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Biomedical subjects

T Okuda

Publications and source records attributed to T Okuda.

At least 181 records · Page 10Linked to original sources

A case of drug eruption caused by the crude drug Boi (Sinomenium stem/Sinomeni caulis et Rhizoma).

We report a case of drug eruption caused by the crude drug Boi. A 41-year-old female patient had been diagnosed with chronic rheumatoid arthritis in the department of internal medicine. After ingestion of a decoction of the crude drug Boi for the alleviation of arthralgia, a slight fever developed, which was followed by systemic edematous erythema with itching. HPLC showed that the main components of the crude drug Boi are sinomenine and magnoflorine. The results of patch tests were negative for all oral drugs that the patient had been taking. Oral ingestion tests showed that the patient showed positive reactions to the as-is Boi boiling-water decoction and 1/10-volume sinomenine. Based on this, the drug eruption was judged to be caused by sinomenine. It is considered the first time that the causative component of a drug eruption was confirmed by oral ingestion tests with components of a crude drug of Kampo medicine (Sino-Japanese traditional medicine).

Adult↗

Physical linkage of the cdc2-related gene (PCTK1) and the ubiquitin-activating enzyme E1 gene (UBE1) on human Xp11.3.

PCTAIRE-1 is a cdc2-related protein kinase of unknown function. The gene (PCTK1) has been mapped to chromosome Xp. In this study we refine the locus position by chromosome analysis with cosmid and YAC probes. PCTK1 maps distal to the t(X;18) synovial sarcoma breakpoint in Xp11.23. A 420-kb YAC clone positive for PCTK1 also contains the gene coding for ubiquitin-activating enzyme UBE1, previously mapped in Xp11.3, indicating close physical linkage of these genes. PCTK1 is a new candidate for heritable disorders mapped to Xp11.3--p11.23 region.

Base Sequence↗

Protein synthesis and degradation in flight muscles of adult crickets (Gryllus bimaculatus)

The development and degeneration of the flight muscles in adult crickets, Gryllus bimaculatus, were studied (1) by determination of the total protein content, (2) by SDS one-dimensional polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS­PAGE) of muscle protein and (3) by in vitro culturing of the muscle. The total protein content of the dorso-longitudinal muscle (DLM) and metathoracic dorso-ventral muscle (DVM) increased during the early days of adult life in both sexes. This high protein content was maintained for at least a further 10 days in some individuals, while in others it declined to a low level. Mesothoracic DVMs in males also showed an increase in protein content after adult emergence but did not undergo histolysis, whereas those in females showed no significant temporal change in protein content. Removal of hind wings or artificial de-alation was found to be useful in inducing degeneration of DLMs and metathoracic DVMs. This treatment also stimulated ovarian development in females. An analysis by SDS­PAGE provided no evidence for new protein synthesis prior to or during flight muscle degeneration. A high rate of [3H]- or [35S]methionine incorporation was observed in DLMs taken from newly emerged adults, but, in intact crickets, the rate declined rapidly during the first 3 days of adult life, a pattern consistent with that obtained from the measurement of total protein content. Compared with DLMs removed from intact crickets, DLMs taken from de-alated crickets showed reduced rates of protein synthesis during in vitro culturing. This, together with the onset of protein degradation, appears to cause the rapid decrease in total protein content of the muscle in de-alated crickets.

Journal Article↗

[Tannins, a new family of bio-active natural organic compounds (questions and answers)].

Twelve questions concerning tannin selected from questions raised by other workers on the author's research were picked up. The answers of each question are as follows. 1. What is tannin?--the differences between the old concept and the new definition of tannin. 2. Is tannic acid the same as tannin? 3. How could each tannin be analyzed as a pure compound? 4. Which tannin found in recent years is implicated with the change of the concept of tannin in medicinal plants? 5. Is it possible that one to several chemical structures represent tannins contained in each plant species? 6. Which tannin-containing plants met in the human life are rich in tannins? 7. Is tannin produced by all species of plants?--a correlation between the occurrence of hydrolyzable tannins and the plant evolution system. 8. When and where are the hydrolyzable tannin oligomers produced, in the plant or after extraction? 9. Are tannins bound to other substances in the plants? 10. Is it appropriate to call tannins "plant polyphenols"? 11. Is it true that tannins are inhibitors of enzymes? 12. What kind of biological activities have been found for tannins.

Animals↗

[Effect of the interaction of tannins with coexisting substances. VIII. Inhibitory effect of tannins on discoloration of natural pigments].

The discoloration of shikonin (1) and beta-carotene (2), occurring during storage of their ethanol solutions in the presence of oxygen in an illuminated room, was remarkably suppressed by hydrolyzable tannins, such as geraniin (4) and tannic acid JP (3) in the solution. The inhibitory effect of tannins was enhanced by the coexistence of metallic ion. The irradiation with ultraviolet lamp (254 and 365 nm) gave, at the first stage of the discoloration, two products, one of which was found to be 5,8-dihydroxy-2-(1-hydroxy-3-oxo-4-methyl-4-pentenyl)-1,4-naphthoquinone (7). The presence of hydrolyzable tannins induced higher accumulation of these two products in the solution, showing that the secondary structural transformations of these two products were strongly inhibited by these coexisting tannins. These results suggest that tannins could be efficient inhibitors of discoloration of natural pigments.

