Structure and function of myelin protein genes.
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Animals↗
Biomedical subjects
T Tamura
Publications and source records attributed to T Tamura.
A repeating unit of the DYZ1 family on the human Y chromosome consists of segments with partial male-specificity.
An average-sized human Y chromosome contains about 3,000 copies of the repeating DNA family DYZ1. A major repeating unit of the family, pHY10, has been cloned and an entire 3,564-bp sequence has already been determined by Nakahori et al. (1986). In the present study, pHY10 was divided into six consecutive segments, A to F, which were independently amplified by the PCR technique to see if they were strictly male-specific. pHY10 appears to consist of segments of various male-specificity. The B segment was apparently male-specific; however, the use of additional techniques (Southern-blot analysis or second PCR amplification in combination with the standard PCR) revealed homologous sequences in some females. None of the six segments of pHY10 may be male-specific in a strict sense. Different segments appear to be conserved during evolution to different extents. The 323-bp E segment appears to be the least conserved and to be responsible for the generation of most variations within the DYZ1 family.
Base Sequence↗
Relationship of intraglomerular coagulation and platelet aggregation to glomerular sclerosis.
In order to investigate the relationship between intraglomerular coagulation and glomerular sclerosis, the distribution of fibrin-related antigen (FRA) in glomeruli without extracapillary lesions was examined by immunoperoxidase microscopy in 80 patients with IgA nephropathy (IgA-N). A total of 302 glomeruli were examined, including 20 with global sclerosis, 31 with segmental sclerosis (SS glomeruli), and 251 nonsclerosed glomeruli. In the nonsclerotic areas of SS glomeruli, the deposition of FRA was significantly greater than in the nonsclerosed glomeruli. In the nonsclerosed glomeruli FRA was mainly found in the mesangium, while in the nonsclerotic areas of SS glomeruli FRA was not only present in the mesangium but also in the endothelium of the glomerular capillary loops. FRA-positive microclots were also often observed attached to the endothelium of the capillaries of the nonsclerotic areas of SS glomeruli. Cross-linked FRA was also observed in the endothelium of the same capillaries using the monoclonal antibody DD3B6/22. Deposition of von Willebrand factor (vWF) was greater in the endothelium than in the mesangium in the same areas. Aggregated platelets adhering to the glomerular capillary walls in these areas were frequently detected using the monoclonal antibody P2. Such distribution of platelets and vWF showed that the endothelium of the nonsclerotic areas of SS glomeruli was more severely damaged than that of nonsclerosed glomeruli. These findings suggest that endothelial cell damage might activate the intraglomerular coagulation, which might be one of the factors in the development of global glomerular sclerosis.
Antigens, Human Platelet↗
[Protective effect of eptazocine, a novel analgesic, against cerebral ischemia in mice and rats].
The cerebral protective effect of eptazocine, an opioid mu-antagonist-kappa-agonist, was investigated using mice and rats subjected to ischemia. 1) Decapitation or concussive head injury (20 g, 30 cm)-induced ischemia in mice: Eptazocine (3,10 mg/kg) prolonged the gasping duration or the survival time in a dose-dependent manner. 2) Ischemic brain edema induced by bilateral carotid arterial occlusion (BLCO) in rats: Administration of eptazocine just after BLCO treatment significantly prevented the incidence of ischemic seizures, lethality and an increase in cerebral water content. 3) Acute ischemic changes in cerebral energy metabolism in mice: 2-min BLCO treatment decreased the cerebral contents of phosphocreatine and ATP, and it increased the contents of AMP and lactate, resulting in a 34% decrease in energy charge potential and an increase in lactate/pyruvate ratio. Such changes were improved by eptazocine (3, 10 mg/kg) and ethylketocyclazocine (3 mg/kg), a kappa-agonist. 4) Respiratory function in mouse brain mitochondria preparations: Eptazocine increased the State 3 respiration and respiratory control index (RCI:State 3/State 4), and it prevented a decrease in RCI induced by 3-min ischemia. These results suggest that eptazocine may improve cerebral ischemic disorders through an activation and/or protection of mitochondrial energy-producing systems.
Analgesics↗
Whole blood histamine release rate during immunotherapy for nasal allergy.
In treating nasal allergies, desensitization is widely used on a daily basis, and its efficacy has been highly valued. With the purpose of predicting therapeutic efficacy before carrying out immunotherapy, we compared whole blood histamine release rate and various subjective symptoms before and after immunotherapy. We also compared the degrees of efficacy. Immunotherapy brought about a tendency for a reduction in the whole blood histamine release rate. This tendency appeared most marked in those patients in whom an improvement of subjective symptoms was considerable. Among subjective symptoms, the reduction in whole blood histamine release rate was strongest against nasal discharge and sneezing. In patients with a low histamine release rate prior to the initiation of immunotherapy, the improvement in subjective symptoms tended to be low.
