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T Maeda

Publications and source records attributed to T Maeda.

At least 307 records · Page 17Linked to original sources

Heterogeneous localizations of Trk B among individual periodontal Ruffini endings in the rat incisor.

The present immunocytochemical study examined the localization of Trk B, a high affinity neurotrophin receptor, in the neural elements of the periodontal ligament of the rat incisor. In light microscopy, the immunoreactivity was demonstrated in dendritic profiles in the alveolar half of the periodontal ligament. Their location and morphological features indicated that they were periodontal Ruffini endings. Occasional rounded cells associated with periodontal Ruffini endings, which had immunonegative kidney-shaped nuclei, were immunoreactive; these were judged to be terminal Schwann cells. Immunoelectron microscopy revealed the heterogeneous localization of Trk B among individual Ruffini endings. Some terminal Schwann cells contained immunoreactive products for Trk B in the cytoplasm, while others did not. Similarly, a part of the Schwann sheaths covering the axon terminals showed Trk B immunoreactivity. Most axon terminals associated with periodontal Ruffini endings were immunopositive for Trk B, though a few of them were immunonegative. The ordinary Schwann cells did not contain Trk B immunoreactive products. These findings imply that Trk B is required for the maintenance of periodontal Ruffini endings. The different expression pattern of Trk B suggests that neuronal and glial elements comprising individual periodontal Ruffini endings are subject to heterogeneous conditions with regard to the requirement of Trk B.

Animals↗

Immunocytochemical demonstration of heat shock protein 25 in the rat temporomandibular joint.

The expression of heat shock protein 25 (Hsp 25) was investigated in the rat temporomandibular joint by immunocytochemistry combined with confocal and electron microscopy. Immunostaining with an antibody to Hsp25 was able to demonstrate various cellular elements in the synovial membrane of the joint. Intense immunoreaction for Hsp25 was recognized in certain cells comprising the synovial lining layer. Confocal microscopic observation revealed two characteristic profiles of the Hsp25-positive cells with cytoplasmic processes: one extended thick and long processes towards the articular cavity, and the other prejected horizontally slender processes which covered the synovial membrane. Under the electron microscope, the immunoreactive synovial lining cells were characterized by a well-developed rough endoplasmic reticulum and secretory granules, suggesting that they can be categorized as fibroblastic type B cells. The covering by the cytoplasmic extensions was confirmed by immuno-electron microscopic observations. This cytoplasmic covering presumably performs a barrier function and expedites the effective secretion/resorption of synovial fluids. Since it has been proposed that Hsp 25 is associated with an estrogen receptor, the immunopositive synovial lining cells were considered estrogen-target cells. Immunoreactivity for Hsp25 was also observed in the chondrocytes of the maturative and hypertrophic cell layers as well as in the cells of the articular disk. A suggestion was made that Hsp25 might be involved in the inhibition of apoptosis of those cells.

Animals↗

Postnatal expression of calretinin-immunoreactivity in periodontal Ruffini endings in the rat incisor: a comparison with protein gene product 9.5 (PGP 9.5)-immunoreactivity.

The postnatal expression of immunoreactivity for calretinin, one of the calcium binding proteins, and for protein gene product 9.5 (PGP 9.5), a general neuronal marker, was investigated in mechanoreceptive Ruffini endings in the periodontal ligament of the rat incisor. Age-related changes in the expression of these two proteins in periodontal nerves were further quantified with a computerized image analysis. At 1 day after birth, a few PGP 9.5-immunoreactive nerve fibers and a still smaller number of calretinin-positive fibers were found in the periodontal ligament: they were thin and beaded in appearance and no specialized nerve terminals were recognized. Tree-like terminals, reminiscent of immature Ruffini endings, were recognizable in 4-day-old rats by PGP 9.5-immunohistochemistry, while calretinin-immunostaining failed to reveal these specialized endings. At postnatal 7-11 days when PGP 9.5-immunostaining could demonstrate typical Ruffini endings, calretinin-immunopositive nerve fibers merely tapered off without forming the Ruffini type endings. A small number of Ruffini endings showing calretinin-immunoreactivity began to occur in the periodontal ligament at 24-26 days after birth when the occlusion of the first molars had been established. At the functional occlusion stage (60-80 days after birth), the Ruffini endings showing calretinin-immunoreactivity drastically increased in number and density, but less so than those positive for PGP 9.5-immunoreaction. The delayed expression of calretinin suggests that the function of the periodontal Ruffini endings is established after the completion of terminal formation because Ca2+, which binds to calcium binding proteins including calretinin with high affinity, plays an important role in mechano-electric transduction.

