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Biomedical subjects

T Kondo

Publications and source records attributed to T Kondo.

At least 883 records · Page 49Linked to original sources
PubMed1994

Current smoking of elderly men reduces antioxidants in alveolar macrophages.

Alveolar macrophages were prepared from 15 healthy elderly male current smokers 60.9 +/- 9.9 yr of age (mean +/- SD). Alveolar macrophages from 11 elderly male nonsmokers 66.7 +/- 8.1 yr of age served as controls. Production of oxygen radical species was higher in alveolar macrophages from current smokers than in those from nonsmokers in the presence and absence of phorbol myristate acetate (29.8 +/- 15.5 versus 13.7 +/- 8.2 mumol/10(6) cells and 3.8 +/- 1.6 versus 2.2 +/- 1.2 mumol/10(6) cells, respectively, p < 0.01). Decreases in antioxidant activity were observed in cells from smokers versus those from nonsmokers for Cu, Zn-superoxide dismutase (114 +/- 41 versus 210 +/- 73 units/mg protein, respectively, p < 0.01), glutathione S-transferase (0.217 +/- 0.091 versus 0.368 +/- 0.017 units/mg protein, p < 0.01), and glutathione peroxidase (0.736 +/- 0.779 versus 1.590 +/- 0.879 units/mg protein, p < 0.05). Immunologic estimation showed a decrease in the levels of Cu, Zn-superoxide dismutase in cells from smokers (104.3 +/- 46.4 versus 184.1 +/- 64.4 ng enzyme/mg protein, respectively, p < 0.01). Northern blot analysis of Cu, Zn-superoxide dismutase mRNA showed no apparent difference between the two groups, suggesting not the inactivation of this enzyme but a reduction of the translational step or increased proteolysis. The oxidant and antioxidant imbalance observed in elderly male current smokers may be a factor in the pathogenesis of respiratory tissue injury caused by smoking.

Aged↗
PubMed1994

Intraoperative combined administration of indomethacin and buprenorphine suppositories as prophylactic therapy for post-open-cholecystectomy pain.

Buprenorphine and indomethacin are quite different pharmacologically. The objective of this study was to determine the analgesic effect from their combined administration in suppository form. Eighty patients undergoing open cholecystectomy under nitrous oxide-oxygen-sevoflurane anesthesia, in addition to epidural anesthesia using lidocaine, were divided into four groups: Group A received buprenorphine 0.4 mg and indomethacin 50 mg; Group B, buprenorphine 0.4 mg; Group C, indomethacin 50 mg; and Group D, no drug. The drugs were administered after induction of general anesthesia. One patient was withdrawn because of the administration of the wrong drug. Patients in Group A required fewer analgesics, had a longer period of analgesic effect from the end of surgery, and enjoyed a better pain score. This group also included more patients who required no analgesics. We conclude that the combined administration of opioid and nonopioid suppositories may provide far better prophylactic analgesia than a single drug.

Anesthesia, Epidural↗
PubMed1994

Bryonolic acid production in hairy roots of Trichosanthes kirilowii Max. var Japonica Kitam. Transformed with Agrobacterium rhizogenes and its cytotoxic activity.

The hairy roots of Trichosanthes kirilowii Max, var. japonica Kitam. were induced by Agrobacterium rhizogenes (TCC 15834) on sterile shoots. The axenic culture of hairy roots proliferated 30 to 60-fold based on the initial fresh weight after three weeks of culture in Murashige & Skoog liquid media. Bryonolic acid as the main triterpenoid was isolated in a high yield, together with chondrillasterol from the hairy roots of this plant. Bryonolic acid showed strong inhibition of the growth of B-16 melanoma cells.

Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic↗
PubMed1994

Purification and characterization of xylanase A from Clostridium stercorarium F-9 and a recombinant Escherichia coli.

Xylanase A encoded by the Clostridium stercorarium F-9 xynA gene was purified to homogeneity from a recombinant clone of Escherichia coli. The N-terminal amino acid sequence and molecular weight (54,000) estimated by SDS-PAGE of the purified enzyme were consistent with those deduced from the nucleotide sequence [Biosci. Biotech. Biochem., 57, 273-277 (1993)]. A xylanase was also purified to homogeneity from a culture supernatant of C. stercorarium F-9. Its N-terminal amino acid sequence, molecular weight, and enzymatic properties were quite in agreement with those of the recombinant enzyme, indicating that the xynA gene was predominantly expressed as a xylanase gene in C. stercorarium F-9. The purified enzyme hydrolyzed xylotriose to yield xylobiose and xylose while it was less active toward xylobiose. It was optimally active at 75 degrees C and pH 7.0 Km and Vmax were estimated to be 1.9 mg/ml and 2.8 mumol of xylose equivalent/min/micrograms for oat spelt xylan, respectively.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1994

Dietary salt intake and blood pressure among schoolchildren.

