Dopaminergic neurons degenerate by apoptosis in Parkinson's disease.
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Apoptosis↗
Biomedical subjects
Y Mizuno
Publications and source records attributed to Y Mizuno.
Levodopa in the treatment of Parkinson's disease: a consensus meeting.
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Animals↗
A case of clitoral metastasis without skin involvement from rectal cancer.
An 84-year-old woman visited a private dermatologist and gynecologist due to pain in the external genitals. However, no abnormality was found. She was referred to a surgeon in our hospital to clarify the etiology of the pain. Rectal cancer and liver metastatic tumor were detected, and the rectal cancer was resected. However, the pain increased after the operation and she was referred to our department. No macroscopic abnormalities of the external genitals were found. However, a vaginal examination could not be performed due to severe pain. By local examination under anesthesia, enlargement of the clitoris was detected. A simple clitoridectomy was performed. Histological examination revealed that the clitoral tumor was metastatic cancer originating from rectal cancer.
Adenocarcinoma↗
Effect of interleukin-1 beta on cardiac hypertrophy and production of natriuretic peptides in rat cardiocyte culture.
This study was designed to examine the effects of interleukin-1 beta (IL-1 beta) on myocyte (MC) hypertrophy and the production of A-type natriuretic peptide (ANP) and B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP) in rat ventricular cardiocyte culture, and to investigate the role of nonmyocyte (NMC) in this process. We examined the effects of IL-1 beta on the production of ANP and BNP in comparison with the effects of endothelin-1 (ET-1) by using two types of neonatal rat cardiocyte culture; MC-enriched culture and MC-NMC coculture. In the MC-enriched culture, the increase in secretion of ANP and BNP was small in treatment with IL-1 beta (1000 pg/ml), while ET-1 (10 nM) markedly augmented the secretion of ANP and BNP. In the MC-NMC coculture, IL-1 beta and ET-1 each significantly augmented the secretion of ANP and BNP. The degree of the increase of ANP and BNP was equivalent between IL-1 beta and ET-1. As for the morphological changes of MCs, IL-1 beta induced the star-shaped MC hypertrophy characterized by elongation and pointed edges only in the MC-NMC coculture, while ET-1 induced the MC hypertrophy characterized by shapes of squares, triangles or circles in both cultures. This study shows that IL-1 beta induces unique cardiac hypertrophy and the marked secretion of ANP and BNP, and that NMC is indispensable when treated with IL-1 beta.
Animals↗
Improvement of endothelial vasomotor dysfunction by treatment with alpha-tocopherol in patients with high remnant lipoproteins levels.
OBJECTIVES: This study sought to examine whether oral intake of alpha-tocopherol, an antioxidant, could improve endothelium-dependent vasorelaxation in patients with high remnant lipoproteins levels. BACKGROUND: Remnant lipoproteins are known to be atherogenic and impair endothelium-dependent arterial relaxation, but the underlying mechanisms remain unclear. Oxidative stress is a common feature of various risk factors for atherosclerosis. METHODS: Flow-mediated vasodilation of the brachial artery during reactive hyperemia was examined by high resolution ultrasound technique before and at the end of 4 weeks treatment with oral administration of alpha-tocopherol acetate (300 IU/day) or placebo, which was randomly assigned, in 40 patients with high serum levels of remnants and in 30 patients with low remnants levels in the fasting state (>75th percentile and <25th percentile, respectively, of the distribution of remnants levels in 150 consecutive hospitalized patients). RESULTS: Before treatment, flow-mediated vasodilation was lower in patients with high remnants levels than in those with low levels (4.1 +/- 0.3% vs. 6.0 +/- 0.5%, p < 0.01). Treatment with alpha-tocopherol but not with placebo significantly increased flow-mediated dilation in patients with high remnants levels (7.5 +/- 0.4% after alpha-tocopherol vs. 4.2 +/- 0.4% after placebo, p < 0.01). In patients with low remnants levels, alpha-tocopherol was not effective. The beneficial effect with alpha-tocopherol in high remnants patients was associated with decrease in plasma levels of thiobarbituric acid reactive substances, an indicator of lipid peroxidation (6.6 +/- 0.3 nmol/ml before alpha-tocopherol vs. 4.6 +/- 0.3 after alpha-tocopherol, p < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Alpha-tocopherol improved impairment of endothelium-dependent vasodilation in patients with high remnants levels. The increase in oxidative stress may at least partly contribute to endothelial vasomotor dysfunction, in patients with high remnants levels.
Adult↗
Genetics of Parkinson's disease.
