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K Kitamoto

Publications and source records attributed to K Kitamoto.

At least 55 records · Page 3Linked to original sources
PubMed1996

[Clinical investigation of 10 cases with acute renal failure induced by neuroleptics].

It is well known that the myoglobinuric acute renal failure caused by drugs is an important clinical aspect of nephrology. On the other hand, neuroleptic malignant syndrome is an uncommon, but potentially fatal, idiosyncratic reaction to neuroleptics and is characterized by muscular rigidity, fever, autonomic dysfunction and altered consciousness. The most common serious complication of malignant syndrome is rhabdomyolysis. We investigated 10 cases with acute renal failure induced by haloperidol and other neuroleptics. At the time they developed acute renal failure, the patients were taking a wide variety of medications. However, seven of the patients who developed acute renal failure, had received haloperidol, phenothiazine and anticholinaergic drugs, and 2 cases with acute renal failure were taking lithium. Characteristic clinical manifestations of malignant syndrome were observed in 7 patients who had been administered haloperidol orally or intravenously. All of the patients with acute renal failure induced by haloperidol, lithium and other neuroleptics were treated successfully with blood purification therapy (HD or HDF). We concluded that acute renal failure associated with malignant syndrome evoked by haloperidol is an indication for blood purification therapy.

Acute Kidney Injury↗
PubMed1996

[A case of myeloperoxidase-specific antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibody (MPO-ANCA)-related glomerulonephritis associated with Cogan's syndrome].

We report here a case of Cogan's syndrome associated with systemic vasculitis as well as myeloperoxidase-specific antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibody (MPO-ANCA)-related glomerulonephritis. A 71-year-old woman with the diagnosis of aortitis syndrome and pulmonary fibrosis for 7 years, complained of vertigo and hearing impairment. A diagnosis of serous otitis media was made. Although steroid therapy was effective, the symptoms relapsed several times. Seven months after the first manifestation of aural symptoms, she developed painful red eyes bilaterally and proteinuria. On admission, perinuclear ANCA without cytoplasmic ANCA was detected by indirect immunofluorescence assay and MOP-ANCA was detected by enzyme linked immunosorbent assay using the 363 ELISA Unit. Renal biopsy showed necrotizing crescentic glomerulonephritis without immune deposits. A diagnosis of atypical Cogan's syndrome with systemic vasculitis and pulmonary fibrosis was made from the clinical and histological findings. As nephrotic syndrome progressed after admission, she was started on high-dose corticosteroid administration. Urinary protein and other symptoms, except for hearing acuity, improved in parallel with a decrease in the MPO-ANCA titer to normal values. While tapering the dose of corticosteroid, the MPO-ANCA titer increased again and dyspnea occurred. Although pulse methylpredonisolone therapy was performed, the patient died of respiratory failure complicated with sepsis. Postmortem lung biopsy showed pulmonary fibrosis and massive alveolar hemorrhage. The findings of this case study suggest that MPO-ANCA may be closely related to the pathogenesis of Cogan's syndrome.

Aged↗
PubMed1995

Cloning, characterization and overproduction of nuclease S1 gene (nucS) from Aspergillus oryzae.

The nuclease S1 gene (nucS) from Aspergillus oryzae was isolated using a polymerase-chain-reaction-amplified DNA fragment as a probe, and a 2.6-kb SalI-EcoRI fragment containing the nucS gene was sequenced. It was deduced that the nucS gene had two short introns, 49 and 50 nucleotides in length. The nucS gene had an open-reading frame of 963 base pairs and coded for a protein of 287 amino acid residues, comprising the signal peptide of 20 amino acids and a mature protein of 267 amino acids. The deduced amino acid sequence agreed well with the published amino acid sequence except for one substitution. Southern hybridization analysis showed that the nucS gene existed as a single copy in the A. oryzae chromosome. When the structural gene of nucS was fused with the promoter of the glaA gene and introduced into A. oryzae, the yield of secreted nuclease S1 increased about 100-fold compared with the recipient strain.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1995

Cloning and nucleotide sequence of the calmodulin-encoding gene (cmdA) from Aspergillus oryzae.