Adolescent↗
Synergistic effect of irradiation and hyperthermia on established cell lines derived from maxillary carcinoma. Report I.
Cultured tumor cells of an established cell line derived from cancer of the head and neck (maxillary and lingual cancer) were irradiated with X-rays (5 or 10 Gy). This treatment inhibited cell proliferation in a dose-dependent way. Cell cycle analysis showed that the ratio of cells in the S phase to the population of viable cells was higher than that in a non-irradiated control group. Thus, the S phase was prolonged by exposure to X-rays. Cell proliferation was also inhibited by 1 h of heat treatment at 43 degrees C. However, movement through the cell cycle was slowed down overall and no cell aggregation in any phase of the cell cycle was found. Proliferation of not only radioresistant but also radiosensitive cells was inhibited by this treatment. Hyperthermia at 43 degrees C for 1 h did not affect cell proliferation, nor did it influence the pattern of cell cycle distribution. However, it caused a decrease in intracellular polyamine amount. The combination of irradiation and hyperthermia caused a stronger inhibition than either treatment alone. The synergistic effect of the two treatments probably arose from the S-phase cells being heat-labile although radioresistant.
Cell Division↗
Synergistic effects of irradiation and hyperthermia on established cell lines derived from maxillary carcinoma. Report II.
We studied in vitro the capability of radiation, hyperthermia, and their combination to inhibit growth of cell strains isolated from maxillary carcinoma and their radiation tolerant strains. Synergic effects of the combination were studied by investigating effects of hyperthermia and radiation on cell cycles with BrdU pulse labelling to establish optimal conditions for the combination. Growth of cell strains from maxillary carcinoma was remarkably inhibited by thermal treatment because of retarded cellular cycles. Cells at the S-phase were so sensitive to heat that their intake of BrdU was debilitated. Radiation increased the proportion of cells at the S-phase that poorly synthesized DNA. When combining radiation with hyperthermia, the heat killed cells at the S-phase, which was prolonged by radiation, and survivors showed retarded cellular cycles; that is, synergism was found.
Bromodeoxyuridine↗
A retrospective analysis of patients receiving surgery after chemotherapy for small cell lung cancer.
From 1984 to 1989, 20 of 142 patients with small cell carcinoma of the lung received surgery after intensive chemotherapy alone or chemotherapy combined with thoracic irradiation. All patients giving informed consent and having an Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) performance status 0-1 were included in the present retrospective study. Ages ranged from 37-74 (median 58) years. All patients received 1-10 cycles of chemotherapy intravenously every three or four weeks (PVP: 80 mg cisplatin/m2, 100 mg etoposide/m2 x 3; CAV: 800 mg cyclophosphamide/m2, 50 mg doxorubicin/m2, 1.4 mg vincristine/m2, and other combinations) and were evaluated for surgery 1-27 months after the initial systemic chemotherapy. Clinically, two, three, eleven and for patients were diagnosed as having stages I, II, III and IV disease, respectively at the beginning of treatment. At the time of reevaluation after chemotherapy or chemotherapy plus chest radiotherapy there were one (5%) complete responder, 17 (85%) partial responders, and two (10%) with stable disease. Twenty patients underwent thoracotomy consisting of nine lobectomies and 11 pneumonectomies. Eighteen of the 20 had resectable lesions. According to postoperative pathological findings, there were six, one, seven and two patients with stages I, II, III and IV disease, respectively. In two patients no tumor was demonstrated pathologically. Small cell carcinoma was detected in 15 specimens and three had non-small cell carcinoma. Two of the 20 patients survived for more than five years. The median survival of the 20 patients was 22 months. It would appear that resection is applicable in only a selected subset of patients with small cell carcinoma of the lung.
Adult↗
Analysis of three-year survivors among patients with advanced inoperable non-small cell lung cancer.
Among 238 patients with advanced inoperable non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), we evaluated the characteristics of three-year survivors and analyzed them to determine whether or not there were any specific pretreatment prognostic factors which could make it possible to discriminate this group the rest. All patients received chemotherapy according to the protocol for phase II or III trials at the National Cancer Center, Japan, between 1980 and 1987. Eighteen (8%) patients survived for over three years. Five of the 18 responded to initial therapy, seven received thoracic irradiation and five surgical resection after chemotherapy. No patient achieved a complete response by chemotherapy. Among five disease-free survivors, two received surgery after completion of chemotherapy. Their clinical stage was IIIA. Three patients received radiation therapy, but they could not be evaluated. Although some radiologically detectable shadows remained, these patients survived for more than three years with no active lesion, indicating the difficulty in diagnosing a complete response to treatment. Thirteen patients survived for more than three years with disease. Some unknown biological factors might influence survival in this group. Pulmonary fibrosis, as treatment toxicity, was observed in six of the 18. The pretreatment prognostic factors that discriminated three-year survivors from the rest were Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group performance status (PS) (P = 0.0015), clinical T factor (P = 0.0093), and serum LDH (P = 0.0317) by means of univariate analysis, and PS (P = 0.0134) and clinical T factor (P = 0.0117) by means of multivariate analysis with a logistic regression procedure.
