PubMed Health⌕ Search

Biomedical subjects

K Kato

Publications and source records attributed to K Kato.

At least 397 records · Page 22Linked to original sources
PubMed2000

Tranilast inhibits cell proliferation and collagen synthesis by rabbit corneal and Tenon's capsule fibroblasts.

PURPOSE: To determine whether tranilast, N-(3,4-dimethoxycinnamoyl) anthranilic acid, influences cell proliferation and collagen synthesis by rabbit Tenon's capsule fibroblasts (TFs) and corneal stromal fibroblasts (CFs). METHODS: Rabbit TFs and CFs (7000 cells/well) were cultured in F-12 nutrient mixture supplemented with 1% FBS, plus 0, 3, 30, or 300 microM tranilast, and the number of cells was counted 72 hrs later. To determine the effect of tranilast on collagen synthesis, cells at confluence were cultured in a medium containing 0, 3, 30, or 300 microM tranilast and labeled with 3H-proline, and the amount of radioactivity incorporated into collagenase-sensitive proteins was measured. RESULTS: At 300 microM, tranilast decreased the number of TFs by about 27% and the number of CFs by about 45%, but had no effect on cell viability. The same concentration of tranilast reduced TFs collagen synthesis and CFs collagen synthesis. CONCLUSIONS: Tranilast may inhibit scar formation after trabeculectomy for glaucoma and after excimer laser photorefractive keratectomy.

Animals↗
PubMed2000

[A case of malignant lymphoma of the epididymis].

A 17-year-old man visited our hospital with the chief complaint of painless swelling of the left scrotal content. An elastic hard mass was palpable at the upper pole of the left testis. Left radical orchiectomy was performed. The tumor originated from the epididymis and did not involve the testis or the spermatic cord. Histologically, the tumor was diagnosed as a malignant lymphoma (non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, diffuse mixed cell type, B-cell type). No abnormalities were found in other organs. After establishment of the diagnosis of primary epididymal malignant lymphoma, 3 courses of chemotherapy (adriamycin, vincristine, cyclophosphamide, prednisolone) were performed. No evidence of recurrence or metastasis was found 26 months after surgery.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2000

Cyclic AMP-mediated inhibition of noradrenaline-induced contraction and Ca2+ influx in guinea-pig vas deferens.

The relaxation effects of forskolin and methylxanthines on noradrenaline (NA)-induced contractions were investigated by measuring isotonic contraction and intracellular calcium concentration ([Ca2+]i) in the epididymal side of guinea-pig vas deferens. NA (100 microM) and high K+ (55 mM) induced a biphasic contraction; fast, transient (phasic) and slow, sustained (tonic) phases. Both phases in either NA or high K+ stimulation were abolished in Ca2+-free solution. Pretreatment with 10 microM nifedipine, an L-type Ca2+ channel blocker, reduced both phasic and tonic contractions induced by high K+. In the case of NA-induced contraction, however, nifedipine reduced the phasic contraction but not the tonic contraction. The nifedipine-insensitive tonic contraction was relaxed by the application of polyvalent cations (Mn2+, Co2+, Cd2+ and La3+). These findings indicate that NA-induced biphasic contraction is mainly due to nifedipine-insensitive Ca2+ influx, especially in the tonic phase. Cyclic AMP-increasing agents such as forskolin (0.5-10 microM), IBMX (5-500 microM) and caffeine (1-20 mM) relaxed the NA-induced contraction extensively in a concentration-dependent manner. However, these agents only partially relaxed the high K+-induced contraction. Forskolin (10 microM) and IBMX (100 microM) reduced the [Ca2+]i response to NA, but had no effect on the [Ca2+]i response to high K+. These results suggest that an increase in intracellular cAMP may relax the NA-induced contraction by attenuating a nifedipine-insensitive Ca2+ influx and by a mechanism independent of a reduction in [Ca2+]i.

1-Methyl-3-isobutylxanthine↗
PubMed2000

[The indications for autonomic nerve-sparing surgery in rectal cancer patients].