A cDNA and genomic gene encoding calmodulin were isolated from Aspergillus oryzae using a part of the calmodulin gene from A. nidulans as a hybridization probe. The gene was in a 3.4-kb SphI fragment and Southern-blot analysis of genomic DNA suggested the existence of a single copy of the calmodulin gene in A. oryzae. The nucleotide sequence analysis showed that the gene consists of five introns and six exons. Although the nucleotide sequence homology with that of A. nidulans was not so high (68%), the deduced amino acid sequence was 100% and 84% identical with calmodulin of A. nidulans and chicken, respectively. The cDNA encoding A. oryzae calmodulin was expressed under the control of the GAL1 promoter in the calmodulin null mutant (cmd1) of yeast, Saccharomyces cerevisiae, and could function as a calmodulin gene.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1995

Nucleotide sequence and expression of alpha-glucosidase-encoding gene (agdA) from Aspergillus oryzae.

We have isolated an alpha-glucosidase(AGL)-encoding gene (agdA) from Aspergillus oryzae by heterologous hybridization using the corresponding Aspergillus niger gene as a probe. Southern hybridization analysis showed that the agdA gene is on a 5.0-kb ScaI fragment and there is a single copy in the A. oryzae chromosome. Comparison with the A. niger agdA gene indicated that the agdA gene contains three putative introns from 52 to 59 nucleotides long, and that it encodes 985 amino acid residues. The deduced amino acid sequence of A. oryzae AGL is 78% homologous with the A. niger AGL. The high degree of homology with the amino acid sequence bordering the putative catalytic residue of a number of AGL enzymes, and this enzyme suggests that Asp492 is a catalytic residue of A. oryzae AGL. The cloned gene was functional. Transformants of A. oryzae containing multiple copies of the cloned agdA gene showed a 6-16 fold increase in AGL activity. Like the Taka-amylase A and glucoamylase genes of A. oryzae, expression of the agdA gene was induced when maltose was provided as a carbon source, but expression was not induced by glucose. This result suggested that cis-element(s) involved in maltose induction may be also present in the agdA promoter region.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1995

Cloning and nucleotide sequence of the ribonuclease T1 gene (rntA) from Aspergillus oryzae and its expression in Saccharomyces cerevisiae and Aspergillus oryzae.

A genomic DNA encoding ribonuclease (RNase) T1 from Aspergillus oryzae was cloned using a synthetic oligonucleotide probe. The cloned gene (designated rntA) encoded functional RNase T1, since an A. oryzae transformant with multiple copies of the rntA gene showed higher RNase T1 activity (over 200 times) than a transformant with a vector. A cDNA was cloned by reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) with primers corresponding to the 5' terminus and 3' terminus of the reading frame of the rntA gene. Nucleotide sequencing analysis of both DNAs found that RNase T1 had a prepro-sequence consisting of 26 amino acids and the rntA gene had only one intron (114 bp) in the region encoding the signal sequence. The A. oryzae transformant with cDNA controlled by the amyB promoter also showed higher activity (over 300 times), indicating that the cloned cDNA encoded functional RNase T1. On the other hand, the Saccharomyces cerevisiae transformant with cDNA controlled by the GAL1 promoter could not grow on a medium containing galactose. These results suggests that A. oryzae may have a protection mechanism from RNase T1.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1995

Characteristic expression of three amylase-encoding genes, agdA, amyB, and glaA in Aspergillus oryzae transformants containing multiple copies of the agdA gene.

In Aspergillus oryzae wild-type strains, the expression of the agdA gene encoding alpha-glucosidase (AGL) is induced by maltose at the transcriptional level in a similar manner to the amyB gene encoding Takaamylase A (TAA) and the glaA gene encoding glucoamylase (GLA). In A. oryzae transformants containing multiple copies of the agdA gene, a high-level of AGL activity was observed. This was accompanied by a significant reduction in TAA and GLA activities. Moreover, transformants with the highest AGL activity showed the lowest degree of TAA and GLA activities. Northern blot analyses showed that the transcriptional levels of amyB and glaA in the AGL-overproducing transformant were drastically reduced when large amounts of agdA mRNA were detected in maltose-grown mycelia. In addition, the glucose concentration of the maltose-containing medium that was used to grow the AGL-overproducing transformant for RNA extraction was higher than that of the control transformant. These results suggest that the reduced expression of the amyB and glaA genes in the AGL-overproducing transformant was due to either titration of a common regulatory protein(s) involved in maltose induction or carbon catabolite repression.

