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Biomedical subjects

T Shimada

Publications and source records attributed to T Shimada.

At least 55 records · Page 3Linked to original sources

Use of an incontinent end-on colostomy in a dog with annular rectal adenocarcinoma.

An 11-year-old, mixed-breed dog with dyschezia, tenesmus and haematochezia was presented. A rectal stricture caused by an adenocarcinoma was diagnosed. Following the failure of a rectal 'pull-through' procedure, which dehisced seven days later, an incontinent end-on colostomy was performed, allowing amputation of the colorectum with the anus and perineal skin. A two-piece device consisting of a flange and a drainable pouch was used for postoperative faecal evacuation and collection. Mild peristomal dermatitis was the only complication. Patient management was easily carried out by the owner at home, and the dog survived for four months with a satisfactory quality of life. Incontinent end-on colostomy may prove to be a useful treatment for canine annular colorectal tumours.

Adenocarcinoma↗

Characterization of the kynurenine 3-monooxygenase gene corresponding to the white egg 1 mutant in the silkworm Bombyx mori.

Kynurenine 3-monooxygenase (KMO, EC 1.14.13.9), which catalyzes the oxidation of kynurenine to 3-hydroxykynurenine, is involved in the synthesis of ommochrome pigments in insects. A silkworm mutant, white egg 1 ( w-1), has been shown to be deficient in this enzyme activity. The mutant is characterized morphologically by its white eyes and the fact that the females lay white eggs. To analyze the relationship between the KMO gene and the mutation, we first determined the entire sequence of a full-length 2.0-kb cDNA and examined its expression pattern in the wild type. The cDNA sequence contains one ORF encoding a polypeptide of 456 amino acids, and transcripts were detected in the larval Malpighian tubules and the pupal ovaries, but not in other tissues. Southern analysis and nucleotide sequencing showed that the KMO gene is present in a single copy and consists of ten exons distributed over a 16-kb region. Comparison of the transcripts between the wild type and mutant silkworms showed that the wild type expressed a single transcript, whereas the mutant exhibited markedly reduced amounts of two transcripts with sizes of 2.0 kb and 1.8 kb. Nucleotide sequence analysis of these mutant transcripts indicated that sequences corresponding to the ninth and tenth exons were missing. Inverse PCR and Southern analysis of the mutant gene demonstrated that the corresponding genomic region was deleted in the w-1 mutant.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

Preferential association of the heat-stable enterotoxin gene (stn) with environmental strains of Vibrio cholerae belonging to the O14 serogroup.

Toxigenic Vibrio cholerae O1 and O139 serogroups have the capacity of causing epidemic and pandemic cholera but are infrequently found in the environment. The other serogroups are abundant in aquatic environments but do not possess the virulence genes necessary for causing the disease. Of the 559 environmental strains of V. cholerae, collected during different periods from environmental samples in Calcutta, 9 (1.6%) harboured the heat-stable enterotoxin gene (stn). Six of the 9 strains belonged to the O14 serogroup. Thus, V. cholerae strains carrying the stn gene revealed preferential association with the O14 serogroup. Three of the six strains harboured the tcpA gene of the E1 Tor type, which is an unusual feature among environmental V. cholerae strains. A strain that possessed the E1 Tor type tcpA also had the CTX prophage. Pulsed field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) revealed that the stn gene positive O14 strains of V. cholerae were not clonal.

Animals↗

Monitoring C-reactive protein in beagle dogs experimentally inoculated with Ehrlichia canis.

The concentrations of C-reactive proteins (CRP) in the plasma of five beagle dogs experimentally inoculated with Ehrlichia canis increased markedly. The concentrations began to increase between 4 and 16 days and peaked between 15 and 42 days after inoculation of E. canis. The peak concentrations ranged from 217.8 to 788.8 microg/ml (452.6 +/- 228.1 SD). After the peak, the concentrations of CRP decreased rapidly. The PCR product of 16S rRNA of E. canis became detectable in the five dogs between 18 and 27 days after inoculation of E canis. Antibodies to E canis were detected in plasma from the dogs between 5 and 15 days after inoculation of E. canis. The timings of seroconversion and of the start of the increase in CRP were approximately similar and the high concentrations of CRP in the plasma of the dogs tended to become apparent when the PCR product of 16 S rRNA of E. canis became detectable.

