Biomedical subjects
S Tsuji
Publications and source records attributed to S Tsuji.
[Trinucleotide repeats and neurologic diseases].
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Effect of lansoprazole in mono-, dual-, or triple therapy on Helicobacter pylori eradication.
The effect of lansoprazole, in mono, dual, or triple therapy, on the eradication of Helicobacter pylori was reviewed. Lansoprazole has a cytotoxic action against this organism, the MIC being 2.56-5.25 micrograms/ml. In in vitro experiments, lansoprazole exerts direct action, i.e., antibacterial activity of lansoprazole against H. pylori and also inhibits urease activity. With antibiotics, this drug has a synergistic effect against H. pylori. In clinical studies, the eradication rate of H. pylori with lansoprazole is 0%-25% with monotherapy, 22%-33% with dual therapy (of AMPC), and 75%-82.4% with triple therapy with metronidazole and antibiotics. We inves-tigated the effect of lansoprazole on the eradication of H. pylori with dual therapy, the other agent being amoxicillin (AMPC). The eradication rate was 0% when 30 mg lansoprazole was employed as monotherapy, 33% for dual therapy with 30 mg lansoprazole and 1 g AMPC, and 71% for dual therapy with 60 mg lansoprazole and 1 g AMPC, the eradication rate with 60 mg lansoprazole and 1 g AMPC being significantly higher than that with the lower dose of lansoprazole. This result suggested that the greater acid suppression brought about by lansoprazole 60 mg enhances the action of AMPC, indicating that lansoprazole, when used with AMPC, is effective for eradication of H. pylori.
[Cerebral stimulation--methods for invasive and non-invasive brain function tests].
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Contrast-enhanced radiographic computed tomographic findings in patients with straight back syndrome.
UNLABELLED: Straight back syndrome (SBS) is usually diagnosed by physical and chest radiographic findings. Radiographic computed tomographic (CT) findings are very useful for the diagnosis and the evaluation of its severity. The purpose is to evaluate the relationship between chest X-ray film and CT findings. SUBJECTS: We evaluated 26 patients (SBS group) and 11 normal subjects (control group). SBS group consisted of 15 patients without structural heart disease (group I) and 11 patients with other heart disease (group II). METHODS: (1) On the chest X-ray film, antero-posterior diameter (APD) of the thorax, transthoracic diameter (TTD), and APD/TTD ratio were measured. (2) On the CT image, three parameters were calculated; APD of the left atrium (LA diameter), APD/transverse diameter ratio of the heart (flattening ratio) and left side shift ratio of the heart (shifting ratio). (3) CT parameters were compared with APD/TTD ratio in patients and control group. RESULTS: (1) APD/TTD ratio was smaller in group I and II than control group (30.0 +/- 5.4, 30.5 +/- 4.0 v 44.6 +/- 2.7%, p < .001). (2) LA diameter was smaller in group I and II than control group (23.2 +/- 4.1, 26.0 +/- 8.6 v 30.0 +/- 6.5 mm, p < .01). Flattening ratio was also smaller in group I and II than control group (59.2 +/- 9.4, 61.8 +/- 8.6 v 75.4 +/- 13.2%, p < .01). Shifting ratio was greater in group I and II than control group (10.9 +/- 5.0, 11.9 +/- 4.5 v 8.4 +/- 4.0%, p < .01). (3) APD/TTD ratio correlated with LA diameter (r = .39, p < .05) and flattening ratio (r = .53, p < .001). APD/TTD ratio did not correlate with shifting ratio (r = -.27, NS). CONCLUSIONS: APD/TTD ratio correlated with LA diameter and flattening ratio rather than shifting ratio. LA diameter and flattening ratio on the CT image were more useful for evaluating the severity.
[Estimated production by the official inspection of coal-tar dyes (including dye aluminum lakes) in 1995].
The number of official inspection of coal-tar dyes and their lakes from April in 1995 till March in 1996 were 580 in total. The quantity which passed inspection amounted to 166.4 ton in Japan. The production of color in each month was summarised in Table 1, and by each producing company in Table 2. The food coal-tar dye produced in the largest quantity was Food Yellow No.4, occupying 43.9% in this period.
