Analysis of factors influencing immediate renal function after cadaveric renal transplantation.
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Publications and source records attributed to T Endo.
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We have recently shown that inferior performance in passive avoidance task is accompanied with decreased hippocampal choline (Ch) in stroke-prone spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHRSP) compared with normotensive control Wistar-Kyoto rats (WKY). We also reported that dietary docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) suppresses the development of hypertension and stroke-related behavioral changes, resulting in the prolongation of the life span of SHRSP. In this study, we examined the effect of dietary DHA on the cerebral acetylcholine (ACh) levels and learning performance in passive avoidance tasks in SHRSP. The arachidonic acid decreased and the DHA increased in plasma lipids dose dependently with dietary DHA treatments, which decreased the systolic blood pressure in SHRSP. Dietary DHA significantly restored the significantly inferior learning performance in passive avoidance response observed in control SHRSP (DHA 0%). Furthermore, the hippocampal ACh levels were correlated positively with the total response latency in passive avoidance tasks. These results suggest that cholinergic dysfunction in the brain of control SHRSP is responsible, at least in part, for the impaired learning ability and the dietary DHA ameliorates this performance failure.
Asparagine-linked sugar chains were quantitatively released from chimpanzee, Rhesus monkey and rat IgA proteins as oligosaccharides by hydrazinolysis, converted to radioactive oligosaccharides by reduction with NaB3H4, and separated into neutral and two acidic fractions by paper electrophoresis. The acidic oligosaccharides were converted to neutral ones by sialidase digestion, indicating that they are sialyl derivatives. However, the content of N-acetyl and N-glycolyl neuraminic acids was different among three species. The neutral and sialidase-treated acidic oligosaccharides were fractionated by Bio-Gel P-4 column chromatography in combination with linkage-specific sequential exoglycosidase digestion. Although IgA molecules from these species have mainly biantennary complex-type sugar chains, the contents of fucose and bisecting N-acetylglucosamine residues displayed marked species differences. In addition to these sugar chains, a small amount of the high mannose-type sugar chains was detected in chimpanzee and rat, but not in Rhesus monkey IgA. These results indicated that the processing of asparagine-linked sugar chains of IgA is different in each species.
We report on a simplified method of cytomorphological in vitro confirmation of newly established lung cancer cell lines by using multicellular tumor spheroids (MTS) and flow cytometry (FCM). Eleven cell lines were established from 11 patients with lung cancer. The MTS were produced by culturing cells in agar-coated dish. Cytomorphological studies were made using smears of crushed MTS and frozen sections of MTS. The MTS were fixed doubly with paraformaldehyde and osmic acid for scanning and transmission electron microscopy. Bivariate fluorescence of fluorescein isothyocyanate (FITC, tumor associated antigen, TAA) and propidium iodide (DNA) were measured by FCM. The MTS grew anchorage-independently. Cytopathological and electron microscopic findings of MTS were similar to those of the original clinical specimens. The DNA index and TAA were useful in evaluating the presence or absence of contamination by cells of non-tumor origin. The new cell lines satisfied a minimum of four conditions to confirm their establishment: (a) they originated from humans, (b) they were cytomorphologically identified with specimens from primary lesions, (c) they showed tumorigenicity, and (d) they were free from contamination by cells of different origin. From these findings, the establishment of new cell lines can be confirmed in vitro by using MTS and FCM.
1. Dietary docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) suppressed the age-dependent increase in systolic blood pressure and prolonged the average survival time of stroke-prone spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHRSP). 2. Dietary DHA (1% and 5% in diets) altered the circadian rhythm of SHRSP, causing significant increases in ambulatory activity during the dark period. At the onset of stroke, desynchronization with light and dark phases and new biological rhythms were noted in all of the control SHRSP (DHA 0%). DHA treated SHRSP did not show such behavioral changes. 3. These effects were accompanied by the increase of DHA and the decrease of AA levels in plasma and brain cortex. 4. It was concluded that dietary DHA suppresses the development of hypertension and stroke-related behavioral changes, resulting in prolongation of the SHRSP's life span.
Double fluorochrome staining with chromomycin A3 (CMA) and 4'-6-diamidino-2-phenylindole (DAPI) was used to characterize and compare the distribution of constitutive heterochromatin along chromosomes of Citrus, Poncirus and Fortunella species. Only CMA-positive bands were distinguishable in metaphase chromosomes. Preferential distribution of heterochromatin in terminal regions, mainly of the long arm, and centromeric regions of a few long chromosomes was a common feature of these genera. Heteromorphism between possible homologous chromosomes was present in the majority of species. Citrus and Poncirus revealed some remarkably uniform chromosomes without any intensively fluorescing region, whereas Fortunella cultivars were differentiated by the presence of CMA bands in all chromosomes. Through measurements assisted by a computer, amounts of CMA-positive regions were shown to be highest in Fortunella. Similarities between Citrus and Poncirus suggest little heterochromatin diversification among karyotypes of these genera, whereas Fortunella, with higher amounts and more homogenous distribution of heterochromatin, is more divergent.
