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K Uchimura

Publications and source records attributed to K Uchimura.

At least 55 records · Page 3Linked to original sources
PubMed1995

Molecular cloning and expression of chick chondrocyte chondroitin 6-sulfotransferase.

Chondroitin 6-sulfotransferase (C6ST) catalyzes the transfer of sulfate from 3'-phosphoadenosine 5'-phosphosulfate to position 6 of the N-acetylgalactosamine residue of chondroitin. The enzyme has been purified previously to apparent homogeneity from the serum-free culture medium of chick chondrocytes. The purified enzyme also catalyzed the sulfation of keratan sulfate. We have now cloned the cDNA of the enzyme. This cDNA contains a single open reading frame that predicts a protein composed of 458 amino acid residues. The protein predicts a Type II transmembrane topology similar to other glycosyltransferases and heparin/heparan sulfate N-sulfotransferase/N-deacetylases. Evidence that the predicted protein corresponds to the previously purified C6ST was the following: (a) the predicted sequence of the protein contains all of the known amino acid sequence, (b) when the cDNA was introduced in a eukaryotic expression vector and transfected in COS-7 cells, both the C6ST activity and the keratan sulfate sulfotransferase activity were overexpressed, (c) a polyclonal antibody raised against a fusion peptide, which was expressed from a cDNA containing the sequence coding for 150 amino acid residues of the predicted protein, cross-reacted to the purified C6ST, and (d) the predicted protein contained six potential sites for N-glycosylation, which corresponds to the observation that the purified C6ST is an N-linked glycoprotein. The amino-terminal amino acid sequence of the purified protein was found in the transmembrane domain, suggesting that the purified protein might be released from the chondrocytes after proteolytic cleavage in the transmembrane domain.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1995

[Epidural anesthesia for the repair of the femoral neck fracture in elderly patients].

For the repair of the femoral neck fracture in the elderly patients, an epidural catheter was inserted immediately after injury and epidural anesthesia was employed to allow radical operation as early as possible. The subjects were 45 patients with a mean age of 81.4 years. Surgical procedures were osteosynthesis and replacement of the femoral cap. The preoperative management of pain included insertion of an epidural catheter at the L2-L4 interspace immediately after injury for injection of 0.25% bupivacaine. The catheter was inserted 1.5 days on average after injury, and surgery was undertaken 1.4 days on average after the insertion. The intraoperative management included epidural anesthesia by injection of 1.5% mepivacaine. The mean duration of anesthesia was 150 min, and the total amount of mepivacaine used during the operation averaged 284 mg. For postoperative management, the epidural catheter was retained for 5 days on average to achieve adequate pain relief. The incidence of postoperative complications was relatively low, and the post operative course was also favorable.

Aged↗
PubMed1992

Advance shift of feeding circadian rhythm induced by obesity progression in Zucker rats.

To determine the relation between the circadian rhythm of ingestive behavior and the progression of obesity in Zucker rats, ingestion and ambulation were analyzed at four different developmental stages. The obese rats were disrupted gradually in nocturnal patterns of feeding, drinking, and ambulation with the progression of obesity, although the lean littermates maintained the patterns during whole test periods. Analysis of autocorrelogram revealed that circadian rhythms of those behaviors remained throughout the whole test periods. Least-squares spectrum ascertained the following. 1) The obese made advance shift of acrophases in feeding and drinking circadian cycles, but not in ambulation. 2) Amplitudes in those behavioral measures decreased with the progression of obesity. 3) Mesor in the obese feeding was not affected, although that in the lean feeding decreased. The findings indicate that disruption of the light-dark cycle in ingestion of the obese was not due to disappearance of circadian rhythm but to transformation by both decreased amplitude and advance shift of the circadian cycle.

Animals↗
PubMed1991

[A report of a transsphenoidal operation during pregnancy for a pituitary adenoma].

A 29-year old female, in her second pregnancy, complained of headache, nausea, vomiting and left blurred vision. In spite of improvement of these symptoms in the second postpartum, she complained of recurrent symptoms in her third pregnancy. CT and MRI showed a pituitary adenoma with hematoma. It was totally removed using the transsphenoidal approach during pregnancy at 8 months. The histological examination revealed that the tumor was an acidophilic adenoma with a hemorrhagic change. A healthy baby was born at the full term after the operation. Our transsphenoidal operation during pregnancy was only the second such attempt reported in our collected literature. The management of the pituitary tumor during pregnancy is discussed.