Age Factors↗

Bronchial atresia with transient spontaneous disappearance of a mucocele.

We report the transient spontaneous disappearance of a mucocele due to bronchial atresia. Two years before presentation, a chest radiograph showed a hyperlucent right upper lung and a mucocele near the right hilum. A chest radiograph taken 1 year later showed that the mucocele had disappeared leaving an ovoid outline of a dilated bronchus. A chest radiograph obtained 3 months before presentation showed that the mucocele was present again. Atresia of the B3b bronchus of the right upper lobe was noted on thoracotomy. The "disappearance" of the mucocele probably was due to the clearance of mucoid material through collateral airways.

Adolescent↗

Clonal analysis of B-cell leukemias and lymphomas using the polymerase chain reaction for the third complementarity determining region of the IgH gene: a study of 75 cases from Nagasaki Japan.

Using semi-nested polymerase chain reaction (PCR), we examined 75 Japanese cases of hematologic malignancies with B-cell antigens including 25 common acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL), 13 chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL), 28 B-cell malignant lymphoma (B-ML), 2 hairy cell leukemia (HCL), 7 acute myelogenous leukemia with B-cell antigens (AML-B), and 23 controls. When amplified products were analysed by a standard polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, the sensitivity for detection of clonal IgH rearrangements in each group of ALL, CLL, B-ML, HCL, and AML-B was 88%, 92.3%, 71.4%, 100%, and 57.1%, respectively, with an overall sensitivity of 80.0%. There were no false positive results in any of the control samples. Single strand conformation polymorphism (SSCP) analysis of the amplified products gave rise to a much greater sensitivity, up to 84% overall. The false negative samples were mainly encountered in B-ML with SmIgG and non-Ig, suggesting miss-annealing between the primers used and the template DNA because of somatic hypermutation of IgH genes in such clones. This indicates that PCR analysis is very useful in detecting the clonal IgH rearrangements in B-cell malignancies, especially in ALL and CLL, but not in B-ML corresponding to neoplasms originating from pre-germinal center naive B-cells.

Clone Cells↗

Alpha-amylase functions as a salivary gland-specific self T cell epitope in patients with Sjögren's syndrome.

Analyses of T cell receptors (TCR) on T cells infiltrating labial salivary glands of patients with Sjögren's syndrome (SS) indicate that the cells expand by antigen stimulation in context of major histocompatibility complex (MHC). To elucidate the autoantigens recognized by T cells infiltrating in labial salivary glands from patients with SS, proteins derived from human salivary gland cDNA libraries were screened by West-Western method using TCR-CDR3 probe, which is antigen recognition region of TCR on T cells. 13 cDNA clones were detected as proteins binding to TCR-CDR3 region. One was a human alpha-amylase salivary precursor (AA54-407), suggesting that alpha-amylase might be a salivary gland-specific autoantigen. To examine whether alpha-amylase acts as an antigen in labial salivary glands, PBL from 11 patients with SS were incubated with 9 different synthetic amino acids of alpha-amylase or salivary alpha-amylase. SSCP analysis on TCR clearly showed that alpha-amylase reactive T cells were observed in labial salivary glands from 3 of 11 patients with SS (27%). These findings support the possibility that alpha-amylase functions as a salivary gland-specific T cell epitope and induces autoimmunity in SS.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

Loss of tumorigenicity of human breast cancer cells engineered to produce IL-2, IL-4 or GM-CSF in nude mice.

