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Biomedical subjects

T Noda

Publications and source records attributed to T Noda.

At least 127 records · Page 7Linked to original sources
PubMed1999

Identification of the dimethylbenzyl mercapturic acid in urine of rats treated with 1,2,3-trimethylbenzene.

The structure was investigated of the mercapturic acid excreted in urine of rats after the i.p. administration of 1,2,3-trimethylbenzene. Of the two regioisomeric mercapturic acids, i.e. N-acetyl-S-(2,3-dimethylbenzyl)-L-cysteine and N-acetyl-S-(2,6-dimethyl-benzyl)-L-cysteine, only the former was isolated by preparative HPLC and identified, by comparison with an authentic specimen. The excretion rate of the mercapturate was estimated to be approximately 5% of dose, not a substantial metabolic route.

Acetylcysteine↗
PubMed1999

Evidence for the delayed effect in human ischemic preconditioning: prospective multicenter study for preconditioning in acute myocardial infarction.

OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to investigate prospectively the protective effect of a first preinfarction angina attack against acute myocardial infarction (AMI) in human hearts without significant collaterals. BACKGROUND: Several retrospective studies and the prospective studies have demonstrated the existence of the preconditioning (PC) effect in humans. However, collaterals were not examined in the prospective studies. In animal models, the PC effect on myocardial infarct size appears soon after PC reperfusion (classic) but disappears within 1 to 2 h. It then reappears 24 to 48 h after reperfusion (the delayed PC effect). Meanwhile, the PC effect on stunning appears 12 h after PC reperfusion (the delayed PC effect). The concept of the classic and delayed PC effects has not been investigated in human AMI studies. If the above concept is also correct in humans, the infarct size and/or impairment of the left ventricular function should be inversely correlated with the time interval between the first preinfarction angina attack and the onset of AMI when that time interval is limited to between 2 and 48 h. METHODS: The subjects were 25 patients with first AMI of the proximal left anterior descending artery who underwent successful direct percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty (PTCA) 2 to 6 h after the onset and with no (or poor) collateral circulation (grade 0 or 1). They were divided into two groups: preinfarction angina (PA)(+) group: 11 patients with new onset preinfarction angina from 2 to 48 h before the onset, PA(-) group: 14 patients without angina before infarction. Peak creatine kinase (CK) and cumulative CK were examined, and the left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) and the regional wall motion (RWM) were determined from the left ventriculograms during the acute (immediately after the coronary reperfusion) and chronic (four weeks after the onset of AMI) phases. The RWM index (RWMI) was then calculated as the mean motion of chords (standard deviation [SD]/chord) lying in the area of chords of RWM < or = -2 SD in the acute phase (ischemic risk area). RESULTS The increase in the RWMI between the acute and chronic phases was significantly larger in the PA(+) group than in the PA(-) group (1.55 +/- 1.32 and 0.69 +/- 0.75, p < 0.05, respectively) although no significant difference in the enzymatic infarct size was seen between the two groups. The increases in the LVEF and the RWMI were significantly correlated with the time interval from the first preinfarction angina attack to the onset of AMI (r = 0.622, p < 0.05 and r = 0.646, p < 0.05, respectively), but the enzymatic infarct size was not. CONCLUSIONS: The beneficial effect of preinfarction angina on left ventricular wall motion, independently of collateral flows, indicates the existence of the PC effect in humans. The greater protective effect of a longer time interval between angina pectoris and AMI suggests that the protection is due to a delayed PC effect.

Angina Pectoris↗
PubMed1999

A genetic approach to visualization of multisynaptic neural pathways using plant lectin transgene.

The wiring patterns among various types of neurons via specific synaptic connections are the basis of functional logic employed by the brain for information processing. This study introduces a powerful method of analyzing the neuronal connectivity patterns by delivering a tracer selectively to specific types of neurons while simultaneously transsynaptically labeling their target neurons. We developed a novel genetic approach introducing cDNA for a plant lectin, wheat germ agglutinin (WGA), as a transgene under the control of specific promoter elements. Using this method, we demonstrate three examples of visualization of specific transsynaptic neural pathways: the mouse cerebellar efferent pathways, the mouse olfactory pathways, and the Drosophila visual pathways. This strategy should greatly facilitate studies on the anatomical and functional organization of the developing and mature nervous system.

Animals↗
PubMed1999

Zic1 regulates the patterning of vertebral arches in cooperation with Gli3.

