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Biomedical subjects

K Fujio

Publications and source records attributed to K Fujio.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources
PubMed1995

Wrap-around neurorrhaphy: an improved method of repair for disparate nerve stumps.

We report a new method of nerve Reconstruction, wrap-around neurorrhaphy, in which the funicular suture site is wrapped with the epineurium of the larger stump. The specific applications of this procedure in brachial plexus reconstruction are described and the clinical results presented. The method was applied in intercostal nerve transfer to the musculocutaneous nerve in 21 patients and in 12 patients with axillary nerve injury who underwent reconstruction with autografts using wrap-around neurorrhaphy. Rigid fixation of the neurorrhaphy site could be obtained using this method, and the clinical results were satisfactory.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1995

Growth of severed flexor tendons in chickens.

To examine tendon growth in both the distal and proximal portions of severed tendons, we investigated the growth of severed flexor tendons within the fibro-osseous tunnel in young chickens. When the tendon was severed at the proximal site in the sole, dynamic tension applied by the muscle was lost. Growth in the distal tendon was retarded considerably, although passive tension initially was maintained through the residual vincula and later by adhesion to the chiasma of adjacent flexors. When the tendon was severed at the insertion, passive tension from the extensors was lost. Proximal tendon growth continued if active tension was maintained through the residual vincula. If not, the tendon was markedly shortened and degenerated. Maintaining normal tension may be the most important factor in longitudinal tendon growth.

Animals↗
PubMed1995

Toe-to-finger transfer combined with wrap-around flap: a new technique for four-finger amputation.

A surgical technique for reconstruction of four-finger amputation, toe-to-finger transfer combined with wrap-around flap procedure, is described. Opposable ulnar fingers, reconstructed using the second and third toe, provide sufficient grip function. The long finger, reconstructed with the wrap-around flap using the lateral aspect of the great toe, provides pinch function. Improving the hand function is worthwhile despite morbidity from losing two toes.

Amputation, Traumatic↗
PubMed1995

Expression of fibroblast growth factor receptors flg and bek during hepatic ontogenesis and regeneration in the rat.

Fibroblast growth factors (FGFs) mediate their cellular responses through specific cell surface receptors. Previous studies have indicated that acidic FGF is involved in liver regeneration and hepatic differentiation via the stem cell compartment, as well as in liver development (Marsden et al., Lab. Invest. 67:427-433, 1992). To further define the role of acidic FGF and its receptor systems in the liver, we examined the expression and cellular localization of FGF receptor-1 (flg) and FGF receptor-2 (bek) in the liver by Northern blot analysis and in situ hybridization techniques during liver regeneration, hepatic differentiation, and ontogenesis. In the normal adult liver, flg is absent in hepatocytes, whereas a low level of bek can be detected. The transcripts for bek increased, while flg exhibited little change during liver regeneration after partial hepatectomy. Both flg and bek were expressed at high levels in the developing liver. flg was expressed at a high level in embryonic liver and further increased after birth, whereas a significant increase of bek occurred at the postnatal stage of liver development. In the 2-acetylaminofluorene/partial hepatectomy model, both flg and bek are expressed at high levels during the period of active proliferation and differentiation of oval cells. In situ hybridization showed that flg was mainly localized in oval cells, whereas bek was highly expressed in both oval and Ito cells. The data suggest that bek is involved in the proliferation of mature hepatocyte proliferation during liver regeneration, while flg is characteristic of primitive hepatic cells.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Animals↗
PubMed1994

Expression of stem cell factor and its receptor, c-kit, during liver regeneration from putative stem cells in adult rat.

BACKGROUND: Stem cell factor (SCF) and its receptor, c-kit, are known to play important roles in hematopoiesis, melanogenesis, and gametogenesis. The biologic effects of the SCF/c-kit system are believed to involve survival, proliferation, and migration of early stem cell progeny. Although SCF and c-kit receptor are widely expressed during normal embryonic development, their expression in the adult is limited. EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN: The expression of SCF and c-kit genes was examined during liver regeneration via the oval cell compartment utilizing partial hepatectomy (PH) combined with the administration of a noncarcinogenic dose of 2-acetylaminofluorene (AAF) for 8 days (AAF/PH model). RESULTS: Both the ligand and the receptor genes were expressed during the early stages of oval cell proliferation after partial hepatectomy in the AAF/PH model, while neither simple partial hepatectomy nor AAF administration alone induced a noticeable expression of the SCF/c-kit system. The level of SCF mRNA increased within 12 hours after partial hepatectomy and reached a peak around day 4. Thus, the expression of SCF preceded the major expansion of the oval cell compartment. The level of c-kit transcripts gradually increased from the 12-hour time point and stayed elevated until day 11, when a large proportion of the oval cells differentiated into small basophilic hepatocytes. Separation of liver cells at day 3 in the AAF/PH model into parenchymal and nonparenchymal fractions demonstrated that the expression of both SCF and c-kit receptor genes was restricted to the nonparenchymal cells. Furthermore, in situ hybridization revealed that the c-kit transcripts were restricted to oval cells, whereas the SCF transcripts were expressed in both oval cells and Ito cells. CONCLUSIONS: The transcripts for the c-kit receptor are expressed in the early progeny of the hepatic stem cells. The SCF/c-kit system may, possibly in combination with other growth factor/receptor systems, be involved in the early activation of the hepatic stem cells as well as in the expansion and differentiation of oval cells.

