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Biomedical subjects

R Yamaguchi

Publications and source records attributed to R Yamaguchi.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources

Diagnosis of retrovesical ectopic and hyperplastic prostate tissue by transrectal needle biopsy.

We report on an ectopic prostate in a 50-year-old man. Transabdominal ultrasonography, pelvic computed tomography, and pelvic magnetic resonance imaging revealed a heterogeneous tumor 8 cm in diameter in contact with the posterior wall of the urinary bladder. The tumor was histologically confirmed to be a benign prostatic hyperplasia. This is the 3rd case of retrovesical ectopic prostatic tissue which was diagnosed by transrectal needle biopsy.

Biopsy, Needle↗

Sequence specificity of the 8-hydroxyguanine repair activity in rat organs.

The base excision repair system for 8-hydroxyguanine (8-OH-Gua) is believed to play a role in the prevention of mutations, such as GC-to-TA transversion, which leads to cancer development. However, the exact repair mechanism is still unclear. In this study, we examine whether the repair activity level for 8-hydroxyguanine, one of the major forms of oxidative DNA damage, depends on the sequence of the substrate DNA. We prepared six different oligonucleotides containing 8-hydroxyguanine as substrates and reacted them with crude extracts from the livers and kidneys of 8-week-old Sprague-Dawley rats. As a result, up to a 10-fold difference in the repair activity levels was observed, depending on the substrates used. Based on this observation, we suggest that the repair systems may act with sequence specificity on the damaged DNA.

Animals↗

Diffuse bilateral hemangiosarcoma of the uterus in a dog.

A 15-year-old female mongrel dog showed abdominal swelling, marked hemorrhagic ascites and vulvar discharge, and ovariohysterectomy was performed. Grossly, the uterus was enlarged bilaterally without apparent mass formation. Histologically, the uterine muscular wall was composed of proliferated sinusoidal vessels. In some areas, irregular and small vessels proliferated markedly, while in others, pleomorphic and atypical tumor cells forming irregular vascular structures were predominant. From these findings, the case was diagnosed as diffuse bilateral hemangiosarcoma of the uterus that invaded to the ovary and broad ligament. The relationship between the tumor and angiomatosis was discussed.

Animals↗

Neurotoxicity induced by a single oral dose of aniline in rats.

The neurotoxicity of aniline and its age-dependent responses were investigated in male rats. Groups of 6 rats, 4-week-old, were treated once with aniline (500, 750 or 1,000 mg/kg) or olive oil by gavage. Additional groups of 6 rats, 7- or 10-week-old, were treated once with 800 mg/kg of aniline or olive oil. Paralytic gait or hindlimb paralysis was observed between post-treatment days 8 and 15 in two out of six rats receiving 1,000 mg/kg of aniline at 4 weeks of age. On post-treatment day 15, spongy change in the white matter of the spinal cord was observed in all rats receiving 750 or 1,000 mg/kg of aniline at 4 weeks of age. The lateral and ventral columns of the thoracic spinal cord were the most severely affected. Spongy change in the facial nerve and spinal trigeminal tracts of pons and medulla oblongata, and mild degeneration of the peripheral nerves was found in 3 out of 6 rats receiving 1,000 mg/kg of aniline. At the ultrastructural level, the spongy change was due to distention of the myelin sheath and splitting of the intraperiod line. Axons were well preserved in the affected nerve fibers. No abnormalities were seen in the neuronal cell bodies. Although transient cyanosis was observed in all rats receiving 800 mg/kg of aniline at 7- or 10-week-old, as well as in rats receiving 750 or 1,000 mg/kg of aniline at 4-week-old, no treatment-related neurobehavioral or morphologic abnormalities were found in the former. These findings demonstrate the neurotoxicity of orally administered aniline for rats, depending upon the age of the animal at the time of administration.

Age Factors↗

Immunohistochemical analysis of cyclins in canine normal testes and testicular tumors.

