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Biomedical subjects

Y Fujiwara

Publications and source records attributed to Y Fujiwara.

At least 343 records · Page 19Linked to original sources
PubMed1996

[The constituents of Taxillus kaempferi and the host, Pinus thunbergii. I. Catechins and flavones of Taxillus kaempferi].

Four flavonoid compounds, avicularin (1), hyperin (2), quercitrin (3), taxillusin (4), were isolated from leaves of Taxillus kaempferi, and three catechin compounds, (+)-catechin (6), procyanidin B-1 (7), procyanidin B-3 (8), showing a reddish purple color on the reaction with Ehrlich reagent, were also isolated from the stems. Each of these seven isolated compounds were identified by comparing the spectral data with those of the references. Compound 8 was examined to substantiate the stereochemical configurations of conformer, a and b in the detailed 1H-nuclear magnetic resonance (1H-NMR) spectrum using the nuclear Overhauser effect (NOE) difference spectroscopy and spin decoupling experiment in the acetone-d6 solution.

Biflavonoids↗
PubMed1996

[The mechanisms of aging and perspective for elimination of deleterious effects].

Genetic programs and age-dependent changes in DNA and protein are involved in aging. The genetic program governs body weight, longevity, aging rate, sex-maturating period and metabolic rate in mammals, and such a number of life history variables are highly correlated with body size. Monogenic age-1 and daf-2 C. elegans mutants extend life span twice. However, human monogenic progeroids shorten lifespan. The Werner syndrome gene was mapped in 8p12. Mutations in the Cockayne syndrome genes (the CSA and CSB genes acting for preferential repair of active genes by interacting with transcription factor TFIIH) and in the ataxia telangictasia gene ATM (homologous with PI-3 kinase for signal transduction) have been disclosed. All such findings suggest a strong basis for the genetic program of aging. In addition, recent evidence indicates that genetic instability, such as telomere loss, somatic and mitochondrial DNA mutations, increases with age. In addition, amounts of carbonylated protein also increase during human aging, and greatly increase in an SOD-deficient C. elegans mutant, but to a less extent in long-living age-1. Therefore, the aging process involves gene action, genetic instability and protein oxidation. Dietary restriction and elimination of deleterious excessive reactive oxygen species may improve many abnormalities due to aging.

Aging↗
PubMed1996

Relationship between gastroesophageal reflux and gastric emptying after distal gastrectomy.

OBJECTIVES: Our objective was to determine whether delayed gastric emptying contributes to gastroesophageal reflux after distal gastrectomy. METHODS: To study gastric emptying and gastroesophageal reflux, we used a tecnnetium-labeled mixed liquid and solid test meal in 46 distal gastrectomy patients (19 with reflux symptoms and 27 without) and in 10 controls. The relationship of reflux symptoms to gastric emptying and the correlation between gastric emptying and the scintigraphic reflux index were evaluated. RESULTS: The reflux index was significantly higher in the symptomatic group (9.76 +/- 5.64%) than in the asymptomatic group (4.45 +/- 2.70%). The gastric emptying half time was significantly longer in the symptomatic group (53.13 +/- 19.39 min) than in asymptomatic group (34.26 +/- 20.40 min) and in normal controls (27.31 +/- 4.60 min). There was a significant linear correlation between the scintigraphic reflux index and the gastric emptying half time (r = 0.505,p < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: These findings suggest that scintigraphy is a reasonably accurate test for detecting gastroesophageal reflux and that delayed gastric emptying plays an important role in the development of reflux after distal gastrectomy.

Adult↗
PubMed1996

Characteristics of hepatocellular carcinoma associated with extrahepatic primary malignancies in southern Japan.

OBJECTIVES: This study was conducted to clarify the characteristics of patients with extrahepatic primary cancers (EHPC) associated with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), as well as to investigate the influence of EHPC on both patient survival and disease-free survival after hepatic resection. METHODS: Forty-one of 463 patients who underwent hepatic resection were included. The clinicopathological factors, including survival, were compared between patients with and without EHPC. We also compared the same factors among the prehepatectomy, synchronous, and posthepatectomy groups. Different types of extrahepatic cancers were also investigated in detail. RESULTS: Gastric and colorectal cancers were the most common EHPC. No definite relationship was observed between HCC and other specific cancers such as B-cell lymphoproliferative disorders. There also were no differences in either the liver function tests, alpha-fetoprotein, or prognostic pathological indicators such as portal vein invasion and intrahepatic metastases. In addition, we found no difference in patient survival between the patients with and without EHPC. However, disease-free survival rates in patients with EHPC were significantly higher than in those without EHPC. Patients in the prehepatectomy group were older than those in the synchronous and posthepatectomy groups, and no positive hepatitis B surface antigen was found in the prehepatectomy group. Patient survival was significantly higher in the posthepatectomy group than in the prehepatectomy group; however, no significant difference in disease-free survival was found among the three groups. Only one patient died of EHPC. CONCLUSIONS: No specific clinicopathological factors were observed in patients with HCC associated with EHPC. Furthermore, EHPC had no adverse effect on either patient survival or disease-free survival after hepatic resection. The predominant cancer was gastric cancer, whereas the most frequent cause of death was HCC itself. Therefore, a strict follow-up of HCC--as well as screening for the most common cancers, such as gastric cancers in southern Japan--should be required for patients with HCC associated with EHPC.

