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Y Wada

Publications and source records attributed to Y Wada.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2006

Measurement of carbonic anhydrase isozyme VI (CA-VI) in bovine sera, saliva, milk and tissues.

Concentrations of bovine carbonic anhydrase isozyme VI (CA-IV) in bovine serum, saliva, normal milk, colostrum, submandibular gland, liver, and mammary gland were determined. CA-VI was purified from bovine saliva and an antibody to CA-VI was generated. The concentrations of CA-VI in the saliva (7.8 +/- 7.9 microg/ml), serum (2.1+/- 5.7 ng/ml), milk (7.9 +/- 12.1 ng/ml), submandibular gland (284.7 microg/g protein), liver (921.0 +/- 180.7 ng/g protein) and mammary gland (399.6 +/- 191.2 ng/g protein) were determined by ELISA. No seasonal change in CA-VI levels was observed in normal milk. The concentration of CA-VI in colostrum (day 1 post partum) was 119 ng/ml and decreased rapidly by 1 month following birth. Mammary gland contained much smaller amounts than the submandibular gland. CA-VI mRNA was detected in the liver and mammary gland of cow by RT-PCR. The ELISA used in this study proved to be a precise and sensitive method for determining CA-VI concentrations in saliva, serum, milk and tissue specimens from cows. The ELISA may enable the study of changes in CA-VI associated with hereditary or metabolic disorders of the salivary gland, mammary gland and liver using small samples of saliva, serum or milk.

Animals↗
PubMed2006

Rheumatoid synovial endothelial cells produce macrophage colony-stimulating factor leading to osteoclastogenesis in rheumatoid arthritis.

OBJECTIVES: Periarticular osteoporosis and joint destruction are major complications in rheumatoid arthritis (RA), caused by osteoclast-mediated bone resorption. However, the mechanisms of monocyte/osteoclast maturation and role of RA endothelial cells (RAECs) in the control of osteoclastogenesis remain unclear. The present study was designed to determine the most important factors that influence monocyte accumulation and osteoclast formation among the many factors produced by RAEC. METHODS: We analysed the expression profiles of various genes in human endothelial cells from various organs (RA synovium, umbilical vein, skin, liver sinusoid, renal glomerulus and brain) using oligonucleotide microarrays. Specifically, up-regulated gene in RAECs was assessed by real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and immunostaining of RA synovia. Migration of monocytes was assessed by the chemotactic chamber EZ-TAXIScan. Tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase (TRAP)-positive multinucleated cell (MNC) formation was observed by microscopy. RESULTS: Among many epithelial-expressed factors, macrophage colony-stimulating factor (M-CSF) gene was abundantly expressed specifically in RAECs. Genes of fibroblast growth factor-2, interleukin-6 and osteoprotegerin were also overexpressed in RAECs. Migration of monocytes and osteoclast formation in co-cultures promoted by culture supernatants of RAECs were inhibited by M-CSF neutralizing antibody. CONCLUSIONS: M-CSF produced by RAECs is involved in osteoclastogenesis from monocytes, migration and TRAP-positive MNC formation.

Arthritis, Rheumatoid↗
PubMed2006

Mitochondrial DNA determines androgen dependence in prostate cancer cell lines.

Prostate cancer progresses from an androgen-dependent to androgen-independent stage after androgen ablation therapy. Mitochondrial DNA plays a role in cell death and metastatic competence. Further, heteroplasmic large-deletion mitochondrial DNA is very common in prostate cancer. To investigate the role of mitochondrial DNA in androgen dependence of prostate cancers, we tested the changes of normal and deleted mitochondrial DNA in accordance with the progression of prostate cancer. We demonstrated that the androgen-independent cell line C4-2, established by inoculation of the androgen-dependent LNCaP cell line into castrated mice, has a greatly reduced amount of normal mitochondrial DNA and an accumulation of large-deletion DNA. Strikingly, the depletion of mitochondrial DNA from androgen-dependent LNCaP resulted in a loss of androgen dependence. Reconstitution of normal mitochondrial DNA to the mitochondrial DNA-depleted clone restored androgen dependence. These results indicate that mitochondrial DNA determines androgen dependence of prostate cancer cell lines. Further, mitochondrial DNA-deficient cells formed tumors in castrated athymic mice, whereas LNCaP did not. The accumulation of large deletion and depletion of mitochondrial DNA may thus play a role in the development of androgen independence, leading to progression of prostate cancers.

