Search PubMed⌕ Search

Biomedical subjects

S Taniguchi

Publications and source records attributed to S Taniguchi.

At least 577 records · Page 32Linked to original sources

Pilot study for objective measurement of pain: method and analyses of basic factors for normative data.

A plate-pushing task was devised to measure endogenous pain objectively. As normative data, performance of no-pain subjects sustaining a certain level of pressure by a hand over 5 min. was analyzed for sex, dominance of hands, transference to the opposite hand, and effect of repetition. Analysis indicated that order of dominance of hands was efficient and improvement along repetition of five times within three weeks was observed regarding the SD of 201 digits of pressure level. Also, analyses based on histograms of percents of deviation from a standard level and transitional profiles of pressure level were constructed. They were considered to be other useful aspects. Lastly, the case of a subject who had pain was studied. The task seems a promising means of objective measurement of pain to contrast performance accompanied by pain with one without pain.

Adult↗

Adenylate and guanylate cyclase activities in isolated guinea pig epidermal cells at various stages of differentiation.

The enzymatic properties of adenylate and guanylate cyclases were examined in sonicates of trypsinized guinea pig epidermal cells as enzyme source. Adenylate cyclase was found to be membrane-bound, while guanylate cyclase activity was detected in both membrane and cytosolic fractions. The maximal activities of the enzymes were obtained in the presence of Mn++ in the pH range 7.8-8.8. The apparent Km values of adenylate cyclase for Mn++- and Mg++-ATP were 20.5 and 38.6 microM, respectively, while the value of guanylate cyclase for Mn++-GTP was 500 microM. Examinations of cells separated by velocity sedimentation at unit gravity revealed that the basal activity of adenylate and guanylate cyclases was maximal in the germinative cells, falling gradually to the low level as cells differentiated. We assume that in the epidermis, the control and coordination of proliferation require higher concentrations of adenylate and guanylate cyclases as compared with events occurring during terminal differentiation.

Adenylyl Cyclases↗

Are increases in thyroxin-binding globulin in patients with acute hepatitis ascribable to synthesis by regenerating hepatocytes?

We describe a case of liver cirrhosis lacking the expected increase in serum thyroxin (T4)-binding globulin (TBG) despite abrupt, severe increases in aspartate and alanine aminotransferases (ASAT and ALAT) in serum. Sequential change in serum T4, triiodothyronine (T3), and TBG concentrations were also measured retrospectively in serum of 10 hospitalized patients with acute viral hepatitis. Although their mean T4 and TBG concentrations significantly exceeded those in 40 normal subjects (P less than 0.002 and P less than 0.001, respectively), these values were within the normal reference intervals in five patients. ASAT and ALAT concentrations were not significantly different in patients with increased TBG and patients with normal TBG, whereas mean concentrations of serum albumin and cholinesterase and mean prothrombin times (in percent) in the former group were significantly higher than those in the latter group (P less than 0.05, P less than 0.05, and P less than 0.001, respectively). For 60 samples with increased ASAT and ALAT, TBG and albumin or cholinesterase correlated significantly (r = 0.49, P less than 0.001 and r = 0.50, P less than 0.001, respectively), but not TBG and ASAT or ALAT. Collectively, these results suggest that the increase in serum TBG in acute hepatitis may reflect its synthesis in regenerating hepatocytes rather than a simple leakage from damaged hepatocytes.

Acute Disease↗

Clinical course of silent thyroiditis in a patient with Sjögren's syndrome. Concomitant changes of antithyroid antibodies and antinuclear antibody.

A 68-year-old woman with Sjögren's syndrome simultaneously experienced thyrotoxicosis with a marked depression of thyroid radioactive iodine uptake and systemic lupus erythematosus-like symptoms, which both resolved spontaneously. Titers of antinuclear antibody and anti-DNA antibody were most elevated when the thyrotoxicosis and systemic lupus erythematosus-like symptoms coexisted and thereafter gradually declined in response to the decrease of titers of antithyroglobulin hemagglutination antibody and antimicrosomal hemagglutination antibody. To our knowledge, no such case has been previously reported. These observations strongly suggest that thyrotoxicosis in silent thyroiditis may be induced by an autoimmune mechanism.

Aged↗

[New directions in research on cancer metastases: molecular biological approaches].

Cancer metastasis is a multistep process related to various factors (genes). One objective of research on cancer metastasis is to identify factors responsible for each of these steps and to evaluate the weight of each factor in the entire metastatic process. Molecular biological approaches are increasingly used in the field of research on cancer metastasis to identify and analyze each factor, at the gene level. Oncogenes, such as ras, N-myc, c-myc, sis, erb B, and fos, are reported as candidate genes related to metastasis. Other candidate genes, such as MHC, cadherin, laminin, and actin have already been cloned and sequenced. By reviewing molecular biological approaches to metastasis, present issues and directions of research on metastasis will be discussed.

Animals↗

Malignant progression of a transformed rat cell line by transfer of the v-fos oncogene.

