TCR AV24 gene expression in double negative T cells in systemic lupus erythematosus.
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Amino Acid Sequence↗
Biomedical subjects
T Maeda
Publications and source records attributed to T Maeda.
Detection and identification of proteins related to the hereditary dwarfism of the rdw rat.
Proteins having relations to hereditary dwarfism of the rdw rat (gene symbol: rdw) were searched for in various tissues of the rat with an improved two-dimensional gel electrophoresis technique followed by immunoblotting and microsequencing. Tissues inspected were cerebral cortex, cerebellum, brain trunk, hypothalamus, pituitary, thyroid gland, liver, testis, spleen, and thymus. Only pituitary and thyroid glands among those tissues showed abnormalities in protein contents. GH and PRL contents in the rdw pituitary were much less than in the normal one, which in the former were 1/15 and less than 1/30 times as much as in the latter, respectively, but the abnormalities in the rdw thyroid were far more serious than in the pituitary. At least 18 protein levels in the rdw thyroid were above, and 17 were below the normal. Those identified among the increased proteins were endoplasmin (GRP94), immunoglobulin heavy chain binding protein (BiP/GRP78), and heat shock protein 70 (hsp70), the contents of which respectively were 40 times, 10 times and more than 50 times as much in the rdw thyroid as in the normal tissue. Because BiP and endoplasmin are known to be ER resident proteins, and because all three belong to a chaperone protein family, accumulation of these proteins in the rdw thyroid suggests that protein folding and secreting disorders underlie the hypothyroidism of the rdw rat.
Animals↗
Bactericidal action of 4,4'-(alpha,omega-polymethylenedithio)bis-(1-alkylpyridinium iodide)s.
Bactericidal action of novel bis-quaternary ammonium compounds (bis-QACs), 4,4'-(alpha,omega-polymethylenedithio)bis(1-alkylpyridinium iodide)s (4DTBP-m,n) was studied. The bactericidal activity of 4DTBP-m,n in water was not affected by the molecular hydrophobicity unlike general mono-QAC, N-dodecylpyridinium iodide (P-12), while the bacteriostatic activity in the medium was reduced with their hydrophobicity. This result suggested that the hydrophobic materials in the medium interact with 4DTBP-m,n and cover their active moiety. Since the bactericidal activity using the measurement system supplemented with peptone was influenced by the molecular hydrophobicity, this speculation was supported. The plots of the bacteriostatic activities of 4DTBP-m,n against the surface hydrophobicities of various bacteria accord to the straight line as in the case of P-12. The slope of the line of 4DTBP-6,12 was comparatively smaller than that of 4DTBP-6,8, indicating that the compounds having longer alkyl group tend to reduce their activities against the bacteria with hydrophobic cell surface because of their interaction with the hydrophobic materials. The novel bis-QACs have an ability to liberate rapidly and abundantly the turbid materials from cells, that is, a bacterioclastic activity. The bacterioclastic activity of P-n was influenced by the length of alkyl group, while 4DTBP-6,n had almost the same activity regardless of its length. Observation by scanning electron microscope (SEM) revealed that 4DTBP-6,8 fatally damaged Escherichia coli cells, and that the morphological alteration of the cells caused by the bis-QAC was greatly different from that of the usual QAC. Therefore, the effective bacterioclastic action, and excellent bactericidal action is due to the unique dimeric structure of 4DTBP-m,n.
Anti-Bacterial Agents↗
A case of malignant lymphoma with diastolic heart failure.
In patients with malignant lymphoma, the first signs and symptoms are frequently noncardiac and clinical manifestations of cardiac involvement are often nonspecific. This case report presents a patient with malignant lymphoma whose first manifestation was characteristic of heart failure, mainly due to diastolic dysfunction, and whose postmortem examination revealed massive myocardial invasion.
Child, Preschool↗
Protective effect of MKC-231, a novel high affinity choline uptake enhancer, on glutamate cytotoxicity in cultured cortical neurons.
This study was performed to examine the neuroprotective action of 2-(2-oxopyrrolidin-1-yl)-N-(2,3-dimethyl-5,6,7,8-tetrahydrofuro [2,3-b]quinolin-4-yl)acetoamide (MKC-231), which enhances choline uptake and acetylcholine release in the central nervous system. Glutamate neurotoxicity was assessed with cortical cultures obtained from fetal rats. Exposure of cultures to MKC-231 for 12-24 hr ameliorated glutamate cytotoxicity. MKC-231 reduced cytotoxicity induced by ionomycin, a calcium ionophore, but did not affect the cytotoxicity induced by S-nitrosocysteine, a nitric oxide (NO) donor. These findings suggest that MKC-231 protects against glutamate neurotoxicity by suppressing the NO formation triggered by Ca2+-influx.
