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Biomedical subjects

T Mochizuki

Publications and source records attributed to T Mochizuki.

At least 55 records · Page 3Linked to original sources

Insulin and somatostatin releasing islet cell tumor caused hypoglycemia.

We report a hypoglycemic case with normal insulin levels, which was caused by an islet cell tumor that was releasing insulin and somatostatin. A fasting test suggested the over secretion of insulin. Moreover, this hypoglycemia was enhanced by the inhibitory effect of somatostatin on the secretion of insulin counter-regulatory hormones, such as glucagon, in addition to the autonomous secretion of insulin from the tumor. In cases of hypoglycemia with apparently normal insulin levels, the measurement of somatostatin and various provocative tests are recommended. Arterial stimulation venous sampling (ASVS) was useful to detect the location of this functioning islet cell tumor.

Adenoma, Islet Cell↗

Modified draping to avoid fluid leakage in cranial surgery--technical note.

Contamination under draping due to leakage of fluid from the surgical field should be avoided to maintain cleanness. A modified draping method was developed using standard draping materials but with an irrigation pouch applied directly to the scalp. The present method prevents fluid leakage along the scalp, increases surgeon comfort, and reduces postoperative room cleaning.

Craniotomy↗

Rupture of pial arteriovenous malformation associated with early thrombosis of the draining system following stereotactic radiosurgery--case report.

A 50-year-old man was treated with stereotactic gamma knife radiosurgery for an incidentally detected small callosal arteriovenous malformation (AVM) with stenosis of the main draining pathway. He suffered two episodes of intraventricular hemorrhage at 4 and 14 weeks after the radiosurgery. Radiological studies demonstrated that the anterior portion of the draining system including a varix, which had been irradiated, was thrombosed before the obliteration of arteriovenous shunts. Stereotactic radiosurgery is an accepted treatment for selected small and medium AVMs, but this procedure may increase the risk of bleeding. Early occlusion of a part of the draining pathway after stereotactic radiosurgery might have induced AVM rupture. An impaired venous outlet, either consisting of one draining vein or with stenosis, present before treatment may be develop thrombosis in response to high-dose irradiation.

Aneurysm, Ruptured↗

[Advances in molecular biology of dermatophytes].

During the 44th meeting of The Japanese Society for Medical Mycology in Nagasaki, 2000, a forum was held entitled Advances in Molecular Biology of Dermatophytes. Based on the subject, target molecules and kind of approach, we selected seven presentations from over 100 of the poster abstracts. Six of them concerned identification and one concerned viability. Summaries of the 7 presentations are given in this article. Of presentations on the identification methods, 5 demonstrated their usefulness: 1) A sequence analysis of ITS 1 region in ribosomal DNA of several Microsporum species showed ITS 1 genospecies Arthroderma otae to be composed of A. otae, M. canis, M. equinum and M. audouinii. 2) RAPD may be useful for identifying isolates which are not clearly identifiable by conventional biological techniques. 3) Sequence analysis of CHS 1 was shown to be a rapid tool for species level identification of M. gypseum. 4) PCR-SSCP analysis was also useful for discrimination of dermatophytes with high reproducibility and sensitivity. 5) Strain identification of A. benhamiae isolates may be possible using RFLP analysis of NTS regions in ribosomal DNA. The other presentation concerning identification pointed out some important problems: RFLP of mitochondrial DNA and ITS sequencing of A. benhamiae showed that the results are sometimes in conflict with those obtained from biological techniques, or in some cases, between other molecular techniques. This implies that our concept of fungal species needs to be re-examined and perhaps amended. The presentation on viability introduced quantitative analysis of mRNA of ACT gene, a new application of a molecular technique. Since the mRNA expresses only in living cells, the method is highly useful as an indicator of fungal viability.

