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A Akane

Publications and source records attributed to A Akane.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2000

Classification of standard alleles of the MN blood group system.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: We had classified the M alleles of the MN blood group system into two subtypes, M(G) (standard M) and M(T), based on a G/T substitution in intron 1 of the glycophorin A (GPA) gene. This study provides further study on nucleotide sequences of M(G), M(T) and N alleles to profile the new allele, M(T). MATERIALS AND METHODS: M(G), M(T) and N alleles of the GPA gene were amplified using GPA gene-specific primers to avoid co-amplification of the genes of glycophorins B and E. Then the 5'-flanking region, exons 1-7 and introns 1-4 of the alleles were analyzed by DNA sequencing. RESULTS: There were 17 nucleotide substitutions and deletions between M(G) (standard M) and N alleles. Ten of the M(T) nucleotides were M(G)-type but the other 7 were N-type. M(T) allele also showed one base change and one deletion that were observed in neither the M(G) nor the N allele. Moreover, we found nucleotide substitutions within each allele, allowing further classification of the alleles. CONCLUSION: By the sequence data of M(G), M(T) and N alleles, the three alleles could be further classified into M101 and M102, M201 and M202, and N101 and N102, respectively.

Alleles↗
PubMed2000

Long-term ethanol consumption in ICR mice causes mammary tumor in females and liver fibrosis in males.

BACKGROUND: Although epidemiological studies indicate that ethanol consumption and the risk of breast cancer are positively associated in women, experimental animal models have not yet been developed that provide evidence to support this relationship. To clarify alcohol-related liver injury, it is important to reproduce, in laboratory small animals, the liver fibrosis observed in human alcoholics. However, in mice the induction of fibrosis has failed. The present study describes the first experimental models to produce mammary tumors in female ICR mice and liver fibrosis in male ICR mice treated long-term with ethanol. METHODS: The study consisted of two parts. To induce mammary tumors, female ICR mice were given 10% to 15% ethanol solution as the sole drinking fluid for 25 months, with solid diet supplied ad libitum. To induce liver fibrosis, male ICR mice were given 10% to 15% ethanol solution as the sole drinking fluid for 10 to 15 months. Control female and male mice were given tap water. RESULTS: In 9 (45%) of 20 ethanol-treated female mice, mammary tumors occurred at 8 to 24 months after ethanol intake began, whereas spontaneous mammary tumor was not found in the 20 control female mice. The tumors were composed histopathologically of either papillary adenocarcinoma or medullary adenocarcinoma of glandular epithelial origin. In the ethanol-treated male mice, early hepatic fibrosis at the centrilobular and pericellular areas and central-central bridging were observed at the 10th month, and marked fibrosis at the centrilobular, pericellular, and periportal areas and bridging between the neighboring vascular tissues were observed at the 15th month, which suggested that the initial fibrosis arose from the centrilobular area. No abnormalities other than mild fatty infiltration were found in livers of the control male mice. CONCLUSIONS: These murine models may be useful to study the role of ethanol in mammary tumorigenesis and the pathogenetic mechanisms of ethanol liver injury.

Animals↗
PubMed1999

Subzero-temperature liquid-liquid extraction of benzodiazepines for high-performance liquid chromatography.

On the basis of the phenomenon that hydrophilic acetonitrile is separated from the aqueous phase at -20 degrees C, we employed a novel extraction method, "subzero-temperature liquid-liquid extraction", to extract benzodiazepines (estazolam and triazolam) from serum or aqueous solution for liquid chromatography. A 1:1 mixture of acetonitrile and the specimen was cooled at -20 degrees C for 20 min to separate the acetonitrile and aqueous phases. The acetonitrile phase was directly injected into a high-performance liquid chromatograph. Recovery rates of the drugs following the first subzero-temperature liquid-liquid extraction were 50.3 +/- 0.6-54.0 +/- 0.9%, which were lower than those (73.9 +/- 3.3-80.6 +/- 0.6% and 81.6 +/- 4.7-96.1 +/- 2.6%) of the first conventional liquid-liquid extraction using diethyl ether and solid-phase extraction using a Sep-Pak C18 column, respectively. However, three to four repeated subzero-temperature liquid-liquid extractions and conventional liquid-liquid extractions resulted in recovery of almost 100% of the drugs. In the chromatogram of the benzodiazepines recovered from serum by the subzero-temperature extraction, no coextracted component interfered with determination of the drugs. Detection limits of the drugs were 0.02-0.08 microgram/mL, and coefficients of variance were 1.14-2.17% suggesting high reproducibility.

Acetonitriles↗
PubMed1999

Intralobular distribution of class I alcohol dehydrogenase and aldehyde dehydrogenase 2 activities in the hamster liver.

