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Biomedical subjects

S Sugano

Publications and source records attributed to S Sugano.

At least 145 records · Page 8Linked to original sources
PubMed1996

Transcutaneous intracordal silicon injection for unilateral vocal cord paralysis.

Unilateral recurrent laryngeal nerve paralysis causes the vocal cord to atrophy, leading to glottic incompetence. The voice is characterized by hoarseness, breathlessness, rapid air escape, ineffective cough and aspiration. Traditional treatments of unilateral vocal cord paralysis include intracordal injection, laryngeal framework surgery, and laryngeal reinnervation for medialization of the vocal cord. In this paper we report on a new technique of transcutaneous intracordal silicon injection in which the injection is made through the thyroid lamina under local anesthesia monitoring fiberscopy. We performed this procedure on 30 patients with unilateral vocal cord paralysis and later evaluated their post-operative voice. The silicon injection resulted in improvement of vocal quality, favorable clearance of sputum, and aspiration control. We found that, since it can be performed under local anesthesia without hospitalization, transcutaneous intracordal silicon injection should be performed as a therapy for treating unilateral vocal cord paralysis.

Administration, Cutaneous↗
PubMed1996

Two cases of esophageal diverticula.

Two cases of pharyngoesophageal diverticula were reported with reference to previous studies. Definite diagnosis was established by esophagography. The surgical treatment is generally conducted in accordance with Goodman-Parnes' criteria for surgical indication. We also carried out surgery on the basis of this criteria. One-stage diverticulectomy was performed and favorable results with no postoperative complications were obtained.

Aged↗
PubMed1996

[Recent advance of endoscopic ultrasonography for evaluating gastroenterologic early cancer].

Lutz et al. made the first report in which ultrasonographic probe could differentiate cystic tumor from solid one. After that, endoscopic ultrasonography (EUS) have advanced rapidly in engineering and clinical application. EUS is the most accurate diagnostic method presently available to determine the depth of gastrointestinal cancer invasion. We have proposed the pattern analysis for the differentiation between cancer invasion and ulcer fibrosis, because fibrosis and cancer invasion have of the same echo level. USP is more useful and easy than EUS in cases with small and flat lesion without ulcer, and EUS should perform in remaining lesions that look like early cancer with ulcer and advanced cancer. Clinically, it is believed that the invasion of early gallbladder cancer limited to the proper muscle, the early pancreas cancer is less than 1 cm. It is also practicable with EUS to detect the these cancer easily and diagnose the local stage of gall bladder and pancreas cancer. Now we are performing IDUS (ER-US, PT-US) and 3D-EUS, and believing that these technics will be used commonly in the near future.

Digestive System Neoplasms↗
PubMed1995

Efficient gene activation in mammalian cells by using recombinant adenovirus expressing site-specific Cre recombinase.

A recombinant adenovirus (Ad) expressing Cre recombinase derived from bacteriophage P1 was constructed. To assay the Cre activity in mammalian cells, another recombinant Ad bearing an on/off-switching reporter unit, where a LacZ-expression unit can be activated by the Cre-mediated excisional deletion of an interposed stuffer DNA, was also constructed. Co-infection experiments together with the Cre-expressing and the reporter recombinant Ads showed that the Cre-mediated switching of gene expression was detected in nearly 100% of cultured CV1, HeLa and Jurkat cells. These results suggest that the recombinant Ad efficiently expressed functional Cre and offers a basis for establishing a powerful on/off switching strategy of gene expression in cultured mammalian cells and presumably in transgenic animals. The method is also applicable to construction of recombinant Ad bearing a gene the expression of which is deleterious to propagation of recombinant Ad.

Adenoviridae↗
PubMed1995

A signal sequence detection system using secreted protease activity as an indicator.

We have developed a novel expression vector, pSSD1, to detect a cDNA fragment encoding a secretory signal sequence (Ss). This vector carries a cDNA fragment encoding the protease domain of human urokinase-type plasminogen activator (u-PA) as a reporter gene under the SV40 early promoter. We inserted cDNA fragments encoding various Ss between the promoter and the reporter gene of pSSD1. These plasmids were introduced into monkey COS7 cells to produce chimeric proteins. Only when the Ss was intact, was fibrinolytic activity detected in the culture medium of the transfected cells. Thus, this system may be useful for detecting the cDNAs encoding secreted proteins or type-I membrane proteins.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1995

Characterization of cDNA encoding mouse homolog of fission yeast dhp1+ gene: structural and functional conservation.