Actins↗

Measurement of cerebral hemodynamics with perfusion-weighted MR imaging: comparison with pre- and post-acetazolamide 133Xe-SPECT in occlusive carotid disease.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: We generated regional cerebral blood volume (rCBV) and regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF) studies from dynamic susceptibility contrast-enhanced MR images after an intravenous bolus injection of contrast agent (perfusion-weighted imaging [PWI]) by applying indicator dilution theory. We used a multishot echo-planar imaging (EPI) sequence to obtain adequate arterial input function (AIF). Our purpose was to compare the cerebral hemodynamics measured by PWI with the rCBF values and cerebral perfusion reserve obtained by xenon-133 single-photon emission CT (133Xe-SPECT). METHODS: Eight patients with chronic internal carotid artery occlusion or stenosis were examined. PWI data were acquired using a multishot EPI sequence, and the AIF was determined automatically. Our procedure was based on indicator dilution theory and deconvolution analysis. To eliminate the effect of superficial vessels, the automatic threshold selection method was used. RESULTS: AIF was adequate to generate rCBF and rCBV images. The rCBF and rCBV images by PWI were superior to 133Xe-SPECT scans in spatial resolution, and the rCBF values obtained by PWI correlated well with those obtained by 133Xe-SPECT. The regions with severely decreased perfusion reserve, which were determined by pre- and post-acetazolamide 133Xe-SPECT, showed significantly lower rCBF and higher rCBV by PWI than did regions with normal and moderately decreased perfusion reserve. CONCLUSION: The rCBF and rCBV images generated by our procedure using PWI data appear to provide important clinical information for evaluating the degree of cerebral perfusion reserve impairment in patients with chronic ischemia.

Acetazolamide↗

Hyperactivity of 99mTc-HMPAO within 6 hours in patients with acute ischemic stroke.

UNLABELLED: Intraarterial thrombolytic therapy has been used recently for treatment of acute ischemic stroke within 6 h after onset. Although hypoactivity of 99mTc-hexamethylpropyleneamine oxime (HMPAO) in stroke has been well documented, hyperactivity of HMPAO has not been evaluated in sufficient detail. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the incidence and clinical importance of hyperactivity of HMPAO in management of patients with acute ischemic stroke. METHODS: We retrospectively investigated HMPAO SPECT in 90 patients with acute ischemic stroke within 6 h after onset. The lesion-to-contralateral radioactivity ratios (L/Cs) were calculated on the SPECT images before treatment and were compared with the imaging results of CT or MRI (or both). RESULTS: Hyperactivity of HMPAO, accompanied by surrounding hypoactivity, was observed in 6 of 90 patients (7%) within 6 h after onset. The L/Cs ranged from 1.17 to 2.95. Two patients showed hyperactivity in the cortex and the other 4 patients showed hyperactivity in the basal ganglia. Angiography confirmed spontaneous recanalization of occluded vessels in accordance with the area of hyperactivity. In both patients with cortical hyperactivity, cerebral infarctions were revealed on follow-up CT; in 1 patient, hemorrhagic transformation developed after intraarterial thrombolytic therapy. In 3 of the 4 patients with hyperactivity in the basal ganglia, follow-up CT showed no infarction in the surrounding hypoperfused cortex (selective intraarterial thrombolytic therapy was performed on 2 patients), although various degrees of infarction were observed in the basal ganglia. Obvious infarctions developed in the basal ganglia and the cortex of the other patient. CONCLUSION: Hyperactivity of HMPAO could be seen in the basal ganglia and the cortex within 6 h after onset, reflecting spontaneous recanalization. The areas of hyperactivity may develop infarctions, whereas the accompanying areas of hypoactivity could be rescued by selective intraarterial thrombolytic therapy.

Acute Disease↗

FDG uptake and glucose transporter subtype expressions in experimental tumor and inflammation models.

