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Biomedical subjects

T Fukui

Publications and source records attributed to T Fukui.

At least 163 records · Page 9Linked to original sources
PubMed1998

Expression and characterization of (R)-specific enoyl coenzyme A hydratase involved in polyhydroxyalkanoate biosynthesis by Aeromonas caviae.

Complementation analysis of a polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA)-negative mutant of Aeromonas caviae proved that ORF3 in the pha locus (a 402-bp gene located downstream of the PHA synthase gene) participates in PHA biosynthesis on alkanoic acids, and the ORF3 gene is here referred to as phaJ(Ac). Escherichia coli BL21(DE3) carrying phaJ(Ac). under the control of the T7 promoter overexpressed enoyl coenzyme A (enoyl-CoA) hydratase, which was purified by one-step anion-exchange chromatography. The N-terminal amino acid sequence of the purified hydratase corresponded to the amino acid sequence deduced from the nucleotide sequence of phaJ(Ac) except for the initial Met residue. The enoyl-CoA hydratase encoded by phaJ(Ac) exhibited (R)-specific hydration activity toward trans-2-enoyl-CoA with four to six carbon atoms. These results have demonstrated that (R)-specific hydration of 2-enoyl-CoA catalyzed by the translated product of phaJ(Ac) is a channeling pathway for supplying (R)-3-hydroxyacyl-CoA monomer units from fatty acid beta-oxidation to poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyhexanoate) biosynthesis in A. caviae.

Aeromonas↗
PubMed1998

Heterogeneous point mutations of the p53 gene in pulmonary fibrosis.

Lung cancer is a frequent complication in pulmonary fibrosis. Overexpression of p53 proteins has been demonstrated by immunostaining in bronchoepithelial cells in patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis. However, it is still unclear whether this overexpressed p53 protein is wild-type or mutant. It was hypothesized that pulmonary fibrosis may be a precancerous lesion with deoxyribonucleic acid point mutations in bronchoepithelial cells. Mutations of the p53 gene were tested for by fluorescence-based single-strand conformation polymorphism (FSSCP), cloning-sequencing and immunostaining techniques. Out of 10 tissue samples that demonstrated overexpression of p53 protein by immunostaining, nine (90%) exhibited point mutations and eight (80%) exhibited heterogeneous point mutations of the p53 gene. The mutations found in pulmonary fibrosis were scattered throughout the central part of the p53 gene, and both guanine (G):cytosine (C) to adenine (A):thymine (T) and A:T to G:C transitions were frequently observed. In conclusion, frequent heterogeneous point mutations of the p53 gene were detected in pulmonary fibrosis. These mutations may have resulted from several types of deoxyribonucleic acid damage that occurred in bronchoepithelial cells and this may explain previous findings of a very high incidence of lung cancer complicating pulmonary fibrosis.

Adult↗
PubMed1998

Cost-effectiveness analysis of partner notification program for human immunodeficiency virus infection in Japan.

Successful implementation of partner notification program (PNP) as a part of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) prevention strategies in some developed countries motivated the execution of cost-effectiveness analysis of this program in Japan. Total number of HIV infected individuals and best estimated number of their partners in 1995 were used to elicit incremental cost-effectiveness ratio over no partner notification program. Index cases and their HIV positive partners world change their sex practice to safer one, thus preventing HIV transmission at a certain rate. This was translated to prevention of certain number of new HIV carriers and finally life years gained were calculated for it. The incremental cost-effectiveness ratio was US$ 4,930 per life year gained. Sensitivity analysis indicated that partner notification program was cost-effective over a wide range of assumptions. These results compare favorably with other medical interventions in Japan. In conclusion, the results of this analysis strongly support the implementation of partner notification program as a part of HIV prevention strategies in Japan.

Adult↗
PubMed1998

Knowledge and practices about HIV/AIDS among the commercial sex workers in Bangladesh.

