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Biomedical subjects

Y Abe

Publications and source records attributed to Y Abe.

At least 505 records · Page 28Linked to original sources
PubMed1996

[Awareness of health and welfare planning for elderly and methods to increase awareness: based on social marketing].

To clarify the socio-psychological factors affecting awareness of health and welfare planning for the elderly, a survey of community residents was performed in the Tokyo metropolitan area. The results obtained were as follows: 1. There were three factors which affected awareness concern about health and welfare services for the elderly as a social issue: concern about the local community; and concern about the local government. 2. Two other factors which did not affect the level of awareness were: anxiety about the health and welfare services for the elderly as a personal issue; and having personal experience of nursing care. From these results, a method to increase awareness was studied based on social marketing methods. Two primary target groups for increasing awareness were identified. One target was people who have the socio-psychological factors described above. Another target was people who have the potential need for health and welfare services but who were not aware of it. That is, they have relatively high anxiety about health and welfare services for the elderly as a personal issue and have personally experienced nursing care. The method of approach for these targets were studied. For the first group, the amount of the information available seemed to be important because these persons are ready to recognize the need for planning. Therefore, efficient information channels should be selected. For the second group, approaches that generate greater consumer participation by presenting this as an efficient method for solution of the problem should be adopted.

Adult↗
PubMed1995

Kinetically trapped structure in the renaturation of reduced oxindolealanine 62 lysozyme.

The refolded products of reduced native lysozyme and reduced OX62 lysozyme, in which Trp62 is converted to oxindolealanine (OX62) during the renaturation of sulfhydryl-disulfide interchange reactions at pH 8 and 37 degrees C, were investigated. On gel-chromatography eluted with 10% aqueous acetic acid containing 4 M urea, two peaks appeared in the refolded product of reduced OX62 lysozyme while a single peak appeared in the refolded product of reduced native lysozyme. From the analyses of the activity and primary and the tertiary structures of the derivative, the structure of the derivative from reduced native lysozyme was confirmed to be identical to that of the untreated one. On the other hand, the refolded product from reduced OX62 lysozyme had the same primary structure but a different tertiary structure compared to the untreated one. The tertiary structure of the refolded product from the reduced OX62 lysozyme was changed to that of the untreated one by the denaturation-renaturation treatment under nonreduced conditions. However, the refolded species was barely changed to that of the untreated one by incubation under physiological conditions. Therefore, the refolded product from reduced OX62 lysozyme was suggested to be a metastable and kinetically trapped product in the renaturation process of reduced OX62 lysozyme. In addition, an interaction involving the folding process of reduced lysozyme was discussed on the basis of the NMR analyses of the metastable structure.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1995

Mollusk genes encoding lysine tRNA (UUU) contain introns.

New intron-containing genes encoding tRNAs were discovered when genomic DNA isolated from various animal species was amplified by the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) with primers based on sequences of rabbit tRNA(Lys). From sequencing analysis of the products of PCR, we found that introns are present in several genes encoding tRNA(Lys) in mollusks, such as Loligo bleekeri (squid) and Octopus vulgaris (octopus). These introns were specific to genes encoding tRNA(Lys)(CUU) and were not present in genes encoding tRNA(Lys)(CUU). In addition, the sequences of the introns were different from one another. To confirm the results of our initial experiments, we isolated and sequenced genes encoding tRNA(Lys)(CUU) and tRNA(Lys)(UUU). The gene for tRNA(Lys)(UUU) from squid contained an intron, whose sequence was the same as that identified by PCR, and the gene formed a cluster with a corresponding pseudogene. Several DNA regions of 2.1 kb containing this cluster appeared to be tandemly arrayed in the squid genome. By contrast, the gene encoding tRNA(Lys)(CUU) did not contain an intron, as shown also by PCR. The tRNA(Lys)(UUU) that corresponded to the analyzed gene was isolated and characterized. The present study provides the first example of an intron-containing gene encoding a tRNA in mollusks and suggests the universality of introns in such genes in higher eukaryotes.

