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Biomedical subjects

T Murakami

Publications and source records attributed to T Murakami.

At least 55 records · Page 3Linked to original sources
PubMed2003

Glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor protein prevents motor neuron loss of transgenic model mice for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.

Effects of glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor (GDNF) were studied in transgenic (Tg) mice model for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. GDNF protein or vehicle was injected three times a week from 35 weeks of age into the right gastrocnemius muscle of Tg mice carrying mutant human Cu/Zn superoxide dismutase gene, and histological analysis was performed at 46 weeks. Clinical data showed a tendency of improvement, but was not significantly different between the two animal groups. In contrast, total number of and phospho-Akt (p-Akt) positive large motor neurons in the treated side was significantly more preserved in GDNF-treated group than in vehicle group (p < 0.05). Immunoreactivity of phospho-ERK and active caspases-3 and -9 showed no difference. These results indicate that the intramuscular injection of GDNF protein prevented motor neuron loss while preserving survival p-Akt signal and without affecting caspase activations, suggesting a future possibility for the therapy of the disease.

Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis↗
PubMed2003

Glutamate enhances caspase-3 immunoreactivity in cultured spinal cord neurons of newborn rats.

The role of glutamate in the mechanism of spinal neuron death is not fully understood. With addition of glutamate to primary culture of 11-day-old rat spinal cord, the number of caspase-3 positive small neurons of the dorsal horn greatly increased at 6-24 h in contrast to the case with vehicle. The addition of glutamate made caspase-3 immunoreactivity stronger in the cytoplasm of large motor neurons in the ventral horn. The present results show that excessive amount of glutamate enhances apoptotic pathway through caspase-3 in cultured spinal neurons of newborn rat.

Animals↗
PubMed2003

[Use of the bipolar vessel sealing system in lung resection].

UNLABELLED: Numerous methods exist to separate incomplete fissure and attain homeostasis in lung surgery. A new device was evaluated for dividing lung parenchyma and creating homeostasis in animal and lung cancer patients. METHODS: The LigaSure vessel sealing system was utilized in animal to divide lung parenchyma (1 cm, 3 cm, and 5 cm) and close 3 or 4 mm pulmonary arteries. This bipolar sealing instrument was also used in human to divide incomplete fissure and close small pulmonary arteries. RESULTS: No air leakage were seen when device was used in animal to divided less than 3 cm lung parenchyma, even if air way pressure was elevated to 30 cmH2O. No bleeding were seen when the devise applied to small pulmonary arteries in animal, even when pulmonary arterial pressure was elevated to 75/17 mmHg using 10 gamma dopamine. This devise was also useful in human to divide incomplete fissure without a significant air leakage and to close small pulmonary arteries. CONCLUSION: The LigaSure sealing system represents a significant advance in dividing the incomplete fissure less than 3 cm, and sufficient homeostasis in close pulmonary arteries smaller than 3 or 4 mm. Results of this evaluation indicate the LigaSure system is a variable alternative to autosure device or clips in pulmonary resection.

Animals↗
PubMed2003

[In situ graft replacement for the thoracoabdominal aortic aneurysm with abscess around the aorta; report of a case].

A 58-year-old woman who complained of epigastralgia, back pain and pyrexia was admitted for further examination. A computed tomography (CT) scan revealed an abnormal mass between the descending aorta and esophagus. Exploratory thoracotomy was performed and brown purulent fluid was drained from the mass. Postoperatively, the white blood cell count normalized and the patient become afebrile. Eleven days postoperatively, circa 500 ml of blood discharged from a chest drain tube. A CT scan demonstrated enlargement of the thoracoabdominal aorta, necessitating an emergency operation. A pseudoaneurysm was found in the thoracoabdominal aorta, with inflammation in the aortic wall. On opening the aneurysmal sac, the intima of the aorta was found to have a partial defect. In situ graft replacement of the thoracoabdominal aorta and reconstruction of the intercostal artery were performed. Finally, a pedicled omental flap was used to cover the artificial graft. Two years postoperatively, the patient is doing well with no recurrence of infection.

Abscess↗
PubMed2003

Simultaneous measurement of T-helper 1 cytokines in tuberculous pleural effusion.

