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T Arao

Publications and source records attributed to T Arao.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources

[Development of a functional fitness test for the elderly].

A test of functional fitness defined as physical capacity to independently perform daily functional activities was developed for aged persons. The functional fitness test was composed of four physical capacity evaluation tasks representing physical abilities necessary to perform main activities of daily living; viz. sitting and standing up test, zig-zag walking test, hand working test with pegboard for dexterity evaluation, and rope working test for self-care evaluation. The reliability and feasibility of the test were examined with 765 aged persons living in the community. The distribution of measurement values in each item showed neither extreme skewness nor kurtosis. Retest reliabilities for each task were 0.857 to 0.942, but the second trial showed significantly reduced (p < 0.001) values than the first trial in test-retest. Significant relationships (r = 0.503 to 0.627) between measurement values in each items and chronological age were found in both male and female. Functional fitness test and physical fitness test scores were correlated 0.740. These results showed that the functional fitness test developed in the present study has a high reliability and feasibility to evaluate functional capacity of daily living in aged persons.

Activities of Daily Living↗

Oleanene-type triterpene glycosides from Puerariae Radix. II. Isolation of saponins and the application of tandem mass spectrometry to their structure determination.

A continuing study of the ingredients of Puerariae Radix, the roots of Pueraria lobata (WILLD.) OHWI, which is one of the most important crude drugs, has resulted in the first isolation of four new oleanene-type triterpene glycosides, named kudzusaponins SA1, SA2, SA3 and C1 (1-4). Their structures were determined to be 3-O-beta-D-galactopyranosyl-(1-->2)-beta-D-glucuronopyranosyl soyasapogenol A (1), 3-O-beta-galactopyranosyl-(1-->2)-beta-D-glucuronopyranosyl soyasapogenol A 22-O-alpha-L-arabinopyranoside (2), 3-O-alpha-L-rhamnopyranosyl-(1-->2)-beta-D-galactopyranosyl-(1-->2)-D- glucuronopyranosyl kudzusapogenol C 21-O-beta-D-glucopyranoside (4), respectively. The usefulness of tandem mass spectrometry in the structural determination of oleanene-type triterpene bisdesmosides is also discussed.

Carbohydrate Conformation↗

[Studies on the in vitro binding assay of androgen receptor in rat skeletal muscle].

It is known that some athletes use androgenic anabolic steroids to promote skeletal muscular strength and muscle hypertrophy in response to muscle strength training. However, it is not defined whether anabolic steroids are effective for muscle hypertrophy. In order to make this question clear, we examined the conditions of a binding assay of cytosolic androgen receptor on rat skeletal muscle as the first step. We used 3H-mibolerone as the ligand for specific binding to the androgen receptor. The following conditions of the assay were examined in this study: the incubation temperature and time, concentration of 3H-mibolerone, the effects of monothioglycerol and triamcinolone acetonide, and the effect of repeated freezing and thawing of the samples on binding. It was a suitable condition for an androgen receptor assay that samples prepared from unfrozen fresh muscle were incubated with 16nM 3H-mibolerone at 4 degrees C for 20 hrs, with monothioglycerol (20mM) and triamcinolone acetonide (25 microM) added. Using these assay conditions, we measured the binding capacity of androgen receptor in rat skeletal muscles. The values of Kd and Bmax in M. gastrocnemius were 3.61 +/- 0.60 x 10(-9)M and 3.18 +/- 2.23fmol/mg protein respectively.

Animals↗

Triggering of the vascular permeability reaction by activation of the Hageman factor-prekallikrein system by house dust mite proteinase.

