PubMed HealthSearch

Biomedical subjects

K Katoh

Publications and source records attributed to K Katoh.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

Axonal flow blockade induces alpha-CGRP mRNA expression in rat motoneurons.

Axonal flow of motoneurons was blocked in the sciatic nerve by the application of vinblastine at a low concentration (100 microM) not considered likely to cause axonal degeneration. The number of motoneurons expressing alpha-calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) mRNA was significantly increased by vinblastine application, while the expression of beta-CGRP mRNA was not influenced. These findings suggest that the synthesis of these two peptides is differentially regulated and that alpha-CGRP mRNA is possibly down-regulated by unknown factor(s) which normally undergo retrograde transport from the periphery.

Animals

[MR angiography of the lung using 3-dimensional imaging method].

Three-Dimensional MR angiography (3D-MRA) of the lung was performed in 5 healthy volunteers and 14 patients with primary pulmonary cancer in the hilum, and compared with 2D-MRA. As 3D-MRA could be obtained with single breath holding after intravenous bolus injection of Gd-DTPA, pulmonary vessels of the hilum and peripheral zone were demonstrated more definitely than those of 2D-MRA. In all patients except one case, the relation between the tumor and pulmonary vessels was visualized more clearly by 3D-MRA than 2D-MRA. This technique is considered a non-invasive and effective method for evaluation of pulmonary vessels in the patient with hilar tumor.

Humans

Antianginal effects of amlodipine at a single dose on exertional angina patients using treadmill exercise testing--a randomized crossover study in comparison with placebo.

With eight cases of stable exertional angina as subjects, the antianginal action and sustained effects of single 10 mg oral doses of new calcium antagonists amlodipine were assessed by treadmill exercise tests in randomized crossover trials with respect to a placebo. Exercise tests were conducted before as well as 4, 8, and 24 hours after administration, and plasma amlodipine concentration was investigated at the same times. The maximal exercise time was 299 +/- 43 seconds before as compared with 346 +/- 49 seconds 4 hours after administration and 368 +/- 50 seconds 8 hours after administration, a significant prolongation in each case (p < 0.01). Moreover, the exercise time elapsed until 1 mm of ST-segment depression, as well as the ST-segment depression measured at the same time, were both significantly improved as compared with the placebo results. The plasma amlodipine concentration reached a peak 8 hours after administration and displayed an effective level even 24 hours after administration. The value of delta PRP measured at the same time during the exercise test was also significantly reduced as compared with the placebo results, even 24 hours after administration of amlodipine. These findings supported the conclusion that single 10-mg doses of amlodipine provide stable antianginal action over a 24-hour period.

Administration, Oral

Relationship between superoxide dismutase (SOD) and viral liver diseases.

Immunohistochemical evaluation of Cu, Zn- and Mn-superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity in various viral liver diseases was performed by the peroxidase-conjugated antibody indirect method. Anti-human Cu, Zn-SOD (rabbit) and anti-human Mn-SOD (guinea-pig) derived and purified from SOD of human erythrocytes and placentas were used to determine SOD distribution in liver tissues. SOD in the liver tissues was detected in 68 inpatients of our unit. They consisted of 23 cases with chronic hepatitis caused by hepatitis B virus (13) and hepatitis C virus (10), 24 with liver cirrhosis caused by hepatitis B virus (5) and hepatitis C virus (19) (15: compensatory, 9: decompensatory) and 21 with hepatocellular carcinoma caused by hepatitis B virus (2) and hepatitis C virus (18) complicated of liver cirrhosis. In viral liver diseases, SODs in the liver tissues were distributed to hepatocytes mainly in the pattern of cytoplasmic diffusion. The incidence of immunohistochemical Cu, Zn-SOD and Mn-SOD were 47.8% and 56.5% in chronic hepatitis, 93.3% and 86.7% in compensated liver cirrhosis, 11.1% and 22.2% in decompensated liver cirrhosis, respectively. The aggression of viral liver disease was accompanied with the decrease of SOD concentration in the liver tissues. Hepatocellular carcinoma cells were negative for Mn-SOD in all cases, and weakly positive for Cu, Zn-SOD in 2 out of 21 cases. Comparatively strongly positive SOD findings were obtained from normal regions neighboring carcinomas. A close relationship between the depletion of SOD in liver tissues and carcinogenesis in viral liver diseases was observed.

