Search PubMed⌕ Search

Biomedical subjects

T Murakami

Publications and source records attributed to T Murakami.

At least 217 records · Page 12Linked to original sources

[Decompressive craniectomy for massive infarction of middle cerebral artery territory].

There is continuing controversy about the benefits of decompressive craniectomy for the treatment of massive infarction of middle cerebral artery (MCA) territory. Under conservative therapy, the mortality rate for this stroke is reported to be up to 80%. So the authors have actively carried out decompressive craniectomy since 1997, and have compared the outcome with patients who were admitted before 1997 and, consequently treated with conservative therapy. Fifteen consecutive victims of massive infarction of MCA territory were studied. Seven patients (male: 1, female: 6, mean age: 79.8 years) were treated with conservative therapy, and 8 patients (male: 3, female: 5, mean age: 71.8 years) were treated with decompressive craniectomy. There were no significant differences in age and consciousness level distribution between the two groups. Mortality rate in the conservative therapy group was 85.7% against 12.5% in the surgery group (p < 0.05). Functional performance, which was evaluated by activity in daily life (ADL), was also better in the surgery group e.g. 3 patients in ADL 3, and 3 in ADL 4 (1 patient died from a non-neurological cause). Even among the patients with speech-dominant hemispheric stroke, all except one were able to communicate in some way and understand language. Even though patients in this study were elderly, decompressive craniectomy reduced mortality and improved functional performance, so it seems that this surgery should be aggressively considered for massive infarction of MCA territory.

Aged↗

[A case of postoperative multiple hepatic metastasis from esophageal cancer successfully treated by surgical resection and hepatic arterial infusion chemotherapy].

A 66-year-old male who underwent radical resection for esophageal cancer (stage IV) was diagnosed with multiple hepatic metastasis 1 year and 3 months after the surgery. He underwent hepatic resection and received systemic chemotherapy (FAP: 5-FU, ADR, CDDP), as the post-operative adjuvant therapy. One year and 3 months later, there was a huge recurrence in the residual liver and hepatic arterial infusion chemotherapy (FAP) was performed. The recurrent lesion disappeared completely after 3 sessions of arterial infusion chemotherapy. The arterial infusion chemotherapy was continued in the outpatient clinic and the recurrent lesion is well controlled. At present, this patient has returned to social life, 2 years and 3 months after the hepatic resection. The utility of hepatic arterial infusion chemotherapy and hepatectomy for postoperative multiple hepatic metastasis from esophageal cancer was shown in the present case.

Aged↗

[A patient with hepatocellular carcinoma and portal vein thrombosis in 1st branch who was treated by transcatheter arterial embolization].

We report a patient with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) with portal vein thrombosis in the 1st branch who was treated by transcatheter arterial embolization (TAE) and survived more than 3 years. A 58-year old male was diagnosed as having unresectable massive type HCC in the area of S8 with portal vein thrombosis from the P8 branch to the right portal branch. He was treated by TAE via the anterior branch of right hepatic artery. One week later, localized hepatic infarction in the anterior segment was recognized. Five months later, the portal vein thrombosis had disappeared and become necrotic. After 3 years and 4 months, he died of a relapse of a gastric varix, but with no portal thrombosis and a well controlled intra-hepatic recurrence that was treated by repeated TAE. This case suggests that TAE might be effective for cases of HCC with portal vein thrombosis in the 1st branch, if the liver function and portal flow are suitable.

Carcinoma, Hepatocellular↗

Repulsive charge mechanism serve to maintain lumens and cavities. An histochemical study of rat serosa and kidney.

The free surface of the rat peritoneum was covered with a rich negative-charged substance which is distinctly stained with cationic colloidal iron (pH 1.5). Neuraminidase digestion erased this iron stain. Treatment with Limax flavus agglutinin (LFA), which has specific affinity to sialic acid, interferred with iron staining on the serosal surface. Transmission electron microscopy of the peritoneal samples stained with colloidal iron showed that colloidal particles were deposited on the free surface of the mesothelial cells. At pH 1.5, the colloidal particles aggregated in a dotted fashion; in those stained at pH 7.0, the particles arranged in fine strands (100-300 nm in length). This difference may occur as a structural transformation due to pH level changes. The string like structure seemed to correspond well to membrane associated sialomucin. The urinary surface of the rat glomerular podocytes possessed negatively charged sites detectable with cationic colloidal iron even at pH 1.5. Neuraminidase and LFA treatments erased iron staining. Substance containing sialic acid such as podocalyxin on the podocyte surface may be stained. This study shows that negatively charged sites of the substance covering the free surface of these regions repulse each other to maintain the serosal cavities or the podocyte end-feet slits.

