Search PubMed⌕ Search

Biomedical subjects

Y Maeda

Publications and source records attributed to Y Maeda.

At least 901 records · Page 50Linked to original sources
PubMed1986

Genetic studies on the muscle protein turnover rate of coturnix quail.

The validation of the urinary excretion of N tau-methylhistidine (N tau-MH) by quail as an index of the muscle protein turnover rate was tested using the criterion of the rate of recovery of radioactivity in urine following an intraperitoneal dose of L-[3-14C] methylhistidine. A genetic study on muscle protein turnover in quail was conducted using three genetically diverse lines (LL, large body size; SS, small body size; RR, random-bred control line) selected for body size. When L-[3-14C] methylhistidine was administered to 20-week-old male and female coturnix quail by direct intraperitoneal injection, approximately 90% of the L-[3-14C] methylhistidine was recovered by 96 hr postinjection. Recoveries were low in the egg and muscle. These results show that N tau-MH released from myofibrillar protein is not reutilized and the excretion of N tau-MH is a satisfactory index of muscle protein breakdown. In all lines, the amount of urinary N tau-MH excretion and fractional synthesis (Ks) and degradation (Kd) rates at the high growing period were higher than those at the low growing period. The Ks and Kd are significantly different among selected lines at both 3 and 6 weeks of age. At 3 weeks of age, the fractional rate of synthesis of the LL line (13.2%/day) was higher than that of the RR line (11.5%/day), whereas the SS (8.1%/day) was lower than that of the RR line (11.5%/day). The fractional rates of degradation of both the LL line (4.1%/day) and the SS line (5.6%/day) were lower than that of the RR line (7.0%/day) at 3 weeks of age. From these results, it was recognized that selection for body size gave rise to the changes in the muscle protein turnover rate.

Aging↗
PubMed1986

Characterization of the gene products produced in minicells by pSM1, a derivative of R100.

At least ten polypeptides larger than 6 kilodaltons (K) are produced in minicells from the miniplasmid pSM1 in vivo. pSM1 (5804 bp) is a small derivative of the drug resistance plasmid R100 (ca. 90 kb) and carries the R100 essential replication region as well as some non-essential functions. Cloned restriction fragments of pSM1 and plasmids with deletions within pSM1 sequences were used to assign eight of the ten observed polypeptides to specific coding regions of pSM1. Two of these polypeptides were identified as RepA1 and RepA2, proteins encoded by the essential replication region of pSM1/R100. The nucleotide sequence consisting of 885 bp outside the essential replication region is presented here. This sequence contains an open reading frame, orf4, for a protein 22.9 K in size, and one of the pSM1-encoded polypeptides was identified as the orf4 gene product. Five additional polypeptides were shown to be the products of other open reading frames mapping outside the essential replication region. Specific functions have been assigned to four of these polypeptides and tentatively to the fifth.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1986

Pinocytosis in Dictyostelium discoideum cells. A possible implication of cytoskeletal actin for pinocytotic activity.

Pinocytosis in Dictyostelium discoideum axenic strain (Ax-2) cells in the growth phase is progressively inhibited at higher Ca2+ concentrations, the activity being maximal at submicromolar Ca2+ concentrations. The cytoskeletal actin content is also markedly reduced in the presence of 10 mM EGTA. This was confirmed by electronmicroscopy using intact cells and Triton X-100-insoluble cell cortices. Interestingly, the pinocytotic activity seemed to be somewhat increased in response to cytochalasin B (CB). Aggregation-competent Ax-2 cells which are usually devoid of pinocytotic activity can resume their activity considerably following treatment with 10 mM EGTA. Under these conditions, cytoskeletal actin declines markedly, as also was the case for growing Ax-2 cells. Our findings indicate a correlation between the pinocytotic activity and presence of cytoskeletal actin: reduced amounts of actin in the cell cortex seem to favour pinocytosis. Conceivably, membrane-associated actin filaments may function as a powerful anchor, restricting the flexibility of the cell membrane and thereby inhibiting the pinosome formation. Other properties of pinocytosis like a developmental change as well as the effects of pH and temperature are also described and were compared with the properties of wild-type strain, NC-4.

Actins↗
PubMed1986

Clinical consequences of 2'-deoxycoformycin treatment in patients with refractory adult T-cell leukaemia.

