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Biomedical subjects

S Niimi

Publications and source records attributed to S Niimi.

At least 55 records · Page 3Linked to original sources

Tongue displacement: visualization with rapid tagged magnetization-prepared MR imaging.

The authors describe a technique to depict tongue muscle displacement with tagged magnetization-prepared gradient-recalled echo magnetic resonance imaging. Three Japanese volunteers (three men, aged 31-36 years) were studied while they articulated specific sounds. Each image was obtained in less than 2 seconds without need for gating. Displacement and alteration of the tags within the tongue muscle during phonation were clearly visible. The technique may prove useful in the study of phoniatric pathophysiology.

Adult↗

The roles of the posterior cricoarytenoid and thyropharyngeus muscles in whispered speech.

In order to clarify the nature of the physiological adjustment for the production of whispering, physiological studies were conducted on the glottal and supralaryngeal adjustments during whispering. The results indicate that for the production of whispering there is a necessary relationship between glottal adjustment and supralaryngeal adjustment in terms of the coordination between posterior cricoarytenoid muscle (PCA) and thyropharyngeus muscle (TP). Also, there might be a function switch in our brain which enables the speaking mode to change from ordinary to whispering, using the activation of PCA and TP, as a result of human evolution.

Arytenoid Cartilage↗

Botulinum toxin treatment for spasmodic dysphonia.

Effective treatment of adductor type spasmodic dysphonia with botulinum toxin injection is presented. Patients showed objective and/or subjective improvement in phonation. The beneficial effect lasted for approximately 3 months. An immediate complication is temporary hoarseness or aphonia, mainly due to diffusion of BT into the adjacent muscles. This is avoided by limiting the injection to one vocal fold only and by keeping the dose at less than 5 units. Insertion technique of the needles, such as percutaneous and laryngoscopically controlled techniques, are discussed.

Adult↗

Mechanism of cross-resistance to a camptothecin analogue (CPT-11) in a human ovarian cancer cell line selected by cisplatin.

We established a cisplatin-resistant human ovarian cancer cell line (HAC2/0.1) from the parent cell line (HAC2/P) by continuous exposure of HAC2/P to 0.1 microgram of cisplatin/ml. Drug sensitivity determined by colony assay revealed that HAC2/0.1 was 2.4 times as resistant to cisplatin as the parental cell line. HAC2/0.1 was 12.1 and 2.0 times as resistant to (4s)-4,11-diethyl-4-hydroxy-9-[(4-piperidinopiperidino)-carbony loxy]dione hydrochloride trithydrate (CPT-11) and 7-ethyl-10-hydroxy-CPT (SN-38; an active metabolite of CPT-11), respectively, than HAC2/P. We studied the mechanism of cross-resistance to CPT-11 in HAC2/0.1. The glutathione (GSH) content was higher in HAC2/0.1 than in HAC2/P. The activity of DNA topoisomerase I and the accumulation of CPT-11 and SN-38 were also the same. On the other hand, the conversion of CPT-11 to SN-38 in HAC2/0.1 was about 3-fold less than in HAC2/P. Treatment of the parent and resistant cell lines with buthionine sulfoxamine (BSO) decreased the GSH content of both cell lines and decreased the 50% inhibitory concentrations of all the tested drugs for HAC2/0.1. The accumulation of CPT-11 in HAC2/0.1 but not in HAC2/P was increased by BSO treatment. On the other hand, in HAC2/P the 50% inhibitory concentrations of SN-38 and CPT-11 were not influenced by BSO treatment. The 50% inhibitory concentration of CPT-11 for HAC2/0.1 was not reduced by BSO treatment to the level for HAC2/P, even though the GSH content had been reduced more than in HAC2/P. These results show that there is no clear relationship between GSH and resistance to CPT-11. The decreased conversion of CPT-11 to SN-38 is considered to be the main cause of resistance to CPT-11 in this cell line.

ATP Binding Cassette Transporter, Subfamily B, Mem↗

Effect of cell density on induction of growth hormone receptors by dexamethasone in primary cultured rat hepatocytes.

