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Biomedical subjects

Y Noda

Publications and source records attributed to Y Noda.

At least 145 records · Page 8Linked to original sources
PubMed1999

[The ratio of cervical subacute necrotizing lymphadenitis occupying superficial lymphadenopathy and its clinical findings].

INTRODUCTION: Diseases in which cervical lymphadenopathy is a chief complaint are commonly observed. These cases are associated with a good prognosis, high fever and pain which usually recovers without medication. This condition is referred to as subacute necrotizing lymphadenitis (SNL). We investigated cases of SNL that were correctly diagnosed by biopsy. OBJECT AND METHODS: We examined cases of SNL that were correctly diagnosed by biopsy in the Naha Prefectural hospital between April 1987 and March 1997. We statistically analyzed the ratio of occurrence and clinical findings (age, sex, season of occurrence, physical characteristics, clinical progress, blood findings, therapy, and prognosis). RESULTS: In a total of 629 cases, a biopsy specimen from the body surface of the area affected by lymphadenopathy was obtained. Among these cases, SNL was diagnosed in 54 accounting for 9% of the total body surface biopsies and 13% of the cervical lymphadenopathic biopsies. Sex: Of the 54 subjects, 18 were males and 36 females. AGE: Most of the subjects (87%) ranged from 10 to 30 years of age. Season of occurrence: The number SNL cases decreased from 1993. Many cases occurred in the cold season, from October to March. CLINICAL FINDINGS: Forty cases were investigated as fever, swelling, pain and complications. FEVER: Six cases (15%) were not associated with fever and 34 cases (85%) exhibited fever. Swelling: All subjects demonstrated swelling for at least one week and the longest duration of swelling was six months. Swelling continued for two to three months on average. Thirty-five cases (88%) showed swelling on one side only, left or right, and five cases (12%) showed swelling on both sides. PAIN: Ten cases (25%) were without pain and 30 cases (75%) with some pain. COMPLICATIONS: Twelve cases (30%) had complications including six of drug allergy, four of dermatitis, and some cases of diabetes mellitus and hyperthyroidism. Eleven of 54 cases (20%) were admitted to the hospital. Blood findings: The white blood cell level decreased in 30 of 37 cases (82%). As shown below, increased levels of CRP (6/34), ESR (4/31) and LDH (17/31) were observed. THERAPY: Steroids were administered in 24 of 36 cases and were effective in all cases. Antibiotics were administered in 25 of 31 cases and were effective in six cases (19%)) and ineffective in 10 cases (32%). The condition in nine cases (29%) worsened. Pain killers were employed in 26 of 32 cases. They were effective 18 cases (56%) and ineffective in eight cases (25%). No subjects died. The prognoses were good and all patients recovered without sequela. CONCLUSION: SNL was detected in a large number of patients with cervical lymphadenopathy who visited our hospital, if patients who were not diagnosed correctly by biopsy were included. Many patients exhibited lymphadenopathy on one side (88%). This result was slightly higher than that previously reported. SNL is considered to be related to allergy or upper respiratory infections. This disease often occurs in cold seasons and patients often exhibit complications such as drug allergies or antoimmune diseases.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1999

[Investigation of school life of children with acquired brain damage].

We investigated the status of the school life of 72 children with acquired brain damage attending to different schools: special schools (30 cases), special classes in an ordinary school (9 cases), and ordinary schools (33 cases). In the special school group, the main disorder was the sequelae of encephalitis/encephalopathy; there were 26 cases unable to walk, 29 with severe mental retardation, and 25 with epilepsy. In the ordinary school group, main problems were the sequelae of a cerebrovascular disorder or a traumatic brain injury. Impairment was mild in this group; only 2 cases were unable to walk, and only 4 were mentally retarded. However, many patients had learning difficulty and costed the families much work to achieve school lives. In all groups, the use of welfare equipments improved the activity of daily living. We emphasize that welfare equipments and community support systems should be utilized for these children.

Activities of Daily Living↗
PubMed1999

[Radiation therapy for small choroidal neovascularization in age-related macular degeneration].

