Comparison of results of rotational atherectomy for diffuse coronary artery disease in diabetics versus nondiabetics.
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Aged↗
Biomedical subjects
T Harada
Publications and source records attributed to T Harada.
Occurrence of an unusual phosphorylated N-acetyllactosamine in horse colostrum.
The colostrum of horses (thoroughbreds) was extracted and fractionated to yield Gal(beta1-4)GlcNAcalpha1-phosphate, which has not previously been detected in any mammalian milk or colostrum, as well as Neu5Ac(alpha2-3)Gal(beta1-4)Glc. The structures of these saccharides were established by NMR spectroscopy and MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry.
Amino Sugars↗
Comparative genomic hybridization analysis of genetic aberrations associated with development and progression of biliary tract carcinomas.
BACKGROUND: Little is known about genetic aberrations associated with development and progression of biliary tract carcinomas. METHODS: To study chromosomal aberrations associated with development and progression of biliary tract carcinomas, the authors used comparative genomic hybridization to examine 50 such carcinomas. RESULTS: Gains in part or in whole of chromosomes 1q, 8q, and 20q and losses of 5q, 8p, 9p, and 18q were detected frequently in early stage (T1/T2 classification) biliary tract carcinomas (> or = 40% of 19 early stage tumors), and they also were found in advanced stage (T3/T4 classification) tumors. In particular, loss of 9p was the most frequently observed aberration in both early stage (15 of 19; 78%) and advanced stage tumors (21 of 31; 68%). The frequencies of gains of 7p12-p14 (P < 0.003), 7p21-pter (P < 0.007), and 7q31 (P < 0.01) differed significantly between biliary tract carcinoma with and without distant metastasis. Also, gains of 5p and 19q13 and loss of 6q14-q16 were more frequent in tumors with lymph node metastasis than in those without it (P < 0.02). CONCLUSIONS: It is likely that loss of 9p is one of the genetic aberrations critical for the development of biliary tract carcinoma, whereas gains of 5p, 7p, 7q, and 19q and loss of 6q are considered later events associated with tumor progression and are thought to confer metastatic potential to biliary tract carcinomas.
Adult↗
Serum cystatin C may predict the prognostic stages of patients with IgA nephropathy prior to renal biopsy.
The relationship between the levels of serum cystatin C and the prognostic stages of IgA nephropathy was determined in a multicenter trial in Japan. The levels of serum cystatin C in patients with IgA nephropathy were measured using the Dade Behring N Latex Cystain C assay. In 1995, the Joint Committee of the Special Study Group on Progressive Glomerular Diseases, Ministry of Health and Welfare of Japan, and the Japanese Society of Nephropathy reported four prognostic stages. These are: good prognosis group (Group I), relatively good prognosis group (Group II), relatively poor prognosis group (Group III), and poor prognosis group (Group IV), for this disease. Three-hundred and six patients with IgA nephropathy and other glomerular diseases were examined. There were no significant changes in the levels of serum creatinine (Cr) or creatinine clearance (CCr) between Group I and Group II. The mean levels of serum cystatin C in Group II were significantly higher than those in Group I (P < 0.05). The mean levels of serum cystatin C in Group III or IV were significantly higher than those in Group I (P < 0.001, P < 0.005, respectively). These suggest that the measurement of serum cystatin C may predict the prognostic stages of patients with IgA nephropathy prior to renal biopsy.
Adult↗
Limitations of successive transradial approach in the same arm: the Japanese experience.
The transradial approach (TRA) has been used for diagnostic and interventional cardiology. It has not previously been determined how many times the same radial artery can be cannulated without complications. A total of 812 patients (502 men and 310 women) underwent angiography or angioplasty via the TRA between 1997 and 1999 at our institution with a total of 1,438 procedures. Sheaths were 5 (55%) or 6 Fr (45%). Dropout rates of 3.5% and 7.9% were found at the second TRA attempt in the men and the women, respectively. Of the 62 TRA failures, 56 (90%) were due to narrowing or occlusion of the radial artery after the previous TRA procedure. A third TRA procedure was possible in 90% of the men and 80% of the women. A fifth TRA procedure was possible in 70% of the men and 50% of the women. The dropout rates for TRA increased as successive punctures were performed. This was primarily due to vessel narrowing and occlusion occurring as a function of multiple punctures.
Aged↗
Anti-HER2-antibody enhances irradiation-induced growth inhibition in head and neck carcinoma.