The effect of cell density on the regulation of growth hormone (GH) receptors was studied by measuring specific binding of [125I]hGH to primary cultured hepatocytes with or without dexamethasone, which induces GH receptors. In cell cultures without dexamethasone, the cell density did not affect the level of binding of labeled GH appreciably. On the other hand, in the presence of dexamethasone, which induced an increase in the level of GH receptors on the cells, GH-binding by cultured cells at low cell density (3.3 x 10(4) cells/cm2) was about one-third of that of cells at high cell density (10(5) cells/cm2). Scatchard plot analysis showed that the cell-density dependent change in induction of GH binding, by dexamethasone was due to change in the number of binding sites without significant change in their affinity. The binding capacity of glucocorticoid receptors, measured as specific binding of [3H]dexamethasone to the hepatocytes, was not significantly affected by cell density. These results suggest that cell density modulates GH receptor induction by dexamethasone via events after glucocorticoid receptor binding.

Animals↗

Resistance to anticancer drugs in NIH3T3 cells transfected with c-myc and/or c-H-ras genes.

NIH3T3 cells transfected with c-H-ras and/or c-myc genes were examined for differences in drug sensitivity. The five transfectants used were N8, NIH3T3-nm-1, pT22-3-nm-2, pP1-4 and pT22-3. They were transfected with pKOneo alone, pKOneo and c-myc, pKOneo and c-myc plus activated c-H-ras, normal c-H-ras and activated c-H-ras genes, respectively. The IC50s of cisplatin, 4-hydroperoxycyclophosphamide, adriamycin, melphalan, and CPT-11 were significantly higher for NIH3T3-nm-1 abd pT22-3-nm-2 than for the parental NIH3T3 and N8 cells. Transfection with normal and activated C-H-ras oncogenes only led to increases in the IC50s of alkylating agents. There was no significant difference between the IC50s of N8 and those of NIH3T3 parental cells to any of these anticancer agents. These results strongly suggest that the expression of the c-myc gene plays a role in the acquisition of drug resistance. The c-myc gene may therefore provide us with an important clue in determining the mechanism of drug resistance.

Animals↗

Glucose regulation of growth hormone receptors in primary cultured rat hepatocytes.

The effects of nutritional factors on the regulation of GH receptors were studied by measuring the specific binding of 125I-human GH to rat hepatocytes cultured in various media. The binding of labeled GH to primary cultured hepatocytes decreased during culture, the extent of the decrease depending on the culture medium. The decreases of GH binding during culture in glucose-poor media (i.e. Williams' medium E, Dulbecco's modified minimum essential medium, and McCoy 5A medium) were significantly more than that in glucose-rich Waymouth's medium MB 752/1 (Waymouth's). In glucose-poor media supplemented with glucose, the extent of decrease of GH binding was comparable to that in Waymouth's. Other hexoses such as D-fructose and D-mannose also significantly reduced the decrease in GH binding. Scatchard plot analysis showed that the effect of glucose in preventing decrease of GH binding was due to change in the number of binding sites without significant change in their affinity. The effect of glucose was additive with that of dexamethasone, which induces GH receptors. Cycloheximide caused almost complete loss of GH binding by cells cultured in the presence of glucose. 2-Deoxyglucose reduced the effect of glucose, but did not affect that of dexamethasone. These results show that glucose counteracts decrease of GH binding sites during culture and suggest that it affects de novo synthesis of GH receptors, presumably through glycosylation of a certain protein that regulates GH receptor gene expression (new protein synthesis). The mechanism of the effect of glucose on induction of GH receptors seems to be different from that of dexamethasone.

Animals↗

[Resistance to anticancer drugs in NIH3T3 cells transfected with c-myc and/or c-H-ras genes].

NIH3T3 cells transfected with c-H-ras and/or c-myc genes were examined for differences in drug sensitivity. The two transfectants used were NIH3T3-nm-1 (nm-1), pT22-3-nm-2. They were transfected with c-myc, c-myc plus activated c-H-ras, respectively. The relative resistances (IC50 values of transfectants/those of NIH3T3 cells) to cisplatin, adriamycin, 4-hydroperoxycyclophosphamide, melphalan, and CPT-11 were 2.1, 1.6, 4.7, 4.9, 1.6, respectively for nm-1 and 1.6, 2.2, 3.3, 9.1 and 2.2, respectively for nm-2. These results strongly suggest that the expression of the c-myc gene plays a role for the acquisition of drug resistance. The c-myc gene is believed to provide us an important clue for determining the mechanism of drug resistance.

