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Biomedical subjects

K Konishi

Publications and source records attributed to K Konishi.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1995

Preparation of 13C-labeled polyunsaturated fatty acids by an arachidonic acid-producing fungus Mortierella alpina 1S-4.

Three types of 13C-labeled polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) were produced in mycelia of an arachidonic acid-producing fungus, Mortierella alpina 1S-4, when grown with 13C-labeled glucose or fatty acid methyl esters. We analyzed them by negative-ion fastatom bombardment mass spectrometry. (i) PUFA in mycelia grown with [1-(13)C]glucose or [2-(13)C]glucose was a mixture of molecules containing zero to six labeled carbons. The content of 13C in the total carbon atoms of PUFA, such as arachidonic (20:4 omega 6), dihomo-gamma-linolenic (20:3 omega 6), gamma-linolenic (18:3 omega 6), and linoleic (18:2 omega 6) acids, in the mycelia grown with [1-(13)C]-glucose or [2-(13)C]glucose was about 11 or 15%, respectively. More than 80% of these PUFA had more than one 13C atom. (ii) When the fungus was grown with [U-13C]glucose, the content of PUFA molecules, all carbons of which were 13C-labeled, was about 20%. The percentage of 13C in PUFA from [U-13C]glucose was 78-83%, over 98% of which had more than one 13C atom. The 13C atoms in the labeled fatty acids formed from 13C-labeled glucose were thought to be distributed at random by a two carbon-unit. (iii) The 13C atom of PUFA in mycelia grown with 1-(13)C-labeled fatty acid methyl esters was highly localized. More than half of the 20:4 omega 6 molecules had only one 13C atom at C-3, C-5, or C-7 when the fungus was grown with methyl [1-13c]stearate, methyl [1-(13)C]palmitate, or methyl [1-(13)C]-myristate, respectively.

Arachidonic Acid↗
PubMed1995

[Study on azithromycin in treatment of diffuse panbronchiolitis].

In the treatment of diffuse panbronchiolitis, azithromycin (AZM), a new macrolide antibiotic with 15-membered lactone ring, was studied for its efficacy and safety. AZM, 250 mg, was intermittently administered to a total of 60 patients twice a weeks, for 3 months as a rule, and its efficacy was clinically evaluated in 52 patients and the safety in 55. The rate of efficacy was 84.6% (44/52). Clinical findings 12 weeks after the start of administration showed a decrease in sputum volume in 30 of 46 patients and amelioration of dyspnea on exertion in 23 of 46 patients, and no worsening of symptoms was observed in the patients. Vital capacity (4/22), FEV1.0 (6/21), cold agglutination reaction (22/28), and CRP (16/36) were also improved. The rate of eradication of organisms isolated from the sputum except for indigenous organisms was 39.5% (15/38); 4 of the 22 strains of Pseudomonas aeruginosa were eradicated. Adverse reactions were observed in 4 of the 55 patients (7.3%), 1 patient each with rash, itching, diarrhea, and a gastric symptom (heavy feeling in the stomach). 4 of the 54 patients (7.4%) exhibited abnormal changes in clinical laboratory test values values. These were an increase in eosinophil count in 2, elevation of GOT in 1, and elevation of Al-P in 1. These adverse reactions and abnormal changes in laboratory tests were mild or moderate. Therefore, long-term intermittent administration of AZM, twice a week, is expected to have the same effect in the treatment of diffuse panbronchiolitis as long-term small-dose administration of 14-membered macrolides such as erythromycin and clarithromycin, whose effects have already been established.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1995

The emergence of free radicals after acoustic trauma and strial blood flow.

The effect of acoustic trauma on cochlear strial circulation was investigated immunohistologically in the guinea pig. Kanamycin was used as a tracer of blood flow. Moreover, histochemical examinations were made to reveal the emergence of free radicals in the cochlea following acoustic trauma. At 5 min (5 min after intense sound exposure 120-125 dB SPL, 3 h) the blood flow in the stria vascularis was greatly diminished. At 2 h the strial blood flow started to recirculate and at 6 h it appeared to have returned to normal. Superoxide anion radicals (O2-) emerged along the luminal membrane of the marginal cells of the stria vascularis at 5 min. O2- disappeared at 30 min, but reappeared at 2 h. The cause of its emergence at 5 min was obscure. However, the strange phenomenon that O2- emerged again at 2 h seemed ascribable to the re-circulation of strial blood flow after sound exposure.

