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Biomedical subjects

E Takashima

Publications and source records attributed to E Takashima.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

Isolation of mitochondria from Plasmodium falciparum showing dihydroorotate dependent respiration.

Using N2 cavitation, we established a protocol to prepare the active mitochondria from Plasmodium falciparum showing a higher succinate dehydrogenase activity than previously reported and a dihydroorotate-dependent respiration. The fact that fumarate partially inhibited the dihydroorotate dependent respiration suggests that complex II (succinate-ubiquinone reductase/quinol-fumarate reductase) in the erythrocytic stage cells of P. falciparum functions as a quinol-fumarate reductase.

Animals↗

Maternal serum CA125 levels in early intrauterine and tubal pregnancies.

Using an immunoradiometric assay, serum CA125 levels were measured in 13 women with a normal pregnancy, 9 with a spontaneous abortion, 3 with a hydatidiform mole, and 15 with a tubal pregnancy. Serum CA125 levels were high in patients with a normal pregnancy (154 +/- 169 U/ml; mean +/- S.D.), a spontaneous abortion (244 +/- 258 U/ml), or a hydatidiform mole (54 +/- 16 U/ml). In contrast, CA125 levels in patients with a tubal pregnancy (33 +/- 25 U/ml) were low, and almost all of those without uterine bleeding (25 +/- 9 U/ml) were within the normal range for non-pregnant women (< 35 U/ml). The difference between serum CA125 levels with intrauterine pregnancy and with tubal pregnancy may be ascribed to the difference of the amount of decidual tissues at the site of trophoblastic invasion.

Abortion, Spontaneous↗

Determination of diphenylmethane antihistaminic drugs and their analogues in body fluids by gas chromatography with surface ionization detection.

Eleven diphenylmethane antihistaminic drugs and their analogues were tested for their detection by capillary gas chromatography (GC) with surface ionization detection (SID). The GC-SID response was highest for doxylamine, diphenhydramine and orphenadrine and lowest for terodiline, clemastine and pipethanate. The detection limits for drugs with the highest response were 2-5 pg (ca. 6-20 fmol) on-column (100-250 pg/ml of body fluid). The detection limits with GC-SID were 10-100 times higher than those with GC with nitrogen-phosphorus detection. A detailed procedure for the isolation of the antihistaminics from human whole blood and urine by the use of Sep-Pak C18 cartridges, prior to GC-SID, is also presented. The recoveries of the drugs (50 or 500 pmol), which had been added to 1 ml of body fluids, were > 60%. The baselines remained steady as the column temperature was increased and the background was clean, especially for whole blood extracts.

Benzhydryl Compounds↗

Sensitive determination of phenothiazines in body fluids by gas chromatography with surface ionization detection.

Fourteen phenothiazine derivatives were tested for their detection by gas chromatography (GC) with surface ionization detection (SID). The sensitivity of GC-SID was highest with trimeprazine and levomepromazine, which contain aliphatic tertiary amino side chains, and lowest with thiethylperazine and thioproperazine, which contain sulphur residues. Chlorpromazine, trimeprazine and promazine showed excellent linearity between the SID response and the drug amount in the range 0.25-3.0 pmol on-column. Their detection limits were as low as ca. 5-10 pg (15-30 fmol) on-column (250-500 pg per ml of body fluid). A detailed procedure for isolation of phenothiazines from human whole blood and urine using Sep-Pak C18 cartridges, before the GC with SID, is also presented. The recoveries of the drugs (100 pmol), which were added to 1 ml of whole blood or urine, were more than 79%. The baselines remained steady as the column temperature was increased.

Chromatography, Gas↗

[Clinical significance of serum CA130 level in women with spontaneous abortion, hydatidiform mole and early normal and tubal pregnancy].

We examined the serum CA130 level in women in early pregnancy with normal (n = 13), and abnormal (n = 28) course. The abnormal course consisted of intrauterine spontaneous abortion (n = 10), hydatidiform mole (n = 3) and tubal pregnancy (n = 15). The serum CA130 level was higher than for normal nonpregnant women (35u/ml) in 69% (9/13) of women with normal pregnancy, 90% (9/10) of those with intrauterine spontaneous abortion and 100% (3/3) of those with hydatidiform mole; the mean value and standard deviation for these three groups were 131 +/- 150u/ml (n = 13), 197 +/- 253u/ml (n = 10), and 47 +/- 15u/ml (n = 3), respectively. In contrast, the serum CA130 level of the 15 women with tubal pregnancy was 28 +/- 21u/ml. Among these patients, all of the 13 women without genital bleeding had a CA130 level within the normal range for nonpregnant women (mean +/- SD; 20 +/- 6u/ml). Since CA130 is abundant in the decidual tissue but is scant in tubal tissue, a high CA130 level in maternal sera during early pregnancy may indicate the presence of the destruction of decidual tissue, while a low or normal CA130 level throughout early pregnancy is regarded as characteristic of tubal pregnancy.