Carcinoma, Hepatocellular↗
PubMed1996

[Ocular metastasis necessitating enucleation of an eyeball after surgery for primary lung cancer].

A 68-year-old man was referred because of an abnormal shadow in the right upper lung field on a chest X-ray film. After the diagnosis of adenocarcinoma of the lung, left upper lobectomy was done. Histologically, adenocarcinoma with foci of squamous cell carcinoma was seen. About 11 months after that operation, he suddenly noticed a decrease in visual acuity on the left side. The fundus of the eye was tested and metastatic choroidal cancer was suspected. To prevent rupture, the eyeball was enucleated. The choroidal tumor appeared to have components of squamous cell carcinoma from primary lung cancer. About 7 months after enucleation of his eyeball, the patient was disease-free with no decrease in his quality of life. As a result of a recent increase in the incidence of lung cancer, it is important to pay attention to ophthalmological tests in patients with primary lung cancer.

Adenocarcinoma↗
PubMed1996

Laboratory diagnosis of Helicobacter pylori infection by polymerase chain reaction.

Although the detection of Helicobacter pylori (Hp) infection is important, it is a rather difficult task using only conventional diagnostic techniques. In this study, we have applied a polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-based assay for the diagnosis of Hp infection. RT-PCR for Hp ribosomal RNA was utilized, using the gastric biopsy specimens obtained endoscopically from 10 patients. PCR primers have been designed from the highly consensus region of the 7 different Hp rRNA sequences in GenBank. In the detection of Hp, PCR was more sensitive than culturing and showed 100% of the sensitivity and specificity compared with histology. Our primer pair could detect as few as 50 organisms per reaction. RT-PCR for Hp rRNA is a sensitive and specific method to detect Hp infection in the gastric mucosa.

Base Sequence↗
PubMed1996

Analysis of shape and retractability of the prepuce in 603 Japanese boys.

PURPOSE: We evaluated preputial development in Japanese boys. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Preputial retractability and formation of a tight ring were evaluated in 603 Japanese boys 0 to 15 years old. RESULTS: The incidence of a completely retractable prepuce gradually increased from 0% at age 6 months to 62.9% by 11 to 15 years, while that of a tight ring decreased with age from 84.3 to 8.6%. Nine boys had balanoposthitis but none had a symptomatic urinary tract infection. CONCLUSIONS: Incomplete separation of the prepuce is common and normal in neonates and infants, and preputial separation progresses until adolescence. Awareness of these findings will eliminate unnecessary circumcision in boys.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1995

Long-term effects of small bowel transplantation on intestinal motility.

We previously found that the contractile motility of the jejunum was increased 4 weeks after transplantation, and that the dominant intrinsic neural component was changed from cholinergic to nonadrenergic, noncholinergic (NANC). The present study investigated the long-term effects of transplantation on jejunal motility using rats that survived for 2 years after surgery. Jejunal strips were harvested from various groups of rats, and intestinal motility was assessed by electrical transmural stimulation. Stimulation produced a similar increase of contraction at 4 weeks and 2 years after grafting. Pretreatment with atropine showed that the cholinergic component of contraction was 45%, 24%, 32%, and 24% in controls, rats 4 weeks after transplantation, 2-year-old controls, and rats 2 years after transplantation, respectively. The NANC component (obtained with atropine and guanethidine) in each group was, respectively, 56%, 73%, 60%, and 69%. The actual value of the tetrodotoxin-insensitive myogenic component was significantly increased at 2 years after transplantation. A substance P antagonist ([Arg6, D-Trp7,9, Mephe8], substance P 6-11), inhibited most of the NANC contraction after transplantation. These results suggested that substance P has a key role in the motility of transplanted small bowel throughout the life of the grafts.

Analgesics↗
PubMed1995

Shear stress induces expression of CNP gene in human endothelial cells.

To elucidate the effect of blood flow on gene transcription of C-type natriuretic peptide (CNP), human umbilical vein endothelial cells were exposed to shear stress in a cone-plate viscometer. Expression of CNP mRNA, evaluated by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction, was markedly increased by exposure to shear stress of 24 dyne/cm2 at 3 h. The CNP mRNA level was maintained until 12 h. Thus, the present study demonstrated for the first time that shear stress induces expression of CNP gene in human endothelial cells.

Atrial Natriuretic Factor↗
PubMed1995

High-performance liquid chromatographic determination of irinotecan (CPT-11) and its active metabolite (SN-38) in human plasma.