Androgens↗
PubMed2006

Region-specific induction of hypoxic tolerance by expression of stress proteins and antioxidant enzymes.

We examined the induction of hypoxic tolerance after hypoxic preconditioning in the frontal cortex, caudate putamen and thalamus using the dynamic positron autoradiography technique and [18F]2-fluoro-2-deoxy-D-glucose with rat brain slices. Hypoxic tolerance induction was confirmed in the frontal cortex, but not in the caudate putamen and thalamus. Next, we compared the gene expression in the frontal cortex and caudate putamen using the ATLAS Rat Stress Array, and found that the expression of 150-kDa oxygen-regulated protein and mitochondrial heat shock protein 70 as stress proteins, and copper-zinc-containing superoxide dismutase and manganese-containing superoxide dismutase as antioxidant enzymes was elevated only in the frontal cortex. These results suggest that the induction of hypoxic tolerance after hypoxic preconditioning is region-specific, and stress proteins and antioxidant enzymes participate in this phenomenon.

Animals↗
PubMed2006

Drugs share antidiabetic and antiatherosclerotic actions through "the common soil".

There have been increasing evidences that atherosclerosis is not the result of diabetes mellitus, but that both type 2 diabetes mellitus and atherosclerosis may share common pathogenesis, as Stern proposed as 'common soil' hypothesis in 1995. There are several candidates for 'common soil', such as insulin resistance, vascular inflammation and endothelial dysfunction. Recently many of clinical studies have indicated that some drugs can prevent or delay the development of cardiovascular diseases (CVD). Furthermore, many studies have suggested that some classes of drugs may prevent the development of type 2 diabetes. It is to be noted that most of the drugs may have both actions, i.e., to prevent development of new diabetes and to prevent CVD. Furthermore, they are reported to inhibit inflammation or endothelial dysfunction. Taken together, it is hypothesized that the drug which may have antiatherogenetic action may also have antidiabetic action, and vice versa. This hypothesis may provide the new insights into perspectives of drug development both to prevent type 2 diabetes and to prevent CVD.

Atherosclerosis↗
PubMed2006

Evidence from photosynthetic characteristics for the hybrid origin of Diplotaxis muralis from a C3-C4 intermediate and a C3 species.

Artificial hybridization studies have been carried out between plants with different photosynthetic types to study the genetic mechanism of photosynthetic types. However, there are only few reports describing the possibility of natural hybridization between plants with different photosynthetic types. A previous cytological and morphological study suggested that a cruciferous allotetraploid species, Diplotaxis muralis (L.) DC. (2n = 42), originated from natural hybridization between D. tenuifolia (L.) DC. (2n = 22) and D. viminea (L.) DC. (2n = 20). These putative parents have recently been reported to be a C (3)-C (4) intermediate and a C (3) species, respectively. If this hybridization occurred, D. muralis should have characteristics intermediate between those of the C (3)-C (4) intermediate and C (3) types. We compared leaf structures and photosynthetic characteristics of the three species. The bundle sheath (BS) cells in D. tenuifolia included many centripetally located chloroplasts and mitochondria, but those of D. viminea had only a few organelles. The BS cells in D. muralis displayed intermediate features between the putative parents. Glycine decarboxylase P protein was confined to the BS mitochondria in D. tenuifolia, but accumulated mainly in the mesophyll mitochondria in D. viminea. In D. muralis, it accumulated in both the BS and the mesophyll mitochondria. Values of CO (2) compensation point and its response to changing light intensity were also intermediate between the putative parents. These data support the theory that D. muralis was created by natural hybridization between species with different photosynthetic types.

Brassicaceae↗
PubMed2006

The effects of a neutrophil elastase inhibitor on the postoperative respiratory failure of acute aortic dissection.