Skeletal abnormalities are described that appeared in Zic1-deficient mice. These mice show multiple abnormalities in the axial skeleton. The deformities are severe in the dorsal parts of the vertebrae, vertebral arches, but less so in the vertebral bodies (spina bifida occulta). The proximal ribs are deformed having ectopic processes. The abnormalities found in the vertebral arches can be traced back to disturbed segmental patterns of dorsal sclerotome. The Zic1/Gli3 double mutants showed severe abnormalities of vertebral arches not found in single mutants. The abnormalities in the vertebral arches were less severe in Zic1/Pax1 mutants than Zic1/Gli3 mutants, but significantly more pronounced than in Zic1 single mutants. The three genes may act synergistically in the development of the vertebral arches.

Animals↗
PubMed1999

Three cases of palatal polyps in infants.

Fibrous lesions are common in the oral cavity, however, in infants they are rarely reported. We present three cases of palatal polyps in infants aged 2 days, 3 months and 7 months. In two cases, the treatment was surgical removal and in one case the polyp decreased in size and surgical removal was not required. In two infants, the diagnosis was confirmed histologically as fibroepithelial hyperplasia.

Gingival Hyperplasia↗
PubMed1999

Evaluation of endoscopic variceal ligation in prophylactic therapy for bleeding of oesophageal varices: a prospective, controlled trial compared with endoscopic injection sclerotherapy.

BACKGROUND: To evaluate the efficacy of endoscopic variceal ligation (EVL) in prophylactic therapy for oesophageal varices, we performed a randomized prospective trial to compare the recurrence of oesophageal varices treated by EVL with those treated by endoscopic injection sclerotherapy. METHODS: Fifty patients with liver cirrhosis were divided into two groups at random, after informed consents were obtained, to receive prophylactic therapy for bleeding of oesophageal varices. Group 1 patients underwent sessions of sclerotherapy with 5% ethanolamine oleate used as the sclerosant. Group 2 patients underwent EVL followed by one or two sessions of sclerotherapy. RESULTS: During the 18 month follow-up period, both the recurrence rate in group 2 (56%) and the incidence of bleeding (20%) were significantly higher compared with group 1 (recurrence rate 16%, bleeding 0%). CONCLUSIONS: This result indicates that EVL is not effective for prophylactic therapy for oesophageal varices in liver cirrhosis.

Esophageal and Gastric Varices↗
PubMed1999

Eruption disturbances of maxillary permanent central incisors associated with anomalous adjacent permanent lateral incisors.

Several causes of eruption disturbances in upper permanent central incisors have been described. This report describes six cases in which the failure of maxillary permanent central incisors to erupt appears to be associated with developmental anomalies in the adjacent permanent lateral incisors. The root formation of the unerupted central incisors was delayed in comparison to the contralateral incisors as was the development of the adjacent lateral incisors. The shapes of the crowns were abnormal and in five cases out of the six described, the primary predecessors of the unerupted incisors were fused.

Child↗
PubMed1999

Comparison between PCR and detection of antigen in sera for diagnosis of pulmonary aspergillosis.

We evaluated the usefulness of PCR and antigen detection for the diagnosis of pulmonary aspergillosis. Forty-four serum samples from patients with pulmonary aspergillosis (33 with pulmonary aspergilloma, 4 with allergic bronchopulmonary aspergillosis, 4 with invasive pulmonary aspergillosis, and 3 with aspergillus pyothorax) were used in this study. PCR detection of Aspergillus DNA in serum samples was successful in 39 patients. Galactomannan antigen was detected by sandwich enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay in 25 patients and by latex agglutination test in 13 patients. Detection of Aspergillus DNA in serum samples by nested PCR had the highest sensitivity of the three methods tested for the diagnosis of pulmonary aspergillosis.

Antigens, Fungal↗
PubMed1999

Successful treatment of cytomegalovirus colitis with ganciclovir in a patient with adult T cell leukemia lymphoma: case report.

An 84-year-old patient with adult T cell leukemia lymphoma (ATLL) developed diarrhea on day 5 of chemotherapy and was diagnosed with cytomegalovirus (CMV) colitis. Sigmoidoscopy revealed multiple superficial erosions surrounded by a flare. Computed tomography (CT) and ultrasonogram of the abdomen revealed marked thickening of the colonic mucosa. There were 186 CMV antigen-positive leukocytes per 31,000 white blood cells (WBC). A colonic biopsy specimen showed typical CMV nuclear inclusions. Immunohistological study of the specimen was positive for CMV antigen. Administration of ganciclovir (DHPG) 500 mg/day for 14 days improved the diarrhea and other symptoms. On day 30 of the chemotherapy, the patient developed diarrhea again but was diagnosed with pseudomembranous colitis instead of CMV colitis. At that time, CMV antigenemia and a histologic study for CMV were negative. The stool was positive for Clostridium difficile toxin antigen. ATLL patients are believed to be immunocompromised hosts and often develop opportunistic infections such as CMV infection. Most suffer from CMV pneumonia at the end of their course of therapy. Few gastrointestinal (GI) CMV infections are seen in ATLL patients and details of CMV colitis have never been reported. When an ATLL patient develops diarrhea that barely responds to conventional therapy, CMV colitis and pseudomembranous colitis should be listed in the differential diagnosis.