Animals↗

The extracellular matrix in the mature brain: its reactions to endo-alpha-N-acetylgalactosaminidase and collagenase.

The hippocampal subiculum in the adult rat brain contains many neurons with nerve cell surface glycoproteins which are linked by collagenous ligands to perineuronal proteoglycans. The nerve cell surface glycoproteins or their terminal N-acetylgalactosamines are digested by endo-alpha-N-acetylgalactosaminidase. The terminal N-acetylgalactosamines linked by the collagenous ligands are not digested by endo-alpha-N-acetylgalactosasminidase. The collagenous ligands associated with the terminal N-acetylgalactosamines were digested by collagenase. The newly exposed terminal N-acetylgalactosamines by this collagenase incubation were digested by endo-alpha-N-acetyl-galactosaminidase. These findings on the rat agree with those obtained in our previous studies of the adult mouse brain samples. Furthermore they emphasize our hypothetical model that the perineuronal proteoglycans are related--via collagen ligands--with the nerve cell surface glycoproteins.

Animals↗

[Retroperitoneal ganglioneuroma: a case report].

A primary retroperitoneal ganglioneuroma was found incidentally in a 44-year-old man. Computed tomography revealed a homogeneous mass just above the right kidney. T1-weighted magnetic resonance imaging demonstrated the homogeneous mass, but T2-weighted imaging revealed a heterogeneous mass with a markedly high intensity area. The tumor was resected through a transabdominal approach. The resected specimen measured 11 x 9 x 4.5 cm and weighted 270 g. Histological examination showed that the lesion was a ganglioneuroma composed of mature ganglion cells and nerve fibers.

Adult↗

[Gene therapy and neurotrophic factor treatment for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis].

Although excitotoxic and oxidative stress play important roles in spinal neuron death, the exact mechanisms are not fully understood. We examined cell damage of primary culture of 11-day-old rat spinal cord by addition of glutamate, nitric oxide (NO) or peroxynitrite (PN) with detection of terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated dUTP-biotin in situ nick end labeling (TUNEL). With addition of glutamate, NOC18 (a slow NO releaser) or PN, TUNEL positive nuclei were found in spinal large motor neurons from 24 h, and the positive cell proportion greatly increased at 48 h in contrast to the vehicle. The present results suggest that both excitotoxic and oxidative stress play important role in the apoptotic pathway in cultured rat spinal neurons. To examine a possible protective effect of exogenous glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor (GDNF) gene expression in transgenic (Tg) mice carrying a Gly 93Ala (G93A) mutant SOD1 gene found in human familial ALS, a replication defective adenoviral vector containing GDNF gene was directly injected unilaterally into leg muscles. There were significantly more large motoneurons in GDNF-treated Tg mice than in untreated and Ad-Laz-treated group. The number of large motoneurons in GDNF-treated side of Tg mice were significantly more than that in untreated side. These observations demonstrate that GDNF gene therapy in a mouse model of FALS promotes the survival of motoneurons, suggesting that a similar approach might delay the progression of neurodegeneration of ALS.

Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis↗

Induction and alternative splicing of delta isoform of Ca(2+)/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II during neural differentiation of P19 embryonal carcinoma cells and during brain development.