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate radiation therapy for age-related macular degeneration with subfoveal or juxtafoveal choroidal neovascularization smaller than or equal to 1 disc area. DESIGN: Nonrandomized comparative clinical trial. PARTICIPANTS: Fourteen eyes received a total radiation dose of 10-20 Gy in 5-10 fractions. The mean follow-up time was 22 months. Ten eyes in a control group were followed for an average of 16 months without any treatment. RESULTS: At a 12-month follow-up examination, funduscopic and angiographic findings had improved in 7 eyes (50%), were unchanged in 1 eye (7%) and, had deteriorated in 6 eyes (43%) among the treated patients. The same findings had improved in 1 eye (10%), were unchanged in 2 eyes (20%), and had deteriorated in 7 eyes (70%) among the control patients. There was a statistically significant difference by Mann-Whitney U test between the two groups. Visual acuity had improved in 4 eyes (29%), was unchanged in 6 eyes (43%), and had declined in 4 eyes (29%) among the treated patients. Among the control patients visual acuity had improved in none of the eyes (0%), was unchanged in 6 eyes (60%), and had declined in 4 eyes (40%). The difference between the two groups was not statistically significant. Of the 7 cases whose fundus had improved by 12 months, 4 cases maintained a favorable status through the following 2 years. CONCLUSION: Radiation therapy had an inhibitory effect on small choroidal neovascularization when viewed by funduscopy and angiography, but, the efficacy for visual prognosis was not always identified.

Aged↗
PubMed1999

[Behavioral pharmacological characterization of mice lacking the nociceptin receptor].

Nociceptin and nociceptin receptor, which show structural similarities to opioid peptides and opioid receptors, respectively, have been recently found to constitute a novel neuromodulatory system. In the central nervous system, however, the physiological role of modulation via the nociceptin receptor is still unclear. Here, we report the behavioral pharmacological characterization of mice lacking the nociceptin receptor. Nociceptin produced hyperalgesia and hypolocomotion, whereas the nociceptin receptor-knockout mice showed no significant abnormalities in nociceptive thresholds (tail-flick, hot-plate, electric, and acetic acid-induced writhing tests) and locomotion. In the learning and memory tests, nociceptin induced impairment of learning and memory in wild-type mice. Nociceptin receptor-knockout mice possessed greater learning ability and had better memory than wild-type mice. These results suggest that the nociceptin system plays a role in regulation of nociception or locomotion and seems to play negative roles in learning and memory. Next, we compared nociceptive responses induced by various opioids between the nociceptin receptor-knockout and wild-type mice. As previously reported, morphine (mu-opioid receptor agonist), U-50,488 H (kappa 1-opioid receptor agonist), and naloxone benzoylhydrazone (NalBzoH; kappa 3-opioid receptor agonist) induced antinociceptive effects in wild-type mice. Surprisingly, knockout mice lacked the antinociceptive effect induced by NalBzoH, but not by morphine and U-50,488H. Further, NalBzoH completely inhibited nociceptin-induced hyperalgesia and hypolocomotion in wild-type mice. Experiments on the cultured cells transfected with the nociceptin receptor cDNA showed that NalBzoH competed in [3H]-nociceptin binding and attenuated the nociceptin-induced inhibition of cyclic AMP accumulation induced by forskolin. These results clearly suggest that NalBzoH acts as a potent antagonist for the nociceptin receptor. Our studies suggest that the nociceptive system and/or learning and memory processes could be modulated by ligands to the nociceptin receptor, and further that the antagonists are worth testing for the alleviation of pain and memory disorders.

Animals↗
PubMed1999

[Evaluation of 389 cases with a central venous access device inserted peripherally in the forearm].