Animals↗
PubMed1995

Immunohistochemical determination of rat spinal cord substance P, and antinociceptive effect during development of thiamine deficiency.

During 30 days of thiamine deficiency (TD) feeding, the rat antinociceptive effect (pain threshold) to noxious heat stimulation was significantly increased in proportion to the decrease substance P (SP) fluorescent intensity in the spinal cord. Only a single injection of thiamine HCl (0.5 mg/kg, s.c.) on the early treatment day during TD feeding effectively reversed the analgesic effect to the pair-fed control level. Whereas this reversal effect by thiamine treatment was not found if this treatment was done on the relatively late day. However, either treatment day, except muricide, complete disappearance of various animal behaviours induced by TD was found. These results indicate that, after certain degree of TD development, TD-induced behavioral effects might be reversible, but the afferent nerve fibers might be irreversibly damaged, probably by the similar mechanism as found for an excitotoxin(s) mediated injury in the certain brain region(s). The results also suggest a possibility that SP and an excitotoxin, glutamate, in the dorsal part of the spinal cord greatly contribute to the pain transmission induced by noxious heat stimulation.

Animals↗
PubMed1995

Muscarinic receptor agonist-induced increases in cytosolic Ca2+ concentrations in chick ciliary ganglion cells.

We used fura-2 microfluorometry to examine the mechanism underlying the muscarinic receptor agonist-induced increase in the cytosolic Ca2+ concentration ([Ca]in) in acutely isolated chick ciliary ganglion neurons. The order of potencies of muscarinic agonists in increasing [Ca]in was: oxotremorine M > muscarine > methacholine > oxotremorine > bethanechol. The muscarine-induced increase in [Ca]in persisted after treatment with thapsigargin, which blocked caffeine- and muscarinic agonist-induced Ca2+ release. The muscarine-sensitive [Ca]in increase was inhibited by both L- and N-type Ca2+ channel blockers but potentiated by an L-type Ca2+ channel agonist. Muscarine was effective in increasing [Ca]in in the presence of a desensitizing concentration of nicotine, and simultaneous addition of maximal doses of muscarine and nicotine caused an additive increase in [Ca]in. On the other hand, nicotine-, ATP-, and high K(+)-induced increase in [Ca]in was markedly potentiated during continuous stimulation with muscarine. These results suggest that muscarinic receptor stimulation increases Ca2+ influx passing through voltage-dependent Ca2+ channels. However, the muscarine-induced Mn2+ influx was observed in only some muscarine-sensitive cells, suggesting that muscarine-induced depolarization is too weak to overcome the inhibitory effect of Mn2+ on Ca2+ channels.

Animals↗
PubMed1995

Gene of heat shock protein of sulfur-dependent archaeal hyperthermophile Desulfurococcus.

To elucidate thermoresistance, a gene of a hyperthermophilic heat shock protein (HHSP) was isolated from the hyperthermophile Desulfurococcus strain SY which grows at 95 degrees C. The molecular weight of HHSP deduced from the open reading frame was 59,137 (545 amino acid residues). Sequence alignments of peptides reveal similarities (evolutionary distances) to the alpha (0.279) and beta (0.296) subunits of thermosome, TF55 (0.343) and human t-complex polypeptide 1. The structure of a thermophilic heat shock protein TGroEL (Tamada et al. (1991) Biochem, Biophys. Res. Commun. 179, 565) was quite different from that of HHSP. TGroEL and HSP60 have sequences identical to HHSP at its equatorial domain, while those identical to the alpha subunit of F-type ATPase are at its apical domain.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1995

Expression of bovine heart fructose 6-phosphate,2-kinase:fructose 2,6-bisphosphatase and determination of the role of the carboxyl terminus by mutagenesis.