[Studies on "Fast Green FCF Standard" for the dye standard on the National Institute of Health Sciences].
The raw material for Fast Green FCF was tested for preparation of the "Fast Green FCF Standard (C.I. 42053)". Analytical data obtained were as follows: paper chromatography, only one spot is observed; arsenic content, 0.38 microgram/g; chloride content, 0.11%; sulfate content, 3.30%; heavy metals, lead, 8.0 micrograms/g, manganese, 28.1 micrograms/g, and chromium, 1.6 micrograms/g; infrared spectra, 1575 cm-1, 1169 cm-1, and 1033 cm-1; loss on drying, 2.39%; assay, 93.0% by the titanium trichloride titration. Based on the above results, the raw material was authorized as the Dye Standard of National Institute of Health Sciences.
[Relation between defect in comprehension and frontal lobe lesion].
We assessed anatomical findings and language defects in 14 right handed patients who had fluent aphasia following left frontal lobe lesion. From the onset of aphasia all of the patients showed fluent speech and excellent repetition but difficulty in word finding and impairment in language comprehension. We administered to all of the patients the Western Aphasia Battery, a 50-item pointing task using line drawings representing single words selected from among common Japanese words for language training for aphasics, and the Token Test. Anatomical analysis was performed using brain CT and/or MRI. The patients were divided into three groups on the basis of the extent of impairment in comprehension of single words: one group showed no impairment, another showed slight impairment and the other showed severe impairment. The lesion site differed among the groups. Each group had a different lesion site. We concluded the following: first, lesions in Brodmann's areas 6 and 9 produce impairment in comprehension of single words, with lesions extending to anterior to Broca's area producing more impairment than those without the extending lesions. Second, lesions in the frontal lobe produce impairment in comprehension of complex sentences.
[Bifascicular block, trifascicular block].
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[Impact of molecular genetics to clinical neurology].
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Isolation of human purH gene expressed in the rodent transformant cells by subtractive enrichment of 3'-untranslated region of human transcript.
A subtraction procedure was developed for identification and isolation of a human gene transcribed in mouse transformant cells. The procedure was based on subtractive enrichment of the products that were amplified by the combination of reverse transcription and polymerase chain reaction from the 3'-untranslated region (3'-UTR) of human poly(A)+ RNA expressed in the mouse transformant cells. To assess the ability and usefulness of the procedure, we attempted to recover the human purH gene from a mouse transformant cell line, which was originally established by functional complementation using the human metaphase chromosome-mediated gene transfer technique from a mouse purH-negative mutant cell line. Using our procedure, a part of the human transcript in the transformant cells was successfully identified and isolated. The full-length cDNA was isolated using the 3'-UTR clone as a probe, and its biological activity was confirmed by introducing it into the mouse purH-negative mutant cells.
Synthesis, storage and release of acetylcholine at and from growth cones of rat central cholinergic neurons in culture.
Neurons from the nucleus diagonal band of Broca (DBB) from new born rats protrude neuronal processes and growth cones in culture. Cytochemical observations with the light and electron microscope indicate that growth cones of these neurons take up choline, synthesize acetylcholine (ACh) and store ACh in the vesicles. Electrical stimuli at the soma of DBB neurons evoked inward currents in ACh-sensitive neurons attached to DBB growth cones. These currents were suppressed by TTX, a Ca2+ channel blocker (Cd2+), and an ACh nicotinic antagonist (C6). These results suggest that ACh is synthesized, stored and released from the growth cones of DBB neurons prior to synapse formation.
Lack of association between dopamine D4 receptor gene and schizophrenia.
An intriguing property of the dopamine D4 receptor gene is a hypervariable segment in the coding region characterized by a varying number of direct imperfect 48 bp repeats (2-8 or 10 repeats) in the third exon of the gene [Lichter et al., 1993: Hum Mol Genet 2:767-773]. The authors analyzed 70 unrelated schizophrenics and 70 normal controls to determine the allele and genotype frequencies created by length polymorphism of dopamine D4 receptor gene. All patients and controls were unrelated and from the Japanese population. Patients were divided into three groups with regard to age at onset, familial loading, and severity of symptoms assessed strictly with Manchester scale. There were no statistically significant differences if the distributions of alleles and genotypes were analyzed for schizophrenia as a whole or analyzed in consideration of those clinical subtypes. Lichter and colleagues [1993] have reported that at least 25 haplotypes exist for this polymorphic region of the dopamine receptor D4 gene. In this study only the alleles created by length polymorphism were analyzed, and further investigation to determine the haplotypes of patients and controls on using a much larger sample size will be required.
