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Biomedical subjects

S Tsuji

Publications and source records attributed to S Tsuji.

At least 937 records · Page 52Linked to original sources
PubMed1984

Phylogenetical and ontogenetical studies on the molecular weight heterogeneity of bovine serum transferrin.

Antitransferrin (Tf) rabbit serum was highly specific: it reacted with Tfs of ruminants, such as European breeds and Zebu breeds of cattle, Bali cattle, banteng, swamp and river types of water buffalo, anoa, goat, sheep, deer, antelope, camel, and giraffe, but did not react with serum of other non-ruminant species, such as pig, wild boar, hippopotamus, horse, rabbit, rat, chicken, etc. Electrophoresis of Tf and immunoglobulin G (IgG) complexes was carried out using sodium dodecyl sulfate--polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE). Within ruminants, the following species showed two Tf molecules on SDS-PAGE; European and Zebu cattle, Bali cattle, banteng, two types of water buffalo, and two species of anoa. Other ruminants, sheep, goat, deer, antelope, camel, and giraffe, etc., showed only one Tf molecule. The Tf heterogeneity in molecular weight was, thus, restricted to Bos, Bubalus, and Anoa. The molecular weight of Tf of water buffalo was slightly larger than that of cattle on the gel. The peptide pattern from cyanogen bromide cleavage of Tf of the water buffalo differed clearly from that of cattle. Fetal Tf showed only one molecule during development, but a newborn calf has two Tf molecules, (one large and one small) within 18 hr after birth. We suggest, therefore, that the small molecules formed during the last month of gestation. The peptide patterns of adult and fetal Tfs cleaved by cyanogen bromide differed with regard to the two large peptides; fetal Tf, lacking the second-largest peptide, had twice the amount of the largest peptide compared with adult Tf. From these results, we suggest that a change in peptide sequence occurs from the last month of gestation, when the largest peptide is degraded to the second largest. However, a Tf-like protein detected in the liver microsomal fraction has only one molecular size, both in adult and in fetal livers.

Animals↗
PubMed1984

Molecular weight heterogeneity of bovine serum transferrin.

Cattle transferrin (Tf) was purified from serum of variant A and four bands were isolated. The peptide patterns of these bands when cleaved by proteases and by cyanogen bromide (BrCN) were compared, using sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE). Variant A displays two groups of molecules--large (L) and small (S)--on SDS-PAGE; the molecular weight of the L bands is 78,400 +/- 1700 and that of the S bands is 72,000 +/- 1700. However, S-band molecules could not be produced artificially by heat treatment of L bands in the presence of SDS and 2-mercaptoethanol. Since deglycosylated Tf also showed molecular weight heterogeneity, the sugar moieties of Tf other than sialic acids were not the cause of the heterogeneity. These results suggest that heterogeneity within a given variant is due to the presence of two kinds of molecule of different molecular weight. The peptide patterns of L and S bands produced by proteases and those produced by BrCN were distinctly different from each other. However, the stepwise degradation patterns of L and S bands resembled each other when treated with both chymotrypsin and BrCN. This suggests that L-band molecules differ from S-band molecules only in the presence of an additional carboxyl-terminal peptide.

Alleles↗
PubMed1984

Subcortical, thalamic and cortical somatosensory evoked potentials to median nerve stimulation.

Subcortical and cortical somatosensory evoked potentials (SEPs) to median nerve stimulation were studied in 16 normal controls, 3 patients with Parkinson's disease, and 2 patients with thalamic lesions. Multiple electrodes were placed over the scalp and cervical spines and connected with a hand electrode or Fz in grid II. Thalamic SEPs were recorded directly from the Vim nucleus in 3 patients with Parkinson's disease during the stereotaxic operation. SEPs recorded from the scalp-hand derivations were composed of 4 negative (N9, N11, N16, N18) and 3 positive potentials (P8, P10, P12), whereas, at the scalp-Fz electrode, only one negative peak was identified (N20). N18 is of higher amplitude on the parieto-occipital areas and corresponds to N20. On the other hand, N16 can be identified more clearly on the fronto-central areas at scalp-hand derivations because of intermixture with N18 on the posterior head areas and disappears at scalp-scalp derivation. This suggests that N16 represents a subcortical component that is picked up as a far-field potential at the scalp electrodes. Components preceding N16 at scalp-hand derivations are also interpreted as far-field potentials because of their short latency and wide distribution over the scalp. The peak latency of N16 is not significantly different from the major negativity recorded directly from the thalamus, whereas N18 (N20) occurs significantly later. From this we conclude that N16 is most probably generated in the thalamus with the potentials of shorter latency originating caudal to the thalamus and N18 rostral to the thalamus.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1984

Subcortical and cortical somatosensory potentials evoked by posterior tibial nerve stimulation: normative values.