Here we review familial Parkinson's disease from clinical, as well as molecular genetic aspects. To date, two genes responsible for familial Parkinson's disease have been identified: one is the alpha-synuclein gene located in the long arm of chromosome 4, and the other is the parkin gene located in the long arm of chromosome 6. The mode of inheritance of the former is autosomal dominant and clinical features consist of levodopa-responsive parkinsonism; the age of onset is younger than that of the sporadic cases (in their 40s), and the progression is faster (average disease duration approximately nine years). The latter form is transmitted as an autosomal recessive, and clinical features consist of early onset (in their 20s), levodopa-responsive parkinsonism, and a slow progression of the disease. In addition, the tau gene has been shown to be the disease gene for familial frontotemporal dementia and parkinsonism linked to chromosome 17. There are many other clinical phenotypes of familial Parkinson's disease among which three forms have been mapped to certain chromosome loci: one is in the short arm of chromosome 2, the two other forms are in the different loci of the short arm of chromosome 4. All of them are transmitted as autosomal dominant traits manifesting levodopa responsive parkinsonism. There still exists however, other clinical phenotypes of chromosome loci which are not known. Molecular cloning of these familial Parkinson's disease genes and the elucidation of the functions of the proteins encoded will certainly contribute greatly to the investigation of the etiology and pathogenesis of more common sporadic form of Parkinson's disease.
Chromosomes, Human, Pair 4↗
Fukuyama-type congenital muscular dystrophy: close relation between changes in the muscle basal lamina and plasma membrane.
Despite the recent advance in genetic study of Fukuyama-type congenital muscular dystrophy (FCMD), the mechanism of muscle degeneration in the disease remains unclear. To clarify it, muscle biopsies from six cases of FCMD were subjected to immunohistochemical and ultrastructural studies. On the muscle cell surface, decreased expression of laminin alpha2 subunit was seen along with aberrant expression of laminin alpha5 and neural cell adhesion molecule. Electron microscopy revealed breach of muscle basal lamina. The electron density of plasma membrane was significantly lower at the places without identifiable basal lamina. Thus in FCMD changes of laminin and other proteins on the cell surface involve a process common to developing muscles, and loss of normal structure of the basal lamina is closely associated with changes of the plasma membrane. This suggests that the primary cause of FCMD is related to formation and maintenance of the basal lamina.
Adult↗
Thyrsiferyl 23-acetate and its derivatives induce apoptosis in various T- and B-leukemia cells.
Thyrsiferyl 23-acetate (TF-23A), a cytotoxic compound from marine red alga, induced a rapid cell death in various leukemic T- and B-cell lines. During incubation of Jurkat cells with TF-23A, condensation and fragmentation of nuclei occurred and clusters composed of uneven small cellular particles were formed. Concentration- and time-dependent DNA fragmentation was also induced by the incubation of the cells with TF-23A. These results demonstrate that the TF-23A-induced cell death follows a typical apoptotic process. The TF-23A-induced apoptosis was prevented by fetal calf serum and insulin, but not by EGF or PDGF. TF-23A and its several analogous compounds showed apoptosis-inducing activity. However, only TF-23A out of these compounds showed an inhibitory activity for protein phosphatase 2A, PP2A. These results strongly suggest that a structure of TF-23A involved in induction of apoptosis is different from that involved in the PP2A inhibition.
Animals↗
Effects of test H-reflex size on reciprocal inhibition in forearm muscles.
We studied effects of test H-reflex size on reciprocal Ia inhibition in forearm muscles. In both healthy control subjects and hemiplegic patients, the amount of Ia inhibition decreased as the test H-reflex size increased. It is possible that forearm reciprocal Ia inhibition in hemiplegics reported previously might be underestimated due to larger test H-reflexes used in the hemiplegics than in the controls.
Adult↗
Associations of medical status and physical fitness with periodontal disease.
To determine the possible associations of medical status and physical fitness with periodontal disease, a cross-sectional study was conducted. The subjects were 517 males and 113 females aged 23 to 83 years who participated in a multiphasic health test at the Aichi Prefectural Center of Health Care, Japan, from 1992 to 1997. Their periodontal status was assessed by means of the CPITN scoring system. To assess the strength of associations between the examined factors and the score, odds ratios were computed using ordinal logistic models. Conventional risk factors such as old age, smoking habits, and higher fasting plasma glucose and simplified debris index increased the risk of periodontal disease. Hypertension, hematuria, leucocytosis or thrombocytosis, positive C-reactive protein and higher serum alkaline phosphatase were positively associated with the score, whereas higher serum high-density lipoprotein cholesterol was related to a lower risk. Poor physical fitness affecting aerobic capacity, foot balance and reaction was associated with a higher CPITN score. These associations were independent of the conventional risk factors. Although these new potential risk factors should be further investigated for their causal relationship, our findings suggested a close relationship of oral health to medical status and physical fitness.