Antineoplastic Agents↗

Vocal fold sulcus.

Vocal fold sulcus is a cause of dysphonia which has not been recognized until recently. Awareness of its existence combined with use of laryngostroboscopy would enhance the management of this group of patients. Five such cases were treated initially by voice therapy and subsequently combined with microlaryngeal Teflon injections of the vocal cord. Representative photomicrographs and the end results of treatment are presented. A good voice, subjectively and objectively, was obtained in three patients, with satisfactory improvement in the other two.

Adult↗

Cross-resistance to tumour promoters in human cancer cell lines resistant to adriamycin or cisplatin.

The growth inhibitory effect of tumour promoters on human leukaemia and lung cancer cell lines was examined using the [3-(4,5 dimethylthiazol)-2, 5-diphenyl-tetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay. The four cell lines used were the K562 human leukaemia cell line, its adriamycin (ADM)-resistant subline (K562/ADM), which shows the mdr phenotype, PC-9 (a human lung adenocarcinoma cell line) and its cisplatin (CDDP)-resistant subline (PC-9/CDDP), which does not show the mdr phenotype. Phorbol 12-tetradecanoate-13-acetate (TPA) and the TPA-type tumour promoters, aplysiatoxin and debromoaplysiatoxin, inhibited the growth of the two parental cell lines, K562 and PC-9. The non-TPA-type tumour promoter, okadaic acid, also inhibited the growth of the two parental cell lines in a dose-dependent manner. TPA-type and okadaic acid inhibited the growth of K562/ADM more weakly than that of K562, and showed no growth inhibition in PC-9/CDDP. Anhydrodebromoaplysiatoxin, an inactive derivative of the TPA-type tumour promoter, could suppress the growth of K562 and K562/ADM only at high concentration (more than 50 pM) and it showed similar growth inhibitory effects on the two cell lines. Okadaic acid tetramethyl ether, the inactive form of the non-TPA-type tumour promoter did not inhibit the growth of any of the cell lines. The growth inhibitory effect of these compounds was well correlated with their tumour-promoting activity. A study of the accumulation of okadaic acid revealed that the amount of 3H-okadaic acid in K562/ADM and PC-9/CDDP was similar to that in their parental cells indicating that cross-resistance to this tumour promoter in the drug-resistant cell lines is not due to a difference in the amount of drug accumulated in sensitive and resistant cells. These results suggest the presence of another common mechanism for resistance to ADM and CDDP as well as to TPA- or non-TPA-type tumour promoters.

Cell Division↗

Hormonal regulation of growth hormone receptors in primary cultured rat hepatocytes.

The hormonal regulation of GH receptors was studied by measuring specific binding of [125I]human GH to primary cultured rat hepatocytes. The binding of labeled GH to primary cultured hepatocytes decreased during culture, but addition of dexamethasone (100 nM) compensated for this decrease and even increased GH binding. After addition of dexamethasone, the binding increased to a maximum after 10 h, and after 24 h was about 6 times that of control cells. Glucagon (100 nM) did not have any significant effect on GH binding by itself, but enhanced the increased binding caused by dexamethasone about 1.5-fold. For this effect, glucagon could be replaced by (Bu)2cAMP. Insulin (10 nM) and epidermal growth factor (20 ng/ml) reduced the increase by dexamethasone plus glucagon by about half. Scatchard plot analysis showed that the changes of GH binding induced by various hormones were due to changes in the number of binding sites without significant changes in their affinity. The GH bound to dexamethasone or dexamethasone plus glucagon-treated cells was not replaced by unlabeled ovine PRL. This strongly suggests that the number of somatogenic (GH) receptors may be subject to hormonal regulation: dexamethasone alone or with glucagon may induce GH receptors, whereas insulin and EGF may suppress the induction of GH receptors. These patterns of hormonal regulations were almost the same as those of proteins whose expressions were known to be differentiated functions of liver. On the other hand, the increase of GH binding by dexamethasone was inhibited by cycloheximide and actinomycin D, though the GH binding was inhibited by cycloheximide, but not by actinomycin D in the cells cultured without dexamethasone. This result suggests that the increased binding induced by dexamethasone is dependent on the synthesis of new protein and is probably regulated at a pretranslational level.