Amylases↗
PubMed1995

[A case of multiple organ failure induced by postoperative radiation therapy probably evoking oxidative stress].

In recent years, several laboratories have suggested that serum levels of antioxidant activity and redox balance are reduced in patients with chronic renal failure. Some clinical reports have also proposed that defective serum antioxidative enzymes may contribute to a certain uremic toxicity through peroxidative cell damage. A 48-year-old woman was referred to us from the surgical department of our hospital because of consciousness disturbance, pancytopenia and acute acceleration of chronic azotemia after postoperative radiation therapy. We diagnosed acute acceleration of chronic renal failure with severe acidemia and started hemodialysis therapy immediately. Two days after admission to our department, she developed upper abdominal sharp pain and bradyarrhythmia. Serum amylase activity was elevated markedly and the ECG finding showed myocardial ischemia. On the 24th hospital day these complications were treated successfully with conservative therapy and hemodialysis. We considered that radiation therapy in this patient with chronic renal failure evoked marked oxidative stress and that deficiency of transferrin played an important role in peroxidative cell damage.

Female↗
PubMed1995

[A case of erythropoietic protoporphyria associated with tubulointerstitial disease and dilated cardiomyopathy].

A 34-year-old female patient was admitted to our hospital with a 1-year history of chronic congestive heart failure, massive proteinuria and tibial edema. On admission, she presented with hemolytic anemia, hepatomegaly, splenomegaly and renal impairment. Furthermore, the skin of her face, hand, forearm, lower extremities showed crust and bulla. Laboratory examination revealed a large amount of protoporphyrin in her blood and feces, but no increase in urine. Light microscopy of renal biopsy showed moderate chronic tubulointerstitinal disease and mild proliferation of mesangial cells. The prophyians are a group of compounds associated with involving the disturbance of various biosynthetic heme pathwas. Until now, the regulation of porphyrin and heme metabolism in the kidney have received relatively little attention as compared with those in liver and erythropoietic tissue. However, some recent reports have confirmed that proximal tubular cells may contribute to heme biosynthesis. It was strongly suggested that chronic tubulointerstitinal injury in this case might be directly induced by the disturbance of the biosynthetic heme pathway in the tubules.

Adult↗
PubMed1995

[Pulmonary involvement in patients with myeloperoxidase specific-antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibody].

In order to examine the clinical features of pulmonary involvement in patients with myeloperoxidase specific-antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibody (MPO-ANCA), 46 MPO-ANCA positive patients with collagen-vascular disease and glomerulonephritis were investigated. Twenty eight patients (60.8%) had pulmonary involvement without tumor and infection, 20 (43.5%) of MPO-ANCA positive patients had interstitial pneumonitis, 11 (23.9%) had pulmonary hemorrhage, 3 had asthma (6.5%) and 7 had both interstitial pneumonitis and pulmonary hemorrhage. Patients with pulmonary involvement were older (mean age 61.1) and they had higher inflammatory acute phase reactants and higher mortality (42.9%) than patients without pulmonary involvement. Pulmonary hemorrhage revealed on both lung fields in 10 patients, 7 patients required artificial respirator and 6 died. Titer of MPO-ANCA increased paralleled with progression of pulmonary hemorrhage. Interstitial fibrosis revealed predominantly lower and lateral side of the lung. It is suggested that MPO-ANCA may be closely related to the pathogenesis of pulmonary hemorrhage and interstitial pneumonia. Careful management is needed in patients with pulmonary involvement, especially pulmonary hemorrhage in patients with MPO-ANCA.

Adult↗
PubMed1994

Felodipine therapy may not alter glucose and lipid metabolism in hypertensives. Felodipine Multicenter Prospective Study Group in Japan.

