Biomedical subjects

S Sakamoto

Publications and source records attributed to S Sakamoto.

At least 127 records · Page 7Linked to original sources

PubMed1999

A chimeric gastric H+,K+-ATPase inhibitable with both ouabain and SCH 28080.

2-Methyl-8-(phenylmethoxy)imidazo(1,2-a)pyridine-3acetonitrile+ ++ (SCH 28080) is a K+ site inhibitor specific for gastric H+,K+-ATPase and seems to be a counterpart of ouabain for Na+,K+-ATPase from the viewpoint of reaction pattern (i.e. reversible binding, K+ antagonism, and binding on the extracellular side). In this study, we constructed several chimeric molecules between H+,K+-ATPase and Na+,K+-ATPase alpha-subunits by using rabbit H+,K+-ATPase as a parental molecule. We found that the entire extracellular loop 1 segment between the first and second transmembrane segments (M1 and M2) and the luminal half of the M1 transmembrane segment of H+, K+-ATPase alpha-subunit were exchangeable with those of Na+, K+-ATPase, respectively, preserving H+,K+-ATPase activity, and that these segments are not essential for SCH 28080 binding. We found that several amino acid residues, including Glu-822, Thr-825, and Pro-829 in the M6 segment of H+,K+-ATPase alpha-subunit are involved in determining the affinity for this inhibitor. Furthermore, we found that a chimeric H+,K+-ATPase acquired ouabain sensitivity and maintained SCH 28080 sensitivity when the loop 1 segment and Cys-815 in the loop 3 segment of the H+,K+-ATPase alpha-subunit were simultaneously replaced by the corresponding segment and amino acid residue (Thr) of Na+,K+-ATPase, respectively, indicating that the binding sites of ouabain and SCH 28080 are separate. In this H+, K+-ATPase chimera, 12 amino acid residues in M1, M4, and loop 1-4 that have been suggested to be involved in ouabain binding of Na+, K+-ATPase alpha-subunit are present; however, the low ouabain sensitivity indicates the possibility that the sensitivity may be increased by additional amino acid substitutions, which shift the overall structural integrity of this chimeric H+,K+-ATPase toward that of Na+,K+-ATPase.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

PubMed1999

Quantitative analysis of myocardial response to dobutamine by measurement of left ventricular wall motion using omnidirectional M-mode echocardiography.

Although dobutamine stress echocardiography is important for assessing cardiac ischemia and viability, analysis of wall motion is qualitatively performed. We quantitatively evaluated left ventricular wall motion using a newly developed omnidirectional M-mode echocardiography that can depict the M-mode at the site of region of interest on the 2-dimensional image in real time, and established its usefulness for analyzing the myocardial response to dobutamine infusion. Dobutamine stress echocardiography with omnidirectional M-mode was performed in 57 patients with coronary lesions. In 38 of these patients, exercise stress single-photon emission computed tomographic thallium scintigraphy (Tl-201 SPECT) was performed. Endocardial excursion of 103 regions was measured from omnidirectional M-mode at baseline, low-dose (6 microg/kg/min), and at peak dose (30 microg/kg/min) dobutamine. A decrease and increase in wall excursion was scored (from -3 to 3) for a changes of every 2 mm, and a quantitative wall motion score (QWMS) was calculated as a summation of the scores from baseline to low dose and from low to peak doses. Quantitative coronary stenosis score (QCSS) was calculated as a summation of stenotic and collateral scores. The stenosis scores were graded as: 1 = 0% to 50%, 2 = 50% to 75%, 3 = 75% to 90%, 4 = 90% to 95%, 5 = 95% to 100%; collateral scores were graded as: -1 = poor collateral, -2 = good collateral. Based on the QWMS at each dose of dobutamine, the serial changes in wall motion were divided into 4 groups: augmented, biphasic, no change, and worsening. The QCSS was clearly different among these groups. QWMS was significantly correlated with QCSS (r = 0.657, p <0.001). The incidence of redistribution in Tl-201 SPECT was high in the region with low score of QWMS. In conclusion, omnidirectional M-mode is useful for quantitatively determining the grade of cardiac ischemia by assessing the serial change of ventricular wall motion during dobutamine infusion.

Adrenergic beta-Agonists↗

PubMed1999

Studies on the structures and antigenic properties of rabies virus glycoprotein analogues produced in yeast cells.