Animals↗

Effects of glucocorticoids on deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) synthesis stimulated by growth factors in cultured rat skin fibroblasts.

The effects of glucocorticoids on deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) synthesis were studied by using confluent cultured rat skin fibroblasts prepared by enzymatic dispersion and expanded up to passage 3. Dexamethasone caused the inhibition of the DNA synthesis stimulated by 10% fetal calf serum (FCS) in a dose dependent manner. Maximum inhibition (90%-100%) was achieved by the concentration of 10(-7)M. A similar dose dependent inhibition was also obtained in the experiment using epidermal growth factor (EGF) (1 ng/ml) as a stimulant. Dexamethasone (10(-7)M) also inhibited the DNA synthesis stimulated by somatomedin C (100 ng/ml) or platelet derived growth factor (1 half-maximum unit/ml) almost to control levels. Binding studies with 125I-labeled EGF suggested that dexamethasone caused this inhibitory action without modulation of cell surface receptors for EGF. Furthermore, the effects of a variety of glucocorticoids on the DNA synthesis were studied to clarify the structural requirement of glucocorticoids for the inhibition of the DNA synthesis. The results showed that 11 beta-hydroxyl and 21-hydroxyl groups on the steroid nucleus were necessary for the inhibition of the growth factor-stimulated DNA synthesis. Meanwhile, the inhibitory action on the DNA synthesis was markedly diminished by the replacement of a 16 alpha-methyl group by a 16 beta-methyl group in the presence of a bulky group at C-17 (e.g. 17 alpha-valerate). For further elucidation of mechanisms of action of glucocorticoids on the inhibition of the growth factor-stimulated DNA synthesis, the relationships between the structural features of glucocorticoids and their binding ability to the glucocorticoid receptor ([3H]-dexamethasone-binding receptor) were studied.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Animals↗

[Treatment and overview for the improvement of prognosis in ovarian cancer].

The current treatment for ovarian cancer introduced the improvement of survival rate by the chemotherapy based on cisplatin and maximum debulking surgery. The prognosis of ovarian cancer is affected by various kinds of factor as age, ps, stage, histology, histological grading and the volume of residual tumor. By our analysis it was shown whether tumor diameter is less than 2 cm or not was critical point. On the other hand, dose intensity of cisplatin is also important. We could show the improvement of survival rate of advanced cases by the treatment of maximum debulking surgery and high intensity of cisplatin.

Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols↗

In vitro evaluation of the new anticancer agents KT6149, MX-2, SM5887, menogaril, and liblomycin using cisplatin- or adriamycin-resistant human cancer cell lines.

A new model to predict antitumor activity of new analogues was developed, and the cross-resistance against cisplatin (CDDP) and Adriamycin (ADM) was examined. A preclinical evaluation of various new analogues using this new model was performed. The antitumor activities of KT6149, MX-2 (KRN8602), SM5887, menogaril (TUT-7), and liblomycin (NK313) were evaluated against four non-small cell lung cancer cell lines, PC-7, -9, -13, and -14; two small cell lung cancer cell lines, H69 and N231; four CDDP-resistant cell lines, PC-7/1.0, PC-9/0.5, PC-14/1.5, and H69/0.4; a human myelogenous leukemia cell line, K562; and its ADM-resistant subline, K562/ADM by clonogenic assay. The relative antitumor activities of these new analogues were compared with those of parental agents, mitomycin C, ADM, bleomycin, and several anticancer drugs, CDDP, daunomycin, vindesine, and etoposide. KT6149 was more active than mitomycin C against all lung cancer cell lines and the human myelogenous leukemia cell line. Menogaril showed greater activity than ADM, and MX-2 showed activity similar to ADM. However, the antitumor activity of SM5887 was lower than that of ADM. SM5887 and menogaril showed cross-resistance to K562/ADM. Nevertheless, the antitumor activity against K562/ADM of MX-2 was similar to that of the parental cell lines. The activity of liblomycin was similar to that of bleomycin. Thus, KT6149 appears to be the best analogue for use in a clinical trial against lung cancer. MX-2 was active even against ADM-resistant cancer cells. The values of relative resistance to CDDP or ADM were 4.7, 8.1, 7.5, 20.0, and 13.6 for PC-7/1.0, PC-9/0.5, PC-14/1.5, H69/0.4, and K562/ADM, respectively. CDDP-resistant cell lines showed no cross-resistance with other drugs in this study. K562/ADM showed cross-resistance against daunomycin, etoposide, and vindesine. In contrast, mitomycin C and bleomycin had nearly equal activity against K562 and K562/ADM. However, K562/ADM was 2.4-fold more sensitive to CDDP than its parental cell line, K562 (P less than 0.001). These results suggested that the mechanism of CDDP resistance is different from that of multidrug resistance.

