Letter to the editor: Re-evaluation of heart failure in transgenic mice with impaired SR Ca2+ release.
Explore the source record for details and available documents.
Animals↗
Biomedical subjects
Y Sato
Publications and source records attributed to Y Sato.
Blood transfusion causes deterioration in liver regeneration after partial hepatectomy in rats.
BACKGROUND: This study investigated the effects of blood transfusion on liver regeneration and function after hepatectomy in rats. METHODS: Inbred male Sprague-Dawley rats underwent a sham operation or a 70% hepatectomy (PHx) and were randomly divided into seven groups according to transfusion type: groups I and II underwent a sham operation and received saline (I) or whole blood (II). Groups III to VII underwent PHx with saline (III), whole blood (IV), irradiated/leukocyte-depleted whole blood (V), plasma (VI), or autologous blood (VII). The liver regeneration rate, proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) labeling index, serum aspartate aminotransferase, alanine aminotransferase, purine nucleoside phosphorylase (PNP) activity, hepatocyte growth factor (HGF), and activated transforming growth factor beta1 (TGF-beta(1)) were measured 6 and 24 h and 5 days after PHx. RESULTS: The liver regeneration rate and PCNA labeling index were lower in groups IV and V than in the other groups. Serum liver enzymes 6 h after PHx were worst in groups IV and V. PNP activity increased most in group IV, 6 and 24 h after PHx. The HGF values 6 h after PHx in all the transfused groups were lower than in group III. The activated TGF-beta(1) level 6 h after surgery was highest in group IV. CONCLUSION: Whole blood or irradiated/leukocyte-depleted whole blood impaired liver regeneration after PHx, probably through the production of activated TGF-beta(1) and HGF outside the liver, and plasma or autologous blood reduced the deleterious effects.
Animals↗
Ventilatory and circulatory responses at the onset of rapid changes in posture.
Explore the source record for details and available documents.
Adult↗
Pathway of viral spread in herpes zoster: detection of the protein encoded by open reading frame 63 of varicella-zoster virus in biopsy specimens.
Reactivation of varicella-zoster virus (VZV) in the dorsal root or trigeminal ganglia causes herpes zoster. The pathway of viral spread from the ganglia to the skin and also within the skin is not yet completely understood. Histological studies have revealed that each skin lesion in herpes zoster progresses sequentially through the stages of erythema, vesicles, pustules and finally ulceration. An immunohistochemical study of the early skin lesions of herpes zoster demonstrated a high incidence of hair follicle involvement and the main localization of the virus at the isthmus. This evidence suggests that VZV initially spreads from the ganglia through myelinated nerves, which predominantly end around the isthmus of hair follicles. To further investigate the viral spread within the skin, we analyzed the sequential appearance of the immediate early proteins encoded by ORF 63 of VZV (IE63), using an anti-IE63 antibody raised by immunization of rabbits with a recombinant protein. This antibody could detect IE63 in a western blot analysis of infected cells and also in immunohistochemical analysis of the skin lesions of herpes zoster. IE63 initially appeared in the nuclei of the follicular epithelial cells and basal or parabasal epidermal cells. Later, the nuclei and cytoplasm of cells in the epidermis and hair follicles became positive. IE63 remained in the virus-infected cells even during their degeneration. When we examined the hair follicles in the early erythematous lesions, cells positive for IE63 were predominantly distributed around the isthmus. In addition, some lymphocytes around the blood vessels were also positive for IE63, but these cells were seldom positive for the structural antigen. Thus, these observations suggest that VZV arriving through myelinated nerves infects not only permissive cells, but also non-permissive cells in the involved skin of herpes zoster.
Animals↗
Recurrence of breast cancer following local excision alone for ductal carcinoma in situ.
Explore the source record for details and available documents.
Breast Neoplasms↗
Hepatitis B virus reactivation in a patient with chronic GVHD after allogeneic peripheral blood stem cell transplantation.
