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Biomedical subjects

S Tsuji

Publications and source records attributed to S Tsuji.

At least 649 records · Page 36Linked to original sources

Chromosomal localization of the epsilon 1, epsilon 3 and zeta 1 subunit genes of the human NMDA receptor channel.

Partial complementary DNAs for the epsilon 1, epsilon 3 and zeta 1 subunits of the human N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptor channel were cloned using the corresponding mouse subunit cDNA clones as probes. Genomic DNA clones for the human epsilon 1, epsilon 3 and zeta 1 subunit genes were isolated using the corresponding partial cDNA clones as probes. By the fluorescence in situ hybridization, we mapped the genes for the epsilon 1, epsilon 3 and zeta 1 subunits of the human NMDA receptor channel to chromosomes 16p13, 17q25 and 9q34, respectively.

Adult↗

[A case of acute polyradiculoneuropathy with autonomic disturbances following rubella infection].

A 32-year-old man developed a rash on his body and extremities following acute fever of a few days duration, and also noticed pain and spontaneous tingling sensations in his lower extremities. Because severe pneumonia with dyspnea and low arterial blood oxygen concentration were found on examination, he was admitted and treated. After recovering from pneumonia in two months, he complained of abdominal symptoms, such as constipation, nausea and vomiting, spontaneous tingling sensations in the lower extremities, and orthostatic dizziness and fainting. On neurological examination, a mild to moderate muscle weakness was found in the distal muscles of both extremities. The ankle jerk was absent. Both superficial and deep sensations were moderately to severely decreased in the feet with positive Romberg's sign. Constipation and vomiting with nausea were noted. Clinical and laboratory examinations revealed marked orthostatic hypotension and hypohidrosis. Motor and sensory conduction studies indicated the presence of axonal degeneration and segmental demyelination and remyelination in the limbs nerves. CSF examination indicated that protein was 150 mg/dl and the cell count to be 18/mm3. Titer of antibody to rubella virus was significantly elevated. There were no other abnormalities to indicate the cause of motor, sensory and autonomic neuropathies. Therefore, the diagnosis of acute polyradiculoneuropathy with autonomic disturbances after rubella infection, which is rare in the literature, was made.

Acute Disease↗

Molecular cloning and expression of Gal beta 1,3GalNAc alpha 2,3-sialyltransferase from mouse brain.

DNA clones encoding beta-galactoside alpha 2,3-sialyltransferase have been isolated from mouse brain cDNA libraries using sequence information obtained from the conserved amino acid sequence of the previously cloned enzymes. The cDNA sequence revealed an open reading frame coding for 337 amino acids, and the deduced amino acid sequence showed 80% identity with that of porcine submaxillary gland Gal beta 1,3GalNAc alpha 2,3-sialyltransferase. The primary structure of this enzyme suggested a putative domain structure, like that in other glycosyltransferases, consisting of a short NH2-terminal cytoplasmic domain, a signal-membrane anchor domain, a proteolytically sensitive stem region, and a large COOH-terminal active domain. The identity of this enzyme was confirmed by construction of a recombinant sialyltransferase in which the NH2-terminal part including the cytoplasmic tail, signal-anchor domain and stem region was replaced with an immuno-globulin signal sequence. The expression of this recombinant in COS-7 cells resulted in secretion of a catalytically active and soluble form of the enzyme into the medium. This enzyme exhibited the transferase activity toward only the disaccharide moiety of Gal beta 1,3GalNAc of glycoproteins and glycolipids, no significant activity being detected for the other substrates tested.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

A basic transthyretin variant (Glu61-->Lys) causes familial amyloidotic polyneuropathy: protein and DNA sequencing and PCR-induced mutation restriction analysis.

A new mutation of transthyretin (TTR) has been identified in a patient with late-onset familial amyloidotic polyneuropathy (FAP) of Japanese origin. Peptide mapping by reverse-phase high performance liquid chromatography to compare the patient's TTR with normal TTR showed the presence of an abnormal peptide. Amino acid sequence analysis of the peptide (residues 49-61) showed a lysine-for-glutamic acid substitution at position 61. This substitution, verified by direct DNA sequencing, was the result of a guanine to adenine change on exon 3 of the TTR gene. A polymerase chain reaction-induced mutation restriction analysis (PCR-IMRA) system was established to rapidly detect the missense mutation. TTR-Lys61 is the first variant TTR with a replacement of the acidic with basic amino acid to be found in the amyloid precursor proteins of FAP.