A 30-kilodalton (kDa) proteinase from the house dust mite Dermatophagoides farinae (Df-proteinase) was recently purified (Takahashi et al. (1990) Int. Arch. Allergy Appl. Immunol. 91, 80-85). In this paper we detailed the biological activities of the Df-proteinase. The activation of the kinin cascade by Df-proteinase was examined in vitro by using purified guinea pig Hageman factor (HF), prekallikrein (PK) and high-molecular-weight kininogen (HMWK) and the effect of this proteinase on endogenous human plasma proteinase inhibitors (serpins) and alpha 2-macroglobulin was tested. In addition, enhancement of the vascular permeability reaction in guinea pig skin by Df-proteinase was examined in vivo. These experiments showed that Df-proteinase could activate all the steps of the kinin-generating cascade, i.e., HF, PK and HMWK, and that Df-proteinase retained proteolytic activity even in the presence of an excess amount of endogenous proteinase inhibitors in plasma. We also found that the marked enhancement of the vascular permeability reaction was induced by Df-proteinase via the activation of the kinin-generating cascade without the release of histamine. From these results, we conclude that the proteinase of the house dust mite, Df-proteinase, has the potential to generate bradykinin and that the presence of this proteinase in biological systems would exacerbate inflammatory reactions in some pathological conditions.

Animals↗

Differential expression of melanoma associated antigens in acral lentiginous melanoma and in nodular melanoma lesions.

The reactivity in an avidin-biotin complex immunoperoxidase reaction with a large panel of anti-human melanoma associated antigen (MAA) and anti-HLA monoclonal antibodies of 24 primary and 11 metastatic acral lentiginous melanoma (ALM) lesions was compared to that of 12 primary and 12 metastatic nodular melanoma (NM) lesions. The expression of the membrane bound vitronectin receptor, Mr 110,000 MAA, Mr 97,000 MAA, and intercellular adhesion molecule-1 was significantly lower in both primary and metastatic ALM lesions than in their NM counterparts. Furthermore, primary ALM lesions displayed a significantly lower expression than primary NM lesions of the membrane bound high molecular weight melanoma associated antigen (HMW-MAA), Mr 110,000 MAA, Mr 100,000 MAA, 9-O-acetyl-GD3, GD2-GD3, and GD2, of the cytoplasmic monoclonal antibody 465.12 defined MAA and of transferrin receptor and of HLA-DQ and DP antigens; ALM metastases expressed a significantly lower level of carcinoembryonic antigen-MAA than NM metastases. These antigenic differences do not reflect an antigenic paucity of ALM cells, since ALM lesions express a higher level of T4-tyrosinase than NM lesions and a level of HLA Class I antigens similar to that of NM lesions. In view of the use of HMW-MAA, Mr 97,000 MAA, and GD3 in immunoscintigraphy and/or in immunotherapy, it is noteworthy that the three antigens are expressed in a similar high percentage of ALM metastases and of primary and metastatic NM lesions, while the HMW-MAA is expressed in a markedly lower percentage of primary ALM lesions than Mr 97,000 MAA and GD3. However, the degree of heterogeneity of HMW-MAA within a positive primary ALM lesion, as measured by the percentage of stained melanoma cells, is lower than that of Mr 97,000 MAA and GD3. The expression of the antigens investigated in ALM and NM lesions was not correlated with the presence of lymphocyte infiltrates, melanin content of melanoma cells, and epithelioid and spindle type of melanoma cells in the lesions. On the other hand, the survival of patients with ALM was inversely correlated with the expression of intercellular adhesion molecule 1 or HMW-MAA in their primary lesions. A potential role of HMW-MAA in the course of the disease is suggested by its significantly higher expression in metastatic than in primary ALM lesions.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)

Adult↗

Malignant schwannoma associated with xeroderma pigmentosum in a patient belonging to complementation group D.

A 43-year-old man with xeroderma pigmentosum, XP97TO, was allocated to complementation group D. He had had moderate photosensitivity at age 1 year and freckles by age 6 but no neurologic abnormalities. Nevertheless, his fibroblasts in culture had the XP-D phenotype. They showed a sevenfold hypersensitivity to killing by 254 nm ultraviolet radiation and a diminished level (29%) of unscheduled DNA synthesis. Phototesting revealed delayed maximum erythema at 72 hours after UVB exposure and a lowered minimal erythema dose. Lentigo maligna developed on the patient's face, and a rapidly growing malignant schwannoma was found on the left trigeminal nerve. This may be the first case of a peripheral nervous tissue neoplasm in xeroderma pigmentosum.

