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Biomedical subjects

T Murai

Publications and source records attributed to T Murai.

At least 253 records · Page 14Linked to original sources
PubMed1987

Inhibition of microtubule polymerization by synthetic estrogens: formation of a ribbon structure.

Dienestrol, meso-hexestrol, and dl-hexestrol, synthetic nonsteroidal estrogens, were shown to be inhibitors of microtubule assembly in vitro using microtubule proteins isolated from porcine brains. The order of activity of the synthetic estrogens as inhibitors of microtubule assembly is: dienestrol greater than diethylstilbestrol greater than meso-hexestrol greater than dl-hexestrol greater than isodienestrol. The activity of dienestrol as an inhibitor was of the same order as that of (+)-griseofulvin, as determined by turbidity measurement. Electron microscopic observation revealed that twisted ribbon structures are formed from microtubule proteins in the presence of some synthetic estrogens (dienestrol, meso-hexestrol, and dl-hexestrol).

Animals↗
PubMed1987

Physiology of the potentiation of lethal endotoxin shock by streptococcal pyrogenic exotoxin in rabbits.

Streptococcal pyrogenic exotoxin (SPE) dramatically potentiates the lethal shock induced by gram-negative bacterial endotoxin. To provide further understanding of the mechanism underlying the potentiating effect, the physiological basis for the toxic synergism of the two toxins was investigated. Pretreatment of rabbits with an intravenous (i.v.) dose (10 micrograms/kg of body weight) of SPE greatly enhanced the endotoxin lethality and reduced the 50% lethal dose to less than 5 micrograms of endotoxin per kg. The SPE pretreatment dose caused severe pathophysiological changes in combination with a small i.v. dose of endotoxin (1 microgram/kg). These changes included transient hyperglycemia followed by profound hypoglycemia, elevation of the blood lipoperoxide level, and an acute increase in plasma beta-glucuronidase activity. These changes were comparable with those in animals given a large i.v. dose of endotoxin (100 micrograms/kg) alone. An injection of SPE alone did not alter any of the parameters described above. These results suggest that SPE renders rabbits more sensitive to extensive pathophysiologic effects of endotoxin, and the potentiating effect on endotoxin lethality may thus involve a general potentiation of physiologic failures. The SPE pretreatment depressed the vascular clearance of a large dose of endotoxin (100 micrograms/kg) but failed to affect that of a small dose of endotoxin (1 microgram/kg). The data suggest that the potentiating effect is not readily explained solely on the basis of the decreased clearance of endotoxin.

Animals↗
PubMed1987

Androgen responsiveness of proteinase F in the submandibular salivary glands of inbred mice.

Using the radioimmunoassay technique, we studied androgenic regulations of proteinase F in the submandibular salivary glands (SMG) of various mouse strains (ICR, BALB/CA, C3H/HeN, C57BL/10N, and DBA/2N). The proteinase contents in BALB/CA and DBA/2N mice were almost the same between males and females. However, prominent sex differences in enzyme content were seen in all other strains; i.e., male glands of C3H/HeN and C57BL/10N contained more proteinase F than female glands did. On the contrary, the enzyme level in the ICR was exceedingly higher in females than in males. The enzyme contents in ICR SMG increased in males following castration and decreased after androgen injection in both castrated males and normal females. On the contrary, the enzyme level in C3H/HeN was decreased by castration and increased by androgen injection. Therefore, these sex differences in ICR and C3H/HeN mice depend on androgen, though the direction of the response is opposite.

Animals↗
PubMed1987

Studies on macrocyclic lactone antibiotics. XI. Anti-mitotic and anti-tubulin activity of new antitumor antibiotics, rhizoxin and its homologues.