Abortion, Spontaneous↗

[Clotting and fibrinolytic activities in acute alcoholic golden hamsters with or without ether anaesthesia].

Fluid cadaveric blood is generally known as a characteristic of sudden death. However, it has been reported that soft blood clots have been observed in a number of cases of sudden death after alcohol drinking. Such a tendency was also recognized on autopsy cases in our laboratory. This study was carried out to reveal the effects on clotting and fibrinolytic system in golden hamsters under acute alcohol intoxication. Furthermore, the influences of ether anaesthesia were also observed. Activities of clotting and fibrinolytic factors were measured with fluorogenic peptide substrate. Prothrombin and factor X activities began to decrease 1 hr after administration of alcohol. But thrombin-like and factor Xa-like activities significantly increased after 1 hr and then returned to the initial value 4 hr after administration. Plasminogen activity began to decrease 1 hr after administration, whereas plasmin-like and t-PA-like activities increased after 1 hr and returned to the initial values or decreased after 4 hr. These results show that under acute alcohol intoxication clotting and fibrinolytic factors (prothrombin, factor X and plasminogen) in golden hamsters were converted temporarily to their active forms (thrombin, factor Xa and plasmin). No influence of only ether anaesthesia on clotting and fibrinolytic activities was observed. At 1 hr after administration of alcohol some effects of ether anaesthesia on prothrombin, prekallikrein and kallikrein were observed and then were not observed after 4 hr. But it seems that the influence of ether anaesthesia on clotting and fibrinolytic activities was negligible in the process after alcohol consumption.

Alcoholic Intoxication↗

[Prevention of vitamin K deficiency in the early neonatal period--prophylactic oral administration of VK to the mother].

We studied the effect of vitamin K(MK-4) on the prevention of vitamin K deficiency in the early neonatal period. MK-4 (20 mg/day) was given orally for 1-7 days to 183 pregnant women at 37-39 weeks gestation. In the MK-4 treated group, there were no cases of melena neonatorum but there were 9 cases in the untreated group (9/757, 1.2%). To investigate the influence of MK-4 administration on liver function and the VK dependent coagulation system, maternal and umbilical venous blood were taken to measure T-Bil, GOT, GPT, gamma-GTP, LDH, and II, VII, X activity and HPT. There was no significant difference between these values in MK-treated and untreated groups. MK-4 concentrations were measured in the maternal and umbilical venous blood of 68 subjects. The level of MK-4 in umbilical venous blood was less than 0.1 ng/ml in 17 of 21 subjects not treated with MK-4 but it was over 0.1 ng/ml in 30 of 47 MK-4 treated subjects. However, no MK-4 was detected in 6 of 8 subjects who were treated for 1 day. The level of MK-4 in maternal blood was less than 0.1 ng/ml in 12 of 21 untreated subjects but it was 0.19-92.6 ng/ml in all of the 47 MK-4 treated subjects. The mean MK-4 concentration in cord blood as a percentage of that in maternal blood was 17.9%. These findings indicate that MK-4 is effectively transported from maternal to fetal blood through the placenta and its administration to pregnant women is useful in preventing melena neonatorum.

Administration, Oral↗

[Diagnostic endoscopy for malignant uterine tumors].

A hysteroscope is a useful tool for detecting uterine tumors developed in the cervical canal and uterine cavity which are invisible areas. The hysteroscopy discloses easily the findings, location, size and extent of the lesions. Consequently more correct biopsies may be obtained than the conventional curettages which are blind procedures. This paper comprises the instrumentation, technique and hysteroscopic findings of the malignant uterine tumors. Observation of the cervical canal, namely cervicoscopy reveals mainly the appearance of normal cervical wall, preinvasive and invasive squamous cell carcinoma, adenocarcinoma and sarcoma. Hysteroscopy reveals the appearance of normal uterine cavity, endometrial carcinoma, sarcoma, metastatic uterine carcinoma, invasive carcinoma infiltrated from the adjacent organs and trophoblastic tumors. As a result, endoscopic features of each uterine malignant tumor are summarized as useful criteria for differential diagnosis.

Adenocarcinoma↗

Source of increased plasminogen activators during pregnancy and puerperium.

We investigated the increase of plasminogen activators (tPA and uPA) in the plasma during pregnancy. Both tPA and uPA antigens were found to increase after the third trimester of pregnancy and high levels of PAs persisted through the first stage of labor. The tPA antigen levels rose further for the first few hours post-partum, while the level of uPA antigen returned to normal immediately following childbirth. To clarify whether the uterus and/or placenta are involved in the increased levels of plasma PAs, the levels were measured in uterine venous blood in cases of caesarean sections. During the ante-partum period, the level of uPA antigen in the uterine venous blood was higher than that in the peripheral venous blood, while there was no significant difference between the levels of tPA antigen in peripheral blood and uterine venous blood. The level of tPA antigen in the uterine venous blood rose after delivery. In contrast, the level of uPA antigen declined immediately after delivery. These results suggest that (1) the placenta is the major source of the increased uPA antigen during pregnancy, (2) entire vascular system is involved in the increased tPA antigen during pregnancy, (3) a further increase in tPA after delivery is due to the release of this enzyme from the involuting uterus.