The hepatic lobular localization of class I alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH) and aldehyde dehydrogenase (ALDH) 2 activities was examined histochemically using livers of hamsters with high ethanol preferences. The activity of class I ADH detected by the nitro blue tetrazolium method using 5 mM ethanol as a substrate was extremely high and was almost homogeneously distributed throughout the lobule. The ALDH 2 activity (substrate, 8 microM acetaldehyde) was localized to the centrilobular zone, whereas low Km ALDH (ALDH 1 + ALDH 2) activity (substrate, 50 microM acetaldehyde) showed a gradient distribution in the lobule with high centrilobular to moderate periportal activity, suggesting that the ALDH 1 activity was distributed throughout the lobule.

Alcohol Dehydrogenase↗
PubMed1998

Rapid detection of dihydrocodeine by thermospray mass spectrometry.

Rapid assay of dihydrocodeine (DHC) by thermospray mass spectrometry is explored. Liquid-liquid extractions of blood, urine and gastric contents were injected into a thermospray mass spectrometer, to which there was no column connected, and DHC was assayed by the flow injection method. The mass spectra of DHC under thermospray ionization and filament-on ionization modes consist of the MH+ ion of mlz 302 alone, which was clearly detected in the samples. Although DHC should be quantitated by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry, this method is applicable for rapid identification of DHC in biological materials.

Codeine↗
PubMed1997

PCR-based genotyping of MNSs blood group: subtyping of M allele to MG and MT.

PCR-based genotyping of MNSs blood group system was investigated in combination with restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP), single-stand conformation polymorphism (SSCP) and allele-specific PCR amplification (ASPA) techniques. M and N alleles are based on three nucleotide substitutions in exon 2 and one base change (G or T) in an intron of glycophorin A locus. The latter single base change was also found among M alleles analyzed in this study, so that M allele appeared to be subdivided into MG and MT. All three alleles, MG, MT and N were identified clearly by RFLP or SSCP analysis following a single amplification. S and s alleles are based on one nucleotide substitution in exon 3 of glycophorin B gene. Genotyping of Ss blood group system was also explored by PCR-SSCP or ASPA analysis, and problems in the methods were discussed.

Alleles↗
PubMed1996

Simultaneous early gastric cancer in identical twins: report of a case.

We report the unusual case of identical male twins developing early gastric cancers that were found almost simultaneously. A 39-year-old man underwent a barium-swallow examination to investigate the cause of right hypochondrial discomfort; the examination revealed evidence of gastric cancer in the upper body of the stomach. A diagnosis of adenocarcinoma was confirmed by endoscopic biopsy, and a total gastrectomy was performed. Subsequent screening of the patient's asymptomatic identical twin revealed gastric cancer in the lower body of the stomach, for which distal gastrectomy with Billroth I reconstruction was performed. The histopathological types of the two cancers were similar and both had infiltrated the submucosa. The relevant etiological factors contributing to the development of gastric adenocarcinoma in these identical twins is discussed, following the case report.

Adenocarcinoma↗
PubMed1996

A unique origin and multistep process for the generation of expanded DRPLA triplet repeats.

Dentatorubral and pallidoluysian atrophy (DRPLA) is an autosomal dominant neurodegenerative disorder associated with the expansion of a CAG repeat at chromosome band 12p13. Epidemiological studies have demonstrated an increased prevalence of DRPLA in Japan, although several DRPLA kindreds of non-Japanese ancestry have been identified. To define the molecular basis for this geographic variation in prevalence, we have analyzed haplotypes around the repeat in several different ethnic groups. Two intragenic biallelic polymorphisms distinguished three haplotypes, each of which formed a predominant haplotype found in the three major racial populations. All the expanded repeats of Japanese and Caucasian patients studied were associated with a particular haplotype, which otherwise was associated with longer repeats commonly found in Asians. Our results support a multi-step model for repeat expansion, and suggest that expanded DRPLA repeats may have evolved from an ancient chromosomal haplotype of Asian origin. We also propose that a combination of a highly polymorphic microsatellite marker with relatively stable biallelic markers in a range of PCR amplification is a powerful tool for studies on human genome diversity, which may reveal the ancient human migration and the formation of ethnic groups.

Black or African American↗
PubMed1996

Analysis and classification of nasopharyngeal electroencephalogram in "brain death" patients.