We investigated two forms (designated as yGI and yGII) of rabies virus glycoprotein (G) analogues produced in the G cDNA-transfected yeast cells. Molecular weights of yGI and yGII were estimated as 66 and 56 kDa, respectively, according to their relative mobility in SDS-PAGE. Although being produced in large amounts, yGI was present mostly in insoluble forms and hardly extractable with non-ionic detergents. The yGI reacted with polyclonal anti-G antibodies, but did not react with our conformational epitope-specific anti-G monoclonal antibodies (G-MAbs). No protective immunity was induced by yGI in guinea pigs nor in mice. On the other hand, yGII was Triton-soluble, but was only small in amount (at most 1% of total G proteins) and was shown to lack the cytoplasmic domain. The yGII, however, reacted with the G-MAbs and induced protective immunity in guinea pigs as well. When the G-cDNA was expressed in animal cells in culture, a single form (about 66 kDa) of G protein was produced, which displayed similar behaviors as seen in its reactivity with the MAbs and intracellular distribution as seen in the virus-infected cells. These results suggest that most G protein molecules were not processed normally in yeast cells, resulting in abnormal folding and multimer formation, while only a small fraction were occasionally folded normally to have conformational epitopes but were mostly deprived of the C-terminal portion.

Animals↗

PubMed1999

Sequence analysis of an 800-kb genomic DNA region on chromosome 8q21 that contains the Nijmegen breakage syndrome gene, NBS1.

An 800-kb region on chromosome 8q21, which complements the phenotype of cells from Nijmegen breakage syndrome patients, is a candidate for the locus of the underlying gene, termed NBS1. The sequence of this 800-kb region of DNA indicated that the size of this segment is 755,832 bp with an additional 36-kb gap. From this region, we identified four genes including NBS1, a gene coding for a 27-kDa vitamin D-dependent calcium-binding protein (27-kDa calbindin), the mitochondrial 2,4-dienoyl-CoA reductase gene, and a novel gene, C8orf1/hT41. All four genes were aligned in a 250-kb centromeric portion of the region, and no gene was found in the remaining telomeric portion containing 500 kb. The genomic organization of the C8orf1/hT41 and NBS1 genes has been analyzed using the computer programs GRAIL 2 and GENSCAN. They predicted and successfully found more than 93% of the exons, even a small 54-bp exon, indicating that one or more exons in any gene can be identified by these programs. GENSCAN was more efficient at locating the four genes than GRAIL 2 and identified 15 of the 16 exons of the NBS1 gene. This 800-kb region contained repetitive sequences, including 179 copies of the Alu sequence (1 copy/4.2 kb), 123 copies of the L1 sequence (1 copy/6.1 kb), 107 copies of the LTR sequence (1 copy/7.1 kb), and 63 copies of the MER sequence (1 copy/12 kb). There was a slight but not significant difference in the repetitive content of the gene-rich region and the remaining noncoding region. Our results indicate that computer-assisted methods are useful and powerful for identifying exons of both known and novel genes.

Abnormalities, Multiple↗

PubMed1999

Detection by epitope-defined monoclonal antibodies of Werner DNA helicases in the nucleoplasm and their upregulation by cell transformation and immortalization.

We prepared several monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) specific for the NH2- and COOH-terminal regions of the DNA helicase (WRN helicase) responsible for Werner's syndrome known as a premature aging disease. With these antibodies, we detected by immunoblot analysis the endogenous WRN helicase of a relative mass of 180 kD in several lines of cultured cells, but not in patient cells with a defined mutation. Immunocytochemical staining of proliferating fibroblasts and tumor cells showed that the major part of WRN helicase is in the nucleoplasm and not in the nucleolus. Similar experiments with a rat mAb specific to the mouse homologue of human WRN helicase yielded an identical conclusion. Although this nucleoplasmic staining was evident in cells in interphase, the condensed chromatin structure in metaphase was not stained by the same mAbs, suggesting that WRN helicases exist perhaps in a soluble form or bound to the unfolded chromatin structure. From quantitative immunoblot analysis, higher levels of WRN helicase were observed in all transformed cells and tumor cells examined than those of normal cells. The expression of WRN helicase was enhanced consistently in fibroblasts and B-lymphoblastoid cells by transformation with SV-40 and Epstein-Barr virus, respectively, suggesting that rapidly proliferating cells require a high copy numbers of WRN helicase.

Animals↗

PubMed1999

Anti-tumor activity of antizyme which targets the ornithine decarboxylase (ODC) required for cell growth and transformation.

