Search PubMedSearch

Biomedical subjects

S Nomura

Publications and source records attributed to S Nomura.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

[Abnormal chest shadow on CT in immunosuppressed patients].

An abnormal chest shadow was observed on CT scans in 25 cases of 23 immunosuppressed patients. Pulmonary disease was pathologically confirmed to be pneumocystis carinii pneumonia (PC pneumonia) in four patients, cytomegalovirus pneumonia (CMV pneumonia) in one, bacterial pneumonia in seven, fungal infection in three, miliary tuberculosis in one, leukemic infiltration in two, lymphangitis carcinomatosa in three, drug-induced pneumonitis in three, and ARDS in one. In almost all patients, especially those with infectious diseases such as PC pneumonia, CMV pneumonia, and bacterial pneumonia, the abnormal shadow was wide and visible in the bilateral lung fields. We presumed that such findings as lobular shadow, centrilobular shadow, and mosaic pattern reflected the extension of disease via the respiratory tract, and that those findings are typical of infectious diseases. Because such findings as abnormal linear shadow and swelling of a broncho-vascular bundle were very frequently recognized in patients with lymphangitis carcinomatosa and frequently recognized in those with drug-induced pneumonitis, these diseases may be distinguished from other diseases. An area of slightly increased density was frequently recognized in patients with PC pneumonia, bacterial pneumonia, and drug-induced pneumonitis. Such lesions were pathologically confirmed to be located in the interstitium and/or alveolus. CT was extremely useful in comprehending the character and extension of particular diseases among various diseases. As the number of patients studied was small, the utility of CT in immunosuppressed patients requires further investigation in a larger number of patients.

Adolescent

[Expandable metallic stent therapy for SVC syndrome--effects on local venous pressure, vascular diameter, symptoms, and these correlations].

To evaluate the efficacy of Z-stent therapy for SVC syndrome, we studied changes in the pressure, the diameter of stenotic lumen and the symptoms in the cases of SVC syndrome with higher pressure than 30 cmH2O at distal to the stenosis. The symptoms were classified and graded to be scored up. Immediately after the Z-stent placement into the stenotic lesions, the venous pressure distal to the stenosis decreased from 36.0 +/- 3.4 cmH2O to 12.0 +/- 12.0 cmH2O (p < 0.001), the diameter of stenotic lumen increased from 3.3 +/- 3.4 mm to 14.0 +/- 3.4 mm (p < 0.01). According to the remarkable symptomatic improvements the averaged score decreased from 6.7 to 1.3 (p < 0.01). The pressure, the diameter and the symptom scores were highly correlated each other (magnitude of gamma not equal to 0.9). Among two cases with the right atrial pressure increase by 2 cmH2O after the placement one suffered transient cardiac in compensation due to overload by reperfusion. Conclusively, the Z-stent therapy was very effective on the SVC syndrome in reducing abnormally elevated venous pressure due to the stenosis, and relieving the symptoms, while the pressure monitor was necessary.

Aged

Localization and developmental expression of a novel protein kinase C delta gene.

The expression and localization of a novel protein kinase C delta (nPKC delta) mRNA were investigated using Northern blotting and in situ hybridization in the developmental process of mouse brain. In adult mice, nPKC delta was abundantly expressed in the thalamus, moderately in the pons and the cerebellum, but faintly in the cerebral cortex and the spinal cord. By in situ hybridization, the signals were observed specifically at the sensory and motor relay nuclei of the thalamus, the dorsal cochlear nuclei of the pons, and the molecular layer of the cerebellum. When developmental changes in the expression of nPKC delta gene were analyzed by in situ hybridization, it was not detectable in embryonic and neonatal brains, very weakly expressed in the thalamus in the first week, and highly expressed at two weeks of age. These results suggest that the gene expression of nPKC delta is strictly controlled by both the cell type and the developmental process.