Aged↗

Human leukocyte antigens in Fisher's syndrome.

We performed human leukocyte antigens (HLA) typing for class I antigens on 19 Japanese patients with Fisher's syndrome. We demonstrated a statistically significant association between the disease and the HLA-B39 antigen.

Disease Susceptibility↗

A case of tachycardia-induced cardiomyopathy due to chronic ectopic atrial tachycardia.

Only a few reports exist that chronic supraventricular tachycardia causes ventricular dilation and poor left ventricular contraction--so-called "tachycardia-induced cardiomyopathy." Clinical and electrophysiologic features of chronic supraventricular tachycardia including chronic persistent ectopic atrial tachycardia (EAT) in adults have also been described by a few investigators. We report a rare case of long follow-up of chronic EAT-induced severe cardiomyopathy and mitral regurgitation that was well controlled after medical treatment.

Cardiac Catheterization↗

Stereotyped hand clasping: an unusual tardive movement disorder.

We report an 83-year-old woman with vascular parkinsonism who presented with stereotyped rhythmical hand-clasping movements after 18 months exposure to neuroleptics. Although stereotypical rhythmical orolinguomasticatory and limb movements are the most common tardive dyskinesia in the elderly, we feel this woman's hand clasping represents another unusual expression of a tardive movement disorder.

Aged↗

Noninvasive measurements of regional cerebral blood flow using technetium-99m hexamethylpropylene amine oxime.

The previously reported method for quantitative measurements of whole-brain or hemispheric-brain perfusion using technetium-99m hexamethylpropylene amine oxime (HMPAO) radionuclide angiography is now further developed so that regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF) can be measured. Lassen's correction algorithm is used for the linearization of a curve-linear relationship between the radioactivity in the brain and blood flow as seen with single-photon emission tomography (SPET) images. In this algorithm, the cerebral hemisphere was chosen as the reference region and the correction factor alpha was adapted to rCBF in the reference region. This new method of measuring CBF from SPET has been validated in 33 normal subjects and 22 patients with cerebrovascular disease. Regional CBF values in 20 brain regions of the normal subjects were in good agreement with reported values measured by other methods. Regional CBF in the frontal cortex was greater than that in the temporal, parietal or occipital cortex for the entire age range. This hyperfrontal perfusion tended to be less pronounced with advancing age. Seventeen patients with unilateral brain infarction showed significantly lower rCBF than normal subjects. The infarct core showed a low rCBF value of 11.1 ml/100 g/min on average. An increase in rCBF after acetazolamide administration was observed and measured with this method in five patients with unilateral occlusive vascular pathology. These results suggest that this non-invasive method (without any blood sampling) permits the routine measurement of rCBF from HMPAO SPET tomograms of blood flow.

Acetazolamide↗

An adult-type metachromatic leukodystrophy caused by substitution of serine for glycine-122 in arylsulfatase A.

Metachromatic leukodystrophy (MLD) is a lysosomal storage disease with autosomal recessive inheritance caused by a deficiency of the enzyme arylsulfatase A (ASA). We have identified a new mutation in the ASA gene of a patient with adult-type MLD. In this mutation, the glycine at position 122, a highly conserved residue in the AS gene family, was replaced by serine. In a transient expression study, COS cells transfected with the mutant cDNA carrying 122Gly-->Ser did not show an increase of ASA activity and produced little material immunoreactive to an anti-ASA antibody, despite normal mRNA levels.

Adult↗

Mouse adrenal chromaffin cells can transform to neuron-like cholinergic phenotypes after being grafted into the brain.