UNLABELLED: Although FDG uptake is closely related to the expression of the glucose transporter (GLUT) in malignant tumors, such a relationship has not been fully investigated in inflammatory lesions. The aim of our study was to determine the expression of GLUT subtypes in experimental inflammatory lesions and to compare the results with those in malignant tumors in relation to FDG accumulation. METHODS: Rats were inoculated with a suspension of Staphylococcus aureus or allogenic hepatoma cells (KDH-8) into the left calf muscle. Five days after S. aureus inoculation (n = 9) and 14 d after KDH-8 inoculation (n = 11), [(14)C]FDG was injected intravenously and its accumulation in the infectious and tumor tissues was determined as the percentage activity of the injected dose per gram of tissue (%ID/g). The expression of glucose transporters (GLUT-1 to GLUT-5) was investigated by immunostaining the infectious tissues (n = 6) and the tumor tissues (n = 6). Immunohistochemical grading was assessed semiquantitatively by 5 observers. RESULTS: The [(14)C]FDG uptake was significantly higher in the tumor lesion than in the inflammatory lesion (2.04 +/- 0.38 %ID/g vs. 0.72 +/- 0.15 %ID/g; P < 0.0001). The tumor and inflammatory tissues highly expressed GLUT-1 and GLUT-3. The GLUT-1 expression level was significantly higher in the tumor tissue than in the inflammatory tissue (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: The results based on our models showed a high FDG uptake and high GLUT-1 expression level not only in the tumor lesion but also in the inflammatory lesion. The higher GLUT-1 expression level in the tumor lesion may partially explain the higher FDG accumulation in the tumor than in the inflammatory lesion.

Animals↗

Xlim-1 and LIM domain binding protein 1 cooperate with various transcription factors in the regulation of the goosecoid promoter.

The homeobox genes Xlim-1 and goosecoid (gsc) are coexpressed in the Spemann organizer and later in the prechordal plate that acts as head organizer. Based on our previous finding that gsc is a possible target gene for Xlim-1, we studied the regulation of gsc transcription by Xlim-1 and other regulatory genes expressed at gastrula stages, by using gsc-luciferase reporter constructs injected into animal explants. A 492-bp upstream region of the gsc promoter responds to Xlim-1/3m, an activated form of Xlim-1, and to a combination of wild-type Xlim-1 and Ldb1, a LIM domain binding protein, supporting the view that gsc is a direct target of Xlim-1. Footprint and electrophoretic mobility shift assays with GST-homeodomain fusion proteins and embryo extracts overexpressing FLAG-tagged full-length proteins showed that the Xlim-1 homeodomain or Xlim-1/Ldb1 complex recognize several TAATXY core elements in the 492-bp upstream region, where XY is TA, TG, CA, or GG. Some of these elements are also bound by the ventral factor PV.1, whereas a TAATCT element did not bind Xlim-1 or PV.1 but did bind the anterior factors Otx2 and Gsc. These proteins modulate the activity of the gsc reporter in animal caps: Otx2 activates the reporter synergistically with Xlim-1 plus Ldb1, whereas Gsc and PV.1 strongly repress reporter activity. We show further, using animal cap assays, that the endogenous gsc gene was synergistically activated by Xlim-1, Ldb1, and Otx2 and that the endogenous otx2 gene was activated by Xlim-1/3m, and this activation was suppressed by the posterior factor Xbra. Based on these data, we propose a model for gene interactions in the specification of dorsoventral and anteroposterior differences in the mesoderm during gastrulation.

Animals↗

Developmental expression of maf-1 messenger ribonucleic acids in rat kidney by in situ hybridization histochemistry.

maf is a family of oncogenes, originally identified from the avian oncogenic retrovirus AS42, which encodes a nuclear bZip transcription factor protein. It has been reported that maf family genes have critical roles in embryological development and cellular differentiation. In this study, the distribution of maf-1 genes, the rat homologues of mafB, was examined in rat kidneys at the embryonic stages from 13 days, gestation (E13) through E21 and then 1, 2, 4, and 8 weeks after birth by in situ hybridization with (35)S-labeled antisense riboprobes. The cellular localization was determined using double in situ hybridization. Expression of maf-1 mRNA appeared weakly on E15 and was restricted to glomerular visceral epithelial cells during the pre- and postnatal stages until 2 weeks after birth and then gradually diminished. Double in situ hybridization demonstrated that maf-1 mRNA-positive cells in glomerulus also expressed Pod-1 gene, suggesting that maf-1 mRNA was expressed in the podocyte. These findings suggest that the expression of maf-1 gene may be involved in embryological development and/or differentiation of the kidney.