Animals↗
PubMed1994

Hepatic regeneration in vitamin A-deficient rats: changes in the expression of transforming growth factor alpha/epidermal growth factor receptor and retinoic acid receptors alpha and beta.

We have studied the effect of vitamin A deficiency on the expression of transforming growth factor alpha (TGF-alpha), hepatocyte growth factor, acidic fibroblast growth factor, and TGF-beta 1 after partial hepatectomy of vitamin A-supplemented and vitamin A-deficient rats. In addition, the expressions of epidermal growth factor receptor and retinoic acid receptors alpha (RAR alpha) and beta (RAR beta) were studied. Partial hepatectomy was performed on the animals from the vitamin A-supplemented and -deficient groups at the age of 10 weeks when the weights of the animals on the deficient diet had reached a plateau. Two animals from each group were sacrificed before the operation and also 12, 24, 48, and 72 h and 5 days after the operation. Partial hepatectomy of the vitamin A-deficient rats leads to a focal necrosis of liver followed by a rapid restoration of liver mass. Expression of the TGF-alpha and epidermal growth factor receptor was highly elevated in the livers of deficient animals after partial hepatectomy. In the vitamin A-supplemented animals, the level of epidermal growth factor receptor was down-regulated following partial hepatectomy. Proliferation of oval cells in vitamin A-deficient livers following partial hepatectomy and subsequent increase in 2.1-kilobase alpha-fetoprotein mRNA was observed, suggesting an activation of the stem cell compartment. Another unexpected result was an inverse relationship between RAR beta and RAR alpha expression, the latter becoming the major species after partial hepatectomy in animals on the vitamin A-deficient regimen.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Animals↗
PubMed1994

Tendon growth in rabbits.

The longitudinal growth of the Achilles and tibialis anterior tendons in young rabbits was investigated. At 5 weeks of age, sutured marks were placed along the entire length of each tendon from the musculotendinous junction to the portion near the osseous attachment using a microsurgical technique. The distances between the marks were measured using a microscope with a micro ruler. At 16 weeks of age, all distances between the marks had increased. In the Achilles tendon, none of the intermark distances differed significantly. In the tibialis anterior, the retinaculum is situated between the musculotendinous junction and the insertion, and acts as a pulley, so this tendon was divided into 2 zones, one proximal and one distal to the retinaculum, and the intermark distances were measured. There were no significant differences among these distances in proximal, or distal zones, but those in the proximal zone were greater than those in the distal zone (< 0.01). Furthermore, in a separate experiment, the longitudinal growth of the underlying bone in the zone proximal to the retinaculum was found to be greater than that in the distal zone (p < 0.01).

Achilles Tendon↗
PubMed1993

Disappearance of pulmonary metastases by OK-432 treatment in a case of hepatocellular carcinoma.

We report here a case of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) with multiple lung metastases, which were disappeared by treatment of OK-432. The patient was a 65-year-old man and was diagnosed in 1986 with a small (17 x 11 mm) HCC in the anterior-superior segment of the liver. A part of the right hepatic lobe including the tumor was surgically removed, and transarterial injections of adriamycin (10 mg/week) and subcutaneous injections of OK-432 (10 KE/week) were given. Two and a half years later, recurrence of HCC in the liver and its invasion to vena cava inferior (IVC) were found. OK-432 administration was then stopped and percutaneous ethanol injection therapy (PEIT) was performed 10 times. Six months later, the PEIT was effective and the liver tumor with IVC invasion diminished. However, multiple lung metastases were visible on roentgenograms of the chest, and serum alphafetoprotein (AFP) concentration increased to 50,000 ng/ml. The OK-432 treatment resumed. After 6 months of OK-432 treatment, the multiple lung metastases were disappeared and the serum AFP level decreased to 100 ng/ml. At present, the patient is surviving without any sign of recurrence in either the liver or the lung. The clinical course of this case suggests that OK-432 might have effectively treated lung metastases of HCC, although the exact mechanisms are at present unclear.