We report a patient with fatal hepatitis B virus (HBV) reactivation after treatment for chronic graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) following allogeneic peripheral blood stem cell transplantation to treat chronic myelogenous leukemia. The presence of antibodies to hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAb) prior to transplantation indicated previous HBV infection. Liver damage first developed 8 months after transplantation with the disappearance of HBsAb. Hepatitis B antigen was first noted during an examination of liver damage that occurred 22 months after transplantation. Retrospective examination of serum by real-time detection polymerase chain reaction (RTD-PCR) revealed HBV in both the first and second episodes of liver damage (89 copies/mL and 2 x 10(6) copies/mL, respectively). HBV may have been reactivated, leading to fatal liver damage in this HBsAb-positive patient. We propose that RTD-PCR-based analysis should be performed to diagnose liver dysfunction after hematopoietic stem cell transplantation.
Antibodies, Viral↗
Changes in bone and calcium metabolism following hip fracture in elderly patients.
Although hip fracture is one of the most common causes of acute immobilization in elderly patients, little is known about the influence of immobilization on changes in bone and calcium metabolism following this event. We therefore compared serum biochemical indices of bone and calcium metabolism in 20 elderly subjects with hip fracture with those measured in 20 healthy age-matched controls. Rankin scores, a measure of functional dependence with 0 representing independence and 5 representing total dependence, were assigned. We also examined serial changes in these biochemical indices from shortly following the fracture to the early recovery period. Ionized calcium, intact parathyroid hormone (PTH), intact bone Gla protein (BGP), pyridinoline cross-linked carboxyterminal telopeptide of type I collagen (ICTP), 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25-OHD), and 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D (1,25-[OH]2D) were measured. One week after the fracture, mean serum concentrations of calcium and ICTP were elevated in correspondence to degree of immobilization (mean Rankin score; 4.4), while serum concentrations of BGP, PTH, 25-OHD, and 1,25-[OH]2D were depressed. Rankin score (mean: 4.4) correlated positively with ICTP and negatively with BGP at this time. At 2 months, calcium and ICTP elevation decreased and BGP, PTH and 1,25-[OH]2D were less depressed, coinciding with a decline in Rankin score from 4.2 to 2.2. Indices were further improved at 3 months (mean Rankin score, 1.3), with calcium and BGP returning to normal. We concluded that increased bone resorption, and decreased bone formation, and hypercalcemia are present by 1 week following the hip fracture, and some resorption increase persists for at least 3 months. These changes could explain in part the high risk of another hip fracture.
Activities of Daily Living↗
Lymphocyte subsets in lung tissues of interstitial pneumonia associated with untreated polymyositis/dermatomyositis.
This study was designed to evaluate the distribution of lymphocyte subsets in lung specimens obtained by surgical lung biopsy from 12 patients with interstitial pneumonia associated with untreated polymyositis/dermatomyositis (PM/DM). Differences of histological findings and distributions of lymphocyte subsets between PM and DM were also evaluated. Distributions of B lymphocytes, CD4-positive T lymphocytes, and CD8-positive T lymphocytes were evaluated immunohistochemically. Interstitial pneumonia was pathologically classified as basically nonspecific interstitial pneumonia (NSIP) in all patients. Immunohistochemically, the distribution of B lymphocytes was mostly restricted to inside and/or around lymphoid follicles. The CD4-positive T lymphocytes were distributed diffusely in fibrotic areas and unrelated to lymphoid follicles. Most CD8-positive T lymphocytes were diffusely distributed, especially in relatively normal alveoli. There were no significant differences in the distribution of lymphocyte subsets between PM and DM. Although the distribution of B lymphocytes and CD4- and CD8-positive T lymphocytes in the lung were different, there were no significant differences in distributions of lymphocyte subsets between PM and DM.
Aged↗
MR-based three-dimensional presentation of cartilage thickness in the femoral head.