Animals↗

Synthesis and biological activities of lipid A-type pyrancarboxylic acid derivatives.

The synthesis of lipid A-type pyrancarboxylic acid derivatives, which have a carboxylic acid group in the anomeric position of the reducing part of the disaccharide instead of the phosphate group in lipid A, is described. One of the compounds thus synthesized, which has an acyl substitution pattern similar to that of Escherichia coli lipid A, showed lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-agonistic activity. The other, which contains four lipid chains in the molecule, exhibited strong LPS-antagonistic activity toward human monoblastic U937 cells.

Carbohydrate Conformation↗

Differential role of the JNK and p38 MAPK pathway in c-Myc- and s-Myc-mediated apoptosis.

The s-Myc is similar to c-Myc in its ability to induce apoptosis requiring caspase activation. However, s-Myc is distinct from c-Myc in that it has activity to suppress tumor growth and does not require wild-type p53 to induce apoptosis. These facts suggest differential regulation between s-Myc and c-Myc. Here we showed that s-Myc-mediated apoptosis triggered by UV was not inhibited by the inactive form mutant JNK (APF), though c-Myc-mediated apoptosis was. Moreover, we found that JNK did not affect the transactivation activity of s-Myc, but stimulated that of c-Myc. In contrast, both Myc-mediated apoptosis and caspase-3-like protease activation were suppressed by kinase-negative MKK6 and an inactive form mutant p38(AGF). Our results indicate that s-Myc does not require the JNK signaling unlike c-Myc during UV-triggered apoptosis, but the MKK6/p38MAPK pathway might regulate common apoptotic machinery for both s-Myc and c-Myc upstream of caspase.

Animals↗

Clinical significance of ventilation/perfusion scans in collagen disease patients.

UNLABELLED: The purpose of this study was to detect disturbances in pulmonary circulation in collagen disease patients by means of a non-invasive technique. METHODS: Ventilation/perfusion scans with 133Xe gas and 99mTc-macroaggregated albumin (MAA) were performed in 109 patients with various collagen diseases. Functional images of V, Vol, Q and V/Q ratio were obtained at total lung capacity. Wash-out time was calculated from the wash-out curve. Whole body scans were performed in 65 patients to evaluate intra-pulmonary shunts. RESULTS: Increased V/Q areas were observed in 74 patients (67.9%), suggesting some impairment of pulmonary perfusion. Decreased perfusion, probably due to vasculitis or intravascular microcoagulation, was observed often, even in patients without pulmonary fibrosis. Shunt ratios over 10% were observed in 8 of the 65 patients (12.3%), indicating formation of PA-PV shunts secondary to peripheral vascular impairment. Wash-out time was prolonged in 37 patients (33.9%), shortened in 18 (16.5%), and within the normal range in 54 (49.6%). The prolonged and normal wash-out times in the patients with pulmonary fibrosis may represent obstructive changes in the small airways superimposed on the fibrosis. CONCLUSION: Ventilation/perfusion scans are a very useful tool for evaluating collagen lung diseases, and they might contribute to treatment decisions for the patients.

Collagen Diseases↗

Characterization of histamine H3 receptors in mouse brain using the H3 antagonist [125I]iodophenpropit.