The expression of cyclins A, D1, D2 and E were examined immunohistochemically in 5 canine normal testes and 31 testicular tumors, including 14 seminomas, 11 Sertoli cell tumors and 6 Leydig cell tumors. In canine normal testes, cyclin A expression was detected in spermatogonia and primary spermatocytes. This suggests that A-type cyclins may play some role in canine spermatogenesis. Cyclin A expression was also observed in 13/14 (92.9%) seminomas and 2/11 (18.2%) Sertoli cell tumors, but no positive reaction was observed in Leydig cell tumors. Parallel examinations for cyclins D1, D2 and E gave negative results in canine normal testes and testicular tumors. High levels of cyclin A expression in canine seminomas indicate that the neoplastic germ cells may be arrested at the spermatogonia and primary spermatocyte stages of differentiation.

Animals↗

Diffuse leptomeningeal malignant histiocytosis in the brain and spinal cord of a Tibetan Terrier.

An 8-year-old male Tibetan Terrier showed prolonged astasia, complete paralysis, ticlike signs, and seizure and died 2 months after the onset of symptoms. Histopathologically, there was moderate to severe infiltration of pleomorphic histiocytic mononuclear cells bilaterally in the basiarachnoidal and ventricular areas of the brain. The spinal dura mater, arachnoidal space, and leptomeninges were also affected by infiltrative proliferation of these mononuclear cells. The infiltrating cells had the morphologic characteristics of histiocytes but exhibited moderate pleomorphism and atypia, with abundant mitotic figures. With immunohistochemistry and lectin histochemistry, most of the infiltrating cells were positive for lysozyme and lectin RCA-1 and negative for glial fibrillary acid protein, suggesting that they were of monocytic/histiocytic-origin. Positive proliferating cell nuclear antigen immunostaining demonstrated that most nuclei of the histiocytic cells were in the S phase of the cell cycle, consistent with a proliferating population of cells. Based on these findings, the case was diagnosed as diffuse leptomeningeal malignant histiocytosis.

Animals↗

Expression of bone morphogenetic protein-6 (BMP-6) in myoepithelial cells in canine mammary gland tumors.

Seventy-three mammary tumors and three mammary tissue specimens were examined to elucidate the expression of bone morphogenetic protein (BMP)-6 in the myoepithelial cells of canine mammary gland tumors. Morphologically, the myoepithelial cells were classified into four types: resting and proliferating cells inside the basement membrane, and spindle- and star-shaped cells proliferating in the outer area of the basement membrane. The characteristics of these myoepithelial cells were confirmed by immunohistochemistry using antibodies raised against keratin, cytokeratin 19, alpha-smooth muscle actin, and vimentin. In simple adenoma, a small number of resting myoepithelial cells was immunopositive for BMP-6. In complex adenomas and benign mixed tumors, all types of myoepithelial cells, depending in some cases on their specific location within the tumor, were immunopositive for BMP-6, but almost all of the tubular epithelial cells were immunonegative. Foci consisting of a proliferation of BMP-6-positive star- and spindle-shaped cells had mucinous stroma with marked hyaline and chondroid changes. In contrast, the foci with BMP-6-negative spindle- and star-shaped cells tended to have mucinous stroma without chondroid change. Several types of mesenchymal cells including chondrocytes, osteoblasts, and fibroblastlike cells in the mixed tumors, showed an intense immunopositive reaction for the BMP-6 antibody, and were located close to the ectopic cartilage and bone matrix. No significant immunoreactivity for BMP-6 was observed in most of the malignant mammary tumors; only one malignant mixed tumor was examined. All of these findings indicate that BMP-6 expression in myoepithelial cells may increase in complex adenomas and benign mixed tumors in canine mammary glands, and that BMP-6 expression is most intense in the vicinity of chondroid matrix in these tumors.

Adenocarcinoma↗

[Repeated vertebrobasilar ischemic stroke caused by an intracranial vertebral artery dissection not detected on the initial angiogram: a case report].

