Biomedical subjects

Shinji Takai

Publications and source records attributed to Shinji Takai.

111 records · Page 7Linked to original sources

PubMed2002

The Role of Chymase in Vascular Proliferation.

In vascular tissues, angiotensin II is potentially cleaved from angiotensin I by chymase and angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE). Chymase is stored in mast cells and has no enzymatic activity in the normal state. Chymase is activated immediately upon its release into the extracellular matrix in vascular tissues after mast cells have been activated by stimuli such as vessel injury by grafting or a balloon catheter. In dog grafted veins, chymase activity is increased, and the vascular proliferation is suppressed by either a chymase inhibitor or an angiotensin II receptor blocker. After balloon injury in dog vessels, chymase activity is locally increased in the injured artery, and a chymase inhibitor is effective in preventing the vascular proliferation, but an ACE inhibitor is ineffective. Chymase plays an important role in the development of vascular proliferation via the induction of local angiotensin II formation in injured vessels. (c) 2002 Prous Science. All rights reserved.

Journal Article↗

PubMed2002

Identification of virulence-associated antigens and plasmids in Rhodococcus equi from patients with acquired immune deficiency syndrome and prevalence of virulent R. equi in soil collected from domestic animal farms in Chiang Mai, Thailand.

The prevalence of virulent Rhodococcus equi in soil collected from 17 domestic animal farms (from 12 cattle, 1 pig, and 4 horse farms) and in 6 clinical specimens from patients with acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS) in Chiang Mai, Thailand, was investigated. The isolates were tested for the presence of 15-17-kDa antigens (VapA) and a 20-kDa antigen (VapB) by immunoblotting and for the presence of virulence plasmid DNA. Rhodococcus equi was isolated from most soil samples (68 of 80) obtained from the 17 farms, with 2.0 x 10(2) to 6.0 x 10(5) colony-forming units per gram of soil. We detected VapA in none of the 537 isolates from the soil samples. In one isolate from a pig farm, both VapB and virulence plasmid DNA were detected. Of the 6 clinical isolates from patients with AIDS, however, 4 isolates contained both VapB and virulence plasmid DNA. The remaining 2 isolates were avirulent.

AIDS-Related Opportunistic Infections↗

PubMed2002

[Involvement of angiotensin II in development of atherosclerosis].

Angiotensin II has been shown to be a potent vasoconstrictor, and it may promote in the development of atherosclerosis. Hyperlipidemia and hypertension is a risk factor for atherosclerosis, but reductions in lipid levels and blood pressure do not necessarily result in blocking lesion development in animal models of atherosclerosis. We previously reported that tissue angiotensin II levels in atherosclerotic lesion in monkeys fed a high cholesterol diet were increased significantly compared with that in normal lesion. In this atherosclerotic model, an angiotensin II type 1 receptor blocker(ARB) significantly reduced the progression of atherosclerosis, while it did not affect blood pressure and plasma cholesterol levels. Increase of angiotensin II action may play an important role in the development of atherosclerosis.

Angiotensin II↗