Animals

Detection of bcl-2 protein and bcl-2 messenger RNA in normal and neoplastic lymphoid tissues by immunohistochemistry and in situ hybridization.

bcl-2 protein has been detected in surgical specimens and cultured permanent cell lines of non-Hodgkin's lymphomas and leukemias using enzyme immunohistochemistry and immunofluorescence with anti-bcl-2 monoclonal antibodies. Of 40 surgical specimens, bcl-2 protein was expressed in 50% of B-cell and 41% of T-cell lymphomas, both with and without the bcl-2 gene rearrangement. In investigations of 38 hematopoietic cell lines, bcl-2 protein was detected not only in lymphoid cell lines but also in myeloid cell lines. In situ hybridization and immunohistochemical analysis of reactive lymph nodes showed that lymphocytes in mantle zones and paracortical areas expressed bcl-2 protein consistent with the messenger RNA distribution and that germinal center cells showed abundant bcl-2 transcript, despite the absence of detectable bcl-2 protein. These results suggest that bcl-2 protein is broadly expressed in various hematopoietic neoplasms not restricted in t(14; 18) lymphomas and that germinal center cells may be involved in some arrest of bcl-2 protein expression at the posttranscriptional level.

Blotting, Northern

[Transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt: a case report].

Transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt (TIPS) was performed in one patient with refractory esophageal varices due to portal hypertension by liver cirrhosis. Rösch modified Z-stent was placed to keep the lumen. The shunt lowered average portal pressure from 45 to 24 mmHg, and then decompressed the esophageal varices. The shunt was patent still for three months after the creation. No significant complication was observed. This initial success of TIPS in Japan encouragingly support the safeness and effectiveness of this therapy.

Esophageal and Gastric Varices

c-kit Gene was not transcribed in cultured mast cells of mast cell-deficient Wsh/Wsh mice that have a normal number of erythrocytes and a normal c-kit coding region.

The Wsh is a mutant allele at the W (c-kit) locus of mice. Mice of Wsh/Wsh genotype have white hairs and black eyes. Although adult C57BL/6-Wsh/Wsh mice were not anemic, they showed a remarkable depletion of mast cells. Most homozygous or double heterozygous mutant mice at the W (c-kit) locus, of which mast-cell depletion was comparable to that of Wsh/Wsh mice, are deficient in germ cells. However, male and female Wsh/Wsh mice have an appreciable number of germ cells in their gonads. We investigated the mechanism of specific depletion of mast cells in Wsh/Wsh mice. Cultured mast cells (CMC) derived from the spleen of Wsh/Wsh mice neither attached to normal (+/+) fibroblasts nor survived in the coculture with +/+ fibroblasts. The c-kit messenger RNA (mRNA) was strongly expressed in +/+ CMC, but not detectable in Wsh/Wsh CMC. Despite the lack of c-kit mRNA in Wsh/Wsh CMC, the c-kit mRNA was normally detectable in the cerebellum and weakly detectable in the testis and spleen of Wsh/Wsh mice. No significant changes were found in the nucleotide sequence of the c-kit transcripts obtained from the cerebellum of Wsh/Wsh mice. Development of mast cells, erythrocytes, and germ cells in Wsh/Wsh mice appeared to be parallel with the magnitude of the c-kit gene expression in each cell type.

Anemia

Low c-kit expression of cultured mast cells of mi/mi genotype may be involved in their defective responses to fibroblasts that express the ligand for c-kit.

Mutant mice of mi/mi genotype are osteopetrotic and deficient in tissue mast cells due to a defect in osteoclasts and mast cells. In an effort to further understand the mechanisms behind why mi/mi mouse-derived cultured mast cells (mi/mi-CMC) responded to interleukin-3 (IL-3), but not to the proliferative stimuli presented by fibroblasts, mi/mi-CMC and congenic normal (+/+) mouse-derived CMC (+/+-CMC), both of which expressed the phenotypic characteristics of immature mast cells, were cocultured with Swiss albino/3T3 fibroblasts in a medium containing IL-3. In the in vitro CMC/fibroblast coculture, mi/mi-CMC did not acquire the phenotypes of connective tissue-type mast cells (CTMC), while +/+-CMC did. In addition, attachment of mi/mi-CMC to the fibroblasts was found to be significantly lower than that of +/+-CMC. Because the interaction of c-kit product with its ligand (stem cell factor [SCF]) is known to play an important role not only in proliferation and differentiation of mast cells but also in attachment of CMC to fibroblasts, the expression and function of c-kit were investigated in mi/mi-CMC and +/+-CMC. Recombinant rat SCF (rrSCF164) induced a dose-dependent proliferation of +/+-CMC. Also, rrSCF164 induced +/+-CMC to acquire the phenotypes of CTMC in the medium containing IL-3. By contrast, rrSCF164 did not stimulate the proliferation of mi/mi-CMC nor induce a phenotypic change of the cells from immature mast cells to mature, CTMC-like mast cells. Immunoblotting with antiphosphotyrosine antibody showed that rrSCF164 induced considerable tyrosine phosphorylation of 145- to 165-Kd protein, the product of c-kit, in +/+-CMC, whereas tyrosine phosphorylation of the protein was barely detectable in mi/mi-CMC. Northern blot and flow cytometry analyses showed that mi/mi-CMC expressed much less c-kit at both protein and message levels than +/+-CMC. Further, mi/mi-CMC were found to differ from +/+-CMC in the expression of mouse mast cell protease-6 (MMCP-6) and MMCP-2 messenger RNA transcripts. These results suggest that the gene product of the mi locus may be important in regulating the expression of gene products such as c-kit, and that mast cell deficiency of mi/mi mice appears to be due, at least in part, to impaired signaling through the c-kit receptor because of the low c-kit expression.

