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Biomedical subjects

T Murata

Publications and source records attributed to T Murata.

At least 199 records · Page 11Linked to original sources
PubMed1999

Remarkable increase in cerebrospinal fluid 3-nitrotyrosine in patients with sporadic amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.

To investigate the significance of peroxynitrite-mediated oxidative damage in the pathogenesis of sporadic amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (SALS), the concentrations of 3-nitrotyrosine and tyrosine in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) of patients with SALS were determined. The concentration of 3-nitrotyrosine and the 3-nitrotyrosine/ tyrosine ratio in patients with SALS were approximately seven times those of controls. Thus, the present findings in living patients provide in vivo evidence for a possible role of peroxynitrite, a mediator of oxidative stress, and increased nitration of tyrosine residues in the pathogenesis of SALS.

Adult↗
PubMed1999

Malignant myoepithelioma of the breast metastasizing to the jaw.

A breast tumor in a 52-year-old female was interpreted as a malignant myoepithelioma based on morphological and immunohistochemical studies. The tumor consisted of elongated cells with clear cytoplasm and lacked glandular components. The tumor cells were stained positively for keratin, S-100 protein, glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) and muscle-specific actin. Distant metastasis in the right jaw developed 8 years after the initial surgery and the metastatic deposit showed a similar morphology and immunoreactivity. Myoepithelial tumors are generally considered as benign or low-grade lesions and distant metastasis has been rarely documented. The present case presents the possibility of delayed occurrence of distant metastasis in myoepithelial tumor of the breast.

Biomarkers, Tumor↗
PubMed1999

Identification of connexins in human oral mucosa and therapeutic effect of irsogladine maleate on aphthous stomatitis.

We identified connexins 26 and 32 in human oral mucosa. The presence of the connexins indicates the presence of gap junctions in this tissue. However, immunofluorescence study found no significant differences in the expression of the connexins between patients with aphthons stomatitis and controls. Irsogladine maleate, which reinforces gap junctional intercellular communication in vitro, was effective for the treatment of transient and relapsing aphthous stomatitis, as well as symptomatic and drug-induced aphthous stomatitis. It was also useful for prevention of episodes of relapsing aphthous stomatitis, with daily administration preverting recurrence of stomatitis for more than 4 years one patient. These findings suggest that irsogladine maleate accelerates the wound healing process in oral mucosa by reinforcing gap junctional intercellular communication among oral mucosal cells; and that it is useful for the treatment and prevention of aphthous stomatitis.

Adult↗
PubMed1999

Dynamic changes in glucose metabolism of living rat brain slices induced by hypoxia and neurotoxic chemical-loading revealed by positron autoradiography.

Fresh rat brain slices were incubated with 2-deoxy-2-[18F]-fluoro-D-glucose ([18F]FDG) in oxygenated Krebs-Ringer solution at 36 degrees C, and serial two-dimensional time-resolved images of [18F]FDG uptake were obtained from these specimens on imaging plates. The fractional rate constant (= k3*) of [18F]FDG proportional to the cerebral glucose metabolic rate (CMRglc) was evaluated by applying the Gjedde-Patlak graphical method to the image data. With hypoxia loading (oxygen deprivation) or glucose metabolism inhibitors acting on oxidative phosphorylation, the k3* value increased dramatically suggesting enhanced glycolysis. After relieving hypoxia < or = 10-min, the k3* value returned to the pre-loading level. In contrast, with > or = 20-min hypoxia only partial or no recovery was observed, indicating that irreversible neuronal damage had been induced. However, after loading with tetrodotoxin (TTX), the k3* value also decreased but returned to the pre-loading level even after 70-min TTX-loading, reflecting a transient inhibition of neuronal activity. This technique provides a new means of quantifying dynamic changes in the regional CMRglc in living brain slices in response to various interventions such as hypoxia and neurotoxic chemical-loading as well as determining the viability and prognosis of brain tissues.