Animals↗

Effect of PPARgamma ligands on the viability of gastric epithelial cells.

BACKGROUND: [corrected] Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptors (PPAR) are a family of three nuclear receptors (PPARalpha, PPARdelta, and PPARgamma). Although recent evidence suggests a role for PPARgamma in the regulation of colonic epithelial cell growth, the role for PPARgamma in the stomach has not been established. AIM: To examine the expression of PPARgamma and the effects of PPARgamma ligands on the viability of gastric epithelial cells. METHODS: MKN45 cells and primary cultured rat gastric epithelial cells were used. Troglitazone (TGZ) and 15-deoxy-Delta12, 14-prostaglandin J2 (15d-PGJ2) were used as PPARgamma ligands. Expression of PPARgamma was examined by RT-PCR and Western blot analysis. Cell viability was measured by WST-1 assay and TUNEL assay was performed to detect apoptosis. RESULTS: MKN45 cells expressed all subtypes of PPAR. PPARgamma ligands decreased cell viability and induced cell death in a dose-dependent manner, whereas ligands for PPARalpha and PPARdelta had no significant effect. TUNEL assay showed that this cell death is apoptosis. Primary cultured rat gastric epithelial cells also expressed PPARgamma and activation of PPARgamma decreased cell viability. CONCLUSION: These results suggest that PPARgamma plays an important role in the regulation of cell growth and cell death in gastric epithelial cells.

Animals↗

Nested retrotransposons on the W chromosome of the wild silkworm Bombyx mandarina.

The W chromosome of the silkworms Bombyx mori or B. mandarina is recombinationally isolated from the Z chromosome and the autosomes. We previously characterized a female-specific randomly amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD), designated W-Yamato, derived from the W chromosome of the wild silkworm Bombyx mandarina. To further analyse the W chromosome of B. mandarina, we obtained a lambda phage clone that contains the W-Yamato RAPD sequence and sequenced the 16.7 kb DNA insert. We found that this DNA comprises a nested structure of at least seven elements: six retrotransposons and one transposable element-like sequence. The transposable element-like sequence is inserted into a micropia-like retrotransposon (Karate). The Karate and the non-long terminal repeat (non-LTR) retrotransposon BMC1 are inserted into a 412-like retrotransposon (Judo). Furthermore, this Judo, and two non-LTR retrotransposons (Kurosawa and Kendo) are inserted into a Pao-like retrotransposon (Yamato). These results indicate that the retrotransposons inserted into the W chromosome are not efficiently removed but accumulate gradually as strata without recombination.

Animals↗

Characteristics of the peroxisome proliferator activated receptor gamma (PPARgamma) ligand induced apoptosis in colon cancer cells.

BACKGROUND: Involvement of peroxisome proliferator activated receptor gamma (PPARgamma) in the growth response of colon cancer cells has been suggested. AIMS: To investigate the characteristics of PPARgamma induced apoptosis in colon cancer cells. METHODS: The effects of ligands for each of the PPAR subtypes (alpha, delta, and gamma) on DNA synthesis and cell viability were examined in HT-29 colon cancer cells. Modulation of apoptosis related gene expression by PPARgamma ligands was screened with cDNA arrays, and the results were confirmed by quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) analysis. RESULTS: PPARalpha, PPARdelta, and PPARgamma were all expressed in HT-29 cells. PPARgamma ligands, 15-deoxy-delta(12,)(14)-prostaglandin J2 (15d-PGJ2) and troglitazone (TGZ), suppressed DNA synthesis of HT-29 cells whereas ligands for PPARalpha and PPARdelta had no significant effects. Both 15d-PGJ2 and TGZ induced HT-29 cell death in a dose dependent manner which was associated with an increase in fragmented DNA and was sensitive to a caspase inhibitor. Among several genes selected by cDNA array screening, quantitative RT-PCR analysis confirmed downregulation of c-myc expression and upregulation of c-jun and gadd153 expression by 15d-PGJ2 and TGZ. PPARgamma induced apoptosis was antagonised by the presence of serum in the culture medium, and interaction between PPARgamma signalling and cell survival signalling through the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase pathway was suggested. CONCLUSIONS: As c-myc is an important target gene of the adenomatous polyposis coli (APC)/beta-catenin and/or APC/gamma-catenin pathway, activation of PPARgamma signalling appears to compensate for deregulated c-myc expression caused by mutated APC. The present results suggest the potential usefulness of PPARgamma ligands for chemoprevention and treatment of colon cancers.