We have characterized the binding of the histamine H3 receptor antagonist [125I]iodophenpropit to mouse brain. [125I]Iodophenpropit saturably bound to mouse brain membranes with a pKd-value of 9.31+/-0.04 nM and a receptor binding density of 290+/-8 fmol per mg protein. Saturation binding analysis revealed binding of [125I]iodophenpropit to a single class of sites, showing linear Scatchard plots and Hill coefficients not different from unity (nH=0.98+/-0.02). At a concentration of 0.25 nM [125I]iodophenpropit, specific binding represented about 75% of the total binding. Competition binding curves for H3 receptor antagonists were fitted best to a one-site model, showing pKi-values in general accordance with the pA2-values obtained in mouse cerebral cortex. Displacement of [125I]iodophenpropit by the H3 receptor agonists (R)-alpha-methylhistamine, immepip, imetit and histamine were fitted best to a two-site model. Competition binding curves of (R)-alpha-methylhistamine showed a rightward shift upon incubation with GTPgammaS (10 microM), indicating the involvement of G-proteins in H3 agonist binding. In contrast, competition binding curves of the antagonists iodophenpropit, thioperamide and burimamide were not affected by GTPgammaS (10 microM). Autoradiographic experiments showed that [125I]iodophenpropit binding sites were heterogeneously distributed, similarly to the distribution of histamine H3 receptors reported in rat brain. Highest densities were observed in the cerebral cortex, the striatum, the nucleus accumbens, the globus pallidus and the substantia nigra. In conclusion, we have demonstrated that in mouse brain, [125I]iodophenpropit selectively binds to histamine H3 receptors. We also observed that the mouse brain H3 receptors labelled by [125I]iodophenpropit displayed binding characteristics and a distribution similar to rat brain.

Animals↗

Tissue-specific actions of antidiabetic thiazolidinediones on the reduced fatty acid oxidation in skeletal muscle and liver of Zucker diabetic fatty rats.

Fatty acid overload has been proposed as a cause of decreased responsiveness in the major insulin target tissues of the body such as muscle and liver tissue. We therefore investigated fatty acid oxidation in soleus muscle and liver isolated from Zucker diabetic fatty (ZDF) rats treated with thiazolidinediones, a new class of antidiabetic agents. 14CO2 production from [14C]palmitic (C16:0) acid was lower in the soleus muscle and liver of ZDF rats versus lean rats (P < .05). When administered orally to ZDF rats for 2 weeks, the thiazolidinediones troglitazone (300 mg/kg) and KRP-297 (10 mg/kg) increased palmitic acid oxidation in the soleus muscle of ZDF rats (P < .05). KRP-297, but not troglitazone, increased palmitic acid oxidation in the liver of ZDF rats (P < .05), and both troglitazone and KRP-297 inhibited triglyceride accumulation in the skeletal muscle of ZDF rats. Hepatic triglyceride accumulation in ZDF rats was inhibited by KRP-297, but not by troglitazone. A reduction of fatty acid oxidation in the liver of ZDF rats and an increase in response to KRP-297 were observed only when C16:0 and C18:0 fatty acids, not C8:0, were used as substrates. Thus, there were defects in fatty acid catabolic activity and triglyceride accumulation in the soleus muscle and liver of ZDF rats. These results indicate that KRP-297 has advantages over troglitazone in the amelioration of these lipid metabolic abnormalities in insulin resistance associated with obesity.

Administration, Oral↗

Changes in vascular reactivity induced by acute hyperthyroidism in isolated rat aortae.

Hyperthyroidism was induced by subcutaneous injections of L-thyroxine (T(4)) (500 mg/kg/day) for 3 days in order to study whether adrenergic and muscarinic receptor-mediated vascular responses alter at an early stage of the disease. T(4) treatment was sufficient to induce a significant degree of thyroid weight loss, tachycardia, cardiac hypertrophy, and an elevation in serum T(4) levels. The tension of aortic ring preparations isolated from rats was measured isometrically to investigate the influence of acute hyperthyroidism. The contractions induced by norepinephrine (NE) were significantly suppressed in aortic rings from rats treated with T(4) compared with control rats. N(G)-nitro-L-arginine (L-NOARG), an inhibitor of nitric oxide synthase (NOS), significantly enhanced NE-induced contraction in aortic rings from both control and T(4)-treated rats, and the enhancement was greater in rats treated with T(4) than control rats. The relaxations induced by either acetylcholine (ACh) or sodium nitroprusside (SNP) were also significantly enhanced by T(4) treatment. L-NOARG abolished the relaxation induced by ACh in aortic rings from both control and T(4)-treated rats. L-NOARG shifted SNP-induced relaxation curves of aortic rings from those of control rats to the left, but not with rats treated with T(4). T(4) treatment showed no influence on the amount of endothelial NOS (eNOS) protein. These results suggest that vascular responses alter at an early stage of hyperthyroidism and that it may be due to a modification in the NO system which is independent from the amount of eNOS protein.