Spontaneous dissection of the intracranial vertebral artery has been increasingly recognized as a cause of vertebrobasilar ischemic stroke. However, little is known about its natural history and clinical course. The authors report a young patient with repeated cerebral infarction in the posterior cerebral circulation caused by dissection of the vertebral artery, which was not detected on the first angiogram. The otherwise healthy 22-year-old male suddenly developed visual disturbance. Neuroradiological examination revealed right occipital infarction, but cerebral aniography revealed no caliber change or other pathological findings. He was treated with antiplatelet therapy. Two years later, he suffered vertigo, nausea, and dysarthria due to newly developed left cerebellar and medullary infarction. Cerebral angiography revealed left vertebral artery occlusion. T1-weighted MR image demonstrated Gadlinium-enhanced intramural hematoma in the occluded left vertebral artery, which was compatible to the arterial dissection. The present case argues serial neuroimaging studies especially in young patients with vertebrobasilar stroke in order to rule out the arterial dissection, even if initial angiography failed to demonstrate any radiographical evidence.

Adult↗

[Result of surgical treatment to early stage peripheral non-small cell lung cancer].

In the lung cancer, the announcement of the definition, the clinical behavior and the treatment result of the central early stage lung cancer, especially in situ lung cancer, have been seen. However, the definition and a clinicopathological concept of the peripheral lung cancer are still uncertain. The so-called small lung cancer of the tumor diameter 20 mm or less are peripheral lung adenocarcinoma. These patients' prognosis is excellent better, in contradiction to the prognosis of the patients with positive for pleural involvement or vessels invasion is worse. We studied the clinicopathological features, the Noguchi's classification, and prognosis of the 101 patients with small lung adenocarcinoma which were performed the operation, and refere about the selection of the operation method including the VATS and the limited operation.

Adult↗

Proteasome inhibitors alter the orderly progression of DNA synthesis during S-phase in HeLa cells and lead to rereplication of DNA.

Replication of the mammalian genome occurs only once per cell cycle and is under strict spatiotemporal control. DNA synthesis first takes place in the inner nucleus and moves gradually to the area subjacent to the nuclear membrane as S-phase progresses. We found that proteasome inhibitors specifically reduce DNA synthesis from later replicating origins but not that from earlier replicating origins. When MG132 was added in mid S-phase and washed off in late S-phase, however, DNA synthesis resumed not at the nuclear periphery, where it was last seen, but back in the inner nucleus. Analysis of DNA from these cells showed that mid to late replicating genes were rereplicated resulting in the overreplication of DNA. Our results suggest the existence of proteasome-dependent mechanisms regulating the orderly progression of S-phase. The transient treatment of mid S-phase cells with MG132 resulted in overreplication of DNA providing an easy experimental method to perturb the "once per cell cycle" control of genome replication in mammalian cells.

Animals↗

Cloning, expression analysis, and chromosomal mapping of GTPBP2, a novel member of the G protein family.

We have identified a novel gene encoding a protein bearing GTP-binding motifs, the characteristics of GTP-binding proteins (G proteins). The deduced amino acid sequence exhibited the highest overall homology with GTPBP1 and its mouse orthologue GP-1. Hence, we named the gene GTPBP2. The mouse orthologue of this gene, Gtpbp2, showed 98% identity with GTPBP2 over the entire protein (the HGMW-approved nomenclature symbol is GTPBP2 and mouse orthologue is Gtpbp2). A phylogenetic analysis showed GTPBP2 and homologous G proteins (GTPBP1, AGP-1, and CGP-1) did not belong to major G protein families. They formed a distinct branch in the phylogenetic tree, suggesting that they constitute a novel G protein family. A 2. 9kb mRNA was predominantly detected in the testis along with various other organs. In situ hybridization analysis revealed that Gtpbp2 was predominantly expressed in spermatocytes and round-spermatids in the testis. These novel genes were localized to human chromosome 6p21.1-2 and mouse chromosome 17qC-D.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

Increase in 8-hydroxyguanine and its repair activity in the esophagi of rats given long-term ethanol and nutrition-deficient diet.