Bovine heart fructose 6-P,2-kinase:fructose 2,6-bisphosphatase was expressed in Escherichia coli. In order to determine the role of the carboxyl-terminal peptide, 49 and 78 amino acids from the C-terminus were deleted using oligonucleotide-directed mutagenesis. The expressed wild-type and mutant enzymes were purified to homogeneity, and the steady-state kinetics of the mutant enzymes were compared to those of the wild-type enzyme. Deletion of 49 residues (Del 49) resulted in a 35% decrease in KmFru6P, a 36% increase in Vmax, and a 2-fold increase in Kcat/Km of the kinase. There was no change in the kinetic properties of the phosphatase activity. Deletion of 78 residues (Del 78) resulted in a 4.5-fold decrease in KmFru6P, a 2.5-fold increase in Vmax, a 12-fold increase in kcat/Km of the kinase, and a 3-fold increase in kcat/Km of the phosphatase. Phosphorylation of the wild-type and Del 49 enzymes resulted in decreased KmFru6P and activation of the kinase without affecting the phosphatase activity. Thermal inactivation rates of the wild-type and Del 49 enzymes were similar, but the rate of Del 78 was more rapid. The phosphorylated wild-type and Del 49 enzymes were more sensitive to thermal inactivation than the dephospho forms. Urea inactivation of the kinase and phosphatase of wild-type and Del 49 were similar, but Del 78 was more sensitive to urea. All phosphorylated enzymes were more susceptible to urea inactivation.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1995

Molecular identification of guanine-nucleotide-binding regulatory proteins which couple to endothelin receptors.

The coupling of two endothelin receptor subtypes (ET(A) and ETB) to several types of guanine-nucleotide-binding regulatory protein (G protein) was examined. Two subtypes of receptor cDNAs were transfected alone or together with four different G protein alpha subunit cDNAs in COS-7 cells. In ET(A) receptor-transfected cells, endothelin-1 (ET-1) activated phosphatidylinositol-specific phospholipase C as measured by the production of phosphatidylinositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate [Ins(1,4,5)P3]. ETB-receptor-transfected cells also produced Ins(1,4,5)P3 on stimulation by ET-1. The ET-1-induced production of Ins(1,4,5)P3 was markedly higher in G alpha q-cotransfected or G alpha 11-cotransfected cells than in cells transfected with each receptor alone. ET-1 also stimulated production of cAMP in ET(A) or ETB receptor-transfected cells. The production of cAMP was synergistically amplified by G alpha s co-transfection with each receptor. In contrast, when G alpha i2 was co-transfected with the ET(A) or ETB receptor, ET-1 displayed an inhibitory action on forskolin-stimulated cAMP accumulation. Pertussis-toxin treatment of the G alpha i2-transfected cells resulted in abolition of the endothelin-induced inhibition of cAMP accumulation. These observations indicate that both ET(A) and ETB receptors are able to couple to Gq, G11, Gs and Gi2, and suggest that endothelin receptors stimulate multiple effectors via several types of G protein simultaneously. The overall effects induced by endothelin may differ in cell types depending on the level of expression of each G-protein subtype in the cell.

Animals↗
PubMed1995

Effects of a synthetic rat adrenomedullin on regional hemodynamics in rats.

The effects of rat adrenomedullin, a novel vasorelaxant peptide, on systemic and regional hemodynamics were examined in conscious Sprague Dawley (SD) rats and spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR). The intravenous infusion of adrenomedullin at rates of 1.67 and 5 micrograms/kg per min decreased the mean arterial pressure in a dose-dependent fashion in both types of rats. Adrenomedullin at a rate of 5 micrograms/kg per min increased the heart rate and cardiac output. As a result, the total peripheral resistance significantly decreased. With regards to the regional hemodynamics, adrenomedullin significantly increased the flow rates in the lungs, heart, spleen, kidneys, adrenal glands and small intestine of SHR. The flow rates in the brain and skin did not change and the flow rates in the skeletal muscle and testis were decreased. These regional hemodynamic changes were also observed in SD rats and there was no qualitative difference in the regional responses to adrenomedullin between SHR and SD rats. Thus, adrenomedullin predominantly increased the flow rates in organs in which adrenomedullin gene was highly expressed. It therefore seems that adrenomedullin may act as a local vasodilatory hormone rather than as a circulatory hormone.