A developmentally regulated member of the sialyltransferase family (ST8Sia II, STX) is a polysialic acid synthase.
We found polysialic acid synthase activity of ST8Sia II (STX) in vitro and in vivo. Previously, we showed that mouse ST8Sia II exhibits alpha 2,3-sialylated N-glycan alpha 2,8-sialyltransferase activity, but the polysialic acid synthase activity of ST8Sia II was not detected at that time [Kojima, N. et al. (1995) FEBS Lett. 360, 1-4]. When fetuin was [14C]sialylated with ST8Sia II and then its N-linked oligosaccharides were analyzed, a part of the N-linked oligosaccharides was eluted in the void volume from a Sephadex G-50 column, and was eluted in the void volume from a Sephadex G-50 column, and was eluted from the DEAE-Toyopearl column at almost the same salt concentration as that where colomic acid was eluted. In addition, a series of 14C-labeled oligo-sialic acids were obtained from the oligosaccharides on partial mild acid hydrolysis. These results indicated that a part of N-linked oligosaccharides of fetuin were polysialylated with ST8Sia II. Transfection of ST8Sia II gene into several cell lines including NIH3T3 led to the expression of polysialic acids on the cell surface. Thus, ST8Sia II can directly synthesize polysialic acid chains on alpha 2,3-sialylated N-linked oligosaccharides of glycoproteins without any initiator sialytransferase.
GTP cyclohydrolase I gene in hereditary progressive dystonia with marked diurnal fluctuation.
We previously reported four different mutations in the coding region of GTP cyclohydrolase I (GCH-I) gene in patients with hereditary progressive dystonia with marked diurnal fluctuation (HPD). We found two independent new mutations (leucine 79 proline and a deletion in exon 4) in patients with HPD. We also found four families of HPD without any mutations in the coding region of GCH-I gene.
Changes of growth inhibitory factor after stab wounds in rat brain.
The growth inhibitory factor (GIF) is a new metallothionein (MT)-like protein that is downregulated in Alzheimer's disease (AD) brain. The biological function of GIF has not been fully clarified yet. We have raised an antibody to the synthetic polypeptide that is specific for rat GIF. The purified antibody reacted to recombinant GIF and native rat GIF but not to MT or maltose-binding protein. Using the antibody and GIF cDNA probe, we investigated changes of GIF and GIF mRNA by Western and Northern blotting techniques in rat brains after stab wounds. The levels of GIF and GIF mRNA began to increase 4 days postoperation, reached a maximum at 14-21 days and sustained the increased level at least through 28 days. While both glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) and GIF were recognized in astrocytes, the increases of these 2 proteins after stab wounds showed different patterns. The results indicated that GIF could play an important role in the repair after brain damage and also produce new insights into the mechanism of gliosis investigated mainly from the viewpoint of GFAP.
Direct detection of expanded (CAG/CTG) repeats in the myotonin-protein kinase genes of myotonic dystrophy patients using a high-stringency hybridization method.
Recent discoveries of genes containing (CAG/CTG) repeats as the causative genes for neuromuscular diseases suggest that trinucleotide repeat expansions are associated with a number of other neurodegenerative diseases, particularly in those showing genetic anticipation. In order to efficiently identify expanded trinucleotide repeats, we have developed a novel method using a single-stranded probe containing (CAG)55, which allows direct detection of expanded (CAG/CTG) repeats in the myotonin-protein kinase (Mt-PK) genes of patients with myotonic dystrophy without the need for any prior information of chromosomal localizations of the disease genes. This method is expected to be useful for identifying novel genes for diseases associated with expanded (CAG/CTG) repeats.
[A case of consciousness disorder, convulsion, meningeal stimulation, ocular motility disorder and ataxia induced by cyclosporin].
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