We studied the relationship between dietary salt intake, urinary salt excretion, blood pressure and anthropometric measurements in 322 Japanese schoolchildren, aged between 6 and 11 years. Two surveys were carried out: one among a small group of 22 children from the 322, and one involving all 322. In the former group, both a detailed and a simplified dietary questionnaire were used, and nocturnal and 24 hr urinary salt excretion samples were collected. The latter group's survey used only the simplified questionnaire and nocturnal salt excretion measurements. The surveys from the two different groups were then compared to each other. It was found that the simplified questionnaire and nocturnal urinary samples were statistically accurate enough to be used for the purpose of this study. From the latter survey, dietary salt intake among the children was 7.5 +/- 2.7 g per day, (mean +/- SD), and 65 pupils (20%) consumed more than 10 g of salt per day. It was also found that nocturnal urinary salt excretion levels were 1.47 +/- 0.82 g per day, with 30 pupils (9.3%) registering levels of more than 2.5 g per day. There was a significant correlation between these dietary and urinary salt levels. Systolic blood pressure (SPB) among the schoolchildren showed significant correlation with age, height, weight and BMI. For diastolic blood pressure (DBP), a significant correlation was seen in age only. SBP and DBP showed little relation with either dietary salt intake or urinary salt excretion.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Anthropometry↗
PubMed1994

Diaphragmatic electrical activity during controlled and assisted mechanical ventilation in conscious human subjects.

Breathing during mechanical ventilation was analyzed in 8 conscious healthy volunteers by application of intermittent positive pressure ventilation through a mouthpiece. In controlled mechanical ventilation (CMV), the respiratory rate and tidal volume were fixed at 110 and 120% of the subject's corresponding spontaneous breathing parameters. The diaphragmatic electromyogram (EMGdi) decreased significantly but become synchronous with the rhythm of the CMV. In assisted mechanical ventilation (AMV), the EMGdi response developed prior to and during the inspiratory phase of AMV. Application of an unexpected mechanical breath elicited the EMGdi. As the triggering sensitivity was decreased, the EMGdi prior to and during a mechanical breath was augmented, however, its rate of rise was unaffected. Our results suggest that the EMGdi during mechanical ventilation in conscious subjects is initiated by the respiratory center, however, this activity is modulated strongly by input from the pulmonary afferents and from the cerebral cortex.

Cerebral Cortex↗
PubMed1994

Enhanced phospholipase D activity in vascular smooth muscle cells derived from spontaneously hypertensive rats.

When cultured in the presence of fetal calf serum, aortic vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMC) derived from spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR) grow faster than those from normotensive control Wistar-Kyoto (WKY) rats. In order to investigate the mechanism underlying this growth abnormality, we measured phospholipase D (PLD) activity in VSMC taken from both SHR and WKY rats. Upon stimulation with serum, platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF) and porbol 12-myristate 13-acetate (TPA), phosphatidylethanol (PEt) was produced in the presence of ethanol. The responses of the VSMC from SHR (SHR-cells) to all stimuli were significantly greater than those of the VSMC from WKY rats (WKY-cells), which suggests an enhanced PLD activity in the SHR-cells. Since PLD is regarded as an enzyme involved in signal transduction leading to cell proliferation, this PLD hyper-reactivity in the SHR-cells may account at least partially for the growth abnormality in the SHR-cells.

Animals↗
PubMed1994

[Determining the most effective therapeutic method as a primary treatment for squamous cell carcinoma of the oropharynx].

Fifty-nine patients with squamous cell carcinoma of the oropharynx, treated between 1978 and 1991 at Aichi Cancer Center, were used for this study. The purpose of this study is to investigate the possibilities and limitations of conservative therapy, as well as surgical problems and the future direction of combined therapy. We divided the patients into two groups receiving primary treatment; those treated conservatively mainly by radiation (42 patients) and those treated mainly by surgery with radical resection (17 patients). We then used several factors to compare the 5-year survival rates between these groups and to evaluate any differences observed. The results were as follows; in T3/T4 grades, ulcerated and invasive tumors and highly differentiated types, the improved prognosis in surgical groups was statistically significant. Whether cervical metastasis was positive or not had no effect on the survival rate of either group. Furthermore, with lateral wall type, both groups had good prognoses. These data suggest that therapy should not be selected on the basis of stage or positive cervical metastasis, but by T factor, location, tumor type (expansive or invasive) and histologic differentiation. At present, we consider these factors to be key elements influencing the possibilities and limitations of conservative therapy for oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma.

Adult↗
PubMed1994

[Early detection of pancreatic cancer by serum markers].