Adult↗
Oversecretion of IL-18 in haemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis: a novel marker of disease activity.
We investigated the significance of interleukin (IL)-18 levels in the pathophysiology of haemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis (HLH). IL-18 levels were significantly elevated in all nine patients with active HLH compared with those of healthy controls. Serial determination of IL-18 levels in three cases, showed a gradual decrease compared with those of IL-12, interferon (IFN)-gamma or soluble Fas ligand (sFasL) in the course of clinical improvement, and seemed to be elevated until complete disappearance of disease activity. IL-18 and IFN-gamma (CC 0.711, P = 0.018), and IFN-gamma and sFasL (CC 0.849, P = 0.0049) levels were significantly correlated. On the other hand, correlation between IL-12 and IFN-gamma, IL-18 and sFasL, or IL-18 and IL-12 was not observed. IL-18, IFN-gamma and sFasL levels significantly correlated with disease activity such as fever and alanine transaminase (ALT) levels. IL-18 mRNA expression was enhanced in spleen, but not in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (MNC), bone marrow MNC, liver from patients of active HLH, or the tumour from a patient with lymphoma-associated haemophagocytic syndrome (LAHS). These results suggest that IL-18 may play important roles in the pathogenesis of HLH, particularly through induction of Th1 cells. IL-18 measurement may be useful for the diagnosis and for the detection of smouldering disease activity.
Cell Communication↗
Experiences of violence in HIV-seropositive women in the south-eastern United States of America.
Women represent one of the fastest growing groups being diagnosed with HIV infection. Because of the circumstances under which they live, women at the highest risk for HIV infection may also be at risk for verbal, physical and sexual violence. The purpose of this study was to examine the frequency and type of violence experienced by women infected with HIV, and describe associations between reported violence, self-esteem and sense of competence. The study used a descriptive design and was conducted in the south-eastern United States. The sample consisted of 194 women infected with HIV. Women were primarily single, African-Americans residing in urban areas with an annual household income of less than $10,000 per year. Participants completed face-to-face interviews using a structured questionnaire which included a frequency of violence scale, Rosenberg's self-esteem scale, and Pearlin and Schooler's mastery scale. Approximately 15% of women reported at least one event of physical abuse and 55% at least one event of verbal abuse in the past 6 months. Verbal abuse experienced by women was the strongest net negative predictor of self-esteem and competence. These findings indicate that HIV-infected women are at risk for experiencing physical abuse and verbal abuse, and the experience of violence is associated with lower self-esteem and competence.
Adolescent↗
Primary hepatic carcinoid and neuroendocrine carcinoma: clinicopathological and immunohistochemical study of five cases.
Primary hepatic carcinoid and neuroendocrine carcinoma (NEC) are rare tumors. We experienced three carcinoids and two NEC originating in the liver during the past 25 years and attempted to elucidate the clinicopathological and immunohistochemical features of these tumors. The patients had no endocrine symptoms despite two of them having elevated plasma serotonin. Three of the five patients died of the tumor after operation with an average survival time of 20.6 months. All tumors were large (up to 26 cm in diameter), four of them solitary and one multinodular, and were not associated with liver cirrhosis. The carcinoid tumors showed insular, trabecular or glandular arrangement of argyrophilic cells, whereas in the NEC this histological pattern was distorted. Immunohistochemically the tumors showed expression of chromogranin A (all cases), chromogranin B (three cases), pancreastatin and chromostatin (four cases, respectively), prohormone convertase PC3 (three cases), carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) and CA19-9 (two cases), cytokeratin 56 kDa (three cases), 160 kDa neurofilament (two cases) and neuron-specific enolase (two cases). Serotonin and glucagon were sporadically detected in two tumors. The most useful marker to confirm the diagnosis was chromogranin A, which was cleaved to pancreastatin and chromostatin in the tumor tissue, and was more reliable than other markers of neuroendocrine differentiation.
Adult↗
A large Japanese family with Machado-Joseph disease: clinical and genetic analysis.
We report clinical and genetic studies on a large Japanese family with Machado-Joseph disease (MJD), in which various different clinical phenotypes were seen in the same family, i.e., cerebellar ataxia type, severe amyotrophy type, and young-onset parkinsonism type. In addition, patients with very mild symptoms (formes frustes) were encountered. The expansion of the CAG repeat at the MJD locus ranged from 64 to 71 in 7 affected and 4 presymptomatic individuals. In our family, no clear inverse correlation was noted between the length of CAG-expansion and the age of onset, or the clinical phenotypes. Hyporeflexia was a common manifestation seen in 5 patients. It has been reported that the presence of peripheral neuropathy in MJD is associated with smaller increase in the CAG repeats; findings in our family conform with this observation.