Cortical somatosensory evoked potentials to posterior tibial nerve stimulation were obtained in 29 normal controls varying in age and body height. In obtaining these potentials we varied recording derivations and frequency settings. Our recordings demonstrated the following points: N20 (dorsal cord potential) and the early cortical components (P2, N2) were the only potentials that were consistently recorded. All other subcortical components (N18, N24, P27, N30) were of relatively low amplitude and not infrequently absent even in normals. All absolute latencies other than N2 were correlated with body height. However, interpeak latency differences were independent of body height. Below the age of 20, subcortical but not cortical peak latencies correlated with age, but this appeared to be due to changes in body height in this age group. Absolute amplitudes and amplitude ratios (left/right and uni/bilateral) showed marked interindividual variability and have very limited value in defining abnormality. The use of restricted filter windows facilitated the selective recording of postsynaptic potentials (30-250 Hz) and action potentials (150-1500 Hz).

Adolescent↗
PubMed1984

Effect of stimulus intensity on subcortical and cortical somatosensory evoked potentials by posterior tibial nerve stimulation.

The effects of stimulus intensity on subcortical and cortical somatosensory evoked potentials (SEPs) to posterior tibial nerve (PTN) stimulation were studied in 16 normal controls. Stimulus intensity was evaluated as a function of sensory threshold (S). Motor threshold (M) varied between 1 S and 2 S. The amplitude of N18 (afferent volley immediately before it enters the spinal canal) increased approximately linearly up to at least 4.5 S. N20 (dorsal cord potential) also demonstrated a linear increase up to at least 4 S but the rate of increase was significantly smaller. All central components (subcortical brain-stem components P27 and N30, and cortical components N1 and P2) showed an even smaller rate of increase which was non-linear and reached a plateau at 3 S. The relatively higher rate of increase of N18 as compared with N20 was most probably due to the recording of sensory impulses plus antidromic impulses in motor fibers. The smaller rate of increase and early saturation of all the central components compared with N20 suggests that of all the afferent fibers generating N20 only the low threshold fibers participate in the generation of more central components. Stimulus intensities of 3 S are recommended for clinical studies of the central SEPs to PTN stimulation.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1984

Fatty acid elongation activity in fibroblasts from patients with adrenoleukodystrophy (ALD).

The activities of microsomal fatty acid elongation and cytoplasmic de novo fatty acid synthesis were measured in human cultured skin fibroblasts. Both activities in fibroblasts from normal controls and patients with adrenoleukodystrophy (ALD) were compared and slight but a significant increase of elongation activities in ALD fibroblasts was demonstrated. On the other hand, there were no significant differences in the fatty acid synthetase activities. In this study, we measured microsomal fatty acid elongation activities in the presence of N-ethylmaleimide, which completely inhibited the activity of contaminating fatty acid synthetase and also the degradation of fatty acids, and made accurate determination of the elongation activities possible.

Adrenoleukodystrophy↗
PubMed1984

Increase in reflex vasoconstriction with indomethacin in patients with orthostatic hypotension and central nervous system involvement.

Since indomethacin may be effective in the treatment of orthostatic hypotension, the ability of this drug to increase reflex vasoconstriction was studied in six patients with orthostatic hypotension and in five normal subjects. Reflex forearm vasoconstriction during lower body negative pressure at 20-40 mm Hg was measured before and after indomethacin 50 mg by mouth. In patients with orthostatic hypotension and central nervous system involvement indomethacin increased recumbent blood pressure, resting forearm vascular resistance, and reflex forearm vasoconstriction during lower body negative pressure. The fall in blood pressure with lower body negative pressure was not significantly inhibited by indomethacin, but mean blood pressure during lower body negative pressure was higher after than before indomethacin. Indomethacin did not alter these responses in normal subjects. The increase in reflex vasoconstriction with indomethacin may contribute to its therapeutic effects in the treatment of orthostatic hypotension.

