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Biomedical subjects

K Hisata

Publications and source records attributed to K Hisata.

6 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2007

Plasma levels of active ghrelin until 8 weeks after birth in preterm infants: relationship with anthropometric and biochemical measures.

This study investigated the relationship between plasma levels of ghrelin and postnatal growth in preterm infants. The levels of active ghrelin in cord blood and in plasma in 25 very low birthweight (VLBW) infants were measured. The results indicate that the levels of circulating active ghrelin markedly increases after birth in VLBW infants, and suggest that the increased levels of ghrelin reflects the maturation of ghrelin production in the stomach and an increased physiological need for ghrelin.

Anthropometry↗
PubMed2001

Clinical significance of the serum surfactant protein D and KL-6 levels in patients with measles complicated by interstitial pneumonia.

UNLABELLED: To examine the value of surfactant protein D and KL-6 as markers for the diagnosis and the severity of interstitial pneumonia caused by measles infection, surfactant protein D, KL-6 and lactic acid dehydrogenase were measured serially in three patients with measles complicated by interstitial pneumonia as compared to ten measles infected patients without interstitial pneumonia. The serum surfactant protein D and KL-6 levels were higher in patients with measles and interstitial pneumonia as compared to those with measles without interstitial pneumonia. In patients with measles and interstitial pneumonia, the respiratory distress and the alveolar-arterial oxygen differences improved after steroid pulse therapy while the serum surfactant protein D level decreased dramatically under the cut-off level and earlier than the KL-6 level. On the contrary, the serum KL-6 level increased transiently and it took longer to decrease below the cut-off level as compared to the pattern observed for serum surfactant protein D. The serum lactic acid dehydrogenase level changes were between those of the surfactant protein D and KL-6 levels. CONCLUSION: Surfactant protein D and KL-6 are easily measured and useful markers for the diagnosis of interstitial pneumonia caused by measles infection. Early decrease of surfactant protein D contrasts with the transient increase of KL-6 levels after prednisolone pulse therapy.

Antigens↗
PubMed1998

Expression and function of a retinoic acid receptor in budding ascidians.

Retinoic acid is thought to induce transdifferentiation of multipotent epithelial stem cells in the developing buds of the ascidian Polyandrocarpa misakiensis. We isolated a cDNA clone from this species, named PmRAR, encoding a retinoic acid receptor (RAR) homologue. PmRAR clusters with other RARs on phylogenetic trees constructed by three different methods. Within the cluster, PmRAR is on a separate branch from all the subtypes of RARs, suggesting that RAR subtypes arose in the ancestral vertebrates after divergence of vertebrates and urochordates. The embryos of another ascidian species Ciona intestinalis were co-electroporated with a mixture of a PmRAR expression vector and a lacZ reporter plasmid containing vertebrate-type retinoic acid response elements. The expression of lacZ depended on the presence of both retinoic acid and PmRAR, suggesting that PmRAR is a functional receptor. PmRAR mRNA is expressed in the epidermis and mesenchyme cells of the Polyandrocarpa developing bud. The mRNA is not detectable in the mesenchyme cells in the adult body wall, but its expression can be induced by retinoic acid in vitro. These results suggest that the PmRAR is a mediator of retinoic acid signalling in transdifferentiation during asexual reproduction of protochordates.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Lack of plasma leptin response to feeding in newborn infants.

OBJECTIVE: Previous reports of the postprandial regulation of leptin are controversial, and there have been few studies on the effects of breast-feeding on postprandial regulation in newborn infants. We examined the response of plasma leptin to breast- and formula-feeding in newborn infants. METHODS: We measured the plasma leptin levels using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay kit before and after feeding in 12 breast-fed and 11 formula-fed mature infants. RESULTS: There was no significant difference in plasma leptin levels in breast-fed infants before and after feeding or in artificially fed infants before and after feeding. CONCLUSION: Our results suggest that feeding does not play a role in the acute response of circulating leptin levels in either breast- or formula-fed infants.

Breast Feeding↗