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Biomedical subjects

T Kanda

Publications and source records attributed to T Kanda.

At least 703 records · Page 39Linked to original sources
PubMedDate not supplied

Ubiquitin immunoreactivity shows several proteins varying with development and sporulation in the basidiomycete Coprinus cinereus.

Crude extracts of mycelia and basidiocarp primordia in the basidiomycete Coprinus cinereus were resolved on sodium dodecyl sulfate--polyacrylamide gels, and ubiquitin and several proteins were detected by immunoblotting with anti-ubiquitin antibody. The molecular masses of the proteins detected were 30,900, 28,600, 27,800, 26,300, 22,500, and 15,400 daltons, respectively. Relative levels of ubiquitin and most of the ubiquitin-immunoreactive proteins in basidiocarp primordium formation increased and in basidiocarp maturation decreased in cap and upper stipe, while in lower stipe became high except for the 27,800 dalton protein and ubiquitin. During sporulation, ubiquitin and all the ubiquitin-immunoreactive proteins tended to decrease in the cap of the young wild-type basidiocarp. The levels of 30,900 and 15,400 dalton proteins increased transiently at 6-10 h after the beginning of the last light period, while ubiquitin decreased markedly. No correlation was observed between changes in levels of the ubiquitin-immunoreactive proteins and the blocked stages in sporulation-deficient mutants.

Coprinus↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Mechanism of doxorubicin-induced inhibition of sarcoplasmic reticulum Ca(2+)-ATPase gene transcription.

Doxorubicin (DOX)-induced cardiomyopathy has been found to be associated with impaired Ca(2+) handling in the sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR), leading to reduced cardiac function. We have recently demonstrated that expression of mRNA encoding sarco(endo)plasmic reticulum Ca(2+)-ATPase 2 (SERCA2), a major Ca(2+) transport protein in SR, is markedly decreased in DOX-treated hearts. To extend this observation, we have dissected the molecular mechanisms by which DOX downregulates SERCA2 gene transcription. Using cultured rat neonatal cardiac myocytes, we found that the antioxidant N-acetylcysteine blocked the DOX-induced decrease in SERCA2 mRNA levels, as well as the DOX-induced increase in H(2)O(2) concentration; thus, H(2)O(2) is an intracellular mediator of DOX activity. Using a luciferase reporter assay, we found that the sequence from -284 to -72 bp in the 5' flanking region of the SERCA2 gene has a DOX-responsive element. Although several transcription factors have putative binding motifs in this region of the SERCA2 gene, only the expression of Egr-1 mRNA and the binding of Egr-1 protein to the 5' regulatory sequence of SERCA2 gene increased markedly after DOX administration. We also found that overexpression of Egr-1 was associated with a significant reduction in SERCA2 gene transcription. In addition, Egr-1 antisense oligonucleotides blocked the DOX-induced reduction in SERCA2 mRNA, suggesting that Egr-1 is a transcriptional inhibitor of the SERCA2 gene in DOX-induced cardiomyopathy. We observed activation of 3 mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs), p44/42 MAPK, p38 MAPK, and stress-activated MAPK/Jun N-terminal kinase, by DOX, but only a specific inhibitor of the p44/42 MAPK kinase suppressed the effects of DOX on Egr-1 and SERCA2 mRNA expression. These findings indicate that reactive oxygen intermediates, the transcription factor Egr-1, and p44/42 MAPK are critical elements in the transcriptional regulation of the SERCA2 gene in response to DOX.

Animals↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Serum dopamine-beta-hydroxylase activity in acute stroke.

Serum dopamine-beta-hydroxylase (DBH) activity was measured in 34 patients with acute cerebrovascular disease. The serum level of DBH activity showed its highest value soon after the onset of stroke and then gradually decreased over the next few days. After reaching its lowest level, the DBH activity again showed a slight increase. There was no direct relationship between serum DBH activity and total serum protein, or blood pressure. In 8 of 12 patients, DBH activity in the cerebral venous blood was higher than that in the arterial blood. These results suggest that rapid release of DBH into the circulating blood occurred after stroke, presumably from sympathetic nerve endings in the vessels or organs, including the brain.