Adult↗

Nerve growth factor receptor immunoreactivity on the tunica adventitia of intramuscular blood vessels in childhood muscular dystrophies.

Muscle tissues from cases of childhood neuromuscular disorders were examined immunohistochemically and immunoelectrophoretically using a monoclonal antibody against the human nerve growth factor receptor (NGFR). Strong NGFR immunoreactivity on the tunica adventitia of blood vessels and proliferating peripheral nerve endings in biopsied muscle specimens from muscular dystrophy patients was observed, but it was almost completely absent in specimens from non-diagnostic controls and cases of other neuromuscular disorders. This suggests a process in the sympathetic nervous system involving blood vessels in muscular dystrophies. Immunoblot analysis failed to show a band corresponding to 70-75 kd, the reported molecular size of the NGFR, but showed a clear band corresponding to 25 kd in muscular dystrophy patients, which is assumed to be a detached amino-terminal domain of the NGFR.

Adolescent↗

[Expression of blood group-related antigens Lewis A, Lewis B, CA 19-9, and sialyl SSEA-1 in normal human skin in comparison with the patient's blood type].

Blood Group related antigens Lewis A, Lewis B, CA 19-9, and sialyl SSEA-1 were examined in normal human skin and oral mucosa, using monoclonal antibodies to the respective antigen immunohistochemically. These antigens were not expressed on normal keratinocytes but Lewis A and Lewis B were expressed on oral mucous epithelium. Lewis A, Lewis B, and CA 19-9 were expressed clearly on intraepidermal and dermal eccrine duct, but sialyl SSEA-1 was poorly expressed in some cases. In secreting portion of eccrine gland, Lewis A was expressed in 20%, Lewis B was expressed in 70%, and CA 19-9 was expressed in 10%, and sialyl SSEA-1 was expressed weakly in 20% of cases. It's noteworthy that sialyl SSEA-1 was expressed on dendritic cell in epidermis and some infiltrated small round cell in dermis. There is no correlation between patient's peripheral blood type (Lewis) and expression of Lewis antigen in normal skin.

Adult↗

Differentiation and maturation of macrophages into interdigitating cells and their multicellular complex formation in the fetal and postnatal rat thymus.

Three mouse anti-rat macrophage monoclonal antibodies, TRPM-1, TRPM-2, and TRPM-3, as well as anti-rat Ia monoclonal antibody, were used to study the emergence, differentiation, and maturation of macrophages in the fetal and postnatal rat thymus immunohistochemically and immunoelectron microscopically. At 14 days of gestation, primitive/fetal macrophages entered the thymic primordium and showed Ia expression, where afterwards the epithelial cells also expressed Ia antigens prominently at 15 days of gestation. After 16 days of gestation, differentiation of a subpopulation of primitive/fetal macrophages into interdigitating cells (IDCs) is suggested. From 19 days of gestation, TRPM-1-positive dendritic cells including IDCs started forming multicellular complexes with thymocytes and the epithelial cells also formed similar complexes with thymocytes. One day after birth, TRPM-1 positive IDC-thymocyte complexes distributed throughout the thymic medulla. The number of TRPM-1- and Ia-positive IDCs increased by day, and Langerhans cells (LCs) appeared in the thymic medulla within a few days after birth. By two weeks after birth, the distribution pattern of Ia- and TRPM-1-positive cells became similar to that of adult rats. In ontogeny, intimate cell membrane appositions were frequently observed between thymocytes and Ia-positive epithelial cells or IDCs in the thymic multicellular complexes. These complexes were discriminated into two types; epithelial cell-thymocyte complexes and IDC- or LC-thymocyte ones. In vitro, two types of the thymic nurse cells (TNCs) were identified: epithelial cells and IDCs or LCs. Besides epithelial cells, IDCs or macrophages formed rosettes with thymocytes. These TNCs and rosettes in vitro seem to correspond to the thymic multicellular complexes in vivo.