Aged↗
PubMed1999

Fifteen-year follow-up of a heterozygous Fabry's disease patient associated with pre-excitation syndrome.

A 47-year-old woman with heterozygous Fabry's disease with pre-excitation syndrome has been followed up for 15 years. Diagnosis was confirmed by the typical electron microscopic feature of the endomyocardial specimen and a decreased plasma alpha-galactosidase activity. As the disease progressed, the interventricular septum thickened from 11 to 17 mm as measured by echocardiography, while the AH interval was prolonged from 80 to 140 msec. In Fabry's disease, the PR interval has been reported to be variable from short PR to AV block. Therefore, this case may be helpful to understand the time course in the AV conduction abnormalities with the progression of Fabry's disease.

Biopsy↗
PubMed1999

[Idiopathic chylothorax successfully treated by continuous positive pressure ventilation].

A 21-year-old woman was admitted to our hospital for evaluation of pleural effusion in both lungs. The diagnosis was chylous pleural effusion. Because the effusion was resistant to conservative therapy, we performed thoracic duct resection surgery at locations in the the neck and mediastinum. However, the amount of pleural effusion did not decrease. For improved drainage, a right pleuroperitoneal shunt tube was implanted but it was occluded in 14 days. Pneumonia and respiratory failure then developed. The patient was placed on mechanical ventilation with continuous positive pressure. After this treatment, the amount of pleural effusion decreased and the patient was weaned from ventilation. To our knowledge, this is the first report of idiopathic chylothorax which in both lungs to be successfully treated by continuous positive pressure ventilation.

Adult↗
PubMed1999

[The clinical features of patients with probable dementia with Lewy bodies--report of 4 cases].

Recently, McKeith et al. proposed criteria for the clinical diagnosis of dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB). In our study the clinical features of four patients with progressive dementia, visual hallucinations, delusions, and parkinsonism were compatible with those of DLB. To evaluate the neurological and psychiatric features, responses to medications, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), and single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) in patients with DLB, we compared the above DLB patients with age- and gender-matched Parkinson's disease patients showing no signs of dementia. Our DLB patients presented with mild tremor, moderate rigidity and akinesia, severe constitutional dysfunction and recurrent visual hallucinations and delusions. These psychiatric symptoms became worse by anticholinergic agents and dopamine agonists and were difficult to control using neuroleptic medications. MRI revealed atrophy of the cerebrum to be more accentuated in the parietal region. SPECT demonstrated hypoperfusion in the parietal and occipital lobes. These findings suggest that parietal lobe dysfunction is a feature of DLB. It may, therefore, be concluded from this study that brain MRI and SPECT are useful in the clinical diagnosis of DLB, and that great caution should be taken when prescribing longacting dopamine agonists and neuroleptics to such patients.

Aged↗
PubMed1999

Disruption of cholecystokinin (CCK)-B receptor gene did not modify bile or pancreatic secretion or pancreatic growth: a study in CCK-B receptor gene knockout mice.

Pancreatic exocrine function and bile secretion were examined in cholecystokinin (CCK)-B receptor gene-targeted mice and compared among different genotypes [i.e., CCK-B receptor gene: (+/+), wild-type; (+/-), heterozygous; and (-/-), homozygous deficient]. The histology and protein concentrations in the pancreas also were examined. Amylase release from the dispersed acini was examined in vitro by using the various doses of CCK-8, carbachol, and secretin. In vivo, the bile and pancreatic juice were collected, and the concentrations of amylase and bile acid were measured in anesthetized mice. The responses to CCK (100 pmol/kg) or acetyl-beta-methylcholine (500 nmol/kg) were examined. In vitro studies showed that the maximal effective concentrations of CCK-8 (10(-l0) M), carbachol (10(-5) M), and secretin (5 x 10(-7) M) were comparable for all genotypes. Fluid, amylase, and bile acid outputs in vivo also were comparable for all genotypes. Pancreatic wet weight and protein concentrations were not significantly different, and no abnormal findings were observed on histologic examination in any genotype. These results indicated that the CCK-B receptor has no role in pancreatic growth, exocrine secretion, or bile secretion in adult mice.

Aging↗
PubMed1998

Molecular cloning, localization, and developmental expression of mouse brain finger protein (Bfp)/ZNF179: distribution of bfp mRNA partially coincides with the affected areas of Smith-Magenis syndrome.