To explore the antiproliferative effects of rhumAbHER2 on head and neck squamous carcinoma cell (HNSCC) lines and breast cancer cell lines (BCCLs) and to evaluate the combined effects with irradiation, 2 human HNSCC lines and 2 BCCLs were exposed to rhumAbHER2 with or without irradiation. The results showed that combined treatment enhanced the growth and colonization inhibitory effects of rhumAbHER2 or irradiation. Interestingly, the apoptotic cell fraction produced by irradiation disappeared on combined treatment. This disappearance was associated with repression of p53 and Bax upregulation induced by irradiation, but conservation of the upregulation of p27. Based on these results, rhumAbHER2 and irradiation may be a new strategy for treating HNSCC and breast cancers. In addition, the upregulation of cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitors by rhumAbHER2 may occur upstream of irradiation-induced p53 upregulation.
Apoptosis↗
Polychlorinated biphenyls promote 1-nitropyrene-induced lung tumorigenesis without the induction of K-ras gene mutation in A/J mice.
Although the effects of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) on human lung carcinogenesis are suggested from the massive PCBs poisoning that occurred in Japan designated "Yusho," the detailed molecular mechanism are unknown. 1 nitropyrene (1-NP), an ubiquitous and abundant environmental pollutant, is known to be detected in lung tissues derived from patients with lung cancer in Japan, and its relation to lung carcinogenesis is also suggested. We investigated the effects of PCBs (Kanechlor-400) on 1-NP-induced lung tumorigenesis in A/J mice. PCBs were administered intraperitoneally followed by ip injection of 1-NP. The lung lesions were examined 18 weeks after the final treatment. In the control group, no neoplastic lesions were induced in the lung. In the PCB group, preneoplastic lesions such as hyperplasia and adenoma were induced in 2/10 (20%) mice. In 1-NP group and in PCB + 1-NP group, lung lesions including adenocarcinoma were induced in 16/20 (80%) and 13/13 (100%) mice, respectively. Both the number and the size of tumors in PCB + 1-NP group were significantly greater than those in 1-NP group. K-ras gene mutation, CAA to CGA in codon 61 or GGT to GAT in codon 12, was found in either 1-NP group or PCB + 1-NP group but not in the PCB group. There was no difference in the pattern of K-ras mutation associated with the pretreatment with PCBs. These results suggest that PCBs promote 1-NP-induced lung tumorigenesis and may support, at least in part, the mechanism of the high incidence of lung cancer in patients with Yusho.
Animals↗
Loading process of sugars into cabbage petiole and asparagus shoot apex cells by incubation with hypertonic sugar solutions.
The freezing tolerance of cabbage petioles and asparagus shoot apexes was increased by preincubation with 0.8 M sugar solutions. In cabbage petioles with an initial freezing tolerance of -3 degrees C (temperature for 50% cell survival), as determined by both electrolyte leakage and fluorescein diacetate vital staining, the freezing tolerance was increased to -13 degrees C by incubation with sorbitol solutions for 3 h. In meristematic cells of asparagus shoot apexes with an initial freezing tolerance of -7.5 degrees C, as determined by fluorescein diacetate vital staining, the freezing tolerance was increased to -30 degrees C by incubation with 0.8 M sugar solutions for 3 h, although other cells in the shoot apexes were killed by higher freezing temperatures. During incubation of both cabbage petioles and asparagus shoot apexes with sugar solutions, sugars were intracellularly taken up by osmotically induced fluid-phase endocytotic vesicles, as indicated by comovement of Lucifer Yellows carbohydrazide (LYCH) observed with a confocal laser scanning microscope. The amounts of intracellularly taken up sugars increased concomitantly with the formation of endocytotic vesicles depending on the time of incubation in parallel with a gradual increase of freezing tolerance. However, the endocytotic vesicles and their contents were retained not only after prolonged incubation after maximum freezing tolerance had been achieved but also after recovery of these tissue cells to isotonic conditions or after freeze-thawing. These results suggest that although sugars are intracellularly taken up by endocytotic vesicles, they might be sequestered within vesicles, casting doubt on their protective role to the plasma membranes as a main site of freezing injury. The pretreatment with 1 mM p-chloromercuribenzenesulfonic acid (PCMBS), an inhibitor of sugar transport, reduced the amounts of intracellular sugar uptake without affecting the formation of endocytotic vesicles, suggesting that sugars were, at least partly, taken up by sugar transporters. In the pretreatment with PCMBS, the freezing tolerance of incubated tissues with sugar solutions was significantly reduced, although addition of PCMBS per se did not affect survival. These results suggest that sugars taken up by sugar transporters, rather than sugars taken up by endocytotic vesicles, are mainly responsible for the increased freezing tolerance of cabbage petioles and asparagus shoot apexes. Furthermore, we aimed to study the occurrence of fluid-phase endocytosis with LYCH in an isotonic condition. Our results indicated that uptake of LYCH by fluid-phase endocytotic vesicles was not detected microscopically in isotonic condition, although LYCH was spectrofluorimetrically taken up in isotonic condition. Spectrofluorimetric uptake of LYCH was inhibited by addition of probenecid, an anion transport inhibitor. These results suggest that in cabbage petioles and asparagus shoot apexes, LYCH is taken up by anion transport but not by fluid-phase endocytosis in isotonic condition, and uptake of LYCH by fluid-phase endocytosis is restricted to occur only in hypertonic condition.
