[Analysis of proliferative activities on parathyroid tumors using Ag-NORs (nucleolar organizer regions) staining and flow cytometry: preliminary report].
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Flow Cytometry↗
Biomedical subjects
T Kurihara
Publications and source records attributed to T Kurihara.
[Assessment of myocardial viability by exercise stress myocardial tomography with 201Tl--the usefulness of 201Tl washout rate].
Exercise stress (Ex) and redistribution (RD) myocardial tomography with thallium-201 (Tl-201) has been widely used for evaluating myocardial viability. But recent studies have demonstrated that reinjection (ReI) study following RD study is necessary for detecting reversible ischemic myocardium. On the other hand, decreased myocardial washout of Tl-201 after Ex is an indicator of myocardial ischemia. So we have studied the usefulness of myocardial Tl-201 washout rate (WOR) for the evaluation of myocardial viability by comparing it with ReI images. Ex and RD myocardial tomographies were obtained immediately after Ex and 3 hours later. After RD study a small amount of Tl-201 was injected and ReI imaging was repeated. We studied 64 myocardial segments (in 58 patients with coronary artery disease) in which Ex-induced perfusion defects persisted in RD images. According to the changes of perfusion defects between Ex, RD and ReI images, they were classified into 3 types: Type I; perfusion defect on the RD image was identical to ReI image (75%) Type I was divided into 2 subgroups whether perfusion defect at Ex was unchanged (Ia, 42%) or improved (Ib, 33%) on the RD image. Type II; perfusion defect at Ex was reduced on the RD image and it improved furthermore at ReI image (17%). Type III; perfusion defect was the same at Ex and RD but it was reduced on the ReI image (8%). WOR less than 30% was defined as abnormal when Ex heart rate exceeded 120 bpm and lung-myocardial Tl-201 uptake ratio was less than 0.45.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Aged↗
Efficacy of permethrin- and cyphenothrin-impregnated nettings against Culex pipiens pallens.
Laboratory tests were conducted to determine the effect of different bed net materials, impregnated with permethrin or cyphenothrin, on Culex mosquitoes. Polyethylene, polyester and vinylon nettings were more efficacious than cotton or nylon.
Animals↗
[Myocardial perfusion in patients with left bundle branch block and without coronary artery disease].
For the evaluation of myocardial perfusion in patients with left bundle branch block (LBBB), we performed exercise stress (Ex)-redistribution (RD) myocardial tomography with thallium-201 (201Tl) in 23 patients with LBBB and without coronary artery disease (CAD). Myocardial images in patients with LBBB were compared with those of 9 patients with CAD who showed Ex induced transient septal defect. Bull'-eye maps (201Tl distribution maps at Ex and RD and 201Tl washout rate [WOR] map) were made from myocardial tomograms. In 23 patients with LBBB, 15 patients (65%) developed myocardial perfusion abnormality. In 10 (67%) of these 15 patients, transient perfusion defect appeared in the entire septum (diffuse type). On the other hand in 5 patients (33%), localized fixed perfusion defect developed at the boundary between septum and anterior wall (focal type). In focal type, every patient had other disease such as hypertension, aortic stenosis or sick sinus syndrome. While in patients with diffuse type, other diseases were observed in 30% (p less than 0.05) and they were limited to hypertension or diabetes mellitus. These facts suggested that mechanisms of perfusion abnormalities might be different between these two groups. We compared the perfusion abnormality between LBBB diffuse type and CAD. The extent of the defects was not different between two groups. Although apex was included within the defect in 89% of CAD population, apical defect was observed in only 20% of diffuse type (p less than 0.05). Minimal 201Tl WOR and 201Tl uptake ratio of septum to lateral wall indicated that exercise induced septal defect was slighter in diffuse type than CAD.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Adult↗
Genes encoding peroxisomal enzymes are not necessarily assigned on the same chromosome of an n-alkane-utilizable yeast Candida tropicalis.