Animals↗
PubMed1999

Myoepithelial differentiation in high-grade invasive ductal carcinomas with large central acellular zones.

We hypothesized that invasive ductal carcinomas (IDCs) with large central acellular zones comprising necrosis, tissue infarction, collagen, and hyaline material on their cut surfaces are formed in association with myoepithelial differentiation of the carcinoma cells. To verify this, the expression of S100 protein, alpha-smooth muscle actin (alpha-SMA), and glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) and keratin 14, which has been shown to represent the myoepithelial immunophenotype, was examined immunohistochemically in 18 IDCs with such central zones covering more than 30% of each tumor area, 18 IDCs without such areas as negative controls, and 10 metaplastic carcinomas as positive controls for myoepithelial differentiation. Expression of S100, detected with a polyclonal antibody, S100-alpha, S100-beta, alpha-SMA, GFAP, and keratin 14, was observed in 61%, 83%, 39%, 33%, 28%, and 39% of the IDCs with large central acellular zones, 17%, 44%, 6%, 6%, 0%, and 6% of the IDCs without such zones, and 80%, 70%, 50%, 100%, 80%, and 50% of the metaplastic carcinomas, respectively. We concluded that IDCs with large central acellular zones frequently contain carcinomas showing myoepithelial differentiation. Such histological and immunohistochemical features in IDCs would be expected to be clinicopathologically significant.

Actins↗
PubMed1999

Neuronal substrates participating in attentional set-shifting of rules for visually guided motor selection: a functional magnetic resonance imaging investigation.

To investigate the neuronal substrates participating in attentional set-shifting for motor selection rules, a functional magnetic resonance imaging study was performed during hand-shape selection tasks. During the session, six right-handed subjects were required to make one of three hand-shapes using their right hands, in response to the hand-shape images on a video screen, following one of the three predefined rules of win, lose, and tie. The selection rules were consistently applied in three conditions (win, tie, and lose), and changed alternately in one condition (alternate win-lose). Thus the alternate win-lose condition requires the shift of rules for motor selection. This alternate condition compared with the win, tie, and lose conditions showed activation in the left middle frontal gyrus, the bilateral inferior frontal gyri, and the left posterior fusiform and lingual gyri. These activation patterns in the prefrontal cortex were similar to those observed during the performance of the Wisconsin Card Sorting Test (WCST), which requires a typical set-shifting ability from one perceptual dimension to another (Berman et al., 1995. Neuropsychologia 33, 1027-1046; Nagahama et al., 1996. Brain 119, 1667-1675; Konishi et al., 1998. Nature Neuroscience 1, 80-84.). Our data may indicate that the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex including the middle and inferior frontal gyri are important in attentional set-shifting of both perceptual and non-perceptual characteristics. Another activation in the fusiform and lingual gyri may have reflected the increased attentional demand for visual processing in the light of a current rule for motor selection.

Adult↗
PubMed1999

Growth behavior of bovine herpesvirus-1 in permissive and semi-permissive cells.

Bovine herpesvirus-1 (BHV-1) can replicate well in bovine-derived cell lines such as Madin Darby bovine kidney (MDBK) but grows poorly in hamster lung (HmLu-1). Virus replication, DNA synthesis, and immediate-early gene expression are severely restricted in HmLu-1. We compared adsorption and penetration of BHV-1 in permissive MDBK and semi-permissive HmLu-1 cells. At a low multiplicity of infection, BHV-1 attached to permissive MDBK cells twice as much as to HmLu-1. The presence of heparin inhibited the attachment of BHV-1 to MDBK cells by about 60%, but over 90% of the attachment was inhibited in HmLu-1. To investigate the penetration of BHV-1, we performed the quantitative measurement of viral DNA by quantitative competitive (QC)PCR in infected cells. In MDBK cells, virions attached to the cell surface, penetrated into the cells and were transported to the nucleus. However in HmLu-1, only a small fraction of the virions attached to the cell surface were allowed to penetrate. Our results indicated that the replication of BHV-1 in semi-permissive HmLu-1 was not dramatically restricted at one certain point but at some various stages including adsorption and penetration.

