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Biomedical subjects

T Sakurai

Publications and source records attributed to T Sakurai.

At least 775 records · Page 43Linked to original sources

Cloning and expression of the staphylokinase gene of Staphylococcus aureus in Escherichia coli.

Restriction fragments of DNA from bacteriophage S phi-C of Staphylococcus aureus which carries the gene for staphylokinase, one of the plasminogen activators, were cloned onto plasmid pBR322. Recombinant plasmids carrying the 2.5 kilobase pair segment of S phi-C DNA confer on Escherichia coli cells the capacity to synthesize staphylokinase. The enzyme is synthesized in amounts comparable to that found in S. aureus, and irrespective of the orientation of cloned fragments and their insertion site on pBR322. The active enzyme produced by E. coli cells is preferentially recovered from the periplasmic space and in part excreted into the culture medium. It is indistinguishable from the enzyme produced by S. aureus in molecular weight, as determined by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, and in antigenicity, as determined by the micro-Ouchterlony precipitation test.

Cloning, Molecular↗

Hypertrophic obstructive and non-obstructive cardiomyopathy in Japan. Diagnosis of the disease with special reference to endomyocardial catheter biopsy.

There were 84 confirmed cases of congestive (or dilated) cardiomyopathy (CCM or DCM), 57 of hypertrophic nonobstructive cardiomyopathy (HNCM) and 52 of hypertrophic obstructive cardiomyopathy (HOCM) collected from 15 cardiology divisions of university or national hospitals in Japan. Out of the 193 patients with cardiomyopathy, 145 (75%) were male and 48 (25%) female (M/F ratio = 3:1). The mean age of the patients was 34.1 years. Patients with HNCM or HOCM were usually asymptomatic, but palpitation was the most common symptom, followed in frequency by chest oppression, dyspnoea, chest pain, arrhythmia and syncope in HNCM, and by dyspnoea, chest oppression, chest pain, dizziness and syncope in HOCM. ST-T abnormalities were most frequently observed, 90.3% in HNCM and 86.3% in HOCM. Left ventricular hypertrophy was observed in 76.4% of HNCM and in 79.1% of HOCM. Abnormal Q waves were observed equally in HNCM (32.4%) and in HOCM (35.3%). A fourth sound was more common (69.2% in HNCM; 75.8% in HOCM) than a third sound (39.7% in HNCM; 36.5 in HOCM). The heart size on conventional radiography was within normal limits or slightly enlarged; the mean cardiothoracic ratio was 0.52 in HNCM and 0.54 in HOCM. A cumulative survival rate in 149 patients with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy demonstrated that the 10-year survival rate after the time when the diagnosis was made was 34.2% for CCM, 81.7% for HNCM and 84.4% for HOCM. Autopsy studies in 11 patients with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy revealed that marked fibre disarray of the heart could be detected by the endomyocardial biopsy of the right ventricular septum in 40% at most of the patients with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Adult↗

Distribution of RNA coliphages in Senegal, Ghana, and Madagascar.

The distribution patterns of RNA coliphages (phages) in Senegal, Ghana, and Madagascar were investigated by collecting sewage samples from domestic drainage in November, 1980. In Senegal, among 65 sewage samples collected mainly from Dakar and its vicinity, 14 (22%) contained RNA phages (16 strains). By serological analysis, 13 of 16 strains were found to belong to group III. This is consistent with the distribution pattern of RNA coliphages in tropical and subtropical regions of Asia. In Ghana, however, among 106 samples collected from Accra, Suhum, and their vicinities, only seven (7%) contained RNA phages (seven strains) (groups I, II, and III [1:3:3]). In Madagascar, among 124 samples collected from Antananarivo, Moramanga, and their vicinities, seven (6%) contained RNA phages (seven strains) (groups I, II, III, and IV [1:1:1:4]). In spite of the low isolation frequency, it can be said that Madagascar appears to have a unique distribution pattern (abundance of group IV phages) which differs from that of any other countries we have examined. The generality of the distribution pattern of RNA phages in the tropical region (abundance of group III phages) was thus verified at least in Senegal.

Coliphages↗

Prophage Origin of a Virulent Phage Appearing on Fermentations of Lactobacillus casei S-1.

For protection from the abnormal fermentation of Lactobacillus casei S-1 caused by contamination of a virulent phage, phiFSV, the origin of this phage was studied. Morphologies, viral structural proteins, and DNA structures of three independent isolates of phiFSV were compared with those of phiFSW, which is lysogenized in strain S-1. The results showed (i) that the morphology of phiFSV phages is indistinguishable from that of phiFSW and (ii) that all viral structural components found in phiFSW are present in the particles of phiFSV's. In addition, restriction endonuclease analyses of viral DNA showed that the HindIII-digested fragments of phiFSW DNA, the sum of which covered at least 94.7% of this phage genome, were conserved in the phiFSV DNA digests. Results of Southern filter hybridization of the S-1 and prophage-cured cell (C239) DNAs with phiFSV DNA as a probe revealed that C239 had lost most of the phiFSV DNA sequence, whereas S-1 had about one copy of the phiFSV DNA sequence. These results indicate that virulent phage phiFSV is derived from the lysogenized phage phiFSW. Therefore, the appearance of phiFSV can be eliminated by using the prophage-cured derivative of S-1.