Transfer of the v-fos oncogene into a rat cell line transformed by Rous sarcoma virus increased both the spontaneous and experimental lung-metastasis. Metastatic ability of each v-fos transferred cell line was dependent on both the manner of integration and transcriptional amount of the v-fos oncogene, but did not correlate with the growth rate in vivo. Expression of the src, myc or ras genes were not altered by transfer of the v-fos gene, except that the myc expression was enhanced in the cell line, which acquired augmentation of growth rate in vivo but not metastatic potential to the lung. Cells of the metastatic lung nodules of each cell line also possessed exogenous fos DNA and the transcripts. These results suggest that v-fos oncogene functions in the transfected cells and causes malignant progression.

Animals↗

Contribution of arterial redox potential measurement to the care of critically ill patients.

175 arterial and 122 urinary samples from 20 patients admitted in ICU for organ system failure (OSF) were analysed. Besides arterial blood gases and lactate, electrolyte concentrations, pH, rH2 and specific resistance (R) in blood and urine were measured. Redox potential (E) and base excess were calculated from these data. Patients were defined as having MOSF if their organ systems met failure criteria during their ICU stay. Data were classified with corresponding number of OSF developed in the patients when samples were obtained. Acid-base balance or base excess alone could not be used to predict the severity of illness as assessed by increasing number of organ system failures. Significant elevations in blood lactate concentrations were observed only in patients with four, five or six OSF. A lack of correlation between blood lactate and severity of OSF indicates that blood lactate is not valid as a guide to ultimate outcome of the patients. Arterial redox potentials progressively decreased with increasing number of OSF, therefore, it can be stated that the serial measurements of arterial redox potential are useful in assessing the patient's status or predicting their ultimate outcome.

Journal Article↗

Molecular oxygen controls nitrate transport of Escherichia coli nitrate-respiring cells.

Escherichia coli cells grown anaerobically in the presence of nitrate reduce the nitrate as a terminal electron acceptor in place of molecular oxygen by an induced respiratory-type electron transferring system residing in the inner membrane structure. When oxygen is introduced to a suspension of nitrate-respiring cells, the oxygen is immediately reduced preferentially and the cellular uptake of nitrate ceases abruptly. In contrast, we found that the cells exhibited no oxygen control on uptake of chlorate, a competitive substrate analogue, indicating operation of an oxygen-sensitive transport system specific to nitrate. This was further evidenced by the fact that chlorate inhibition of reduction of nitrate was brought about only when the transport of both chlorate and nitrate was facilitated by the aid of carrier-type chlorate (or nitrate) ionophore. We demonstrated that oxygen inhibition on reduction of nitrate was abolished within the cells treated by octyl glucoside resulting in a removal of permeability barrier specific to nitrate. We conclude that the transient control by molecular oxygen is primarily due to the inhibition of nitrate transport into the cytoplasmic side. Since nitrate induces the nitrate-respiring system, the repression of the nitrate reductase operon by molecular oxygen is consistently interpreted on the basis of the "inducer exclusion mechanism."

Aerobiosis↗

Efficacy of two-route chemotherapy using cis-diamminedichloroplatinum(II) and its antidote, sodium thiosulfate, in combination with angiotensin II in a rat limb tumor.

We combined the angiotensin II (AT-II)-induced hypertension method with "two-route chemotherapy" (TRC), using cis-diamminedichloroplatinum(II) (CDDP) and its antidote, sodium thiosulfate (STS). The efficacy of the modified TRC was evaluated in rats bearing a limb tumor (transitional cell carcinoma). Immediately after infusing CDDP (15 mg/kg) and AT-II (15 micrograms/kg) via the femoral artery for 5 min, 1580 mg/kg STS (200-fold molar ratio to 15 mg/kg of CDDP) were administered i.v. for a further 5 min. Other treatments were as follows: 5 mg/kg of CDDP mixed or not mixed with 15 micrograms/kg of AT-II were given intraarterially (i.a.); 5 mg/kg of CDDP alone were injected i.v.; CDDP (15 mg/kg, i.a.) and STS (1580 mg/kg, i.v.) were simultaneously administered, without AT-II (conventional TRC). The antitumor effects of the modified TRC, evaluated by regression of tumor growth and extended life span, were superior to the other treatments. On the other hand, nephrotoxicity, loss of body weight, and leukopenia, seen in the rats given TRC with AT-II, occurred less than or at the same rate as in rats given other treatments. Thus, the TRC with AT-II was the most effective treatment given to rats bearing a regionally confined tumor. The feasibility of clinical application of modified TRC using i.a. CDDP plus AT-II and i.v. STS is discussed.

Angiotensin II↗

The bioelectronic factors of human body fluids and intravenous replacement solutions.

In this paper the analytical method of the pH, rH2 and specific resistance of body fluids with B.E.-VINCENT Unit was described. From the values of the pH, rH2 and specific resistance, other three bioelectronic factors, the redox potential, milliampere and micro-watts, were calculated. With this technique the bioelectronic factors of arterial and venous blood and urine obtained from 20 young healthy adults were examined. Those of arterial and venous blood showed almost identical values. The urinary values of the pH, milliampere and microwatts varied as compared to those of blood. The bioelectronic factors of the various intravenous replacement solutions and blood components were considerably different from those of blood. It is considered that the bioelectronic factors of patient's blood should be checked repeatedly and maintained in an appropriate state when massive fluid therapy is required.

Journal Article↗