Bfp (brain finger protein) is a member of the RING finger protein family, which is highly expressed in the brain. We have previously shown that one copy of the human bfp gene, mapped at 17p11.2, was actually deleted in six of six Smith-Magenis syndrome (SMS) patients. Now we have isolated the mouse bfp cDNA. Using in situ hybridization and immunohistochemistry, the distribution of mouse bfp mRNA and protein was identified especially in neural cells of the cerebral cortex, hippocampus, lateral amygdaloid nucleus, and ventromedial hypothalamus. In primary culture of the whole brain in a neonatal mouse, the Bfp protein was detected in both neuron and glial cells, and its subcellular localization was predominantly in the nucleus, but some amounts were also found in the cytoplasm. The bfp mRNA was also expressed strongly in the marginal zone of brain vesicles, optic stalk, and cartilage primordium, which are part of the critical tissues frequently involved in SMS patients, and in such tissues as nasal epithelium and primordium of follicles in a 13. 5-dpc embryo. Subsequently, its amount in the developing brain further increased during embryogenesis, reaching the highest level in the adult brain. These findings suggest a possibility that Bfp might be involved in the pathogenesis of Smith-Magenis syndrome as a regulator protein related to neural differentiation and function.

Abnormalities, Multiple↗
PubMed1998

Human asparaginyl-tRNA synthetase: molecular cloning and the inference of the evolutionary history of Asx-tRNA synthetase family.

We have cloned and sequenced a cDNA encoding human cytoplasmic asparaginyl-tRNA synthetase (AsnRS). The N-terminal appended domain of 112 amino acid represents the signature sequence for the eukaryotic AsnRS and is absent from archaebacterial or eubacterial enzymes. The canonical ortholog for AsnRS is absent from most archaebacterial and some eubacterial genomes, indicating that in those organisms, formation of asparaginyl-tRNA is independent of the enzyme. The high degree of sequence conservation among asparaginyl- and aspartyl-tRNA synthetases (AsxRS) made it possible to infer the evolutionary paths of the two enzymes. The data show the neighbor relationship between AsnRS and eubacterial aspartyl-tRNA synthetase, and support the occurrence of AsnRS early in the course of evolution, which is in contrast to the proposed late occurrence of glutaminyl-tRNA synthetase.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1998

AML1(-/-) embryos do not express certain hematopoiesis-related gene transcripts including those of the PU.1 gene.

The AML1 and PEBP2beta/CBFbeta genes encode the DNA-binding and non-binding subunits, respectively, of the heterodimeric transcription factor, PEBP2/CBF. Targeting each gene results in an almost identical phenotype, namely the complete lack of definitive hematopoiesis in the fetal liver on embryonic day 11.5 (E11.5). We examined and compared the expression levels of various hematopoiesis-related genes in wild type embryos and in embryos mutated for AML1 or PEBP2beta/CBFbeta. The RNAs were prepared from the yolk sacs of E9.5 embryos, from the aorta-gonad- mesonephros regions of E11.5 embryos and from the livers of E11.5 embryos and RT-PCR was performed to detect various gene transcripts. Transcripts were detected for most of the hematopoiesis-related genes that encode transcription factors, cytokines and cytokine receptors, even in tissues from homozygously targeted embryos. On the other hand, PU.1 transcripts were never detected in any tissue of AML1(-/-) or PEBP2beta/CBFbeta(-/-) embryos. In addition, transcripts for the Vav, flk-2/flt-3, M-CSF receptor, G-CSF receptor and c-Myb genes were not detected in certain tissues of the (-/-) embryos. The results suggest that the expression of a particular set of hematopoiesis-related genes is closely correlated with the PEBP2/CBF function.

Animals↗
PubMed1998

A protein conjugation system essential for autophagy.

Autophagy is a process for the bulk degradation of proteins, in which cytoplasmic components of the cell are enclosed by double-membrane structures known as autophagosomes for delivery to lysosomes or vacuoles for degradation. This process is crucial for survival during starvation and cell differentiation. No molecules have been identified that are involved in autophagy in higher eukaryotes. We have isolated 14 autophagy-defective (apg) mutants of the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae and examined the autophagic process at the molecular level. We show here that a unique covalent-modification system is essential for autophagy to occur. The carboxy-terminal glycine residue of Apg12, a 186-amino-acid protein, is conjugated to a lysine at residue 149 of Apg5, a 294-amino-acid protein. Of the apg mutants, we found that apg7 and apg10 were unable to form an Apg5/Apg12 conjugate. By cloning APG7, we discovered that Apg7 is a ubiquitin-E1-like enzyme. This conjugation can be reconstituted in vitro and depends on ATP. To our knowledge, this is the first report of a protein unrelated to ubiquitin that uses a ubiquitination-like conjugation system. Furthermore, Apg5 and Apg12 have mammalian homologues, suggesting that this new modification system is conserved from yeast to mammalian cells.

Amino Acid Sequence↗