3T3 Cells

Concentration and distribution of apolipoproteins A-I and E in normolipidemic, WHHL and diet-induced hyperlipidemic rabbit sera.

Two sandwich-type enzyme immunoassays have been developed to measure apolipoproteins A-I and E in rabbit serum. Specific goat antibodies were purified by affinity chromatography and used both for coating and for preparing antibody-peroxydase conjugates. The sensitivity of these assays is sufficient to allow studies of apo A-I and E distribution in lipoproteins fractionated by gel filtration from 50 microliters of serum. In WHHL rabbits, apo A-I is 5-fold lower (5.2 +/- 2.5 mg/dl) and apo E is 8-fold higher (9.9 +/- 3.5 mg/dl) than in normolipidemic rabbits (29 +/- 4.3 mg/dl and 1.3 +/- 0.5 mg/dl, respectively). In hyperlipidemic rabbits, fed 2 months on a 0.5% cholesterol diet, the apo A-I level was similar (32 +/- 12 mg/dl) to that of normolipidemic rabbits, but the apo E level is 12-fold higher (15.1 +/- 5.5 mg/dl). In addition, HDL particles were enriched with cholesterol and apo E. The bulk of apo E and cholesterol is located in large beta-VLDL in diet-induced hyperlipidemia, whereas they are mainly located in smaller size beta-VLDL in WHHL rabbits. In normolipidemic rabbits apo E occurs mainly in HDL, and cholesterol is distributed in the main three lipoprotein fractions VLDL, LDL and HDL. Interestingly, HDL of WHHL rabbit are deficient in apo A-I. These results are compatible with profound perturbations of lipoprotein composition and metabolism in atherogenic hyperlipidemia.

Animals

An electron microscopic study of neurosecretion in the cerebral ganglion of the earthworm.

Non-synaptic, exocytotic release of neurosecretory granules in cerebral ganglion neurons was observed electron microscopically in 3 species of the oligochaete annelids Aporrectodea caliginosa, Octolasion cyaneum and Lumbricus terrestris. In addition to the features indicating exocytotic release of neurosecretory granules into perineuronal space, possible features of neurosecretion into blood vessels were seen within the cerebral ganglion. Axon terminals in synaptic contact with perikaryal profiles of cerebral ganglion neurons were also found.

Animals

Effects of injected antibody against the platelet glycoprotein IIb/IIIa complex on monkey platelet fibrinogen.

Four monkeys were injected for a 10-day period with the Fab fragment of a murine monoclonal antibody (NNKY 1-32) which inhibits the binding of fibrinogen to the platelet glycoprotein (GP) IIb/IIIa complex. Platelet fibrinogen levels were assessed quantitatively by electroimmunoassay and qualitatively by immunoelectron microscopy. The platelet fibrinogen level fell to 9.0 +/- 2.8% of the control level after antibody administration. Immunoelectron microscopy showed that the injected antibody was localized on the inner surface of the platelet alpha-granule membrane. Our findings suggest that the GP IIb/IIIa complex can be internalized by alpha-granules and that it may mediate the endocytosis of plasma fibrinogen by platelets.

Animals

[Direct injection chemotherapy combined with arterial embolization in the treatment of liver cancers].

Direct injection chemotherapy in combination with transcatheter arterial embolization (TAE) was carried out in primary and secondary liver cancers. In this treatment, the anticancer agents dissolved in contrast media were directly injected into the tumor tissue with the echo-guided puncture needle after TAE. The dynamics of the injected drugs marked with non-ionic and water-soluble contrast media was followed up by the sequential CT studies, on which the contrast media was observed only in the tumor area in 18 out of 30 nodules from 2 to 8 weeks after the injection. The procedure is considered an effective drug delivery system to achieve a targeting chemotherapy in the liver cancers.

