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Biomedical subjects

T Uchida

Publications and source records attributed to T Uchida.

At least 793 records · Page 44Linked to original sources

High incidence of 17p13 chromosomal abnormalities in malignant histiocytosis.

Cytogenetic analyses of three patients during autopsy who had a pathologic diagnosis of malignant histiocytosis and of one patient who was strongly suspected to have malignant histiocytosis because of her clinical and hematologic findings were done. All three patients studied with bone marrow specimens showed polyploidy (3.4-20%). Two of three patients with chromosomal abnormalities showed 17p+ markers with a breakpoint at 17p13. Seven of 22 previously reported malignant histiocytosis patients (32%) with descriptions of detailed whole karyotypes have the 17p+ markers, including two of the authors' patients. Five of seven patients with 17p+ involved 17p13. Although breakpoints at the 17p+ in the remaining two were not described, their karyotypes were shown to possibly involve 17p13. The high incidence of this abnormality is not considered accidental, and this breakpoint is not usual in many other neoplastic disorders. These facts may indicate that 17p13 chromosome abnormality is a specific change of malignant histiocytosis.

Adolescent↗

Peptide behaviour and analysis on a chemically stable C18-bonded vinyl alcohol copolymer column with alkaline and acidic eluents.

C18-bonded vinyl alcohol copolymer (ODP) gel showed no weight loss or decrease in column efficiency for alkyl alcohols after being immersed in aqueous solutions of pH 2 and 10 at 50 degrees C for 48 h, and only a 1% weight loss and a slight decrease in alkyl alcohol retention volumes after similar immersion at pH 13. The chemical stability of the ODP gel was further demonstrated in analyses of acidic, neutral and basic peptides on an ODP column with eluents of pH 3-10, which showed that the peptides differ considerably in the sensitivity of their retention behaviour to eluent pH, even though hydrophobic interaction invariably appeared to be the main retention mechanism. The ODP column was therefore applied to the analysis and alignment of lysilendopeptidase (LEP) peptides derived from reduced and S-carboxymethylated carboxyl proteinase (Rcm-P-CP) of Pseudomonas sp. 101. One acid-soluble and seven alkaline-soluble LEP peaks were found in analyses on the ODP column using acidic and alkaline eluents, respectively. The chymotryptic peptides of Rcm-P-CP were first separated on an ODS column with an acidic eluent, and the eight eluates which contained lysine residue, as determined by amino acid analysis, were then analysed on the ODP column with an alkaline eluent, resulting in a further separation of each into several peaks and thus in the recovery of fractions of pure peptides. The LEP peptide alignment was then determined by overlapping the sequences of the chymotryptic peptides with the C- and N-terminal regions of the LEP peptides.

Chromatography↗

Effect of glucagon on bile acid metabolism after resection of liver cancer in patients with cirrhosis.

After hepatectomy patients with cirrhosis and liver cancer may develop progressive hepatic dysfunction and eventually hepatic failure. Insulin and glucagon are often used to treat certain kinds of hepatic dysfunction and hepatic insufficiency. We investigated the effect of glucagon on bile acid metabolism and pancreatic endocrine function. In 7 patients with severe cirrhosis and cancer of the liver, 1 mg of glucagon was injected intravenously pre- and post-operatively, and total bile acids, C-AMP, and bile acid fractions were determined. In the pre-operative glucagon tolerance test, the C-AMP level rose from a baseline of 14 +/- 0.8 PMol/ml to 362 +/- 94 PMol/ml 30 min after the injection of glucagon (p less than 0.01); and the level of total bile acids decreased from a baseline of 28 +/- 9 microMol/ml to 11 +/- 3 microMol/ml 60 min after the injection of glucagon. The post-operative C-AMP level increased from a baseline of 13 +/- 1 PMol/ml to 192 +/- 58 PMol/ml level of 30 min after the injection of glucagon (p less than 0.01), and the post-operative level of total bile acids decreased from a baseline of 64 +/- 20 microMol/ml to 26 +/- 7 microMol/ml 60 min after the injection of glucagon. There was a significant correlation between the 5-min increment ratio of C-AMP and the decrement ratio of total bile acids (p less than 0.01).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Bile Acids and Salts↗

[Clinical studies on hypercreatine phosphokinasemia in emergency diseases].