Adult↗
PubMed1983

Lysosomal sialidase deficiency in sialidosis with partial beta-galactosidase deficiency.

We analyzed the subcellular localization of sialidases in human lymphocytes from a patient with adult type sialidosis with partial beta-galactosidase deficiency and normal controls. Sialidase activities were measured with alpha,2 leads to 3 NeuAc-lactitol, 4-methylumbelliferyl-NeuAc and GM3 ganglioside as substrates. Sialidases in the lysosomes were sonication-labile and hydrolyzed mainly hydrophilic substrates such as NeuAc-lactitol and 4-methylumbelliferyl-NeuAc, but hydrolyzed subsidiarily GM3 ganglioside. On the other hand, sialidases in the plasma membrane were sonication-stable and hydrolyzed both hydrophilic substrates and GM3 ganglioside. In sialidosis with partial beta-galactosidase deficiency, the sialidases of the lysosomes showed 3-5% activity toward hydrophilic substrates and 25% activity toward GM3 ganglioside as compared with sialidase activities of the controls. However, there are no differences in the activities of the sialidases in the plasma membrane. These results demonstrate that the essential defect in this disease is the deficiency of a lysosomal sialidase.

Carbohydrate Metabolism, Inborn Errors↗
PubMed1983

Genetic control of ornithine transcarbamylase induction in chick kidney.

After ornithine transcarbamylase (OTC) induction by egg-yolk feeding, OTC activity increases rapidly in chicks bearing an Ocb gene. This response to an egg yolk diet does not appear in chicks having no Ocb gene (showing low OTC activity). The chicks showing intermediate OTC activity also respond to the diet, but moderately. Crossing experiments revealed that OTC induction by egg yolk-diet feeding is inherited as a simple autosomal dominant trait. Since a chick develops during embryonic life by utilizing egg yolk from the yolk sac, the variation of OTC activity among chicken breeds and within a breed in 2-day-old chicks seems to depend on a genetically controlled difference of inducibility by egg yolk. The Ocb is an autosomal gene which controls the induction of OTC activity, but it is difficult to explain the consistent difference in OTC activity between sexes by involving this gene or this locus alone.

Animals↗
PubMed1983

Genetically controlled quantitative variation of ornithine transcarbamylase in the chick kidney.

This experiment was made to show that the marked variation in ornithine transcarbamylase (OTC) activity observed within a chicken breed or among breeds is due to quantitative changes, not qualitative ones. The enzyme was partially purified from three different chicken breeds, the White Leghorn B line, the Cochin Bantam breed, and a commercial line named "G," by the following steps: (i) extraction of OTC with Triton X-100 and cetyl-trimethylammonium bromide, (ii) heating, and (iii) salting-out column chromatography. No difference was shown immunologically, enzymologically, or physicochemically among the partially purified OTCs. The enzyme amount determined using anti-bovine OTC antiserum was related linearly to the enzyme activity either from the same chicken breed or from different breeds. These results suggest that marked variation in OTC activity reflects variation in the amount of enzyme synthesized in the kidney, and this is controlled by regulatory genes encoded on an autosome, not the structural gene.

Animals↗
PubMed1983

A modification of thiocholine-ferricyanide method of Karnovsky and Roots for localization of acetylcholinesterase activity without interference by Koelle's copper thiocholine iodide precipitate.

In the original Karnovsky and Roots' method for the localization of acetylcholinesterase (AChE), thiocholine reduces the ferricyanide and cupric ions of this medium competitively, giving simultaneously cupric (Koelle's precipitate) as histochemical products. We modified the method in order to promote the true Karnovsky's reaction, and to slow down the secondary Koelle's reaction by increasing the concentration of the ferricyanide ion from 0.5 mM to 5.0 mM and by decreasing the concentration of the cupric ion from 3.0 mM to 2.5 mM. The cupric ion, complexed with 5 mM sodium citrate in the original method, was further stabilized by the use of 0.1 M citrate buffer in order to prevent the interaction of cupric ion with increased ferricyanide. In order to suppress completely the residual Koelle's precipitate, we used acetylthiocholine chloride as a substrate, instead of acetylthiocholine iodide. The chloride salt of cuprous thiocholine is soluble, contrary to the iodide salt. In addition, the pH of the medium was lowered from 6.0 to 5.0 to avoid artefactual nuclear staining, appearing at a pH beyond 5.5. In this modified medium, Karnovsky's cupric ferrocyanide becomes the sole precipitate at the enzymatic site and this provides fine localization of acetylcholinesterase activity.