BACKGROUND: Postoperative respiratory failure is often encountered in patients suffering from acute aortic dissection (AAD) and is believed to be influenced by release of neutrophil elastase after cardiopulmonary bypass. Sivelestat is a specific neutrophil elastase inhibitor, and this study aims to evaluate the effects of sivelestat on postoperative respiratory failure due to AAD. METHODS AND RESULTS: Patients who were operated for AAD from January 2000 to April 2005 and who had less than 300 mmHg initial postoperative PaO (2)/FiO (2) were investigated retrospectively and divided into two groups. Group 1 (n = 9) received intravenous administration of sivelestat immediately after the operation, while Group II (n = 9) received no sivelestat. There were no significant differences between Group I and II with respect to patients' characteristics or background (age, body weight, operating time, cardiopulmonary bypass time, amount of bleeding, preoperative WBC number and initial PaO (2)/FiO (2)). Though patients in Group I showed a subtle improvement in certain parameters such as PaO (2)/FiO (2), A-aDO (2) and respiratory index (RI) over a 3-day observation period compared to those of Group II, there were no significant differences. Neither postoperative mechanical ventilation time nor ICU stay differed between Group I and II. However, Group I showed a significantly greater improvement in the ratio of RI to initial RI on the 3POD compared to that of Group II (61.6 +/- 44.2 % vs. 111.9 +/- 40.9 %, P = 0.02). CONCLUSION: Inhibiting the activity of the neutrophil elastase may attenuate the postoperative respiratory complications of patients with AAD.

Acute Disease↗
PubMed2006

Endoscopic in vivo evaluation of tissue atypia in the esophagus using a newly designed integrated endocytoscope: a pilot trial.

BACKGROUND AND STUDY AIMS: A newly designed magnifying endoscope featuring an endocytoscopy function provided by ultrahigh magnification was evaluated in a pilot study in patients with various types of benign and malignant pathology in the esophagus. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Seventy-five consecutive patients were included in the study from 15 March to 21 December 2005. Twenty-nine patients with specific esophageal lesions that had been detected by regular or narrow-band imaging, or both, were further evaluated using endocytoscopy, followed by tissue biopsy or resection. During the endocytoscopic examinations, the esophageal mucosa was stained with 0.5 % methylene blue. The endocytoscopic findings were graded from 1 to 5 in an endocytoscopic atypia (ECA) classification. The final histopathological diagnoses based on biopsies or resected specimens were as follows: category 1 in the Vienna classification, n = 4; category 2, n = 6; category 3, n = 1; category 4, n = 10; and category 5, n = 7. The endocytoscopic diagnoses were compared with the histopathological diagnoses. RESULTS: Clear endocytoscopic images were obtained in all cases. In definitely malignant lesions, the cell nuclei had an enlarged and irregularly arranged appearance (grade ECA 5). The positive predictive value for malignancy (grades ECA 4 and 5) was 94 %; the false-negative rate was 16.7 %, and the false-positive rate was 6.3 %. The overall accuracy of endocytoscopy for differentiating between nonmalignant tissue (categories 1 - 3 in the Vienna classification) and malignant tissue (categories 4 and 5) was 82 %. CONCLUSIONS: These preliminary results suggest that incorporating endocytoscopy facilities into a standard endoscope may be helpful in characterizing tissue in a variety of esophageal lesions. The potential clinical impact of this method in relation to other gastrointestinal organs requires further study.

Carcinoma, Squamous Cell↗
PubMed2006

Abnormal pontine activation in pathological laughing as shown by functional magnetic resonance imaging.

To explore the aetiology of pathological laughing, a 65-year-old woman with pathological laughing was examined by 3-T functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) before and after treatment with drugs. Here, we report that the patient consistently showed exaggerated pontine activation during the performance of three tasks before treatment, whereas abnormal pontine activation was no longer found after successful treatment with the selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor, paroxetine. Our findings in this first fMRI study of pathological laughing suggest that serotonergic replacement decreases the aberrant activity in a circuit that involves the pons.

Affective Symptoms↗
PubMed2005

Observation of surface Andreev bound States of superfluid 3He by transverse acoustic impedance measurements.