Human breast cancer cells (OCUB-M), retrovirally transduced with granulocyte macrophage-colony stimulating factor (GM-CSF), interleukin-2 (IL-2) or IL-4 gene were examined for their antitumor activities in nude mice. Although cell proliferation rates in vitro of these cytokine-producing cells were not significantly different from that of wild-type cells, nude mice that were subcutaneously inoculated with cytokine-producing cells did not develop tumors in contrast to mice that were injected with wild-type cells. Injection of GM-CSF-producing cells into the vicinity of growing wild-type tumors retarded subsequent growth of wild-type tumors. Histological examination of tumors which received GM-CSF-producing cells revealed marked infiltration of mononuclear cells around the tumors. Irradiation of cytokine-producing cells diminished their proliferation capacity but production of cytokine(s) was retained. Therefore, inoculation of irradiated cytokine producer cells into growing tumors can be used as a therapeutic maneuver for breast cancer.

Animals↗

Involvement of growth-related protein in lipopolysaccharide-induced rabbit arthritis: cooperation between growth-related protein and IL-8, and interrelated regulation among TNFalpha, IL-1, IL-1 receptor antagonist, IL-8, and growth-related protein.

We investigated the functional role of a CXC chemokine, growth-related protein (GRO), in the recruitment of neutrophils in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced rabbit arthritis. The amounts of GRO in the synovial fluids (SF) reached the first peak (major) at 2 hours and the second peak (minor) at 9 hours after injection of LPS into the knee joints. Administration of anti-GRO mouse monoclonal antibody inhibited 54% of the peak leukocyte accumulation at 9 hours (neutrophils greater than 95%), which was similar to the inhibition by anti-IL-8 IgG (48%). Co-administration of these inhibitors increased the inhibition up to 70% at 9 hours and also inhibited 65% of the initial phase of leukocyte infiltration at 2 hours (neutrophils greater than 99%), which was not affected by a single administration of each inhibitor. The amounts of GRO in SF at 2 hours were not altered by either anti-TNFalpha mAb or anti-IL-8 IgG, but reduced by rabbit recombinant IL-1 receptor antagonist (rrlL-1Ra) by 39%. The inhibition by rrlL-1 Ra was augmented further to 59% with coadministered anti-TNFalpha mAb. In contrast, the amounts of GRO at 9 hours were reduced by rrlL-1Ra by 67%. There was no additional reduction in the amounts of GRO at 9 hours by either combination of rrlL-1Ra with anti-TNFalpha mAb or anti-IL-8 IgG. Administration of anti-GRO mAb did not alter TNFalpha or IL-8 contents in SF at their peak (2 hours), but reduced the amounts of IL-1beta at 6 hours and IL-1Ra at 9 hours by 42% and 49%, respectively. These results provide evidence for the following: (a) GRO as well as IL-8 are important mediators involved in the recruitment of neutrophils both in the early and the late phase of LPS-induced arthritis, (b) IL-1 produced in the early phase stimulates GRO production, (c) GRO plays a role in the later induction of IL-1beta and IL-1Ra, and (d) induction of GRO is not regulated by IL-8.

Animals↗

[Plasma nicotinic acid levels in hemodialysis patients after the administration of niceritrol].

Lp(a) has recently begun to attract attention as a risk factor of atherosclerotic disease, especially of ischemic heart disease. The Lp(a) concentration in the serum was shown to be important for chronic hemodialysis patients who have high mortality due to cardiovascular disease. Nicotinic acid derivatives, which are recognized for their capacity to lower the serum Lp(a) concentration, are effective against a high Lp(a) concentration in hemodialysis patients. In this study, niceritrol which is a nicotinic acid derivative was tested on hemodialysis patients and healthy controls by investigating the serum nicotinic acid level. Serum nicotinic acid concentration was also measured by the severity of renal dysfunction of patients untreated by niceritrol. The blood nicotinic acid concentration in healthy controls (n = 4) was changed after 2 hrs by the administration of niceritrol from 9.8 +/- 1.4 ng/ml to 192.7 +/- 23.1 ng/ml then slowly decreased. Chronic hemodialysis patients who take niceritrol every day showed the highest nicotinic acid serum concentration (500-1,000 ng/ml) on the day without hemodialysis and the serum level decreased with dialysis for 4 hrs to 25-80%. There was no significant difference in the nicotinic acid level in the serum between healthy controls (n = 10), chronic glomerulonephritis patients (n = 7), chronic renal failure patients (n = 8) and chronic hemodialysis patients (n = 17). Lp(a) concentration in the serum, however, was increased with greater severity of renal dysfunction, The side effect was not observed in any cases administered niceritrol. These data suggest nicotinate derivatives are effective for hemodialysis patients. High nicotinic acid level in the serum after treatment with niceritrol was lowered by dialysis. It is plausible that the nicotinate level in patients without niceritrol treatment did not influence the Lp(a) concentration, because there was no increase in the nicotinate level of the serum even if the patients had renal dysfunction.