Acetylcholine↗

Comparison between segmental wall motion and wall thickening in patients with coronary artery disease using quantitative gated SPECT software.

This study was performed to evaluate regional wall motion (WM) and wall thickening (WT) using gated myocardial perfusion single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) and to determine their similarity and disparity in patients with coronary artery disease (CAD). A total of 44 patients underwent 1 day stress/rest (MIBI) gated SPECT. Commercially available quantitative analysis of gated SPECT (QGS) software was used to generate 3D surface display and cine-mode SPECT display. Left ventricle was divided into nine segments to score WM and WT from 0 (no abnormality) to 4 (severe abnormality) by six independent observers. Finally a mean score was calculated for each segment from the scores of six observers. There was fairly good correlation between WM and WT of individual segments (r = 0.62, p < 0.0001). Concordance rate (IWM - WTI < 1) was 85%. A large difference between WM and WT (WM - WT > or = 2) was observed in 15 segments, including 12 segments with greater WM abnormalities and 3 segments with greater WT abnormalities (lateral and inferior walls). Greater WM abnormalities were most commonly observed in anteroseptal segments especially in post coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) patients. In conclusion, WM and WT showed similarity on QGS studies. However, these two parameters may be determined separately in gated SPECT studies for comprehensive and robust evaluation of the functional status of myocardium. Analyses based on WM assessment alone may lead to erroneous results especially in septal regions.

Aged↗

Elevation of TFF1 gene expression during healing of gastric ulcer at non-ulcerated sites in the stomach: semiquantification using the single tube method of polymerase chain reaction.

BACKGROUND: The Trefoil factor family 1 (TFF1), one of the trefoil peptides, has been considered to play protective and reparative roles of experimentally induced ulcers in the stomach. However, the alteration of the TFF1 mRNA in the non-ulcerated areas of living human gastric mucosa in gastric ulcer is not well known. We examined TFF1 gene expression at non-ulcerated sites during the healing of a gastric ulcer by semiquantitative determination of the TFF1 mRNA. METHODS: Gastric mucosal biopsy specimens were taken before and after the healing of the gastric ulcer from seven consecutive patients and from seven patients diagnosed with non-ulcer dyspepsia (NUD). The relative value of TFF1 mRNA (RTFF1) was calculated by the single tube method of polymerase chain reaction (ST-PCR) and Southern hybridization. Immunohistochemistry using monoclonal antibodies was performed to confirm the presence of the TFF1 peptide. The status of Helicobacter pylori and the severity of gastritis were investigated simultaneously. RESULTS: The mean relative values of TFF1 mRNA at both the gastric angle (RTFF1AS) and the gastric body (RTFF1BS) of patients with gastric ulcers at the healed stage were significantly higher than those at the open stage (P< 0.05). The mean RTFF1AS at both the open and healed stages were lower than those of RTFF1BS at the open and healed stages, respectively, The mean RTFF1B at the open stage was lower than that in NUD (not significant), but the mean of RTFF1B at the healed stage was significantly higher than that in NUD. The RTFF1AS and RTFF1BS of all patients did not correlate with H. pylori status nor with the severity of gastritis. The induction of TFF1 mRNA at the non-ulcerated background sites seemed not to be related to the status of H. pylori or to the severity of gastritis. CONCLUSIONS: These results suggest that the increased levels TFF1 mRNA during the healing of gastric ulcers might be closely related to the protection and the cell differentiation at the non-ulcerated areas of living human gastric mucosa.

Actins↗