4-Chloromercuribenzenesulfonate↗
Assessment of cardiovascular autonomic dysfunction in multiple system atrophy.
Because heart rate is controlled mainly by the autonomic nervous system, cardiovascular autonomic dysfunction may contribute to the prognosis of patients with multiple system atrophy (MSA). To clarify cardiovascular autonomic dysfunctions in MSA, the authors investigated the relation between blood pressure (BP) and pulse rate (PR), and assessed a power spectral analysis of heart rate variability (HRV) during the clinical course using ambulatory BP and a heart rate monitor for 24 hours. The authors studied seven patients with MSA (five men and two women, aged 61.0 +/- 5.8 years) and seven healthy volunteers (four men and three women, aged 58.0 +/- 6.6 years) without hypertension, heart disease, or intracranial lesions. The MSA group showed abnormal circadian variations of BP and PR and a significantly decreased correlation coefficient between BP and PR. A significant decrease and altered circadian variation also existed in the number of changes in successive R-R intervals greater than 50 msec (RR50) and in the power of the high- and low-frequency component of HRV. The authors observed a significant negative correlation between the duration of illness and the number of changes in successive R-R intervals greater than 50 msec. The characteristic dysautonomia in MSA was a decrease in sympathetic and parasympathetic activity, with an abnormal circadian rhythm of BP and HRV. The balance between sympathetic and parasympathetic activity was also impaired. The parasympathetic modulation represented by RR50 worsened according to the development of the illness. Those autonomic dysfunctions may have affected the cardiovascular systems, which may indicate a poor prognosis in patients with MSA. An analysis of HRV and the circadian rhythm of BP and HRV are useful in evaluating cardiac autonomic dysfunctions in MSA.
Aged↗
Adenocarcinoma of the nonpigmented ciliary epithelium: report of two cases with immunohistochemical findings.
BACKGROUND: Acquired neoplasms arising from the nonpigmented ciliary epithelium (NPCE) are much less common than uveal melanocytic proliferations. We report two cases of acquired neoplasms arising from the NPCE with immunohistochemical findings. METHODS: Case reports. RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS: Patient 1 was a 39-year-old man who presented with a pigmented mass behind the iris and secondary exudative retinal detachment. The eye also developed neovascular glaucoma. Patient 2 was a 44-year-old woman with a ciliary body mass but without symptoms. Both of these tumors were classified histologically as low-grade adenocarcinomas of the NPCE from specimens successfully removed by iridocyclectomy. Immunohistochemical findings confirmed the origin of the tumor cells; however, some changes in the immunoreactivity to cytokeratin AE1 and epithelial membrane antigen were found.
Adenocarcinoma↗
Transforming growth factor beta production by spontaneous malignant mesothelioma cell lines derived from Fisher 344 rats.
We investigated whether transforming growth factor beta (TGF-beta) is involved in the growth of malignant mesothelioma (MM) cells in culture. TGF-beta production was examined in two mesothelioma cell lines (MeET-4 and -6) that were established from rat spontaneous MM in our laboratory. TGF-beta bioactivity in conditioned medium of these cell lines was analyzed using a CCL64 mink lung epithelial cell growth inhibition assay and found to be 30-70 times higher than that of normal rat mesothelial cells (MCs). The MM cell lines also showed considerably higher levels of TGF-beta mRNA expression when compared with MCs. The bioactivity and mRNA expression level were greater in MeET-4 than MeET-6. When MeET-4 was treated with antisense TGF-beta1 oligonucleotide (ODN), a significant decrease in both anchorage-dependent and -independent growth was observed. Treatment with exogenous TGF-beta resulted in no effects on the growth pattern of the MM cell lines, while proliferation of the MCs was slightly induced. It is considered that TGF-beta appears to be produced by rat spontaneous MM cells through an autocrine mechanism and could modulate the malignant growth of the tumor cells.
