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S Endo

Publications and source records attributed to S Endo.

At least 109 records · Page 6Linked to original sources
PubMed2001

[A case of craniopharyngioma with chemical meningitis as an initial symptom].

We reported a rare case of craniopharyngioma with chemical meningitis due to spontaneous rupture of the tumor. A 50-year-old woman was admitted with high fever, headache, and nausea. On physical examination, she had nuchal rigidity. The examination of her cerebral spinal fluid(CSF) revealed pleocytosis(mononuclear cell dominant), low value of glucose level and high content of protein. The feature of her CSF findings suggested tuberculosis or fungal meningitis, but bacteriologic culture of the CSF was negative. The CT scan showed an isodensity mass in the suprasellar region and a spotty calcification in the third ventricle. The MRI with gadolinium enhancement suggested that the tumor must be craniopharyngioma and that meningitis was a type of chemical meningitis due to spontaneous rupture of craniopharyngioma. The corticosteroid therapy was rather effective to the symptoms of fever and headache. Then the operation was performed by neurosurgeons, and the diagnosis of craniopharyngioma was pathologically confirmed. Spontaneous rupture of craniopharyngioma rarely occurred and was followed by chemical meningitis. This case was an extremely rare condition that presented with chemical meningitis as an initial symptom.

Craniopharyngioma↗
PubMed2001

[Hypoglycemic hemiplegia: a report of three cases].

Hemiplegia is a rare complication accompanied with hypoglycemia. We reported three cases of hypoglycemic hemiplegia (HH). Case 1: A 74-year-old female had medication for diabetes mellitus (DM). She had right hemiplegia and aphasia. Case 2: A 72-year-old male had DM, and was admitted to our hospital having loss of consciousness and right hemiplegia. Case 3: An 82-year-old female suffered from consciousness disturbance with tetraplegia, and had left hemiparesis later. She had no DM, but suffered from iatrogenic hypoglycemia. The brain CT of these three cases showed atrophy, and MRI demonstrated multiple infarction. The angiography of case 1 showed the stenosis of bilateral internal carotid artery and the origin of the left vertebral artery. The angiography of case 2 showed severe stenosis of the left internal carotid artery. The cases above had hypoglycemia at admission. The value of the case 1 was 48 mg/dl, case 2 was 35 mg/dl and case 3 was 38 mg/dl. But these symptoms of the three cases disappeared rapidly after glucose infusion. The literature regarding HH was reviewed, and the pathogenesis was discussed. We emphasize the importance of checking blood sugar levels for the emerging patients with hemiplegia, because it is difficult to discriminate by clinical history or neurological findings.

Aged↗
PubMed2001

Interleukin 18 levels reflect the severity of acute pancreatitis.

The serum interleukin 18 (IL-18) levels were significantly increased in cases of acute pancreatitis, corresponding to the severity of the disease. The IL-18 levels were also significantly correlated with the serum tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-alpha) and bilirubin levels. The possible involvement of IL-18 in the development of liver dysfunction in acute pancreatitis is suggested.

Acute Disease↗
PubMed2000

Long-term regulation of neuronal high-affinity glutamate and glutamine uptake in Aplysia.

An increase in transmitter release accompanying long-term sensitization and facilitation occurs at the glutamatergic sensorimotor synapse of Aplysia. We report that a long-term increase in neuronal Glu uptake also accompanies long-term sensitization. Synaptosomes from pleural-pedal ganglia exhibited sodium-dependent, high-affinity Glu transport. Different treatments that induce long-term enhancement of the siphon-withdrawal reflex, or long-term synaptic facilitation increased Glu uptake. Moreover, 5-hydroxytryptamine, a treatment that induces long-term facilitation, also produced a long-term increase in Glu uptake in cultures of sensory neurons. The mechanism for the increase in uptake is an increase in the V(max) of transport. The long-term increase in Glu uptake appeared to be dependent on mRNA and protein synthesis, and transport through the Golgi, because 5,6-dichlorobenzimidazole riboside, emetine, and brefeldin A inhibited the increase in Glu uptake. Also, injection of emetine and 5,6-dichlorobenzimidazole into Aplysia prevented long-term sensitization. Synthesis of Glu itself may be regulated during long-term sensitization because the same treatments that produced an increase in Glu uptake also produced a parallel increase in Gln uptake. These results suggest that coordinated regulation of a number of different processes may be required to establish or maintain long-term synaptic facilitation.

Animals↗
PubMed2000

Structural requirements for the interdomain linker of alpha subunit of Escherichia coli RNA polymerase.

