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F Endo

Publications and source records attributed to F Endo.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources

Neurodevelopmental outcome of long-term therapy of urea cycle disorders in Japan.

In Japan, urea cycle disorders (UCDs) are one of the most frequent inborn errors of metabolism, estimated to have a prevalence of 1 per 50,000 live births. In an attempt to develop more effective treatment and enhance the quality of life, we investigated the clinical manifestations and prognosis of 216 patients with UCDs diagnosed and treated between 1978 and 1995. These included 92 cases of neonatal-onset UCD and 116 of late-onset UCD. Two cases of ornithine transcarbamylase (OTC) deficiency in males and 2 cases of argininosuccinase (AL) deficiency were diagnosed prospectively. By far the most common disorder was OTC deficiency, accounting for 2/3 of all cases. At the end of 1995, the 5-year survival rate was 22% for the neonatal-onset type and 41% for the late-onset type. Among the 20 long-term survivors with neonatal-onset UCD, 18 (90%) had moderate to severe neurodevelopmental deficits; this contrasts with 13 of 47 (28%) survivors with the late-onset type. In analysing 108 UCD cases, peak blood ammonia level during the first hyperammonaemic attack was correlated with neurodevelopmental outcome. When the concentration of blood ammonia was less than 180 mumol/L (5 times normal), there was no severe neurological damage. When the concentration of blood ammonia exceeded 350 mumol/L (10 times normal) at the first hyperammonaemic attack, the patients died or had severe neurological deficits. Our data point to the importance of early diagnosis and aggressive treatment.

Age of Onset↗

X-inactivation pattern in the liver of a manifesting female with ornithine transcarbamylase (OTC) deficiency.

Ornithine transcarbamylase (OTC) deficiency is the most common urea cycle disorder. It is X-linked and hemizygous new-born males usually suffer fatal hyperammonemia. In contrast, carrier females manifest variable phenotypes, ranging from asymptomatic carriers to those with severe hyperammonemia. In order to understand the correlation between X-inactivation status and the clinical phenotype of carrier females with this disorder, we analyzed the X-inactivation pattern of peripheral blood leukocytes in a family consisting of a clinically normal mother and two daughters with severe manifestation. In addition, we obtained tissue samples from various parts of the liver of one of these daughters and analyzed X-inactivation patterns and the residual OTC activities. The X-inactivation of peripheral blood leukocytes was nearly random in these carrier females and showed no correlation with the disease phenotype. However, the X-inactivation of the liver was much more skewed and correlated well with the OTC activity of all samples. Interestingly, the degree of X-inactivation varied considerably, even within the same liver.

Child↗

Human ubiquitin-protein ligase Nedd4: expression, subcellular localization and selective interaction with ubiquitin-conjugating enzymes.

BACKGROUND: Nedd4 is a ubiquitin-protein ligase containing a calcium/lipid-binding domain, multiple WW domains and a C-terminal Hect domain, which is required for both the ubiquitin transfer and the association with E2 ubiquitin-conjugating enzymes. Nedd4 has been reported to be involved in the selective ubiquitination of some regulatory proteins in transcription and membrane transport. RESULTS: Three mRNA species for human Nedd4 were found to be 6.4-, 7.8- and 9.5-kb in size, and their expression patterns varied among normal tissues and cancer cell lines, indicating the tissue- and cell-specificities of Nedd4 expression. The Nedd4 protein, approximately 120 kDa in weight, was found in the cytoplasm, mainly in the perinuclear region and cytoplasmic periphery, of human cultured cells. Neural differentiation induced not only the down-regulation of Nedd4 but also the localization of the protein to both the cytoplasm and neurites. To identify the ubiquitination pathway that is linked to Nedd4, we demonstrated that specific E2 enzymes, including human Ubc4, UbcH5B, UbcH5C, UbcH6 and UbcH7, could transfer ubiquitin molecules to Nedd4 at the active cysteine residue, whereas E6AP accepted ubiquitins from Ubc4, UbcH5B, UbcH5C and UbcH7. Furthermore, nuclear localization of N-terminal deletion mutant Nedd4 enabled us to investigate the interaction between Nedd4 and E2 enzyme (Ubc4 or UbcH7) in the cell. The simultaneous expression of the full-length Nedd4 and E2 enzyme revealed the both proteins mostly colocalized in the cytoplasmic periphery, while the N-terminal deleted Nedd4 induced the nuclear and perinuclear colocalization with E2 enzyme. CONCLUSION: Our findings suggested that Nedd4 plays an important role in the cell regulation, including neural differentiation through cooperation with specific E2 ubiquitination pathways.

Cell Differentiation↗

Anticarcinogenic effects of shikaron, a preparation of eight Chinese herbs in mice treated with a carcinogen, N-butyl-N'-butanolnitrosoamine.