Unexplained serum creatine phosphokinase (CPK) elevation is not a rare clinical problem, especially in emergency diseases. We studied hypercreatine phosphokinasemia (hyper-CPK-emia) in 161 cases of emergency diseases. Correlations between CPK and various laboratory data, various conditions were investigated. The hyper-CPK-emia was found to obtain no correlations with GPT, GOT, LDH, creatinine and body temperature. For this reason, we could not discover the unknown factors of which contributed to elevate the serum CPK. The sources of the serum CPK in these diseases were concluded to be the skeletal muscle. This is based on the facts that CPK MM (muscle type) is specifically increased among the CPK isozymes. The elevation of serum CPK activity in emergency diseases was considered to result from muscle hypoxia due to severe stress and general circulatory failure.

Adolescent↗

Purification and properties of choline kinase from rat brain.

A blue-dye column separated rat brain choline kinase (EC 2.7.1.32) into two peaks, very likely corresponding to distinct isozymes. The major-peak enzyme was purified 15,000-fold to homogeneity. The final specific activity was approx. 40 mumol.min-1.mg-1. This is 10-times higher than that reported for the enzymes from lung and kidney. The purified enzyme gave a single 44 kDa protein band on sodium dodecyl sulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. Analytical gel-filtration showed that the native enzyme had a molecular weight of 90,000 and a Stokes radius of 4.2 nm. The sedimentation coefficient was deduced to be 4.8 S and the molecular weight 87,600 by sucrose-density-gradient centrifugation. Hence, the native enzyme appears to be a dimer. The apparent Km values for ATP and choline were 1.0 mM and 14 microM, respectively. At high choline concentrations, the enzyme showed deviation from Michaelis-Menten kinetics. The enzyme was active in a high pH range and utilized a variety of amino alcohols structurally related to choline, including ethanolamine, N-methylethanolamine and N,N-dimethylethanolamine as substrates. Spermine and spermidine stimulated the enzyme by decreasing the apparent Km for ATP and increasing Vmax. Although less efficiently, monovalent cations such as NH4+, K+, Li+ and Na+ and quaternary amines such as carpronium, chlorocholine and acetylcholine were also stimulatory.

Amines↗

Inflammatory pseudotumor of the liver. Clinicopathologic study and review of the literature.

Clinicopathologic analysis of nine patients with inflammatory pseudotumor of the liver was reported. The age of the patients varied from 22 to 83 years old, with a male to female ratio of 8 to 1. They complained of intermittent fever and abdominal pain, and laboratory data on admission suggested an inflammatory process. The solitary or multiple, well-defined space-occupying lesions were displayed by recently advanced imaging techniques. Partial hepatectomy, laparotomy, needle biopsy, or autopsy was performed in all nine patients with diagnoses of hepatocellular carcinoma, metastatic liver tumor, or liver abscess. Histologically, these lesions were composed of dense hyalinized fibrosis and/or infiltrating inflammatory cells constituting large numbers of foamy histiocytes, lymphocytes, and plasma cells. Obliterating phlebitis of relatively large branches of the portal vein was found, thus providing a diagnostic clue to distinction from the primary hepatic cancer by imagings. Considering the clinicopathologic features and the patients' histories, in which four patients had been in the Southeast Asian countries or India, it is possible that infection of microorganisms through the portal vein could participate in these lesions as a cause. Two patients died of causes probably related to this lesion, indicating poor prognosis in some patients, in contrast to the generally fair prognosis of previously published cases.

Adult↗

Effect of recombinant granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor on murine thrombocytopoiesis in vitro and in vivo.