A simplified method for the simultaneous determination of irinotecan (CPT-11, I) and its active metabolite (SN-38, II) in human plasma by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) with fluorescence detection has been developed. Following the addition of the internal standard (I.S.) camptothecin, the drugs were extracted from plasma using methanol. The average extraction efficiencies were 87% for I, 90% for II and 90% for the I.S. Chromatography was performed using a TSK gel ODS-80Ts column, monitored at 556 nm (excitation wavelength, 380 nm) and the mobile phase was acetonitrile-50 mM disodium hydrogen phosphate (28:72) containing 5 mM heptanesulphonate (pH 3.0). The linear quantitation ranges for I and II were 30-2000 and 1-30 ng/ml, respectively.

Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic↗
PubMed1995

A serine protease in Alzheimer's disease cells cleaves a 16K-peptide with flanking residues upstream to beta-amyloid-N-terminus as natural substrate.

A serine protease which cleaves an oligopeptide at the beta-amyloid (beta A4) N-terminus was identified and purified from extracellular fluid of familial Alzheimer's disease (FAD) lymphoblastoid cells. In order to search for a natural substrate that stands for a direct precursor of beta A4, C-terminal fragments of beta-amyloid precursor protein (APP) were prepared by immunoprecipitation of cytosol proteins with beta A4-specific antibody. The 16 kDa peptide with N-terminus 30 amino acids upstream from the beta A4-N-terminus, also existing in other hematopoietic cells, was proved to be a natural substrate for the protease in human lymphoid cells. Its cleaved fragment with beta A4-N-terminus was thought to be less amyloidogenic on the basis of its property of self-aggregation in acidic pH. The results suggest the significance of the unique cleavage site at beta A4-upstreams in generation and accumulation of beta A4.

Alzheimer Disease↗
PubMed1995

Distinct roles of the receptor tyrosine kinases Tie-1 and Tie-2 in blood vessel formation.

Tie-1 and Tie-2 define a new class of receptor tyrosine kinases that are specifically expressed in developing vascular endothelial cells. To study the functions of Tie-1 and Tie-2 during vascular endothelial cell growth and differentiation in vivo, targeted mutations of the genes in mice were introduced by homologous recombination. Embryos deficient in Tie-1 failed to establish structural integrity of vascular endothelial cells, resulting in oedema and subsequently localized haemorrhage. However, analyses of embryos deficient in Tie-2 showed that it is important in angiogenesis, particularly for vascular network formation in endothelial cells. This result contrasts with previous reports on Tie-2 function in vasculogenesis and/or endothelial cell survival. Our in vivo analyses indicate that the structurally related receptor tyrosine kinases Tie-1 and Tie-2 have important but distinct roles in the formation of blood vessels.

Animals↗
PubMed1995

Molecular cloning of human cDNA with a sequence highly similar to that of the dihydrofolate reductase gene in brain libraries derived from Alzheimer's disease patients.

A polyclonal antibody was raised against a serine protease purified from the extracellular fluid of familial Alzheimer's disease lymphoblastoid cells. Using this antibody, a cDNA library from familial Alzheimer's disease cells and two cDNA libraries from the brains of two Alzheimer's disease patients were screened independently. The familial Alzheimer's disease protein 1 (FADP1) cDNA clones isolated from these three libraries were subjected to DNA sequence analysis. The nucleotide sequence of FADP1 cDNA is highly similar to the 5' portion of the human dihydrofolate reductase (DHFR) gene, however, the sequence corresponding to exon 1 of the DHFR gene is completely disrupted and contains a 247-bp DNA insert with a sequence unique to FADP1. Moreover, FADP1 cDNA harbours a large open reading frame, including the unique insert, which has the potential to code an approximately 50-kDa protein. The deduced amino acid sequence of this protein contains 12 cysteine residues potentially involved in six disulfide bonds, a proline-rich segment and a hydrophobic segment. Northern-blot analysis with the unique insert DNA probe verified that FADP1 protein is expressed in both lymphoblastoid and brain cells derived from Alzheimer's disease patients.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1995

Stimulatory effect of lead on the proliferation of cultured vascular smooth-muscle cells.

The effect of lead nitrate on the DNA synthesis of cultured bovine aortic smooth-muscle cells has been studied. Lead at 0.5-10 microM stimulated the incorporation of [3H]thymidine into the acid-insoluble fraction of the cells in a dose-dependent manner. However, other heavy metals including zinc, copper, manganese and nickel did not show such a stimulatory effect. Stimulation of [3H]thymidine incorporation by basic fibroblast growth factor was additive to that by lead. However, stimulation by either platelet-derived growth factor or acidic fibroblast growth factor was reduced by the metal. The leakage of lactate dehydrogenase into the medium from smooth-muscle cells, a marker of cell death, was not changed by the metal. Calcium ionophore A23187 inhibited [3H]thymidine incorporation in vascular endothelial cells but stimulated it in vascular smooth-muscle cells. These results suggest that lead may stimulate the proliferation of cultured vascular smooth-muscle cells probably via a calcium-dependent pathway; the metal may mimic calcium within the cells.

Animals↗