Adrenomedullin↗
PubMed1995

75- but not 55-kDa tumor necrosis factor receptor is active in the homotypic aggregation and proliferation of human lymphokine-activated T killer (T-LAK) cells in vitro.

Lymphotoxin (LT) and tumor necrosis factor (TNF) play important roles in the maturation and growth of human lymphokine-activated T killer (T-LAK) cells in vitro. The role of 55- and 75-kDa TNF receptor (TNF-R) in the aggregation and proliferation of T-LAK cells was investigated using agonistic anti-TNF-R rabbit polyclonal antibodies. Human peripheral blood T cells and T-LAK cells predominantly express 75-kDa TNF-R. The proliferation of T-LAK cells during the generation phase is supported by innate LT and TNF. In this phase, the proliferation was upregulated by anti-75- but not 55-kDa TNF-R antibody. Homotypic aggregation of T-LAK cells was induced by LT, TNF, and anti-75- but not by anti-55-kDa TNF-R antibody. The increase of homotypic aggregation was accompanied by up-regulation of intercellular adhesion molecule 1 but not lymphocyte function-associated antigen 1 expression on cells and by an elevation of membrane fluidity, both of which were up-regulated by anti-75- but not 55-kDa TNF-R antibody. Interestingly, LT and TNF suppressed the proliferation of mature T-LAK cells. Anti-75- but not 55-kDa TNF-R antibody suppressed the proliferation, mimicking LT and TNF. These findings indicated that 75- but not 55-kDa TNF-R is biologically active in the modulation of aggregation and proliferation of human T-LAK cells in vitro.

Cell Aggregation↗
PubMed1995

Membrane-associated lymphotoxin-expressing lymphokine-activated killer cells up-regulate intercellular adhesion molecule-1 expression on target tumor cells in vitro.

Human lymphokine-activated killer (LAK) cells cultured with interleukin-2 express membrane-associated lymphotoxin (mLT) on the cell surface. mLT-lacking (mLT-) LAK cells, which are generated by culturing without IL-2 for 24 hr, fully retained natural killer (NK) and LAK activity. However, they partially lost their killing activity against various tumor cells when compared to mLT-expressing (mLT+) LAK cells. An anti-LT but not anti-tumor necrosis factor (TNF) antibody somewhat suppressed the killing activity of mLT+ LAK cells against these tumor cells. However, an anti-LT antibody did not alter NK or LAK activity of mLT+ LAK cells. Anti-CD18 (beta chain of LFA-1) and anti-CD54 (ICAM-1) monoclonal antibodies, by inhibiting LAK cell binding to targets, suppressed the killing activity of mLT+ LAK cells. During the process in the cytotoxic assay, mLT+ but not mLT- LAK cells up-regulated ICAM-1 expression on target tumor cells, the effect of which was marginally inhibited by anti-TNF and anti-IFN-gamma but not by anti-LT antibodies. The up-regulation of ICAM-1 expression elicited by LAK cells on target tumor cells was not simply caused by diffused soluble factors but required membrane contact of LAK and target cells. Paraformaldehyde-fixed mLT+ but not mLT- LAK cells up-regulated ICAM-1 expression on target cells. These findings indicate that mLT+ but not mLT- LAK cells up-regulate ICAM-1 expression on target tumor cells via undetermined membrane factor(s), and this effect appears to be at least partially responsible for the higher killing activity of mLT+ LAK cells than that of those lacking mLT in vitro.

Antibodies↗
PubMed1995

The functional role of 55- and 75-kDa tumour necrosis factor receptors in human polymorphonuclear cells in vitro.