Five patients from the Kyushu area in Japan with adult T-cell leukaemia (ATL) refractory to conventional chemotherapeutic agents were treated with 5 mg/m2 of the adenosine deaminase inhibitor, 2'-deoxycoformycin (DCF), intravenously (i.v.) for 3 consecutive days, followed by 5 mg/m2 i.v. weekly. Two patients showed a good response, and three were resistant to DCF. One patient with ATL receiving DCF had a continuous remission without further therapy. Another patient in the terminal stage received three daily injections of 7.5 mg of DCF. The most prominent change was the drop in the leucocyte count. The cell count fell from 116.4 X 10(9)/l to 2.0 X 10(9)/l on day 7. The only adverse effects of DCF therapy were gastrointestinal toxicity, nausea and vomiting. These results suggest that DCF may be a valuable drug for treating refractory ATL.

Adenosine Deaminase Inhibitors↗
PubMed1986

Autonomic nervous function determined by changes of periflux blood flow in the aged.

The periflux blood flow (PBF) in fingers was determined by a periflux laser Doppler flowmeter (PLDF). The patterns of PBF responses to standing and Valsalva's maneuver were analyzed. The PBF responses in both loading tests were well correlated with the results of the conventional autonomic function test. It was, therefore, considered that our method would be useful for assessment of autonomic function. We practically investigated PBF responses in the two loading tests in three groups: young age group (10-39 years), middle age group (40-69 years) and old age group (70-89 years). The old age group showed significant decreases in both sympathetic and parasympathetic functions. It was indicated that this non-surgical and simple autonomic function test will be useful particularly in the elderly.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1986

Effects of oral diltiazem on ventricular premature contractions.

The effects of oral diltiazem (90-180 mg/day for four weeks) on ventricular premature contractions (VPCs) were studied in 16 patients with frequent VPCs using 24-hour ambulatory ECG recordings. VPC frequency was evaluated as a function of underlying heart rate. Plots of VPC frequency vs. heart rate were made at 1-beat/min intervals for all heart rates recorded for at least five minutes during 24 hours. Patterns of correlation between VPC frequency and heart rate observed before diltiazem therapy included: 1) a relatively linear increase in VPCs with heart rate (positive correlation) in ten patients, 2) a linear decrease (negative correlation) in one patient, and 3) an increase at low heart rates and a decrease at high heart rates (bidirectional correlation) in five patients. Diltiazem significantly reduced the mean VPC frequency per 24 hours for patients with a positive correlation, but induced no significant change for patients with a negative or a bidirectional correlation. At the 65% level of VPC reduction, diltiazem was effective in eight of ten patients with a positive correlation but was not effective in the six patients with other correlations (p less than 0.01). These results suggest that an evaluation of VPC frequency as a function of heart rate predicts the response of VPCs to diltiazem.

Administration, Oral↗
PubMed1986

Light and electron microscopic observations of the white pulp of the dog spleen during hemorrhagic shock.

Structural changes of the white pulp of the spleen were investigated in dogs subjected to hemorrhagic shock. At 1 h after hemorrhage (early impending stage), hydropic changes of the germinal center cells were observed by electron microscopy, while no remarkable change could be found by light microscopy. At 2 h after hemorrhage (end of impending stage), tangible bodies increased in number in the germinal center as a result of destruction of germinal center cells. In addition, tangible bodies appeared also in the perifollicular zone, while there were few tangible bodies in the follicular area. At the end of critical stage (3 h after hemorrhage), destruction of cells was remarkable not only in the germinal center and perifollicular zone, but also in the follicular area. Tangible bodies and tangible body macrophages were abundant in germinal center, follicular area and perifollicular zone. Moreover, acellular areas frequently appeared in the follicular area which was composed predominantly of small lymphocytes. At the terminal stage of normovolemic shock, the cells of white pulp including perifollicular zones were markedly decreased. Hemorrhages were frequently recognized in the germinal center and follicular area.

Animals↗
PubMed1986

On the mechanism of the chemical and enzymic oxygenations of alpha-oxyprotohemin IX to Fe.biliverdin IX alpha.