To investigate the effect of recombinant granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (rGM-CSF) on murine megakaryocytopoiesis in vitro, the factor was added to both serum-free colony assays and liquid marrow cultures. GM-CSF had a significant megakaryocytic colony-stimulating activity. After 2 hours of preincubation with and without 10 ng/mL rGM-CSF, the percentage of megakaryocyte colony-forming cell (CFU-MK) in DNA synthesis was determined by tritiated-thymidine suicide using colony growth. The reduction of CFU-MK colony numbers in marrow culture was 47.5% +/- 9.9%, 20.9% +/- 5.2% (control), respectively, indicating that the factor affected cell cycle at CFU-MK levels. When acetylcholinesterase (AchE) production was measured fluorometrically after 4 days of liquid culture, rGM-CSF elicited an increase in AchE activity in a dose-dependent fashion. To determine if the hematopoietin acts directly on megakaryocytic differentiation, 2 ng/mL rGM-CSF was added to serum-free cultures of 295 single megakaryocytes isolated from CFU-MK colonies. An increase in size was observed in 65% of cells initially 10 to 20 microns in diameter, 71% of cells 20 to 30 microns, and 40% of cells greater than 30 microns. Conversely, in absence of GM-CSF, 17%, 31%, and 10% of cells in each group increased in diameter. These data suggest that rGM-CSF promotes murine megakaryocytopoiesis in vitro and that the response to the factor is direct. To determine if the factor influences megakaryocytic/thrombocytic lineage in vivo, 1 and 5 micrograms of rGM-CSF were administered intraperitoneally every 12 hours for 6 consecutive days. Although a two- to three-fold increase in peripheral granulocytes was observed, neither megakaryocytic progenitor cells or platelets changed. Histologic analysis of bone marrow megakaryocytes showed no increase in size and number. The in vivo studies demonstrated no effect of GM-CSF on thrombocytopoiesis. The discrepancies between the in vitro and in vivo effects of GM-CSF require additional investigations.

Animals↗

Effect of intravenously administered fat emulsion on liver function in totally depancreatized dogs.

Total Pancreatectomy was performed under nembutal anesthesia in 16 adult mongrel dogs after a 24-hour fast, and the depancreatized dogs were given parenteral nutrition containing fat emulsion. Serum lipids, intravenous fat tolerance and post-heparin lipolytic activity were determined and liver biopsy was done to demonstrate the presence or absence of fatty liver. The animals were divided into three groups: group A (n = 6) received fat emulsion 1 g/kg/day; group B (n = 5), fat emulsion 2 g/kg/day; and group C (n = 5), no fat emulsion. Blood levels of cholesterol and phospholipid were increased in group B, while only a mild elevation of the blood triglyceride (TG) level was noted in group A. In group C, cholesterol and phospholipid levels were decreased, and hypoglycemia was liable to occur. The rate of disappearance of blood fat (K2) was decreased two weeks after surgery in group B, but there were no significant change in the other two groups. These findings suggest that if insulin is present, the administration of fat emulsion will not cause fatty liver.

Animals↗

A case of Fabry's disease in a patient with no alpha-galactosidase A activity caused by a single amino acid substitution of Pro-40 by Ser.

We analyzed a male patient with Fabry's disease who had no activity of the lysosomal hydrolase alpha-galactosidase A (alpha-GalA) and female members of his family. We cloned a cDNA that encoded the mutant alpha-GalA, determined its nucleotide sequence, and found two nucleotide differences between the mutant and the wild-type cDNAs. Although one difference was silent, the other difference, a C-to-T transition at nucleotide number 118, resulted in an amino acid substitution of Pro-40 by Ser. A transient expression assay demonstrated that this missense mutation was the cause of the deficiency of alpha-GalA activity in the patient. In vitro mutagenesis experiments demonstrated that Pro-40 is critical for the appearance of alpha-GalA activity.