Epidemiological studies have shown that an increased risk of esophageal cancer is associated with the chronic consumption of alcoholic beverages, although alcohol itself is not a carcinogen in animal models. Reactive oxygen species produced by the metabolism of ethanol or by chronic inflammation may play an important role in the carcinogenic process. In this study, we analyzed one type of oxidative DNA damage, 8-hydroxyguanine (8-OH-Gua), and its repair activity in the esophagus as indicators of cellular oxidative stress in rats given long-term ethanol and an autoclaved diet (nutrition-deficient diet). Three-week-old male Sprague-Dawley rats were fed an ethanol beverage whose concentration was increased from 12 to 70% over 20 weeks. When the concentration reached 50%, the diet of one group was changed from the regular diet to an autoclaved diet. At the feeding periods of 20, 25, 30, and 35 weeks, the rats were sacrificed and the 8-OH-Gua levels and repair activities within the esophagi were measured. After 30 weeks of ethanol- and autoclaved diet-feeding, significant increases of 8-OH-Gua and its repair activity were observed in the esophagi, but not in those of the ethanol- and normal diet-fed rats. This result indicates that the combined effects of long-term ethanol consumption and nutritional deficiency may be involved in inducing oxidative stress in the rat esophagus.

Animals↗

Versatility of the accessory C proteins of Sendai virus: contribution to virus assembly as an additional role.

The P/C mRNA of Sendai virus (SeV) encodes a nested set of accessory proteins, C', C, Y1, and Y2, referred to collectively as C proteins, using the +1 frame relative to the open reading frame of phospho (P) protein and initiation codons at different positions. The C proteins appear to be basically nonstructural proteins as they are found abundantly in infected cells but greatly underrepresented in the virions. We previously created a 4C(-) SeV, which expresses none of the four C proteins, and concluded that the C proteins are categorically nonessential gene products but greatly contribute to viral full replication and infectivity (A. Kurotani et al., Genes Cells 3:111-124, 1998). Here, we further characterized the 4C(-) virus multiplication in cultured cells. The viral protein and mRNA synthesis was enhanced with the mutant virus relative to the parental wild-type (WT) SeV. However, the viral yields were greatly reduced. In addition, the 4C(-) virions appeared to be highly anomalous in size, shape, and sedimentation profile in a sucrose gradient and exhibited the ratios of infectivity to hemagglutination units significantly lower than those of the WT. In the WT infected cells, C proteins appeared to colocalize almost perfectly with the matrix (M) proteins, pretty well with an external envelope glycoprotein (hemagglutinin-neuraminidase [HN]), and very poorly with the internal P protein. In the absence of C proteins, there was a significant delay of the incorporation of M protein and both of the envelope proteins, HN and fusion (F) proteins, into progeny virions. These results strongly suggest that the accessory and basically nonstructural C proteins are critically required in the SeV assembly process. This role of C proteins was further found to be independent of their recently discovered function to counteract the antiviral action of interferon-alpha/beta. SeV C proteins thus appear to be quite versatile.

Animals↗

Detection of Akabane viral antigens in spontaneous lymphohistiocytic encephalomyelitis in cattle.

A 5-month-old Japanese black bull calf and twenty-seven 1-27-day-old calves exhibiting neurological signs between August and October 1998 were examined. The bull calf exhibited rapid breathing, fever, hypersensitivity, and ataxia and was euthanized 4 days after the onset of symptoms. The 27 calves primarily exhibited ataxia, and 15 had arthrogryposis. Histological examination of the bull calf revealed perivascular infiltraction by mononuclear cells, diffuse to multifocal gliosis, and neuronal necrosis in the brain and spinal cord. Multiple malacic foci were found in the midbrain in 5 cases. In contrast, in the 15 calves necropsied in October, there were fewer inflammatory changes, but there was neuronal cell loss in the ventral horn and a decrease in myelinated axons in the lateral and ventral funiculi. Immunohistochemical examination using a rabbit antiserum against Akabane virus strain OBE-1 revealed a large amount of viral antigen in the degenerating neurons and glial cells of the bull calf, mainly in the spinal gray matter. Small amounts of viral antigen in swollen axons and a few glial cells were found in 5 of 27 calves. Thirteen of the 27 calves had high neutralization antibody titers against the Akabane virus, whereas there was no significant antibody titer in most of the calves necropsied during August. The present study revealed that viral antigen detection was very useful for the diagnosis of Akabane diseases in the 5-month-old bull calf that was suspected to be infected postnatally, while it had limited usefulness in the other young calves.

