximately 40 ns and 300 microseconds) than those of 11-cis-rhodopsin (250 ns and 800 microseconds), but the lifetime of the meta I intermediate from 7-cis-rhodopsin was identical with that from 11-cis-rhodopsin (12 ms). These results indicate that the difference in configuration of the original chromophore between 7-cis- and 11-cis-rhodopsins is a cause of different chromophore-opsin interactions in the batho and lumi stages, while in the meta I stage the difference has disappeared by the relaxation of the protein near the chromophores. A possible interaction change between the 9-methyl group of the chromophore and its neighboring protein during the lumi-meta I transition will be discussed.

Animals↗

PubMed1991

Prognostic factors in yolk sac tumors of the ovary. A clinicopathologic analysis of 29 cases.

Twenty-nine ovarian cancer patients with yolk sac tumors and germ cell tumors with yolk sac tissue as a component of their disease (16 endodermal sinus tumor, 11 mixed germ cell tumors, one embryonal carcinoma, and one polyembryoma) were treated with cytoreductive surgery and combination chemotherapy. Prognostic factors were investigated in this group. Patients with Stage I disease had a more favorable prognosis (P less than 0.003) than those with Stages II and IV disease. The difference in prognosis was significant in cases where residual tumor was absent (P less than 0.003) and in cases where ascites was either absent or less than 100 ml in volume (P less than 0.05). Endodermal sinus tumor with either an intestinal (P less than 0.05) or microcystic pattern (P less than 0.01) was more common in survivors than in those who died. The age, preoperative serum alpha-fetoprotein level, maximum tumor size, and tumor weight had no significant correlation with prognosis. In advanced cases, chemotherapy regimens including cisplatin gave better results than those containing vincristine, dactinomycin, and cyclophosphamide (P less than 0.05). The optimal treatment of yolk sac tumors or tumors with yolk sac tissue as a component of the ovary is discussed in light of these results.

Adolescent↗

PubMed1991

Isolation of xylose reductase gene of Pichia stipitis and its expression in Saccharomyces cerevisiae.

A NADPH/NADH-dependent xylose reductase gene was isolated from the xylose-assimilating yeast, Pichia stipitis. DNA sequence analysis showed that the gene consists of 951 bp. The gene introduced in Saccharomyces cerevisiae was transcribed to mRNA, and a considerable amount of enzyme activity was observed constitutively, whereas transcription and translation in P stipitis were inducible. S. cerevisiae carrying the xylose reductase gene could not, however, grow on xylose medium, and could not produce ethanol from xylose. Since xylose uptake and accumulation of xylitol by S. cerevisiae were observed, the conversion of xylitol to xylulose seemed to be limited.

Aldehyde Reductase↗

PubMed1991

Harmful effects of inotropic agents on myocardial protection.

Using an isolated working rat heart model, the pretreatment effects of positive inotropic agents on ischemia-reperfusion injury were investigated. The experiment consisted of (1) working control perfusion; (2) working perfusion with isoproterenol (I), milrinone (M), a combination of these drugs (I + M) and dibutyl-cyclic adenosine monophosphate (DB) followed by ischemic arrest for 33 minutes at 37 degrees C or 150 minutes at 20 degrees C and Langendorff reperfusion; and (3) working perfusion. Under conditions of normothermic ischemia, percent recoveries of postischemic cardiac output (mean +/- standard error of the mean) in the I, M, I + M, and DB groups were 37.8% +/- 12.7%, 61.3% +/- 3.1%, 0%, and 53.1% +/- 5.2%, respectively. Under conditions of hypothermic ischemia, the percent recoveries in I + M and DB groups were 10.9% +/- 7.9% and 29.8% +/- 9.5%; they were all significantly lower than that in the control group. The addition of diltiazem or ryanodine at several concentrations and lowering of the Ca2+ concentration in the St. Thomas' cardioplegic solution did not prevent I + M-induced injury. Our data suggest that pretreatment by I + M aggravated ischemia-reperfusion injury, and adjustments in Ca2+ concentration were not sufficient to prevent that injury.

Animals↗

PubMed1991

Immature teratoma of the ovary.

The purpose of this study was to establish the optimal management of immature teratoma of the ovary. Pursuant to this, 20 previously untreated patients with immature teratoma were evaluated. Nine patients were at stage I of the disease, 2 had progressed to stage II, and 9 to stage III. Eight patients had grade 1 tumors, 11 had grade 2 tumors, and 1 had a grade 3 tumor. Postoperative chemotherapy was performed in 19 cases. Vincristine, actinomycin D, and cyclophosphamide (VAC) were administered in 9 cases, chemotherapy including cisplatin (P) was administered in 8 cases, and other regimens were followed in the 2 remaining cases. The median follow-up period was 62 months (range 19-108 months), and no patient was lost to follow-up. After completion of the follow-up period, 18 patients were alive and disease free, 1 was alive with liver metastasis, and 1 had died. The patient who died had suffered from a grade 3 tumor, and the recurrent tumor was a rhabdomyosarcoma. As a result of this study, it was found that immature teratoma of grades 1 and 2 can be managed successfully with VAC or P therapy. Thus, a hysterectomy should not be automatically performed in patients who still hope to give birth, yet suffer from a grade 1 or 2 immature teratoma at the time of a second operation.