The mode of action of rhizoxin (1a), a new antitumor macrolide, was investigated. Rhizoxin inhibited fusion of the male and the female pronuclei in fertilized sea urchin eggs and inhibited cilia formation in the deciliated sea urchin embryos. In vitro, polymerization of tubulin isolated from porcine brains was completely inhibited at a 1 X 10(-5) M concentration of rhizoxin, and tubulin which had been polymerized by incubation at 37 degrees C for 30 minutes was depolymerized by addition of 1 X 10(-5) M of the drug. Activity of rhizoxin against tubulin polymerization was compared with those of other anti-tubulin drugs such as colchicine, vinblastine and ansamitocin P-3. The homologues of rhizoxin, 1b-3b, also inhibited polymerization of the purified microtuble protein at almost the same extent as rhizoxin.

Animals↗
PubMed1987

[Complete remission of advanced renal cell carcinoma by chemotherapy and surgical treatment: a case report].

A rare case of metastatic renal cell carcinoma which represented complete remission by chemotherapy and surgical treatment is presented. A 59-year-old female was admitted to our hospital because of general fatigue, weight loss and appetite loss. The diagnosis of right renal tumor metastasized to both lungs and extending into the inferior vena cava was made by radiographic findings. Because of very poor general condition the first choice of treatment was chemotherapy with cisdichlorodiamine platinum, adriamycin, cyclophosphamide, 1-(2-tetrahydrofuryl)-5-fluorouracil) (UFT), and OK432. Five months after the beginning of chemotherapy both lung coin lesions disappeared completely, and radical nephrectomy including venacavotomy and tumor thrombectomy was performed. At present, 6 months after the radical nephrectomy, she is free from the disease and complete remission has been obtained by oral administration of 400 mg/day UFT and 5.0 KE OK432 intracutaneous injection every week.

Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols↗
PubMed1987

[Thermochemotherapy of unresectable pancreatic carcinoma (hot water and intra-arterial chemotherapy using noradrenaline)].

A 86-year-old man with unresectable pancreatic carcinoma was treated with thermochemotherapy. In most of the body and tail affected by the tumor, which did not show any cytotoxic damage after intraarterial chemotherapy, an enhanced antitumor effect was achieved by hyperthermia, which heated the tumor using hot water in a balloon placed on the pancreas, and which was delivered through a vinyl tube leading out of the body for 40 minutes while administration of antitumor agents mixed with noradrenaline was simultaneously given into the celiac artery. In this case, we observed that using noradrenaline with contrast material injected into the celiac artery it was possible to delineate the tumor area by computed tomography of the pancreas.

Aged↗
PubMed1987

Seadragon VI: a 7-day dry saturation dive at 31 ATA. I. Objectives, design, and scope.

Seadragon VI dive was designed to determine the effects on humans of a prolonged exposure to a 31 ATA, dry helium-oxygen environment. The specific objectives were to study a) circadian changes in renal-endocrine function, including a comprehensive characterization of nocturia; b) cardiovascular-endocrine responses to a 90 degree tilt; c) erythrocyte functions, including intracellular organic phosphates and the Donnan ratio for chloride; and d) blood enzyme profiles. The experiment was conducted over a period of 30 d in September and October 1984 at the Japan Marine Science and Technology Center, Yokosuka. Following a 5-d predive control period at 1 ATA in air, 4 male divers spent 7 d at 31 ATA in a helium-oxygen environment, and then returned to 1 ATA air after 12 d of decompression. They stayed an additional 3 d inside the chamber for postdive control measurements. The chamber temperature was maintained at 27-28 degrees C during pre- and postdive periods, 31-32 degrees C at 31 ATA, and 28-31 degrees C during decompression. At 31 ATA, PO2 and PCO2 of the chamber gas were maintained at approximately 225 and 2 mmHg, respectively. In this introductory paper, physical and physiologic characteristics of individual subjects, the major daily activity schedule, daily caloric intake, and the scope of investigation are presented.

Adult↗
PubMed1986

Perinatal colonization of group B streptococcus--an epidemiological study in a Chinese population.