The dhp1+ gene of Schizosaccharomyces pombe is a homolog of Saccharomyces cerevisiae HKE1/RAT1/TAP1 gene that is involved in RNA metabolism such as RNA trafficking and RNA synthesis. dhp1+ is also related to S. cerevisiae DST2 (SEP1) that encodes a DNA strand exchange protein required for sporulation and homologous recombination in S.cerevisiae. We isolated several clones of Dhm1, a mouse homolog of dhp1+, from mouse spermatocyte cDNA library and determined its nucleotide sequence. The Dhm1 gene consists of an open reading frame predicting a protein with 947 amino acids and molecular weight of 107,955. Northern blot analysis revealed that Dhm1 is transcribed at high level in testis, liver and kidney. The predicted product of Dhm1 (Dhm1p) has a significant homology with Dhp1p, Hke1p/Rat1p/Tap1p and Dst2p. In particular, Dhm1p, Dhp1p and Hke1p/Rat1p/Tap1p share strong similarity at the two regions of their N- and C-terminal parts. The Dhm1 gene on a multicopy plasmid rescued the temperature-sensitivity of dhp1ts and lethality of dhp1 null mutation, suggesting that Dhm1 is a mouse homolog of S.pombe dhp1+ and functions similarly in mouse as dhp1+.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1995

Mucoepidermoid carcinoma of the pancreas: report of a case.

We present herein the case of a 64-year-old man diagnosed as having a mucoepidermoid carcinoma of the pancreas. The tumor originated in the tail of the pancreas and invaded the spleen, left adrenal gland, left kidney, and transverse colon. Liver and peritoneal metastases were also noted. Despite surgical treatment and adjuvant chemotherapy, the disease progressed rapidly and the patient died of cachexia 4 months after his initial diagnosis. Mucoepidermoid carcinoma of the pancreas is a rare entity, and is believed to be a form of adenosquamous carcinoma known as adenoacanthoma. However, in this patient, no differentiated squamous cell component could be detected. In fact, the tumor was composed of mucin-producing cells, epidermoid cells, and intermediate cells. Immunohistochemical staining for the carcinoembryonic antigen, CA19-9, and SPan-1 demonstrated a production of cancerous mucin in the epidermoid cells, suggesting that mucoepidermoid carcinoma may arise from the squamoid metaplasia of an adenocarcinoma.

Biomarkers, Tumor↗
PubMed1995

Role of intra- and extracellular calcium stores in mesothelial cell response to histamine.

Ca2+ may play an important role in mesothelial cellular responses because Ca2+ acts as an intracellular messenger in a wide variety of cellular responses in different tissues. The present study was designed to clarify the mechanisms of cytosolic Ca2+ mobilization in the mesothelial cells. Rat pleural and pericardial mesothelial cells were maintained in vitro, and the Ca2+ movement was evaluated using fura 2. Histamine (30 microM to 10 mM) induced a biphasic elevation of intracellular levels of Ca2+ concentration ([Ca2+]i) that consisted of a rapid initial transient elevation followed by a sustained elevation. Neither removal of extracellular Ca2+ nor inhibition of Ca2+ influx by 1 microM nifedipine affected the histamine-induced initial transient elevation of [Ca2+]i in mesothelial cells. Nifedipine did not block histamine-induced sustained elevation of [Ca2+]i. KCl (25 and 50 mM) elicited a biphasic elevation of [Ca2+]i. However, this KCl-induced elevation of [Ca2+]i was abolished by nifedipine treatment. Ryanodine (10 microM) induced a transient elevation of [Ca2+]i in Ca(2+)-free solution. The histamine-induced elevation of [Ca2+]i was completely blocked by H1-receptor antagonists. These results suggest that the mesothelial cells have three pathways to increase [Ca2+]i: release from intracellular Ca2+ stores, Ca2+ influx through L-type voltage-dependent Ca2+ channels, and receptor-operated Ca2+ channels.

Actins↗
PubMed1995

Encephalomyocarditis (EMC) virus infection in the common vole, Microtus arvalis.

