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Biomedical subjects

T Kanda

Publications and source records attributed to T Kanda.

At least 271 records · Page 15Linked to original sources
PubMed1997

Glycosyltransferase activities in cultured endothelial cells of bovine brain microvascular origin.

Bovine brain microvascular endothelial cells (BMECs) express GM3 (NeuAc) and GM3 (NeuGc) as the major gangliosides, and GM1, GD1a, GD1b, GT1b as well as sialosylparagloboside and sialosyllactosaminylparagloboside as the minor species. To investigate the metabolic basis of this ganglioside pattern, the activities of eight glycosyltransferases (GM3-, GD1a-, GD3-, LM1-, GM2 (NeuAc)-, GM2 (NeuGc)-, LacCer-, and GM1-synthases) in cultured BMECs were studied. It was found that BMECs possessed high activities of GM3- and GD1a-synthases, and low activities of GM2-, GM1-, and GD3-synthases. Thus, the present study provides evidence that endothelial cells are capable of synthesizing gangliosides in situ and that the high content of GM3 in BMEC is closely associated with high activities of GM3-synthase and low activities of GM2-, GM1-, and GD3-synthases.

Animals↗
PubMed1997

Preferential codon usage and two types of repetitive motifs in the fibroin gene of the Chinese oak silkworm, Antheraea pernyi.

In this paper we describe the peculiar structures and preferential codon usage found in wild silkworm fibroin genes. We determined a 1350 bp nucleotide sequence from the Chinese oak silkworm, Antheraea pernyi. The deduced amino acid sequence was partitioned into thirteen polyalanine-containing repetitive motifs, which was one of the characteristics of Antheraea fibroins. Eleven of these arrays can be classified into two types of motifs depending on difference in amino acid sequences following polyalanine. Repetitive motifs structurally similar to those of A. pernyi were detected in a homologue of the Japanese oak silkworm, Antheraea yamamai. The most remarkable feature of this study was preferential codon usage, especially seen in alanine synonymous codons within both homologues of Antheraea: isocodon GCA most frequently occurred in alanine isocodons. In contrast, GCU isocodon was the most abundant in Bombyx mori fibroin heavy chain that lacks polyalanine arrays. This result strongly suggests different modes of selective constraint between the two types of fibroin gene. The similar finding that GCA isocodon was most frequent in two dragline silk sequences of the spider, Nephila clavipes, is consistent with our results because of the repetitive polyalanine-containing arrays seen in spider dragline silk.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1997

Gene mutation analysis and quantitation of DNA topoisomerase I in previously untreated non-small cell lung carcinomas.

To elucidate whether gene alterations of topoisomerase I (topo I) exist in untreated non-small cell lung carcinomas (NSCLC), polymerase chain reaction-single strand conformation polymorphism analysis was performed in forty-four NSCLC tissue samples. Gene alterations of topo I were sought in three regions, near codons 361 and 363, 533, and 722 and 729, where point mutations have been found in resistant tumor cell lines selected by chronic camptothecin exposure. In addition, nuclear topo I contents were determined by immunoblotting. No mobility shifts were observed compared to the pattern observed in a normal control at any of the three regions in any sample, whereas topo I levels showed an approximately 12-fold variation. The variation is remarkably large compared to those seen in previous in vitro and in vivo studies. The results suggest that mutations of topo I may not contribute to intrinsic resistance of NSCLC to camptothecins, but low topo I levels may account, at least in part, for the resistance.

Adenocarcinoma↗
PubMed1997

Antibodies to human papillomavirus 16, 18, 58, and 6b major capsid proteins among Japanese females.