Animals↗
Bifemelane protects cultured cortical neurons against N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor-mediated glutamate cytotoxicity.
This study was performed to examine the neuroprotective action of bifemelane against glutamate cytotoxicity in cultured cortical neurons obtained from fetal rats. Cell viability was markedly reduced by a brief exposure to glutamate. Glutamate cytotoxicity was reduced by exposing cultures to bifemelane at concentrations of 1-10 microM for 24 hr prior to glutamate exposure. In contrast, glutamate cytotoxicity was not affected by adding bifemelane to the glutamate-containing-medium without pretreatment. Bifemelane did not affect N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA)-induced currents, although the higher concentration (100 microM) of the drug reduced them. These findings suggest that bifemelane protects against glutamate neurotoxicity without affecting NMDA receptors.
Animals↗
Inhibition by [Arg8]-vasopressin of long term potentiation in guinea pig hippocampal slice.
We examined the effects of [Arg8]-vasopressin (AVP) on long term potentiation (LTP) of the field excitatory postsynaptic potentials at CA1 and CA3 synapses in adult guinea pig hippocampal slices. AVP (10 nM) depressed the magnitude of LTP without any effects on basal responses at both synaptic pathways. The depressive effect by AVP at CA1 synapses appears to be receptor-mediated since it was inhibited by an AVP V1-receptor antagonist, [Pmp1,Tyr(Me)2]-AVP. From these results, AVP may play an inhibitory role on the induction of LTP via V1 receptors in the guinea pig hippocampus.
Animals↗
Co-culture with the striatum attenuates N-methyl-D-aspartate cytotoxicity in dopaminergic neurons of rat mesencephalic slice cultures.
We examined the role of striatal cells in cytotoxicity induced by N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) in dopamine (DA) neurons in rat mesencephalic slice culture. Coronal sections were prepared from 2- and 3-day-old rat brains and cultured using the interface culture method for 2-3 weeks before the NMDA cytotoxicity experiment. The exposure of mesencephalic cultures without striatum (single culture) to NMDA (10-300 microM) for 24 hr reduced the number of DA neurons in a concentration-dependent manner. The co-administration of the non-competitive NMDA-receptor antagonist significantly inhibited the neurotoxic effect of NMDA. When mesencephalon and striatum were kept in contact and co-cultured (contacting co-cultures), the growth of DA fibers into the striatal part was observed. In the contacting co-cultures with striatum, the minimal effective concentration for NMDA cytotoxicity was higher than that in single cultures. The contacting co-cultures with cerebellum did not alter the NMDA cytotoxicity. When the mesencephalon and striatum slices were kept apart and co-cultured, the co-cultures showed neither an outgrowth of DA fibers to the striatum nor any effect on the NMDA cytotoxicity. These results suggest that the projection of rat mesencephalic DA neurons to the striatum attenuates the NMDA cytotoxicity in DA neurons themselves.
Animals↗
Involvement of meiotic resumption in the disruption of gap junctions between cumulus cells attached to pig oocytes.
The present study was undertaken to examine the mechanisms by which cumulus cells regulate meiotic resumption in pig oocytes using microinjections of lucifer yellow into cumulus-oocyte complexes combined with a fluorescent assay. Some cumulus-oocyte complexes cultured for 0, 8, 16, 24, 32, 40 and 48 h were denuded to assess the nuclear status of oocytes; the remaining complexes were injected with lucifer yellow and monitored for the transfer from the oocyte to the surrounding cumulus cells using confocal laser scanning microscopy. The proportion of oocytes undergoing germinal vesicle breakdown at 16, 24 and 32 h of cultivation was much higher than that of cumulus-oocyte complexes in which all gap junctions within cumulus cells and between cumulus cells and oocyte were disrupted (16 h: 22.7% versus 8.8%, 24 h: 66.7% versus 40.3%, 32 h: 84.0% versus 69.4%), showing that the disruption does not trigger meiotic resumption in the pig oocyte. A significant positive correlation (r = 0.99, P < 0.01) was established between the proportion of germinal vesicle breakdown oocytes and that of cumulus-oocyte complexes exhibiting loss of gap junctions within all cumulus cell layers excluding the innermost layer. From these results, it is concluded that meiotic resumption in pig oocytes is induced by the disruption of gap junctions within cumulus cells, rather than that between the oocyte and cumulus cells, which blocks the conduction of meiosis inhibitory signals from the outer cumulus cells to the oocyte.