Encephalomyocarditis (EMC) virus infection in the common vole was examined for the first time. Sixteen 8-week-old males inoculated intraperitoneally with 10(5) plaque-forming units (pfu)/animal of the D variant of EMC virus were killed 3 and 7 days after inoculation (3 and 7 DAI). Viral replication was detected in the brain (10(5) pfu/g), heart (10(4) pfu/g) and pancreas (10(7) pfu/g) of all 8 animals at 3DAI. It was found in the pancreas (10(3) pfu/g) of all 8 animals and in the brain (10(4) pfu/g) of 2 of 8 animals at 7 DAI. Histopathological changes were observed in the brain (mild mononuclear cell infiltration around capillaries and sporadic pyknosis of neurons), heart (minimal myocardial necrosis) and pancreas (prominent acinar cell necrosis with inflammatory exudation) at 3DAI. At 7 DAI, replacement of necrotic tissues by mesenchymal cells and regeneration of acinar cells were conspicuous in the pancreas. Throughout the experimental period, no evidence for diabetogenic effect was found.

Animals↗
PubMed1995

Oral administration of nipradilol and the acute and chronic splanchnic hemodynamic effects of a new beta-blocker with nitrovasodilating properties in patients with liver cirrhosis.

OBJECTIVES: We studied the effects of nipradilol, which has both a nonselective beta-blocker action and a vasodilating action similar to nitroglycerin, on portal hypertension. METHODS: We measured hepatic venous pressure gradient and splanchnic and systemic hemodynamics before beginning therapy, 2 h after an oral dose of 6 mg, and after either 6 months of nipradilol 6 mg twice a day (n = 14) or of a placebo (n = 6) in 20 cirrhotic patients. RESULTS: No significant changes were observed after the administration of the placebo. Oral nipradilol induced a significant reduction in the hepatic venous pressure gradient (base line: 14.8 +/- 3.2 mm Hg vs 2 h: 12.3 +/- 3.4 mm Hg, p < 0.01; 6 mo: 12.5 +/- 3.2 mm Hg, p < 0.05) without a significant change in the free hepatic venous pressure. The hepatic vascular resistance decreased significantly (base line: 1811 +/- 778 dyn.sec.cm-5 vs 2 h: 1540 +/- 701 dyn.sec.cm-5, p < 0.05; 6 mo: 1564 +/- 693 dyn.sec.cm-5, p < 0.05) without a significant change in hepatic blood flow. A decrease in the hepatic venous pressure gradient greater than 10% was observed in nine patients (64%), defined as "responders," at 2 h and in 10 patients (71%) at 6 months. The reduction of mean heart rate and hepatic venous pressure gradient in these responders was 16.2% and 28.3% at 2 h and 15.1% and 27.1% at 6 months, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: We found that in some cirrhotic patients, at the doses used in this study, long term oral nipradilol administration produces a reduction in the hepatic venous pressure gradient with both a beta-blocking and a nitrovasodilating action.

Administration, Oral↗
PubMed1995

Cytochrome P-450scc-catalyzed production of progesterone from cholestenone.

Cholestenone, which is a 3-keto derivative of cholesterol, was incubated with cytochrome P-450SCC in a reconstituted hydroxylation system. Cholestenone was metabolized to progesterone with a turnover number of about 9 nmol/min/nmol P-450 in the presence of 0.01% Tween20. This value was about 70% of the maximal value for cholesterol. The final reaction product, progesterone, and three other minor reaction products, 20 alpha-hydroxycholest-4-en-3-one, 22R-hydroxycholest-4-en-3-one, 20,22-dihydroxycholest-4-en-3-one, were identified on the basis of its retention times on HPLC, thus suggesting them to be intermediates of side-chain cleavage of cholestenone. The results suggest that cholestenone is metabolized by two pathways, that is, the first hydroxylation occurs either at the C-20 position or at the C-22 position.

Animals↗
PubMed1994

Oligo-capping: a simple method to replace the cap structure of eukaryotic mRNAs with oligoribonucleotides.

We have devised a method to replace the cap structure of a mRNA with an oligoribonucleotide (r-oligo) to label the 5' end of eukaryotic mRNAs. The method consists of removing the cap with tobacco acid pyrophosphatase (TAP) and ligating r-oligos to decapped mRNAs with T4 RNA ligase. This reaction was made cap-specific by removing 5'-phosphates of non-capped RNAs with alkaline phosphatase prior to TAP treatment. Unlike the conventional methods that label the 5' end of cDNAs, this method specifically labels the capped end of the mRNAs with a synthetic r-oligo prior to first-strand cDNA synthesis. The 5' end of the mRNA was identified quite simply by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR).

Animals↗
PubMed1994

Molecular analysis of the dhp1+ gene of Schizosaccharomyces pombe: an essential gene that has homology to the DST2 and RAT1 genes of Saccharomyces cerevisiae.