A survey on knowledge and practices of 228 Bangladeshi commercial sex workers (CSWs) concerning AIDS was conducted in the largest brothel in Narayangonj, 20 km from the capital Dhaka in September through December, 1993. Only 18% of the respondents heard about AIDS and 8% knew about its propensity to sexual transmission. AIDS was believed to be curable by 5% of the total respondents. None were regular condom users, but 8% said condom use could prevent HIV infection. Vigorous AIDS awareness campaigns for the CSWs and their clients, leading to regular condom use, is necessary to prevent an explosive epidemic in Bangladesh.

Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome↗
PubMed1998

[Study on the relationship between tumour necrosis factor gene polymorphism and prognosis in the patients with renal cell carcinoma].

BACKGROUND: Clinical significance of polymorphism of tumour necrosis factor (TNF) genes encoded on the short arm of the 6th chromosome in the patients with renal cell carcinoma (RCC) has not been evaluated well so far. We studied on the TNF genes polymorphism of RCC focusing on the relationship between the genetic polymorphism and the prognosis. METHODS: The subjects were seventy-three patients with RCC treated at our hospitals during the past 20 years. The genomic DNA was examined by the methods of polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) from frozen peripheral blood of these patients. The items examined were the genetic polymorphisms of TNF-alpha (alpha 1, alpha 2) and TNF-beta (beta 1, beta 2), and we tried to study on the prognostic outcome of RCC based upon each zygote of TNF. RESULTS: 1) The proportion of TNF-alpha and TNF-beta polymorphisms: We observed TNF-alpha 1/1 homozygote in 71 patients (97.3%). As to TNF-beta polymorphism, we observed TNF-beta 2/2 homozygote in 33 patients (45.2%), TNF-beta 1/2 heterozygote in 31 (42.5%) and TNF-beta 1/1 homozygote in 9 (12.3%). The proportion of TNF-beta polymorphism was almost the same as that of healthy Japanese. 2) PROGNOSIS: Regarding the 17-year survival, all patients with TNF-beta 1/1 homozygote were alive, and we observed a significantly favourable prognosis in the patients with TNF-beta 1/1 homozygote compared with other zygotes of TNF-beta polymorphism. The reasons for these favourable prognosis were thought that the patients with TNF-beta 1/1 homozygote showed much lower stage and/or grade than those of other zygotes. CONCLUSION: We conclude that the TNF-beta gene polymorphism is a useful marker for understanding the prognosis of RCC and a part of cellular immunity related to the tumour and its host.

Adult↗
PubMed1998

[Successful preoperative interferon-alpha therapy of renal cell carcinoma with tumor thrombus extending into the inferior vena cava--case report].

We report a case of renal cell carcinoma in whom preoperative interferon-alpha therapy was successful in reducing the primary lesion and the tumor thrombus extending into the inferior vena cava. A 67-year-old man was referred to our hospital because of his right renal mass. We made a diagnosis of a right renal tumor with tumor thrombus by imaging examinations. Because his performance status was 3, a radical operation was considered risky. So we started interferon-alpha therapy. Four months after the start of interferon-alpha therapy, the primary lesion and the tumor thrombus reduced in their size, and the clinical response was evaluated as partial response by the response criteria for urological cancer treatment. Because of improving the performance status and reducing the tumor size, radical nephrectomy and tumor thrombectomy could be performed. Pathological examinations revealed that viable renal cell carcinomas were found only in some small parts of the primary lesion, but not in the tumor thrombus. Postoperatively, no recurrence and metastasis of renal cell carcinoma of the patient have been detected in these two and a half years.

Aged↗
PubMed1998

[Congenital aortic regurgitation complicated by infective endocarditis of tricuspid valve due to spontaneous closure of ventricular septal defect: a case report].