Antigens↗

Immunotherapy using the streptococcal preparation OK-432 for the treatment of uterine cervical cancer. Cervical Cancer Immunotherapy Study Group.

The efficacy of immunotherapy using a streptococcal preparation, OK-432, was evaluated in each clinical stage of uterine cervical cancer. The 382 eligible patients were stratified by clinical stage and presence/absence of surgery. Within each stratum, patient's were randomly allocated to OK-432 treatment or to control treatment. OK-432 significantly inhibited recurrence in patients with stage II cervical cancer; the recurrence-free interval and survival time were remarkably prolonged in patients with stage II disease who underwent surgery. However, OK-432 did not significantly prolong these parameters in patients with stage III disease. Retrospective analyses revealed that in patients with or without lymph node metastases who underwent surgery, the recurrence-free interval and survival time were significantly prolonged by OK-432 treatment. These results indicate that OK-432 is an effective and useful postoperative immunotherapeutic agent for uterine cervical cancer.

Biological Products↗

[Study on the plasma plasminogen activators in patients with malignant gynecologic tumors].

Increased plasminogen activator (PA) secretion has been observed in malignant cells and tissue and PA is thought to be involved in the processes of tumorigenesis, cancer invasion and metastasis. Recently two types of plasminogen activator--tissue type PA(tPA) and urokinase type PA(uPA)--have been detected in human plasma. In this study, to investigate the relationship between circulating PA and the malignant state, we measured the plasma PA concentrations (PA activity, tPA and uPA antigen) in 69 women with gynecologic malignancies (cervical cancer 50, ovarian cancer 19). These concentrations were compared to those in control groups of 33 women with benign gynecologic tumors (uterine tumor 8, ovarian tumor 25). An enzyme-linked immunoassay for tPA and uPA antigens was performed by the modified method described by Takada et al. (1986). PA activity was measured by the sensitive spectrophotometric assay of Verheijen et al. (1982). The blood samples were taken from an arm vein with a minimum of venous occlusion before treatment. There was no correlation between PA activity or uPA antigen levels and the malignant state. However, in the case of uterine tumors, a significantly higher concentration of tPA antigen (10.5 +/- 5.1 ng/ml) was found in patients with cervical cancer, in stage IV, than in those in the benign group (5.2 +/- 2.0 ng/ml). Moreover the tPA antigen concentration in cervical cancer, stage IV, was higher than in stages 0-III.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Antigens↗

[Prognostic significance of histopathological classification in patients with carcinoma of the uterine cervix].

In a retrospective study of 724 patients with histologically proven carcinoma of the uterine cervix from 1980 through 1986, the histological classification and clinical stage (FIGO) were investigated for their prognostic value. The clinical stage was very important in relation to prognosis. The histological type of the squamous cell carcinoma (keratinizing, large cell non-keratinizing, small cell non-keratinizing) did not have any value in predicting survival, but small cell non-keratinizing tumor showed a less favorable prognosis than other tumors when surgery was employed. As to survival, there was no difference between adenocarcinoma and squamous cell carcinoma when compared in all patients, but adenocarcinoma had a worse prognosis than squamous cell carcinoma when surgery was employed. The pelvic lymphnode status at operation was correlated with the clinical stage. Adenocarcinoma had more positive nodes than squamous cell carcinoma. There was no significant difference in the frequency of pelvic node involvement among cell types of squamous cell carcinoma. The present histopathological classification of the uterine cervical carcinoma was of little prognostic value in predicting patient outcome.

Adenocarcinoma↗

Femininity control at the XXth Universiade in Kobe, Japan.

In 1985, we were in charge of the femininity control tests for the participants of the XXth Universiade in Kobe. At that time, we chose as screening tests checking both X chromatin from buccal mucous membrane and Y chromatin from hair roots. The number of female competitors who attended the Universiade, except tennis, gymnastics, and fencing, was 631. Among them, 108 had already had the certificate of femininity so we examined 523 female competitors. All but three of them were normal for femininity, i.e., X chromatin positive and Y chromatin negative. Two of the three exceptions were Y chromatin positive and X chromatin negative. Chromosomal analyses from their peripheral lymphocytes showed a pattern concordant with a 46,XY karyotype. The other was both X and Y chromatin positive, but we could find Y chromatin on only one slide out of three. Since this person refused to have a blood sample taken, we can only suppose her karyotype as being 46,XX/46,XY or 46,XX/47,XXY. This last case would not have been found, if we had checked only the X chromatin. From our experience, we conclude that for femininity control, it is safer to screen the Y chromatin. We would strongly advise the use of both X and Y chromatin tests for femininity control.

Female↗