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Biomedical subjects

K Toshima

Publications and source records attributed to K Toshima.

At least 55 records · Page 3Linked to original sources
PubMed1986

Involvement of thiol proteases in galactosialidosis.

The activities of Z-Phe-Arg-NMec(ZPA) hydrolase, cathepsin B and cathepsin H and the concentration of endogenous thiol protease inhibitor in fibroblasts from patients with galactosialidosis were found not to be significantly different from those in control fibroblasts. Culture for 5 days with thiol protease inhibitors such as leupeptin, E-64 or Z-Phe-Phe-CHN2 partially restored the beta-galactosidase activity of fibroblasts from patients, but did not affect the beta-galactosidase activity of fibroblasts from control subjects. However, culture with leupeptin, but not other protease inhibitors, increased the ZPA hydrolase and cathepsin B activities of fibroblasts from both patients and controls 2- to 4-fold. Sephadex G-75 chromatography showed that the activity of high molecular weight ZPA hydrolase, which was initially predominant in fibroblasts, decreased markedly during their culture with leupeptin, while the activities of lower molecular weight ZPA hydrolase and cathepsin B increased about 5-fold. These results suggest that high molecular weight ZPA hydrolase, which is presumably cathepsin J, degrades beta-galactosidase, and that the defect in galactosialidosis is impaired protection of beta-galactosidase from degradation.

Cathepsin B↗
PubMed1986

Treatment of chronic congenital lactic acidosis by oral administration of dichloroacetate.

Sodium dichloroacetate (DCA) was administered orally at a dose of 50 mg per kg body weight twice or three times per day to a newborn infant with lactic acidosis of unknown cause (patient 1) and to a 15-year-old boy with mitochondrial encephalomyopathy associated with lactic acidosis (patient 2). In patient 1, during treatment with DCA, DCA accumulated in the blood judging from the findings that the urinary excretion of DCA increased cumulatively and the blood lactate level rapidly decreased to the normal range. In patient 2, the blood DCA level gradually increased during treatment to a concentration of 250 micrograms ml-1 and the blood lactate level decreased and was maintained within the normal range. DCA was detected in the brain (25 micrograms g tissue-1) and the liver, kidney and muscle (33.8, 33.8 and 26.3 micrograms g tissue-1, respectively) obtained at autopsy of patient 1, and in the cerebrospinal fluid of patient 2 at a concentration of 125 micrograms ml-1 when the blood concentration was 250 micrograms ml-1. The lactate levels in the cerebrospinal fluid decreased from 7 and 4 mmol l-1 to 2.4 and 2.6 mmol l-1 in patients 1 and 2, respectively. Thus DCA may be useful in clinical treatment of chronic congenital lactic acidosis because it seems to cross the blood-brain barrier. However, it must be given at non-toxic doses, determined by monitoring the concentrations of lactate and DCA in the blood, because orally administered DCA tends to accumulate in tissues.

Acetates↗
PubMed1985

Activation of branched-chain alpha-ketoacid dehydrogenase complex by alpha-chloroisocaproate in normal and enzyme-deficient fibroblasts.

A method has been developed for the activation of the branched-chain alpha-ketoacid dehydrogenase complex by alpha-chloroisocaproate, an inhibitor of branched-chain alpha-ketoacid dehydrogenase kinase in human cultured skin fibroblasts. The enzyme could be activated by pretreating the cells with alpha-chloroisocaproate before they were disrupted for measurement of the activity. After this treatment, the activity was 2- to 3-fold that of untreated cells (24.8-81.4 pmol/min per mg protein). The enzyme activity in fibroblasts from a patient with maple syrup urine disease was measured by this procedure. After activation by alpha-chloroisocaproate, the activity of fibroblasts from the patient was only 10-14 pmol/min per mg protein (10% of that of controls), and was almost the same as that of the untreated cells from this patient. These results show that it is important to consider the activation state of branched-chain alpha-ketoacid dehydrogenase complex when assaying it in disrupted cells.

3-Methyl-2-Oxobutanoate Dehydrogenase (Lipoamide)↗
PubMed1985

Hereditary renal hypouricemia in children.

The renal handling of urate was investigated in four children with hereditary renal hypouricemia and in their parents. The urate/creatinine clearance ratios in the four patients were 1.02 +/- 0.28, 0.93 +/- 0.11, 1.03 +/- 0.24, and 1.46 +/- 0.26, markedly higher than those in control subjects. Except for a partial response to pyrazinamide (change in clearance ratio from 1.46 to 1.07) in one patient, pyrazinamide and benzbromarone did not affect the clearance ratios in our patients. In the parents, the urate/creatinine clearance ratios were intermediate between those of the patients and control subjects, but responses to pyrazinamide and benzbromarone were normal. These data indicate that our patients have a combined defect in renal urate reabsorption, and that one of them might be subclassified as having the hypersecretion of defect. Results also show that heterozygotes can be identified by testing their urate/creatinine clearance ratio.

Benzbromarone↗
PubMed1985

Diagnosis of partial deficiency of the pyruvate dehydrogenase complex in biopsied muscle.

We have measured the total activity of pyruvate dehydrogenase (PDH) complex, by in vitro activation with a broad specificity protein phosphatase, and the basal activity, supposed to be present in vivo, in biopsied muscles from three patients with PDH complex deficiency and 11 patients with lactic acidemia. Results showed that the total PDH complex activity must be determined in biopsied muscles for the diagnosis, because the basal activities of two of three patients with PDH complex deficiency overlapped those of two patients with lactic acidemia whose total activities were within normal range.

Adult↗
PubMed1984

Detection of heterozygotes for fructose 1,6-diphosphatase deficiency by measuring fructose 1,6-diphosphatase activity in their cultured peripheral lymphocytes.

