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Biomedical subjects

T Kitagawa

Publications and source records attributed to T Kitagawa.

At least 775 records · Page 43Linked to original sources

Enzyme coupled immunoassay of insulin using a novel coupling reagent.

A novel coupling reagent, meta-maleimidobenzoyl N-hydroxysuccinimide ester was synthesized. Using this reagent, insulin was conjugated very easily with beta-D-galactosidase [EC 3.2.1.23] in neutral, aqueous solution. No reduction of the enzyme activity was observed during the coupling procedure. The competitive bindings of the conjugate and insulin to anti-insulin serum were tested. The results indicated that the conjugate has enough immune reactivity for use in enzyme coupled immunoassay. Using this assay 20-800 pg of insulin were detectable.

Binding, Competitive↗

Properties of liposomal membranes containing lysolecithin.

Liposomes have been prepared with lysolecithin (1-acyl-sn-3-glycerylphosphorylcholine), egg lecithin (3-sn-phosphatidylcholine), dicetyl phosphate, and cholesterol. The ability to function as a barrier to the diffusion of glucose marker and the sensitivities of the liposomes to hypotonic treatment and other reagents which modified the permeability were examined. Generally, lysolecithin incorporation decreased the effectiveness of the membranes as a barrier to glucose and made the membranes more "osmotically fragile." Cholesterol incorporation counteracted the effect of incorporated lysolecithin. The more cholesterol incorporated into liposomes, the more lysolecthin could be incorporated into the membrane without loss of function as a barrier. With more than 50 mole% of colesterol, lysolecithin alone could form membranes which were practically impermeable to glucose. The hemolytic activity of lysolecithin was affected by mixing with various lecithins or cholesterol. Liposomes containing lysolecithin, which have the ability to trap glucose marker, showed poor hemolytic activity, while lipid micelles with lysolecithin (which could trap little glucose) showed almost the same hemolytic activity as lysolecithin itself. There seems to be a close correlation between hemolytic activity and barrier function of lipid micelles.

Binding Sites↗

Effect of albumin and methylated albumin on the glucose permeability of lipid membranes.

The diffusion of glucose from phospholipid membranes has been measured in the presence of serum albumin or methylated serum albumin. At neutral pH, serum albumin enhanced the rate at which glucose diffused from liposomes containing more than a certain amount of lysolecithin. Net charge of the membrane is not important for the reaction, since positively charged membranes containing stearylamine showed almost the same reactivity as negatively charged liposomes containing dicetyl phosphate. Carboxylmethylated albumin showed enhancement of the diffusion rate of glucose from negatively but not from positively charged liposomes. The amount of methylated albumin required to affect liposomes was much smaller than the amount of albumin required to damage liposomes containing lysolecithin. Cholesterol incorporation suppressed the sensitivity of liposomes to both proteins, albumin and methylated albumin. The effect of temperature and fatty acid composition of phospholipids on the sensitivity of liposomes to proteins suggests the importance of the fluidity of the membrane, especially in the case of methylated albumin.

Binding Sites↗

Properties of liposomal membranes composed of short-chain lecithins.

Permeability properties of multilamellar liposomes prepared from synthetic, saturated short-chain (C8, C10, C12) lecithins (3-sn-phosphatidyl choline) were studied. Dioctanoyllecithin, didecanoyllecithin, and dilauroyllecithin form "stable" bilayers which are practically impermeable to glucose when prepared with proportions of more than 1.2, 0.75, and 0.6 of cholesterol (molar ratio to phospholipid), respectively. Dioctanoyllecithin liposomes were rather leaky above 30 degrees, even when a proportion of 1.5 of cholesterol (molar ratio to lecithin) was incorporated. Judging from their sensitivities to temperature, Triton X-100, serum albumin, and other reagents, short-chain lecithin bilayers show characteristic properties, different from those of both saturated long-chain lecithins (dipalmitoyllecithin and dimyristoyllecithin) and lecithins having unsaturated fatty acid residues (egg lecithin and dioleoyllecithin).

Anti-Bacterial Agents↗

An anomaly in the resonance Raman spectra of cytochrome P-450cam in the ferrous high-spin state.

Resonance Raman spectra of cytochrome P-450cam (P-450cam) and its enzymatically inactive form (P-420) in various oxidation and spin states were measured for the first time. The Raman spectrum of reduced P-450cam was unusual in the sense that the "oxidation-state marker" appeared at an unexpectedly lower frequency (1346 cm-1) in comparison with those of other reduced hemoproteins (approximately 1355-approximately 1365 cm-1), whereas that of oxidized P-450cam was located at a normal frequency. This anomaly in the Raman spectrum of reduced P-450cam can be explained by assuming electron delocalization from the fifth ligand, presumably a thiolate anion, to the antibonding pi orbital of the porphyrin ring. The corresponding Raman line of reduced P-420 appeared at a normal frequency (1360 cm-1), suggesting a status change or replacement of the fifth ligand upon conversion from P-450cam to P-420. The Raman spectrum of reduced P-450cam-metyrapone complex was very similar to that of ferrous cytochrome b5.

Cytochrome P-450 Enzyme System↗

Sequential phenotypic changes in hyperplastic areas during hepatocarcinogenesis in the rat.

Sequential phenotypic changes in hyperplastic areas of rat liver during N-2-fluorenylacetamide feeding were studied by enzyme and immunohistochemical methods combined with radioautography. Hyperplastic area showed a marked deficiency of beta-glucuronidase and serine dehydratase during their developing phase, the 6th through the 9th experimental weeks, and were fairly specifically labeled by injections of tritiated thymidine after partial hepatectomy performed at the 9th week. A sequential observation on these labeled hyperplastic areas revealed a considerable elevation of the levels of these marker enzymes in the majority of the labeled areas in 3 to 18 weeks after labeling. On the other hand, there was a small group of hyperplastic areas in which the enzyme deficiency persisted during the observation period. This type of lesion was generally larger than those showing enzymic maturation. Labeled cells were not detectable either in distinct hyperplastic nodules at late phase or in carcinomas. The metabolic regulation in the cells comprising hyperplastic areas was studied by checking the induction and repression of serine dehydratase after dietary stimuli. Serine dehydratase was not inducible in hyperplastic areas during the developing phase or in areas with persistent enzyme deficiency, but it was clearly induced and repressed in areas where there was an elevation of the endogenous enzyme level. The areas of hyperplasia with persistent enzyme deficiency and growth appeared to be more important than the ones of phenotypic maturation in relation to the later development of carcinoma. The phenotypic maturation in hyperplastic areas might represent reversion of altered cells towards normalcy from the condition related with neoplastic transformation.

2-Acetylaminofluorene↗