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Biomedical subjects

T Yamagami

Publications and source records attributed to T Yamagami.

At least 163 records · Page 9Linked to original sources

Granulocyte colony-stimulating factor in allogeneic bone marrow transplantation.

A Phase II study of recombinant granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF) in allogeneic bone marrow transplantation (BMT) was performed. The recovery of leukocytes and neutrophils was markedly accelerated in G-CSF-administered recipients. The days to WBC count greater than 1,000/microliters (11.5 +/- 1.9) and the days to neutrophil count greater than 500/microliters (11.5 +/- 1.4) were significantly shorter than those of the monocyte-CSF (M-CSF) and CSF(-) groups. In the G-CSF group the WBC count at nadir was higher than in other groups, and neutrophil recovery preceded monocyte recovery. After the discontinuation of G-CSF, the WBC count first decreased for a few days and then increased again slowly. The short duration of leukopenia brought about a reduction in the number of febrile (greater than 38 degrees C) days which, until day 30, were 1.8 +/- 1.9 in the G-CSF group, also significantly shorter than in others. Acute graft-versus-host disease (greater than grade II) appeared in two of eight patients from the G-CSF group, this incidence being comparable to those found in the other groups. A side effect of G-CSF-mild bone pain-was observed in one patient, but it was tolerable. Six of eight patients in the G-CSF group survived for between five and 13 months after BMT with a Karnofsky score greater than 90%. No relapses were observed in the six, including one patient with chronic myelogenous leukemia and two with acute non-lymphoblastic leukemia. To determine the final influence of G-CSF on myeloid leukemia, further long-term follow-up studies are needed. G-CSF was well tolerated and seemed promising against allogeneic BMT.

Adolescent↗

Human serum ubiquinol-10 levels and relationship to serum lipids.

Serum and urinary levels of ubiquinol-10 (UQH2-10) as well as total ubiquinone-10 (total UQ-10, sum of UQH2-10 and oxidized UQ-10) were determined in healthy Japanese subjects using high performance liquid chromatography with an electrochemical detector. The mean serum and urinary levels of UQH2-10 were 0.75 +/- 0.21 microgram/ml (86% of total UQ-10, n = 77) and 0.045 +/- 0.016 microgram/mg creatinine (59% of total UQ-10, n = 30), respectively. After daily oral administration of 60 mg of UQ-10 for 7 days, the human serum level of UQH2-10 increased twice as compared to that before the treatment. However, the ratio of the UQH2-10 to the total UQ-10 remained unchanged during such administration. The serum level of UQH2-10 correlated significantly with those of vitamin E (p less than 0.001), phospholipids (p less than 0.01), total cholesterol (p less than 0.05), and total lipids (p less than 0.05). There was no correlationship between the serum levels of UQH2-10 and of triglycerides and lipid peroxides.

Adolescent↗

[Specific cardiomyopathy caused by high dose cyclophosphamide immediately after bone marrow transplantation].

An 11-year-old girl with CML in chronic phase was treated with allogeneic bone marrow transplantation (BMT). She had had no episode of heart disease, and her chest roentgenogram and electrocardiogram were within normal ranges. She had no anthracycline, but 120 mg/kg (2.01 g/m2/d x 2 days) of cyclophosphamide (CY) for conditioning of BMT. She suffered from an acute heart failure on 14 days after BMT and died 2 days later. Autopsy revealed "specific heart muscular disease" with apparent degeneration and necrosis of heart muscle cells. More than 30 fatal cases of CY cardiotoxicity after BMT have been reported, and most patients developed acute heart failure within 10 days after CY dosing. Goldberg et al. reviewed 14 cases of CY cardiotoxicity, and considered more than 1.55 g/m2/day to be the critical doses for the onset of fatal cardiomyopathy. This case was considered to be first case in Japan. CY cardiomyopathy is an early fatal complication of BMT when CY used for conditioning. The dosing schedule may be considered.

Bone Marrow Transplantation↗

Detection of antibodies against porcine parvovirus in swine sera by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay.

An enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was developed for detection of antibody against porcine parvovirus in swine sera. The antigen used for the assay was partially-purified virus treated with fluorocarbon and shown to contain 7 proteins by sodium dodecylsulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. Of these proteins 83-, 64- and 60-K proteins reacted in Western immunoblotting with swine serum after infection with porcine parvovirus. Antibody responses were demonstrated by ELISA in pigs subcutaneously-infected with porcine parvovirus as by hemagglutination-inhibition (HI) test and Western immunoblotting reaction with the 83-, 64- and 60-K viral proteins. The results of ELISA on random swine-serum samples were well-correlated with those of the HI test. These findings indicate the usefulness of the ELISA as a serological tool for porcine parvovirus infection.

Animals↗

Protective effect of taurine on the irregular beating pattern of cultured myocardial cells induced by high and low extracellular calcium ion.

Abnormal beating patterns were induced in spontaneously contracting cultured embryonic mouse myocardial cells either by elevating or by lowering extracellular calcium. At low calcium (0.4 mM), the number of beating cells and beating rate decreased while the number of arrhythmic cells increased. By contrast, at high calcium (20 mM), the number of beating cells decreased while beating rate and the number of arrhythmic cells increased. Addition of taurine (20 mM) to the medium attenuated the response to varying calcium; the taurine effect appeared to be specific since neither taurine analog tested (beta-alanine nor glycine) provided much protection against these abnormalities. The protective effect of taurine also appeared to differ from that of verapamil, which was effective only in decreasing beating rate in the high calcium condition. Uptake of 14C-taurine by the cells was higher at both low and high extracellular calcium when compared to the normal calcium (2 mM) concentration. The results raise the possibility that the protective effect of taurine on beating abnormalities caused by low or high calcium is related to taurine uptake.

Animals↗

Complete nucleotide sequence of human vasoactive intestinal peptide/PHM-27 gene and its inducible promoter.

We have previously shown that the VIP precursor contains a novel PHI-27-like peptide, PHM-27, and that the synthesis of the prepro-VIP/PHM-27 mRNA is induced with cAMP and TPA in human neuroblastoma cells. In this study, we have determined the complete nucleotide sequence of the human VIP/PHM-27 gene. The gene spans 8,837 bp and consists of seven exons and six introns. Exon I of 165 bp consists of the 5' untranslated region of the gene, exon II of 117 bp encodes the signal peptide of prepro-VIP/PHM-27, exon III of 123 bp encodes the amino-terminal region, exon IV of 105 bp encodes PHM-27, exon V of 132 bp encodes VIP, exon VI of 89 bp contains the termination codon of the prepro-VIP/PHM-27 mRNA, and exon VII of 724 bp consists of the 3' untranslated region of the gene. VIP and its structurally related peptide, PHM-27, were encoded in different exons V and IV, and the sequences around the splice junctions between these exons and their adjacent introns were highly conserved, suggesting that the VIP-encoding and PHM-27-encoding exons have been duplicated from an ancestral exon over a broad area containing its adjacent introns. We also determined the 1,929-bp sequence of the 5' flanking region of the human VIP/PHM-27 gene and found that four TATA-box sequences were present at 28 bp, 145 bp, 772 bp, and 900 bp upstream of the cap site. Primer extension, exon mapping, and mung bean nuclease mapping analyses revealed that only the TATA-box sequence 28 bp upstream of the cap site was the promoter that is inducible by cAMP and TPA in the human neuroblastoma cells. An 18-bp sequence 52 bp upstream from the TATA-box sequence was suggested to be a cAMP/phorbol esters-responsive element of the human VIP/PHM-27 gene.

Base Sequence↗

Chromosomal assignment of human VIP/PHM-27 gene to 6q26----q27 region by spot blot hybridization and in situ hybridization.

We determined the chromosomal location of the human VIP/PHM-27 gene in two different ways. First, we performed chromosome sorting with a cell sorter. Sufficient numbers of chromosomes for sorting were obtained by cultivating peripheral blood lymphocytes with interleukin-2. Spot blot hybridization of a molecularly cloned fragment of the gene to the sorted chromosomes revealed that this gene is located on chromosome 6. To define the location more precisely, in situ hybridization of the same fragment to the metaphase spreads was then performed, and human VIP/PHM-27 gene was assigned to a region near the terminus of the long arm of chromosome 6 (q26----q27).

Chromosomes, Human, Pair 6↗

An immunohistochemical study of intracranial germ cell tumours.