1. It has been shown in animals that substance P as well as acetylcholine releases endothelium-derived nitric oxide and evokes vasodilatation and that ATP-induced vasodilatation is partially mediated by nitric oxide. The aim of this study was to examine whether vasodilator effects of substance P and ATP are mediated by nitric oxide in humans. 2. In healthy volunteers (n = 35), we measured forearm blood flow by a strain-gauge plethysmograph while infusing graded doses of acetylcholine, substance P, ATP or sodium nitroprusside into the brachial artery before and after infusion of NG-monomethyl-L-arginine (4 or 8 mumol/min for 5 min). In addition, we measured forearm blood flow while infusing substance P before and during infusion of L-arginine (10 mg/min, simultaneously), or before and 1 h after oral administration of indomethacin (75 mg). 3. Acetylcholine, substance P, ATP or sodium nitroprusside increased forearm blood flow in a dose-dependent manner. NG-Monomethyl-L-arginine decreased basal forearm blood flow and inhibited acetylcholine-induced vasodilatation but did not affect substance P-, ATP-, or sodium nitroprusside-induced vasodilatation. Neither supplementation of L-arginine nor pretreatment with indomethacin affected substance P-induced vasodilatation. 4. Our results suggest that, in the human forearm vessels, substance P-induced vasodilatation may not be mediated by either nitric oxide or prostaglandins and that ATP-induced vasodilatation may also not be mediated by nitric oxide.
Recent progress in microsurgery and free-tissue transfer has facilitated the one-stage reconstruction of pharyngoesophageal defects. As to flap selection, the forearm flap (RF) is commonly used because of its convenience, but the authors believe that the tensor fasciae latae flap (TFL) has equal capability. In the past 5 years, 18 cases of pharyngoesophageal reconstruction have been carried out: 8 cases using the TFL flap, and 10 cases using the RF flap. The flaps are compared and the advantages and disadvantages of both are presented.
To investigate the detection performance of our automated detection scheme for clustered microcalcifications on mammograms, we applied our computer-aided diagnosis (CAD) system to the database of the Mammographic Image Analysis Society (MIAS) in the UK. Forty-three mammograms from this database were used in this study. In our scheme, the breast regions were firstly extracted by determining the skinline. Histograms of the original images were used to extract the high-density area within the breast region as the segmentation from the fatty area around the skinline. Then the contrast correction technique was employed. Gradient vectors of the image density were calculated on the contrast corrected images. To extract the specific features of the pattern of the microcalcifications, triple-ring filter analysis was employed. A variable-ring filter was used for more accurate detection after the triple-ring filter. The features of the detected candidate areas were then characterized by feature analysis. The areas which satisfied the characteristics and specific terms were classified and displayed as clusters. As a result, the sensitivity was 95.8% with the false-positive rate at 1.8 clusters per image. This demonstrates that the automated detection of clustered microcalcifications in our CAD system is reliable as an aid to radiologists.
Iodide transport into the thyroid catalyzed by the Na+/I- symporter (NIS), is the first and main rate-limiting step in thyroid hormone synthesis. Recently, we have demonstrated that thyrotropin (TSH) increases NIS messenger RNA (mRNA) and protein levels, as well as iodide uptake activity. Although transforming growth factor-beta1 (TGFbeta1) is known to affect thyroid cell function, it is still unclear how TGFbeta1 regulates TSH-stimulated iodide accumulation. Therefore, the effects of TGFbeta1 on TSH-stimulated NIS mRNA and protein levels were examined in FRTL-5 rat thyroid cells by Northern and Western blot analyses, and iodide uptake was assessed. Northern blot analysis revealed that TGFbeta1 suppressed TSH-stimulated NIS mRNA levels in a dose- and time-dependent manner. Western blot analysis demonstrated that TGFbeta1 suppressed TSH-stimulated NIS protein levels. TGFbeta1 also suppressed (Bu)2 cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP)- and forskolin-stimulated NIS mRNA and protein levels, indicating a role for TGFbeta1 downstream of cAMP production. As predicted, TGFbeta1 inhibited TSH-stimulated iodide uptake activity. These results suggest that the inhibitory effect of TGFbeta1 on TSH-stimulated iodide uptake is at least in part due to a suppression of NIS specific transcription. Therefore, TGFbeta1 may act as an autocrine or paracrine local modulator of thyroid hormone synthesis by influencing NIS mRNA levels in the thyroid.