OBJECTIVE: Tuberculosis, the leading cause of death among infectious diseases worldwide, is a major cause of lymphocytic exudative pleural effusion. T-helper 1 cytokines, including interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma), interleukin (IL)-12p40 and IL-18 are predominantly associated with cell-mediated immune responses, and play an important role in immunity to Mycobacterium tuberculosis. DESIGN: We studied 55 patients presenting with pleural effusion at the National Sanyo Hospital between April 2000 and September 2001 (42 men and 13 women; mean age 67 years). Twenty patients (36%) had tuberculous pleurisy, while 18 (33%) had malignant effusions and 17 (31%) had an effusion with another aetiology. Pleural fluid concentrations of IL-12p40 and IL-18 as well as IFN-gamma measured by enzyme-immunoassays. RESULTS: Concentrations of all three cytokines were significantly higher in tuberculous than other pleural effusions. Significant correlations were evident between IFN-gamma and IL-12. We found particularly high concentrations of IL-12p40 and IFN-gamma in tuberculous patients with high fever. CONCLUSION: The results indicate that T-helper 1 cytokines are involved in intrapulmonary cellular immune responses to M. tuberculosis, and suggest that the interactions between them may play an important role in the pathogenesis and severity of the pleural effusion. Understanding the development of this response may enhance our understanding of the pathogenesis of tuberculous pleural effusion and suggest new therapies.

Adult↗
PubMed2002

Deficiency of a cytosolic ascorbate peroxidase associated with chilling tolerance in soybean.

We investigated the isozyme profiles of antioxidant enzymes in cultivars and lines with different seed productivity in cool climate conditions as a step towards understanding the physiological and genetical mechanisms underlying chilling tolerance in soybean. While no difference in superoxide dismutase, or catalase isozyme profiles was observed among the cultivars and lines tested, we found polymorphism in the ascorbate peroxidase isozyme profile; there were two types, with or without a cytosolic isoform (APX1). The cultivars and lines lacking APX1 proved more tolerant to chilling temperatures, as evaluated by yielding ability. The genotype-dependent deficiency of APX1 was consistent in plants and tissues under various oxidative stress conditions including the exposure to low-temperatures. In addition, the genetic analysis of progeny derived from crossing between cultivars differing in the isozyme profile indicated that the APX1 deficiency is controlled by a single recessive gene (apx1), and is inherited independently of the genes that have previously been identified for their association with chilling tolerance. Molecular and linkage analyses suggested that the variant gene of the APX1-absent genotype coding for a cytosolic APX, which contained a single nucleotide substitution and a single nucleotide deletion in the coding region, is responsible for the genotype-dependent deficiency of APX1. The association of APX1 deficiency with chilling tolerance is discussed in detail.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed2002

Early decrease of the immunophilin FKBP 52 in the spinal cord of a transgenic model for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.

Expressions of immunophilin FKBP-12 and FKBP-52 were examined in the spinal cord of transgenic mice with an ALS-linked mutant Cu/Zn superoxide dismutase (SOD1) gene. The immunoreactivity of FKBP-12 was present predominantly in the cytoplasm, but did not show a difference between age-matched wild type and transgenic (Tg) mice at 25 and 35 weeks. In contrast, the immunoreactivity of FKBP-52 was predominantly present in the nucleus, which progressively declined only in the Tg mice as early as an early presymptomatic stage at 25 weeks of age in the anterior horn neurons. The present result suggests that the downregulation of FKBP-52 may be involved in the pathogenesis in the early stages of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS).

Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis↗
PubMed2002

Effects of short- and long-acting dopamine agonists on sensitized dopaminergic neurotransmission in rats with unilateral 6-OHDA lesions.

The effects of short and long-acting dopamine agonists on sensitized dopaminergic transmission in an animal model of Parkinson's disease were investigated. Rats with 6-hydroxydopamine (6-OHDA) lesions of the left nigrostriatal dopaminergic pathway were pre-exposed i.p. to 50 mg/kg methyl levodopa for 10 days. After a 7-day withdrawal period, these animals were treated with saline i.p., 0.05 mg/kg apomorphine s.c., or 0.5 mg/kg cabergoline i.p., once daily for 7 days. On the 8th day, rats in each treatment group received a challenge dose of 0.05 mg/kg apomorphine or saline s.c. The temporal changes in the number of rotations away from the 6-OHDA lesion side were evaluated after the challenge. The apomorphine challenge increased the number of rotations more markedly in the apomorphine pretreated rats than in the other pretreatment groups. In cabergoline pretreated rats, the number of rotations was significantly lower than that of saline-pretreated animals. Pretreatment with saline did not alter the apomorphine sensitivity of rotational behavior. These findings suggest that the repeated administration of long-acting dopamine agonists may reduce sensitized dopaminergic transmission in dopamine-depleted rats, whereas short-acting ones may further enhance sensitization of the transmission process.