The development of neuron-like cholinergic immunophenotypes by adrenal chromaffin cells was studied in 10-week-old mouse adrenal medullary grafts. Fragments of chromaffin tissue were implanted into mouse hippocampus, and antibodies specific for neurofilaments (NF), neuron-specific enolase (NSE), choline acetyltransferase (ChAT), acetylcholinesterase (AChE), and phenylethanolamine-N-methyltransferase (PNMT) were applied to the grafts. Adrenal medulla grafts survived well and most of the transplanted cells were either round or polygonal. A minority of chromaffin cells elaborated an intermediate or sympathetic neuron phenotype. Chromaffin cells showed pronounced immunoreactivity for NSE in their perikarya and axon-like processes: immunoreactivity for NF was only found in a few processes. In adjacent immunohistochemically stained sections, the transplanted cells stained for ChAT and AChE. At the electron-microscope level, the immunohistochemical reactions for the two acetylcholine-related enzymes were mainly located on the endoplasmic reticulum and in cell processes. Immunoreactivity for PNMT was found to decline in transplanted chromaffin cells below that of normal adrenal medulla. These observations suggest that, in adrenal medullary grafts implanted into the hippocampus, chromaffin cells are endowed with neuron-like cholinergic immunophenotypes.

Acetylcholinesterase↗

Cell kinetics of mucosal atrophy in rat stomach induced by long-term administration of ammonia.

BACKGROUND: Helicobacter pylori produces ammonia in the stomach from urea. The present study was undertaken to clarify whether ammonia has an etiological role in H. pylori-associated gastric mucosal atrophy. METHODS: Ammonia at 0.01% was administered as drinking water for 8 weeks and mucosal cell migration rate and cell proliferation were investigated in rat stomach. RESULTS: Long-term administration of 0.01% ammonia for 4-8 weeks decreased mucosal thickness in the antrum but not in the body. Acceleration of cell migration preceded the occurrence of mucosal atrophy. Labeling indices in both antral and body mucosa significantly increased in all ammonia-treated groups, compared with those of the control group. In the antrum, the proliferative zone was significantly enlarged as mucosal atrophy developed, whereas, in body mucosa, enlargement of the proliferative zone occurred despite the absence of mucosal atrophy. CONCLUSION: Ammonia at 0.01% accelerates epithelial migration, especially in the antrum, leading to mucosal atrophy. Acceleration of epithelial proliferation occurs during the development of mucosal atrophy.

Ammonia↗

An immunologic abnormality common to Bickerstaff's brain stem encephalitis and Fisher's syndrome.

The nosological position of Bickerstaff's brain stem encephalitis (BBE) has yet to be established, and its etiology is not clear. Because anti-GQ1b antibody frequently occurs in patients with Fisher's syndrome (FS) and there are clinical similarities between FS and BBE, we investigated anti-ganglioside antibodies in sera from 3 BBE patients who had transient long tract signs in addition to acute ophthalmoplegia and cerebellar-like ataxia in order to clarify the etiology and nosological position of BBE. High IgG anti-GQ1b antibody titers were present in all 3 sera samples but decreased with the clinical course of the illness. In contrast, no anti-GQ1b antibody was found in sera from patients with other neurologic diseases which were able to produce transient brain stem disturbance: multiple sclerosis, neuro-Behçet's disease, brain stem infarction, herpes simplex virus encephalitis, and Wernicke's encephalopathy. The finding that BBE and FS shared common autoantibody suggests that autoimmune mechanism common to FS is likely in BBE, and that both conditions represent a distinct disease with a wide spectrum of symptoms that include ophthalmoplegia and ataxia.

Adult↗

Role of Harderian gland on differentiation and proliferation of immunoglobulin A-bearing lymphocytes in chickens.