Complex transverse acoustic impedance of the superfluid (3)He-B was measured at the frequencies of 10 to 80 MHz at 17.0 bar by a cw bridge method. The observed temperature dependence was well explained by the quasiclassical theory with random S-matrix model for a diffusive surface. The temperature dependence was influenced by pair breaking and by quasiparticle density of states at the surface, which was drastically modified from the bulk one by the presence of surface Andreev bound states.

Journal Article↗
PubMed2005

[Emergent coronary artery bypass grafting using percutaneous cardiopulmonary support in a patient with a quadricuspid aortic valve; report of a case].

A 63-year-old man was admitted to our hospital for acute myocardial infarction. A cardiac catheter study showed 3 vessels coronary disease. He was treated by percutaneous coronary intervention for a left anterior descending arterial (LAD) lesion. Unfortunately, cardiac tamponade following stenting for LAD was complicated. A percutaneous cardiopulmonary support system was commenced along with an emergent coronary artery bypass grafting to the LAD and obtuse marginal branch. A quadricuspid aortic valve was discovered by an aortotomy and identified as Hurwitz-Roberts classification type b. Blood from the left coronary main trunk had already stopped. Intraaortic balloon pumping was instituted while weaning from the cardiopulmonary bypass. The patient's postoperative course was uneventful and all bypass grafts were sufficient. He was well 1 year after the operation.

Aortic Valve↗
PubMed2005

[Simultaneous operation for annulo-aortic ectasia and mitral regurgitation in a patient with non-Marfan syndrome; report of a case].

A 74-year-old woman with non-Marfan syndrome underwent aortic root replacement and mitral valve replacement simultaneously for annulo-aortic ectasia and mitral regurgitation. Postoperatively, she suffered from cholecystitis and underwent percutaneous transhepatic gull bladder drainage. After this intervention, her postoperative recovery was uneventful. The purpose of this study is to suggest the possibility of mitral regurgitation due to annular enlargement of the mitral valve as an outcome of deterioration of the annulo-aortic ectasia.

Aged↗
PubMed2004

Association between up-regulation of stress-responsive genes and hypomethylation of genomic DNA in tobacco plants.

Transcripts that specifically accumulate in transgenic tobacco plants expressing an anti-sense construct for a tobacco type I DNA methyltransferase, NtMET1, were screened by the differential display method. Of the 31 genes identified, 16 encoded proteins with known functions; ten of these were related to biotic and abiotic stress responses, and the other six to cellular functions. In order to examine whether expression of these genes is correlated with DNA methylation status under natural stress conditions, a pathogen-responsive gene (NtAlix1) was selected as representative, and assayed for transcript induction and genomic methylation in tobacco plants infected with tobacco mosaic virus (TMV). In inoculated leaves of wild-type plants, NtAlix1 transcripts began to accumulate 12 h after the onset of the hypersensitive response (HR), and levels remained high for up to 24 h. Changes in the methylation status at the locus became obvious 24 h later, as detected by digestion of genomic DNA with a methylation-sensitive restriction enzyme. The results suggest that the level of DNA methylation may change in response to external stresses, and that this is closely related to the activation of stress-responsive genes.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed2004

Estimation of physiologic ability and surgical stress (E-PASS) for a surgical audit in elective digestive surgery.

BACKGROUND: This study was undertaken to establish an equation to estimate mortality with the use of the prediction scoring system designated as the Estimation of Physiologic Ability and Surgical Stress (E-PASS), and to evaluate the system's usefulness in defining quality of care by comparing it with the Physiologic and Operative Severity Score for the enUmeration for Mortality and morbidity (POSSUM) and Portsmouth-possum (P-POSSUM) scoring systems previously generated for surgical audit. METHODS: Patients (n=5212; group A) who underwent elective gastrointestinal surgery were analyzed to establish equations for estimated 30-day and in-hospital mortality rates. The usefulness of E-PASS was evaluated in another series of 1934 patients (group B) who underwent elective digestive surgery in 6 national hospitals. The ratio of observed to estimated mortality rates (OE ratio) of each hospital was defined as a measure of quality. RESULTS: In group A, 30-day and in-hospital mortality rates increased as the Comprehensive Risk Score (CRS) increased, providing equations for estimated mortality rates. There was an excellent correlation between the estimated and observed mortality rates in individual diseases: R=0.958, N=6, P=.0027 for in-hospital mortality; R=0.937, N=6, P=.0059 for 30-day mortality. In all patients of group B, the E-PASS system estimated the 30-day mortality rates by 0.63-fold (linear analysis), whereas the POSSUM score was 11.0-fold (exponential analysis). The E-PASS system estimated the in-hospital mortality rates by 1.2-fold (linear analysis), whereas the P-POSSUM score was 4.5-fold (linear analysis). The OE ratios for 30-day mortality among the 6 hospitals defined by E-PASS correlated well with those defined by POSSUM: R=0.996, N=6, P<.0001. Similarly, the OE ratios for in-hospital mortality defined by E-PASS were also highly correlated with those defined by P-POSSUM:(R=0.929, N=6, P=.0075. CONCLUSIONS: The E-PASS scoring system may be useful in defining surgical quality and may be more accurate than existing systems in evaluating elective digestive surgery.