Among genital human papillomaviruses (HPVs), the so-called high-risk (HPV 16, 18, etc.) and intermediate-risk (HPV 58, etc.) viruses are believed to be etiologically associated with cervical cancer. To estimate the extent of infection with common HPVs among Japanese females, we examined 328 sera from healthy donors (201) and patients with cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN) (22), cervical cancer (67), and condyloma acuminatum (CA) (38) for IgG antibodies against L1 capsid protein by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay using virus-like particles of HPVs 16, 18, 58 and 6b (low-risk) as antigens. Antibodies recognizing conformational epitopes were found in the sera from both the patients and the healthy donors. The prevalences of anti-HPV 16, 18, and 58 antibodies in the sera from the patients with CIN (45%) and cervical cancer (49%), and that of anti-HPV 6b in the sera from the patients with CA (55%), were significantly higher than those in the sera from the age-matched healthy donors (12%, 14%, and 23%, respectively). Anti-HPV 16 was not found in some of the sera from patients with HPV 16-DNA positive CIN or cervical cancer, suggesting that HPV infection may not always induce production of anti-capsid antibodies or that the level of antibodies may not always be maintained until development of CIN or cancer. Some of the sera contained antibodies against more than one type of HPV, suggesting that the donors had been infected with different HPVs. The type-specific antibodies against capsid L1 protein of one type of HPV may not be able to prevent infections with other types of HPVs.

Adult↗
PubMed1997

GB virus-C infection among chronic haemodialysis patients: clinical implications.

It is known that patients on chronic haemodialysis are frequently infected with hepatitis C virus (HCV). It has recently been found that GB virus-C (GBV-C) and hepatitis G virus frequently coinfect patients with HCV. This study aimed at elucidating the clinical implications of GBV-C infection among haemodialysis patients who have and do not have HCV infection. GBV-C RNA was detected in sera of randomly selected 98 anti-HCV-positive and 85 -negative patients on dialysis by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction using two sets of amplification primers made from the reported sequences of the non-structural protein 3 and 5' untranslated regions. In these patients, liver function tests were carried out at regular intervals. There were six patients who were coinfected with HCV and GBV-C and three who had only GBV-C RNA. All had a history of past blood transfusion. The onset of mild hepatitis was identified in three HCV-negative patients; elevation of alanine aminotransferase (ALT) following blood transfusion was very mild but recognizable, and aspartate aminotransferase (AST) was higher than ALT. In two of six coinfected patients, the onset of liver disease was recognized with a peak ALT of 72 and 90 IU/L, respectively. Two of these six were Amplicore (HCV-RNA) negative and asymptomatic, two had low-grade HCV viraemia and two moderate-grade HCV viraemia. Of the 98 anti-HCV-positive cases, 41 were thought to have had nosocomial infection of HCV or non-A, non-B virus; none of them had GBV-C. GBV-C RNA was negative in nine patients who had chronic non-A-E hepatitis. GBV-C infection was detected in 6.1% of anti-HCV-positive and in 3.5% of -negative dialysis patients. All had blood transfusion in the past, and there was no evidence of patient-to-patient spread of GBV-C in hospital. The liver disease was very mild and self-limited in GBV-C infection alone. The natural history of coinfected patients may be similar to that of those with chronic HCV infection, but the liver disease appears to be milder.

Aged↗
PubMed1997

[Atypical lung abscess occurring in an elderly female suffering from diabetes mellitus--a case report].

We report an atypical case of lung abscess occurring in a 73-year-old female who suffered from diabetes for more than 20 years. In 1993 she had a total gasterectomy for gastric cancer. In 1995 she was admitted to our hospital complaining of a mild cough and a small amount of sputa. A CT scan of the chest revealed a huge abscess in the left lung. Streptococcus sanguis was cultured from the intrathoracic fluid. It is possible that the severe lung abscess in spite of the few symptoms occurs in the compromised host, such as this patient who suffered from diabetes for long time. Oral streptococci in close relationship to misswallowing should be taken into consideration as one of the causes of this condition.

Aged↗
PubMed1997

Predictive value of left ventricular response to exercise in patients with dilated cardiomyopathy--assessment by radionuclide ventriculography.