Animals↗
Analysis of the mitotic index of chicken primordial germ cells before and after settling in the germinal ridge.
The mitotic index of chicken primordial germ cells was determined by analysing the nuclear DNA content and the number of M phase and S phase primordial germ cells at stage 14-15 (before settling in the germinal ridge) and at stage 17-18 (after settling in the germinal ridge) using an interactive laser cytometer. When nuclear DNA content was presented graphically, two peaks were revealed at each of the two stages being studied. The value of the second peak was approximately twice that of the first peak. Primordial germ cells, having two nuclei in one cell, were recognized at each stage and were considered to be at M phase in cell division. The amount of nuclear DNA in both S and M phases was correlated with that between the first and the second peaks and that in the second peak, respectively. The number of M phase and S phase primordial germ cells significantly increased after they had settled in the germinal ridge. These results suggest that chicken primordial germ cells start to proliferate actively as soon as they reach the gonadal ridge.
Animals↗
Class II MHC antigen-expressing cells in the pulp tissue of human deciduous teeth prior to shedding.
The distribution and ultrastructure of the class II major histocompatibility complex (MHC) antigen-expressing cells in the pulp tissue of human deciduous teeth during the process of physiological root resorption was surveyed by histochemical and immunocytochemical methods using an anti-human leukocyte antigen (HLA)-DR-monoclonal antibody. Dental pulp was found to contain numerous HLA-DR-positive cells of various shapes; those showing a dendritic appearance were located mainly in the periphery of the pulp tissue, associated closely with the odontoblasts. The immunopositive cells sometimes extended their cytoplasmic processes into the dentinal tubules and increased in number in the areas affected by dental caries, attrition or restorative procedures, implicating their role in immunosurveillance. The immunopositive cells were located consistently at the pulp-dentin border during the stage of active resorption, adjacent to the preodontoclasts or odontoclasts, and covered the exposed dentin surface after the detachment of the odontoclasts until the onset of cementum formation. These data suggest that the HLA-DR-immunopositive cells in the coronal pulp of human deciduous teeth play an inductive role in the differentiation, migration and/or activation of the odontoclasts and cementoblast-like cells during the stages of tooth resorption.
Dental Pulp↗
Immunocytochemical demonstration of the synovial membrane in experimentally induced arthritis of the rat temporomandibular joint.
The present study is first to report an experimental model of adjuvant-induced arthritis in the rat temporomandibular joint (TMJ). Arthritis was induced by simultaneous intradermal administrations of Freund's complete adjuvant, one at the parietal scalp and the other at the base of the tail. In this model, we demonstrated responses of the synovial membrane by immunocytochemistry using antibodies to OX6 and ED1 which recognize Ia antigen in MHC class II antigen-expressing cells and the macrophage/monocyte lineage, respectively. Three weeks after administration, no remarkable signs of inflammation were macroscopically recognizable in the TMJ, but microscopically the synovial membrane in the TMJ revealed marked changes such as enhanced vascularization and hemostasis in the sublining layer and a thickening in the synovial lining cell layer. Intense OX6-immuno-reactivity was found in the synovial lining cells at lesions in the experimental group but not in the control group. Immunoelectron microscopy revealed that these OX6-immunopositive synovial lining cells developed dense cytoplasmic processes and numerous vacuoles and vesicles, resembling type A cells. Part of the type A cells also showed ED1-immunoreactivity. The expression of OX6 or ED1 immunoreactivity in the synovial lining cells might be involved in the initial immune responses in this arthritis model because the synovial membranes are exposed to the synovial fluids which have been believed to contain antigenic substances.
Animals↗
Immunohistochemical localization of pleiotrophin and midkine in the lingual epithelium of the adult rat.
Distribution of two heparin-binding molecules, pleiotrophin (PTN) and midkine (MK), was investigated by immunohistochemistry in the lingual epithelium of the adult rat. In the lingual epithelium, both PTN- and MK-like immunoreactivities were observed in its basal cell layers, showing a mesh-like appearance. These molecules were also found along the surface of the taste bud cells; an intense immunoreaction was detected at the base of the taste buds in the circumvallate and foliate papillae. At the electron microscope level, the immunoreactive products were localized on the cell surface and basement membrane at the base of the taste buds. The immunoreactivity for PTN was distributed more diffusely than that for MK. It was suggested that these molecules may be involved in the differentiation and maintenance of taste bud cells, possible via their trophic effect upon approaching nerves.
Animals↗
A histological study on tissue responses to titanium implantation in rat maxilla: the process of epithelial regeneration and bone reaction.