Anti-tumor activity of antizyme which targets the ornithine decarboxylase (ODC) required for cell growth and transformation Cell proliferation and transformation induced by growth factor stimulation or by carcinogens, viruses, or oncogenes are characterized by an associated increase in polyamine levels, which is mediated by increased polyamine biosynthesis and enhanced uptake of polyamines. Polyamine biosynthesis is catalyzed particularly, in the level of ornithine decarboxylase (ODC). The elevation of cellular polyamine levels on the other hand accelerates the induction of ornithine decarboxylase antizyme (antizyme), which is involved not only in ODC-degradation, but in the negative regulation of polyamine transport. Taking advantage of these characteristics of antizyme, the potential of antizyme as a factor having anti-cell growth and anti-tumor activity was investigated. We show that antizyme can induce cell death associated with a rapid decline of intracellular polyamine contents. The possible anti-tumor activities of ectopically expressed antizyme were tested in p21H-ras (Val 12)-transformed NIH3T3 cells and several human malignant cell lines including a line with loss of p53 expression, and they were shown to be as sensitive as nontransformed NIH3T3 cells in vitro. The in vivo anti-tumor activity was also tested using nude mice inoculated with H-ras transformed NIH3T3 cells that had been transfected with inducible antizyme expression vector and the results showed that antizyme expression in vivo blocks tumor formation in these mice. These results suggest that ectopic antizyme expression is of possible therapeutic benefit in the treatment of cancer, which is mediated by ODC inactivation and intracellular polyamine depletion.

3T3 Cells↗

PubMed1999

A longitudinal study of the relationship of self-preoccupation with depression.

Self-preoccupation, the tendency to focus more on the self and to maintain self-focused attention, is believed to be a vulnerability factor to depression. The present study investigated this hypothesis in a longitudinal design, using Japanese undergraduates. At Time 1, both self-preoccupation and depressive symptoms at that time, measured by the Zung Self-rating Depression Scale (SDS), were assessed. At Time 2, 3 months later, life events experienced from Time 1 to Time 2 and depressive symptoms at that time were assessed. Data from 169 undergraduates who scored less than 50 on the SDS in Time 1 were analyzed and the above hypothesis was suggested. When experiencing a greater number of negative events, those high in self-preoccupation became more depressed than those who were low in that tendency, though when there were a smaller number of negative events, this difference disappeared.

Adaptation, Psychological↗

PubMed1999

Prevention of osteopenia induced with a gonadotropin-releasing hormone agonist in rats.

We investigated the effects of conjugated estrogens as an add-back replacement drug, incadronate sodium as a bisphosphonate, and alfacalcidol as a vitamin D(3) analog on femoral bone mineral density (BMD) and bone mineral content (BMC) in female rats chronically treated with the gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) agonist leuprorelin acetate. The chemical castration of the rats by the administration of GnRH agonist for 16 weeks reduced the BMD values to 92.3%, 91.3%, and 93.3% of those of the normal control animals in the whole femur, metaphysis, and diaphysis of the femur, respectively. The BMC value was decreased to 91.0% of that of the normal control animals by the chronic GnRH agonist treatment. However, a simultaneous 8-week administration of conjugated estrogens, bisphosphonate, and vitamin D(3) analog markedly augmented the BMC values to 110.3%, 110.1%, and 114.4%, respectively, of those in the rats treated with the GnRH agonist alone. These findings indicate that antiosteoporotic agents could be useful for preventing induced osteopenia under the careful monitoring of biochemical markers of osteoblastic activity or bone resorption and BMD or BMC in patients undergoing GnRH treatment.

Animals↗

PubMed1999

A patient with rectal cancer associated with ulcerative colitis in whom endoscopic ultrasonography was useful for diagnosis.

Endoscopic ultrasonography (EUS) was helpful for the diagnosis of rectal cancer associated with ulcerative colitis. The patient was a 38-year-old Japanese man with a 19-year history of relapsing-remitting type ulcerative colitis involving the entire colon. Routine colonoscopy revealed multiple polypoid prominences in the upper portion of the rectum. EUS revealed a hypoechoic mass in the submucosa beneath and around the polypoid lesion on the most oral side. Signet ring cells were found in a biopsy specimen from this lesion. Subtotal colectomy was performed. A depressed lesion was observed around the prominence on the most oral side; histologically, this lesion was poorly differentiated mucinous and signet ring cell carcinoma extending into the subserosa. The polypoid lesion on the most anal side was well differentiated adenocarcinoma, which was limited to the mucosa. Our findings suggest that EUS is helpful for detecting invasive cancer associated with ulcerative colitis.