Since the expression of Ca(2+)/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II (CaM kinase II) is regulated during brain development, the developmental change of the enzyme was investigated during the neural differentiation of murine P19 embryonal carcinoma cells. CaM kinase II activity was induced during the differentiation of P19 cells treated with retinoic acid. Expression of the enzyme was induced 2 days after the treatment and maximized at 5 days. The enzyme activity increased about approximately 8-fold. The enzyme protein was shown to differ between differentiated and undifferentiated cells. The delta isoform of CaM kinase II was found as the major isoform in P19 cells by immunoblotting and reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). A total of four and three alternatively spliced variants of delta isoform were detected in P19 cells by RT-PCR analysis and by immunoblotting, respectively. Although multiple alternatively spliced forms have been reported, the major splice variants of delta isoform in differentiated cells were delta l and delta 9 isoforms, which were specifically detected in differentiated cells. In undifferentiated cells, the major splice variant corresponded to delta 2 isoform. These results indicated that the expression of delta isoform of CaM kinase II was induced, and the splicing pattern of the isoform changed, during neural differentiation. Cell type distinctive changes of splicing pattern of delta isoform were also observed not only during differentiation of cultured neuronal cells, but also during development of rat forebrain and cerebellum.

Alternative Splicing↗

Localization of long-form leptin receptor in the somatostatin-containing neurons in the sheep hypothalamus.

Reduction in the adiposity or dietary restriction increases plasma growth hormone (GH) concentrations, and in sheep this appears to be due, at least in part, to a reduction in the concentrations of somatostatin (SRIF) in hypophyseal portal blood. Leptin is a hormone secreted by the adipocytes and it is possible that the effects of altered adiposity or fasting on GH secretion could be due to regulation of SRIF neurons by leptin. To ascertain the extent to which leptin may act on these neurons, we have used immunohistochemistry to examine co-localization of long-form of the leptin receptor (OB-Rb) and SRIF in the sheep hypothalamus. In the hypothalamic periventricular area (PeriV), 44.5+/-10% of SRIF cells were found to co-stain for OB-Rb. In the dorsomedial hypothalamic, ventromedial hypothalamic and arcuate nuclei, 100% of SRIF immunoreactive neurons expressed OB-Rb. These findings provide a basis for the direct action of leptin on SRIF neurons. Thus, it is possible that leptin stimulates the secretion of SRIF in relatively obese individuals. The significance of the lower number of SRIF cells in the PeriV co-localizing OB-Rb expression is not clear at present.

Animals↗

Contribution of CD95 ligand-induced neutrophil infiltration to the bystander effect in p53 gene therapy for human cancer.

Clinical trials of adenoviral p53 gene therapy provide the evidence that the bystander effect induced by the wild-type p53 gene transfer on adjacent tumor cells contributes to tumor progression; its mechanism, however, remains uncharacterized. We report in this work that injection of adenovirus expressing the human wild-type p53 gene (Ad5CMVp53) into established human colorectal tumors in nu/nu mice resulted in CD95 ligand (CD95L) overexpression, followed by a massive neutrophil infiltration. Culture supernatants of human colorectal cancer cells infected with Ad5CMVp53 exhibited a potent chemotactic activity against murine polymorphonuclear neutrophils, which could be abolished by the anti-CD95L mAb (NOK-1). In vivo cell depletion experiments indicated that neutrophils were in part responsible for the antitumor effect of the Ad5CMVp53 infection. Our data directly suggest that overexpression of CD95L by the wild-type p53 gene transfer induces neutrophil infiltration into human colorectal tumors, which may play a critical role in the bystander effect of p53 gene therapy.

Adenoviruses, Human↗

Dysfunction of M-channel enhances propagation of neuronal excitability in rat hippocampus monitored by multielectrode dish and microdialysis systems.

To explore the pathogenesis of benign familial neonatal convulsions (BFNC), we determined effects of KCNQ-related M-channels (KCNQ-channels) on hippocampal glutamate (Glu) and gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) releases using microdialysis, and propagation of evoked field-potentials (FP) using multielectrode (64-ch)-dish system as two-dimensional monitoring. KCNQ-channel inhibitor, Dup996, enhanced hippocampal K(+)-evoked Glu and GABA releases without affecting basal releases of them. Dup996 unaffected FP-amplitude, but enhanced FP-propagation. The GABA(A)-receptor antagonist, bicuculline, enhanced the stimulatory effects of Dup996 on FP-propagation, however, this stimulatory effects of Dup996 were abolished by the alpha-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methylisoxazole-4-propionic acid (AMPA)/glutamate-receptor antagonist, DNQX. These results suggest that the occurrence of BFNC cannot be produced by KCNQ-channel dysfunction alone, but by reciprocal action between impaired KCNQ-channel and other unknown elements (possibly dysfunction of inhibitory neurotransmission system).