Animals↗
Hepatocyte growth factor and stem cell factor involvement in paracrine interplays of theca and granulosa cells in the human ovary.
OBJECTIVE: To examine gene expression of hepatocyte growth factor (HGF), the receptor for HGF, c-met, and the receptor for stem cell factor (SCF), c-kit, in the human ovary and to investigate the effects of HGF and SCF on the proliferation and function of granulosa and theca cells. DESIGN: Prospective study. SETTING: University hospital. PATIENT(S): Six premenopausal women. INTERVENTION(S): Follicular fluid and granulosa cells were collected during IVF cycles. Ovarian tissues were obtained from women who underwent surgery. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE(S): Gene expression of HGF, c-met, and c-kit in the human ovary was determined. RESULT(S): Reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction showed the presence of HGF and c-kit mRNA in the theca and stroma cells of the ovary, whereas c-met mRNA was observed in the granulosa, theca, and stroma cells. HGF increased the expression of SCF gene in granulosa cells, and SCF reciprocally increased the expression of HGF gene in theca cells. SCF stimulated the proliferation of theca cells. HGF stimulated progesterone production in granulosa cells. CONCLUSION(S): A positive feedback loop between theca cells and granulosa cells was identified that is mediated by HGF and SCF. HGF and SCF modulate the interplay between theca and granulosa cells by promoting cell proliferation and steroid hormone production.
Adult↗
Role of cytokines in endometriosis.
OBJECTIVE: To review the literature on the role of cytokines in the pathogenesis of endometriosis and endometriosis-associated infertility. DESIGN: Pertinent studies were identified by a computer search of MEDLINE. References of selected articles were hand-searched for additional citations. RESULT(S): Recent studies suggest that the peritoneal fluid of women with endometriosis contains an increased number of activated macrophages that secrete various local products, such as growth factors and cytokines. Levels of several cytokines were reported to be elevated in the peritoneal fluid of women with endometriosis. Because the peritoneal environment may be controlled by locally regulated factors, cytokines are believed to play a role in the development and progression of endometriosis and endometriosis-associated infertility. A possible pathogenic mechanism links cytokines with endometriosis. CONCLUSION(S): Cytokines, which are produced by many cell types including endometriotic tissues, play diverse roles in the pathogenesis of endometriosis and endometriosis-associated infertility. More studies about the specific role of these cells and soluble factors are needed to improve understanding of endometriosis and to develop novel therapies.
Ascitic Fluid↗
Relationship between serum lipoprotein(a) level and thrombin generation to the circadian variation in onset of acute myocardial infarction.
A high incidence of acute myocardial infarction (AMI) has been reported between 06:00 and 12:00 h. This may be related to an abnormality in hemostasis. An association has been founded between the serum lipid level and coronary atherosclerosis, as well as the serum lipid level and a hemostatic abnormality. We investigated the association between the time of AMI, the level of serum lipid, and of hemostatic factor. Of the 42 subjects evaluated retrospectively, 20 had experienced an AMI between 06:00 and 12:00 h (group A), while 22 had developed an AMI during some other period (group B). All patients received emergency coronary angiography, which identified a total occlusion of coronary artery in the proximal portion of the left antecedent branch. The serum level of several lipid factors and of hemostatic factors were compared between the two groups. Characteristics of patients were similar in both groups. The serum levels of lipoprotein(a) (Lp(a)) and of thrombin-antithrombin III complex (TAT) were higher in group A than in group B, respectively. The level of other factors were similar in both groups. Group A showed a significant correlation between the level of Lp(a) and TAT, with a tendency (not statistically significant), toward a positive correlation between Lp(a) and PAI-1, and a negative correlation between Lp(a) and t-PA. In a subgroup that experienced AMI in the early morning, a higher level of Lp(a) was associated with an elevation of TAT, a marker for thrombin generation, and with the level of fibrinolytic factor. This suggests that Lp(a) is closely related to the increase in the early morning incidence of AMI via a change in the prothrombotic state.
Antithrombin III↗
Effects of changes in stimulus level on phases of distortion product otoacoustic emissions.