Acute Disease↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Ataxic hemiparesis with reductions of ipsilateral cerebellar blood flow.

Regional cerebellar blood flow was measured in a patient with left-sided ataxic hemiparesis, using single-photon emission computed tomography and N-isopropyl-p-[123I]Iodoamphetamine. X-ray computed tomography revealed a small infarct in the paramedian portion of the right upper basis pontis. Blood flow was markedly reduced in the contralateral cerebellar hemisphere corresponding to the side of ataxia. The present study emphasizes the value of the three-dimensional functional imaging of the cerebellum to investigate the responsible lesion for ataxia and to study function of the cerebro-cerebellar circuits.

Aged↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Anti-pituitary antibody-induced multiple endocrine disorders in mice.

Circulating anti-pituitary antibodies (APAs) have been detected in patients with autoimmune diseases, although the role of autoantibodies in the pathogenesis of autoimmune diseases is still unclear. With the aim of elucidating the autoimmune mechanisms involved in patients with multiple endocrine disorders, we evaluated the pathological changes in the pituitary gland, thyroid, pancreas and adrenal gland of mice, both wild-type and using a murine model of autoimmune thyroid disease [MRL-lpr/lpr] that had been immunized with murine, rat, porcine or human pituitary glands. In four of seven mice, a 22 kD band corresponding to APA was detected by Western blotting in the serum from mice that had been immunized with human pituitary tissues but not in the serum from mice immunized with rat or pig tissue. Inflammatory changes were detected in all groups of mice, occurring in the hypophysis, pancreas and adrenal glands but not in the thyroid. In conclusion, APA-induced autoimmune endocrine disorders are likely to be important for studying the mechanisms involved in autoimmune syndromes.

Animals↗
PubMedDate not supplied

The significance of measuring plasma leptin in acute myocardial infarction.

We measured leptin concentrations in patients with acute myocardial infarction (AMI, n = 21) and in 15 age-matched controls, and compared leptin concentrations with levels of other myocardial enzymes and indicators of AMI. Blood was sampled immediately after hospital admission and at 1 h, 2 h, 3 h, 6 h and 9 h, then every 12 h until 5 days post-admission. Patients were stratified into three groups according to peak leptin concentrations: hypoleptinaemia (< 3 ng/ml); normoleptinaemia (> or = 3 - < 15 ng/ml) and hyperleptinaemia (> or = 15 ng/ml). Hypoleptinaemic AMI patients had significantly increased concentrations of plasma lactate dehydrogenase compared with normoleptinaemic patients. No significant differences in other serum markers were noted between hyperleptinaemic and normoleptinaemic AMI patients. A significant negative correlation was found between the peak concentrations of leptin and interleukin 6. Leptin may play a role in the regulation of the development of cardiac damage in patients with AMI.

Aged↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Type IV collagen serum and vitreous fluid levels in patients with diabetic retinopathy.

We compared the levels of type IV collagen (IV-C) in vitreous fluid and serum and the levels of glycosylated haemoglobin in 47 patients with proliferative diabetic retinopathy (DR) and 21 patients with non-inflammatory retinopathies. Levels of IV-C were found to be higher in the vitreous fluid in patients with DR than in patients with non-inflammatory retinopathy (53.2 +/- 14.9 microg/l versus 14.7 +/- 4.5 microg/l). Serum levels were likewise higher in patients with DR (349.7 +/- 106.2 microg/l versus 97.7 +/- 13.1 microg/l) as were glycosylated haemoglobin levels (8.3 +/- 0.3% versus 5.2 +/- 0.4%). In addition, levels of type IV collagen in the vitreous fluid were found to be higher in the patients who had been diabetic for > or = 10 years than in patients who had been diabetic for < 10 years (54.8 +/- 15.5 microg/l versus 16.8 +/- 4.6 microg/l). We conclude that accumulation of vitreous fluid IV-C may relate to high levels of glycosylated haemoglobin and long duration of diabetes. This suggests that the concentration of IV-C in vitreous fluid, and possibly also the serum levels of IV-C, reflects the progression of DR. Further investigation is needed to verify this and to investigate whether or not measuring IV-C levels is a useful means to assess therapeutic effects and/or prognosis of diabetic microangiopathy.