Carcinoma, Hepatocellular

Possible relevance of lipid peroxidation and thromboxane production to the initiation and/or evolution of microangiopathy in non-hyperlipidemic type 2 diabetes mellitus.

To investigate the possible relevance of free radicals and prostanoids to the mode of initiation and/or evolution of microangiopathy in diabetes mellitus, we measured serum lipid peroxides (LPO), an accepted index of intravascular free radicals, and plasma 11-dehydrothromboxane B2 (11-dehydro-TXB2), a stable metabolite of vasoactive thromboxane A2 released from platelets, in 95 patients with normolipidemic type 2 (non-insulin-dependent) diabetes mellitus at different stages of the disease. In general, either LPO or 11-dehydro-TXB2 was significantly greater in the patients, as a group, than in the matched controls (3.82 vs. 2.65 nmol/ml, P < 0.01 for LPO; and 17.3 vs. 5.8 pg/ml, P < 0.01 for 11-dehydro-TXB2). In patients, both LPO and 11-dehydro-TXB2 increased according to the severity of their diabetic retinopathy. A highly significant positive correlation existed between the LPO values and 11-dehydro-TXB2 in the patients (r = 0.64, P < 0.0001), while there was no such relationship in the controls (r = 0.18, P = NS). No difference in serum levels of apolipoproteins A-I, A-II, B, C-II, C-III, or E was observed between the patients and controls. Short-term glycemic control (25 cal/kg of standardized body weight/day, for 8 weeks) resulted in a small but significant reduction in LPO (4.2 vs. 4.6 nmol/ml, control; P < 0.05) without alteration in 11-dehydro-TXB2. There was a tendency towards deterioration in LPO according to the improvement in glycemic control. These results appear consistent with the view that, in addition to LPO, the release of TXA2 from activated platelet in the human circulation could be an important factor for the initiation and/or evolution of microangiopathy in diabetic patients even when they are not apparently hyperlipidemic. Further, the results of the present study emphasize the notion that more tight control of serum lipids is worthy of serious consideration in preventing the advance of diabetic microangiopathy.

Aged

Genomic organization of the mouse OSF-1 gene.

The mouse OSF-1 protein (also known as pleiotrophin, HB-GAM, HBGF-8, or HBNF) gene was isolated from a mouse genomic library and sequenced. OSF-1 is a 15-kD secreted protein specifically expressed in bone and brain, and is believed to play a role in brain development and osteogenesis. The mouse OSF-1 gene consists of at least 5 exons and 4 introns and spans > 32 kb. Computer analysis of approximately 4 kb of 5'-flanking sequence of the OSF-1 gene revealed two candidate promoter regions. One candidate promoter contains a thyroid hormone/retinoic acid-responsive element and the other contains two glucocorticoid-responsive elements. DNA sequence analysis of novel OSF-1 cDNA clones indicates that two promoters can be utilized in MC3T3-E1 osteoblastic cells. The overall organization of the mouse OSF-1 gene is similar and the locations of the three exon-intron junctions within the coding region are identical to the mouse gene encoding the differentiation-related factor midkine (MK). Based on this similarity and on the high degree of nucleotide sequence homology (approximately 55%) of mouse OSF-1 and mouse MK, we conclude that OSF-1 and MK are generated from a common ancestral gene and are members of a family of structurally and probably functionally related proteins.

Amino Acid Sequence

Distribution of putative odour receptor proteins in olfactory epithelium.

To investigate immunohistochemically the spatial localization of putative odour receptor proteins, we synthesized a polypeptide which corresponds to a region of a putative odour receptor protein, I3, and raised an antibody to the peptide. In rat olfactory epithelium, the antibody specifically recognized cilia of a small subset of olfactory receptor neurons, suggesting that the odour receptor protein is localized selectively in the cilia. Olfactory receptor neurons having immunoreactive cilia were distributed sparsely throughout the epithelium. This suggests that receptor neurons expressing a similar odour receptor protein are probably distributed similarly in the epithelium.

Amino Acid Sequence

A degenerative lesion of the approach to the atrioventricular node producing second-degree and third-degree atrioventricular block.

We report a case of a degenerative approach lesion in an 83-year-old male with diabetes mellitus, hypertension, and ischemic heart disease. His ECGs changed from first-degree atrioventricular (AV) block 14 years ago, to third-degree AV (A-H) block. A pacemaker was implanted for bradycardia. He died 4 years later from heart and renal failure. Serial sections through the conduction system revealed total depletion and fatty replacement of the atrial muscle at the approaches to the AV node.