Although extended lymph node dissection was developed to improve the therapeutic result in advanced rectal cancer in the 1970s, postoperative dysfunction remained problematic. Informed consent of cancer is generalized at present. The balance between complete cure and functional preservation is important. Therefore the autonomic nerve-sparing surgical technique for rectal cancer was introduce din the 1980s. The success of nerve-sparing surgery depends on a thorough knowledge of pelvic anatomy, especially the anatomic relationship between the pelvic plexus and internal intestinal vessels. Further investigation is required to clarify the indications for autonomic nerve-sparing surgery in rectal cancer patients.

Autonomic Nervous System↗
PubMed2000

[A case of paravesical foreign body granuloma due to surgical sponge retained for 40 years].

A 67-year-old man complained of vague pain in the lower abdomen persisting over 10 years. A hard mass was palpable just under an operative scar (right Gibson incision for ureterolithotomy performed 40 years previously). In addition to the patient's history and physical examination, abdominal echography, computerized tomography and nuclear magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) were performed and resulted in a preoperative diagnosis of retroperitoneal gauzeoma. The paravesical mass, 7 x 6 x 6 cm in size, was surgically removed, which was an encapsulated granuloma surrounding a surgical sponge. The possibility of foreign body granulomas due to a retained surgical sponge (so-called gauzeomas) should be considered in patients who have a previous history of abdominal operations.

Aged↗
PubMed2000

[A study of the minimum number of slices required for quantification of pulmonary emphysema by computed tomography].

We attempted to determine the minimum number of slices required for quantification of overall emphysema by computed tomography (CT). Forty-nine patients underwent CT scanning with a 15-mm slice interval, and 13 to 18 slices per patient were obtained. The percentage of low attenuation area (LAA%) per slice was measured with a method that we reported on previously, utilizing a CT program and NIH image. The average LAA% values for 1, 2, 3, and 6 slices evenly spaced through the lungs [LAA% (1), LAA% (2), LAA% (3), and LAA% (6)] were compared with those for all slices [LAA% (All)]. The correlation coefficients for LAA% (1), LAA% (2), LAA% (3), and LAA% (6) with LAA% (All) were 0.961, 0.981, 0.993, and 0.997, respectively. Mean differences +/- SD were -3.20 +/- 4.21%, -2.32 +/- 3.00, -0.20 +/- 1.84, and -0.16 +/- 1.26, respectively. From these results, we concluded that overall emphysema can be quantified by using at least three slices: one each of the upper, middle, and lower lung.

Adult↗
PubMed2000

[The value of serum C-reactive protein as a survival determinant in patients with advanced non-small-cell lung cancer].

We retrospectively reviewed the information in our data base concerning 127 patients with advanced non-small-cell lung cancer. Seventeen pretreatment clinical variables including serum C-reactive protein (CRP) were analyzed to determine the factors related to survival using Cox's proportional hazards model. Univariate analysis revealed that eleven explanatory variables were significant. In multivariate statistical technique for those variables, six were selected as significant factors. The highest hazard ratio was observed in the serum CRP (3.82). The other factors were therapy (2.52), serum lactate dehydrogenase (2.41), serum total protein (2.20), white blood cell counts (1.98) and performance status (1.80). Median survival times estimated by the Kaplan-Meier procedures in patients with normal CRP (CRP < 0.2 mg/dl) and high positive CRP (CRP > or = 3.0 mg/dl) were 24.9 months and 3.7 months, respectively. These results suggest that serum CRP is an independent survival determinant in advanced non-small-cell lung cancer.

Adult↗
PubMed2000

[Bacteria isolated from surgical infections and their susceptibilities to antimicrobial agents. Special references to bacteria isolated between April 1997 and March 1998].