The purpose of our study was to visualize the hyaline cartilage of the femoral head and to evaluate the distribution of the thickness by three-dimensional reconstruction of MRI data. The MRI was performed in 10 normal volunteers, 1 patient with osteonecrosis and 4 with advanced osteoarthritis. A fast 3D spoiled gradient-recalled acquisition in the steady state pulse sequence (TR 22 ms/TE 5.6 ms/no. of excitations 2) with fat suppression was used for data collection. Coronal and sagittal images were obtained with 3-mm effective slice thickness, 16-cm field of view (FOV) and 256x192 matrix. The MR images were reconstructed in three dimensions for evaluating the distribution of the cartilage thickness. In all normal volunteers, 1 patient with osteonecrosis and three advanced osteoarthritis, 3D reconstruction was successful, but in 1 case of osteoarthritis, 3D reconstruction failed because of the narrow joint space. In normal volunteers, the cartilage thickness is thickest in the central portion around the ligamentum teres (mean 2.8 mm). The medial portion and the lateral portion are almost of the same thickness (medial 1.3 mm, lateral 1.1 mm). In 3 cases of osteoarthritis, the cartilage became thinner in the lateral portions (<0.6 mm), but was unchanged in the central and medial portions. Three-dimensional reconstruction of MRI data is useful for evaluating the distribution of the cartilage thickness of the femoral head objectively.
Adult↗
Structure and expression of the mouse cardiac calsequestrin gene.
Calsequestrin is a sarcoplasmic reticulum protein, which plays a predominant role in diastolic Ca2+-storage in the mammalian heart. The present study was designed to define the gene structure, developmental and tissue specific expression of the murine, cardiac isoform of calsequestrin. Two sets of genomic libraries (lambda phage and PAC) were screened using the mouse cardiac calsequestrin cDNA, and several overlapping clones were isolated. These clones were characterized using restriction enzyme digestion, Southern blotting and partial sequencing. The cardiac calsequestrin gene consists of 11 exons and its 5' flanking region is characterized by the presence of a TATA-like box, muscle specific promoter elements such as 7 E-boxes, 1 MEF-2, 1 MCBF and 1 Repeat (musS) motifs, as well as several muscle non-specific transcriptional elements (AP-2A, NRE1, NRE2, p53, Spel and TFI-IIA). Expression of the cardiac isoform of calsequestrin was first detected on day 11 pre-birth and approached adult levels by day 4 post-birth. Expression of cardiac calsequestrin was also detected in adult fast-twitch skeletal muscle, thyroid, testis and epididymis tissues. This genomic characterization of cardiac calsequestrin may form the basis for further evaluation of its regulatory role in Ca2+ homeostasis and contractility in the murine heart.
5' Untranslated Regions↗
Immunohistochemical study of the kidneys after severe muscular injury.
Severe muscular injury sometimes causes renal failure, and myoglobin in skeletal muscle is known to induce toxic free oxygen radicals in the kidneys. The relationship between the immunohistochemical expression of myoglobin and the scavenger copper/zinc superoxide dismutase (Cu/Zn-SOD) was investigated in kidneys taken from two autopsy groups, a group with tourniquet shock (n = 4), and a group with severely injured skeletal muscle (n = 18). Paraffin-embedded kidney sections were used for immunohistochemical staining by the avidin-biotin-complex (ABC) method using antibodies against myoglobin and Cu/Zn-SOD. Detection of the two antigens was analyzed qualitatively. In most cases of tourniquet shock in which the survival time was considered to be relatively long, myoglobin staining was positive and Cu/Zn-SOD was negative. Among the seven cases of severely injured skeletal muscle in which the survival period was considered to be relatively short, positive staining was detected immunohistochemically for both myoglobin and Cu/Zn-SOD. Moreover, in most of the cases in this group that showed acute tubular necrosis, immunohistochemical staining was negative for both markers, whereas positive staining was found for most of the cases in which the kidneys were revealed to be normal by HE staining. These findings suggest that when myoglobin enters the kidneys via the circulation, Cu/Zn-SOD reacts to eliminate free radicals, but is depleted by consumption in the long run, and that there might be a relationship between these histological findings and immunohistochemical expression.
Adolescent↗
Complete transection of the pancreas due to a single stamping injury: a case report.