Histologically verified intracranial tumours, mainly germ cell tumours of the pineal and suprasellar regions, were studied immunohistochemically using anti-serum of alpha fetoprotein (AFP), human chorionic gonadotropin (HCG), carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA), human placental lactogen (HPL), pregnancy specific beta-1 glycoprotein (SP-1), glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP), S-100 and neuron specific enolase (NSE). In germinomas, HCG positive cells were occasionally demonstrated in cells presenting as syncytiotrophoblastic giant cells (STGC), and GFAP and S-100 positive cells were found in the surrounding gliotic lesions. Teratomas were positive for CEA in their epithelial components. Endodermal sinus tumours were positive for AFP, choriocarcinomas for HCG and SP-1, and embryonal carcinomas for AFP, HCG and SP-1. HCG and SP-1 positive cells were demonstrated in STGC. As for the relationship between serum AFP level and tissue localization, many cases presenting a serum AFP level exceeding 220 ng/ml were positive for AFP in tumour tissue.

Adolescent↗

Chilaiditi's syndrome in schizophrenic patients.

The condition that a part of the digestive tract interposes between the liver and diaphragm has been called Chilaiditi's syndrome. Although it has been reported that this condition had a higher rate of incidence in patients of mental hospitals than in other individuals, there are hardly any enlightening papers of this condition in the domain of psychiatry. Three schizophrenic patients who had this condition are described in this paper. Many factors such as meteorism, the medication of antipsychotic drugs and negative symptoms of schizophrenic patients are considered as risk factors that bring about this condition in them. Psychiatrists should pay more attention to this condition in the chest roentgenograms of patients because this state can possibly develop into more serious conditions such as ileus.

Adult↗

[Repeated transsphenoidal surgery for pituitary adenomas].

It is well known that the risks in patients subjected to repeated transsphenoidal surgery are higher than in patients without prior therapy. The authors report their experience of repeated transsphenoidal surgery in 18 pituitary adenoma cases, 7 as the second step of two staged operation, 7 for recurrent adenomas and 4 for the postoperative CSF rhinorrhea. Technical points in re-opening and closure of the transsphenoidal route are presented. A huge adenoma with suprasellar extension may be successfully removed by two staged operation. Some adenomas become less hemorrhagic at the second operation. Recurrent adenomas are also safely operated when the goal of the surgery is limited to the decompression of the optic nerve with sparing the pituitary function. CSF rhinorrhea is easily controlled by packing the sella turcica and the sphenoid sinus with one piece of fat for each compartment.

Adenoma↗

Formaldehyde dismutase, a novel NAD-binding oxidoreductase from Pseudomonas putida F61.

A novel enzyme, formaldehyde dismutase, was purified and crystallized from the cell extract of an isolated bacterium, Pseudomonas putida F61. The enzyme catalyzes the dismutation of aldehydes and alcohol:aldehyde oxidoreduction in the absence of an exogenous electron acceptor. The enzyme is composed of four identical subunits with a Mr of 44 000. Each subunit contains 1 mol NAD(H) and 2 mol zinc/mol. The ratio of NAD+ and NADH in a crystalline preparation of the enzyme was about 7:3. The enzyme-bound coenzyme was completely reduced and oxidized on the addition of a large amount of an alcohol and an aldehyde respectively. Both the oxidized and reduced enzymes catalyzed the dismutation reaction to the same extent. Steady-state kinetics of the enzyme were investigated using an oxidoreduction reaction between an alcohol and p-nitroso-N, N-dimethylaniline. The enzyme obeys a ping-pong mechanism and is competitively inhibited by an alcoholic substrate analogue, pyrazole, but not coenzyme analogues, such as AMP, N-methylnicotinamide. These results indicate that NAD(H) binds firmly (but not covalently) at each active site. The enzyme-bound NAD(H) was reduced and oxidized only by the added second substrates, alcohol and aldehyde respectively, and not by exogenous electron acceptors [including NAD(H)].

Alcohol Oxidoreductases↗

Long-term follow-up of large or invasive pituitary adenomas.

A long-term follow-up study of pituitary adenomas showed that 60 out of 83 patients with mild or moderate suprasellar extension, but only three out of 19 patients with huge or invasive adenomas, were alive at a mean post-operative period of 12.8 and 12 years, respectively. Cerebral ischemic attacks and complications of radiotherapy affected their fate and quality of survival. Patients in the post-computed tomography scan era had a good prognosis, and this may be due partly to the brevity of the postoperative period.

Adenoma↗