Anthracyclines↗

Pharmacokinetics of (glycolate-0,0')-diammine platinum (II), a new platinum derivative, in comparison with cisplatin and carboplatin.

The pharmacokinetics of (glycolato-0,0')-diammine platinum (II) (254-S; NSC 375101D), one of the new platinum analogues, was examined in a phase I study of this drug and compared with that of cisplatin and carboplatin. All drugs were given in short-term (30-min) i.v. drip infusions; the doses of 254-S, cisplatin, and carboplatin were 100, 80, and 450 mg/m2, respectively. Platinum concentrations in whole plasma, plasma ultrafiltrate, and urine were determined by atomic absorption spectrometry. After the infusion, the plasma concentration of total platinum for the three agents decayed biphasically. Ultrafilterable platinum in plasma decreased in a biexponential mode after infusions of 254-S and carboplatin, whereas the free platinum of cisplatin showed a monoexponential disappearance. The peak plasma concentrations and AUC for free platinum were 5.31 micrograms/ml and 959 micrograms/min per ml for 254-S, 3.09 micrograms/ml and 208 micrograms/min per ml for cisplatin, and 19.90 micrograms/ml and 3446 micrograms/min per ml for carboplatin, respectively. The mean ratio of plasma ultrafilterable platinum to total platinum were calculated, and the results showed that the protein-binding abilities of 254-S and carboplatin were almost identical. More than 50% of the 254-S was excreted in the urine within the first 480 min after its administration. Thrombocytopenia was reported as a dose-limiting toxicity for both 254-S and carboplatin. This similarity in side effects may mainly be due to the comparable pharmacokinetic behavior of these two platinum compounds.

Antineoplastic Agents↗

Structural characteristics of growth hormone receptors on mouse 3T3 cells having different biological responses to growth hormone.

Cultured 3T3-F442A preadipocytes are able to undergo GH-promoted differentiation into adipocytes. The relationship between the structure and function of GH receptors on 3T3 cells (3T3-F442A preadipocytes, differentiated adipocytes and 3T3-C2 cells, which vary in susceptibility to adipose conversion or with respect to carbohydrate and lipid metabolism) was studied by the covalent cross-linking of 125I-labelled human (h) GH to intact cells with the bifunctional reagent disuccinimidyl suberate. When preadipocytes were cross-linked and analysed using sodium dodecylsulphate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, a prominent 125I-labelled hGH-receptor complex of Mr 130,000 was observed along with minor complexes (Mr 300,000, 230,000 and 60,000) on autoradiography. Non-reducing-reducing two-dimensional gel electrophoresis revealed that the higher molecular weight complexes also contained the Mr 130,000 complex. Neuraminidase and tunicamycin treatment demonstrated that the GH receptor on F442A preadipocytes is a sialo-glycoprotein with N-linked carbohydrate chains. When the differentiated 3T3-F442A adipocytes and 3T3-C2 cells (a sub-line with no susceptibility to adipose conversion with GH) were examined in the same way as 3T3-F442A preadipocytes, no differences were observed in the specificity of GH binding and in the molecular size of the 125I-labelled hGH-receptor complexes and their glycosylation characteristics. This suggests that the structural characteristics of the GH receptor are closely related in each cell type, but that the hormonal signals produced after GH binding to the receptor may cause different effects according to the cell type.

Adipose Tissue↗