Animals↗
PubMed1999

A role of cytoskeletal structure of cortical cells in the gravity-regulated formation of a peg in cucumber seedlings.

Seedlings of cucurbitaceous plants develop a protuberant tissue, or peg, on the lower side of the transition region between root and hypocotyl when germinated in a horizontal position. Peg develops due to a change in growth polarity of the cortical cells. We have examined the role of the cytoskeletal structure in peg formation of cucumber seedlings. We observed that in both peg and normal cortical cells of 36 h-old seedlings the microtubules (MTs) were arranged perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the elongating cells. Application of colchicine perturbed the MTs structure and inhibited the formation of pegs. In 20 h-old seedlings, MTs in cortical cells destined to be a peg tissue had no preferential organization, whereas MTs in normal cortical cells were transversely oriented. After 24 h, the MTs in future peg cells were arranged similar to those of 36 h-old seedlings, although the initiation of peg tissue was not yet visible. These results suggest that reorganization of MTs is required for peg formation and causes the change in growth polarity of the cortical cells.

Cell Polarity↗
PubMed1999

Excitation of oxytocin cells in the hypothalamic supraoptic nucleus by electrical stimulation of the dorsal penile nerve and tactile stimulation of the penis in the rat.

In urethane-anaesthetized male rats, electrical stimulation of the dorsal penile nerve (DPN) excited 29 of 48 (60%) oxytocin cells in the contralateral supraoptic nucleus, whereas only 5 of 28 (18%) vasopressin cells were excited by the stimulation. The stimulus applied to the ipsilateral DPN to the recorded neurone also excited a similar proportion of oxytocin cells (25 of 43; 58%). Tactile stimulation of the glans penis excited 7 of 12 (58%) oxytocin cells, whereas the same stimulation excited only 3 of 16 (19%) vasopressin cells. The results suggest that sensory information arising from the penis preferentially excites oxytocin cells in the supraoptic nucleus.

Animals↗
PubMed1999

Structure and function of vacuolar Na+-translocating ATPase in Enterococcus hirae.

A Na+-translocating ATPase was discovered in a gram-positive bacterium Enterococcus hirae. Our biochemical and molecular biological studies revealed that this Na+-ATPase belongs to the vacuolar-type enzyme. Purified Na+-ATPase consisted of nine subunits: NtpA, B, C, D, E, F, G, I, and K; reconstituted proteoliposomes showed ATP-driven electrogenic Na+ translocation. All these subunits were encoded by the ntp operon: ntpFIKECGABDHJ. The deduced amino acid sequences of the major subunits, A, B, and K (16 kDa proteolipid), were highly similar to those of A, B, and proteolipid subunits of vacuolar ATPases, although the similarities of other subunits were moderate. The ntpJ gene encoded a K+ transporter independent of the Na+-ATPase. Expression of this operon, encoding two transport systems for Na+ and K+ ions, was regulated at transcriptional level by intracellular Na+ as the signal. Two related cation pumps, vacuolar Na+-ATPase and F0F1, H+-ATPase, coexist in this bacterium.

Adenosine Triphosphatases↗
PubMed1999

Expression of calcium-binding protein regucalcin and microsomal Ca2+-ATPase regulation in rat brain: attenuation with increasing age.