Apoptosis↗

Ehlers-Danlos syndrome type IV with few extrathoracic findings: a newly recognized point mutation in the COL3A1 gene.

Ehlers-Danlos syndrome type IV (EDS IV) is caused by mutation within the COL3AI gene, resulting in the disorder of type III procollagen. The diagnosis is confirmed by demonstrating the synthesis of abnormal type III procollagen molecules from cultured dermal fibroblasts or by identifying the mutation in the COL3A1 gene. The authors report a case of EDS IV caused by a novel point mutation in the COL3A1 gene in a 16-yr-old female. Recurrent haemoptysis and cavitary formation of the lung were evidence of pulmonary involvement. However, extrathoracic manifestations of EDS IV were mostly absent. To the best of the authors' knowledge, all previously reported Ehlers-Danlos syndrome IV patients with respiratory disease had the characteristic findings or histories of Ehlers-Danlos syndrome IV. In the present case, connective tissue friability was suspected due to tissue laceration observed in the biopsied lung specimen, and the diagnosis was made beginning from this pivotal finding.

Adolescent↗

Preparation of enantiomerically pure 2'-substituted 2-diphenylphosphino-1,1'-binaphthyls by reductive cleavage of the carbon-phosphorus bond in a borane complex of 2-diphenylphosphino-2'-diphenylphosphinyl-1,1'-binaphthyl.

Reaction of (S)-2'-boranatodiphenylphosphino-2-diphenylphosphinyl-1,1'-binaphthyl (3, borane complex of BINAP monoxide) with an excess of n-butyllithium in THF at -78 degrees C brought about a selective cleavage of the carbon-phosphorus bond between the binaphthyl and diphenylphosphinyl groups to generate the binaphthyllithium 14, the treatment of which with electrophiles MeOD, I(2), and ClSnMe(3) gave, after removal of the borane, the corresponding 2'-substituted 2-diphenylphosphino-1,1'-binaphthyls (E-MOP 9: E = D, I, SnMe(3)), without loss of the enantiomeric purity.

Journal Article↗

The role of cellular migration in the repair process of gastric epithelial cells.

The epithelial cells of stomach are continuously exposed to various toxic agents that may cause mucosal injury. The epithelial lining is rapidly replaced by cells that migrate from the proliferative zone of the gastric gland, to maintain the integrity of the gastric mucosa. Thus, cell migration is an essential part of the early process of gastric mucosal repair. After various forms of gastric injury, mucosal integrity is reestablished by the rapid migration of epithelial cells. However, the cellular mechanisms of the restitution remain unclear to date. In this report, we will review the role of cellular migration in the repair process of gastric epithelial cells in culture. It has been reported that hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) has the potency of acceleration of cellular repair process. In this review, we also report that HGF plays a leading role in the mucosal repair after damage by using a novel cell culture model.

Animals↗

Lewis acid catalyzed stereoselective carbosilylation. Intramolecular trans-vinylsilylation and trans-arylsilylation of unactivated alkynes.

Intramolecular trans-vinylsilylation using silicon-tethered alkynylvinylsilanes 3b-c was catalyzed dramatically by Lewis acids such as EtAlCl(2) to give the corresponding six-membered silacycles 4b-c in high yields. The reaction proceeded via an exo-mode cyclization. In addition to the vinylsilylation, the intramolecular trans-arylsilylations using carbon-tethered alkynylarylsilanes 8a-b were also catalyzed by Lewis acids such as HfCl(4) to give six- and seven-membered cyclic (E)-vinylsilanes 9a-b, respectively. The cyclization of silicon-tethered substrates 13a-d afforded five- and six-membered silacycle products 14a-d in low to high yields. All arylsilylation reactions proceeded via an exo-mode fashion exclusively.