Antineoplastic Agents

Correlation of L-myc RFLP with metastasis, prognosis and multiple cancer in lung-cancer patients.

For further study of the correlation of L-myc restriction-fragment-length polymorphism (RFLP) and metastasis of lung cancer to lymph nodes or other organs at the time of surgery, L-myc RFLP was analyzed in 252 Japanese lung-cancer patients. A close correlation between L-myc RFLP and metastasis was confirmed in this large number of patients (p = 0.01). The correlation was particularly pronounced in cases of adenocarcinoma and squamous-cell carcinoma. Poor prognosis (additional metastases after surgery) was observed in lung-cancer patients with L-S (identified as long and short bands produced with EcoRI) and S-S type L-myc RFLP. In addition, the death rate of lung-cancer patients with the L-S and S-S types was greater than that of those with the L-L type. Lung-cancer patients of the L-S and S-S types had almost 4 times higher incidence of multiple cancer in the lung, pharynx and other organs than those with the L-L type. Our results indicate that, in patients with lung cancer, genetic disposition with respect to the L-myc gene influences the extent of metastasis, the incidence of multiple cancers and prognosis.

Combined Modality Therapy

Necessity of extracellular domain of W (c-kit) receptors for attachment of murine cultured mast cells to fibroblasts.

The receptor encoded by the W (c-kit) locus (W receptor) is expressed on the surface of cultured mast cells (CMC) derived from normal (+/+) mice, whereas its ligand encoded by the Sl locus (Sl ligand) is expressed on the surface of fibroblast cell lines derived from murine embryos. Involvement of W receptors and Sl ligands in attachment of CMC to fibroblasts was investigated. CMC were cocultured with fibroblasts; nonattaching CMC were removed and the remaining CMC were counted. CMC derived from mice of the W/W genotype did not express the extracellular domain of W receptors, and attachment of W/W CMC to +/+ fibroblasts was significantly impaired. Fibroblasts derived from embryos of the Sl/Sl genotype did not express Sl ligands, and the attachment of +/+ CMC to Sl/Sl fibroblasts was also impaired. The Wv and W42 alleles are point mutations at the intracellular tyrosine kinase domain. Attachment of either Wv/Wv, W/Wv, or W/W42 CMC to +/+ fibroblasts was comparable with that of +/+ CMC. Moreover, the addition of monoclonal antibody against the extracellular domain of W receptors inhibited the attachment of +/+ CMC to +/+ fibroblasts. Thus, the extracellular domain of W receptors appeared to be necessary for attachment of CMC to fibroblasts.

Alleles

Spatial expression of genes encoding c-kit receptors and their ligands in mouse cerebellum as revealed by in situ hybridization.

Expression of mRNA for c-kit receptors and their ligands was examined in the cerebellum of mice by in situ hybridization technique. The c-kit receptors were expressed in the molecular layer of the cerebellum and the ligands for the c-kit receptors were detected at the boundary of molecular and granular layers. The expression of the c-kit ligands was not detectable in the cerebellum of lurcher (Lc/+) mutant mice that lack Purkinje cells, indicating the cells expressing the c-kit ligands were Purkinje cells. The cells expressing c-kit receptors decreased but were present in the cerebellum of Lc/+ mice. The c-kit mRNA-positive cells appeared to represent basket cells and stellate cells from their appearance and location. Since neurons in the molecular layer construct suppressive neurojunctions with Purkinje cells, the present result suggests that c-kit receptors and their ligands may play an important role for the construction of their junctions.

Animals

Effects of ticlopidine on monoclonal anti-CD9 antibody-induced platelet aggregation and microparticle generation.

We analyzed the effects of ticlopidine on platelet aggregation and on microparticle (MP) formation when platelets were exposed to a monoclonal anti-CD9 antibody (NNKY1-19) in vitro. Even when NNKY1-19-induced platelet aggregation was completely inhibited by preincubation with anti-GPIIb/IIIa antibody or Arg-Gly-Asp-Ser, or by using washed platelets from a Glanzmann's thrombasthenia patient, the formation of MP was still observed. Prostaglandin E1 and protein kinase C antagonists (H-7 and staurosporine) inhibited both NNKY1-19-induced aggregation and MP formation. Ticlopidine or aspirin plus apyrase scarcely affected NNKY1-19-induced platelet aggregation, except to prolong the lag time. However, ticlopidine significantly inhibited MP formation (p less than 0.01). These results suggest that ticlopidine inhibits NNKY1-19-induced MP formation by a different mechanism to that of the other antagonists, and that this mechanism is unrelated to the inhibition of platelet aggregation.