The carboxy-terminal domain of the alpha subunit of Escherichia coli RNA polymerase, which is connected with the core part of RNA polymerase through a long flexible linker, plays decisive roles in transcription activation by directly interacting with a large number of transcription factors and upstream (UP) element DNA. Here we constructed a set of mutant RNA polymerases, each containing a mutant alpha subunit with an altered interdomain linker. Deletion of three amino acids from the linker exhibited 50% inhibition of cAMP receptor protein- (CRP-) dependent lac P1 transcription. Deletion of six amino acids completely knocked out the activity. Insertion of three amino acids did not affect the activity, whereas 40-60% inhibition was observed after insertion of one, two, or four amino acids. Substitution of 10 consecutive glycine residues resulted in nearly 90% reduction of the CRP-dependent activity, whereas 50% activity was retained after substitution of 10 proline residues or a sequence expected to form a strong alpha-helix. Essentially the same results were obtained with UP element-dependent rrnB P1 transcription. These observations altogether suggest that (i) sufficient length of the interdomain linker is required for transcription activation mediated by the alpha carboxy-terminal domain, (ii) the linker is not totally unstructured but has structural and torsional preferences to facilitate positioning of the carboxy-terminal domain to a proper location for the interaction with CRP and UP element, and (iii) CRP-dependent activation and UP element-dependent activation share a common intermediary state in which the positioning of the alpha carboxy-terminal domain is of primary importance.

5' Untranslated Regions↗
PubMed2000

Constitutive activation of Stat3 signaling abrogates apoptosis in squamous cell carcinogenesis in vivo.

Field cancerization predisposes the upper aerodigestive tract mucosa to the formation of multiple primary tumors, when exposed to environmental carcinogens. Up-regulation of epidermal growth factor receptor occurs early in squamous cell carcinogenesis and is critical for the loss of growth control in a variety of human cancers, including head and neck squamous cell carcinomas. In these tumor cells in culture, epidermal growth factor receptor stimulation initiates signaling via persistent activation of selective STAT proteins. To determine the timing of Stat3 activation in head and neck carcinogenesis, we studied the expression and constitutive activation of Stat3 in tumors and normal mucosa from patients with head and neck cancer compared with mucosa from controls without cancer. Stat3 was up-regulated and constitutively activated in both primary human head and neck tumors as well as in normal mucosa from these cancer patients compared with control normal mucosa from patients without cancer. In vivo liposome-mediated gene therapy with a Stat3 antisense plasmid efficiently inhibited Stat3 activation, increased tumor cell apoptosis, and decreased Bcl-x(L) expression in a head and neck xenograft model. These findings provide evidence that constitutively activated Stat3 is an early event in head and neck carcinogenesis that contributes to the loss of growth control by an anti-apoptotic mechanism.

Animals↗
PubMed2000

3-Nitropropionic acid preconditioning ameliorates delayed neurological deterioration and infarction after transient focal cerebral ischemia in gerbils.

The effect of 3-nitropropionic acid (3-NP), a selective inhibitor of succinic dehydrogenase, preconditioning on postischemic neurological deterioration and infarction was examined in gerbils after transient ischemia. The animals were pretreated with 1-80mg/kg of 3-NP 1 day before ischemia induced by two 10-min occlusions of the left common carotid artery. Four milligrams per kilogram 3-NP pretreatment significantly ameliorated postischemic neurological deterioration (stroke index at 7 days postischemia, 1.4+/-1.5 vs. 7.4+/-5.4 in 4 mg/kg-pretreated vs. non-pretreated animals: mean+/-SD) and reduced infarct volume (24+/-4.8 vs. 43+/-12 mm(3)). One and 20 mg/kg 3-NP induced milder neuroprotection, and 80 mg/kg 3-NP aggravated postischemic stroke symptoms and infarction. Thus, appropriate doze of 3-NP preconditioning is effective in ameliorating the postischemic neurological deterioration and reducing infarct volume.

Animals↗
PubMed2000

Evaluation of adult T-cell leukemia/lymphoma incidence and its impact on non-Hodgkin lymphoma incidence in southwestern Japan.