An epidemiological study of perinatal colonization of group B streptococcus (GBS) was carried out prospectively in a Chinese population. One hundred and sixty-eight mother-infant pairs were studied. Maternal carriage rate from multiple sites was 19.0%, with an overall neonatal colonization rate of 19.6%. There was no neonatal sepsis due to GBS. No obstetrical risk factors that could influence material carriage could be identified. Neonatal colonization was associated with premature/prolonged rupture of membranes, increased duration of rupture of membranes and intrapartum pyrexia. The number of infected sites and the density of organism in each site in the infant were directly proportional to the number and density of organisms in the culture-positive sites in the mother. Serotypical study showed a complete absence of type II GBS in this population. Since the vertical transmission rate was only 37.5%, it is postulated that nosocomial spread of the organism contributed significantly towards colonization of the infants in our study population.

Carrier State↗
PubMed1986

Characterization of the pyrogenicity of two different lipopolysaccharides and their lipid A-bovine serum albumin complexes.

In order to elucidate the dependency of pyrogenicity of lipopolysaccharide (LPS) on the lipid A structure, we investigated the pyrogenicity of both LPS and lipid A prepared from Mima polymorpha var. oxidans which is deficient in 3-hydroxymyristic acids linked to the 3-hydroxy group of other fatty acids. LPS and lipid A were also prepared as reference compounds from Escherichia coli UKT-B. Furthermore, the establishment of reliable indices for pyrogenicity was undertaken. The following results were obtained. The correlation in linearity was demonstrated between maximal increase in body temperature (delta Tmax) and dose of LPS or lipid A complexed with bovine serum albumin (BSA). The dose-response curves based on delta Tmax were more reliable statistically than the Fever Index-4h representing the area under fever curves for 4 h. The minimum pyrogenic dose (MPD) of E. coli LPS was 1.6 X 10(-3) micrograms/kg i.v. In contrast, the MPD of M. polymorpha LPS was 7.0 X 10(-3) micrograms/kg i.v. By intracisternal injection, the MPD of E. coli LPS was 2.5 X 10(-6) micrograms/kg and that of M. polymorpha LPS 1.0 X 10(-4) micrograms/kg. The end points of Limulus amoebocyte lysate gelation were 10(-5) micrograms/ml in E. coli LPS and 10(-3) micrograms/ml in M. polymorpha LPS. The MPDs of lipid A/BSA complexes by i.v. injection were 0.15 micrograms/kg in E. coli and 2.5 micrograms/kg in M. polymorpha. The rabbits immunized with E. coli lipid A/BSA complex acquired pyrogenic tolerance to the parent LPS but the cross tolerance to M. polymorpha LPS was not observed.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Acinetobacter↗
PubMed1986

[Clinical evaluation of CMA in the treatment of prostatic cancer].

Forty five patients with previously untreated prostatic cancer were given chlormadinone acetate (CMA) at a dose of 100 mg/day (mean 12.6 months), and 42 of them were evaluated for effectiveness. Overall response evaluation revealed 19 complete responses (45.2%), 14 partial responses (33.3%), 4 minor responses (9.5%), and 5 were unresponsive (11.9%). Consequently CMA was judged to be effective in 33 patients (78.6%, complete and partial responses). Response rate was 100.0% for stage A, 88.9% for stage B, 77.8% for stage C, and 57.1% for stage D. The response rate for stage D was relatively high, possibly because the time of judgement of effectiveness was a little too early. As side effects, elevated triglyceride level, impaired liver function and impotence were noted in one patient each. All of them were slight. The testosterone level in both castrated and non-castrated patients were not higher than that in women, and no significant difference in the level was noted between the groups. Nevertheless, the clinical usefulness of castration is not denied. CMA is considered useful as an endocrine therapeutic drug, though its effect on the disease at stage D was insufficient. The administration method, such as sequential treatment and combination treatment of CMA and estrogen preparations, is a future subject.

Aged↗