Adenocarcinoma↗

PubMed1999

Initial experience with the radial incision approach for atrial fibrillation.

BACKGROUND: Surgery for atrial fibrillation (AF) is performed with the aim of restoring sinus rhythm and atrial transport function, and preventing thromboembolism. The radial incision approach (RIA), in which the atrial incisions radiate from the sinus node toward the atrioventricular annular margins and parallel the coronary arteries, was developed as an outgrowth of and an alternative to the maze procedure in order to preserve a more physiological activation sequence and the atrial transport function. METHODS: To determine whether the RIA is a promising procedure for AF, 23 patients who had undergone the RIA (n = 10) or the maze procedure (n = 13) for chronic AF associated with valvular heart disease were examined in terms of the postoperative cardiac rhythm and atrial transport function. RESULTS: AF was cured in 90% of RIA patients and 92.3% of maze patients (not significant). One patient in each group required pacemaker implantation for an insufficient sinus rate postoperatively. The RIA was technically easier than the maze procedure, because the incisions were more linear and there was no isolation incision or "T-shape" incision in the left atrium. The left atrial transport function, assessed by transthoracic Doppler echocardiography, was greater after the RIA than after the maze procedure, while the right atrial transport function was equally preserved by both procedures. The peak atrial filling/early filling waves of the flow-velocity spectra across the mitral valve was significantly larger after the RIA than after the maze procedure (0.58+/-0.17 vs. 0.25+/-0.07, p<0.005). The left atrial filling fraction was significantly larger after the RIA than after the maze procedure (28.5%+/-5.0% vs. 15.1%+/-4.0%, p<0.001). CONCLUSIONS: RIA provides a greater atrial transport function, and thus may represent a physiological alternative to the maze procedure as a surgical procedure for AF.

Atrial Fibrillation↗

PubMed1999

Structure of depressive symptoms in pregnancy and the postpartum period.

BACKGROUND: The present study investigated the structure of depressive symptoms in the perinatal period. METHOD: The Zung Self-Rating Depression Scale (SDS) was administered to a total of 1329 women in early, middle and late pregnancy and 5 days, 1 month, 6 months, 12 months and 18 months after the delivery. RESULTS: A number of somatic items and the suicidal ideation item of the SDS made low contributions to the evaluation of the severity of depression, and as a consequence these were excluded in the principal component analysis. Three factors were interpretable as "Cognitive", "Affective insomnia" and "Attentional" emerged at all eight assessment points. The goodness-of-fit index (GFI) generated by confirmatory factor analyses (LISREL 7.20) proved sufficiently high on all eight occasions. LIMITATION: The present study investigated only one self-rating scale and the sample comprised Japanese mothers only. CONCLUSION: The three-factor model of the SDS in the perinatal period was derived from exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses. It is noteworthy that the same three-factor structure emerged at all eight collection points in the present study.

Adolescent↗

PubMed1999

Interferon therapy lowers the rate of progression to hepatocellular carcinoma in chronic hepatitis C but not significantly in an advanced stage: a retrospective study in 1148 patients. Viral Hepatitis Therapy Study Group.

BACKGROUND/AIM: Hepatocellular carcinoma frequently develops during the advanced stages of chronic hepatitis C. We examined whether interferon prevents the development of hepatocellular carcinoma in chronic hepatitis C patients. METHODS: Japanese patients with chronic hepatitis C (n = 1.148; 117 with portal fibrous expansion (F1), 636 with bridging fibrosis (F2), 355 with bridging fibrosis and architectural distortion (F3)) and 40 cirrhotic (F4) patients were treated with interferon. These patients were followed from 1 to 7 years after interferon therapy. Blood tests and image analysis were serially performed to assess response to interferon and to detect hepatocellular carcinoma. Fifty-five cirrhotic type C patients (control F4) not receiving interferon were enrolled in this study. RESULTS: Sustained (SR: 27.5%) and transient (TR: 23.0%) responders totaled 50.5%, while 49.5% did not respond to interferon. SR showed an improvement in disease stage reflected by increased platelet counts. Fifty-two patients (9 F2, 36 F3, and 7 F4) developed hepatocellular carcinoma in the follow-up period; 3 SR, 8 TR, and 41 non-responders (NR). The cumulative incidence of hepatocellular carcinoma in F2 was significantly lower (p = 0.019) in SR compared with NR, but not in SR in F3 and F4 patients. However, the cumulative incidence of hepatocellular carcinoma was significantly decreased in all SR (p = 0.0001) and TR (p = 0.0397) compared with all NR. CONCLUSION: These results indicate that interferon therapy in chronic hepatitis C patients lowered the rate of progression of hepatocellular carcinoma in sensitive cases but not in patients in an advanced stage.