Carotenoids↗

[Prognostic evaluation of peritoneal lavage smears and gastric wall brushing smears in gastric cancer surgery].

We investigated the correlation of intraoperative peritoneal lavage smear and gastric wall brushing smear cytology with macroscopic and histologic findings and prognosis, in 216 patients with gastric cancer. Some 196 of these patients underwent gastric resection and 20 did not. The incidence of positive cancer cells determined by these methods was significantly correlated with gastric resection, tumor invasion, and peritoneal dissemination. Among patients without macroscopic peritoneal dissemination, four were found to have positive peritoneal lavage smears or gastric wall brushing smears, respectively. The prognosis of these patients did not differ from that of patients with metastases to the adjacent peritoneum but not the distant peritoneum. These results suggest that peritoneal lavage smears and gastric wall brushing smears are useful for predicting the peritoneal cancer dissemination. Therefore we intend to target patients with no peritoneal metastases (Po) showing positive peritoneal cytology for intensive treatment.

Female↗

[Effects of nitroglycerin, prostaglandin E1, trimetaphan and nicardipine on systemic vascular resistance, pulmonary vascular resistance and pulmonary-systemic vascular resistance ratio in dogs].

Effects of the experimentally induced hypotension with 4 vasodilators; nitroglycerin (TNG), prostaglandin E1 (PGE1), trimetaphan (TMP) and nicardipine (NCP) on systemic vascular resistance (SVR), pulmonary vascular resistance (PVR) and pulmonary-systemic vascular resistance ratio (PVR/SVR ratio) were studied in dogs. The SVR values were significantly reduced by TNG, PGE1 and NCP, and not affected by TMP. The PVR values were significantly reduced by TNG and PGE1, and not affected by TMP and NCP. The PVR/SVR ratio values were significantly reduced by TNG, and significantly increased by NCP, and not affected by PGE1 and TMP. We concluded that TNG reduced PVR and SVR but it affected PVR more; PGE1 reduced PVR and SVR equivalently; TMP did not affect PVR and SVR remarkably; NCP reduced SVR but did not affect PVR.

Alprostadil↗

Skull metastasis from hepatocellular carcinoma. CT, MR and angiographic findings.

CT, MR and angiographic findings of 6 patients with 9 skull metastases from hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) were reviewed. In 3 of 6 patients, local pain or neurologic deficit was the initial main manifestation of the disease, although all had been treated for chronic liver disease. In the remaining 3 patients, skull metastases were detected following treatment of HCC. The metastatic lesions appeared as expansile osteolytic masses on CT and as hypervascular masses on angiography. All lesions were demonstrated on MR imaging. Compared with the brain parenchyma, the lesions were iso- or hypointense on T1-weighted and T2-weighted MR images. The lesions were moderately to markedly enhanced by Gd-DTPA. Flow voids were shown in the tumors in 5 lesions. HCC should be included in the differential diagnosis of an osteolytic hypervascular lesion of the skull, especially in Oriental patients. The relatively hypointense tumor on T2-weighted MR images associated with flow void, different from primary skull tumors or directly invasive tumors, may support the diagnosis of HCC metastasis.

Aged↗

[Effects of selective radicular block for reflex sympathetic dystrophy].

We have analyzed therapeutic effects of selective radicular block for 30 patients of reflex sympathetic dystrophy with residual intractable pain after neurolytic sympathetic ganglion blockade. Ten patients showed complete pain relief after the therapy with a effective rate of 66.7%. Minor side effects were observed in 3 cases (10%). When examined 2 month after the therapy, the effect had persisted in 16 cases in successful 20 cases. The therapy could not relieve complaints induced by numbness and neuroma. By the therapy, patients with diffuse pain were more comfortable than patients with regional pain. In indicated cases, this therapy is useful for residual complain of reflex sympathetic dystrophy after neurolytic sympathetic ganglion block.

Adult↗

[Reactive hemophagocytic syndrome responded to combination chemotherapy with steroid pulse therapy].

A 66-year-old male was admitted to our hospital because of persistent fever. Laboratory data revealed leukopenia, thrombocytopenia, marked elevation of serum lactic acid dehydrogenase and ferritin levels, as well as disseminated intravascular coagulophathy (DIC). Bone marrow aspiration showed increased numbers of mature histiocytes with hemophagocytosis and a diagnosis of reactive hemophagocytic syndrome was made. In the broad spectrum of this syndrome, we suspected virus-associated hemophagocytic syndrome (VAHS) but no causative viral infection was detected. Since DIC is known to be a poor prognostic factor, he was given combination chemotherapy containing VP-16 in addition to pulse therapy of methylprednisolone. He completely recovered after the treatment. Chemotherapy is one option in the treatment of adult onset reactive hemophagocytic syndrome.

Aged↗

Sensitive determination of methotrexate in monkey plasma by high-performance liquid chromatography using on-line solid-phase extraction.