Abdominal Neoplasms↗

PubMed1991

A case of insulin allergy: the crystalline human insulin may mask its antigenicity.

We report an unusual case of insulin allergy. A 48-year-old man with non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus receiving biosynthetic isophane human insulin (Humulin N) developed itchy wheal-and-flare reactions at the sites of injection. When Humulin N was changed to a semi-synthetic crystalline human insulin zinc (Novolin U), the allergic reactions completely disappeared. Evaluation of his serum showed a high level of insulin-specific IgE. Skin testing with all commercially available insulins showed immediate local reactions to all agents tested except for Novolin U. In addition, decrystallized Novolin U prepared by lowering the pH with acetic acid also induced a positive reaction. These observations suggest that the crystallized structure of human insulin may mask its antigenicity for allergic reactions.

Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2↗

PubMed1991

Immunohistochemical characterisation of extracellular matrix components of salivary gland tumours.

Proteoglycans (PGs) were localised immunohistochemically in 52 salivary gland tumours including pleomorphic adenoma, adenoid cystic carcinoma, acinic cell carcinoma, oncocytoma, mucoepidermoid carcinoma, clear cell tumour and Warthin tumour, using antibodies raised against large PG, small PG, chondroitin 4-sulphate PG, chondroitin 6-sulphate PG, heparan sulphate PG and keratan sulphate PG. Large PGs were mainly observed in mucinous materials of extracellular matrix (ECM) and interstitial fibrous element of tumour tissues, while small PGs were located only in hyaline matrix and surrounding fibrous (capsular) connective tissues. Chondroitin 6-sulphate PG was detected in the ECM of pleomorphic adenomas and clear cell carcinomas and in pseudocystic spaces of adenoid cystic carcinomas, but only in vessel walls in non-neoplastic tissues. Keratan sulphate PG was observed to locate in mucinous material of pleomorphic adenomas, acinic cell carcinomas and clear cell carcinomas, but not in the adenoid cystic carcinomas examined, and it was also unobservable in non-neoplastic salivary gland tissues. Heparan sulphate PG was observed on the inner surfaces of true ductal spaces of adenoid cystic carcinomas and on cell surfaces of oncocytoma cells. By HPLC analysis, individual glycosaminoglycans contained in tumour tissues were compared. Chondroitin 6-sulphate PG was very rich in ECM of pleomorphic adenomas and adenoid cystic carcinomas. Pleomorphic adenomas contained relatively more low-sulphated chondroitin sulphate than adenoid cystic carcinomas and other tumours.

Chondroitin Sulfates↗

PubMed1991

Glucose reduces PDGF production and cell proliferation of cultured vascular endothelial cells.

The effect of glucose on PDGF production and cell proliferation was studied on cultured bovine aortic endothelial cells. PDGF levels were measured using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay technique newly developed in our laboratory. The cell proliferation rate was determine on the basis of 3H-thymidine incorporation into cellular DNA. PDGF levels in culture medium were below the detection limit of the assay. However, PDGF levels were measurable in cultured endothelial cells at confluence. Both PDGF production and thymidine incorporation were significantly reduced in the endothelial cells cultured with high concentrations of glucose. These results suggest that reduced PDGF production and cell proliferation may be involved in altered vascular endothelial function in diabetics.

Animals↗

PubMed1991

Protective effects of monoclonal antibodies against lethal canine distemper virus infection in mice.

Monoclonal antibodies (MAbs) against the haemagglutinin (H), fusion protein (F) and nucleoprotein of canine distemper virus (CDV) were examined for their ability to protect mice against lethal CDV infection. One MAb against H and two of six MAbs against F protected mice, the protective effect of the anti-H MAb being stronger than that of the anti-F MAbs. The anti-H MAb showed virus neutralizing activity, but the two anti-F MAbs, which recognized the same epitope, did not. Protection by the anti-F MAbs correlated with cell fusion inhibition, but not with complement-dependent neutralization, complement-dependent cytolysis or antibody-dependent cell-mediated cytotoxicity. These results suggest that neutralization by antibody against H and cell fusion inhibition by antibody against F play important roles in the protective mechanism against CDV infection.

Animals↗

PubMed1991

Amelanotic melanocytic tumors of the pinna in six F344 rats.