The expression of calcium-binding protein regucalcin and its effect on the microsomal Ca2+-ATPase activity in rat brain tissues was investigated. The expression of regucalcin mRNA was demonstrated by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) analysis in brain tissues using rat regucalcin-specific primers. Regucalcin concentration in the brain tissues was about 5 x 10(-9)) M as measured using enzyme-linked immunoadsorbent assay (ELISA), and this level was lowered with increasing age (50 weeks old). The presence of regucalcin (10(-9) to 10(-7) M) in the enzyme reaction mixture caused a significant decrease in Ca2+-ATPase activity in the brain microsomes of young rats (5 weeks old). Meanwhile, the enzyme activity was not significantly altered by the addition of calmodulin (1 or 50 microg/ml), calbindin (1 or 10 microg/ml), and S-100 A protein (5 or 25 microg/ml), which are other Ca2+-binding proteins in rat brain. The effect of regucalcin to inhibit microsomal Ca2+-ATPase activity was weakened in the brain of rats with increasing age (50 weeks old). The present study demonstrates that regucalcin is expressed in the brain, and that it can uniquely inhibit Ca2+-ATPase activity in the brain microsomes of rats. The findings suggest that regucalcin plays a role in the regulation of microsomal Ca2+-ATPase activity in rat brain tissues.

Aging↗
PubMed1999

Binding of kidney nuclear proteins to the 5'-flanking region of the rat gene for Ca2+-binding protein regucalcin: involvement of Ca2+/calmodulin signaling.

Ca2+-binding protein regucalcin is expressed in the kidney cortex of rats, as assayed by Northern blot analysis. The existence of kidney nuclear factor which binds to the 5'-flanking region of the rat regucalcin gene was investigated. When nuclear extracts obtained from the kidney cortex of rats were used in gel mobility-shift assays, two protein-DNA complexes were uniquely formed with the DNA fragment containing the 5'-flanking region of the rat regucalcin gene. Competition gel shift experiments indicated the specific binding region of kidney cortex nuclear proteins in the 5'-flanking region of the rat regucalcin gene. The two nuclear protein-DNA complexes were formed with the same mobility in rat kidney cortex and liver, which possess detectable amounts of regucalcin mRNA in Northern blot analysis. The binding activities of nuclear factors from kidney cortex to the 5'-flanking region of the rat regucalcin gene were inhibited by a single intraperitoneal administration of trifluoperazine, an antagonist of calmodulin, to rats. The present study demonstrates that kidney cortex nuclear proteins specifically bind to the 5'-flanking region of the rat regucalcin gene, and that the binding activity may be partly mediated through the Ca2+/calmodulin-dependent process.

Animals↗
PubMed1999

Expression of calcium-binding protein regucalcin mRNA in the cloned rat hepatoma cells (H4-II-E) is stimulated through Ca2+ signaling factors: involvement of protein kinase C.

The expression of hepatic Ca2+-binding protein regucalcin in the cloned rat hepatoma cells (H4-II-E) was investigated. The change in regucalcin mRNA levels was analyzed by Northern blotting using rat liver regucalcin complementary DNA (0.9 kb of open reading frame). Regucalcin mRNA was expressed in H4-II-E hepatoma cells. This expression was clearly stimulated in the presence of serum (10% fetal bovine serum). Bay K 8644 (2. 5 x 10(-6) M), a Ca2+ channel agonist, significantly stimulated regucalcin mRNA expression in the absence or presence of 10% serum. Dibutyryl cyclic AMP (10(-3) M) did not have a stimulatory effect on the regucalcin mRNA expression. The presence of phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate (PMA; 10(-6) M) or estrogen (10(-8) M) caused a significant increase in regucalcin mRNA levels in the hepatoma cells cultured in serum-free medium, while insulin (5 x 10(-9) M) or dexamethasone (10(-6) M) had no effect. Bay K 8644-stimulated regucalcin mRNA expression in the hepatoma cells was completely blocked in the presence of trifluoperazine (10(-5) M), an antagonist of calmodulin, or staurosporine (10(-7) M), an inhibitor of protein kinase C. The stimulatory effect of PMA was clearly inhibited in the presence of stauroporine. The present study demonstrates that regucalcin mRNA is expressed in the transformed H4-II-E hepatoma cells, and that the expression is stimulated through Ca2+-dependent signaling factors.

3-Pyridinecarboxylic acid, 1,4-dihydro-2,6-dimethy↗
PubMed1999

Facile enzymatic conversion of lactose into lacto-N-tetraose and lacto-N-neotetraose.