A high-performance liquid chromatographic method was developed for the sensitive determination of methotrexate (MTX) in monkey plasma using direct injection and on-line solid-phase extraction. After application of a 100-microliters aliquot of plasma to a pre-treatment column, the column was washed with 0.02 M phosphate buffer (pH 7) to eliminate plasma proteins and endogenous substances, and subsequently the adsorbed MTX was eluted. The MTX fraction was transferred to an analytical column by a column-switching (heart-cutting) technique, and MTX was analyzed using ion-pair chromatography with tetrabutylammonium bromide. More than 50 injections could be performed onto one pretreatment column. The accuracy, precision, reproducibility and linearity were satisfactory over a wide range of MTX concentrations (5-1000 ng/ml). The quantitation limit was 5 ng/ml with a signal-to-noise ratio of 5. The method was suitable for the pharmacokinetic study of MTX in monkey.

Animals↗

Cloning of genomic loci and chromosomal localization of the human PCTAIRE-1 and -3 protein kinase genes.

Recent studies on the molecular mechanisms controlling the mammalian cell cycle have disclosed a large family of cdc2-related serine/threonine kinases. Among this gene family, the PCTAIRE protein kinases comprise a distinct subfamily of unknown cellular function. To analyze the genomic structure and chromosomal location of the PCTAIRE-1 and -3 genes, we isolated human cosmid clones for each gene by screening a human genomic library with murine PCTAIRE cDNA probes. Overlapping clones encompassing approximately 60 kb of genomic DNA were obtained for both PCTAIRE-1 and -3. These clones were confirmed to encode authentic PCTAIRE genes by the detection of exon-intron structures and the coincidence of the nucleotide sequence of exons to that of the published human cDNAs. Using these cosmid clones as probes for FISH analyses, the chromosomal loci for PCTAIRE-1 and PCTAIRE-3 were assigned to bands Xp11 and 1q31-q32, respectively.

Animals↗

Stimulatory effect of EGF and inhibitory effect of sialoadenectomy on growth of an EGF receptor-hyperproducing human gastric cancer xenograft in nude mice.

We recently established epidermal growth factor (EGF) receptor-hyperproducing human gastric cancer xenografts in nude mice. The present study was designed to examine whether the growth of a xenograft having 1,098 +/- 276 fmol/mg protein of EGF receptor would either be stimulated by the administration of EGF or inhibited by the removal of the submandibular glands (sialoadenectomy) which contain a large amount of EGF. A miniosmotic pump containing 2 micrograms or 20 micrograms of EGF was implanted on the back of the animals in the EGF stimulation experiments. The tumor growth was stimulated by the administration of EGF (P < 0.01), and the doubling time of the tumor was reduced relative to the controls (P < 0.01). Both the mitotic indices and the bromodeoxyuridine (BrdU)-labeling indices of the tumor were higher than those of the controls (P < 0.01). Tumor growth inhibited by the sialoadenectomy (P < 0.05) while the tumor doubling time was prolonged compared with the sham-operated mice (P < 0.05). These results suggest that the growth of a human gastric cancer xenograft may be modulated by EGF.

Adenocarcinoma↗

The presence of tumor necrosis factor-alpha and its antibody in the sera of cachexic patients with gastrointestinal cancer.

Although cancer cachexia has been shown to involve several cytokines, the tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF) has rarely been detected in such patients. In this study, sera from 21 patients with cancer cachexia were examined for the presence of TNF and the anti-TNF antibody using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and Western blotting, respectively. All of the patients had recurrent cancer and manifested the characteristics of progressive body weight loss. TNF was found in the sera of four patients (20%) at levels ranging from 10.4 to 53.1 pg/ml, while a positive reaction for the anti-TNF antibody was detected in the sera from six patients (30%), two of whom showed both TNF and its antibody. Thus, either TNF or the anti-TNF antibody was present in the sera from 8 of 21 patients (40%). The results of this study indicate that TNF may be present in the circulation of at least 40% of cachexic patients, and suggest that it may be one of the main mediators of cancer-associated cachexia.

Adult↗

Detection of serum IgG antibody against Helicobacter pylori from childhood in a Japanese population.

Epidemiological evidence has shown that seropositivity for Helicobacter pylori in the stomach is positively correlated with the incidence of gastric cancer. In this study, we investigated serum IgG antibody against H. pylori in asymptomatic Japanese subjects by an enzyme-linked immunoassay (ELISA) method (Serion, Wuerzburg, Germany). We noted two characteristics: (1) Seropositivity was seen in 41% of individuals aged less than 1 year, and in 9% of those aged 1-2 years, indicating the possibility that IgG antibody in infancy is derived from the mother. (2) Seropositivity was seen in 35% of individuals aged 15-19 years compared to 70% in those aged 20-24 years, indicating the spread of H. pylori infection with age.

Adolescent↗

A dimeric hydrolysable tannin from Camellia oleifera.

Camellioferin A, a new dimeric ellagitannin, was isolated, together with 13 known tannins, including camellins A and B, from Camellia oleifera. The structure of the new tannin elucidated by spectroscopic methods.

Circular Dichroism↗