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Biomedical subjects

K Homma

Publications and source records attributed to K Homma.

At least 109 records · Page 6Linked to original sources
PubMed1986

Circadian communication between unicells? Effects on period by cell-conditioning of medium.

Populations of Gonyaulax polyedra, in two different phases, about 11 h apart, were mixed, and the intensity of their spontaneous bioluminescence glow recorded for about 2 wk under conditions of constant dim (35 +/- 3 microE/m2/s) white light and constant temperature (19.0 +/- 0.3 degrees C). The phases and amplitudes of glow signals recorded from mixed cultures were compared with those obtained from the arithmetic sum of the intensity data from two control vials. Peaks in control cultures generally remained separate, but there was a spontaneous increase in the period beginning 6-11 d after the onset of constant conditions. This did not occur in cultures in which the medium was exchanged with fresh medium every 2 d. In the actual mixes of two cultures there was a merging of the two subpeaks in the signal, which did not occur when the medium was exchanged. The results indicate that conditioning of the medium by cells may affect the period of the circadian rhythm and that this might result in a type of communication.

Animals↗
PubMed1986

In vitro secretion of progestins by rat luteal cells and their 20 alpha-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase activity.

Functionally active or regressing corpora lutea were harvested from pseudopregnant (psp) rats between days 5-8 of psp or day 15 of psp, respectively. They were enzymatically dispersed and cultured for 24 h to assess progestins in the medium and 20 alpha-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase [20 alpha-HSD, catalyzing the conversion of progesterone to 20 alpha-dihydroprogesterone (20 alpha-OH-P)] activity in the cell. Though the active luteal cells retained low 20 alpha-HSD activity, they secreted 6-7 times more 20 alpha-OH-P than progesterone as the regressing luteal cells did. There was no significant difference between the total amounts of progestins in the 2 groups. When increasing doses of pregnenolone were added to the media, progesterone secretion from the active luteal cells was promoted and the progesterone to 20 alpha-OH-P ratio became comparable to the circulating progestins ratio during the mid-luteal phase. In contrast, from the regressing luteal cells only 20 alpha-OH-P secretion was promoted. These results indicate that an insufficient precursor supply results in the catabolism of a large part of synthesized progesterone before its release from luteal cells and suggest the presence of a high affinity but low capacity 20 alpha-HSD in active corpora lutea.

20-Hydroxysteroid Dehydrogenases↗
PubMed1985

Retinal modulation of the hypothalamic sensitivity to testosterone feedback in photoperiodism of quail.

This experiment was performed on two groups of male Japanese quail. One had been maintained in our laboratory as a closed colony (S-group), and the other had been obtained from a commercial source (R-group). Different responses of gonadal function were found between two groups following either testosterone treatment or exposure to short days. Immature birds of these groups responded to long days with rapid gonadal growth, but after sexual maturity, exposure to short days for 3 weeks induced testicular atrophy only in S-group. Involvement of the feedback effect of androgen in the photoperiodic response was then examined. Under long-day conditions, intraperitoneal placement of testosterone propionate (TP)-filled Silastic tube for 2 weeks decreased testicular weights in S-group but not in R-group. Apparently, sensitivity to short days is closely correlated with sensitivity to testosterone in the adult male. By bilateral enucleation, quail of S-group became less sensitive to both gonad inhibitory effect of short days and the negative feedback effect of TP. These results suggest that the photoperiodic mechanisms that are primarily mediated by the retinal system play a role in altering sensitivity to steroid feedback at the hypothalamus.

Animals↗
PubMed1985

An image processing method for feature extraction of space-occupying lesions.

Space-occupying lesions (SOL) and irregular intensity distribution are usually observed in the radioisotope images of human liver diseases, hepatic cancer, etc. This paper describes a new image processing method for evaluating such SOL by using a computer. This method analyzes quantitatively the convex and the concave structure of the contour line. From the processed results, the contour lines of radioisotope images of liver diseases are more ragged than those of normal ones; the region of SOL is extracted by the abnormal raggedness in the contour structure.

Humans↗
PubMed1984

Characterization of melanogenesis and morphogenesis of melanosomes by physicochemical properties of melanin and melanosomes in malignant melanoma.