The annual multicenter studies on isolated bacteria from infections in general surgery and their antimicrobial susceptibility have been conducted in 19 facilities in Japan since July 1982. This paper describes the results obtained during the period from April 1997 to March 1998. The number of cases investigated as objectives was 215 for one year. A total of 420 strains (170 strains from primary infections and 250 strains from postoperative infections) were isolated from 174 cases (80.9% of total cases). In primary infections, the isolation rate of anaerobic bacteria was higher than in postoperative infections, while in postoperative infections, those of aerobic Gram-positive bacteria and Pseudomonas aeruginosa were higher than in primary infections. Among aerobic Gram-positive bacteria, the isolation rate of Enterococcus faecalis was the highest, followed by Staphylococcus aureus, which was frequently isolated from postoperative infections. Among anaerobic Gram-positive bacteria, Peptostreptococcus spp. and Streptococcus spp. were commonly isolated from both types of infections. Among aerobic Gram-negative bacteria, Escherichia coli was most predominantly isolated from primary infections, followed by P. aeruginosa, Klebsiella pneumoniae in this order, and from postoperative infections, P. aeruginosa was most predominantly isolated, followed by E. coli and K. pneumoniae. Among anaerobic Gram-negative bacteria, Bacteroides fragilis group was the majority of isolates from both types of infections. We found neither vancomycin nor arbekacin resistant strains of S. aureus, and found no vancomycin resistant strains of Enterococcus spp. The susceptibility of P. aeruginosa against carbapenems did not decline in the year 1997, while resistance of B. fragilis group against cephems advanced increasingly.

Anti-Bacterial Agents↗
PubMed2000

Convenient synthesis of optically active 2,2,2-trifluoro-1-phenylethylamine.

Amination of aryl trifluoromethyl ketones with ammonium formate readily gave racemic 2,2,2-trifluoro-1-arylethylamines in good yields. Resolution of 2,2,2-trifluoro-1-phenylethylamine was carried out with the Pseudomonas fluorescens lipase via enantioselective alcoholysis of its chloroacetamide.

Journal Article↗
PubMed2000

Glycosylphosphatidylinositol-anchored proteins found in the moss Marchantia polymorpha.

A suspension culture of the moss Marchantia polymorpha was incubated with either [3H]ethanolamine or [3H]myristic acid, precursors of a glycosylphosphatidylinositol (GPI) anchor. By both of these a secretory protein of 47 kDa was consistently labelled. Amino acid composition analysis of the chromatographically purified 47-kDa protein exhibited the occurrence of ethanolamine and glucosamine at approximate molar ratios to protein of 1 and 4, respectively. Thus the secretory 47-kDa protein of M. polymorpha was concluded to be a GPI-anchored protein.

Bryopsida↗
PubMed2000

[Idiopathic mediastinal and subcutaneous emphysema in a patient with acute lymphocytic leukemia after allogeneic bone marrow transplantation].

A 45-year-old man was diagnosed as having Ph1+ acute lymphocytic leukemia (ALL) in February 1997. Complete remission was achieved by chemotherapy. Allogeneic BMT from his HLA-identical sister was performed on June 11, 1997. Engraftment was relatively quick, but acute GVHD (grade I) developed. The patient was discharged on day 113. Seven months after BMT, in January 1998, exertional dyspnea developed gradually. Chest X-ray examination showed diffuse interstitial pneumonia, for which corticosteroid was started immediately. The symptoms and signs gradually improved. However, on the 20th hospital day (February 23), bilateral subcutaneous emphysema developed in the neck and supraclavicular region. Chest X-ray and CT examinations showed pneumomediastinum without pneumothorax. The pneumomediastinum and subcutaneous emphysema gradually subsided after 3 weeks of bed rest. Subcutaneous emphysema and pneumomediastinum are relatively rare complications of allogeneic BMT.

Bone Marrow Transplantation↗
PubMed2000

[Successful allogeneic bone marrow transplantation following fungal liver abscess treatment in a patient with chronic myeloid leukemia in blastic crisis].

A 40-year-old man was diagnosed as having chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) in December 1990 and received busulfan and hydroxyurea. He developed myeloid blast crisis in February 1996. After DCMP combination chemotherapy, his disease reverted to chronic phase, but right hypochondrial pain developed and low-grade fever persisted. Abdominal CT scan revealed multiple low-density areas in the liver, suggestive of abscess formation. Grocott staining of a liver biopsy sample revealed granuloma and fungus. The patient was treated with intravenous amphotericin B (AMPH-B) without success. AMPH-B was then administered via a catheter placed in the portal vein on January 6, 1997, and an additional catheter placed in the hepatic artery on March 28. AMPH-B was administered through both catheters for more than two months, but later substituted by fluconazole because of renal impairment. On September 10, allogeneic bone marrow transplantation from the patient's HLA-identical brother was performed, despite persistence of the abnormal CT findings. Acute grade III GVHD developed, but there was no evidence of reactivation of the liver abscesses. This case demonstrates that a prior fungal liver abscess is not an absolute contraindication for BMT if prophylactic antifungal drugs are administered and careful observation is conducted.