Adult↗

PubMed1999

Relationship between myocardial tissue density measured by microgravimetry and sound speed measured by acoustic microscopy.

If myocardial tissue can be assumed to be fluid-like, myocardial tissue elasticity can be estimated by the sound speed of tissue based on the equation K = rho(c)2, where K is the elastic bulk modulus, rho is density, and c is the sound speed of tissue. However, little data exist regarding the relationship between the sound speed of tissue and tissue density. The purpose of the present study was to evaluate the relationship between the sound speed of tissue and tissue density of various diseased myocardia. Myocardial tissue specimens at autopsy were obtained from 10 control patients without cardiovascular disease, 8 patients with pressure overload left ventricular hypertrophy (POLVH), and 8 patients with cardiac amyloidosis (AMD). Myocardial tissue sound speed was measured using a scanning acoustic microscope operating in the frequency of 450 MHz, and tissue density was measured by microgravimetry. The sound speed in POLVH (1639 +/- 17 m/s) was higher and that in AMD (1565 +/- 11 m/s) was lower than that in control patients (1615 +/- 15 m/s) (p < 0.001) at the temperature of 20-22 degrees C. The density in POLVH (1.087 +/- 0.004 g/cm3) was higher and that in AMD (1.072 +/- 0.003 g/cm3) was lower than that in control patients (1.082 +/- 0.003 g/cm3) (p < 0.001). Tissue density correlated with sound speed in all three groups (r = 0.96, p < 0.001). Therefore, myocardial tissue sound speed data obtained by acoustic microscopy enabled us to evaluate tissue elasticity without measuring tissue density directly.

Acoustics↗

PubMed1999

Cilnidipine improves insulin sensitivity in the Otsuka Long-Evans Tokushima fatty rat, a model of spontaneous NIDDM.

Among the antihypertensive drugs, fast-acting Ca2+ antagonists have been reported to worsen insulin sensitivity. This effect may be attributable to reflex increases in sympathetic activity. On the other hand, however, it has been reported that long-acting, dihydropiridine Ca2+ antagonists improve insulin-resistance. The purpose of this study was to investigate whether cilnidipine, another long-acting dihydropidine Ca2+ antagonist, improves insulin sensitivity in Otsuka Long-Evans Tokushima Fatty (OLETF) rat, a model of spontaneous NIDDM. 25 weeks OLETF rats were divided into the following groups; normal-diet group, cilnidipine-supplemented group (cilnidipine 3 mg/kg/day) and angiotensin II receptor antagonist CS-866-supplemented group (CS-866 1 mg/kg/day). As a non-diabetic control, we used Long-Evans-Tokushima-Otsuka rats (non-diabetic rats). Glucose infusion rate (GIR), an index of insulin resistance, as measured by the hyperinsulinemic euglycemic clamp technique was significantly decreased in OLETF rats. Cilnidipine-treatment partially but significantly improved insulin sensitivity in addition to systolic blood pressure in OLETF rats at 30 weeks of age, although it did not decrease accumulation of abdominal fat or serum levels of glucose or insulin. CS-866, an angiotensin II receptor antagonist, which lowers blood pressure through a different mechanism, did not improve insulin resistant states in OLETF rats. These results suggest that cilnidipine has a beneficial effect on insulin-resistance together with the antihypertensive effect.

Animals↗

PubMed1999

Direct evidence of gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH)-stimulated nitric oxide production in the L beta T-2 clonal gonadotropes.