Adrenergic Agents↗
PubMed2002

Adenovirus-mediated gene transfer of glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor prevents motor neuron loss of transgenic model mice for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.

Effects of adenovirus-mediated gene transfer of glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor (GDNF) were studied in transgenic (Tg) mice model for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). Adenoviral vector containing GDNF gene (Ad-GDNF), E. coli lacZ (Ad-LacZ), or vehicle was injected once a week from 35 weeks of age into the right gastrocnemius muscle of Tg mice carrying mutant human Cu/Zn superoxide dismutase (SOD1) gene, and histological analysis was performed at 46 W. Clinical data showed a tendency of improvement, but was not significantly different among the three animal groups. In contrast, total number of and phospho-Akt (p-Akt) positive large motor neurons in the treated side was significantly preserved in Ad-GDNF-treated group than in vehicle- and Ad-LacZ-treated groups (*p < 0.05). Immunoreactivity of phospho-ERK (p-ERK) and active caspases-3 and -9 showed no difference. These results indicate that the Ad-GDNF treatment prevented motor neuron loss with preserving survival p-Akt signal and without affecting caspase activations, suggesting a future possibility for the therapy of the disease.

Adenoviridae↗
PubMed2002

Induction of dental pulp stem cell differentiation into odontoblasts by electroporation-mediated gene delivery of growth/differentiation factor 11 (Gdf11).

The long-term goal of dental treatment is to preserve teeth and prolong their function. In dental caries an efficient method is to cap the exposed dental pulp and conserve the pulp tissue with reparative dentin. We examined whether growth/differentiation factor 11 (GDF11), a morphogen could enhance the healing potential of pulp tissue to induce differentiation of pulp stem cells into odontoblasts by electroporation-mediated gene delivery. Recombinant human GDF11 induced the expression of dentin sialoprotein (Dsp), a differentiation marker for odontoblasts, in mouse dental papilla mesenchyme in organ culture. The Gdf11 cDNA plasmid which was transferred into mesenchymal cells derived from mouse dental papilla by electroporation, induced the expression of Dsp. The in vivo transfer of Gdf11 by electroporation stimulated the reparative dentin formation during pulpal wound healing in canine teeth. These results provide the scientific basis and rationale for gene therapy for endodontic treatments in oral medicine and dentistry.

Animals↗
PubMed2002

Evidence of oncotic cell death and DNA fragmentation in human hypertrophic chondrocytes in chondro-osteophyte.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the population and morphology of in situ terminal deoxynucleotidyle transferase (TdT)-mediated dUTP nick end-labeling (TUNEL) stain positive non-apoptotic chondrocytes in hypertrophic zone of human chondro-osteophytes. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Chondro-osteophytes from osteoarthritic patients were obtained at joint replacement surgery. Apoptosis was verified by light microscopic examination of Safranin O stained sections and TUNEL stain. TUNEL staining was also performed on hydrophilic resin embedded semi-thin and ultra-thin sections combined with the treatment with streptavidin-gold conjugates, observed by light microscopy with silver enhancement technique (TUNEL-LM with SE) and transmission electron microscopy (TUNEL-TEM) respectively for the simultaneous evaluation of cellular structure and DNA fragmentation. RESULTS: In paraffin embedded sections (N=18), 31.5+/-6.1% of cells in the hypertrophic zone were TUNEL positive, but only 3.8+/-1.2% cells in this zone showed apoptotic appearances with cell shrinkage and nuclear condensation. Both in TUNEL-TEM and TUNEL-LM with SE, gold particles, which indicate DNA fragmentation, were observed within the nucleus of morphologically apoptotic chondrocytes, as well as of disintegrated, swollen chondrocytes. CONCLUSIONS: In human chondro-osteophytes, hypertrophic chondrocytes might die by oncotic cell death with DNA fragmentation, as well as apoptosis.

Adult↗
PubMed2002

Analysis of glucose tolerance in twin gestations using an oral glucose load.