The incidence of adult T-cell leukemia/lymphoma (ATL) and its impact on that of total non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) were evaluated in Nagasaki, an area in southwestern Japan where human T-cell lymphotropic virus type I (HTLV-I) is endemic. The first study area comprised 4 towns located on the K Islands, which had a population of 26,870 in 1990. The overall HTLV-I seroprevalence estimated from the serologic survey of 18,485 subjects was 16.2%. By using the data from the Nagasaki Prefectural Cancer Registry (NPCR) and reviewing clinical and laboratory information, we identified 40 cases of ATL and 35 cases of other NHL diagnosed between 1985 and 1995. The crude annual incidence of ATL among 100,000 HTLV-I carriers aged 30 or older was estimated at 137.7 for men and 57.4 for women, with a significant sex difference after adjustment for age (rate ratio = 2.50, 95% confidence interval 1.32-4.73). The cumulative risk from 30 to 79 years of age was estimated at approximately 6.6% for men and 2.1% for women. Among the entire population, ATL accounted for 51 to 59% of the total NHL incidence, showing the strong impact of HTLV-I infection. The second study area comprised the whole of Nagasaki Prefecture (total population in 1990 = 1.56 million). Between 1985 and 1995, 989 cases of ATL and 1,745 cases of other NHL were registered in the NPCR. The world age-standardized annual incidence rate of ATL per 100,000 persons aged 30 or older was estimated at 10.5 for men and 6.0 for women, which accounted for approximately 37 to 41% of the total NHL incidence.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2000

Requirements of Kettin, a giant muscle protein highly conserved in overall structure in evolution, for normal muscle function, viability, and flight activity of Drosophila.

Kettin is a giant muscle protein originally identified in insect flight muscle Z-discs. Here, we determined the entire nucleotide sequence of Drosophila melanogaster kettin, deduced the amino acid sequence of its protein product (540 kD) along with that of the Caenorhabditis elegans counterpart, and found that the overall primary structure of Kettin has been highly conserved in evolution. The main body of Drosophila Kettin consists of 35 immunoglobulin C2 domains separated by spacers. The central two thirds of spacers are constant in length and share in common two conserved motifs, putative actin binding sites. Neither fibronectin type III nor kinase domains were found. Kettin is present at the Z-disc in several muscle types. Genetic analysis showed that kettin is essential for the formation and maintenance of normal sarcomere structure of muscles and muscle tendons. Accordingly, embryos lacking kettin activity cannot hatch nor can adult flies heterozygous for the kettin mutation fly.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed2000

Gliosarcoma with thallium-201 SPECT.

Thallium-201 (201Tl) chloride scintigraphy is the imaging method use for the detection of various tumors including glioblastoma, but only limited information on 201Tl uptake in gliosarcoma is available. We investigated a patient with gliosarcoma by means of 201Tl single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) and MRI. SPECT imaging revealed high 201Tl uptake in the tumor, which was closely correlated with contrast-enhancement on MRI. These results suggest that SPECT with 201Tl may be useful for detecting gliosarcoma and provide physiological information on this tumor.

Adult↗
PubMed2000

Nitrite/nitrate (NOx) levels and hemodynamics during septic shock.

Nitric oxide (NO) acts as a vasorelaxant. We investigated the relationship between nitrite/nitrate (NOx), which are the final metabolites of NO, and hemodynamics during septic shock. We also examined tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-alpha), interleukin-8 (IL-8), and endotoxin. A significant negative correlation was observed between NOx levels and pulmonary capillary wedge pressure (PCWP; r = -0.6075, P = 0.0028). A significant positive correlation was noted between NOx levels and the cardiac index (CI; r = 0.5934, P = 0.0038). A significant negative correlation was found between NOx levels and the systemic vascular resistance index (SVRI; r = -0.4354, P = 0.0485). A significant positive correlation was observed between NOx levels and the stroke volume index (SVI; r = 0.5040, P = 0.0186). A significantly close positive correlation was also observed between TNF-alpha levels and NOx levels (r = 0.7848, P < 0.0001). These findings suggest that NOx levels are closely associated with hemodynamics during septic shock, resulting in a vascular relaxing effect.

Adult↗
PubMed2000

Symptomatic accessory cardiac bronchus.

Symptomatic accessory cardiac bronchus is rare. A 52-year-old woman with an accessory bronchus, who had had frequent episodes of hemosputum for 6 years, suffered from empyema complicated by a right lower lung abscess infected with Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Resection of the anomalous cardiac bronchus after open drainage of the pleural cavity was successful.

Blood↗
PubMed2000

Are nitrite/nitrate (NOx) levels elevated by inhalation injury?

The relationship between airway burn and nitric oxide (NO) levels in the early burn stage was investigated by quantifying nitrite/nitrate (NOx), which are the final metabolites of NO, in 22 burn patients. Although total body surface area (TBSA) and burn index (BI) were significantly higher in patients with airway-burn than in patients without airway burn (P=0.0347 and 0.0422, respectively), no significant difference in NOx levels was observed between the two groups (P=0.6196). The NOx levels were found to correlate significantly with TBSA (r=0.4775, P=0.0246). A significant correlation was also noted between the NOx levels and BI (r=0.4391, P=0.0409). These results suggest that NO reflects the intensity of inflammation in the early burn stage, but that excessive NO formation is unlikely to be induced by stress, such as that caused by airway burn.