Animals↗
PubMed1995

[A case of gastric cancer responding well to MTX/5-FU (methotrexate/5-fluorouracil) and PMUE (CDDP, MMC, UFT, etoposide) therapies upon lymphnode recurrence].

We encountered a case of non-curatively resected gastric cancer (p1, n4) who responded well to sequential MTX/5-FU therapy and PMUE therapy. A 63-year-old man was admitted to our hospital with complaints of nausea and vomiting. Upper gastrointestinal examination and CT scan revealed Borrmann type 3 gastric cancer with pyloric stenosis and multiple paraaortic lymphnodal metastasis. The patient underwent palliative gastrectomy for extensive gastric cancer (H0, P1, N4, T3, Stage IV b). Histological examination of the resected stomach revealed poorly differentiated adenocarcinoma with paraaortic lymphnodes metastasis (n4) and peritoneal dissemination (p1). Chemotherapy with sequential MTX/5-FU was given 13 times. Ten months after the operation, abdominal pain and back pain required analgesic treatment. Abdominal CT scan revealed increased size of paraaortic lymphnodes, suggesting recurrence. Sequential MTX/5-FU therapy was switched by PMUE therapy. Lymphnode size became smaller and habitual analgesics could be discontinued. Since then he was given MTX/5-FU and PMUE therapies alternately on an ambulant basis. The patient resumed his daily activities at 2 years and 8 months after the operation.

Adenocarcinoma↗
PubMed1994

Expression and distribution of aquaporin of collecting duct are regulated by vasopressin V2 receptor in rat kidney.

To examine whether expression and distribution of aquaporin of collecting duct (AQP-CD) are regulated by vasopressin V2 receptor (V2R), we performed immunohistochemical studies with specific antibody against AQP-CD. Normal Wistar rats were divided into four groups and treated for 3 d; control, dehydration, vasopressin V1 receptor (V1R) antagonist (OPC-21268 120 mg/kg), V2R antagonist (OPC-31260 30 mg/kg). At time of death, urine osmolality (Uosm) in the dehydration group (1884 +/- 245 mOsm/kg) was significantly higher than that in the control (938 +/- 91). In the V2R antagonist group, Uosm was significantly decreased to 249 +/- 29, whereas V1R antagonist showed no effect on Uosm. In the control and V1R antagonist groups, immunofluorescence studies showed the AQP-CD staining of both apical membrane and subapical cytoplasm of CD cells of the cortex and the inner medulla. Dehydration increased the immunostaining of both apical membrane and subapical cytoplasm of CD cells of the inner medulla, and the degree of increase was dominant in apical membrane. In the V2R antagonist group, only faint staining of apical membrane and weak labeling of cytoplasm of CD cells of the inner medulla were observed. These changes in the localization and protein amount of AQP-CD by dehydration and V2R antagonist were quantitatively confirmed by immunogold studies and immunoblot analysis of the inner medulla. The present results indicate that the distribution and amount of AQP-CD in the CD cells are regulated by vasopressin V2 receptor.

Animals↗
PubMed1992

Microenvironment of tryptophan residues in beta-lactoglobulin derivative polypeptide-sodium dodecyl sulfate complexes.

The changes of microenvironment of tryptophan residues in beta-lactoglobulin A and its cyanogen bromide (CNBr) fragments with the binding of sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) were studied with measurements of the rates of N-bromosuccinimide (NBS) modification reactions by stopped-flow photometry. Two tryptophan residues of carboxyamidomethylated (RCM) beta-lactoglobulin A in the states of their complexes with SDS were clearly distinguishable by their differences in NBS modification rates. We confirmed by experiments with CNBr fragments containing trytophan residue. The modification rates of Trp 19 in RCM beta-lactoglobulin A-SDS complexes were about 10-fold smaller than those expected for tryptophan residues exposed entirely to the aqueous solvent. The Trp 61 was hardly changed. The change of rate constants for Trp 19 was virtually consistent with those observed when N-acetyl-L-trytophan ethylester was dissolved in SDS micelles. For various species of polypeptide-SDS complexes, all tryptophan residues were reactive to NBS and also, for some of them, the differences in NBS modification rates were observed between tryptophan residues on a common polypeptide chain. These results suggest micellar and heterogeneous bindings of SDS to polypeptides.

Cyanogen Bromide↗
PubMed1992

Rat gro/melanoma growth-stimulating activity. Assessment of the structure responsible for chemotactic activity by use of its fragments prepared by proteolysis and chemical synthesis.