The present study aimed to establish a titanium implantation model using rat maxillae as well as demonstrate the chronological tissue responses to implantation. Pure titanium implants were inserted in the upper first molar extraction sites of Wistar rats 1 month after tooth extraction. The animals were sacrificed at 1 to 30 days postimplantation, and prepared tissue specimens were processed for light microscopy. The removal of implants from tissue blocks was done using 2 methods: mechanical removal or a cryofracture technique. In the early stages, peri-implant tissues showed severe damage to the oral epithelium and collagen bundles with significant inflammatory cell infiltration. The peri-implant epithelium grew apically along the implant by 10 days postimplantation, and regenerated to show a similar feature of junctional epithelium seen in normal rats at 15 days postimplantation, at which time no signs of inflammation were observed. The regenerated collagen bundles in the connective tissue were arranged circumferentially to the implants in the horizontal sections. New bone formation first appeared around the implants at 5 days postimplantation, covering the entire perimeter of implants by 30 days postimplantation. Scanning electron microscopic observations of the surface texture of the removed implants suggest the probability of an adhesive mechanism between the implants and the peri-implant epithelium and/or the alveolar bone. These findings indicate that this experimental model is useful for detailed analysis of peri-implant tissue because of its easy implantation procedure.
Animals↗
Blood lactate disappearance during breathing hyperoxic gas after exercise in two different physical fitness groups--on the workload fixed at 130% AT.
This study aimed to investigate the effects of hyperoxic gas breathing on the disappearance of blood lactate after exercise in two groups having different physical fitness and to determine the most effective O2 concentration in consideration of workload. Our previous study has demonstrated that hyperoxic gas breathing brought out different effects among subjects. In respect of these effects, it was thought necessary to pay attention to exercise intensity. Therefore, the exercise intensity of this study was set by using relative workload of anaerobic threshold (AT) from the aspect of blood lactate. Ten healthy male students participated as subjects and were divided into 2 groups; a group consisting of 5 active students whose mean AT was 60.4% VO2max (Higher AT group) and the other group consisting of 5 inactive students having the mean AT of 48.8% VO2max (Lower AT group). All subjects underwent three cycles of ergometer exercise on a bicycle (workload; 130% AT) for 5 min and recovery session for 6 min. The hyperoxic gas breathing was given only for the recovery session. The conditions of breathing were air, 30, 40, 60 or 80% O2. Blood for determination of the blood lactate level was taken only in the recovery session. When compared with air-breathing, the blood lactate level was significantly reduced in the condition of more than about 60% O2 breathing in Higher AT group, but not in Lower AT one. Together with the previous findings, it was found that the blood lactate level was markedly reduced by more than 60% O2 breathing in Higher AT group without relation to the workload in the range of about 70 to 80% VO2max. In Lower AT group, however, the effects of hyperoxic gas breathing were dependent on the exercise intensity; 30% and 40% O2 breathings were effective for the subjects with more than about 65% VO2max, but not in a lower intensity than it. These results indicate that the effects of hyperoxic gas breathing on the disappearance of blood lactate are dependent on the exercise intensity and the physical capacity.
Adult↗
Rheumatoid arthritis and apoptosis.
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Animals↗
Induction of antitumor effect on human esophageal carcinoma cells by the retroviral expression of granulocyte macrophage-colony stimulating factor gene.
We have examined antitumor effect of human esophageal carcinoma cells (T.Tn) which were retrovirally transduced to express mouse granulocyte macrophage-colony stimulating factor (mGM-CSF) gene. Nude mice inoculated with T.Tn cells secreting mGM-CSF developed small tumors but the tumors regressed spontaneously, although the proliferation in vitro of transduced cells was not different from that of wild-type cells. In contrast, the tumor of T.Tn cells transduced with human GM-CSF grew as that of wild-type cells, since murine GM-CSF receptors do not bind to human GM-CSF. Histological examination of the regressing tumor of mGM-CSF-producing T.Tn cells revealed predominant infiltration of inflammatory cells including macrophages. In addition, local injection of mGM-CSF-producing T.Tn cells into the established wild-type tumors significantly induced the retardation of subsequent wild-type tumor growth, suggesting that T-cell independent local response plays a crucial role in destroying tumor cells.
Animals↗
A case of acquired zinc deficiency in a mature breast-fed infant.
We describe a 5-month-old Japanese infant with zinc deficiency, who was exclusively breast-fed and showed improvement after zinc supplement was administered. His serum zinc level and the zinc content of breast milk from his mother were extremely low, although the mother's serum zinc level was within normal limits. Zinc deficiency would not be latently uncommon in a mature breast-fed infant.
Alopecia↗