Aged↗
PubMed1993

Activation of hepatic stem cell compartment in the rat: role of transforming growth factor alpha, hepatocyte growth factor, and acidic fibroblast growth factor in early proliferation.

We have demonstrated previously a pronounced increase in the expression of hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) (Z. Hu, R. P. Evarts, K. Fujio, E. R. Marsden, and S. S. Thorgeirsson, Am. J. Pathol., 142: 1823-1830, 1993), transforming growth factor alpha (TGF-alpha) (R. P. Evarts, H. Nakatsukasa, E. R. Marsden, Z. Hu, and S. S. Thorgeirsson, Mol. Carcinog., 5: 25-31, 1992), and acidic fibroblast growth factor (aFGF) (E. R. Marsden, Z. Hu, K. Fujio, H. Nakatsukasa, S. S. Thorgeirsson, and R. P. Evarts, Lab. Invest., 67: 427-433, 1992) that coincided with the proliferation and differentiation of putative hepatic stem cells and perisinusoidal stellate (Ito) cells. Here, we examine the earliest stages of stem cell activation in rat liver using an experimental model involving treatment with acetylaminofluorene and partial hepatectomy (R. P. Evarts, P. Nagy, E. Marsden, and S. S. Thorgeirsson, Carcinogenesis (Lond.), 8: 1737-1740, 1987). Histochemical identification of stem cell progeny and Ito cells was accomplished by OV6 and desmin antibodies, respectively. Expression of the 2.1-kilobase alpha-fetoprotein transcripts and the concomitant DNA synthesis ([3H]thymidine label) were used as indicators for the activation of the stem cell compartment. Expression of HGF, TGF-alpha, and aFGF was analyzed at the time of partial hepatectomy and 4, 12, 24, 48, 72, and 92 h after the operation. [3H]-Thymidine-labeled OV6- and desmin-positive cells were present in the portal space and in the Glisson capsule 4 h after partial hepatectomy.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Animals↗
PubMed1993

Expression of hepatocyte growth factor and c-met genes during hepatic differentiation and liver development in the rat.

Hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) is a potent mitogen for mature hepatocytes in vitro. The receptor for HGF has recently been characterized as the product of the proto-oncogene c-met. We have examined the possible involvement of HGF in hepatic growth and differentiation in the rat. The experimental systems used were acetylaminofluorene treatment combined with partial hepatectomy to induce proliferation and differentiation of oval cells in adult liver and the pre- and postnatal liver. In the acetylaminofluorene model, Northern blot analysis showed that level of HGF transcripts increased one day after partial hepatectomy, reached a peak by day 6, were maintained at that level until day 13, and then declined, reaching normal level at 20 days. The expression of c-met also increased gradually, reached a peak around 9 to 13 days after partial hepatectomy, at which time oval cell proliferation was most prominent. In the developing liver, an elevated level of HGF transcripts was found between 4 and 21 days after birth. The expression of c-met also slightly increased at the same time. In situ hybridization showed that the transcripts for HGF were localized in desmin-positive Ito cells, whereas the transcripts for c-met were strongly expressed by oval cells. We have shown earlier that Ito cells and oval cells proliferate simultaneously and exist in close proximity in the acetylaminofluorene model and that Ito cells are a primary source of growth factors such as transforming growth factor-alpha and acidic fibroblast growth factors. The data presented here suggest that HGF is, in combination with other growth factors, involved in the proliferation and differentiation of oval cells via a paracrine mechanism.

2-Acetylaminofluorene↗
PubMed1992

Expression of acidic fibroblast growth factor in regenerating liver and during hepatic differentiation.