Base Sequence↗

A selective signaling defect in helper T cells induced by antigen-presenting cells from mice with murine acquired immunodeficiency syndrome.

APC activity of spleen cells from C57BL/10 (B10) mice infected with LP-BM5 murine leukemia virus (MuLV), which is known as a murine acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (MAIDS) virus, was investigated. The ability of splenic APC from LP-BM5 MuLV-inoculated B10 mice to induce soluble Ag-specific proliferation of cloned Th cells was decreased progressively during the infection. The APC defect was found to be due neither to the decreased expression of Ia Ag nor to the insufficient production of IL-1. It was demonstrated that cloned Th stimulated with virus-infected splenic APC displayed the increased [Ca2+]i with severely decreased inositol phospholipid metabolism, which probably led to the defect of Th proliferative responses. These results suggested that the failure of Th to respond to soluble Ag in MAIDS is at least in part due to a selective defect in signal transduction caused by abnormal APC.

Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome↗

Interleukin 6 is a differentiation factor for human megakaryocytes in vitro.

The response of cells of the megakaryocytic lineage to interleukin 6 (IL6), a cytokine with multiple biological activities, was studied by adding the factor to human bone marrow (BM) cultures. IL6 alone had no effect on megakaryocytic colony formation in methylcellulose; however, in the presence of maximally stimulating concentrations of IL 3, almost a twofold increment in colony formation was observed. Tritiated thymidine suicide studies of BM incubated for 2 h with growth factors showed that almost one-half of megakaryocytic progenitors (CFU-Mk) preincubated with IL3 or IL3 plus IL6 were in S phase, whereas BM incubated with IL6 alone was similar to control (approximately 24% of CFU-Mk in S phase). When greater than or equal to 1 ng/ml of IL6 was added to liquid suspension cultures of BM, the size of individual megakaryocytes was significantly augmented compared with that seen in control cultures. Moreover, the DNA content of megakaryocytes grown in the presence of IL6 was increased (modal ploidy 16N) compared with cultures grown with IL3 (modal ploidy 8N). To determine if the effect of IL6 could be direct rather than mediated via accessory BM cells, the factor was added to cultures of isolated single megakaryocytes. Seventy-one percent of cells increased in diameter in the presence of IL6, while only 27% increased in size in the absence of the factor. The data show that IL6 is a direct maturation factor for human megakaryocytes, promoting increments in size and ploidy of these cells.

Cell Cycle↗

Acute autonomic and sensory neuropathy: a case report.

A female patient with acute autonomic and sensory neuropathy is described. Urinary disturbance developed rapidly and was followed by orthostatic syncope, absence of lacrimation, salivation and sweating, and sensory impairment. Muscle strength had been consistently normal despite diffuse muscular atrophy. Marked decrease in the number of small myelinated and unmyelinated fibres was revealed in biopsied sural nerve. Eighteen months after the onset, her autonomic symptoms have partially improved.

Acute Disease↗

Terbutaline, a beta 2-adrenoreceptor agonist, inhibits gastric acid secretion and stimulates release of peptide YY and gastric inhibitory polypeptide in dogs.

Terbutaline, a beta 2-adrenoreceptor agonist, inhibits pentagastrin-stimulated gastric acid secretion. The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of intravenous administration of terbutaline on plasma levels of peptide YY (PYY) and gastric inhibitory polypeptide (GIP), both of which are known to inhibit gastric acid secretion. Seven dogs with gastric and duodenal fistulas were given pentagastrin (1 microgram/kg/hr) intravenously for 150 min in combination with terbutaline (10 or 20 micrograms/kg/hr) or saline during the 60- to 120-min period of pentagastrin infusion. Pentagastrin-stimulated gastric acid secretion was significantly (P less than 0.05) inhibited by intravenous administration of terbutaline. Terbutaline significantly increased plasma PYY levels, 24% in response to terbutaline at 10 micrograms/kg/hr, and 59% at 20 micrograms/kg/hr. Plasma GIP levels were also increased significantly, 24% with terbutaline at 10 micrograms/kg/hr, and 39% at 20 micrograms/kg/hr. Our data suggest that terbutaline-induced inhibition of pentagastrin-stimulated gastric acid secretion is mediated, at least in part, by the release of PYY and GIP. The adrenergic nervous system may influence gastric acid secretion through the release of PYY and GIP.