The mechanism of accumulation of surface immunoglobulin A (sIgA) bearing cells in chicken Harderian gland (HG) was examined. Almost no sIgA-bearing cells were identified in HG of 1.5-week-old chickens. In 3.5-week-old chickens, however, 46.4% of the HG lymphocytes were sIgA-bearing cells. When bursa of Fabricius (BF) lymphocytes were transferred into recipients, BF lymphocytes migrated into the HG but the number of these lymphocytes was extremely small. In addition, no correlation was found between the surface immunoglobulin class of BF lymphocytes that migrated into HG and the migration. HG lymphocytes were co-cultured with HG whole cells (which contained 50-60% configurationally epithelial cells) in a non-contacting manner for 80 h using an Intercell culture vessel. The results showed a significant increase in the ratio of sIgA-bearing cells in HG lymphocytes compared with the control which was cultured without placing HG whole cells in the external well. B lymphocytes that migrated into HG seemed to undergo specific differentiation in situ into sIgA-bearing cells owing to microenvironmental factors, probably humoral factors excreted from HG epithelial cells, and subsequently undergo proliferation to result in accumulation of sIgA-bearing cells in HG tissue.

Animals↗

Molecular cloning of rat growth inhibitory factor cDNA and the expression in the central nervous system.

Human growth inhibitory factor (GIF) is a new metallothionein-related molecule whose expression is markedly reduced in Alzheimer's disease (AD) brain. We have recently isolated a full-length cDNA for human GIF that has a striking homology to metallothioneins (MTs). As an initial step to better understanding of the biological functions of GIF, we have isolated a full-length cDNA for rat GIF. Comparison of the predicted amino acid sequence with that of human GIF revealed a strikingly high homology (84% identity). Rat GIF cDNA also showed a striking homology to rat MT-1 and MT-II (66% and 62% identities on amino acid sequences, respectively). All cysteine residues were conserved among rat GIF, human GIF and MTs, indicating that cysteine residues play an important function in these molecules. Compared to mammalian MTs, there were 3 bp and 12 bp insertions near the amino-terminal and carboxy-terminal regions in the rat GIF. The rat GIF mRNA was found to be expressed exclusively in the central nervous system, being expressed predominantly in rat cortical astrocytes in primary culture. Although the rat GIF mRNA expression was low during the fetal stage, a dramatic increase of the rat GIF mRNA expression was demonstrated during the postnatal period of 10-17 days. These results indicate that transcriptional regulation of the rat GIF gene is quite different from that of MTs despite its strikingly high homology with MTs.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

Two step single primer mediated polymerase chain reaction. Application to cloning of putative mouse, beta-galactoside alpha 2,6-sialyltransferase cDNA.

Using the 2 step single primer mediated polymerase chain reaction(PCR), mouse beta-galactoside alpha 2,6-sialyltransferase cDNA was cloned. Single primer mediated PCR is a method to amplify a particular DNA fragment beyond its known sequence region. It employs only one primer for the reaction. Compared to other PCR methods to amplify an adjacent sequence of known DNA fragment, this method requires no enzymatic manipulation on template DNA and is applicable to a template on long DNA fragment. First, a short DNA fragment of the enzyme was obtained from mouse cDNA by the usual PCR method using degenerate primers synthesized according to a relatively conserved region in rat and human beta-galactoside alpha 2,6-sialyltransferase. Four primers were synthesized based on this sequence, then 2 step single primer mediated PCR were performed to obtain 5' and 3' flanking sequences of this short fragment resulting in 1.0 kb and 1.3 kb fragments being amplified respectively. The integrity of the two fragments was confirmed by an additional PCR using primers synthesized according to the joined sequence, which contained 1.2kb complete putative mouse beta-galactoside alpha 2,6-sialyltransferase coding region. The result showed that the specificity and consequently applicability of the single primer mediated PCR for amplifying a particular DNA fragment beyond known sequence region was remarkably improved by the successive 2nd reaction.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

Comparison of infrared electronic endoscopy using reflection and transmission.

Twelve subjects were examined using both the reflecting type of infrared electronic endoscopy and the transmission method to visualize submucosal gastric architecture. Under transmission infrared illumination, submucosal structures were more clearly observed than by using the reflecting type. Using the transmission method, only the anterior wall of the antrum could be fully visualized, although the anterior wall of the lower corpus was recognized in only 33% of the cases. Furthermore, the upper or middle corpus and the entire posterior wall were not properly recognized using transmission illumination. The entire gastric circumference was visualized with the reflecting type illumination. Both types of infrared illumination of the gastric wall can be used complementarily for visualizing submucosal gastric architecture.

Aged↗