Complete transection of the pancreas due to a single stamping injury is reported. A 47-year-old female was stamped on in the epigastric region by her common-law husband when lying on her back. Immediately after the stamping, she complained of severe abdominal pain. In an emergency hospital, the abdominal CT (computed tomography) scan showed a large haematoma around the pancreas head. In the surgical operation that followed, a complete transection of the pancreas between the head and body was unexpectedly discovered. Furthermore, severe traumatic changes were found in the liver, mesentery, splenic artery and vein. The medico-legal autopsy revealed marked haemorrhaging in the abdominal subcutaneous adipose tissue and rectus muscle in the epigastric region. The external blunt force that acted on the abdomen had forcibly compressed the pancreas against the spinal column. Blunt pancreatic injury is relatively uncommon, but pancreatic injuries should always be considered in patients or autopsy cases after external blunt force to the abdomen.
Autopsy↗
Isolation of a MADS-box gene (ERAF17) and correlation of its expression with the induction of formation of female flowers by ethylene in cucumber plants (Cucumis sativus L.).
Ethylene regulates sex expression in cucumber (Cucumis sativus L.) plants. When the apices of monoecious cucumber seedlings (cv. Shimoshirazu-jibai) were treated with the ethylene-releasing compound, ethephon, female flowers were induced at the nodes. To clarify the action of ethylene in the regulation of sex expression, we attempted to isolate genes whose expression changed during induction of the formation of female flowers at the apices of these cucumber plants upon treatment with ethephon. Using the differential-display method, we identified 20 clones (#1 to #20) that reflected differences in the accumulation of transcripts in apices treated or not treated with ethephon. Sequence analysis of cDNA fragments revealed that the cDNA #17 had the sequence of a MADS-box gene. We isolated the full-length cDNA and showed that it included both a MADS box and a K box, and the corresponding gene was designated ERAF17. We examined the expression of ERAF17 in the apices of cv. Shimoshirazu-jibai and in those of a gynoecious cultivar (Rensei). In these cultivars, the timing and levels of expression of the ERAF17 transcript were correlated with the development of female flowers. Induction of the synthesis of the ERAF17 transcript by ethephon occurred within 4 h of the start of treatment and continued for 4 days at least. Expression of ERAF17 at apices was localized in the floral buds of the gynoecious cultivar, and expression was maintained in female flowers thorough their development. Our results suggest that the induction of the formation of female flowers by ethylene might be regulated by the expression of ERAF17 in floral buds at the apices of cucumber plants and that expression of this gene might also be involved in the development of female flowers.
Amino Acid Sequence↗
Clinical significance of the serum surfactant protein D and KL-6 levels in patients with measles complicated by interstitial pneumonia.
UNLABELLED: To examine the value of surfactant protein D and KL-6 as markers for the diagnosis and the severity of interstitial pneumonia caused by measles infection, surfactant protein D, KL-6 and lactic acid dehydrogenase were measured serially in three patients with measles complicated by interstitial pneumonia as compared to ten measles infected patients without interstitial pneumonia. The serum surfactant protein D and KL-6 levels were higher in patients with measles and interstitial pneumonia as compared to those with measles without interstitial pneumonia. In patients with measles and interstitial pneumonia, the respiratory distress and the alveolar-arterial oxygen differences improved after steroid pulse therapy while the serum surfactant protein D level decreased dramatically under the cut-off level and earlier than the KL-6 level. On the contrary, the serum KL-6 level increased transiently and it took longer to decrease below the cut-off level as compared to the pattern observed for serum surfactant protein D. The serum lactic acid dehydrogenase level changes were between those of the surfactant protein D and KL-6 levels. CONCLUSION: Surfactant protein D and KL-6 are easily measured and useful markers for the diagnosis of interstitial pneumonia caused by measles infection. Early decrease of surfactant protein D contrasts with the transient increase of KL-6 levels after prednisolone pulse therapy.
Antigens↗
Primary intestinal lymphangiectasia successfully treated with octreotide.
A 21-year-old man with diarrhea and edema was admitted to our hospital and diagnosed with protein-losing enteropathy caused by primary intestinal lymphangiectasia. He was placed, in turn, on a low-fat diet, an elemental diet, and, subsequently, fasting therapy with total parenteral nutrition (TPN) support. However, his symptoms were not relieved, but, rather were exacerbated. On the 45th day of hospitalization, octreotide therapy was initiated. After 2 weeks of treatment, his clinical symptoms, as well as hypoproteinemia and hypoalbuminemia, gradually became alleviated. The improvement was confirmed in terms of scintigraphy, endoscopy, and histology of the duodenum. The patient remained healthy until 6 months after the commencement of octreotide treatment, when he discontinued octreotide at his own discretion, at which point the symptoms recurred. Resumption of the drug, however, again brought about remission, which has continued until the present, March 2000. Thus, octreotide therapy is one modality which may be useful for refractory primary intestinal lymphangiectasia.