We studied the effects of Shikaron, which is composed of 8 Chinese herb extracts, on carcinogenesis and the cytotoxic activity and cytokine production of lymphocytes in mice treated with a carcinogen, N-butyl-N'-butanolnitrosoamine (BBN). We found a significantly lower incidence of urinary bladder carcinoma in mice treated with BBN plus Shikaron 200 mg/kg/day (5 of 20 mice, 25%), than in mice treated with BBN alone (16 of 20 mice, 80%). Shikaron protected the cytotoxic activity of lymphocytes against YAC-1 cells from suppression by BBN. Cytotoxic activity against P-815 cells significantly increased in mice treated with BBN plus Shikaron, as compared with normal mice and BBN-treated mice. Shikaron also protected production of interleukin-2 and interferon-gamma by lymphocytes from suppression by BBN. These findings strongly suggest that Shikaron exerted an anticarcinogenic effect in carcinogen-treated mice through activation of NK and LAK cells and cytokine production by T lymphocytes.

Animals↗

[Inflammatory pseudotumor of the ureter: a case report].

A 57-year-old male was admitted because of the right flank pain. The image examinations, retrogradeurography, abdominal CT and MRI, showed a mass located at the upper right ureter. Although the tumor was not typical as ureteral cancer, we could not make a diagnosis of a benign tumor by image examinations. Therefore nephroureterectomy that was surgical method for ureteral cancer was performed. The tumor was diagnosed as inflammatory pseudotumor of the ureter by histological findings. Inflammatory pseudotumor is extremely rare for ulogeital organs. And this lesion is difficult to distinguish from malignancy only by image examinations. Therefore, the surgical resection and pathological studies are necessary.

Diagnosis, Differential↗

[Hawkinsinuria].

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Amino Acid Metabolism, Inborn Errors↗

[Hydroxyprolinemia].

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Amino Acid Metabolism, Inborn Errors↗

[Prolidase deficiency].

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Amino Acid Metabolism, Inborn Errors↗

Tyrosinemia type I-like disease: a possible manifestation of 3-oxo-delta 4-steroid 5 beta-reductase deficiency.

BACKGROUND: It has been suggested that quantitative analysis of urinary bile acids may help to distinguish primary 3-oxo-delta 4-steroid 5 beta-reductase deficiency from the excretion of 3-oxo-delta 4 bile acids that occurs as a result of liver damage. METHODS: Urinary bile acids were quantitatively analyzed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry in four Japanese patients with severe neonatal cholestasis associated with hypertyrosinemia without urinary succinylacetone (i.e. tyrosinemia type I-like disease). These four patients represented sporadic cases. RESULTS: Large amounts of 3-oxo-delta 4 bile acids were detected, which comprised greater than 80% of the total urinary bile acids. Small amounts of allo-bile acids and primary bile acids were also detected, comprising less than 1% and 15% of the total urinary bile acids, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: It was suspected that these four patients had a primary 3-oxo-delta 4-steroid 5 beta-reductase deficiency. However, it is possible that some patients in this study may have had a secondary 3-oxo-delta 4-steroid 5 beta-reductase deficiency, caused by idiopathic neonatal cholestatic liver failure.

Amino Acid Metabolism, Inborn Errors↗

Complete rescue of lethal albino c14CoS mice by null mutation of 4-hydroxyphenylpyruvate dioxygenase and induction of apoptosis of hepatocytes in these mice by in vivo retrieval of the tyrosine catabolic pathway.

Hereditary tyrosinemia 1 (HT1) is characterized by progressive liver damage, from infancy, and by a high risk for hepatocellular carcinoma. HT1 is due to mutations in the fumarylacetoacetate hydrolase gene Fah, encoding the last enzyme in the tyrosine catabolic pathway. Lethal albino deletion c14CoS mice and mice with target-disrupted Fah are models for HT1, but they die in the perinatal period, albeit with a different phenotype from that seen in HT1 in humans. We first asked whether homozygous null mutation of the 4-hydroxyphenylpyruvate dioxygenase gene Hpd could rescue the homozygous c14CoS mice (c14CoS/c14CoS or Fah-/-). The double mutant Fah-/- Hpd-/- mice appeared normal, at least until age 18 months, and there was no evidence of liver disease, findings that facilitated examination of the effect of Fah-/- on mature and unmodified hepatocytes in vivo. The hepatocytes of Fah-/- undergo rapid apoptosis, and acute death follows. Essentially the same phenomena were observed when Fah-/- Hpd-/- mice were administered homogentisate intraperitoneally. These changes in liver pathology in Fah-/- Hpd-/- mice after the administration of homogentisate were associated with massive urinary excretion of succinylacetone. These results suggest that accumulation of fumarylacetoacetate, maleylacetoacetate, or succinylacetone seems to trigger the endogenous process of apoptosis in hepatocytes that lack fumarylacetoacetate hydrolase activity. This apoptosis may be related to the development of hepatocellular carcinomas seen in HT1 patients and pharmaceutically treated fumarylacetoacetate hydrolase-deficient mice.

4-Hydroxyphenylpyruvate Dioxygenase↗