Serum markers such as pancreatic enzymes and tumor markers are useful for the diagnosis of pancreatic cancer. Among 40 cases of pancreatic cancer, elevated values were observed for immunoreactive elastase (IRE) in 70% and for CA19-9 in 73%. Elevated serum IRE was observed more frequently in head cancer and resectable cancer, whereas elevation in CA19-9 occurred more often in body-tail cancer and unresectable cancer. Elevation of serum IRE and CA19-9 are useful for diagnosis of pancreatic cancer but it is not specific for pancreatic cancer. Therefore, we studied the clinical usefulness of a combination assay of various serum markers such as CA19-9, lipase, serum iron, amylase, albumin globulin ratio, tissue polypeptide antigen, immunoreactive trypsin, and CA125 using the logistic regression analysis. This assay showed higher sensitivity and high specificity for pancreatic cancer than CA19-9. This combination assay may be very useful for the diagnosis of pancreatic cancer.

Amylases↗
PubMed1994

[A 85-year-old right-handed woman with aphasia and left hemiparesis].

We report a 85-year-old woman who developed speech disturbance and left hemiparesis. She had a gradual onset of gait disturbance 3 years prior to the present admission. Five days before admission, she started to pace up and down in her house; she did not want to take food on the following day, and she developed fever of 39 degrees C; it was also noted that she became mute. On the next day, she developed left hemiparesis; she was still mute but was able to communicate by hand writing to some extent. She was admitted to our service on February 24, 1992. On admission, she was alert but mute; her body temperature was 37.1 degrees C, and her BP 110/70 mmHg. The lungs were clear and general physical examination was unremarkable. Neurologic examination revealed that she did not utter even a word. She was unable to understand examiner's simple questions; communication by hand writing was also difficult, but she could draw her name and a circle; repetition was also impaired. Examination of other higher cerebral functions such as praxis and gnosis was impossible. Her optic fundi were unremarkable; no anisocoria was noted; extraocular muscles appeared intact, and the vestibulo-ocular reflex was normally elicited. The nasolabial fold was shallower on the left; the tongue showed a slight deviation to the left. She had near complete spastic left hemiplegia; deep tendon reflexes were increased bilaterally.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Aged↗
PubMed1994

[T cell immunity to proteolipid protein (PLP) in multiple sclerosis (MS): identification of DR2-associated PLP determinants and conserved TCR CDR3 motifs].

Multiple sclerosis is assumed to be an autoimmune disease mediated by T cells specific for myelin protein, such as, myelin basic protein (MBP) and PLP. Several groups reported that PLP-specific T cells are activated in the cerebrospinal fluid and, to a lesser extent, in the peripheral blood of the patients. We identified seven T cell epitopes within PLP residue 85-159. The T cell responses to these epitopes were higher in MS than in healthy subjects. PLP 95-116 and 105-124 specific T cells were more frequently established from DR2 MS than from non-DR2 MS, indicating that the DR2 restricted T cells recognizing these determinants are involved in the pathogenesis of MS. It is found PLP-specific T cells preferentially use V beta 5 and V beta 2 families though the usage is not exclusive. TCR beta chain complementary determining region 3 (CDR3) amino acid motifs of some PLP-specific T cells were homologous to those of MS lesion T cells, so it is likely that PLP-specific T cells infiltrate MS lesions. To our surprise, the CDR3 motifs of PLP-specific clones resemble those of MBP-specific clones. According to these facts, some antigen-independent pressure might give a common structure to T cells involved in MS.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1994

[Aging and immortalization of human cells].

In vitro models of malignant transformation of human cells may provide considerable insight into the mechanisms of multistep carcinogenesis. It is well established that normal human cells must be immortalized before they are malignantly transformed, but normal human cells are extremely refractory to immortalization, making malignant transformation very difficult. Thus immortalization is a rate-limiting step in the malignant transformation of human cells. In order to immortalize normal human cells with a chemical carcinogen, 4-nitroquinoline 1-oxide, or with 60Co gamma rays, the cells had to be repeatedly treated with these agents. This indicates that the immortalization process involves multiple mutational events and is itself a multi-step process. Then we found that there were mutations in p53 in all our immortalized cell lines. This encouraged us to attempt to immortalize human cells with the mutant p53. We introduced the mutant p53 (codon 273Arg-His) into normal human fibroblasts to learn whether the cells could be immortalized. The p53 extended the life-span of the cells but could not immortalize them. However, when we treated the p53-introduced cells with 4NQO, the cells were immortalized. The 4NQO treatment alone did not make the cells immortal. These results indicate that the p53 gene play a role in immortalization of human cells rather than in their malignant transformation.

4-Nitroquinoline-1-oxide↗