A 32-year-old woman presented with a rare case of tricuspid valve endocarditis causing inflammatory reopening of the spontaneously closed ventricular septal defect (VSD), associated with aortic valve malformation. She was admitted to our hospital because of fever lasting 4 weeks. Severe aortic regurgitation was revealed by color Doppler echocardiography. Blood culture identified Microccus faecalis. Antibiotics were administered over 3 weeks, but serial echocardiography showed a developing vegetation in the right ventricle and left-to-right shunt flow. The diagnosis was infective endocarditis complicated by aortic ring abscess and interventricular septal fistula. Surgery performed on the 22nd hospitalized day found a vegetation of the tricuspid valve, a membranous type of VSD, and aortic valve malformation. Aortic valve replacement, patch closure of VSD, and tricuspid valvuloplasty achieved a successful outcome.

Adult↗
PubMed1998

[A case of gastric cancer with decreased dihydropyrimidine dehydrogenase activity].

We analyzed the pyrimidine metabolite in the urine of a patient with severe mucositis and hand and foot syndrome, who was administered 5-fluorouracil for recurrence of gastric cancer. From our analysis, it was suggested that the patient had decreased dihydropyrimidine dehydrogenase activity. Dihydropyrimidine dehydrogenase activity is usually measured in peripheral blood mononuclear cells, but this time it was estimated from the analysis of uracil, dihydrouracil, thymine, and dihydrothymine in the urine. We concluded that urinary analysis of the pyrimidine metabolism is effective as screening for the prediction and prevention of 5-fluorouracil toxicity.

Adenocarcinoma↗
PubMed1997

G protein-coupled receptor kinase 5 in cultured vascular smooth muscle cells and rat aorta. Regulation by angiotensin II and hypertension.

GRK5, a recently cloned member of the G protein-coupled receptor kinase family, has been shown to phosphorylate and participate in the desensitization of angiotensin II (Ang II) type 1A (AT1A) receptors. In this study, the effect of angiotensin II on GRK5 expression was examined in cultured vascular smooth muscle cells and aortas of Ang II-infused hypertensive rats. In vascular smooth muscle cells, Ang II (100 nM) up-regulated GRK5 mRNA as early as 1 h, with a peak at 16 h. This up-regulation was dose- and calcium-dependent. The increase in GRK5 mRNA was reflected in a smaller increase in protein expression, which nonetheless had functional significance since AT1 receptor phosphorylation was increased and phospholipase C activation was decreased following prolonged incubation with Ang II. In aortas of Ang II-infused hypertensive rats, both GRK5 mRNA and protein levels increased approximately 3-fold compared with sham-operated rats at 5 and 7 days, respectively. This up-regulation was blocked either by losartan or by the nonspecific vasodilator hydralazine. Since a subpressor dose of Ang II did not increase GRK5 mRNA levels and norepinephrine infusion also increased GRK5 mRNA expression, we conclude that Ang II-induced GRK5 up-regulation in rat aortas may be due to hypertension per se. Hormone- and hemodynamic stress-induced GRK5 regulation may provide a novel molecular basis for long-term regulation of agonist sensitivity of vascular cells.

Angiotensin II↗
PubMed1997

Prostaglandin E2 and IL-4 provide naive CD4+ T cells with distinct inhibitory signals for the priming of IFN-gamma production.

We investigated the effects of prostaglandin E2 and IL-4 on the acquisition of cytokine-producing ability by naive CD4(+) T cells in human umbilical cord blood. The presence of PGE2 or IL-4 at primary stimulation inhibited the production of IFN-gamma at secondary stimulation, and the combination of these stimuli resulted in cooperative effects. During primary stimulation with anti-CD3, the intracellular cAMP level was elevated in PGE2-treated cells but not in IL-4-treated or control cells. The signal provided by PGE2, but not by IL-4, was inhibited with RpcAMP, indicating that it was mediated by cAMP. After differentiation into Th2-like cells, cAMP levels in PGE2- and IL-4-treated cells were not different. Our results suggest that both PGE2 and IL-4 play important roles with distinct mechanisms in inhibiting the priming of IFN-gamma production of naive CD4(+) T cells.

CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes↗
PubMed1997

Angiotensin II-induced hypertension increases heme oxygenase-1 expression in rat aorta.

BACKGROUND: We investigated the in vivo effects of angiotensin (Ang) II-induced hypertension on heme oxygenase (HO) mRNA and protein expression, activity, and localization in rat aortas. METHODS AND RESULTS: Infusion of Ang II (0.7 mg x kg(-1) x d(-1)) increased HO-1 mRNA levels to 169+/-31%, 251+/-47%, 339+/-26%, and 370+/-74% of the control level at 1, 3, 5, and 7 days after operation, respectively. The HO-1 protein level at 7 days was markedly upregulated, as was HO activity. Treatment with either losartan (25 mg x kg(-1) x d(-1)) or hydralazine (15 mg x kg(-1) x d(-1)), both of which prevented the Ang II-induced hypertension, blocked HO-1 mRNA upregulation. Norepinephrine infusion (2.8 mg x kg(-1) x d(-1)) produced a degree of hypertension and degree of HO-1 mRNA upregulation similar to those of Ang II infusion, which was again blocked by treatment with hydralazine (382+/-18% and 150+/-30% of the control level, respectively). Immunohistochemical analysis demonstrated that HO-1 is expressed in medial smooth muscle and adventitial cells in normotensive rat aortas, and this is markedly increased in adventitial and endothelial cells in Ang II-induced hypertensive rat aortas. In contrast, HO-2 protein expression was not changed in hypertensive rat aortas. CONCLUSIONS: These findings indicate that HO-1 is upregulated in hypertensive rat aortas, apparently by mechanisms unique to Ang II and by hemodynamic stress.

Angiotensin II↗
PubMed1997

Homogeneity of Borrelia japonica and heterogeneity of Borrelia afzelii and 'Borrelia tanukii' isolated in Japan, determined from ospC gene sequences.

Borrelia afzelii, B. japonica, and 'B. tanukii' isolated from various sources and geographical origins in Japan were characterized by restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) analysis and sequencing analysis of the outer surface protein C (OspC) amplicon. B. afzelii and 'B. tanukii' generated variable RFLP patterns and differences in ospC gene sequence were confirmed. In contrast, 26 isolates of B. japonica generated one OspC RFLP type, and sequence similarity between B. japonica ranged from 96.4 to 99.7%. These finding suggests that B. japonica is unique in comparison with other members of B. burgdorferi sensu lato species with respect to homogeneity of the ospC gene.

Animals↗
PubMed1997

The primary structure of the Cl(-)-translocating ATPase, b subunit of Acetabularia acetabulum, which belongs to the F-type ATPase family.

The genes possibly encoding the b subunit (50 kDa) of the Cl(-)-translocating ATPase of Acetabularia acetabulum were cloned from total RNA and from poly(A)+ RNA and sequenced. The deduced amino acid sequence of the open reading frame consisted of 478 amino acids and showed high similarity to the beta subunit of chloroplast F1-ATPase. Gene fragments encoding the putative beta subunit of chloroplast F1- (273 bp) and mitochondrial F1-ATPases (332 bp) were also cloned from A. acetabulum and sequenced, respectively. The deduced amino acid sequence of the chloroplast F1-ATPase showed 92.5% identity to be primary structure of the b subunit of the Cl(-)-translocating ATPase, while the nucleotide sequences were 79.9% identical. The deduced amino acid sequence of the latter was 77.3% identical to that of the b subunit of the Cl(-)-translocating ATPase and the nucleotide sequences were 67.5% identical. By Northern analysis, these three beta-like genes were demonstrated to be transcribed with different sizes of RNA species. A putative chloroplast F1-beta fragment also hybridized with chloroplast DNA isolated from the organism.