The fructose 1,6-diphosphatase activities in peripheral lymphocytes from the parents of a patient with fructose 1,6-diphosphatase deficiency were lower than the mean value of normal controls, but the value of the mother overlapped lower values for normal controls. The fructose 1,6-diphosphatase activities in lymphocytes of normal adults and the parents increased progressively during in vitro culture, but no enzyme activity could be detected in the lymphocytes of the patient even after culture. None of the values for the parents overlapped those of normal controls on either day 5 or 10 of culture. Thus, it seems probable that heterozygotes for fructose 1,6-diphosphatase deficiency can be distinguished from normal individuals by measuring the fructose 1,6-diphosphatase activity in their cultured lymphocytes.

Adult↗
PubMed1984

Effects of dichloroacetate on pyruvate metabolism in rat brain in vivo.

The effects of dichloroacetate (DCA) on the activity of the pyruvate dehydrogenase (PDH) complex and associated changes in the lactate and glucose levels in rat brain were investigated in vivo. The average activities of the active form of the PDH complex in the brain, liver and muscle of starved rats were respectively 0.40 +/- 0.04, 0.07 +/- 0.04, and 0.17 +/- 0.11 mumol/min/g tissue, and amounted to 21, 11, and 16% of the total activity of the complex. Intraperitoneal injection of DCA (125 mg/kg) increased the percentage of the active form of the PDH complex in the brain, liver, and muscle to 107, 40, and 84%, respectively. DCA significantly lowered the lactate and glucose concentrations of the brain and blood. A lower dose of DCA (12.5 mg/kg) also caused significant increase in activity of the PDH complex in the brain, but did not significantly change the lactate or glucose concentration of the brain. These results suggest that DCA crosses the blood-brain barrier reasonably well.

Acetates↗
PubMed1984

Ribonucleotide reductase and thymidine kinase activities in various cultured cell lines derived from hematologic malignancies.

The activities of ribonucleotide reductase and thymidine kinase, and the thymidine incorporation rate were measured in 16 cultured human hematologic malignant cell lines with different cell proliferation rates. Thymidine kinase activity was significantly higher in myeloid and monocytoid cell lines than in other cell lines, but ribonucleotide reductase activity presented as CDP reductase activity was similar in the different cell lines. The ratio of thymidine kinase to CDP reductase activity was high in monocytoid cell lines. A close correlation was found between the cell proliferation rate and CDP reductase activity, but not thymidine kinase activity or the thymidine incorporation rate. The ratio of thymidine kinase to CDP reductase activity was high in slowly growing cell lines and low in rapidly growing cell lines. These results indicate that in cultured human malignant cells a high potential for proliferation may depend mainly on the de novo pyrimidine pathway of DNA biosynthesis.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1983

Histological changes of muscle in a patient with pyruvate dehydrogenase deficiency.

Histological changes of muscle from a 17-month-old boy with pyruvate dehydrogenase deficiency are presented. The patient had muscle hypotonia, mental retardation, seizures, lactic acidosis and hyperalaninemia. Deficient activity of the pyruvate dehydrogenase complex was found in his platelets (about 25% of normal) and of pyruvate dehydrogenase in his biopsied muscle (about 5% of normal). A muscle biopsy specimen showed an increased proportion of type IIC fibers (24%), fiber-type grouping and lipid droplet accumulation.

Adenosine Triphosphatases↗
PubMed1983

Effect of long-term administration of sodium benzoate to a patient with partial ornithine carbamoyl transferase deficiency.

An 8-year-old girl with partial ornithine carbamoyl transferase deficiency was treated with sodium benzoate (200 mg/kg/day) for 13 months. Before administration of sodium benzoate, her protein intake was reduced to 1.0 to 1.5 g/kg/day and her caloric intake fluctuated. Hyperammonemic attacks were frequently observed in winter. After the start of administration of sodium benzoate, the severity and frequency of these attacks decreased, although her protein intake was increased to 1.5 to 2.0 g/kg/day. No adverse effect of sodium benzoate were detected by clinical and laboratory examinations. It is concluded that long-term oral administration of sodium benzoate was effective in reducing the frequency and severity of hyperammonemic attacks in this patient. Sodium benzoate therapy in combination with dietary manipulation may improve the growth and development of these patients by allowing reduced dietary protein restriction.

Amino Acid Metabolism, Inborn Errors↗
PubMed1982

Enzymologic studies and therapy of Leigh's disease associated with pyruvate decarboxylase deficiency.

An 11-month-old boy with muscle hypotonia and neurologic deteriorations had lactic acidosis, pyruvic acidemia and alaninemia due to deficiency of the pyruvate dehydrogenase complex in his platelets and of pyruvate decarboxylase in his muscle. When placed on a low carbohydrate-high fat diet for 6 months, his blood levels of lactate and pyruvate became nearly normal, but his cerebrospinal fluid levels of lactate and pyruvate remained high. Despite this dietary therapy, neurologic deterioration progressed slowly. He died of pneumonia after artificial respiration for 3 wk. At autopsy, extensive symmetric lesions were found in the brain including proliferation of capillaries and gliosis in the brain stem and diffuse demyelination in the white matter. These lesions were consistent with those observed in Leigh's disease. The activities of the pyruvate dehydrogenase complex and pyruvate decarboxylase in various tissues obtained at autopsy were less than 10% of control values; however, the activities of pyruvate carboxylase and alpha-ketoglutarate decarboxylase were within the normal limits. This patient with Leigh's disease had an isolated deficiency of pyruvate decarboxylase in various tissues.

Blood Platelets↗