Journal Article↗

An inhibitor of inducible nitric oxide synthase decreases forearm blood flow in patients with congestive heart failure.

OBJECTIVES: The functional activation of inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) was evaluated as a source of nitric oxide (NO) in the forearm of patients with heart failure. BACKGROUND: Although endogenous NO is normally produced by constitutive NO synthase (cNOS) in patients with congestive heart failure (CHF), expression of iNOS provides an additional source of NO. However, there are no in vivo studies showing functional activation of iNOS in humans. METHODS: A nonselective NOS inhibitor, N(G)-monomethyl-L-arginine (L-NMMA), and a selective inhibitor of iNOS, aminoguanidine, were administered intra-arterially in graded doses into the brachial arteries of 13 patients with CHF and 10 normal control subjects. Forearm blood flow (FBF) was measured simultaneously in the infused and noninfused arms by plethysmography. Arterial and venous plasma concentrations of nitrite/nitrate (NOx) were measured at baseline and at the highest dose of each drug. RESULTS: L-NMMA significantly reduced the FBF ratio between the infused and noninfused arms in both the control and patient groups (35 +/- 12% and 34 +/- 10%, respectively; both p < 0.001). Aminoguanidine at the same concentration significantly reduced the ratio in the patient group (15 +/- 9%, p < 0.01), with no change in the control group. The arterial NOx concentration was not affected by either drug; however, venous NOx concentrations were significantly decreased in both the control and patient groups by L-NMMA (18 +/- 5% and 18 +/- 17%, respectively; both p < 0.05) and in the patient group only by aminoguanidine (7 +/- 6%, p < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: These findings suggest that NO production in the forearms of patients with CHF is induced partly by iNOS activation, whereas in normal subjects, it can be ascribed to cNOS activation.

Acetylcholine↗

The mechanism of sex-specific splicing at the doublesex gene is different between Drosophila melanogaster and Bombyx mori.

We have previously reported that Bmdsx, a homologue of the sex-determining gene, doublesex (dsx), was found to be sex-specifically expressed in various tissues at larval, pupal, and adult stages in the silkworm, Bombyx mori, and was alternatively spliced to yield male- and female-specific mRNAs. To reveal sex-specific differences in splicing patterns of Bmdsx pre-mRNA, the genomic sequence was determined and compared with male- and female-specific Bmdsx cDNA sequences. The open reading frame (ORF) consisted of five exons. Exons 3 and 4 were specifically incorporated into the female type of Bmdsx mRNA. On the other hand, exon 2 was spliced to exon 5 to produce the male type mRNA of Bmdsx. As in the case of Drosophila dsx, the OD2 domain was separated by a female-specific intron into sex-independent and sex-dependent regions. Sex-specific splicing occurred in equivalent positions in the Drosophila dsx gene. However, unlike Drosophila dsx, the female-specific introns showed no weak 3' splice sites, and the TRA/TRA-2 binding site related sequences were not found in the female-specific exon, nor even in any other regions of the Bmdsx gene. Moreover, an in vitro splicing reaction consisting of HeLa cell nuclear extracts showed that the female-type of Bmdsx mRNA represented the default splicing. These findings suggest that the structural features of the sex-specific splicing patterns of Bmdsx pre-mRNA are similar to those of Drosophila dsx but the regulation of sex-specific alternative splicing of Bmdsx pre-mRNA is different.

Alternative Splicing↗

Isolation and expression of an ecdysteroid-inducible neutral endopeptidase 24.11-like gene in wing discs of Bombyx mori.

In the process of comparison of two cDNA libraries (W0, W2), we isolated a clone from the wing discs of Bombyx mori encoding a putative neutral endopeptidase 24.11-like gene. The predicted open reading frame encoded 772 amino acid residues, having about 53% identity with Drosophila GH07643, 36% with rat NEP, and 34% with rat ECE. This is the first NEP gene isolated in invertebrate. A 3.6-kb transcript was found to accumulate in the wing disc according to the increase of ecdysteroid titer during metamorphosis. Accumulation of the transcript was induced in wing discs with 20-hydroxyecdysone about 20h after incubation, which was inhibited by cycloheximide. This gene is ecdysone-inducible, appears to encode a functional protein, and may function during wing metamorphosis.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

Single oral dose of geranylgeranylacetone induces heat-shock protein 72 and renders protection against ischemia/reperfusion injury in rat heart.