Adult↗
PubMed2000

[A case of myeloperoxidase-antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibody (MPO-ANCA) related glomerulonephritis associated with systemic sclerosis treated by steroid pulse therapy: a case report].

A 57-year-old woman had been diagnosed as systemic sclerosis (SSc) with Raynaud's phenomenon, acrosclerosis and polyarthritis since 1995. She admitted to our hospital in July 1996 because of general fatigue, hemosputa and progressive renal insufficiency. On admission, the blood pressure was normal and laboratory findings showed elevation of the serum creatinin level and a high titer of the myeloperoxidase-antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibody (MPO-ANCA) (> 1000 EU). The renal biopsy revealed crescentic glomerulonephritis. Both renal insufficiency and high titers of MPO-ANCA improved remarkably after methylpredonisolone pulse therapy. This case was suggestive of elucidating the pathogenesis of SSc and MPO-ANCA related glomerulonephritis.

Antibodies, Antineutrophil Cytoplasmic↗
PubMed2000

[The role of calcineurin on the induction of synaptic plasticity].

Calcineurin is ubiquitously distributed phosphatase in the central nervous system. It has various functions, such as modulating channel properties, suppressing transmitter release, and activating transcript factors. Recently the critical role of calcineurin on synaptic plasticity, especially long-term depression, was reported, although the precise mechanism underlying LTD induction is still being debated. Calcineurin, activated by the Ca2+ influx mainly through the NMDA channel and calmodulin, dephosphorylates inhibitor-1, which suppresses PP1 activity. Thus the activation of calcineurin enhances PP1, resulting in facilitating the process leading to LTD induction. The activation of calcineurin modifies the threshold of LTP induction. A recent interesting finding is the gating mechanism from the early phase of LTP to the late phase of LTP by calcineurin activity, a process regulated by cAMP. We have reported a new type of LTD, which is suppressed by calcineurin that is dependent on group 2 mGluR receptor activity. According to the result using whole cell study with a patch pipette, including FK-506, an antagonist of calcineurin, the induction site of this LTD is presynaptic, which defers from conventional LTD. We have also discussed the involvement of murine protein tyrosine phosphatase (MPTP) in LTD induction in the hippocampal CA1 region by using an MPTP delta knockout mouse.

Animals↗
PubMed2000

Effect of exercise training on ANP receptors.

To clarify whether exercise-training affects ANP function, we trained male Wistar rats by treadmill running for nine weeks and measured ANP receptor number and affinity in the kidney, lung and adrenal. We also measured guanylate cyclase activity, by which second messenger cGMP accumulates. The number of adrenal ANP receptor significantly increased after exercise-training. There was no significant difference of affinity for all the organs examined between the training group and the control group. Guanylate cyclase activity tended to decrease in the kidney in the training group. A significant difference was found when the samples were stimulated by C-type natriuretic peptide (CNP). There was no significant difference in guanylate cyclase activity in the lung and adrenal. These findings are consistent with the exercise-induced hypervolemia, but not with the anti-hypertensive role of exercise-training.

Adrenal Glands↗
PubMed2000

Efficient preparation of optically active ketoprofen by Mucor javanicus lipase immobilized on an inorganic support.

Lipase M from Mucor javanicus, one of nine commercially available hydrolytic enzymes, showed good enantioselectivity (E=50) for racemic ketoprofen trifluoroethyl ester in phosphate buffer (pH 7.0) containing 30% acetone. Lipase M immobilized on Toyonite 200-A showed the best selectivity (E=55) and reactivity. Moreover, the lipase could be recycled at least 5 times.

Journal Article↗