Animals↗

Mast cell tumor in the nasal cavity of a dog.

An 11-year-old male Shetland sheepdog displayed epistaxis and nasal discharge from the left nasal foramen. Cytological examination of a smear sample obtained by rhinotomy revealed neoplastic mast cells in the nasal cavity, a definitive diagnostic sign of mast cell tumor. The case was treated by surgery combined with radiotherapy and chemotherapy. Eighteen days after the last treatment, marked enlargement of the mandibular lymph nodes and facial edema developed, and the dog was euthanized at the owner's request. At necropsy, metastatic proliferation of mast cells was confirmed in the lymph nodes and liver, but no neoplastic mast cells were observed in the nasal cavity.

Animals↗

Identification of canine alpha-lactalbumin.

The nucleotide sequence of canine alpha-lactalbumin cDNA from canine mammary tissue was determined by polymerase chain reaction with degenerate primers. A 742 base pairs nucleotide sequence cloned was similar to the size of mRNA in Northern blot analysis. The cDNA encodes 142 amino acid residues containing the conserved sequence motif of alpha-lactalbumin, demonstrating the highest homology with pig (73% identity-82% similarity) among the known amino acid sequences of alpha-lactalbumin. The canine cDNA also showed 71% identity-78% similarity with human, 58-73% with mouse, 60-74% with rat, 67-77% with goat, 66-77% with cattle, and 67-76% with sheep, respectively.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

A pathologic study on ocular disorders in calves in southern Kyushu, Japan.

Of 822 calves, ranging in age between one day and six months necropsied between 1996 and 1998 at Miyazaki University, histological examination showed that 25 (3.0%) had ocular lesions. These ocular lesions consisted of suppurative inflammation (13 cases), cataract (seven cases), and retinal atrophy (five cases). Inflammatory changes were classified as suppurative keratitis (one case), keratitis and uveitis (ten cases), and uveitis and retinitis (two cases). Cataract was subclassified into three categories; cortical (three cases), nuclear (one case), and mature (three cases). These lesions were characterized by degenerative changes in the lens fibers and the appearance of eosinophilic globules known as Morganian globules. In the most severely affected case, there was capsular rupture of the lens, resulting in severe infiltration by eosinophils and histiocytes of the whole anterior chamber. Almost all the calves with retinal atrophy had been suffering from severe hydranencephaly and three had significantly raised levels of neutralization antibodies for the Akabane and/or Aino viruses. This study indicates that congenital arbovirus infections may predispose calves to ocular diseases, especially retinal atrophy.

Animals↗

Green fluorescent protein gene insertion of Sendai Virus infection in nude mice: possibility as an infection tracer.

The green fluorescent protein (GFP) marker from jellyfish Aequorea victoria is considered to have potential use in the study of host-pathogen relationships, by tracing infections in living cells, organs and animals. We compared the pathogenicity of Sendai virus with an inserted GFP gene (GFP-SeV) with that of its wild-type (Wt-SeV) to determine the usefulness of the recombinant virus in long-term infection of BALB/c nude (nu/nu) mice. The results indicated that the presence of GFP in infected cells could be analyzed easily and sensitively. GFP helped in identifying and in understanding the cellular sites of viral replication in vitro and in vivo. However, the GFP insertion into the Wt-SeV genome, led to decreased pathogenicity, altering the in vivo viral kinetics.

Animals↗