We describe the technique and the long-term results of a central venous access device inserted peripherally in the forearm. From July, 1994, 411 central venous access devices were implanted in 389 patients (365 patients with malignant disease and 24 with benign disease). The insertion was successful in 384 cases (99.0%). The mean follow up duration was 116.5 days (range 3 to 859 days) after insertion. Complications were observed in 90 cases (21.8%); drip insufficiency in 42 (10.2%), phlebitis in 15 (3.6%), local infection in 9 (2.2%), catheter obstruction in 8 (1.9%), skin defect in 6 (1.5%), thrombosis of the subclavian vein in 4 (1.0%), system destruction in 4 (1.0%), and subcutaneous injection in 2 (0.5%). The system was removed in 23 cases (5.6%). We conclude that this method is safe and effective and should be widely used for the management of outpatients.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1999

Zonisamide inhibits nitric oxide synthase activity induced by N-methyl-D-aspartate and buthionine sulfoximine in the rat hippocampus.

The antiepileptic zonisamide (ZNS) is known to be effective in protecting against epilepsy in a wide variety of animal epilepsy models and in humans with epileptic seizures, with both partial and generalized seizures. ZNS scavenges hydroxyl radicals (OH*) and nitric oxide (NO) in a dose-dependent manner. The mechanism of the antiepileptic effect of ZNS may involve protection of neurons from free radical damage and stabilization of neuronal membranes. In this study, the effect of ZNS on nitric oxide synthase (NOS) activity in the hippocampus of rats induced by N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) with/without L-buthionine-[S, R]-sulfoximine (BSO) was examined. NOS activity was accelerated significantly (plus 93%) in the hippocampus 3 hours after NMDA injection (30 mg/Kg, i.p.), and (plus 220%) 3 hours after NMDA (30 mg/Kg, i.p.) injection into BSO-pretreated rats (150 mg/Kg, i.p.). NOS activity was not affected by ZNS itself. ZNS reduced NOS activity, accelerated by NMDA- with/without BSO-treatment, to the control level in the hippocampus. This suggests that ZNS may inhibit initiation and propagation of seizures by inhibiting NOS activity, and also may protect neurons from free radical damage by NO and/or OH*.

Animals↗
PubMed1998

Motor and learning dysfunction during postnatal development in mice defective in dopamine neuronal transmission.

Mice lacking expression of tyrosine hydroxylase (TH), the first and rate-limiting enzyme of the catecholamine biosynthetic pathway, in dopaminergic neuronal cell types were generated by a transgenic rescue approach to clarify the role of dopamine signaling during postnatal development. Introduction of the TH transgene directed by the dopamine beta-hydroxylase gene promoter into TH knockout mice restored noradrenaline and adrenaline synthesis, preventing perinatal lethality and cardiac dysfunction in the knockout mice. Lack of TH expression in the cells that normally express the dopaminergic phenotype resulted in a marked reduction of dopamine accumulation in the tissues, which led to multiple behavioral abnormalities at the juvenile stage. These abnormalities were characterized by a reduction in spontaneous locomotor activity, blockade of methamphetamine-induced hyperactivity, cataleptic behavior, and defects in active avoidance learning. In contrast, development of the pituitary gland as well as production and secretion of the pituitary peptide hormones dependent on hypothalamic dopaminergic control were normally maintained, despite defective dopamine synthesis. These results demonstrate that dopamine neurotransmission is essential for controlling spontaneous and voluntary movement and associative learning during postnatal development through the nigrostriatal and mesocorticolimbic pathways.

Animals↗
PubMed1998

KIF2beta, a new kinesin superfamily protein in non-neuronal cells, is associated with lysosomes and may be implicated in their centrifugal translocation.