Adult↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Detection of point mutation for human growth hormone in patients with anti-pituitary antibody positive type 1 diabetes mellitus.

We investigated genetic mutations in the coding region of the human growth hormone (hGH) gene in anti-pituitary antibody (APA)-positive patients with type 1 diabetes mellitus (n = 6) or autoimmune thyroid diseases (n = 10) and in APA-negative, healthy controls (n = 10). A point mutation in the hGH gene was discovered in two patients with type 1 diabetes mellitus. No mutations were found in the hGH gene in control subjects, patients with autoimmune thyroid diseases (Hashimoto's thyroiditits, Graves' disease) or in the remaining four patients with type 1 diabetes mellitus. The mutation was located in the coding region for the second amino acid in the N-terminal region of hGH. This point mutation was identified in codon 2 in exon 2 of the hGH gene. We successfully developed an allele-specific amplification method for detecting this mutation using the polymerase chain reaction.

Adolescent↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Circulating leptin: a marker of health in female students.

We studied the relationship between serum leptin concentration and lifestyle factors in female nursing students. Serum leptin was estimated by radioimmunoassay and the correlation between these concentrations with serum lipids, physical fitness and Health-promoting Lifestyle Profile score was investigated. A total of 247 students took part in the study: mean age, 19.0 +/- 2.0 years; mean body mass index (BMI), 21.7 +/- 2.9 kg/m2; and mean serum leptin concentration, 10.8 +/- 11.5 ng/ml. Serum leptin was positively correlated with BMI, systolic and diastolic blood pressure, total cholesterol and serum triglyceride. Serum leptin level concentration inversely correlated with physical fitness score and lifestyle score. When the subjects were grouped according to BMI, the high-BMI group (BMI: > or = 24 kg/m2; n = 40) showed significantly lower fitness and lifestyle scores than the low-BMI group (BMI < or = 20 kg/m2; n = 70). Higher leptin, blood pressure, total cholesterol and triglyceride were seen in high-BMI compared with low-BMI subjects. We suggest that leptin is a useful marker for monitoring good health and may be useful as a motivational aid towards achieving and maintaining a healthy lifestyle.

Adolescent↗
PubMedDate not supplied

The effect of the herbal medicine dai-kenchu-to on post-operative ileus.

Post-operative ileus (PI) is an inevitable adverse consequence of abdominal surgical procedures. We performed a randomized study of the effects of the herbal medicine dai-kenchu-to (DKT) on 24 patients with PI. Patients received either 15 g of oral DKT or placebo daily for 14 days. The effects on upper gastrointestinal motility, frequency of secondary operation and recurrence of PI were investigated. The frequency of surgical operation was significantly lower in patients receiving DKT compared with placebo. Oral administration of DKT was clinically effective for PI in reducing both the need for further surgery and the recurrence of PI.

Asarum↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Angiotensin-converting enzyme insertion/deletion polymorphism and polyneuropathy in type 2 diabetes without macroalbuminuria.

Angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) gene polymorphism is thought to be a potent risk factor for nephropathy and retinopathy in diabetes. We investigated the association between polyneuropathy and gene polymorphisms of both the ACE insertion/deletion (I/D) and angiotensinogen (AGT) M235T genes in 84 type 2 diabetic patients without macroalbuminuria (21 with polyneuropathy and 63 without). ACE genotype distribution did not differ significantly between patients with and without polyneuropathy, but the frequency of the I allele was significantly higher in those with polyneuropathy than in those without. In contrast, neither the genotype distribution nor the allele frequencies of the AGT gene differed between the two groups. In logistic regression analysis using a D-additive model, the D allele had a protective effect on polyneuropathy (odds ratio [OR], 0.34; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.13-0.88). A D-dominant model hypothesis also gave a significant OR (0.28; 95% CI, 0.09-0.90). ACE I/D polymorphism, but not AGT M235T polymorphism, may affect polyneuropathy development in type 2 diabetes without macroalbuminuria.