The objective of this study was to determine noninvasively the likelihood of recovery of the left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) in patients with dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) verified by radionuclide ventriculography. Twenty patients with DCM were classified into two groups according to the LVEF by M-mode echocardiographic findings two years after ventriculographic examination. The LVEF recovered to > or = 50% in 10 patients (Group A), while it was sustained at < 50% in 10 patients (Group B). The clinical features of each group were compared, based on results of physical examination, radionuclide ventriculography, and other diagnostic tests performed on their referral to hospital. Only the systolic blood pressure differed significantly between the two groups, being slightly, but significantly, increased in Group A over that in Group B (P < 0.05). LVEF at rest by radionuclide did not differ (Group A: 31.5 +/- 10.3% vs Group B: 26.5 +/- 9.4%). Peak exercise EF-EF at rest (peak delta EF) in Group A was apparently increased (3.4 +/- 4.0%), while that in Group B was decreased (-4.4 +/- 5.2%). The positive peak delta EF had a highly predictive value of 90% for patients with DCM whose LVEF will recover to more than 50%. The recovery EF-EF at rest did not differ significantly between groups (Group A: 8.4 +/- 4.7 vs Group B: 3.9 +/- 2.3, P < 0.05). Other clinical parameters such as functional class, cardiothoracic ratio, LVEF by echocardiography, cardiac index by Swan-Ganz catheter examination, and histologic examination of biopsied endocardium were indistinguishable in the two groups. The authors conclude that peak delta EF of radionuclide ventriculography on exercise indicates a preservation of LVEF and predicts a good clinical recovery in patients with DCM.

Blood Pressure↗
PubMed1997

Identification of a vanadium-associated protein from the vanadium-rich ascidian, Ascidia sydneiensis samea.

Ascidians are known to accumulate vanadium in their blood cells (vanadocytes) at extremely high levels which correspond to about 10(6) to 10(7) times the levels of vanadium ions in seawater. The route for the accumulation of vanadium ions from the outside environment into the blood system in ascidians has not yet been discovered. In the present experiments, using a combined technique of anion exchange column and atomic absorption spectrometry, we first extracted a vanadium-associated protein (VAP) from the blood cells of the ascidian Ascidia sydneiensis samea. VAP was estimated to associate with vanadium at an approximate ratio of 1 mol:16 mole. SDS-PAGE and a polyclonal antibody against VAP (anti-VAP) revealed that VAP is composed of at least two types of peptides estimated to be 12.5 kDa and 15 kDa with a minor peptide of 18 kDa and that VAP is localized in the cytoplasm of the vanadocytes.

Animals↗
PubMed1997

Massive adrenal hemorrhage secondary to metastasis of lung cancer.

Hemorrhagic adrenal metastasis from lung cancer is extremely rare, although adrenal involvement is common in widely disseminated cancer. We report a case of massive adrenal hemorrhage secondary to metastasis of lung cancer. A 47-year-old female was treated by left upper lobectomy and mediastinal lymph node resection for an adenocarcinoma with intrapulmonary metastasis in the left upper lobe. Eight months later, she presented with right flank and back pain, and abdominal ultrasonography and computed tomography showed a right solitary adrenal tumor with massive hemorrhage. The tumor was not resectable and partially responded to chemotherapy. A massive adrenal hemorrhage, secondary to metastasis of lung cancer, presents with nonspecific clinical signs and symptoms. In lung cancer patients with an acute flank or back pain, hemorrhagic adrenal metastasis should be considered in the differential diagnosis.

Acute Disease↗
PubMed1997

Augmentation of hepatic glucose uptake by a positive glucose gradient between hepatoportal and central nervous systems.

To determine the role of the glucose gradient between the hepatoportal system (HPS) and the central nervous system (CNS) in regulating hepatic glucose uptake, experiments were conducted with seven conscious dogs using a hepatic venous catheterization technique. With the infusion of somatostatin (0.8 microg x kg(-1) x min(-1)), glucagon (0.65 ng x kg(-1) x min(-1)), and insulin (27 pmol x kg(-1) x min(-1)), arterial glucose levels could be maintained at 8 mmol/l by adjusting the intravenous glucose infusion (G(inf)) according to the following three periods: 1) peripheral glucose infusion period (PE), G(inf) alone; 2) portal glucose infusion period (PO), G(inf) plus constant glucose infusion into the portal vein (GIR(PV), 55.6 micromol x kg(-1) x min(-1)); 3) portal and brain glucose infusion period (PO+CNS), G(inf) and GIR(PV) plus additional glucose infusion into the unilateral carotid and vertebral arteries to abolish the positive glucose gradient between HPS and CNS. Arterial plasma glucose levels were clamped during the three periods (8.1 +/- 0.1, PE; 8.2 +/- 0.1, PO; 8.2 +/- 0.1 mmol/l, PO+CNS). During PO, when a positive glucose gradient was promoted between HPS and CNS, the net hepatic glucose balance (NHGB) determined by the difference between hepatic glucose inflow and outflow was significantly lower than that of PE (-41.5 +/- 5.3, PO vs. -7.5 +/- 3.4 micromol x kg(-1) x min(-1), PE; P < 0.01). However, this decrease in the NHGB significantly increased during PO+CNS, when the glucose gradient between HPS and CNS was minimized, compared with PO (-21.7 +/- 3.2 micromol x kg(-1) x min(-1), P < 0.05). We conclude that a positive glucose gradient between HPS and CNS is an important regulatory factor of hepatic glucose uptake, but other factors also play important roles because minimizing the glucose gradient between HPS and CNS diminished the net hepatic glucose uptake by 50%.