Lysosomes concentrate juxtanuclearly in the region around the microtubule-organizing center by interaction with microtubules. Different experimental and physiological conditions can induce these organelles to move to the cell periphery by a mechanism implying a plus-end-directed microtubule-motor protein (a kinesin-like motor). The responsible kinesin-superfamily protein, however, is unknown. We have identified a new mouse isoform of the kinesin superfamily, KIF2beta, an alternatively spliced isoform of the known, neuronal kinesin, KIF2. Developmental expression pattern and cell-type analysis in vivo and in vitro reveal that KIF2beta is abundant at early developmental stages of the hippocampus but is then downregulated in differentiated neuronal cells, and it is mainly or uniquely expressed in non-neuronal cells while KIF2 remains exclusively neuronal. Electron microscopy of mouse fibroblasts and immunofluorescence of KIF2beta-transiently-transfected fibroblasts show KIF2 and KIF2beta primarily associated with lysosomes, and this association can be disrupted by detergent treatment. In KIF2beta-overexpressing cells, lysosomes (labeled with anti-lysosome-associated membrane protein-1) become abnormally large and peripherally located at some distance from their usual perinuclear positions. Overexpression of KIF2 or KIF2beta does not change the size or distribution of early, late and recycling endosomes nor does overexpression of different kinesin superfamily proteins result in changes in lysosome size or positioning. These results implicate KIF2beta as a motor responsible for the peripheral translocation of lysosomes.

3T3 Cells↗
PubMed1998

Protein-protein interactions of the yeast Golgi t-SNARE Sed5 protein distinct from its neural plasma membrane cognate syntaxin 1.

Targeting of vesicles to the acceptor membrane in protein transport depends on membrane proteins called SNAREs. Saccharomyces cerevisiae Golgi t-SNARE Sed5 protein and its neural cognate syntaxin 1 have similar three alpha-helices which are predicted to form coiled coils. We dissected the helices of Sed5 and found several characteristics unexpectedly distinct from those of syntaxin 1. Most importantly, only the N-terminal helix is responsible for the binding of Sly1 protein while almost the entire molecule of syntaxin is necessary for the binding of the cognate, Munc-18. The N-terminal region of Sed5 protein also binds to the C-terminal helix and Sly1 protein interfered this binding.

Antigens, Surface↗
PubMed1998

Facilitation of long-term potentiation and memory in mice lacking nociceptin receptors.

The peptide nociceptin (also named orphanin FQ) acts in the brain to produce various pharmacological effects, including hyperalgesia and hypolocomotion. The nociceptin receptor uses guanine-nucleotide-binding proteins to mediate the inhibition of adenylyl cyclase, the activation of potassium channels and inhibition of calcium channels. It has been shown using knock-out mice that the nociceptin receptor is not required for regulation of nociceptive responses or locomotion activity, but modulates the auditory function. Here we show that mice lacking the nociceptin receptor possess greater learning ability and have better memory than control mice. Histological analysis revealed the expression of both the nociceptin precursor and the nociceptin receptor in the hippocampus, thought to take part in aspects of learning and memory. Moreover, the receptor-deficient mice showed larger long-term potentiation in the hippocampal CA1 region than control mice, without apparent changes in presynaptic or postsynaptic electrophysiological properties. These results show that the loss of the nociceptin receptor results in a gain-of-function mutation in both the memory process and the long-term potentiation mechanism in CA1, perhaps as a result of altered intracellular signal transduction systems in neurons.

Animals↗
PubMed1998

Loss of antinociception induced by naloxone benzoylhydrazone in nociceptin receptor-knockout mice.

Nociceptin and nociceptin receptor, which show structural similarities to opioid peptides and opioid receptors, respectively, have been recently found to constitute a novel neuromodulatory system. In the brain, however, the physiological role of the modulation via the nociceptin receptor is still unclear. Administered nociceptin produces hyperalgesia and hypolocomotion, whereas the nociceptin receptor-knockout mice show no significant abnormalities in nociceptive thresholds and locomotion. To clarify possible involvement of the nociceptin receptor in the regulation of nociception and locomotion, we made use of the knockout mice and naloxone benzoylhydrazone (NalBzoH) identified originally as a ligand for opioid receptors. Experiments on the cultured cells transfected with the nociceptin receptor cDNA showed that NalBzoH competed with [3H]nociceptin binding and attenuated the nociceptin-induced inhibition of cAMP accumulation. Furthermore, behavioral studies demonstrated that NalBzoH completely inhibited nociceptin-induced hyperalgesia and hypolocomotion. It is therefore likely that NalBzoH can act as a potent antagonist for the nociceptin receptor in vivo. In wild-type mice, NalBzoH induced antinociception but did not affect locomotor activity. In contrast, in the knockout mice, no significant changes in nociception and locomotion were induced by NalBzoH. These results clearly suggest that the nociceptin system takes part in the physiological regulation of nociceptive thresholds but not in the basal modulation of locomotion.