Aged↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Spontaneously identified gastric sarcoidosis: a report of three cases.

Sarcoidosis is a systemic granulomatous disease, frequently involving the lungs, lymph nodes, eyes and skin. Gastric sarcoidosis is very rare. We report three patients diagnosed initially with gastric sarcoidosis. Two had no other identified involvement, and one had involvement of the lungs and hilar lymph nodes. Gastroscopy was performed because of abdominal discomfort or as a follow-up examination for partial gastrectomy. This revealed atrophic lesions with nodular mucosal changes in the antrum and granular mucosa, and residual gastritis was found at the site of gastroduodenal anastomosis. Non-caseating epitheloid-cell granulomas were found in all patients following histological analysis. Gastroscopy and histopathological findings in gastric mucosal biopsy samples from suspicious sites are essential in establishing an accurate diagnosis of gastric sarcoidosis.

Adult↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Brugada-like electrocardiographic changes during influenza infection.

We describe a 32-year-old man with electrocardiographic (ECG) changes consistent with Brugada syndrome and influenza virus infection. The ECG pattern changed after 1 week to one of early repolarization in V1 and V2. This case suggests an association between Brugada syndrome and viral infection.

Adult↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Utility of testing bronchoalveolar lavage fluid for cryptococcal ribosomal DNA.

Bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) specimens from 88 patients (33 infected with human immunodeficiency virus [HIV], 45 non-HIV immunosuppressed patients and 10 immunocompetent patients with primary pulmonary disease) were analysed for the presence of Cryptococcus neoformans. Staining, culture and an antigen testing were performed, and C. neoformans ribosomal DNA (rDNA) detected using the polymerase chain reaction (PCR). C. neoformans was detected, by staining and culture, in BAL specimens from two HIV-infected patients with pulmonary cryptococcosis, and the antigen test and rDNA assay were also positive in these samples. C. neoformans rDNA was detected by PCR in a non-HIV immunocompromised patient with Pneumocystis pneumonia, whose staining, culture and antigen tests were negative. The antigen test was positive for an immunocompetent patient with sarcoidosis, while staining, culture and the PCR assay were negative. These results do not support routine testing of BAL specimens for C. neoformans rDNA.

Adolescent↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Immunohistochemical study of surgically excised choroidal neovascular membranes.

We carried out an immunohistochemical investigation of the choroidal neovascular membranes from 12 eyes surgically excised as a result of age-related macular degeneration (n = 6) or idiopathic choroidal neovascularization (n = 6). Immunohistochemical staining was performed with antibodies specific for basic transcriptional element binding protein-2, actin or smooth muscle cell 1. In all membranes, the endothelial cells and stromal components around the vessels were immunoreactive for expression of basic transcriptional element binding protein-2, while immunoreactive expression of actin and smooth muscle cell type 1 was found in the surrounding stromal cells. These results suggest that basic transcriptional element binding protein-2, a zinc finger transcription factor, may contribute to the establishment of the choroidal neovascularization observed in the pathogenesis of age-related macular degeneration and idiopathic choroidal neovascularization.

Actins↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Congestive heart failure induced by the combination of atrial fibrillation and tricuspid regurgitation.

Atrial fibrillation (AF) and tricuspid regurgitation (TR) may induce congestive heart failure (CHD). Using electrocardiography and echocardiography, we examined the clinical characteristics and haemodynamic findings in 100 patients with AF + TR + CHF, AF + TR, AF or TR. The fractional shortening in all groups with AF was significantly decreased compared with the TR group. The ejection fraction in patients with AF + TR + CHF was significantly lower than in the TR group. Twenty-four of the 72 patients with AF and TR (with or without CHF) were treated, and 13 were monitored for heart rate and severity of TR. Eight months after start of treatment the heart rate and typical symptoms and signs of heart failure had improved significantly in nine patients, but the severity of TR did not change. TR worsened in the remaining four patients but they did not develop CHF. Our results suggest that increased heart rate due to the combination of AF and TR could be responsible for CHF.

Adult↗