Adenosine Triphosphate

Differences between platelet and microparticle glycoprotein IIb/IIIa.

Glycoprotein (GP) IIb and IIIa are major constituents of the platelet membrane which are involved in forming the fibrinogen receptor on activated platelets. We used flow cytometry to study the effects of ethylene-diamine tetraacetic acid (EDTA) on the membrane GPIIb/IIIa complexes of platelets and microparticles, and to study the effects of cations on dissociated GP complexes. Microparticles were detected by both the volume signal and by fluorescence using an FITC-conjugated anti-GPIb antibody (NNKY5-5). When platelets were stimulated with ADP, calcium ionophore A23187, or thrombin, fibrinogen binding to the platelet surface increased markedly. However, fibrinogen binding to microparticles showed little increase in response to such agonists. Microparticle GPIIb/IIIa complexes were dissociated by incubation with EDTA at 37 degrees C but did not reassociate after treatment with divalent cations (Ca2+, Mg2+, and Mn2+) in contrast to platelet GPIIb/IIIa complexes. These results suggest that some interaction of GPIIb/IIIa and linked structures like the platelet cytoskeleton may be involved in the reassociation of dissociated GPIIb and GPIIIa, perhaps explaining the failure of reassociation of microparticle GPIIb/IIIa (i.e., the fibrinogen binding to microparticles).

Adenosine Diphosphate

Anti-phospholipid antibodies bind to platelet microparticles in idiopathic (autoimmune) thrombocytopenic purpura.

We recently reported that IgM antibody-related microparticles exist in some patients with idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura (ITP) [14]. In this study, we investigated the relationship between antiphospholipid (cardiolipin and phosphatidylinositol) antibodies and microparticles in 56 ITP patients. We used an ELISA to detect anti-phospholipid antibodies. IgG antibodies against cardiolipin and phosphatidylinositol were detected in 13 and 12 patients, respectively. The titers of IgG antibodies against these phospholipids did not correlate with the platelet-associated IgG level or the platelet count. Next, we investigated the binding of anti-phospholipid antibodies to platelets and microparticles. Microparticles were obtained by incubating washed platelets with collagen plus thrombin. ITP plasma containing IgG-class anti-phospholipid antibodies showed significantly increase binding to microparticles compared with plasma without such antibodies (p less than 0.001). Our results suggest that anti-phospholipid antibodies could affect the function of platelet microparticles in ITP.

Antibodies

Localization of mRNA for c-kit receptor and its ligand in the brain of adult rats: an analysis using in situ hybridization histochemistry.

Localization of mRNA for the c-kit receptor and its ligand (Sl factor) in the brain of adult rats was studied using in situ hybridization histochemistry. The mRNA for the c-kit receptor was detected in the forebrain, the lower brain stem and the cerebellum. In the forebrain, the c-kit mRNA signals were detected in the olfactory bulb, the caudate-putamen, throughout the superficial cortex, the accumbens nucleus, the nucleus of vertical limb diagonal band, the bed nucleus of anterior commissure, Ammon's horn, the entopeduncular nucleus, the subthalamic nucleus, the dorsal raphe nucleus, the parasubiculum, the presubiculum, the ventricular nucleus of lateral lemniscus, and the entorhinal cortex. In the lower brain stem, the signals were detected in the inferior colliculus, the spinal vestibular nucleus, the spinal tract nucleus of trigeminal nerve, and the pyramidal tract. In the cerebellum, the signals were detected in the molecular layer of the cortex and cerebellar nuclei. By contrast, the signals of mRNA for Sl factor were detected in the forebrain and the cerebellum. In the forebrain, the signals were detected in the olfactory bulb, the endopiriform nucleus, the septohippocampal nucleus, the habenular nuclei, and most of the thalamic nuclei. In the cerebellum, the signals were detected in Purkinje cells. Several pairs of structures were found in which mRNA of either the c-kit receptor or the Sl factor was expressed and between which the synaptic connection had been reported, suggesting that the interaction between the c-kit receptor and the Sl factor may play some roles in the development of such synaptic connections.

Animals