Animals↗
PubMed1998

Enhancement of spatial attention in nociceptin/orphanin FQ receptor-knockout mice.

We isolated genes for the opioid receptor homologue MOR-C, namely nociceptin receptor (designated alternatively as orphanin FQ receptor) and generated nociceptin receptor-knockout mice. Previously, we have reported that the nociceptin system appears to participate in the regulation of the auditory system. However, the behavior of the nociceptin receptor-knockout mice has yet to be fully characterized. In the present study, we investigated changes in several behavioral performances in mice which lack nociceptin receptor. Nociceptive thresholds of nociceptin receptor-knockout mice were unchanged in the hot-plate and electric foot-shock tests as well as tail-flick and acetic-acid-induced writhing tests compared to those of wild-type mice. The nociceptin receptor-knockout mice did not show any behavioral changes in the elevated plus-maze task. Surprisingly, in the water-finding test, the nociceptin receptor-knockout mice showed an enhanced retention of spatial attention (latent learning) compared to wild-type mice. In a biochemical study, dopamine content in the frontal cortex was lower in nociceptin receptor-knockout mice than wild-type mice. These results suggest that nociceptin receptor plays an important role in spatial attention by regulating the dopaminergic system in the brain.

3,4-Dihydroxyphenylacetic Acid↗
PubMed1998

Thermodynamics of the reconstitution of tuna cytochrome c from two peptide fragments.

Two peptide fragments from tuna cytochrome c (cyt c), N-fragment (residues 1-44 containing the heme) and C-fragment (residues 45-103), combine to form a 1:1 fragment complex. This was clearly proved by ion-spray mass spectrometry. It was found from CD and NMR spectra that the structure of the fragment complex formed is similar to that of an intact cyt c, although each isolated fragment itself is unstructured. Binding constants and enthalpies upon the complex formation were directly observed by isothermal titration calorimetry. Thermodynamic parameters (deltaG(o)b, deltaHb, deltaS(o)b, and deltaC(b)p)) associated with the complex formation were determined at various pHs and temperatures. DeltaHb was found to be almost independent of pH values. The change in heat capacity accompanying the complex formation (deltaC(b)p) was directly determined from the temperature dependence of deltaHb. In addition, the change in heat capacity and enthalpy upon tuna cyt c unfolding were determined by differential scanning calorimetry. Thermodynamic parameters for the unfolding/dissociation process of the fragment complex were compared with those for cyt c unfolding at pH 3.9 and 303 K. In a comparison of two unfolding processes, the heat capacity change of each was very close to the other, while both the unfolding enthalpy and entropy of the fragment complex were larger than those of tuna cyt c. These thermodynamic data suggest that the internal interactions between polar groups (hydrogen bonding) and nonpolar groups (van der Waals interactions) are preserved in the fragment complex as well as in the native state of cyt c.

Animals↗
PubMed1998

ERCP for intradiverticular papilla: two-devices-in-one-channel method. Endoscopic Retrograde Cholangiopancreatography.

BACKGROUND: The prevalence of biliopancreatic disorders is high in patients with periampullary diverticula. However, endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) in patients with the papilla deep inside duodenal diverticula is difficult. METHODS: Two patients were included in this study, each with the papilla deep inside a diverticulum and in whom an initial ERCP was unsuccessful. A biopsy forceps to pinch the duodenal mucosa distal to the papilla and pull the papilla out of the diverticulum and a cannula were inserted into the working channel of a duodenoscope together (the two-devices-in-one-channel method). With coordination of the two instruments, cannulation of the bile duct was attempted. RESULTS: In both patients ERCP was successful using this procedure and no complications followed. CONCLUSIONS: The two-devices-in-one-channel method is useful when performing ERCP in patients with the papilla inside juxtapapillary diverticula.

Aged↗