Animals↗
PubMed1997

Presence of anti-pituitary antibodies and GAD antibodies in NIDDM and IDDM.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the clinical significance of the presence of anti-pituitary antibodies (APAs) in patients with NIDDM or IDDM and to examine the relationship of APAs to GAD antibodies (GADAs). RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS: Serum samples were obtained from patients with NIDDM and IDDM. APAs, determined by Western blot analysis, and GADAs, determined by radioimmunoassay, were detected in the patients' sera and control sera. Urinary levels of C-peptide (U-CPR) were measured. RESULTS: The prevalence of APAs was significantly higher in patients with NIDDM (24.2%) or IDDM (56.8%) than in healthy control subjects (6%). In patients with NIDDM, the levels of U-CPR were significantly lower, and the prevalence of insulin deficiency was higher in APA+ patients than in APA- patients. CONCLUSIONS: This is the first study to demonstrate that the prevalence of APAs is increased in patients with NIDDM and IDDM. The presence of APAs may be related to reduced secretion of insulin in NIDDM patients.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1997

Changes in the permeability and histologic findings of rabbit menisci after immobilization.

The knees of mature rabbits were immobilized for 2 to 8 weeks by a long leg cast to examine adverse effects on the meniscus. Some joints were remobilized for 1 to 4 weeks after an immobilization period of either 6 or 8 weeks. Horseradish peroxidase was injected into knee joints, and the degree of permeation into the meniscus was visualized with diaminobenzidine tetrahydrochloride. Menisci were examined histologically by light and transmission electron microscopic study. Injected horseradish peroxidase permeated all areas of the meniscus in nonimmobilized joints. However, permeability of horseradish peroxidase gradually decreased with increasing time of immobilization and was restricted to the superficial layer of the meniscus in the 8-week immobilization group. Degenerative changes in the deep layers of the meniscus were noted in the 6-week immobilization group: 8 weeks of immobilization induced additional degenerative changes. Although permeability of horseradish peroxidase gradually recovered with remobilization, the degenerative changes remained in the deep meniscal layer in the 8-week immobilization group, even after 4 weeks of remobilization. These results clearly show that long-term immobilization of the knee joint causes adverse changes in the meniscus.

Animals↗
PubMed1997

Effect of amrinone on murine viral myocarditis.

Management of acute viral myocarditis is still controversial. Amrinone, a noncatecholamine nonglycoside bipyridine agent, produces sustained improvement of cardiac function and symptomatology in congestive heart failure (CHF). Amrinone demonstrates phosphodiesterase inhibitory activity that is relatively selective for the major phosphodiesterase isozyme in cardiac muscles, PDE III, which specifically hydrolyzes cyclic 3'5' adenosine monophosphate (cAMP). We investigated the effects of amrinone in an animal model of acute CHF related to myocarditis caused by the encephalomyocarditis virus (EMCV). Female C3H mice were inoculated intraperitoneally (i.p.) with 500 plaque-forming units of EMCV in 0.1 ml of saline. A total of 96 mice were randomly assigned to four groups. Each animal was administered 0.2 ml of phosphate-buffered saline (PBS) containing amrinone at a concentration of 1, 10, or 50 mg/kg, or PBS as an infected control, injected i.p. once daily for 21 days, starting on day 1 after viral inoculation. Each group contains 20 to 30 mice. Infected untreated mice survived at 80% (n = 16), however, only 13% (n = 16) of mice treated with amrinone (50 mg/kg) survived (p < 0.01). Downregulation of cardiac cAMP occurred 1 day after the viral infection. Although amrinone (10 and 50 mg/kg) treatment significantly (p < 0.05) increased the cardiac cAMP content and the dose of 10 mg/kg could potentially retard death from CHF due to viral myocarditis. The higher (50 mg/kg) doses of amrinone may produce unfavorable effects when used to treat mammals with viral myocarditis and CHF.