Animals↗

[Evaluation criteria for chemotherapeutics for malignant skin carcinomas].

Malignant skin carcinomas occur in a large variety of forms, among them malignant melanoma with a poor prognosis, such as squamous cell carcinoma, basal cell carcinoma, appendix tumors of skin (e.g., sweat gland carcinoma, sebaceous gland carcinoma), metastatic carcinomas of skin, intraepidermal carcinomas (e.g., Bowen's disease, Paget's disease) and mesenchymal carcinomas including mycosis fungoides (cutaneous T cell lymphoma). Furthermore, not only do they present with varied clinical symptoms, some forming tumors or erythemas, some being infiltrative in nature and some being flat in shape, but the clinical symptoms also vary with time during treatment. All these conditions conspire to make the evaluation of chemotherapeutics complicated and difficult. In the field of dermatology topical drugs provide a no less powerful weapon than drugs for systemic administration with which to combat skin carcinomas and are simple and easy to administer. In consideration of those clinical and therapeutic aspects of malignant skin carcinomas new evaluation criteria for chemotherapeutics for topical and systemic administration have been established by adding three-way measurement to the conventional methods of one- and two-way measurement for measurable lesions along with the evaluation of the response of clinical symptoms to chemotherapeutics in unmeasurable carcinomas. The new version of criteria is based in its general framework on the Japan Society for Cancer Therapy's Evaluation Criteria for Chemotherapeutics for Solid Carcinomas by Koyama and Saito and the new version has been approved at the 26th general meeting of the Japan Society for Cancer Therapy (1988, Niigata).

Administration, Cutaneous↗

'Cystic papilloma' in humans? Demonstration of human papillomavirus in plantar epidermoid cysts.

Fourteen cases of plantar epidermoid cyst were studied immunohistochemically and five of them were also studied electron microscopically for the presence of human papillomavirus. In eleven cases, the test results were positive for papillomavirus antigens, and in five of them, papillomaviruslike particles were observed by electron microscopy. Histological examination showed most of the cysts to contain intracytoplasmic eosinophilic bodies in cells of the cyst wall as well as the vacuolar structures in the keratinous mass within the cavity. These findings suggest an etiologic association between the papillomavirus and plantar epidermoid cysts. The "cystic papilloma" produced in rabbits by the Shope papillomavirus has been clearly demonstrated. We propose that human papillomaviruses play an important role in the genesis of plantar epidermoid cysts. This is the first report on the possible existence of a cystic papilloma in humans.

Adolescent↗

[Expression of HLA-class I and II antigens on basal cell carcinoma].

Sixteen cases of Basal Cell Carcinoma have been tested with monoclonal antibodies to HLA-class I, beta 2-microglobulin, HLA-DR, DP and DQ antigens immunohistochemically using frozen tissues. HLA-class I antigens were expressed weakly on BCC in thirteen and fifteen out of sixteen cases using two different monoclonal antibodies respectively. beta 2-microglobulin was expressed differently with the same intensity as normal epidermis in 6 cases, weaker than normal epidermis in 8 cases and absent in 2 cases. There is no correlation with the expression of HLA-class I between histological type and lymphocyte infiltration. On the other hand, HLA-DR, DP and DQ antigens were positive in 4, 3 and 3 cases respectively. But the percentage of positive cells for HLA-class II were only 1-2%. The expression of HLA-DR antigen was most strongest among HLA-class II antigens.

Aged↗

[Expression of gangliosides on malignant melanoma].