We have resolved eight chromosomal bands from an n-alkane-assimilating yeast, Candida tropicalis pK 233, by using contour-clamped homogeneous electric field gel electrophoresis (CHEF). From the results of hybridization of DNA probes of yeast peroxisomal enzymes--catalase, acyl-CoA oxidase, carnitine acetyltransferase, isocitrate lyase, malate synthase, acetoacetyl-CoA thiolase, and 3-ketoacyl-CoA thiolase--to Southern transfers of CHEF gels, these genes were proven not necessarily to be located on the same chromosome. This fact shows that the genes encoding the enzymes tested were not distributed to be cistronic, although simultaneous and inducible synthesis of peroxisomal enzymes occurred in harmony with the proliferation of peroxisomes, suggesting that their co-ordinated expression might be mainly regulated by certain trans-acting factors.
Alkanes↗
Endothelin-1 and endothelin-3 play different roles in acute and chronic alterations of blood pressure in patients with chronic hemodialysis.
We measured plasma concentrations of endothelin-1 (ET-1), ET-3 and big ET-1 by sandwich-enzyme immunoassays in patients (Pt) with chronic hemodialysis (HD) (Pt-HD, n = 23) and age-matched normal subjects (NS, n = 17). In Pt-HD, plasma levels (before HD) of ET-1, ET-3 and big ET-1 were significantly higher than those in NS. Reverse-phase HPLC analysis indicated that plasma concentrations of ET-1, ET-3 and big ET-1 in both Pt-HD and NS can be precisely measured by these sandwich-enzyme immunoassays. In Pt-HD, although the plasma ET-3 or big ET-1 levels did not significantly correlate with blood pressure (BP), plasma ET-1 levels significantly (p less than 0.01) correlated with both the levels of systolic (r = 0.63) and diastolic (r = 0.54) BP. After 4-hour HD, the plasma level of ET-3, but not ET-1 or big ET-1, was significantly elevated and BP was significantly lowered. The present findings indicate that ET-1 and ET-3 play different roles in acute and chronic alterations of BP in Pt-HD.
Antibodies, Monoclonal↗
Computer studies on the stereostructure and quantum chemical properties of 6-pyruvoyl tetrahydropterin, the key intermediate of tetrahydrobiopterin biosynthesis.
The optimized geometry of the conformation of atoms constituting the 6-pyruvoyl tetrahydropterin molecule, the labile key intermediate of tetrahydrobiopterin biosynthesis, was obtained by molecular orbital calculations within the MINDO/3 framework. The stereostructure of the molecule showing the preferred mode for binding to sepiapterin reductase or pyruvoyl tetrahydropterin reductase was drawn in perspective. The resulting structure with the equatorial staggered configuration of the 6-1',2'-dioxopropyl (pyruvoyl) side chain indicated that O(1') and H(6) were located in the trans position around the C(6)-C(1') bond and that the two vicinal carbonyls in the side chain were fixed in the incomplete trans form. The calculation of atomic charges and LUMO coefficients of these carbonyls suggests that the C2'-carbonyl may be more reactive toward NADPH than the C1'-carbonyl in the enzymatic reaction.
Alcohol Oxidoreductases↗
Direct observation of plasma-lens effect.
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Journal Article↗
Trophic effect of angiotensin II, vasopressin and other peptides on the cultured ventral spinal cord of rat embryo.
We studied trophic effects of angiotensin II, vasopressin, cholecystokinin, and oxytocin on explanted ventral spinal cord cultures from 13- and 14-day-old rat embryos. There was a significant neurite promoting effect of the spinal cord cultures by using angiotensin II, vasopressin, and cholecystokinin. Cholecystokinin had the most potent effect at any concentrations. The minimum effective concentration was 10(-8) M in angiotensin II and vasopressin and 10(-12) M in cholecystokinin, respectively. The effect of angiotensin II and vasopressin was dependent on concentrations. However, the rate and grade of neurite appearance did not correlate with the concentrations of cholecystokinin. Oxytocin had no neurotrophic effect at any concentrations. Our results demonstrated that angiotensin II, vasopressin and cholecystokinin have neurotrophic effects on the ventral spinal cord in cultures, and may be candidates for therapeutic trials of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.