Adult↗
Maternal serum alpha 2-macroglobulin and fetal growth retardation.
Maternal serum alpha 2-macroglobulin levels were measured twice, at approximately 18 and 30 weeks' gestation, in 289 pregnant women who later delivered at or after 37 weeks. Levels were elevated as early as 18 weeks' gestation in women destined to have a growth-retarded infant, and this elevation persisted through 30 weeks' gestational age. Furthermore, levels were higher in white women than black, in smokers than in non-smokers, and in thin than in heavier women. When the effect of alpha 2-macroglobulin on birth weight was evaluated in a multiple regression analysis adjusting for gestational age, race, body size, smoking, fetal sex, and a history of a low birth weight infant, high alpha 2-macroglobulin levels were associated with a statistically significant decrease in birth weight. The effect was greater in women who smoked. This relationship did not appear to be associated with differences in serum zinc or hematocrit levels.
Adult↗
The frequency and management of infectious episodes and sepsis in small cell lung cancer patients receiving intensive chemotherapy with granulocyte-colony stimulating factor.
The relation between degree of myelosuppression and episodes of infection was analyzed in 36 patients (92 treatment courses) with small cell lung cancer (SCLC) treated with intensive chemotherapy. The two regimens used were cisplatin (CDDP) + adriamycin (ADR) + cyclophosphamide (CPA) + etoposide (VP-16) + granulocyte-colony stimulating factor (G-CSF) and CDDP + teniposide (VM-26) + G-CSF, and they induced grade 3 or 4 leukopenia in 88% of treatment courses and febrile episodes in 60%. In the febrile courses, the mean nadirs of leukocyte and neutrophils (820 +/- 581/mm3, 101 +/- 267/mm3) were significantly longer (P less than 0.01) and the mean durations of grade 3 and 4 leukopenia and neutropenia significantly longer (P less than 0.001) than those of the non-febrile courses. It was noted, however, that febrile episodes appeared frequently in courses having the nadir of leukocytes below 1,000/mm3 (80%) or the nadir of neutrophils below 100/mm3 (74%). The administration of antibiotics was required for about 7 days to patients with febrile episodes. Sepsis was experienced in five courses, in which the neutrophils were all zero. All the patients, however, could be managed by an administration of antibiotics immediately after a febrile episode appeared, without delaying the subsequent chemotherapy except for one patient, who had had a performance status (PS) of 3 prior to chemotherapy.
Adult↗
[Central motor conduction time in the pseudopolyneuritic form of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis].
Central motor conduction time (CMCT) from the cerebral motor cortex to the cervical segment of the spinal cord (C-CMCT) and CMCT from the cortex to the lumbar segment of the spinal cord (L-CMCT) were estimated using percutaneous electrical cortical, cervical and lumbar stimulation in 8 patients with pseudopolyneuritic form of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). The results were compared to those in 18 patients with bulbar and common forms of ALS and 13 normal control subjects. Both the C-CMCT and the L-CMCT were remarkably prolonged in pseudopolyneuritic form of ALS as well as in bulbar and common forms of ALS. These results were consistent with the morphological findings that the large myelinated fibres in the corticospinal tract are depleted in pseudopolyneuritic form of ALS in which deep tendon reflexes are hypoactive and pyramidal sings are not obvious. The evaluation of CMCT is suggested to be useful for diagnosis of ALS in which upper motor neurone disorder is not manifested.
Adult↗
Transforming mechanism of the feline sarcoma virus encoded v-fms oncogene product.