The DST2 gene of Saccharomyces cerevisiae encodes a DNA strand exchange protein, STP beta, which is required for homologous recombination in both mitotic or meiotic cells. We have cloned a DST2-related gene from the fission yeast Schizosaccharomyces pombe and designated it dhp1+. The nucleotide sequence of dhp1+ revealed an open reading frame encoding a protein composed of 991 amino acids. The predicted amino acid sequence was significantly homologous to the S. cerevisiae STP beta, but lacked the carboxy-terminal sequence present in STP beta. Furthermore, dhp1+ shows greater homology to RAT1/HKE1, a gene which is involved in RNA trafficking and processing. Genetic experiments showed that dhp1+ on an S. cerevisiae expression vector could rescue both the defects of the S. cerevisiae DST2 disruptant, slow growth rate and a sporulation defect, and the lethality of the S. cerevisiae rat1ts mutation. This implies the functional similarity of dhp1+ to both DST2 and RAT1. However unlike DST2, dhp1+ is an essential gene for cell growth in S. pombe, suggesting that dhp1+ is not the true homologue of DST2 but rather of RAT1 in S. pombe. The possible roles of dhp1+ in recombination and cell growth in S. pombe are discussed.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1994

Power spectral analysis of heart rate variability as a new method for assessing autonomic activity in the rat.

The authors studied power spectral analysis of heart rate variability in the rat, hypothesizing that the quantitative information provided by this analysis reflects the interaction between sympathetic and parasympathetic regulatory activities. For this purpose, an electrocardiogram was recorded from conscious and unrestrained Wistar rats (Nippon, Shizuoka) (12-16 weeks old) by a telemetry system and analyzed by a power spectrum. Because it was thought that the electrocardiogram recorded by the telemetry system could provide more reliable data to assess autonomic nervous activity than the tethering system, the telemetry recording system was used. There were two major spectral components in the power spectrum at low frequency (LF) (0.6 Hz) and high frequency (HF) (approximately 1.4 Hz). On the basis of these data, the authors defined two frequency bands of interest: LF (0.04-1.0 Hz) and HF (1.0-3.0 Hz). The power of LF was higher than that of HF in the normal rat. Atropine (2 mg/kg intraperitoneally) significantly reduced both HF and LF power. Propranolol (4 mg/kg intraperitoneally) also significantly reduced LF power; however, it had no significant effect on HF power. Thus, this study in the rat confirmed earlier observations in the conscious dog and human. Furthermore, the decrease in the parasympathetic mechanism produced by atropine was reflected by a slight increase in the LF/HF ratio. The LF/HF ratio appeared to follow the reductions of sympathetic activity produced by propranolol. From these results, the LF/HF ratio seemed to be a convenient index of parasympathetic and sympathetic interactions in the rat.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Animals↗
PubMed1994

Isolation of an ascitic oncodevelopmental protein exhibiting high sequence homology with calcium-binding protein MRP8.

A human oncodevelopmental protein (ODP) with a molecular size of 28 kDa was isolated, employing malignant ascitic fluid of an advanced mixed mesodermal tumor of the uterus, by anti-ODP coupled Affi-Gel 10 column chromatography, followed by preparative PAGE. The final preparation obtained with this procedure gave a single band exhibiting reactivity with an anti-ODP antibody on analytical sodium dodecyl sulfate-PAGE. The sequence of the first 20 N-terminal amino acids of this protein is identical with those of both the cystic fibrosis protein and Ca-binding protein MRP8 except at position 17, for which no result was obtained. Sequence analysis suggested that the protein shows 90% sequence homology with both these proteins.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1994

Retinal complications with elevated circulating plasma C5a associated with interferon-alpha therapy for chronic active hepatitis C.

Retinal hemorrhage is a complication of interferon therapy of unknown pathogenesis. We report two chronic active hepatitis C patients who developed retinal hemorrhage and/or cotton wool patches during interferon-alpha therapy 4 and 12 wk after beginning treatment. At the time of the hemorrhage, plasma-activated complement 5, a known potent intravascular aggregator of granulocytes, increased to 54 ng/ml in one patient and to 29 ng/ml in the other patient. When the hemorrhage resolved, it decreased to under 5 ng/ml. Our cases suggest that complement activation occurs in patients treated with interferon-alpha and that activation of complement 5 can lead to retinal capillary infarction and retinal hemorrhage. High levels of activated complement 5 may predict retinal artery infarction or perhaps microvascular emboli in the other organs.

Complement Activation↗