Rat gro/melanoma growth-stimulating activity is a dimer composed of two identical subunits. Each subunit consists of 72 amino-acid residues and contains two disulfide bridges. In order to obtain information on the structure responsible for chemotactic activity, various fragments of gro were prepared and tested for their ability to induce chemotaxis. None of the fragments corresponding to residues 1-6, 1-21, 12-31, 36-50 or 52-72 was active as a chemoattractant. Reduced and carboxymethylated gro as well as the tryptic peptide consisting of three peptides, residues 9-21, 28-45 were and 49-61, linked by two disulfide bonds Cys-9-Cys-35 and Cys-11-Cys-51, were inactive. Also, these, peptides did not inhibit the chemotactic activity of gro. Rat gro lacking the N-terminal 6 residues had a reduced activity and the one lacking the C-terminal Lys was as active as intact gro. Therefore, an almost entire portion of the molecule including disulfide cross-links is required for chemotactic activity.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1992

Isolation and characteristics of scallop sarcoplasmic reticulum with calcium transport activity.

Sarcoplasmic reticulum with calcium transport activity has been isolated from the cross-striated adductor muscle of the scallop, which lives in cold (< or = 20 degrees C) sea water, by using pH 7.0 buffer solution both to homogenize the tissue and to sediment the membrane fraction. The yield of the preparation was 60-100 mg protein from 100 g of the scallop muscle. Ca(2+)-activated ATPase protein of about 100 kDa accounted for 40-50% of the protein preparation. The maximum activities of ATP-dependent, oxalate-facilitated calcium accumulation and Ca(2+)-ATPase were observed at a pH of about 7.0 and temperature of 20-30 degrees C, and their values were about 2 mumol Ca2+/mg of protein/min and about 3 mumol ATP hydrolysis/mg of protein/min, respectively. At 0 degree C, 10-20% of these activities was maintained, while at 37 degrees C, the activities were irreversibly lost. The Ca(2+)-ATPase activity was half-maximally activated at about 0.3 microM [Ca2+]. The ATPase activity exhibited non-Michaelian behavior with respect to ATP, with two different Km values of approximately 10 microM and 0.1-0.3 mM. GTP, CTP, and ITP were also hydrolyzed by the preparation at a rate of 10-30% of that of ATP. The preparation was stored at -80 degrees C with retention of function for about a year.

Adenosine Triphosphate↗
PubMed1992

Increased glycated Cu,Zn-superoxide dismutase levels in erythrocytes of patients with insulin-dependent diabetis mellitus.

Our previous study indicated that erythrocyte Cu,Zn-superoxide dismutase (Cu,Zn-SOD) undergoes glycation and inactivation in vivo (1) and in vitro (2). The aim of the present study was to assess glycated Cu,Zn-SOD in patients with insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus. Glycated Cu,Zn-SOD, which binds to a boronic acid affinity column, was measured by the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. The percentage of the glycated form in 25 insulin-dependent diabetic children was 40.2 +/- 8.2%; this was significantly higher than that in the normal controls (P less than 0.01). The specific activity of the glycated form in the diabetic children was 163,000 +/- 33,000 IU/mg Cu,Zn-SOD protein, significantly lower than that in controls (P less than 0.01). These data indicate that glycated and less active Cu,Zn-SOD is increased in erythrocytes of patients with insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus.

Adult↗
PubMed1992

Histopathological factors related to diastolic function in myocardial hypertrophy.

To clarify the histopathologic influence on diastolic function in the hypertrophied heart, we compared the echocardiographic and histopathologic findings in 9 controls, 10 patients with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM), and 8 hypertensive patients with asymmetric septal hypertrophy (HT-ASH). M-mode echocardiography was used to determine the left ventricular diastolic function. Mean diameter of myocytes, percentage of fibrosis and disarrangement were quantitatively calculated from right ventricular endomyocardial biopsy specimens. In both HT-ASH and HCM, the isovolumic relaxation time was significantly longer and the rapid filling volume tended to be smaller than in the controls. Histopathologically, the mean diameter of myocytes and percentage of myocardial interstitial fibrosis did not differ significantly between HT-ASH and HCM. However, quantitative disarrangement of myocytes in HCM was significantly greater than that in HT-ASH. Multiple regression analysis showed that the percentage of fibrosis was the most significant factor related to diastolic left ventricular dysfunction in HT-ASH, while disarrangement of myocytes was the most significant in HCM. We conclude that diastolic dysfunction in HT-ASH can be attributed to the percentage of fibrosis, and to disarrangement of myocytes in HCM.

Adult↗
PubMed1992

[Treatment of infantile spasms with long-term low dose ACTH].