The v-fms oncogene product encoded by the McDonough strain of feline sarcoma virus (SM-FeSV) is a transmembrane glycoprotein which belongs to the tyrosine kinase receptor family. The cellular counterpart, the c-fms product, is the receptor for macrophage colony stimulating factor (M-CSF or CSF-1). The v-fms and the c-fms product differ structurally only in seven point mutations and in their C-terminal domains. We have corrected the published sequence of the v-fms product and found that the new C-terminal end contains a threonine phosphorylation site (Thr939). This site is phosphorylated in vivo leading to an enhancement of the v-fms-specific tyrosine kinase activity. The extracellular domain of the v-fms product contains 11 N-glycosylation sites. Glycosylation and transport of the v-fms molecules to the plasma membrane are prerequisites for the transforming potential of the virus. Phosphorylation of the v-fms molecules in tyrosine, serine and threonine residues takes place only at the plasma membrane. Coexpression showed that the overexpression of M-CSF and c-fms in fibroblasts leads to cell transformation by an autocrine loop mechanism. This interaction between M-CSF and the c-fms protein also takes place at the plasma membrane. To study the v-fms transforming mechanisms, we have expressed the v-fms oncogene in chicken fibroblasts which are free of the cross-reactive M-CSF. The expression of the v-fms oncogene alone did not cause transformation. However, upon addition of M-CSF, these cells became completely transformed.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Amino Acid Sequence↗
[The relation between myelotoxicity and performance status or aging in chemotherapy of non-small cell lung cancer].
One hundred eighty six patients of non-small cell lung cancer treated with cisplatin-based chemotherapy were analyzed. Significant incidence of anemia was observed in PS 2-3 patients as compared to PS 0-1 cases. Incidence of thrombocytopenia was significant in cases 70 or more years old as compared those less than 50 years old. No correlation was detected between myelotoxicity and aging.
Aged↗
Molecular cloning of the yeast proteasome PRS2 gene identical to the suppressor gene scl1+.
The YC7-alpha gene encoding a subunit of yeast proteasomes named PRS2 has been isolated and sequenced. Southern blot analysis after electrophoretic separation of yeast chromosomal DNAs showed that the PRS2 gene is located in chromosome VII, unlike the PRS1 gene for subunit YC1, is located on chromosome XV. Surprisingly, the overall structure of the PRS2 gene was found to be identical to that of the suppressor scl1+ gene restoring the SCL1-1 mutation that suppresses crl3 cycloheximide-resistant, temperature-sensitive lethality. The identity of these two genes indicates that the suppressive role of the scl1+ gene product on crl3 mutation could be attributed to proteasomal function.
Amino Acid Sequence↗
[The effect of inhalation of sevoflurane for an hour on the liver of beagles].
The effect of sevoflurane in comparison with that of enflurane and halothane, each at 1.8 MAC, on the liver was examined after inhalation exposure to beagles under controlled respiration for 1 hr. No abnormalities were observed in general conditions in the animals exposed to any of these anesthetics. Recovery time to spontaneous respiration after the end of anesthesia was similar for each group, but the awakening was quickest in sevoflurane exposed group. Blood pressure dropped immediately after the initiation of exposure in each group, but it recovered quickly to preexposure levels after the end of the exposure. Minor and reversible elevations in the values of GOT, GPT, LDH and bilirubin were noted without the organic change of the liver in beagles after the inhalation exposure to 1.8 MAC of each anesthetic. Since similar changes were observed in beagles exposed to enflurane or halothane, we conclude that no change in the liver specifically associated with sevoflurane was found under these experimental conditions.
Anesthesia, Inhalation↗
A Macintosh computer program for designing DNA sequences that code for specific peptides and proteins.
A computer program (PINCERS) is described for use in the design of synthetic genes and mixed-probe DNA sequences. A protein sequence is reverse translated with generation of synonymous codons at each position producing a degenerate sequence. In order to locate potential restriction enzyme sites, the degenerate sequence is searched with a library of restriction enzymes for sites that utilize any combination of synonymous codons. These sites are indicated in a map so that they may be incorporated into the synthetic gene sequence. The program allows the user to select the appropriate codon usage table for the organism of interest and then to set a threshold usage frequency below which codons are not generated. PINCERS may also be used to assist in planning the synthesis of mixed-probe DNA sequences for cross-hybridization experiments. It can identify regions of specified length with the protein sequence that have the least overall degeneracy, thereby minimizing the number of probes to be synthesized and, therefore, maximizing the concentration of a given probe sequence.
DNA↗
[Tricuspid endocarditis related to a residual ventricular septal defect: a case report of successful tricuspid valvuloplasty].
A 5-year-old girl presented infected tricuspid valve related to a residual ventricular septal defect. Antibiotic therapy produced a satisfactory initial improvement. However, subsequent deterioration with uncontrolled infection, in spite of alterations of the antibiotic regime, necessitated surgical intervention. Because the lesion was localized to the anterior leaflet of the tricuspid valve, partial excision of this leaflet and patch was undergone with a sustained clinical improvement with minimum residual valvular incompetence. This experience supports the concept that tricuspid valvuloplasty is the method of choice in the treatment of patient with regional right-sided infective endocarditis.
Child, Preschool↗