Lacto-N-tetraose (Galbeta1 -3GlcNAcbeta1-3Galbeta1-4Glc, LNT) and lacto-N-neotetraose (Galbeta1-4GlcNAcbeta1-3Galbeta1-4Glc, LNnT) were enzymatically synthesized by consecutive additions of GlcNAc and Gal residues to lactose. Lacto-N-triose II (GlcNAcbeta1-3Galbeta1-4Glc) was prepared first by the transfer of GlcNAc from UDP-GlcNAc to lactose by beta-1,3-N-acetylglucosaminyltransferase from bovine serum. The resulting lacto-N-triose II was converted into LNT and LNnT utilizing two kinds of beta-D-galactosidase-mediated transglycosylations. Thus, beta-D-galactosidase from Bacillus circulans ATCC31382 induced regioselective galactosyl transfer from o-nitrophenyl beta-D-galactoside to the OH-3" position of lacto-N-triose II, and commercially available beta-D-galactosidase from B. circulans to the OH-4" position of lacto-N-triose II. These convenient processes are suitable for large-scale preparations of LNT and LNnT. As another method, LNT was directly synthesized from lactose as an initial substance, utilizing lacto-N-biosidase (Aureobacterium sp. L-101)-mediated transglycosylation with Galbeta1-3GlcNAcbeta-pNP donor.

Animals↗
PubMed1999

Blood flow influences vascular growth during tumour angiogenesis.

Many factors play a role in tumour angiogenesis. We observed growing tumour vessels in vivo to study the relationship between blood flow and vascular enlargement. Mammary adenocarcinoma was implanted into Fisher-344 rat with dorsal skin-fold transparent chambers. Vascular growth was observed and recorded on videotape through a microscope for 6 h. Vascular networks were photographed and traced every 30 min to identify changes over time. Tumour sections were stained with Masson's trichrome and anti-Factor VIII-related antigen. Tumour growth was rapid enough for differences to be seen each hour. Vessels with a high blood flow showed an increase in diameter within a few hours and new branches formed from these vessels. In contrast, vessels without an increase in blood flow showed no change in diameter. Vessels within the interstitium surrounding the tumour were lined by endothelium that was positive for anti-Factor VIII-related antigen staining. Vessels in the tumour had extremely rare endothelial cells detectable by Masson's trichrome or anti-Factor VIII-related antigen staining. In conclusion, increased blood flow may cause vascular enlargement and some primitive vessels seem to lack endothelium.

Adenocarcinoma↗
PubMed1999

Immunological localization and ontogenetic development of inhibin alpha subunit in rat brain.

This study examined the immunolocalization and ontogeny of the inhibin-specific alpha subunit in the brain of male rats. Immunohistochemistry using antiserum directed against the mature region of porcine inhibin alpha (1-19, Tyr20) revealed positive reactions in process-bearing cells resembling astroglia in several regions, especially in the dorsal region of the third ventricle, medial and ventral arcuate nucleus, hippocampal dentate gyrus, and layers 1-3 of the cerebral cortex. Generally, inhibin alpha-positive cells in the limbic cortex had larger cell bodies and longer processes than those in the hypothalamus. These inhibin alpha-positive cells were verified to be positive for glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP), a differentiated astroglial marker, by double immunolabelling. The expression of inhibin alpha mRNA was higher in the brains of neonatal rats than in those of adult rats, as revealed by reverse transcription-competitive polymerase chain reaction, although the similar changes of immunoreactive inhibin alpha subunit in the brain was not observed. Orchiectomy did not affect expression of inhibin alpha mRNA in the hypothalamic area. This study suggests that inhibin-related peptide is produced by differentiated astrocytes, especially in the hypothalamic arcuate nucleus, the hippocampal dentate gyrus, and the cerebral cortex, and that the expression of inhibin alpha is regulated during brain development.

Animals↗