Adult↗
PubMed2000

Bound and soluble adhesion molecule and cytokine levels in patients with severe burns.

We measured endotoxins, inflammatory cytokines and soluble adhesion molecules in the blood of 17 severe burn patients to determine the involvement of these factors in the pathophysiology of severe burns. All seventeen patients had burns with a total burn surface area of 20% or more and a burn index of 15% or more. Endotoxin was measured by an endotoxin-specific assay and tumor necrosis factor-alpha, interleukin 6 and interleukin 8 and soluble adhesion molecules were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. CD11a, CD11b and CD18, measured by flow cytometry, were elevated in the non-surviving group, the septic shock group and the multiple organ dysfunction syndrome group, suggesting a close connection between these adhesion molecules and burns complicated by infection. Soluble adhesion molecules were found to indirectly reflect the level of endothelial cell adhesion molecules, suggesting that inflammatory cytokines may also be involved in their production.

Adult↗
PubMed2000

Tumor necrosis factor-alpha and tumor necrosis factor receptor I, II levels in patients with severe burns.

Tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-alpha) and tumor necrosis factor receptor I and II (TNFRI and TNFRII) were studied in 24 burn patients who had a total burn surface area (TBSA) of 50.2 +/- 20.4%. Immediately after the injury, both the TNFRI and TNFRII levels correlated significantly with TBSA (r = 0.7344, P < 0.0001; r = 0.6074, P = 0.0012). The TNFRI and TNFRII levels immediately after the injury were significantly higher in the 11 patients who later died of their burns than in the 13 patients who survived (0.8 +/- 0.4 ng/ml vs. 1.8 +/- 0.7 ng/ml, P = 0.0002; 2.3 +/- 1.1 ng/ml vs. 4.5 +/- 1.6 ng/ml, P = 0.0009). The TNF-alpha levels immediately after the injury did not differ significantly between the group that survived and the group that died. The TNFRI and TNFRII values for the entire follow-up period also correlated significantly with TBSA. Peak TNFRI and TNFRII levels were significantly higher in the group that died than in the group that survived (6.0 +/- 4.7 ng/ml vs. 14.1 +/- 7.8 ng/ml, P = 0.0009; 7.0 +/- 5.1 ng/ml vs. 16.7 +/- 5.2 ng/ml, P = 0.0003). The TNF-alpha levels correlated significantly with both the TNFRI and the TNFRII levels. The TNFRI and TNFRII levels thus closely reflected the severity of the burns in both the acute postburn period and the subsequent follow-up period. In other words, these parameters well reflected the severity and outcome of the burns, irrespective of the presence or absence of accompanying infection.

Adult↗
PubMed2000

Dosimetry studies in Zaborie village.

Dosimetry studies in Zaborie, a territory in Russia highly contaminated by the Chernobyl accident, were carried out in July, 1997. Studies on dosimetry for people are important not only for epidemiology but also for recovery of local social activity. The local contamination of the soil was measured to be 1.5-6.3 MBq/m2 of Cs-137 with 0.7-4 microSv/h of dose rate. A case study for a villager presently 40 years old indicates estimations of 72 and 269 mSv as the expected internal and external doses during 50 years starting in 1997 based on data of a whole-body measurement of Cs-137 and environmental dose rates. Mean values of accumulated external and internal doses for the period from the year 1986 till 1996 are also estimated to be 130 mSv and 16 mSv for Zaborie. The estimation of the 1986-1996 accumulated dose on the basis of large scale ESR teeth enamel dosimetry provides for this village, the value of 180 mSv. For a short term visitor from Japan to this area, external and internal dose are estimated to be 0.13 mSv/9d (during visit in 1997) and 0.024 mSv/50y (during 50 years starting from 1997), respectively.

Adult↗
PubMed2000

A novel modification of elephant trunk technique using a single four-branched arch graft for extensive thoracic aortic aneurysm.

Surgical repair for the extensive thoracic aortic aneurysm remains unsatisfactory, especially in elderly patients. We developed a total arch replacement with modified elephant trunk technique under moderately hypothermic cardiopulmonary bypass and selective brain perfusion, in which a 4-branched arch graft with a sewing 'collar' enabled the distal anastomosis just proximal to the innominate artery with open distal method and a long 'elephant trunk' was inserted into the descending aorta by the forceps catheter via the femoral artery. This modification is easy and less invasive, and reduces the risk of postoperative complications.

Aged↗