Acetabularia↗
PubMed1997

Differences in factors associated with silent and symptomatic MRI T2 hyperintensity lesions.

The factors and symptomatology associated with different types of hyperintensity lesions on MRI were investigated. The study population consisted of 139 subjects who were recruited from 450 outpatients who had a neurological diagnosis in 1994. The subjects underwent brain magnetic resonance imaging between 1994 and 1995 and were divided into three groups (control, asymptomatic, and symptomatic) on the basis of T2 hyperintensity lesions, as well as a history of or neurological signs of stroke, or both. The demographic characteristics and risk factors were studied, and the T2 hyperintensity lesions were analysed semi-quantitatively. Results showed that: (1) the control and asymptomatic groups did not differ in terms of risk factors and demographic characteristics with the exception of age; (2) the symptomatic group was characterized by a significantly higher incidence of hypertension and electrocardiographic abnormalities, as well as significantly more numerous risk factors when compared with the other two groups; (3) the symptomatic patients also had higher proportion of men and higher levels of systolic blood pressure and blood glucose than the control patients, and more frequent hypertriglyceridaemia and higher triglyceride level than the asymptomatic patients; (4) the symptomatic group had a greater lesion distribution in the posterior basal ganglia-internal capsule and the infratentorial regions than did the asymptomatic group. We concluded that the asymptomatic and symptomatic groups should not be considered identical entities.

Aged↗
PubMed1997

IL-7 induces proliferation, variable cytokine-producing ability and IL-2 responsiveness in naive CD4+ T-cells from human cord blood.

We investigated the effects of IL-7 on the proliferation and acquisition of cytokine-producing ability of naive CD4+ T-cells from human cord blood. Naive CD4+CD45RA+ T-cells from human cord blood expressed CDw127 (IL-7R) at higher levels than adult CD4+ CD45RA+ T-cells and produced IL-2 and a small amount of IFN-gamma upon stimulation with PMA and ionomycin. IL-7 induced IL-2-independent proliferation and both Th1- and Th2-type cytokine-producing abilities in cord blood CD4+CD45RA+ T-cells without stimulation via TCR. These results suggest that this IL-7-induced antigen-independent activation mechanism could contribute to maintaining the clonal size of naive T-cells with the potential to differentiate into either Th1 or Th2 cells at the sites of IL-7-expression.

Adult↗
PubMed1997

In vitro measurement of orthodontic tooth movement in rats given beta-aminopropionitrile or hydrocortisone using a time-lapse videotape recorder.

In vitro tooth movement of rat molars in response to an orthodontic force was recorded using a time-lapse videotape recorder and analysed by a computer system. Rats received daily s.c. injections of beta-aminopropionitrile (BAPN, 300 mg/kg/day) or hydrocortisone (10 mg/kg/day) for a period of 7 days. After drug administration, the animals were killed and the mandibles dissected. The jaw was then held under a stereomicroscope with a haemostatic clamp and an elastic band was inserted between the first and second molars. The movements of reference points on the occlusal surfaces of the first and second molars were recorded for 20 hours using a time-lapse videotape recorder. Mesiolingual movement of the first molar and distobuccal movement of the second molar were observed. During the experimental period, the greatest amount of total tooth movement in the first and second molars was seen in the group pretreated with BAPN, less movement was observed in the control group, and the group pretreated with hydrocortisone exhibited the least amount of movement. The highest rates of tooth movement were observed during the initial hour in each of the groups, and decreased thereafter. The initial rates of movement were also greatest in the BAPN group, less in the control group, and least in the hydrocortisone group. These results indicate that treatment with BAPN accelerated experimental tooth movements in vitro and hydrocortisone treatment inhibited the movements, suggesting that, although a part of the tooth movement measured in this experiment was due to deformation of the alveolar bone, the mechanical properties of the periodontal ligament play an important role in the regulation of orthodontic tooth movement.

Alveolar Process↗