Spontaneous amelanotic melanocytic tumors of the pinna were found in six females of 960 male and 960 female albino (F344/DuCrj) rats which had been used in three different 24-month chronic toxicity studies. The age when the pinnal tumors were detected ranged from 37 to 59 weeks. The tumors were located unilaterally in the pinna and observed as subcutaneous spherical to irregular, solid white masses measuring 7 to 25 mm in diameter. The pinnal tumors were histologically classified into spindle cell and pleomorphic cell types. The spindle cell type was observed in four rats and composed of fusiform cells arranged in interlacing bundles. The pleomorphic cell type was observed in the remaining two rats and composed of pleomorphic large cells arranged in sheets. One tumor of the latter type metastasized to the submaxillary lymph node and lung. Melanin pigments were not demonstrated in any of the tumors. In immunohistochemistry, nuclei and cytoplasm of tumor cells in all the tumors were slightly positive for S-100 protein. Ultrastructurally, tumor cells contained a considerable number of premelanosomes in the cytoplasm. Desmosomes were occasionally observed between the cell membranes of the adjacent tumor cells. No distinct basal lamina was seen around tumor cells.

Animals↗

PubMed1991

Serum 1,5-anhydro-D-glucitol and glycemic control in patients with non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus.

Serum 1,5-anhydro-D-glucitol (AG) levels, which have been reported to decrease specifically in diabetics, were measured in 102 patients with non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM). The mean of serum AG levels was 7.9 +/- 0.7 micrograms/ml (mean +/- S.E.). It was found a significant negative correlation between serum AG level and HbA1c or fasting blood sugar level. The decrease in serum AG levels inversely correlated with the extent of glycemic control in the patients with NIDDM. Additionally, the changes of serum AG levels negatively correlated with the changes of HbA1c levels during long-term (2 years) treatment. Furthermore, serum AG levels were compared between the patients with and without diabetic complication such as retinopathy, proteinuria or neuropathy. It was found that each group of the patients with complication had significantly decreased serum AG level compared with the complication free group. On the other hand, however, no differences were found in serum AG levels corrected by HbA1c levels using the linear regression formula between the group of the patients with and without diabetic complication.

Adult↗

PubMed1991

[Histological differences between sternal and iliac bone marrow in various hematological diseases].

Even in normal state, hematopoietic activity is different in terms of the site of bone marrow as well as age. The activity may also differ with bone marrow site in various hematological diseases. We chose 32 cases with various hematological diseases and examined their bone marrow histologically at two different sites (sternum and posterior iliac crest) at almost the same time. We studied the histological differences in 5 cases of malignant lymphoma, 15 cases of aplastic anemia, 8 cases of myelodysplastic syndrome, 2 cases of myeloproliferative syndrome and 2 cases of acute leukemia. In malignant lymphoma, the iliac marrow was slightly hypoplastic compared with sternal marrow but there were no differences in the components of hematopoietic cells, that were thought to reflect normal hematopoietic activity for their respective ages. In 5 among 15 cases of aplastic anemia, nodular hyperplastic areas were observed in sternal marrow even though iliac marrow was severely hypoplastic. The presence of a nodular hyperplastic area is useful for differential diagnosis between aplastic anemia and refractory anemia, because such a histological change was not observed in the cases of refractory anemia. In myeloproliferative syndrome and acute leukemia, there were no differences between sternal and iliac marrow. They were hyperplastic and had almost the same hematopoietic components.

Adult↗

PubMed1990

An appraisal of pancreatectomy for advanced cancer of the pancreas based on survival rate and postoperative physical performance.

The follow-up results of surgical procedures for cancer of the pancreas at three affiliated hospitals during the past 15 years (1974-1989) were retrospectively analyzed to evaluate the merit of pancreatectomy in surgical treatment of advanced stages of this disease. Included were 4 cases of stage I, 14 cases of stage II, 19 cases of stage III, 43 cases of localized stage IV, and 35 cases of generalized stage IV. Pancreatectomy was performed in 67 cases; 100%, 92.9%, 89.5%, 67.4%, and 11.4% of the stage I, II, III, localized IV, and generalized IV cases, respectively. For the localized stage IV cases, in which the cancerous lesions were advanced but limited to the peripancreatic region, 29 pancreatectomies, 12 bypass operations, and 2 exploratory laparotomies were performed. This group included 17 curative and 12 noncurative pancreatectomies. The 50% survival periods were 257 days after curative pancreatectomy, 226 days after noncurative pancreatectomy, 120 days after bypass operation, and 33 days after exploratory laparotomy. The difference in overall survival rate between curative and noncurative pancreatectomies was not significant. The overall survival rates after both curative and noncurative pancreatectomies were significantly higher than the rate after bypass operation. The postoperative physical performance status after pancreatectomy was significantly better than after the palliative procedures. No significant difference in the status was found between patients after standard and extended pancreatectomies. There was no significant difference in the survival rates or the physical performance status between the pancreatectomy group and the palliative surgery group for the generalized stage IV cases, in which the cancerous lesions extended beyond the peripancreatic region. On the basis of these findings, it is concluded that pancreatectomy extends the postoperative survival period without impairment of the physical performance status in patients with advanced cancer of the pancreas. Even when the pancreatectomy proves to be a noncurative resection, this aggressive surgical approach may be of benefit to this group of patients. It should be noted, however, that pancreatectomy is not beneficial to patients whose lesions have already become generalized.

Adult↗