alpha-Oxyprotohemin IX, an early intermediate in heme catabolism, was synthesized and its autoxidation to biliverdin IX alpha was studied. In anaerobic aqueous pyridine, alpha-oxyprotohemin (hexacoordinated) underwent autoreduction to yield an Fe(II) alpha-oxyprotoporphyrin pi-neutral radical bis(pyridine) complex, which reacted with an equimolar amount of dioxygen to give pyridine.verdohemochrome IX alpha and CO in 75-80% yield via an intermediate with an absorption maximum at 893 nm. Verdohemochrome IX alpha did not react with further dioxygen. Reconstituted apomyoglobin.alpha-oxyprotohemin IX complex (pentacoordinated) reacted with an equimolar amount of dioxygen to form an Fe(II) oxyporphyrin pi-neutral radical intermediate, which rearranged to a green compound (lambda max 660 and 704 nm) with elision of CO. The green product, which is probably an apomyoglobin.verdoheme pi-radical complex, reacted with another equimolar amount of dioxygen to give Fe(III).biliverdin IX alpha. Demetallation of this gave biliverdin IX alpha in overall yield of 70-75%. These results indicate that the sequence of oxyheme autoxidation in the presence of apomyoglobin is alpha-oxyprotoheme IX O2----CO----verdohemochrome IX alpha pi-radical O2----Fe(III).biliverdin IX alpha. A similar mechanism may prevail in vivo. The hexa- and pentacoordinated Fe(II) pi-radical form of the oxyporphyrin is crucial in triggering the autoxidation of the complex to verdohemochrome IX alpha. Further oxygenation of verdohemochrome IX alpha to Fe(III).biliverdin IX alpha occurred only in the pentacoordinated apomyoglobin.verdoheme Fe(II) complex.

Apoproteins↗
PubMed1986

Diuretic effect of L-threo-3,4-dihydroxyphenylserine, a noradrenaline precursor, in rats and mice.

L-Threo-DOPS, a noradrenaline (NA) precursor, produced a dose-dependent increase in the volume of urine in mice and rats. It also increased the total output of sodium and chloride ions, but not the excretion of potassium ion. Treatment with peripheral decarboxylase inhibitors antagonized not only the diuretic action, but also the increase in the concentration of kidney NA produced by L-threo-DOPS. These results suggest that the diuretic action of L-threo-DOPS might not be due to its direct action, but largely to NA formed by its decarboxylation in the kidney.

Animals↗
PubMed1986

Characterization of vascular permeability-increasing component isolated from solid tumors and the effect of highly polymerized dextran sulfate on its activity.

Increase in vascular permeability is usually seen at the growth site of a tumor implant in murine dermal tissue. Increased vascular permeability was inducible by the subcutaneous injection of a solid tumor extract rich in protein precipitable at 20-50% saturation of ammonium sulfate. The vascular permeability-increasing activity of the tumor extract was reducible in the presence of highly polymerized dextran sulfate (DS-500) which showed a strong anticomplementary activity, but not by other substances such as dextran sulfate with a low molecular weight, non-sulfated dextran, chondroitin sulfate or heparin. As the tumor extract includes gamma-globulins in aggregated or bound form and adsorbs complements, it is probable that the aggregated gamma-globulins increase vascular permeability by triggering the complement activation system in the skin. DS-500 might antagonize the process.

Ammonium Sulfate↗
PubMed1986

Growth experiment of Hantaan virus in A549 cells: an attempt to improve the immunofluorescent antibody technique for hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome.

An assay method for the infectivity of Hantaan virus, a causative agent of HFRS (hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome), was developed by the use of IFA (immunofluorescent antibody technique). With the aid of this method, the growth characteristics of Hantaan virus, 76-118 strain, were followed in A549 cells. At a maximal MOI (multiplicity of infection) of 1.6 VAIU (viral antigen-inducing units) per cell, the conventionally available value, plateau level potencies of the viral antigen and virus infectivity were attained at eight and ten days postinfection, respectively, and most of the infective virus produced accumulated in the culture fluids of infected cells. When infections were defined with MOI values in terms of VAIU per cell, development of the viral antigen was highly consistent and followed a given pattern of kinetics. Based on these findings, a protocol for preparation of the viral antigen in IFA was presented, wherein spot culture and FBS treatment were emphasized as effective procedures to minimize non-specific staining.

Animals↗
PubMed1986

Genetic variation of liver lipid content of coturnix quail.

Two experiments were conducted to elucidate the genetic variation in the liver lipid content of coturnix quail. In Experiment 1, the change of the liver lipid content with advancing age was studied. In Experiment 2, the genetic variation of the liver lipid content at 4 weeks of age was analyzed. Liver lipid was extracted with ethanol-ether solution and weighed. Genetic parameters of liver lipid content, body weight, and liver weight were estimated from sib analysis. The means of liver lipid content at 2 and 4 weeks of age were approximately 25% on a dry weight basis in both sexes. After 6 weeks of age, the liver lipid content of the female was higher than that of the male. The liver lipid content of the egg-laying female was slightly higher than that of the nonlaying female. Heritability (h2sire) of liver lipid content from 4-week-old coturnix quail was estimated as h2sire: .62 +/- .73.

Animals↗