Action Potentials↗

Crystal structure of 1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylate deaminase from Hansenula saturnus.

The pyridoxal 5'-phosphate (PLP)-dependent enzyme 1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylate deaminase (ACCD) catalyzes a reaction that involves a ring opening of cyclopropanoid amino acid, yielding alpha-ketobutyrate and ammonia. Unlike other PLP-dependent enzymes, this enzyme has no alpha-hydrogen atom in the substrate. Thus, a unique mechanism for the bond cleavage is expected. The crystal structure of ACCD from Hansenula saturnus has been determined at 2.0 A resolution by the multiple wavelength anomalous diffraction method using mercury atoms as anomalous scatterers. The model was built on the electron density map, which was obtained by the density averaging of multiple crystal forms. The final model was refined to an R-factor of 22.5% and an R(free)-factor of 26.8%. The ACCD folds into two domains, each of which has an open twisted alpha/beta structure similar to the beta-subunit of tryptophan synthase. However, in ACCD, unlike in other members of the beta family of PLP-dependent enzymes, PLP is buried deep in the molecule. The structure provides the first view of the catalytic center of the cyclopropane ring opening.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

Observation of X-ray lines from a gamma-ray burst (GRB991216): evidence of moving ejecta from the progenitor.

We report on the discovery of two emission features observed in the x-ray spectrum of the afterglow of the gamma-ray burst (GRB) of 16 December 1999 by the Chandra X-ray Observatory. These features are identified with the Ly(alpha) line and the narrow recombination continuum by hydrogenic ions of iron at a redshift z = 1.00 +/- 0.02, providing an unambiguous measurement of the distance of a GRB. Line width and intensity imply that the progenitor of the GRB was a massive star system that ejected, before the GRB event, a quantity of iron approximately 0.01 of the mass of the sun at a velocity approximately 0.1 of the speed of light, probably by a supernova explosion.

Journal Article↗

Both corticotropin releasing factor and neuropeptide Y are involved in the effect of orexin (hypocretin) on the food intake in rats.

Orexin (hypocretin) is a peptide that has been found to stimulate food intake in rats. However, we have recently demonstrated that orexin stimulates the release of corticotropin releasing hormone (CRF) which has been known to decrease the food intake. Therefore, we examined the mechanism of effect of orexin on food intake. Although the other appetite stimulating peptides; neuropeptide Y (NPY), agouti-related peptide (AGRP) and one of the growth hormone releasing secretagogue (GHRP-6) stimulated dose-dependently the food intake during 2 h in the early light period, orexin did not increase significantly the food intake. No significant increase was also observed during 2 h in the early dark period. However, pretreatment with alpha-helical CRF, an antagonist of CRF, or anti-CRF antiserum resulted in significant increase of food intake by orexin. Orexin-stimulated feeding under these conditions was blocked by NPY Y1 receptor antagonist (1229U91). In an 8 h-fasting rat, anti-orexin serum decreased slightly the food intake. These results suggest that effect of orexin on the food intake may be complex because of orexin-CRF and orexin-NPY linkage.

Agouti-Related Protein↗

Expression and function of P-glycoprotein in rats with glycerol-induced acute renal failure.

The effect of glycerol-induced acute renal failure on P-glycoprotein expression and function was evaluated in rats. The in vivo function of P-glycoprotein was evaluated by measuring renal secretory and biliary clearance and brain distribution of rhodamine 123 (Rho-123), a P-glycoprotein substrate, under a steady-state plasma concentration. In acute renal failure rats, the P-glycoprotein level increased 2.5-fold in the kidney, but not in the liver and brain. In contrast, P-glycoprotein function in these tissues was suppressed. Interestingly, not only the renal but also the biliary clearance of Rho-123 was correlated with the glomerular filtration rate. In Caco-2 cells, plasma from renal failure rats exhibited a greater inhibitory effect on P-glycoprotein-mediated transport of Rho-123 than did plasma from control rats. In conclusion, P-glycoprotein function was systemically suppressed in acute renal failure, even though the level of P-glycoprotein remained unchanged or rather increased. This may be due to the accumulation of some endogenous P-glycoprotein substrates/modulators in the plasma in disease states.

ATP Binding Cassette Transporter, Subfamily B, Mem↗