Adult↗
Solitary thyroid metastasis of renal clear cell carcinoma: report of a case.
A case of solitary thyroid metastasis of renal clear cell carcinoma is described. The patient was a 77-year-old Japanese woman, who was referred to our department after a thyroid tumor was identified in May 1999. She had a history of renal clear cell carcinoma of the left kidney, which had been partially resected 3 years previously. Ultrasound sonography demonstrated that a well-demarcated hypoechoic mass containing high-echo spots representing small calcifications, which measured 45 x 34 x 31 mm in size, occupied the left lobe. Computed tomography revealed a low-density mass containing small calcifications. The results of preoperative fine-needle aspiration cytology strongly suggested a clear cell carcinoma metastasizing to the thyroid. A left hemithyroidectomy was performed on July 27, 1999. A histological examination revealed that the neoplasm was composed of tumor cells with abundant clear cytoplasm and round nuclei. The histological characteristics of this thyroid tumor were virtually identical to the renal cell carcinoma resected 3 years previously. Thyroglobulin stained negatively in the clear cells of the resected thyroid tumor in an immunohistochemical analysis. Clinically, the thyroid gland is a rare site of tumor metastasis; however, we should also consider the possibility of metastasis in the case of thyroid tumor patients with a history of renal cell carcinoma.
Aged↗
Effect of nitrous oxide on spike activity during epilepsy surgery.
There are controversies over the effect of nitrous oxide on the electrocorticograms in patients with epilepsy. To clarify the effect of nitrous oxide on electrocorticograms, spike activities were compared with and without nitrous oxide under neuroleptoanesthesia in 10 patients with intractable epilepsy during surgery. Spikes decreased with nitrous oxide significantly (P<0.01) and disappeared in 3 cases. We conclude that discontinuation of nitrous oxide should be taken into consideration during electrocorticographic monitoring in epilepsy surgery.
Adolescent↗
Development of a time-resolved fluorometric method for observing hybridization in living cells using fluorescence resonance energy transfer.
We previously showed that a specific kind of mRNA (c-fos) was detected in a living cell under a microscope by introducing two fluorescently labeled oligodeoxynucleotides, each labeled with donor or acceptor, into the cytoplasm, making them hybridize to adjacent locations on c-fos mRNA, and taking images of fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET) (A. Tsuji, H. Koshimoto, Y. Sato, M. Hirano. Y. Sei-Iida, S. Kondo, and K. Ishibashi, 2000, Biophys. J. 78:3260-3274). On the formed hybrid, the distance between donor and acceptor becomes close and FRET occurs. To observe small numbers of mRNA in living cells using this method, it is required that FRET fluorescence of hybrid must be distinguished from fluorescence of excess amounts of non-hybridizing probes and from cell autofluorescence. To meet these requirements, we developed a time-resolved method using acceptor fluorescence decays. When a combination of a donor having longer fluorescence lifetime and an acceptor having shorter lifetime is used, the measured fluorescence decays of acceptors under FRET becomes slower than the acceptor fluorescence decay with direct excitation. A combination of Bodipy493/503 and Cy5 was selected as donor and acceptor. When the formed hybrid had a configuration where the target RNA has no single-strand part between the two fluorophores, the acceptor fluorescence of hybrid had a sufficiently longer delay to detect fluorescence of hybrid in the presence of excess amounts of non-hybridizing probes. Spatial separation of 10-12 bases between two fluorophores on the hybrid is also required. The decay is also much slower than cell autofluorescence, and smaller numbers of hybrid were detected with less interference of cell autofluorescence in the cytoplasm of living cells under a time-resolved fluorescence microscope with a time-gated function equipped camera. The present method will be useful when observing induced expressions of mRNA in living cells.
3T3 Cells↗