Nasopharyngeally-derived electroencephalogram (EEG) was recorded and digitized in 12 "brain death" subjects with flat-line scalp EEG and loss of auditory brain stem response. The nasopharyngeal EEGs of these cases were classified into three types: Type Ia with complete flat-line, Type Ib with almost but incomplete flat-line EEG, and Type II with low-amplitude slow fluctuations. Digitization of the nasopharyngeal EEG showed that equivalent electric potentials in low frequency bands (delta and/or theta 1) remained within the values of healthy volunteers in Types Ib and II. These results suggested that the tissue in or around the brain stem still functioned in Type 1b and II "brain death" patients. The origin of nasopharyngeal EEG was also discussed in this paper.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1996

ABO genotyping following a single PCR amplification.

Using primers designed by Lee and Chang, 200 base-pair (bp) fragment of ABO locus was amplified by PCR, which spans the site of the single nucleotide deletion associated with O allele. O allele could be identified by Kpn I digestion of the PCR product as reported. A and B alleles were also distinguishable by Mae II digestion of the product. Thus restriction digestion by Kpn I and Mae II could genotype ABO blood group following the single amplification. The nucleotide substitution in the 200-bp product between A and B alleles was also found in O allele, resulting in 2 different suballeles OA and OG. The single-strand conformational polymorphism of the PCR product was also investigated for ABO genotyping following the single amplification.

ABO Blood-Group System↗
PubMed1995

Detection of green algae (Chlorophyceae) for the diagnosis of drowning.

The plankton test (generally, diatom test) is one of the methods available to diagnose the cause of death of submerged bodies. The solubilization method using tissue solubilizer Soluene-350 was used in this study to detect not only diatoms but also green algae, based on the fact that the solubilizer does not digest the cell walls of green algae which are made from cellulose. Detection of green algae from organs of submerged cadavers is very informative to determine drowning in fresh water, and also in cases where only few diatoms are detected in the organs.

Acetone↗
PubMed1995

Analysis of organic compounds in a case of suicide by ignition with lacquer thinner.

An autopsy case of suicide by ignition using lacquer thinner is presented. A wholly-charred body of a 54-year-old man and a can of lacquer thinner were found at the burnt driver's seat of a truck. Organic solvents in blood, urine, lung tissue, trachea and gastric contents and of the remaining clothes have been analyzed by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS). High levels of toluene, ethyl acetate and butyl acetate were detected in his clothes. The concentrations of toluene in the left and right heart blood, urine, gastric contents, squeeze sample and a block of lung tissue were 0.309, 0.226, 0.018, 0.051, and 0.268 mg/ml, and 0.340 mg/g, respectively. The ethanol levels in these samples were 1.89, 1.71, 1.58, 13.88 and 1.39 mg/ml, and 1.49 mg/g, respectively, and the profile suggested that the source of the ethanol was mainly drinking. The carboxyhemoglobin concentration in the left and right heart blood was 43.3 and 36.1%, respectively. The GC/MS data on organic solvents are consistent with the idea that he used the lacquer thinner contained in the can found in his truck for ignition. The high levels of toluene in his blood suggest that not only burns but also toluene poisoning contributed to his death.

Carboxyhemoglobin↗
PubMed1994

Monozygotic twins of different apparent sex.

We report on twins of unlike sex who shared a 45,X/46,X,+mar karyotype. The mar chromosome was found to be Yq- by DNA analysis. Marker studies, including 8 VNTR loci, yielded a probability of monozygosity of 0.99999996.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1994

A novel assay for typing Rh antigens in blood-stains using a lectin specific to the bisecting N-acetyl-D-glucosamine side chain of glycoprotein.

A unique sandwich enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay for the determination of Rh antigens in blood stains has been developed using Rh antisera and phaseolus vulgaris E4/peroxidase conjugate (PHAE4/PO). The appropriate antiserum for detecting Rh C, c, D, E or e was coated on the inner surface of microplate wells, and the sample antigens from blood stains, solubilized with n-octyl-beta-D-glucopyranoside, were then placed in the wells. After washing the wells repeatedly, PHAE4/PO was added. Bound PHAE4/PO was detected by the development of colors using o-phenylenediamine/H2O2. All Rh antigens corresponding to the antisera were clearly detected using this technique. The detection limit expressed by sample dilution was more than 2 x 10(5) times (volume/dried blood weight) for the various antigens from the fresh 5 x 5 mm2 blood stain. Even when the blood stain samples were left beside a sunny window at room temperature for 2 months, Rh antigens were still detected. When the ABH, MN, P1, Kidd, Duffy and Lewis blood grouping systems were tested with similar ELISA procedures PHAE4 did not recognize any antigen. Since PHAE4 specifically recognizes and combines with the bisecting N-acetyl-D-glucosamine side chain, it was concluded that the glycoprotein was a component of all Rh antigens immune complexes.

Acetylglucosamine↗