Aged

Use of prostaglandin E1 (lipo-PGE1) to treat Raynaud's phenomenon associated with connective tissue disease: thermographic and subjective assessment.

Four patients with connective tissue disease who had been suffering from severe Raynaud's phenomenon were treated with an intravenous infusion of prostaglandin E1 (PGE1) and its effectiveness was assessed by thermography and a questionnaire approach. PGE1 in a lipid microsphere formulation (lipo-PGE1) produced a significantly greater increase in lesional skin temperature compared with treatment with PGE1 clathrated in alpha-cyclodextrin 12 months previously in the same group of patients. These results were supported by the subjective assessment obtained from the patients by questionnaire.

Adolescent

Age-related differences in the inhibition of neuropathy target esterase and susceptibility to triphenyl phosphite-induced delayed neurotoxicity in chickens.

Triphenyl phosphite (TPP)-induced delayed neurotoxicity, which is thought to resemble but somewhat differ from classical organophosphate-induced delayed neurotoxicity (OPIDN), is known to be age-dependent. The relationship between clinical appearance and histopathological lesions, and the inhibition of neurotoxicity target esterase (NTE) in nervous tissues were compared in young and adult chickens after i.v. administration of TPP. NTE inhibition by TPP in vitro was also compared between the two age groups. Fourteen days after i.v. administration of TPP (50 mg/kg), adult chickens (24 months old) showed obvious histopathological lesions as well as obvious clinical neurological signs. On the other hand, young chickens (65 days old) showed few histopathological lesions and only marginal neurological signs. NTE activity in brain, spinal cord, and sciatic nerves was inhibited in a dose-dependent manner in both age groups. While inhibition tended to be mild in the younger chickens, the level of activity was less than 30% of the normal value in all three tissues at 24 hours after administration of 50mg/kg of TPP (14% vs. 8% in brain, 15% vs. 9% in spinal cord and 13% vs. 14% in sciatic nerves). Recovery of NTE activity in the sciatic nerves was faster in the younger chickens. The IC50 of TPP on brain (6.67 vs. 6.76 x 10(-8)M) and spinal cord NTE (1.05 vs. 1.53 x 10(-7)M) was almost the same in the two age groups. These results confirmed age-specific susceptibility to TPP, not only clinically but also histopathologically, and, suggested that the differences in both TPP metabolism and NTE recovery are related to and/or contribute to this age specificity. Judging from the age specificity and the figure of NTE inhibition, the delayed neurotoxicity produced by an i.v. administration of TPP is virtually identical to classical organophosphate-induced delayed neurotoxicity. Hydrolytic products may produce additional effects characteristic of TPP-induced neurotoxicity observed after an s.c. dose.

Age Factors

Tuberculous peritonitis with extraordinarily high serum CA125.

A 74-year-old woman who was admitted for the evaluation of ascites showed a marked elevation of serum CA125 level. Laparoscopy revealed the presence of numerous white modules (approximately 5 mm diameter) on the peritoneum suggestive of tuberculomas. A biopsy specimen showed epithelioid cells and Langhans-type giant cells. Following the administration of diuretics, the level of serum CA125 decreased concomitantly with the decrease in the volume of peritoneal fluid. The level of CA125 decreased further with the administration of antituberculosis agents. Clinical specimens were negative for mycobacteria. We conclude that the elevated serum level of CA125 was due to peritoneal tuberculosis and consequent ascites. Thus, tuberculous peritonitis should be considered in the presence of an unexplained, abnormally elevated serum level of CA125.

Aged

[Influence of increased 201Tl lung uptake on the myocardial viability of the patients with dilated cardiomyopathy under congestive heart failure].