An immortal cell line (L beta T-2) with characteristics of gonadotropes, such as LH-containing secretory granules, and LH release responsiveness to GnRH, was used to investigate the effect of GnRH stimulation on nitric oxide (NO) production. RT-PCR analysis showed that mouse nNOS mRNA was expressed in cultured L beta T-2 cells. L beta T-2 cells were treated with the calcium ionophore, A23187, and NO levels were measured as nitrite using the Griess assay. The data clearly showed that NO production was increased dose-dependently by A23187 treatment (0-10(-5) M). Next, changes in the intracellular concentration of ionized calcium ([Ca2+]i) in L beta T-2 cells induced by GnRH were analyzed by quantitative fluorescence microscopy, and [Ca2+]i was found to be increased markedly by GnRH treatment. In fact, exposure of L beta T-2 cells to increasing concentrations of GnRH from 0 to 10(-6) M was found to enhance NO production in a dose dependent manner, with maximal augmentation at 10(-6) M. However, the stimulation of NO production by GnRH at this concentration was significantly attenuated by pretreatment with NG-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester hydrochloride (L-NAME), a NO synthase inhibitor. Taken together, the present results suggest that GnRH treatment results in increased NO production in L beta T-2 clonal gonadotropes, and intracellular calcium augmentation produced by GnRH may be participate in this process. Our findings also indicate that the L beta T-2 cell line is a useful tool for in vitro studies of the autocrine and paracrine roles of NO in the anterior pituitary gland.

Animals↗

PubMed1999

Experimental liver injury induced by Propionibacterium acnes and lipopolysaccharide in macrophage colony stimulating factor-deficient osteopetrotic (op/op) mice.

To clarify the involvement of growth and differentiation of liver macrophages mediated by macrophage colony-stimulating factor (M-CSF) in the liver injury induced by Propionibacterium acnes (P. acnes) and lipopolysaccharide (LPS), we used M-CSF-deficient osteopetrotic (op/op) mice. Seven days after injection of P. acnes, granulomas as well as the numbers of Thy-1.2-, Mac-1-, and ERMP-20-positive cells and F4/80-positive areas in the liver were significantly reduced in the op/op mice compared to the normal littermates. After injection of LPS, serum levels of alanine aminotransferase as well as concentrations of IL-1beta and TNF-alpha in the serum and liver were significantly lower in the op/op mice than in the normal littermates, whereas the concentrations of IL-1beta and TNF-alpha in the spleen were similar in op/op mice and normal littermates. These results suggest that M-CSF plays a partial but highly significant role in the development of liver injury induced by P. acnes and LPS via an intrahepatic increase of primed macrophages including those in granulomas, in response to P. acnes, which produce proinflammatory cytokines such as IL-1beta and TNF-alpha.

Alanine Transaminase↗

PubMed1999

Characterization of TSH-positive cells in foetal rat pars tuberalis that fail to express Pit-1 factor and thyroid hormone beta2 receptors.

The thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH)-immunoreactive cells (TSH cells) in the pars tuberalis (PT-TSH cell) of the male rat pituitary gland show an intense spot-like TSH immunoreaction in the paranuclear cytoplasm. However, the ontogenic origin and characteristics of these spot-like stained PT-TSH cells remain to be elucidated. The present study was designed to investigate the distribution and characteristics of PT-TSH cells in the foetal and adult rat pituitary by immunostaining for Pit-1 factor and thyroid hormone receptors (TRs) and reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). TSH cells first appeared in the PT at 15.5 days of gestation and were either stained diffusely throughout the cytoplasm or displayed a strongly stained, spotty appearance in the paranuclear region. By 15.5 days of gestation, the rostral part of the PT consisted of columnar epithelium, in which TSH immunoreactivity was spot-like in the apical region of cytoplasm corresponding to the Golgi apparatus. At the 16.5 days of gestation, TSH cells were present in the pars distalis (PD); however, the cells were mostly larger and polygonal with strong staining throughout the cytoplasm. These differences between the PT and PD were retained throughout foetal and neonatal rat development. The TSH cells in the PD of the adult or gestational rat were observed to contain Pit-1 factor by double immunostaining. However, TSH cells in the PT lacked Pit-1 factor. RT-PCR confirmed the absence of Pit-1 and TRbeta2 mRNA in the PT of the adult and late gestation rat pituitary gland. These results suggest that apparently distinct types of TSH cells in the PT develop independently from TSH cells in the PD.

Animals↗

PubMed1999

Reliability of childhood mental disorder: diagnoses by Japanese psychologists.

The recent entry of psychologists into psychiatric practices and schools in Japan calls for diagnostic skills, because psychiatrists are less available in such settings. We examined the reliability of the diagnoses of 10 DSM-IV childhood mental disorders by 11 Japanese psychologists, using 20 case vignettes. Most categories had good reliability (kappa), except for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. Japanese clinical psychologists may be able to use DSM-IV reliably as a tool for diagnosis of childhood psychiatric disorders, if sufficient training is provided.

Adolescent↗