The expression and biological role of 55- and 75-kDa tumour necrosis factor-receptors (TNF-RI and TNF-RII) in human polymorphonuclear cells (PMN) in vitro were studied using agonistic rabbit polyclonal anti-TNF-R antibodies. PMN express TNF-RII predominantly, and release the superoxide anion on stimulation by human recombinant lymphotoxin (LT) in vitro. Anti-TNF-RI but not anti-TNF-RII antibody stimulated the superoxide release mimicking LT. Release of the elastase from azurophilic granule of PMN was augmented by LT in vitro. Anti-TNF-RI but not anti-TNF-RII antibody augmented the elastase release. Release of the lactoferrin from the specific granules of PMN was enhanced by LT in vitro. Anti-TNF-RI but not anti-TNF-RII antibody augmented the elastase release. Release of the lactoferrin from the specific granules of PMN was enhanced by LT in vitro. Anti-TNF-RI but not anti-TNF-RII antibody enhanced the lactoferrin release. These antibodies failed to co-stimulate these PMN functions. The adhesiveness of PMN to a plastic plate and the expression of Mac-1 on PMN were upregulated by LT in vitro. Anti-TNF-RI but not anti-TNF-RII antibody upregulated the adhesiveness and Mac-1 expression of PMN mimicking LT. Though anti-TNF-RII antibody by itself did not alter the adhesiveness and marginally suppressed Mac-1 expression, it maintained the adhesiveness and adhesion molecule expression in the presence of anti-TNF-RI antibody. In summary, PMN predominantly express TNF-RII, the signalling of LT (and TNF) in PMN is mediated mainly by TNF-RI, and the adhesion function can be modulated also by TNF-RII when TNF-RI is stimulated.

Antibodies↗
PubMed1995

Identification and biochemical characterization of human plasma neutrophil inhibitor in vitro.

In this study, assessment by a flow cytometric method using dichlorhydroxy fluorescin diacetate (DCFADH) in vitro revealed that human peripheral blood inhibits the production of active oxygen species by human peripheral neutrophils. It was also revealed that among the blood components, the plasma fraction inhibits active oxygen production most strongly. This plasma inhibitory activity was dose-dependent. Human serum also exerted an inhibitory activity; however, its activity was only one-third that of plasma. Moreover, when HL-60 human promyelocytic leukemic cells, with or without differentiation into the neutrophils by culturing with dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO), active oxygen, which was also inhibited by plasma, was produced. Heat inactivation of the plasma did not alter the inhibitory activity, and gel filtration analysis showed that the peak activity was associated with a molecular mass of 70,000. The results of this study indicate that human plasma contains one or more substances that inhibit the active oxygen production of neutrophils, which may play an important role in inhibiting unneeded neutrophil activation in the bloodstream.

Cell Line↗
PubMed1995

Electron microscopic study of endogenous peroxidase activity in human liver macrophages.

We evaluated the conditions of fixation for ultrastructurally demonstrating the endogenous peroxidase (PO) activity of macrophages in biopsied human liver. The application of microwaving and immersion fixation with tannic acid and aldehydes allowed excellent visualization of PO activity in the nuclear envelope (NE), rough endoplasmic reticulum (rER), and cytoplasmic granules (CG), with good preservation of cellular ultrastructures. The macrophages with PO activity showed one of the following five patterns of PO localization: positive in both the NE and rER but negative in the CG (type 1); negative in both the NE and rER but positive in the CG (type 2); negative in the NE but positive in both the rER and CG (type 3); positive in all three (type 4); PO negative (type 5). The type 1 cells resembled typical Kupffer cells, type 2 cells monocytes, and type 3 and 4 cells the exudate-resident macrophages considered to be a transitional form between exudate and resident macrophages. Type 5 cells may also be a transitional form between the exudate and resident macrophage, or an end-stage macrophage derived from exudate macrophages which have lost their PO activity. Tannic-acid-aldehyde immersion fixation with microwaving may be a useful method in the study of the PO activities of macrophages in biopsied human liver specimens.

Cell Nucleus↗
PubMed1995

A case of microscopic testicular tumour.

A 34-year-old male was referred to us for further examination of gynaecomastia. Serum tests revealed high levels of alpha-foeto protein, human chorionic gonadotropin, oestradiol and prolactin. He had a history of testicular pain and mass, and had been under a local physician's care. With the physician's record of the course of regression we made a diagnosis of microscopic testicular tumour. Serial histopathological sections of the testis revealed a 0.8 mm lesion of chorionic and embryonal carcinoma. We discuss the course of spontaneous regression with a review of the literature.

Adult↗