Acetylcholinesterase↗
PubMed1983

Molybdic and tungstic heteropolyanions for "ionic fixation" of acetylcholine in cholinergic motor nerve terminals.

The treatment of neuromuscular junctions with phosphomolybdic acid (PMA) and silicotungstic acid (STA) heteropolyanions permits the visualization of electron dense precipitates in the synaptic vesicles of the cholinergic motor nerve terminals. At the light microscopic level, the uncolored molybdenum salt is visualized after reduction to molybdenum blue. The blue coloration is confined to the nerve terminals. Since PMA and STA are known as strong precipitating agents of quaternary ammonium compounds (cations) it is supposed that they have insolubilized in situ the acetylcholine (Ach) of the synaptic vesicles by means of a rapid ionic interaction. Furthermore, in spite of the strong acidity of PMA and STA solutions, the ultrastructure of the treated tissue is not significantly altered but on the contrary seems to be well preserved. The ionic insolubilization of Ach, added to the good preservation of the ultrastructure prompted us to use the term "ionic fixation".

Acetylcholine↗
PubMed1983

GQ1b, a bioactive ganglioside that exhibits novel nerve growth factor (NGF)-like activities in the two neuroblastoma cell lines.

To clarify the role of gangliosides in the morphological and biochemical differentiation of neuronal cell cultures, the model cell culture system represented by two neuroblastoma cell lines, GOTO and NB-1, which were established from adrenal gland and metastatic neck lymph node, respectively, was examined. We found that the total ganglioside fraction from human brain had two remarkable effects on these cell lines, which are similar to those of nerve growth factor (NGF): (a) an increase in the cell number, and (b) an increase in the neurite number and the total length of neurites. In these cases, the genuine effector in total gangliosides could not be ascribed to a possibly contaminating NGF-like protein, but rather to a particular molecular species of the gangliosides, GQ1b, which could completely replace the effector function not only qualitatively but also quantitatively. Our results provide direct evidence for the participation of gangliosides in such functions.

Cell Line↗
PubMed1983

Chicken ornithine transcarbamylase: purification and some properties.

Ornithine transcarbamylase [EC 2.1.3.3] has been purified from chick kidney to homogeneity. The molecular weight is 110,000 as determined by gel filtration. Sodium dodecylsulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis of the enzyme showed that the enzyme exists as a trimer of identical subunits of 36,000 daltons like other mammalian species ornithine transcarbamylases. In 0.1 M triethanolamine/HCl, the apparent optimum pH of the purified enzyme was 7.5 in the presence of 5 mM ornithine. The curve shifted toward a more alkaline region with a decrease in ornithine concentration. The specific activity of the purified enzyme as 77 units at pH 7.5. The Km for carbamyl phosphate was 0.11 mM and the Km for ornithine was 1.21 mM. With an increase in pH, a decrease in Km values for ornithine and an increase in the extent of inhibition by ornithine were observed. On using antibody against bovine liver ornithine transcarbamylase, the precipitin lines for the chick and bovine enzymes showed a spur pattern. Even when excess amounts of the antibody were added, the chick enzyme did not lose the activity while the bovine enzyme activity was inhibited completely.

Animals↗
PubMed1983

Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease in Japan.

In a nationwide survey of Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD) in Japan, the point prevalence rate on June 1, 1978 in Fukuoka Prefecture and the estimated national prevalence rate were approximately one per one million population. The minimal period prevalence rate was 0.45 per one million population. The minimal annual incidence and the minimal annual mortality rate were 0.19 and 0.15 per one million population, respectively. The geographic distribution of CJD in Japan was uniform. Clinically, CJD affected the central nervous system diffusely and was rapidly fatal. No specific features were found in family, social, and past histories.

Adult↗