Acute Disease↗
PubMed1997

[Clinical features of HGBV-C-related liver cancer].

Recently, one of non-A to E hepatitis viruses was identified and the new virus was named HGV/GBV-C(HGBV-C). In Japan, more than 90% of liver cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma were associated with hepatitis B or C virus infection. Proportion of HGBV-C infection was only 3.4% of patients with non-A to E chronic liver disease we examined. Thus, HGBV-C was considered to play only a minor role in chronic liver disease of unknown etiology. HGBV-C positive cases have a history of blood transfusion and/or operation and/or drug self-injection, and frequently co-infected with hepatitis C virus. Whether HGBV-C infection really causes severe chronic liver disease is required to be elucidated.

Aged↗
PubMed1997

MR of spastic tetraplegia.

PURPOSE: To characterize the MR findings in children with spastic tetraplegia by gestational age at birth and perinatal history. METHODS: Thirty-four children, 19 boys and 15 girls, with spastic tetraplegia whose brain damage occurred in the prenatal or perinatal period were included in the study. Eighteen were born at term or later and 16 were premature. Axial proton density- and T2-weighted images and sagittal and coronal T1-weighted images were obtained on a 0.5-T MR imaging unit. RESULTS: All patients had abnormal MR findings, with a high prevalence of congenital anomalies (62.5%) in term patients who had experienced no adverse perinatal events. Term patients who had suffered detrimental perinatal events had a wide variety of brain lesions. A high frequency (75%) of periventricular leukomalacia was characteristic of preterm patients. CONCLUSION: MR imaging is useful for evaluating structural abnormalities in the brain and the extent of brain injury in patients with spastic tetraplegia.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1997

[Proctocolectomy with ileal W pouch anal anastomosis for ulcerative colitis].

Restorative proctocolectomy with ileal pouch anal anastomosis, which is a relatively new procedure, has become a standard procedure for ulcerative colitis (UC) requiring surgical management. The main impact of this procedure is to cure patients of disease and to avoid permanent ileostomy, preserving better defecatory function and acceptable QOL. Some key aspects of our surgical procedure are as follows: 1) two or three separate staged operation, 2) W-shaped reservoir, 3) distal rectal mucosectomy and handsewn ileo-anal anastomosis, 4) short muscular cuff, and 5) temporary diverting ileostomy. Staged operation and diverting ileostomy are helpful to decrease risk of pelvic infection. Total removal of the rectal mucosa is necessary to cure the disease, and shorter muscular cuff decreases operating time and bleeding and thus the risk of pelvic sepsis. The W-shaped reservoir described by Nicholls brings both spontaneous defecation and improved function. We have adopted ileal W-pouch among several types of reservoir to 58 patients with UC since 1984, and found that a large and wide reservoir might allow better defecatory function. There were no cases of serious complications and no needs to remove the reservoir. Mean daily stool frequency was gradually decreased with time, and 4.9 stools per 24 hours at present day, and clinical score of neorectal function also gradually improved according to reduction of stool frequency. Seventy three percent of patients felt their defecatory function satisfactory and 89% of the patients recovered acceptable QOL no less than that obtained during the medically treated period.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1997

Participation of the pituitary-thyroid axis in the cardiovascular system in elderly patients with congestive heart failure.

The relationship between the pituitary-thyroid axis and the cardiovascular system in patients with congestive heart failure (CHF) remains unknown. Therefore, we attempted to determine serum levels of thyroid hormones in relation to plasma atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP) levels and left ventricular (LV) function in patients with CHF. The echocardiographic ejection fraction significantly correlated with the thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) (p < 0.005) and free triiodothyronine (FT3)/free thyroxine (FT4) ratio (p < 0.005), respectively, in patients with CHF but not in control subjects. TSH was positively correlated with the FT3/FT4 ratio (p < 0.01) in CHF. In patients with CHF, TSH and thyroid hormones may participate in regulatory mechanisms of the cardiovascular system and altered thyroid hormone metabolism, which was characterized by a euthyroid sick syndrome.

Aged↗