Effect of changes in stimulus levels of both lower (f(1)) and higher (f(2)) stimulus tones on phases of 2f(1)-f(2) component of the distortion product otoacoustic emission (DPOAE) was examined in five normal hearing adults. The f(2) was fixed at 4004 Hz in all of the measurements, and the stimulus frequency ratio (f(2)/f(1)) was varied from 1.15 to 1.3. Change of the level of lower stimulus tone (L(1)) and the level of higher stimulus tone (L(2)) showed different effects on the DPOAE phases. The phase lags increased with increasing L(1), when f(2)/f(1) was above 1.22, whereas the phase gains increased with increasing L(1), when f(2)/f(1) was below 1.22. On the other hand, the difference in L(2) minimally affected DPOAE phase at most f(1)s. The previous studies about basilar membrane vibration revealed that phase lags increase with increasing stimulus level, when the stimulus frequency is below the best frequency, while phase gains increase with increasing stimulus level, when the stimulus frequency is above the best frequency, and the effect of phase change in stimulus level diminished, when the stimulus frequency was far above the best frequency. Based on the comparison between the results of the present study and the previous findings of others concerning basilar membrane vibration, the DPOAE generation site is assumed to be located at apical of the peak of the f(2) traveling wave.
Acoustic Stimulation↗
Hearing impairment and quality of life for the elderly in nursing homes.
OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study is to find out the effects of hearing impairment on the QOL of nursing home residents. METHODS: We constructed the self-assessment questionnaire designed for evaluating the QOL for the elderly in nursing homes. The questionnaire is constructed of physical, social, communicational and psychological states. It was administered to 60 subjects >65 years of age (mean age: 79 years) living in nursing homes, with hearing threshold levels in the better ear ranging from normal to severe and their response were analyzed. RESULTS: Chronbach's alpha-values of the questionnaire obtained ranged from 0.66 to 0.91 and was 0.84 overall. The reliability and validity of the questionnaire as well as its brevity, simplicity, ease of administration and interpretation, all satisfied its use in assessing the QOL of the elderly in nursing homes. It tended to decrease the points of communication scale, sociability scale and psychological scale (PGC Morale Scale) accordingly to elevate the threshold. As for subscales of communication, hearing disability was correlated statistically to the sociability and psychological. CONCLUSION: Our questionnaire is regarded as a useful tool for evaluating the QOL of the elderly. Hearing loss affects the communication, sociability and psychological aspect of the QOL for the elderly in the nursing homes.
Aged↗
Identification of ephrin-A3 and novel genes specific to the midbrain-MHB in embryonic zebrafish by ordered differential display.
Development of the tectum and the cerebellum is induced by a reciprocal inductive signaling between their respective primordia, the midbrain and the midbrain/hindbrain boundary (MHB). We set out to identify molecules that function in and downstream of this reciprocal signaling. Overexpression of LIM domain of the transcription factor Islet-3 (LIM(Isl-3)) leads to inhibition of this reciprocal signaling and to resultant defects in tectal and cerebellar development. We therefore searched for genes that may be either up- or down-regulated by overexpression of LIM(Isl-3) by comparing the gene expression profiles in the midbrain and the MHB of normal embryos and embryos in which Islet-3 function was repressed, using a combination of ordered differential display and whole-mount in situ hybridization. Among genes identified in this search, two cDNA fragments encoded Wnt1 and FGF8, which are already known to be essential for the reciprocal signaling between the midbrain and the MHB, confirming the effectiveness of our strategy. We identified four other partial cDNA clones that were specifically expressed around the MHB, ten cDNAs specifically expressed in the tectum, and three cDNAs expressed in neural crest cells including those derived from the midbrain level. The ephrin-A3 gene was specifically expressed in posterior tectum in a gradient that decreased anteriorly. Although ephrin-A2 and ephrin-A5 have been reported to be expressed in the corresponding region in mouse embryos, the superior/inferior colliculi, mouse ephrin-A3 is not expressed prominently in this region, suggesting that the role of ephrin-A3 in brain development may have been altered in the process of brain evolution.
Amino Acid Sequence↗
ERK induces p35, a neuron-specific activator of Cdk5, through induction of Egr1.
The classical mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK; also known as extracellular-signal-regulated kinase), ERK cascade has been shown to have a crucial role in cell proliferation and differentiation. In PC12 cells, sustained activation of ERK induced by nerve-growth factor (NGF) is essential for neuronal differentiation. However, downstream targets of ERK that are essential for neuronal differentiation have not been defined. Here we show that NGF induces strong, sustained expression of p35, the neuron-specific activator of cyclin-dependent kinase 5 (Cdk5), through activation of the ERK pathway. The induced kinase activity of Cdk5 is required for NGF-induced neurite outgrowth. Our results indicate that sustained activation of ERK is necessary and sufficient for strong induction of p35. Furthermore, the transcription factor Egr1, is induced by NGF through the ERK pathway and mediates induction of p35 by ERK. Our results thus define an essential signalling pathway, downstream of ERK/MAPK, that leads to neuronal differentiation.
Animals↗