Adolescent↗
Favorable life-style modification and attenuation of cardiovascular risk factors.
In order to develop an effective counseling system for prevention of cardiovascular diseases, the association of a favorably changed life-style with improved risk factors was examined. Participants were 7,321 office workers aged 30-69 years from in and around Nagoya city. The age-adjusted odds ratio (OR) and its 95% confidence interval (CI) were calculated to assess the likelihood of risk factor improvement by favorable life-style modifications during a 3-year period. Those who began to eat breakfast and increased their vegetable intake normalized their previously abnormal diastolic blood pressure with more than twice the likelihood (adjusted OR [95% CI] 2.89 [1.29-6.46] and 2.60 [1.18-5.75], respectively). 'Began to eat breakfast' was also significantly associated with normalized total cholesterol (TC) (1.84, [1.05-3.21]). 'Stopped eating till full' significantly normalized the body mass index (2.03; [1.25-3.28]), uric acid (1.65; [1.07-2.52]) and TC (1.43; [1.04-1.97]). Those who started regular exercise significantly normalized their high-density lipoprotein-cholesterol (HDL-C) abnormality with 1.69-times the likelihood (1.69; [1.24-2.29]) and those who began to walk briskly also improved their TC abnormality (1.85; [1.19-2.89]). HDL-C was normalized with 2.55-times the likelihood in those who quit smoking (2.55; [1.68-3.86]). Because favorable life-style modifications can attenuate abnormal cardiovascular risk factors, then proper advice on specific risk factors should be routinely given at each health check-up in order to prevent the onset of cardiovascular diseases in subsequent years.
Adult↗
Occlusion of the internal carotid artery by means of microcoils for preventing epistaxis caused by guttural pouch mycosis in horses.
Occlusion of the internal carotid artery by insertion of intravascular platinum microcoils for guttural pouch mycosis was experimentally evaluated in 9 healthy adult Thoroughbred horses. The internal carotid artery was ligated to its origin, and an arteriotomy was made distal to the ligature, which was then occluded by insertion of the microcoil approximately 13 cm distal to its origin. Cessation of blood flow was determined visually and by angiography at the arteriotomy site. Six horses were evaluated for complication clinically and by endoscopy after surgery. One horse was necropsied after 30 days of surgery for histological evaluation of artery thrombus formation. In the other 3 horses, the blood flow of the right internal carotid artery was monitored, before and after microcoil occlusion of the left internal carotid artery. One or 2 microcoils stopped blood flow within a few minutes. No other abnormal findings were observed clinically. Thrombus was observed in the occluded segment of 1 horse 30 days after insertion; but no abnormalities were detected. The blood flow in the right internal carotid artery increased by approximately 28-58% after occlusion of the left internal carotid artery. This microcoil vascular occlusion technique causes an effective thrombosis, and based on experimental studies and clinical application in 2 horses with epistaxis due to guttural pouch mycosis, this technique would appear to be safe and efficacious.
Animals↗
[Adverse drug reaction in the elderly].
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Aged↗
[Endoscopic ureteroureterostomy for a complete obstructed ureter: a case report].
We report a case in which the completely obstructed ureter was successfully treated by endourological procedure. The patient was a 66-year-old male who had been admitted for panperitonitis caused by diverticulitis perforation of the sigmoid colon. About one month later, leakage of both stool and urine and left hydronephrosis were observed. Therefore, left percutaneous nephrostomy was performed and the artificial anus was created. Radiographic examination showed about 1 cm defect on the lower one-third of the left ureter. (1st Operation) A 9.5 Fr. rigid ureteroscope was inserted into the left ureter transurethrally and a 7.5 Fr. flexible ureteroscope was inserted percutaneously. Antegrade puncture using a stiff end of a 0.038-inch guidewire into the obstructed segment was failed. Then, we bit off the obliterated tissue with a biopsy forceps transurethrally towards the light from the flexible scope, and a 12 Fr. double-J stent was indwell. (2nd Operation) Eight weeks after the first operation, a 12 Fr. ureteroresectoscope was inserted transurethrally. Full-thickness cold-knife incision of the re-established ureter was failed, however. (3rd Operation) Two weeks after the second operation, a 12.5 Fr. ureteroscope was inserted transurethrally, and a full-thickness incision in the lateral position of the re-established ureter was successfully made by KTP-laser. Then, a 12 Fr. endopyelotomy stent was placed. (Result) Six weeks after the third operation, the stent was removed and DIP revealed the improvement in hydronephrosis. The patient presented no recurrence at 2-year follow up.
Aged↗