Digestive System Surgical Procedures↗
PubMed2004

Individual trait anxiety levels characterizing the properties of zen meditation.

Meditation is a specific consciousness state in which deep relaxation and increased internalized attention coexist. There have been various neurophysiological studies on meditation. However, the personal predispositions/traits that characterize the properties of meditation have not been adequately studied. We analyzed changes in neurophysiological parameters [EEG coherence and autonomic nervous activity using heart rate variability (HRV) as an index] during Zen meditation, and evaluated the results in association with trait anxiety (assessed by Spielberger's State-Trait Anxiety Inventory) in 22 healthy adults who had not previously practiced any form of meditation. During meditation, in terms of mean values in all subjects, an increase in slow alpha interhemispheric EEG coherence in the frontal region, an increase in high-frequency (HF) power (as a parasympathetic index of HRV), and a decrease in the ratio of low-frequency to HF power (as a sympathetic index of HRV) were observed. Further evaluation of these changes in individuals showed a negative correlation between the percent change (with the control condition as the baseline) in slow alpha interhemispheric coherence reflecting internalized attention and the percent change in HF reflecting relaxation. The trait anxiety score was negatively correlated with the percent change in slow alpha interhemispheric coherence in the frontal region and was positively correlated with the percent change in HF. These results suggest that lower trait anxiety more readily induces meditation with a predominance of internalized attention, while higher trait anxiety more readily induces meditation with a predominance of relaxation.

Adult↗
PubMed2004

Invasive ability of Escherichia coli O18 isolated from swine neonatal diarrhea.

Neonatal diarrhea occurred at two swine breeding farms in Hokkaido. Ten piglets aged 2 to 4 days were examined. Grossly, significant changes were confined to the small intestine. The mucous membrane was muddy and thickened. The intraluminal contents from the jejunum to the colon were liquid and yellow. In the small intestine, numerous Gram-negative bacilli preferentially adhered to the apex of villi. The mucosa was erosive with villous atrophy. There were bacilli also in the lamina propria and in the cytoplasm of degenerated enterocytes. Nonhemolytic Escherichia coli strains, belonging to serogroup E. coli O18 and possessing K88 fimbriae, were isolated from the small intestine. They could not be classified into any of the diarrheagenic E. coli groups because of the absence of genes of LT, STh, STp, VT1, VT2, eae, invE, and ipaH. After inoculation of the isolates on HEp-2 cells, some bacilli were engulfed by cytoplasmic projections resembling membrane ruffles and subsequently were localized in cytoplasmic vacuoles or free in the cytoplasm. These findings support the view that the present E. coli O18 is a new invasive strain enteropathogenic to piglets.

Agglutination Tests↗
PubMed2003

Energetic protons from a few-micron metallic foil evaporated by an intense laser pulse.

With detailed experimental studies and hydrodynamics and particle-in-cell simulations we investigate the role of the prepulse in laser proton acceleration. The prepulse or pedestal (amplified spontaneous emission) can completely evaporate the irradiated region of a sufficiently thin foil; therefore, the main part of the laser pulse interacts with an underdense plasma. The multiparametric particle-in-cell simulations demonstrate that the main pulse generates the quasistatic magnetic field, which in its turn produces the long-lived charge separation electrostatic field, accelerating the ions.

Journal Article↗