Arteriosclerosis↗

[Bacteria isolated from surgical infections and their susceptibilities to antimicrobial agents: special references to bacteria isolated between July 1996 and June 1997].

The annual multicenter studies on isolated bacteria from infections in general surgery and their antimicrobial susceptibility have been conducted in 20 facilities in Japan since July 1982. This paper describes the results obtained during period from July 1996 to June 1997. The number of cases investigated as objectives was 217 for one year. A total of 406 strains were isolated from 177 cases (81.6% of total cases). From primary infections 162 strains were isolated, and from postoperative infections 244 strains were isolated, respectively. From primary infections, anaerobic bacteria were predominant, while from postoperative infections, aerobic Gram-positive bacteria were predominant. Among aerobic Gram-positive bacteria, the isolation rate of Enterococcus spp. was the highest. In postoperative infections, the majority of them were Enterococcus faecalis, while in primary infections, many of them were Enterococcus avium. The isolation rate of Staphylococcus spp., especially from postoperative infections, followed that of Enterococcus spp. Among anaerobic Gram-positive bacteria, Peptostreptococcus spp. and Streptococcus spp. were commonly isolated from both types of infections. Among aerobic Gram-negative bacteria, Escherichia coli was the most predominantly isolated from primary infections, followed by Klebsiella pneumoniae and Pseudomonas aeruginosa in this order, and from postoperative infections, P. aeruginosa was the most predominantly isolated, followed by E. coli and Enterobacter cloacae. Among anaerobic Gram-negative bacteria, Bacteroides fragilis group was the majority of isolates from both types of infections. The isolation rate of aerobic Gram-negative bacillus has decreased with time, while those of anaerobes like B. fragilis group and of aerobic Gram-positive bacteria have gradually increased in both types of infections. We found vancomycin-resistant strains of neither Staphylacoccus aureus nor Enterococcus spp.; however, the MIC of arbekacin for one of strains of S. aureus was 100 micrograms/ml. Both the MIC90's of meropenem and imipenem/cilastatin against P. aeruginosa isolated in this term were 25 micrograms/ml, which were higher than those against the strains isolated in the previous years. Compared with the isolated strains in the year 1995, progress of resistance against carbapenem antibiotics was confirmed.

Anti-Bacterial Agents↗

[Hard-copy (film) versus soft-copy (CRT) reading performance between compressed and uncompressed images: SOLs in abdominal CT images].

The objective of this study was to examine the feasibility of soft-copy (CRT) reading and suitable compression. Forty abdominal CT images with a space-occupying lesion (SOL) in liver and 40 normal images were selected for receiver-operating-curve (ROC) analysis. Each image was compressed by JPEG extended mode into 1/10 its original capacity, and then an expanded image was printed on film. Ten radiologists evaluated the presence of liver SOLs (primary and secondary tumors) on soft-copy (CRT) and hard-copy (film) images. Each radiologist reviewed four types of images (original and compressed hard-copy and original and compressed soft-copy images). Values of the area under the curve in the various ROC analyses were 0.858 (FILM) and 0.842 (CRT) for original images and 0.879 (FILM) and 0.846 (CRT) for compressed images. The results of ROC analysis showed better reading performance with hard-copy than soft-copy images, but the difference was not statistically significant. Compressed images showed a higher value (0.879) than original images (0.858), a difference that was statistically significant (p < 0.029) by the paired t-test but not by the jackknife method. The results indicate that soft-copy reading is a clinically acceptable alternative to hard-copy reading. We have had no difficulty in reading abdominal CT images compressed to 1/10 of the original size by the JPEG method. This study was supported in part by a grant from the Japanese Ministry of Health and Welfare.

Humans↗

[Fluorouracil].

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Antimetabolites, Antineoplastic↗

Low expression of alphaA-crystallins and rhodopsin kinase of photoreceptors in retinal dystrophy rat.