Angiotensin II↗
A yeast protein that binds nuclear localization signals: purification localization, and antibody inhibition of binding activity.
Short stretches of amino acids, termed nuclear localization sequences (NLS), can mediate assembly of proteins into the nucleus. Proteins from the yeast, Saccharomyces cerevisiae, have been identified that specifically recognize nuclear localization peptides (Silver, P., I. Sadler, and M. A. Osborne. 1989. J. Cell Biol. 109:983-989). We now further define the role of one of these NLS-binding proteins in nuclear protein localization. The NLS-binding protein of 70-kD molecular mass can be purified from salt extracts of nuclei. Antibodies raised against the NLS-binding protein localized the protein mainly to the nucleus with minor amounts in the cytoplasm. These antibodies also inhibited the association of NLS-protein conjugates with nuclei. Incubation of nuclei with proteases coupled to agarose removed NLS-binding protein activity. Extracts enriched for NLS-binding proteins can be added back to salt or protease-treated nuclei to restore NLS-binding activity. These results suggest that the first step of nuclear protein import can be reconstituted in vitro.
Amino Acid Sequence↗
Two types of DNA ligase I activity in lymphoblastoid cells from patients with Bloom's syndrome.
DNA ligases I and II were separated by hydroxylapatite (HA) column chromatography in cell-free extracts of lymphoblastoid cell lines (LCLs) derived from two unrelated patients with Bloom's syndrome (BS) and two healthy individuals. The specific activity of ligase I from the crude extract was consistently lower in GM3403, a BS LCL from an Ashkenazi Jewish patient, than in normal control LCLs. By contrast, the level of ligase I activity in BSL-2KA, another BS LCL derived from a Japanese patient, was equivalent to those in normal LCLs, although GM3403 and BSL-2KA shared the feature of exceedingly high frequency of spontaneous sister-chromatid exchange. The levels of total ligase activity in crude extracts without the separation into the two forms, however, were approximately two-fold higher for the two BS LCLs than for the normal LCLs. Partial purification by chromatography on a DEAE-cellulose 23 column and a phosphocellulose column did not affect the superiority of the two BS LCLs over the normal LCLs in the specific activity of the total ligases. Nonetheless, subsequent application to an HA column again resulted in much less elevation of the specific activity of ligase I for GM3403 than for BSL-2KA and control LCLs. The levels of ligase II activity, accounting for 4-13% of total ligase activity, were similar among the LCLs examined. Irrespective of the extent of purification, essentially no difference in the heat lability of DNA ligase I was detected among the four LCLs. These findings suggest that there may exist among BS LCLs at least two types of subtle abnormality of DNA ligase I itself and/or a putative substance modulating the enzyme function.
Bloom Syndrome↗
Clinical significance of small ventricles.
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Adolescent↗
[Usefulness of serum cardiac myosin light chain I for the estimation of acute myocardial infarction size].