The effects of long-term monotherapy with felodipine, a calcium antagonist, on blood pressure, glucose tolerance, and serum lipid profiles were prospectively investigated in 51 hypertensive patients: 13 with normal glucose tolerance and 38 with glucose intolerance. The levels of plasma glucose, serum lipids, and glycosylated hemoglobin A1c were determined before and during long-term (7.5 +/- 0.5 months; range, 6 to 9 months) therapy with felodipine. A 75-g oral glucose tolerance test was performed before and during long-term felodipine therapy. Significant decreases in both systolic and diastolic blood pressures in both patient groups were maintained during the therapy. Neither fasting nor post-glucose load venous plasma glucose levels were altered in either group of patients, and no patients with normal glucose tolerance developed diabetes mellitus during the study. Serum lipid levels did not change significantly in either group of patients except for significant decreases in high-density lipoprotein cholesterol and apolipoprotein A-I in the group with normal glucose tolerance tests, but those changes remained within the normal range. Furthermore, neither serum lipid nor apolipoprotein levels were altered, even in patients with hypercholesterolemia (total cholesterol levels, > 5.69 mmol/L = 220 mg/dL). These results suggest that long-term therapy with felodipine may not alter glucose and lipid metabolism in hypertensive patients, and felodipine appears to be useful as an antihypertensive agent for hypertensive patients with either dyslipidemia or impaired glucose metabolism.

Analysis of Variance↗
PubMed1994

A novel culture method for high level production of heterologous protein in Saccharomyces cerevisiae.

A high level production system for heterologous protein by cold culture of yeast transformants at 15 degrees C was developed. The yeast transformants, carrying a plasmid containing cDNA for Aspergillus oryzae alpha-amylase (Taka-amylase A) or human lysozyme synthetic DNA, were cultivated in a selective medium for 1 or 2 days until full growth at 30 degrees C. The yeast cells were harvested by centrifugation from the culture fluid and then were transferred to YPD medium. These inoculated broths were incubated for 2 days at 15 degrees C and then for another 2 days at 30 degrees C. By the cold culture method described above, higher amounts of Taka-amylase A (28.6 mg/liter) and human lysozyme (6.1 mg/liter) were produced by the yeast transformants compared to those by conventional methods. Heterologous protein productions using YEp, YCp, and YIp types of yeast expression vectors with ADH1 or GAPDH promoter by the cold culture method showed effective productivity of about 2-fold compared to those by the conventional method of culture at 30 degrees C. The high level production of heterologous protein by this method was not specific to the S. cerevisiae strains examined.

Aspergillus oryzae↗
PubMed1994

Electrophoretic karyotype and gene assignment to chromosomes of Aspergillus oryzae.

An electrophoretic karyotype of Aspergillus oryzae was obtained by transverse altering-field electrophoresis. Seven chromosomal bands were found. With Schizosaccharomyces pombe chromosomes as size standards, we estimated the sizes of the chromosomes to be 7.0, 5.2, 5.0, 4.5, 4.0, 3.7, and 2.8 megabase pairs (Mbp). The chromosomal DNA bands were identified with use of 13 cloned genes including ribosomal DNA. The intensity of ethidium staining and the results of Southern blotting with 100 random clones isolated from A. oryzae suggested that the smallest band migrated as doublet and that the total genome size was approximately 35 Mbp.

Aspergillus oryzae↗
PubMed1994

High level secretion of calf chymosin using a glucoamylase-prochymosin fusion gene in Aspergillus oryzae.

A recombinant chymosin was secreted at high levels using fusion genes with A. oryzae glucoamylase gene (glaA) and a wheat bran solid-state culture system. Two portions of the A. oryzae glucoamylase, one with almost the entire glucoamylase (GA1-603) lacking 9 amino acids at the carboxyl terminal, and the other (GA1-511) lacking the starch binding-domain, were fused in frame with prochymosin cDNA. Western blot analysis indicated that the mature chymosin was released from the secreted fusion protein by autocatalytic processing. The transformant harboring the GA1-511-prochymosin construct showed about 5-fold chymosin production of the transformant in which the chymosin gene was directly expressed under the control of the glaA promoter in submerged culture. Moreover, wheat bran solid-state culture gave about 500-fold higher yield of the chymosin (approximately 150 mg/kg wheat bran) compared with the submerged culture.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1993

Secretion of calf chymosin from the filamentous fungus Aspergillus oryzae.

Active calf chymosin was secreted from Aspergillus oryzae transformants when the chymosin cDNA was expressed under the control of glucoamylase gene (glaA) promoter. Secreted prochymosin was autocatalytically activated to the chymosin (0.07-0.16 mg/l). Western blot analysis showed that a secreted protein immunoreactive with an anti-chymosin antibody was of similar size to authentic chymosin. Northern blot analysis revealed that mRNA of the chymosin cDNA was expressed at as high level as that of the glaA gene. The size and the level of the transcript were different among transformants, due to the integration position of the plasmid on the chromosome.

Animals↗