This study elucidates the nature of melanogenesis in B16 and Harding-Passey (HP) mouse melanomas producing melanin and melanosomes of different color and fine structure, i.e., brown-black eumelanosome-like B16 granules and reddish brown pheomelanosome-like HP granules, and compares them with "typical" 3,4-dihydroxyphenylalanine (DOPA) and sepia eumelanins and sepia eumelanosomes. The melanin content of B16 melanosomes was more than three times higher than that of HP melanosomes. The content of free and protein-bound DOPA and 5-S-cysteinyldopa varied greatly in B16, HP, and sepia melanosomes and was unrelated to melanin content. Chemical analysis of the eumelanin: pheomelanin ratio in melanosomes and elemental analysis of isolated melanin showed that B16 and HP melanins are primarily eumelanic, with a higher ratio of pheomelanic component in HP melanin. The spectra of electron spin resonance and IR and X-ray small-angle scattering of B16 and HP melanins were basically similar to those of sepia and DOPA melanins. B16, HP, and DOPA melanins were dissolved in aqueous NH3, while sepia melanin was dissolved to a far lesser extent. It was concluded that both B16 and HP melanomas are primarily involved in eumelanogenesis, although the fine structure of their melanosomes is entirely different, and that the marked color difference in the two melanosomes is related to a difference in the absolute content of eumelanin, the presence of a small amount of pheomelanin, and the mode of chemical bindings of melanin to structural proteins. In contrast to normal skin and hair, melanosome morphogenesis may not directly correspond to melanogenesis type in malignant melanoma.

Animals↗
PubMed1983

Characterization of structural properties for morphologic differentiation of melanosomes. III. free and protein-bound dopa and 5-S-cysteinyldopa in B16 and Harding-Passey melanomas.

This study analyzed the free and protein-bound forms of dopa, 5-S-cysteinyldopa (5-S-CD), and 5-S-glutathionedopa (5-S-GD) in B16 and Harding-Passey (HP) mouse melanomas to investigate the role of these catechols for melanogenesis and melanosome morphogenesis, inasmuch as these tumors produce melanosomes different in color and ultrastructure, i.e., eumelanosome type in B16 and pheomelanosome type in HP. Between B16 and HP mouse melanomas, however, we found (a) no significant difference in the level of free dopa and 5-S-CD in melanosomes and tumors, although the levels of these catechols reflected well the type of melanogenesis in control hair of normal mice, (b) a significant difference in free 5-S-GD level, which might, in part, reflect the observed difference in melanogenesis, and (c) no apparent difference in the level of bound dopa and 5-S-CD in either melanosomes or tumors. Thus, the striking difference in the color of melanosomes between B16 and HP melanomas seems to be related primarily to the content--not the type--of melanin pigments.

Animals↗
PubMed1982

Changes of the activities of superoxide dismutase after exposure to the fume of heavy metals and the significance of zinc in the tissue.

Pathological changes induced by cadmium aerosol had features common to the changes evoked by oxidants. Female rats were exposed to fumes of lead, antimony, zinc and cadmium (15-100 nmoles/m3). One hour after termination of exposure, superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity in erythrocytes of the exposed rats lowered by 15-40%. SOD activity of lung lavage fluid also lowered by 20-35% and the 2nd day after the exposure. The inverse value of SOD activity (l/SOD) in erythrocytes and of lung lavage fluid were proportional to the molar exposure level adjusted by the particle size (Dixon plot), irrespective of the difference of the exposed substance. The ratio of dry weight to wet weight of the lung was 4.3-26% lower than the control value on the later period after the exposure. With the heavy metal exposure, the uptake of the exposed metal was found to be proportional to the endogenous zinc concentration, which was correlated well with the change of SOD in the lung and in erythrocytes. Cadmium decreased the zinc concentration after the exposure.

Animals↗
PubMed1977

Performance of the piezoelectric microbalance respirable aerosol sensor.

A battery-portable respirable aerosol sensor has been experimentally evaluated. Calibration procedures are described. For instruments calibrated with welding smoke, test results show agreement within +/- 15% of parallel filter samples for 10 laboratory and industrial aerosols including welding and tobacco smoke, oil mist, cotton and asbestos mill dusts, powdered metal and walnut shell dusts, and atmospheric urban aerosol in the 0.05-5.5 mg/m3 range. Results show that an average of several piezobalance measurements can accurately simulate a time-integrated filter sample in many industrial environments.

Aerosols↗