BACKGROUND: Induction of heat-shock proteins (HSPs) results in cardioprotection against ischemic insult. Geranylgeranylacetone (GGA), known as an antiulcer agent, reportedly induces HSP72 in the gastric mucosa and small intestine of rats. The present study tested the hypothesis that oral GGA would induce HSP72 in the heart and thus render cardioprotection against ischemia/reperfusion injury in rats. METHODS AND RESULTS: Cardiac expression of HSPs was quantitatively evaluated in rats by Western blot analysis. Ten minutes of whole-body hyperthermia induced HSP72 expression in the rat hearts. A single oral dose of GGA (200 mg/kg) also induced expression of HSP72, which peaked at 24 hours after administration. Therefore, isolated perfused heart experiments using a Langendorff apparatus were performed 24 hours after administration of 200 mg/kg GGA (GGA group) or vehicle (control group). After a 5-minute stabilization period, no-flow global ischemia was given for 20, 40, or 60 minutes, followed by 30 minutes of reperfusion. During reperfusion, the functional recovery was greater and the released creatine kinase was less in the GGA group than in the control group. Electron microscopy findings revealed that the ischemia/reperfusion-induced damage of myocardial cells was prevented in GGA-treated myocytes. CONCLUSIONS: The results suggest that oral GGA is cardioprotective against ischemic insult through its induction of HSP72.

Administration, Oral↗

An AAV-derived Apaf-1 dominant negative inhibitor prevents MPTP toxicity as antiapoptotic gene therapy for Parkinson's disease.

Adeno-associated virus (AAV) vector delivery of an Apaf-1-dominant negative inhibitor was tested for its antiapoptotic effect on degenerating nigrostriatal neurons in a 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine (MPTP) model of Parkinson's disease. The wild-type caspase recruitment domain of Apaf-1 was used as a dominant negative inhibitor of Apaf-1 (rAAV-Apaf-1-DN-EGFP). An AAV virus vector was used to deliver it into the striatum of C57 black mice, and the animals were treated with MPTP. The number of tyrosine hydroxylase-positive neurons in the substantia nigra was not changed on the rAAV-Apaf-1-DN-EGFP injected side compared with the noninjected side. We also examined the effect of a caspase 1 C285G mutant as a dominant negative inhibitor of caspase 1 (rAAV-caspase-1-DN-EGFP) in the same model. However, there was no difference in the number of tyrosine hydroxylase-positive neurons between the rAAV-caspase-1-DN-EGFP injected side and the noninjected side. These results indicate that delivery of Apaf-1-DN by using an AAV vector system can prevent nigrostriatal degeneration in MPTP mice, suggesting that it could be a promising therapeutic strategy for patients with Parkinson's disease. The major mechanism of dopaminergic neuronal death triggered by MPTP seems to be the mitochondrial apoptotic pathway.

1-Methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine↗

Intestinal macrophages lack CD14 and CD89 and consequently are down-regulated for LPS- and IgA-mediated activities.

The intestinal mucosa normally displays minimal inflammation despite the close proximity between mucosal macrophages and lumenal bacteria. Macrophages interact with bacteria and their products through CD14, a surface receptor involved in the response to LPS, and CD89, the receptor for IgA (FcalphaR). Here we show that resident macrophages isolated from normal human intestine lack CD14 and CD89. The absence of CD14 and CD89 was not due to the isolation procedure or mucosal cell products, but was evident at the transcriptional level, as the macrophages expressed neither CD14- nor CD89-specific mRNAs, but did express Toll-like receptor 2 and 4 transcripts. Consistent with their CD14(-) phenotype, lamina propria macrophages displayed markedly reduced LPS-induced cytokine production and LPS-enhanced phagocytosis. In addition, IgA-enhanced phagocytosis was sharply reduced in lamina propria macrophages. Thus, the absence of CD14 and CD89 on resident intestinal macrophages, due to down-regulated gene transcription, causes down-modulated LPS- and IgA-mediated functions and probably contributes to the low level of inflammation in normal human intestinal mucosa.

Antigens, CD↗