Reconstruction of a missing or deficient nail is an interesting and challenging undertaking for plastic surgeons, but little has been published concerning this topic. In the past 23 years, from 1973 to 1995, we performed 24 operations for nail reconstruction in 19 patients. A free nail graft was used in 14 operations, and a vascularized nail flap was used in 10. Vascularized nail flaps were divided into three categories: long-pedicle vascularized nail flaps (3 nails), vascularized nail flaps supplied by arterial inflow from the venous system (termed venous flaps, 3 nails), and short-pedicle vascularized nail flaps (4 nails). In only one case of free nail graft did the grafted nail necrose secondary to infection. The other 23 nails (13 free nail grafts, 10 vascularized nail flaps) survived completely, and good nail growth was obtained. With progress in plastic surgery, reconstructive procedures for nails have changed. In this paper, we will report the evolution of our reconstructive procedure and current strategy of nail reconstruction.
The effects of the non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) piroxicam and the carotenoids lycopene and beta-carotene, alone or in combination, on the development of rat superficial urinary bladder carcinomas induced by N-butyl-N-(4-hydroxybutyl)nitrosamine (BBN) were studied. Male Fischer 344 rats, 6 weeks old, were given 0.05% BBN in the drinking water for 8 weeks followed by administration of piroxicam (0.0075% in the diet), lycopene (0.0025% in the drinking water) and/or beta-carotene (0.0025% in the drinking water) for 12 weeks, then killed for histological analysis of urinary bladder lesions. Cell proliferation potential was analyzed by immunohistochemical staining of the proliferative cell nuclear antigen (PCNA). Piroxicam alone, piroxicam+lycopene, and piroxicam +lycopene+ beta-carotene all significantly decreased the incidences and numbers of transitional cell carcinomas (TCCs), but the combination of piroxicam with carotenoids did not result in a clear improvement in the preventive potential of piroxicam. Piroxicam+ beta-carotene also caused a significant reduction and lycopene alone a slight but not significant reduction in the number of TCCs. In contrast, beta-carotene alone and lycopene+ beta-carotene were without inhibitory influence on any of the lesion categories examined, and the latter significantly increased the proportion of high-grade TCCs. Nevertheless, all of the chemopreventive agents, either alone or in combination, significantly decreased the TCC PCNA index, the effect extending to the surrounding epithelium in the piroxicam+lycopene and piroxicam+lycopene+beta-carotene groups. These results indicate that the NSAID piroxicam may be a more effective chemopreventive agent than lycopene and beta-carotene for superficial urinary bladder carcinogenesis.
Cysts of 2 isolates of Acanthamoeba from the cornea of 2 patients with confirmed Acanthamoeba keratitis were tested in vitro for sensitivity to antimycotic agents such as fluconazole, miconazole, amphotericin-B, pimaricin, antiprotozoal agents such as pentamidine isetionate and antiseptics which could be use in the ophthamological region. Pimaricin was the most successful cysticidal agent against the two strains. Sensitivity to pentamidine isetionate showed variation. Fluconazole, miconazole and amphotericin-B were resistant against cysts with concentration of eye drops that have been used in the treatment of Acanthamoeba keratitis. It was supposed that 5% pimaricin eye drops could be use in the treatment of Acanthamoeba keratitis in addition to keratomycosis. Pentamidine isetionate which belong to the diamidine family, is not yet clear as to the side effects to corneal epithelium cell, but we believe that this drug could be expected as a new therapeutic agent for Acanthamoeba keratitis.
We used the pylorus ligation model to determine the role of vagus nerves and gastrin in acid secretion induced by mechanical and chemical stimulation of the gastric lumen in anesthetized male rats. Gastric distension induced by intragastric instillation of saline resulted in a 17-fold increase in acid secretion over the basal level without an alteration in serum gastrin levels. Distension-stimulated acid secretion was inhibited by bilateral subdiaphragmatic vagotomy but not by CI-988, a gastrin receptor antagonist. Intragastric peptone produced a 71-fold increase in acid secretion over the basal level that was accompanied by a significant increase in serum gastrin levels. Whereas vagotomy almost abolished peptone-stimulated acid secretion, CI-988 inhibited peptone-stimulated acid secretion by only 50%. We conclude that the vagus nerves mediate acid secretion by mechanical and chemical stimulation and that gastrin mediates acid secretion partly by chemical stimulation but not by mechanical stimulation in anesthetized male rats.
The present report concerns a case of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) with marked hyperfibrinogenemia. The plasma fibrinogen level reached as high as 1,704 mg/dl. Since treatment against HCC resulted in reduction of plasma fibrinogen and PIVKA-II, an HCC marker, the hyperfibrinogenemia appears to be related to HCC. Immunohistochemically, the HCC specimen from this patient reacted strongly with antiserum to human fibrinogen, suggesting that the elevated fibrinogen was due to synthesis of this protein by the carcinoma cells, not to decreased fibrinolytic activity.