We investigated the effect of long-term, low-dose ACTH in 13 patients (10 boys and 3 girls) with infantile spasms who were treated with low-dose ACTH (mean: 0.0081 mg/kg/day). Two patients (one boy and one girl) received this therapy twice because of relapse of tonic spasms. ACTH was injected intramuscularly every morning for 30 days, after which dosage was tapered. The mean observation period was 53.9 months. Complete cessation of seizures was attained in 13 of 15 treatment trials. In one trial, complete cessation was not attained but the number of attacks decreased to less than one-third of that before treatment. In only one trial was treatment not effective. EEG showed good response to this treatment. The side-effects of this therapy were hypertension in 6 patients, hypokalemia in 7, and emotional outburst in 7. Emotional outburst appeared during the early phase of therapy, while the other two side-effects appeared in the later phase and disappeared when ACTH-tapering was begun. Brain shrinkage observed on CT scan was mild in all trials. Five patients have had no relapse. The total dose of ACTH was significantly larger in the group with good outcome than in the group with poor outcome.

Adrenocorticotropic Hormone↗
PubMed1992

[A study of chest X-ray classification of farmer's lung--correlation between X-ray pattern and background factors].

Patients with farmer's lung were classified into five groups according to their chest X-ray pattern, and the background of each group was studied with respect to stage, severity, and prognosis. Type I group, which has fine nodular shadows on chest X-ray, showed a significantly high percentage of lymphocytes in BAL cells (p less than 0.01). Type V group, which has irregular patchy shadows on chest X-ray, showed increased peripheral WBC counts, increased CRP score, and decreased PaO2 compared to the other groups. Type II, III, and IV groups, which are characterized by combined X-ray patterns such as nodular shadows, ring-like shadows, and irregular pulmonary markings, had no specific background features according to our study. Our results suggest that type I and type V groups are likely to represent acute phase and severe phase, respectively. We could not identify any significant factors indicative of chronic disease in terms of restrictive and diffusion impairment of pulmonary function tests and pathologic findings obtained by TBLB. The chest X-ray classification we proposed is useful for the diagnosis of the acute and severe stages of farmer's lung.

Adult↗
PubMed1992

[Cytokine gene expression in interstitial lung diseases].

We studied the role of macrophages in the process of pulmonary fibrosis, focusing on gene expressions of cytokines. TGF-alpha is a factor which stimulates fibroblasts or endothelial cells to proliferate, by combining to receptors of EGF competitively with EGF in vitro. Total RNA was extracted from alveolar macrophages recovered by bronchoalveolar lavage from patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis or normal healthy volunteers, and the expression of TGF-alpha mRNA was evaluated by Northern analysis. There was no detectable TGF-alpha mRNA in alveolar macrophages from normal healthy volunteers; however, in patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, a considerable level of mRNA of TGF-alpha could be detected. Using an experimental rat model of alveolitis induced by bleomycin, the expression of TNF-alpha mRNA in alveolar macrophages recovered by BAL was evaluated by Northern analysis. Alveolar macrophages from bleomycin-treated rats expressed a significant level of TNF-alpha mRNA. Both TGF-alpha and TNF-alpha have proliferative activity on fibroblasts, and may have an important role in the process of fibrosis of the lung.

Cell Division↗
PubMed1992

[A case of gastric cancer with multiple liver metastases effectively treated with PMUE (CDDP, MMC, UFT, etoposide) hepatic arterial chemotherapy].

A 62-year-old male patient with progressive gastric cancer and multiple liver metastases (H3, P0, ss gamma, n4) underwent total gastrectomy (R1). After 2 years and 2 months, he was re-hospitalized with epigastric tumor caused by re-manifestation of liver metastasis as well as inappetence. Since a large focus of liver metastasis and intraportal tumor embolism was identified, a continuous intraarterial infusion tube utilizing Infuse-A-Port was inserted in the hepatic artery. After conducting 2 cycles of PMUE intra-arterial chemotherapy, the tumor size was reduced by 84% (PR); and CEA, which had been high upon rehospitalization, recovered to the normal level. After discharge, the patient has been receiving 5-FU arterial infusion as an outpatient and undergoing UFT oral chemotherapy. The efficacy has continued and he has been well for 3 years since operation. Often operations for gastric cancer accompanied with multiple liver metastasis meet with little success, and almost no case of prolonged survival has been reported. In this case, the effectiveness of PMUE arterial infusion chemotherapy was clear, the patient has been well for 3 years since operation, and is an interesting example with seemingly good prospects for long-survival.

Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols↗