Adenoma↗
PubMed1990

Magnetic resonance study of brain oedema induced by cold injury--changes in relaxation times before and after the administration of glycerol.

Experiments were carried out to determine the ability of magnetic resonance systems to assess change in relaxation times following the induction of experimental brain oedema and subsequent administration of hypertonic glycerol. Nine small mongrel dogs were used for these experiments. Twenty-four hours after producing a cold lesion, magnetic resonance (MR) studies were performed and physiological data were measured. Thirty min after beginning the administration of glycerol, serum osmotic pressure was raised 88 mOsm/l. After administering glycerol a small reduction in long spin echo images was observed in the periventricular high intensity area. The T1 and T2 values appeared to be decreased from 30 min after glycerol administration. This decrease continued until the period of observation ended. Statistically significant changes in the T2 values, especially in the white matter of the opposite side, were seen. The changes in T1 were generally not statistically significant. We conclude that the changes in water content of the oedematous brain following the administration of glycerol can be detected by magnetic resonance systems, that these changes become appreciable 30 min after administration of glycerol and continue at least two more hours, and that the changes in T2 were larger than those in T1.

Animals↗
PubMed1990

Early detection of cerebral infarction by 31P spectroscopic imaging.

Recent advances in magnetic resonance spectroscopy permit noninvasive study of brain metabolism in vivo, 31P spectroscopic imaging being the method for evaluation of localized phosphorous metabolism. Experimentally, an ischemic-hypoxic brain insult is characterized by depletion of high energy metabolites. These changes are seen immediately after an ischemic insult. We had the opportunity of carrying out 31P spectroscopic imaging of hyperacute cerebral infarction, while MRI and CT were negative. Cerebral infarction of the middle cerebral artery territory was suggested by 31P spectroscopic imaging, which was closely consistent with a later-developing region of low density on CT. In cerebral infarction, early detection of the lesion is a useful pointer to the patient's prognosis, making 31P spectroscopic imaging a potential tool.

Aged↗
PubMed1990

[Arachnoid cyst of the fourth ventricle. Case report].

A 65-year-old female was admitted because of progressive vertigo, truncal ataxia, and unsteadiness of gait for the past 6 years. Computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging revealed a non-enhanced, large midline cyst in the posterior fossa and slightly dilated lateral and third ventricles. Metrizamide CT cisternography showed no communication between the cyst and the subarachnoid space. Suboccipital craniectomy, laminectomy of the atlas, and membranectomy of the cyst were performed. On light microscopic examination, the cyst wall was composed of arachnoid cells and connective tissues. Thus, this lesion was not an epithelial cyst but an arachnoid cyst occupying the fourth ventricle. An arachnoid cyst of the fourth ventricle is extremely rare, and only two cases were previously reported.

Aged↗
PubMed1990

[Long-term follow-up studies of bronchial asthma in children. I. Prognosis and risk factors].

A questionnaire on the prognosis of bronchial asthma was sent in 1988 to 1,592 patients (1,038 males, 554 females) averaging 20 years of age after 12 years' follow up. The results were as follows: 75.6% in remission, 18.2% improved, 4.0% unchanged, 0.9% worse and 1.3% dead from asthma. The average age of onset was 2.7 years, about 1 year earlier than that in our report of 1965. The average age of remission (growing out of asthma) was 13.0 years for males and 12.3 years for females. The prognosis was significantly poorer among asthmatics with an onset age of under 2 years, with a 10-year history of asthma before the first visit to our hospital, with severe attack at the initial visit, a history of admissions for the attacks and food allergy. The asthmatic children with food allergy had a 1-year earlier onset of attack, a more severe attack at the initial visit, more eczema in infancy, and 2 or more other allergic complications than children without food allergy. We have to closely follow and care for those asthmatic children with high risk factors for an extended period.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1990

[Long-term follow up studies of bronchial asthma in children. II. Prognosis and complications, treatment and allergic evaluations].