The effect of twin gestation on carbohydrate metabolism was evaluated using a 75 g oral glucose tolerance test (75 g OGTT). A 75 g OGTT was performed in 63 twin gestations and 3 791 singleton gestations during the third trimester. Plasma glucose concentrations were measured in the pregnant women under fasting conditions as well as 30 min, 1 h, and 2 h after ingestion of glucose (75 g oral load), and serum insulin concentrations were measured in fasting and 30 min post-ingestion samples. Women with twin gestations showed significantly lower plasma glucose concentrations during fasting and 30 min after the glucose load in the samples taken than those with singleton gestations. No significant difference in serum glucose concentrations was found in the other specimens. There were no cases of gestational diabetes mellitus in our study. Although women with twin gestations demonstrated lower plasma glucose concentrations than women with singleton gestations, the difference observed was subtle. We could not find any significant differences in these plasma glucose values as used to define a pathologic OGTT between twin and singleton pregnancies, with the exception of the fasting value.

Adult↗
PubMed2002

Analysis of the human sperm centrosomal function and the oocyte activation ability in a case of globozoospermia, by ICSI into bovine oocytes.

BACKGROUND: Centrosomal function and oocyte activation ability of human sperm from a case of globozoospermia was assayed by heterologous ICSI into bovine oocytes. METHODS: Microtubules and chromatin configuration in bovine oocytes were examined by immunofluorescence after heterologous ICSI with human sperm from two fertile donors and from a globozoospermic man. RESULTS: The microtubule array from the sperm centrosome, the 'sperm aster' and the male pronucleus were observed in bovine oocytes, following ICSI with round-headed sperm from a globozoospermic man. The rate of sperm aster formation and the rate of male pronuclear formation in the bovine oocytes injected with fertile donor sperm were 57.9 and 92.5% respectively; the respective values for oocytes injected with round-headed sperm without artificial oocyte activation were 15.8 and 31.0%. Ethanol activation after ICSI improved male pronuclear formation (84.9%) but not sperm aster formation rate (32.3%) of the globozoospermic patient. CONCLUSIONS: These data indicated that sperm from this patient with globozoospermia have centrosomal dysfunction and low ability for oocyte activation compared with fertile donor sperm. The centrosomal dysfunction may be one of the reasons for infertility in this patient.

Animals↗
PubMed2002

Tardive decrease of astrocytic glutamate transporter protein in transgenic mice with ALS-linked mutant SOD1.

The expressions of glutamate transporter proteins were immunocytochemically examined in the spinal cord of transgenic mice harboring a Gly93 --> Ala (G93A) mutant human SOD1 gene. Astroglial EAAT2 protein level was preserved in the ventral horn even after the beginning of paralysis, and finally decreased at terminal stage of the disease (35 weeks of age), when neuronal EAAT3 protein level was also decreased. In contrast, glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) immunoreactivity progressively increased from 25 weeks of age in the ventral horn. The present results show interesting dissociative expressions of astroglial proteins EAAT2 and GFAP in the same ventral horn, but suggest not an early and primary role of EAAT2 in the motoneuronal death of this model.

Amino Acid Transport System X-AG↗
PubMed2002

Added value of three-way methods for the analysis of mortality trends illustrated with worldwide female cancer mortality (1968-1985).

Trends in mortality rates are usually presented per tumour site or per country without an overall analysis of the complete data encompassing all three aspects (tumour sites, countries, trends). This paper presents a methodology for such an overall analysis using three-way methods applied to a data set on female mortality rates for 17 tumour sites of 43 countries for the years 1968-1985. Multivariate techniques like biplots and three-mode principal component analysis within an overall three-way analysis-of-variance framework were used. We confirmed the known patterns of comparatively high mortality for women due to cancer of the bladder, intestines, pancreas, rectum, breast, ovary, skin and leukaemia and the relatively low mortality rates for liver cancer in Western and Northern Europe, the USA, Australia and New Zealand. Also, the reverse pattern was observed for Middle and Southern Europe, Hong Kong, Singapore, and in Japan, and in some but not all Latin American countries. The relatively mortality due to cancer was high in the lungs, mouth, larynx and oesophagus in the British Isles, but was much less in other European countries. Mortality due to cancer of the thyroid, uterus, gall bladder and stomach was high in Middle European countries, as was the case in Japan, Chile and Costa Rica. Rates were low for Southern European countries, North America, Australia and New Zealand. Specific deviating patterns in the data were the more rapidly decreasing mortality rates for stomach cancer in Chile and Japan and the more rapidly increasing mortality rates for lung cancer in the USA, Scotland and Denmark. In conclusion, using three-way methods, it was feasible to analyse the cancer mortality data in their entirety. This enabled the simultaneous comparison of trends in relative mortality rates between all countries due to all tumour sites, as well as the identification of specific deviating trends for specific tumour sites in specific countries.

Cross-Cultural Comparison↗