To evaluate the usefulness of serum level of cardiac myosin light chain I (LC I) for the estimation of the extent of acute myocardial infarction (AMI), peak LC I level was compared with myocardial infarction weight (AMI weight) which was obtained by myocardial emission tomography with Tc-99m pyrophosphate (PYP). In 11 patients with AMI, serum LC I levels were measured once a day in most cases, and plasma CPK levels were measured serially (every 4 hours at least 48 hours after admission). Tc-99m PYP imagings were performed at second or third day of AMI, and AMI weight was calculated from the voxel numbers of myocardial hot spot in which Tc-99m PYP had accumulated. Peak LC I level correlated well with AMI weight (r = 0.72, p less than 0.02). As well as peak LC I level, peak CPK level correlated well with AMI weight (r = 0.68, p less than 0.05). But the estimation of the infarct size from peak LC I level had the following advantages over the estimation from peak CPK level. 1) We could compare peak LC I level with AMI weight in all 11 patients, but peak CPK level was able to compared with AMI weight in only 9 of them. This was because CPK level changed rapidly and reached maximum within 24 hours after the onset of AMI, while LC I level peaked after 3 to 5 days. 2) A good correlation between LC I and AMI weight was obtained by the determination of serum LC I level once a day.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Adult↗
[A case of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis with disturbance of vertical ocular movement responding to thyrotropin releasing hormone (TRH)].
A 64-year-old woman who had amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) with disturbance of vertical ocular movement was presented. She was admitted to our hospital with progressive dysphagia, dysarythria and weakness of the extremities. Neurological examinations revealed disturbance of vertical ocular movement with normal doll's eye phenomenon (supranuclear origin), bulbar palsy, muscle weakness of the extremities, extensor plantar signs, and fasciculations of the costal and interosseal muscles. EMG studies showed denervation potentials, and muscle biopsy demonstrated group atrophy, fiber type grouping and small angular fibers. TRH injections resulted in improvement of disturbance of vertical ocular movement, but no effect was seen on the weakness of the limb. There was about 20 Japanese cases with disturbance of ocular movement in ALS, but it was rare to see ocular movement disorder from the early stage of ALS. The pathophysiology of ocular movement disorder in ALS has been thought to be due to supranuclear origin, i.e., the disturbance in the pathway from the frontal cortex to the mesencephalon. In this case, TRH might effect at some point of the frontomesencephalic pathway.
Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis↗
[Clinical implications of diffuse slow washout of thallium-201 in exercise stress myocardial SPECT].
Clinical implications of diffuse slow washout of thallium-201 (DSWO) in exercise-redistribution myocardial SPECT were studied. Thallium-201 washout rate was calculated by Bull's-eye method. DSWO was defined as having abnormal thallium-201 washout rate (less than 30% per 3 hours) in more than two thirds of each coronary artery (CA) area. OF 974 patients whose exercise heart rate exceeded 120/min, 51 (5.2%) showed DSWO and coronary angiography was performed in 43. Twenty-three patients (53%) showed triple vessel disease (3VD), 8 (19%) showed single or double vessel disease (1VD/2VD) and 12 (28%) showed normal CA. Patients with normal CA consisted of 6 patients with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM), 5 with hypertension (HT) and one with electrocardiographic abnormality only. The causes of DSWO were assessed from the history of effort angina (EA) and congestive heart failure (CHF), delayed fill-in of the perfusion defect and the ratio of lung to heart thallium-201 activity (L/M) at exercise as an indicator of the left ventricular (LV) function. High prevalence of EA (74%), high incidence of scintigraphic delayed fill-in (83%) and normal L/M suggested diffuse LV ischemia as the cause of DSWO in 3VD. On the other hand in patients with 1VD/2VD, LV dysfunction at exercise was considered as the cause of DSWO because of low prevalence of EA (13%) and scintigraphic delayed fill-in (13%) (p less than 0.01, p less than 0.005 each vs 3VD), and high L/M (p less than 0.001 vs 3VD) and high prevalence of CHF (38%, NS).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Adult↗
[Myocardial perfusion abnormality and chest pain in patients with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy].