Seventeen primary and sixteen metastatic surgically removed melanoma lesions were stained indirect immunoperoxidase with anti-GD3, GD2, GD2 + GD3, and acetyl-GD3 monoclonal antibodies. In primary melanoma 94%, 59%, 53%, and 76% of the lesions tested were evidently stained by anti-GD3, GD2, GD2 + GD3, and acetyl-GD3 monoclonal antibodies, respectively. In metastatic lesions 94%, 63%, 31%, and 31% of the lesions were stained by monoclonal antibodies, respectively. Expression of GD2 + GD3 and acetyl-GD3 were evidently decreased from primary lesion to metastatic lesions. And the heterogeneity of positive cells in lesions were noteworthy. It is also interesting that expression of ganglioside in ALM were much decreased than that of ganglioside in NM.

Adult↗

[Expression of nerve growth factor-receptor in normal skin and melanocytic tumor].

Immunohistochemical localization of nerve growth factor (NGF) receptor in normal skin and melanocytic tumor was analysed using monoclonal antibody. In normal skin and fetal skin NGF receptor was good marker for cutaneous nerve sheath and schwann cells. In melanocytic lineage, the NGF receptor was not expressed in fetal, normal and dermal melanocyte and weakly positive in only small part of nevus cell nest. Positive staining was seen in primary and metastatic melanoma lesion and restricted to melanoma cell membrane. The distribution of the receptor suggests that the NGF-receptor may be involved in the control of proliferation and malignant transformation in melanocytic lineage.

Humans↗

[Detection of papillomavirus common antigens in plantar epidermoid cysts].

A total of 23 cases of human papillomavirus-associated epidermoid cysts, including one presented here, have been reported in Japan. A review of the literature revealed that the appearance of eosinophilic intracellular substances and that of vacuolar substances in the horny layer of cysts characterize these cases. High detection of human papillomavirus, the pathological features in these cases, and the observation of our case from the onset in which verrucous lesions had preceded a cyst may favor the possibility that HPV would directly produce cysts in these cases.

Adolescent↗

[Expression of HLA-class II antigens in malignant melanoma].

Sixteen primary and ten metastatic melanoma lesions were stained in indirect immunoperoxidase with HLA-DR, DP and DQ monoclonal antibodies. In primary lesions, HLA-DR, DQ and DP antigens were much more expressed in nodular melanoma lesions than in acral lentiginous melanoma lesions. In metastatic lesions HLA-DR, DQ and DP antigens were expressed more than in primary lesions, but there were no significant differences between ALM and NM. In primary melanoma, 82%, 75%, and 75% of lesions tested were stained by anti HLA-DR, DP and DQ monoclonal antibodies, respectively. In metastatic melanoma, 90% of the lesions tested were stained by anti HLA-DR, DP and DQ monoclonal antibodies. HLA-class II antigens on melanoma cells were much more expressed in cases of high levels of invasion, high degrees of lymphocyte infiltration, and lower melanin content.

Adult↗

[Analysis of anti HMW.MAA antibodies in sera of melanoma patients using antiidiotypic monoclonal antibodies].

The immunogenicity in patients with melanoma of three high molecular weight melanoma associated antigens (HMW.MAA) defined by murine monoclonal antibodies (MoAb) was investigated. For this end sera from patients with melanoma (stage I, IV) and normal individuals were tested by inhibition assay and sandwich assay using antiidiotypic MoAb to anti HMW.MAA MoAb. In inhibition assay, sera were tested for their ability to inhibit the binding of murine antiidiotypic MoAbs to biotin conjugated anti HMW.MAA MoAbs. Some of the sera from patients with melanoma significantly inhibited the binding of antiidiotypic MoAb to anti HMW.MAA MoAb in comparison with that from normal individuals. In sandwich assay, sera were tested for their ability to bind to precoated murine antiidiotypic MoAb and to biotin conjugated anti HMW.MAA MoAbs. Positive findings suggest the existence of anti HMW.MAA antibodies in sera were showed in several sera from the patients, which were less in frequency than that in inhibition assay. These results suggest that HMW.MAA could elicit the immune response in some melanoma patients and also suggest that the assay anti HMW.MAA MoAb in sera will help us to understand the prognosis of the patients and to evaluate the usefulness of treatment with antiidiotypic MoAb as vaccine therapy.

Antibodies, Monoclonal↗