Influence of increased 201Tl lung uptake on the myocardial viability was studied in 15 patients with dilated cardiomyopathy under congestive heart failure. Rest and 4 hours delayed 201Tl SPECT were obtained. At the same time anterior planar images were collected. In 10 patients of 15 patients 201Tl lung heart ratio in SPECT (LHR) was larger than that in planar images. Maximal 201Tl lung uptake was noted at the lower left lung adjacent to the heart. In the delayed images 201Tl lung uptake diminished. In 10 patients the value of LHR in the delayed images was less than 0.5. By comparing initial images with delayed images it was proved to be difficult to determine the myocardial margin adjacent to the increased 201Tl lung uptake. In 2 patients lateral defects were concealed by the increased 201Tl lung uptake. In the remaining patients lateral wall was similar to the hypertrophic myocardium. The effect of scatter due to the increased 201Tl lung uptake was noted in the neighboring myocardium. In most cases %201Tl uptake in the septum was relatively depressed by increased %201Tl uptake in the lateral wall. In the delayed images pseudo-redistribution was noted in the septum. Mean value of differences in %201Tl uptake between initial and delayed images was 8 (2-15)%. It was concluded that in case of increased 201Tl lung uptake SPECT could not accurately estimate myocardial viability by initial images and delayed images were necessary for precise estimation.

Adult

[A prospective study of psychosomatic reaction to hysterectomy].

Psychosomatic reaction to hysterectomy was prospectively studied by means of psychological tests and a questionnaire. One hundred and twenty patients who had simple hysterectomy were examined before and as long as one year after operation. The mean score for A-state, a state anxiety scale, was high before operation and rapidly declined postoperatively. SRQ-D and CMI, which represent depressive and neurotic states, respectively, showed rather high scores before and 2 weeks after operation. Mean scores in these psychological tests declined to a plateau within 6 months after operation, and there were less psychological and physiological symptoms and there was improved physical activity, showing that most patients can over come psychosomatic problems caused by hysterectomy. A close correlation was observed between the results of psychological tests and the number of psychological symptoms. Forty patients with a high SRQ-D score showed abnormality in other scales. Psychosomatic disorders associated with hysterectomy are characterized by various symptoms but mainly by a depressive state. High SRQ-D patients were divided into three subgroups: A) the SRQ-D score is constantly high, B) the SRQ-D is high for the first several weeks, and C) the score increased after discharge. Patients in each subgroup showed signs of a characteristic personality. These results show the presence of a different psychosomatic approach to the patients personally.

Anxiety

[Ovarian epithelial tumors of borderline malignancy].

Ovarian tumor is known to show histological variation. Each tumor shows various clinical behavior. Ovarian epithelial tumors consist of several types of histological findings. Epithelial tumors can be classified into benign, borderline malignancy and malignant for their biological behavior. Recently the therapeutic effectiveness against ovarian cancer is increasing in order to establish the operation technique and development of chemotherapeutic method with cisplatin. Therefore it is important that borderline malignant tumors which are said to have a good prognosis be defined from obviously malignant tumors to evaluate accurately the effectiveness of the therapy against the ovarian cancer. On the other hand, borderline malignant tumors with characters of a malignant tumor, must be distinguished from benign adenoma because long-term follow up is required. However, it is difficult to make an exact histological diagnosis of benign adenoma, borderline malignancy and malignancy because the histological criteria of borderline malignancy is lacking in concreteness. The histological criteria should be defined more clearly and concretely. For example, mitotic counts per 10 HPF of borderline malignancy and DNA ploidy. Next, because of good prognosis, we need a quick therapeutic guide line for borderline malignancy, especially for stage I and young women.

Adult

[Alpha 1-antitrypsin deficiency with bronchiectasis in two sisters].

Two sisters with alpha 1-antitrypsin deficiency and bronchiectasis are reported. The 53-year-old older sister (propositus) had pneumonia 3 times during her forties. She developed dyspnea on exertion in February, 1988, and a few months later she was seen at our hospital. Her serum alpha 1-antitrypsin level was 11 mg/dl. Vascular markings on chest X-ray were mildly decreased. Bronchography showed generalized cystic bronchiectasis. The younger sister was seen at our hospital at the age of 50. She had been in good health until one year previously when she had developed pneumonia, and thereafter she had suffered from productive cough and dyspnea on exertion. Her alpha 1-antitrypsin level was 22 mg/dl. Chest X-ray showed ring-like shadows and tram lines. Chest CT scans of both sisters revealed cystic changes, dilatation of bronchi, and the connection of these lesions diffusely. The alpha 1-antitrypsin phenotype of these sisters was found to be PiSiiyama (homozygote). Family study revealed that alpha 1-antitrypsin levels of 7 members were intermediate and no members had symptoms. We consider that bronchiectasis may have been related to alpha 1-antitrypsin deficiency in these sisters.

Bronchiectasis