BACKGROUND: Acidic fibroblast growth factor belongs to a family of growth factors that show a high affinity for heparin sulfate proteoglycans. In vitro, it participates in various cellular functions including proliferation, differentiation, angiogenesis, and cell migration, but in vivo, the physiologic role of this growth factor is still not clearly defined. EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN: The level of expression and also cellular distribution of transcripts for acidic fibroblast growth factor (aFGF) were studied in adult rat liver after partial hepatectomy and during hepatic differentiation in fetal, neonatal, and adult livers by Northern analysis and in situ hybridization techniques. RESULTS: After partial hepatectomy a significant increase in the transcripts for aFGF was observed at 24 hours, whereas at 4 and 12 hours after the operation, the level of transcripts were similar to those of sham-operated animals. In the postnatal liver a high level of aFGF expression was present when the most evident transition from 2 to 3 cell thick hepatic cords to normal hepatic structure is taking place (Ogawa K, Medine A, Farber E. Br J Cancer 1979;40: 782-90). In contrast during the prenatal period, when the liver is still a hemopoietic organ and only a small number of sinusoids are present, low level of aFGF transcripts could be found. Animals treated with 2-acetylaminofluorene and partial hepatectomy (Evarts RP, Nagy P, Marsden E, Thorgeirsson SS. Carcinogenesis 1987;8:1737-40) displayed a marked increase in hepatic aFGF transcripts at the peak of proliferation of primitive liver epithelial cells (oval cells) and perisinusoidal stellate cells (Ito cells) in addition to hepatocytes. In situ hybridization combined with immunocytochemistry using oval and Ito cell specific antibodies revealed the presence of transcripts both in oval cells and Ito cells. Basophilic areas composed of small hepatocytes had a 3-fold increase in the level of transcripts as compared with the surrounding hepatocytes. CONCLUSIONS: These experiments demonstrate that the expression of aFGF is highest during the late stages of hepatic morphogenesis in newborn animals as well as during hepatic differentiation in adult liver.

Animals↗
PubMed1991

Genetic variation of putative core gene in hepatitis C virus.

Genetic variation of hepatitis C virus was assessed. We prepared RNA fractions from 21 patients' sera which were positive for hepatitis C virus RNA, synthesized their cDNAs, and amplified fragments, 406 base pairs, encoding a putative core protein, by polymerase chain reaction. One of them, N 15, was cloned and sequenced. N 15 showed 92.4% homology at the nucleotide level and 97.0% homology at the amino acid level compared with HC-J 1 which is the first isolated clone in Japan and similar to that isolated in USA. By restriction fragment length polymorphisms analysis, 14 out of 21 patients (66.7%) showed the same pattern as N 15. No patients showed the pattern of HC-J 1. We could not find a correlation between the genetic variation and clinical features of hepatitis C virus infection. These results indicate that the region, which encodes the core protein and is believed to be relatively conserved in hepatitis C virus genome, has several variations at the nucleotide level, and the major part of hepatitis C virus in Okayama district is different from HC-J 1 and the USA clone.

Adult↗
PubMed1991

[An autopsy case of adult respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) with peculiar histopathological features modified by a positive end-expiratory pressure (PEEP) therapy].

A case is reported of adult respiratory distress syndrome(ARDS) combined with barotrauma due to positive end-expiratory pressure (PEEP) therapy. The patient was a 32-year-old woman with fulminant hepatitis, type B, who died of ARDS 22 days after the onset of the illness. The autopsy revealed extraordinary heavy lungs (left: 923g, right: 985g) with edema in the peripheral part and marked emphysematous changes in the central part near the hili. Histologically, scattered foci of intra-alveolar organization and interstitial fibrosis with hemorrhage were observed, which might have been the result of the proceeding pneumonia. The emphysematous lesion seen in this case was peculiar and not like any type of of ordinary pulmonary emphysema. Judging from the strange, sharply demarcated emphysematous lesion with marked destruction of alveolar structure, and the good preservation of the alveolar structure in the edematous lesion, the emphysematous lesion might be barotrauma which was induced by PEEP therapy on top of pneumonia.

Adult↗
PubMed1990

Correlation of the hypo-osmotic swelling test, semen score and the zona-free hamster egg penetration assay in humans.

The correlation between the hypo-osmotic swelling test, the modified Eliasson score for human semen analysis and the hamster egg penetration assay was examined. The results showed a weak but significant correlation between the group of subjects with swelling rates below 50% and the above 80% group. These groups showed hamster egg penetration assay rates of 9 +/- 14% and 39 +/- 29%, respectively (P less than 0.035). A significant correlation was also found between modified Eliasson scores (17 +/- 10 and 5 +/- 7, respectively) and swelling rates below 50% and above 70% (P less than 0.001). These results suggest that spermatozoa showing a low swelling rate have a poor fertilizing capacity. Therefore, the swelling tests and analysis of the patients semen can be used to discriminate sperm quality.

Acrosome↗
PubMed1990

Irreducible dorsal dislocation of the interphalangeal joint of the great toe: report of two cases.

In this paper, we report two cases of dislocation of the hallux interphalangeal joint with interposition of the plantar plate including the sesamoid bone. These dislocations were treated with open reduction: one through lateral approach and the other through plantar approach. Plantar approach afforded repair of the plantar plate with preservation of the sesamoid bone and satisfactory result.

Adult↗