131I therapy is a widely accepted treatment for differentiated thyroid cancers which can accumulate iodide. We evaluated the efficiency of 131I therapy against tumors which are transfected with the Na+/I- symporter (NIS) gene. We transfected the rat NIS cDNA expression vector into malignantly transformed rat thyroid cells (FRTL-Tc) which do not concentrate iodide. The resultant cell line (Tc-rNIS) accumulated 125I 60-fold in vitro. The FRTL-Tc cells formed solid tumors after injection of cells into subcutaneous tissues of Fischer 344 rats. Tumors formed with Tc-rNIS cells accumulated up to 27.3% of total 125I administered, and concentrated 125I 11 to 27-fold in the tumors. Extracorporeal measurement of radioactivity in the tumors revealed that 125I accumulation peaked at 90 min, and decreased to half levels 6 h after the injections. To investigate the effect of 131I administration on the tumor growth, we injected Na131I 2 and 3 weeks after the transplantation of the cells. The Na131I did not change the tumor volume significantly in either the FRTL-Tc or the Tc-rNIS-induced tumors. The short (6 h) effective half life of 131I in the tumors diminished the radiation dose to the tumor cells. However, this approach may prove beneficial in the treatment of radiosensitive cancers, and could be employed diagnostically.
Thyroid transcription factor 1 (TTF-1) is thought to play an important role in the expression of genes that encode thyroid-specific proteins such as thyroglobulin, thyroid peroxidase, and TSH-receptor. The role of TSH in the regulation of TTF-1 messenger RNA (mRNA) and protein abundance was investigated in rat thyroid FRTL-5 cells. Northern blot analysis revealed that TSH reduced TTF-1 mRNA abundance in a dose- and time-dependent manner. Immunoblot analysis with rabbit antibodies prepared against a recombinant fragment of TTF-1 expressed in bacteria showed that TSH also reduced the amount of TTF-1 protein in FRTL-5 cells. Whereas the effect of TSH on TTF-1 mRNA was apparent after 3 h, the effect on TTF-1 protein was not apparent until 12 h after TSH addition to the cells. Both TTF-1 mRNA and protein were significantly decreased after the addition of (Bu)2 cAMP or forskolin for 24 h, whereas they were not decreased by 12-O-tetradecanoyl-phorbol-13-acetate. These results indicate that TSH down-regulates TTF-1 expression in FRTL-5 cells via the cAMP pathway.
We previously have demonstrated that rat adipose tissue expresses TSH receptor (TSHR) messenger RNAs (mRNAs) at levels approaching those detected in the thyroid. Furthermore, we recently reported that TSHR mRNA is detected in fibroblast-like 3T3-L1 cells after their hormone-induced differentiation into adipocytes. TSH induces cAMP formation and lipolysis in differentiated 3T3-L1 cells. We now show that, in Northern blot analyses, TSH-induced down-regulation of TSHR mRNA levels, which can be duplicated by forskolin and dibutylyl cAMP, i.e. which is cAMP-mediated. We also have demonstrated that a beta-adrenergic stimulant, which stimulates cAMP formation in adipocytes, induces a down-regulation of TSHR mRNA levels in 3T3-L1 adipocytes. Nuclear run-on assays show that the ability of TSH/cAMP to decrease TSHR mRNA levels in 3T3-L1 cells reflects transcriptional regulation. This report also demonstrates that TSHR gene expression in 3T3-L1 adipocytes is regulated in a manner distinct from that observed in thyroid cells. Thus, in fully differentiated 3T3-L1 adipocytes, TSH-induced down-regulation of TSHR mRNA levels is evident within 1 h and is near maximum within 4 h after addition of TSH. A transient increase of TSHR gene expression, which has been demonstrated in FRTL-5 thyroid cells, was not observed in 3T3-L1 adipocytes. The down-regulation of TSHR gene expression induced by TSH/cAMP in 3T3-L1 cells is cycloheximide-insensitive, suggesting that continuous protein synthesis is not required for this process. In contrast, the down-regulation of TSHR gene expression observed in FRTL-5 cells is sensitive to cycloheximide. In both FRTL-5 thyroid cells and 3T3-L1 adipocytes, insulin or serum increased TSHR mRNA levels. Although insulin or serum was required for the TSH-induced down-regulation of TSHR mRNA levels in FRTL-5 thyroid cells, neither insulin nor serum was required for TSHR down-regulation in 3T3-L1 adipocytes. These findings demonstrate that TSH/cAMP regulates TSHR mRNA levels in adipocytes via a regulatory system distinct from that used in FRTL-5 cells. This report further demonstrates that adipose cells do not express thyroid transcription factor-1, which interacts with the TSHR promoter region in FRTL-5 cells, and that 3T3-L1 nuclear extracts exhibit a different binding activity to the cAMP-response element-like element in the TSHR promoter region compared with extracts from FRTL-5 cells.