Journal Article↗

Bleomycin in verrucous squamous cell carcinoma of the oesophagus.

A case of verrucous squamous cell carcinoma of the oesophagus treated with bleomycin is reported. Bleomycin brought prompt reduction of the tumour and relief of symptoms. There have been no previous reports on experience with anti-cancer agents for verrucous carcinoma of the oesophagus. Administration of bleomycin might be an effective treatment for verrucous carcinoma of the oesophagus.

Aged↗

Measurement of blood pressure, blood flow and flow velocity in arterial reconstruction of the lower extremity.

Seventy-five limbs of 66 patients undergoing arterial reconstruction of the lower extremity were studied. In 41 of 64 limbs that were not involved in early failure, API returned to normal immediately and the increased API was maintained as long as grafts remained patent. The limbs exhibiting a rise in API of 0.1 or more following proximal reconstruction in the cases with combined iliac and femoral arterial occlusion or bypass grafting to an isolated segment obtained marked improvement of symptoms. Postoperative increase in TPI was not so marked as in API, and TPI remained very low in the limbs with arterial obstructive lesions below the ankle after successful reconstruction. Early or late failure could not be predicted on the basis of preoperative or postoperative API, TPI or A-T gradient. In the limbs with no recovery of TPI, blood flow or flow velocity in the foot was of value predicting which limbs would be salvaged.

Adult↗

Sudden death in idiopathic cardiomyopathy.

The incidence of sudden death in idiopathic cardiomyopathy was analyzed based on a multi-center study in Japan, and possible prevention was discussed. Among 540 cases reported from 15 institutions, sudden death was most frequent in congestive or dilated type (19 cases, 22% of 87 deaths) and the ratio of sudden death to all deaths was high in the hypertrophic nonobstructive type (7 cases, 54% of 13 deaths) or the hypertrophic obstructive type (5 cases, 45% of 11 deaths). In the latter 2 types, the occurrence of sudden death seemed to be more related to exercise than in the congestive type. In the analysis of 4 sudden deaths among patients in congestive type, sudden death occurred in relatively asymptomatic patients after recovery from acute congestive heart failure. For the effective prevention, detection of undiagnosed patients by electrocardiographic screening, education of patients to avoid unprepared exercise, evaluation of physical tolerance by exercise testing and need for official registration of victims were discussed.

Adolescent↗

Effects of hypertonic mannitol on renal function in open heart surgery.

An extracorporeal bypass was performed in mongrel dogs for 2 hours with or without hypertonic mannitol infusions. In animals given mannitol, the plasma osmolality was elevated maximally to 344 +/- 7.1 mOsm/L and the urine volume was maintained well during bypass. A hypertonic mannitol solution was effective in maintaining the CPAH during and after bypass, but was not effective in minimizing the reduction in Ccr. When the mean arterial pressure during bypass was kept at 60 mmHg, the carbon filling rates in glomeruli showed the favorable effects of mannitol upon renal function, but no effects were observed at a mean arterial pressure of 80 mmHg. In 11 patients who had undergone a bypass lasting more than 2 hrs with mannitol infusions, the plasma osmolality reflected the serum mannitol level and reached 320 +/- 11.0 mOsm/L at 150 min of bypass. The mean urine volume was 5.0 +/- 3.3 ml/min/M2 during the bypass, which was about 7 times as great as before the bypass. The Ccr increased during the first 30 min of the bypass, but it fell to about one half of the initial value after 90 min of the bypass. It was concluded that a hypertonic mannitol solution is effective in maintaining the RPF and urine volume during and after the bypass and that it also preserved the glomerular perfusion even at a low arterial pressure.

Acute Kidney Injury↗

Fibronectin binds to C1q: possible mechanisms for their co-precipitation in cryoglobulins from patients with systemic lupus erythematosus.

Fibronectin and C1q frequently co-precipitated in cryoglobulins from patients with SLE. As a portion of the C1q molecule is similar to collagen to which fibronectin has a high affinity, we studied whether fibronectin specifically bound to C1q. Fibronectin was found to bind to both native and heat-inactivated C1q. The binding was enhanced by Ca++ and low ionic strength. We have also demonstrated that fibronectin is capable of binding to C1q fixed to immune complexes. The interaction between fibronectin and C1q may play a role in cryoglobulin formation and in clearance of immune complexes by reticuloendothelial system.

Antigen-Antibody Complex↗