A questionnaire on the prognosis of bronchial asthma was sent in 1988 to 1592 patients (1038 males, 554 females) averaging 20 years of age after 12 years' follow up. We reported on the prognosis and risk factors associated with asthmatic children in part I. The relation between prognosis and other allergic complications, treatment and laboratory data were investigated in this study. Eosinophil counts of more than 1000/mm3 and/or total serum IgE levels of more than 500 IU/ml (100 IU/ml in infants) indicated poor prognosis. However, the prognosis was not affected either by the allergens themselves or by the number of allergens determined by skin test and RAST. The prognosis was worse for patients with multiple allergic complications than for those without complications. Treatment may after the natural course of childhood asthma, but it has been difficult to evaluate the effect of each regimen over a long period. We compared the effect of hyposensitization (specific immunization) and non-bronchodilator antiasthmatic drugs (NBAAD), and found that hyposensitization alone gave better results than NBAAD and its combination. We had better results from hyposensitization over a period of 1 to 5 years than for less than 1 year or more than 5 years. We conclude that asthmatic children with risk factors should be kept under strict environmental control and given suitable therapeutic regimens to avoid the development of allergic diseases, the slow down of "allergic march", and to avoid intractable asthma.

Asthma↗
PubMed1989

[Dermatophagoides farinae and Japanese cedar (sugi) pollen specific immunoglobuline E antibodies in asthmatic children measured by radioallergosorbent test and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay].

In recent years, pollinosis caused by Japanese cedar pollen (Cryptomeria japonica, sugi in Japanese) has been increasing strikingly in Japan. To investigate the prevalence and age-related sensitization of sugi pollen in children, the specific IgE antibody was determined in 204 asthmatics (129 boys, 75 girls) by the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and radioallergosorbent test (RAST), and compared to Dermatophagoides farinae (D.f.). There was a good correlation in the total serum IgE levels measured by ELISA and PRIST. We think that the ELISA is a reliable and valuable method which uses no radioactive material in a massive epidemiological survey. D.f. specific antibody levels increased in early infancy and remained high, and there was no difference between ELISA and RAST score. The sugi-basic-protein specific antibody measured by ELISA was detected in early infancy, and increased slowly for 5 to 6 years reaching its highest level at 7 to 12 years followed by decreasing levels, as revealed by both ELISA and RAST. Infants born in spring, the sugi pollinating season, showed a lower level of sugi-specific IgE because they were exposed the pollen 6 months to one year later. We believe that sensitization of Dermatophagoides farinae in early infancy could influence subsequent sensitization by sugi pollen in later life.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1982

Studies on 125I-alpha bungarotoxin binding sites in rat brain.

The distribution and properties of 125I-alpha bungarotoxin (125I-alpha BTX) binding in rat brain using micropunched tissue homogenates were examined with a binding technique. Highest level of 125I-alpha BTX binding was observed in the hypothalamus, followed by hippocampus, cortex, globus pallidus, nucleus caudatus and nucleus accumbens. Although high levels of 3H-quinuclidinyl benzilate (3H-QNB) binding in the striatum were found at dorso-lateral sites and low levels in the central regions, the level of 125I-alpha BTX binding within the striatum was almost equal. There was no significant correlation between 125I-alpha BTX binding and choline uptake which could be useful as a marker for functional cholinergic nerve terminals. The inhibition of specific 125I-alpha BTX binding to the hippocampal homogenates by nicotine, d-tubocurarine and other nicotine drugs was studied. The results of these studies suggest that alpha BTX binding sites in the brain are not likely the binding sites of nicotine or the physiological ACh R sites.

Animals↗
PubMed1981

Properties and distribution of muscarinic cholinergic receptors in rat striatal micropunched tissue homogenates.

The properties of muscarinic receptors in rat striatal micropunched tissue homogenates were studied with a binding technique using [3H]quinuclidinyl benzilate (QNB) as ligand. Among the agonists, oxotremorine was the most potent inhibitor (ID50 value, 2.20 X 10(-5) M), followed by pilocarpine, acetylcholine, carbachol and bethanechol. No marked differences were found between the binding properties of QNB in the micropunched tissue homogenates and membrane fractions. Therefore, the detailed distribution of muscarinic receptors in the striatum was examined using the micropunched tissue homogenates. High levels of QNB binding in the striatum were found at dorso-lateral sites and low levels in the center regions of the striatum. The technique presented here for studying small regions of the striatum should be useful in further studies of the function of cholinergic neurons.

Animals↗