To investigate the role of myocardial ischemia in the development of chest pain in patients with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM), exercise stress (Ex) redistribution myocardial single photon emission CT's (SPECT's) with thallium-201 (Tl) were obtained in 27 patients with HCM. In all patients, coronary arteries were normal arteriographically. Patients were classified into NYHA Class I, II and III according to the frequency and severity of the chest pain during daily life. In these 3 groups, age, sex and intraventricular septal thickness measured by echocardiography were not different. Types of myocardial perfusion obtained by myocardial SPECT's were divided into 5: 1) normal perfusion, 2) no perfusion defect with abnormal myocardial Tl washout rate (WOR) during 3 hours (less than 30%) [Def(-)/WORabn], 3) reversible perfusion defect (RD), 4) fixed defect with abnormal WOR (FD/WORabn), 5) fixed defect with normal WOR (FD/WORnl). In 14 patients with Class I, 9 patients (64%) showed normal perfusion but the rest showed perfusion abnormality (def(-)/WORabn in 3 and RD in 2). In Class II and III, all patients showed perfusion abnormalities of RD, FD/WORabn or FD/WORnl. As the functional class progressed from Class II to III, the ratio of fixed defect (both WORnl and WORabn) to RD increased, but it was not statistically significant. In 2 patients in whom Ex SPECT's were repeated because of the progression of the chest pain, the severity of the perfusion abnormality also progressed. Perfusion abnormalities were observed most frequently in anterior (35%), then inferior/posterior (20%) and septal wall (18%).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Cardiomyopathy, Hypertrophic↗
[Assessment of left ventricular function by gated cardiac blood-pool emission computed tomography using a rotating gamma camera].
To elucidate the usefulness of gated cardiac blood-pool single photon emission CT (SPECT) with Tc-99m for the evaluation of left ventricular (LV) global and regional functions, 18 patients with coronary artery disease were studied. Thirty-two gated projection images were obtained over 360-degree at 16 frames per cardiac cycle. As LV volume was calculated by integrating the numbers of voxels which constituted LV and multiplying by the volume of a single voxel (0.1143 ml), we performed phantom studies to determine the appropriate cut-off level to detect LV outline. These cut-off levels were affected by the background activity and organ volume itself. So we constructed Volume-Cut-Level-Curve at each background activity. In clinical studies, short axis images which constituted LV were selected and provisional LV volumes were calculated at the cut-off levels of 45, 50 and 55%. These volumes were plotted on the Volume-Cut-Level-Curve and the true cut-off levels were obtained to calculate LV end-diastolic or end-systolic volume (EDV, ESV). The cut-off levels were different at every patient and ED or ES. EDV, ESV and LV ejection fraction obtained by SPECT were correlated well with those obtained by contrast ventriculography (LVG) (r = 0.89, 0.94, 0.94 each, p less than 0.01). For the LV wall motion analysis, LVGs obtained at two projections were compared with SPECT or gated cardiac blood-pool planar imaging (Planar) in 5 segments. In addition to visual comparison, wall motion scores (WMS) based on the degree of wall motion abnormality were calculated in each segment. Correlation of WMS between LVG and SPECT (r = 0.84) was significantly (p less than 0.01) superior to that between LVG and Planar (r = 0.62). Especially in SPECT, wall motion analyses at septal and infero-posterior segments were superior to those in Planar. Although gated SPECT requires relatively long time to perform, it is a useful method to detect LV global and regional functions.
Adult↗
Expression of genes for the myelin-specific proteins in oligodendrocytes in vivo demands the presence of axons.
The level and distribution of mRNAs for several myelin-specific proteins were analyzed by in situ hybridization histochemistry in the mouse optic nerves after severance by eye enucleation during the period of active myelination, viz. the 2nd postnatal week. The autoradiographic signals for 2',3'-cyclic nucleotide 3'-phosphodiesterase (CNP)-, myelin basic protein (MBP)- and myelin-associated glycoprotein (MAG)-mRNAs all decreased progressively in the postoperative time course and all the signals fell below the detectable level by the 7th postoperative day. These findings indicate that the levels of genes for all the three major myelin-specific proteins in oligodendrocytes in vivo are down-regulated at the transcriptional level after axonal withdrawal.
2',3'-Cyclic-Nucleotide Phosphodiesterases↗