PURPOSE: The Royal College of Surgeons (RCS) rat has been extensively characterized as a model for inherited retinal dystrophy such as retinitis pigmentosa. In the present study, compositions of retinal proteins were compared between RCS (rdy-/-) and control (rdy+/+) rats during progression of the disease to understand the molecular pathologic course of the retinal degeneration. METHODS: Protein mapping was performed by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) or two-dimensional (2D)-PAGE using whole retinas or rod outer segments (ROS) obtained by a sucrose-density gradient centrifugation method from RCS or control rats at the age of 3 to 8 weeks. RESULTS: 2D-PAGE showed that retinal proteins of RCS rats were generally less abundant than those of the control animals and that the difference became more evident with aging. However, no significant difference was observed in the protein-mapping patterns in 2D-PAGE between RCS and control rats in any ages tested. Analysis by SDS-PAGE of ROS proteins and by western blot using antibodies against opsin, rhodopsin kinase (RK), recoverin, or arrestin demonstrated that a 20-kDa protein and RK were selectively less abundant in RCS than in control rats. Edman sequence analysis of the proteolytic peptides obtained by in-gel digestion of the corresponding protein band using endoproteinase Lys C identified the 20-kDa protein as alphaA-crystallin. Reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction confirmed selective low levels of mRNA expressions of alphaA-crystallins and RK in RCS rats. CONCLUSIONS: This study demonstrates that decreased expression of alphaA-crystallins and RK in RCS rats, may have significant roles in the development of retinal dystrophy.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

[A case of unresectable advanced gall bladder cancer successfully treated by hepatic arterial chemotherapy with reservoir (HACR) using CDDP and 5-FU].

A 64-year-old female was admitted for treatment of a huge tumor (10 cm in diameter) in segment S4-S5 of the liver. The lymph node (2 cm in diameter) was located posterior to the pancreas head. The patient was diagnosed with an unresectable advanced gall bladder cancer with direct invasion of the liver bed and lymph node metastasis. At first, hepatic arterial infusion of CDDP, MMC and ADM through the hepatic artery was performed. Then, hepatic arterial chemotherapy with reservoir (HACR) using CDDP and 5-FU (CDDP 20 mg/body/day, 5-FU 750 mg/body/day) was started. As a result, the primary tumor and enlarged lymph node almost disappeared in two years. Mild bone marrow suppression, nausea and vomiting were encountered, but no severe side effects were noted. We conclude that this strategy is effective for unresectable advanced cancer of the gall bladder with lymph node metastasis.

Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols↗

Cancer-associated retinopathy induced by both anti-recoverin and anti-hsc70 antibodies in vivo.

PURPOSE: In a previous study, both recoverin and heat shock cognate protein 70 (hsc 70) were found as autoantigens recognized by sera from four patients with cancer-associated retinopathy (CAR). This observation suggested that autoimmune reactions against recoverin and hsc 70 might be involved together in the pathogenesis of CAR. The purpose of the present study is to investigate the effects of these autoantibodies on retinas in vivo. METHODS: Functional and morphologic properties of the retinas were evaluated after anti-recoverin and/or anti-hsc 70 antibodies were intravitreously injected into Lewis rats' eyes. RESULTS: Responses in electroretinogram (ERG) of eyes penetrated with anti-hsc 70 antibody were comparable with the control, but those with anti-recoverin antibody were remarkably reduced during the 3-week period after the injection. Such anti-recoverin antibody-induced reduction was significantly enhanced by copenetration with anti-hsc 70 antibody. Immunofluorescence microscopy demonstrated that after intravitreal injection, anti-recoverin antibody penetrated toward the outer nuclear layer (ONL) and outer segments within 12 to 24 hours, and the presence of the antibody in the retina diminished during the next few days. Histopathology revealed significant thinning of the ONL and inner nuclear layer (INL) in the affected retina in comparison with the control. Throughout the ONL and INL, apoptotic cells were recognized by TdT-dUTP terminal nick-end labeling. The antibody-induced retinal dysfunction was effectively treated by administrations of either corticosteroid or cyclosporin A. CONCLUSIONS: These observations suggest that anti-recoverin- and anti-hsc 70 antibody-induced retinal dysfunction in Lewis rat is a good model to study the pathophysiology of CAR.

Animals↗