Animals↗

The starfish egg mRNA responsible for meiosis reinitiation encodes cyclin.

During meiotic maturation and early embryonic cycles, the activity of maturation-promoting factor (MPF) cycles in exact correspondence with the mitotic cycles. For the appearance of MPF activity in starfish, protein synthesis is required except in the first meiotic cycle. In order to identify newly synthesized proteins involved in the regulation of MPF activity, we extracted poly(A)+ RNA from starfish eggs, and found that the egg poly(A)+ RNA induced germinal vesicle breakdown (GVBD) upon injection into immature oocytes of starfish and Xenopus. The molecular size of the poly(A)+ RNA responsible for GVBD was estimated to be approximately 22S by sucrose density gradient centrifugation. Since these characteristics of the starfish egg poly(A)+ RNA are similar to those of cyclin mRNAs from sea urchin and surf clam eggs, we synthesized a 50-mer antisense-cyclin oligonucleotide probe coding for a part of the sea urchin cyclin cDNA and used this to screen starfish RNA. The Northern blot analysis showed that the starfish egg RNA contained cyclin homologous transcripts. Incubation of the starfish egg poly(A)+ RNA and the antisense-cyclin oligonucleotide with RNase H completely destroyed its GVBD-inducing activity. These results indicated that starfish cyclin mRNA was the only poly(A)+ RNA responsible for GVBD. We constructed a starfish egg cDNA library to clone starfish cyclin cDNA. The longest cDNA clone containing 2190 base pairs was sequenced. The longest open reading frame consisted of 395 amino acid residues, and the predicted molecular size was 48 kDa. Comparison of the deduced amino acid sequences of starfish cyclin with known cyclins indicated that the starfish cyclin belongs to the B-type. Injection of synthetic mRNA of starfish cyclin caused GVBD in immature oocytes of starfish and Xenopus, while injection of synthetic mRNA of human CDC2 had no effect. The Northern blot analysis of starfish RNA extracted at various stages of the meiotic cycles suggested that the starfish cyclin transcript was stored in its polyadenylated form even in immature oocytes and was further polyadenylated at maturation.

Adenine↗

Conservative management of cerebellar hemorrhage in pregnancy.

A case of cerebellar arteriovenous malformation (AVM) during pregnancy is reported. A 26-year-old primigravida had cerebellar hemorrhage at 32 weeks of gestation. She was conservatively controlled until term with a good outcome accomplished by elective cesarean section. AVM in the left cerebellar hemisphere was confirmed by angiography after delivery and successfully removed. Here we present a review of AVM during pregnancy and a few case reports of cerebellar AVM-complicated pregnancy published in available literatures.

Adult↗

Amplification of a long sequence that includes a processed pseudogene for elongation factor 2 in the mouse.

Quantitative Southern blotting analysis has demonstrated that mouse cells contain about 70 copies per haploid genome of a DNA sequence related to the gene for elongation factor 2. The restriction maps of seven cosmids that each carry one copy of the EF2-related sequence (MER) and nucleotide sequences of MERs were highly conserved among the cosmids. Data obtained by such analyses suggest that MERs were produced by the integration of one copy of MER derived from poly(A)+ mRNA for EF2 into a specific site in the mouse genome, with subsequent amplification of MER together with its large flanking sequences during the evolution of the mouse. Furthermore, it appears that the size of each repeating unit is more than 60 kb. Analysis by pulse-field gel electrophoresis suggested that multiple copies of a repeating unit of more than 400 kb (or two units) are clustered at a specific site (or each specific site) in the mouse genome.

Animals↗