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Biomedical subjects

K Yashiro

Publications and source records attributed to K Yashiro.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources
PubMed1999

Actinic keratoses arising only on sun-exposed vitiligo skin.

A 71-year-old woman with vitiligo developed multiple actinic keratoses only on the vitiligo skin of sun-exposed areas. She had worked outdoors as a farmer for a long period. Although actinic skin cancers arising on vitiligo skin have rarely been reported, the present case demonstrates that vitiligo skin is more susceptible to actinic damage than normal skin. Patients with vitiligo should be well informed about the importance of sun protection.

Aged↗
PubMed1999

Smoothness of human jaw movement during chewing.

Human limb movements are successfully modeled based on the assumption that the central nervous system controls the movements by maximizing movement smoothness. Movement smoothness is quantified by means of a time integral of squared jerk (jerk-cost), where jerk is defined as the rate of change in acceleration. This study was performed to investigate whether the control of human masticatory vertical jaw movements can also be explained by a minimum-jerk (maximum-smoothness) model. Based on the assumption that minimum-jerk models account for vertical jaw-opening and -closing movements during chewing, the actual time profile of the movement trajectory was simulated by the model. The simulated jerk-costs and peak velocities were compared with those obtained by actual measurements of jaw movements during chewing. Jerk-costs and peak velocities of the jaw movements during chewing were significantly correlated with those predicted by minimum-jerk models (P < 0.0001, r between 0.596 and 0.799). The minimum-jerk models predicted closing movement trajectories more accurately than opening movement trajectories (jaw opening, root-mean-square error = 1.19 mm; jaw closing, 0.52 mm, t = 4.375, P < 0.0001). The results indicated that the vertical jaw movement control during chewing was represented by the minimum-jerk control model and that the vertical jaw-closing movement is smoother than the opening movement during gum-chewing.

Adult↗
PubMed1999

Antidiabetic principles of natural medicines. IV. Aldose reductase and qlpha-glucosidase inhibitors from the roots of Salacia oblonga Wall. (Celastraceae): structure of a new friedelane-type triterpene, kotalagenin 16-acetate.

The aqueous methanolic extract of an Indian natural medicine, the roots of Salacia oblonga Wall. (Celastraceae), was found to show inhibitory activity on the increase in serum glucose level in sucrose- and maltose-loaded rats. The water-soluble and ethyl acetate-soluble portions from the aqueous methanolic extract showed inhibitory activities on alpha-glucosidase and aldose reductase, respectively. From the water-soluble portion, potent alpha-glucosidase inhibitors, salacinol and kotalanol, were isolated, together with nine sugar related components, while a new friedelane-type triterpene, kotalagenin 16-acetate, was isolated from the ethyl acetate-soluble portion along with known diterpenes and triterpenes. The structure of kotalagenin 16-acetate was elucidated on the basis of physicochemical evidence. Principal components from this natural medicine were examined in terms of inhibitory activity on aldose reductase, and the diterpene and triterpene constituents, including the new kotalagenin 16-acetate, were found to be responsible components for the inhibitory activity on aldose reductase.

Aldehyde Reductase↗
PubMed1999

Structural conversion from non-native to native form of recombinant human epidermal growth factor by Brevibacillus choshinensis.

Brevibacillus choshinensis (Bacillus brevis) HPD31 is a very efficient producer of recombinant human epidermal growth factor (EGF). The produced EGF is secreted into the medium with high efficiency. However part of the EGF that accumulates in the medium, exists as multimeric forms which are biologically inactive. We found the bacterium has the activity to structurally convert multimeric forms to the monomeric, native ones. Optimal temperature and pH for the conversion were 40 degrees C and pH 9, respectively. The reaction was promoted in the presence of reduced glutathione or cysteine. But the cells which had been sonicated or exposed to moderate heat treatment completely lost the activity. Thus, it was presumed that the activity might be due to the enzyme(s) that catalyze the protein disulfide exchanging reaction, and that they resides on the surface of viable cells.

Bacillus↗
PubMed1998

lefty-1 is required for left-right determination as a regulator of lefty-2 and nodal.

lefty-1, lefty-2, and nodal are expressed on the left side of developing mouse embryos and are implicated in left-right (L-R) determination. The role of lefty-1 was examined by analyzing mutant mice lacking this gene. The lefty-1-deficient mice showed a variety of L-R positional defects in visceral organs. Unexpectedly, however, the most common feature of lefty-1-/- mice was thoracic left isomerism (rather than right isomerism). The lack of lefty-1 resulted in bilateral expression of nodal, lefty-2, and Pitx2 (a homeobox gene normally expressed on the left side). These observations suggest that the role of lefty-1 is to restrict the expression of lefty-2 and nodal to the left side, and that lefty-2 or nodal encodes a signal for "leftness."

Animals↗
PubMed1998

ATP-mediated activation of Ca2+-independent phospholipase A2 in secretory granular membranes from rat parotid gland.

We characterized the Ca2+-independent, membrane-associated phospholipase A2 (PLA2) from rat parotid secretory granules. Among four phosphatidylcholine species with different fatty acyl (palmitoyl, oleoyl, linoleoyl, and arachidonoyl) groups at the sn-2 position, 2-arachidonoyl-phosphatidylcholine was the preferred substrate. Such specificity was also apparent even when 2-arachidonoyl-phosphatidylcholine coexisted with another species. The various well-documented inhibitors of PLA2s, bromoenol lactone, arachidonyl trifluoromethyl ketone, methyl arachidonyl fluorophosphate, and diisopropyl fluorophosphate, did not inhibit granular PLA2 activity. The granular PLA2 was activated markedly by ATP, and to a lesser extent by GTP and ATPgammaS. GTP also partially suppressed the ATP-mediated activation. UTP, CTP, GTPgammaS, and the hydrolyzed products of ATP and GTP showed little activation of the enzyme. Neither addition of K-252a nor depletion of Mg2+ affected ATP-mediated activation. Although this enzyme was located in the granular membranes, the granular soluble contents or BSA were required for the full activity and full ATP-mediated activation. These results suggested that the PLA2 located in granular membranes may participate in the liberation of arachidonic acid in parotid cells and be regulated through a mechanism mediated by ATP.

Adenosine Triphosphate↗
PubMed1998

Kotalanol, a potent alpha-glucosidase inhibitor with thiosugar sulfonium sulfate structure, from antidiabetic ayurvedic medicine Salacia reticulata.

A potent natural alpha-glucosidase inhibitor called kotalanol has been isolated from an antidiabetic traditional Ayurvedic medicine, the roots and stems of Salacia reticulata Wight, through bioassay-guided separation. The structure of kotalanol was elucidated on the basis of chemical and physicochemical evidence to be the inner salt comprised of 1-deoxyheptosyl-3-sulfate anion and 1-deoxy-4-thio-D-arabinofuranosyl sulfonium cation. Kotalanol was found to show more potent inhibitory activity against sucrase than salacinol and acarbose.

Animals↗
PubMed1998

Bioactive saponins and glycosides. XI. Structures of new dammarane-type triterpene oligoglycosides, quinquenosides I, II, III, IV, and V, from American ginseng, the roots of Panax quinquefolium L.

The methanolic extract and 1-butanol-soluble fraction of American ginseng, the roots of Panax quinquefolium L., were found to exhibit a protective effect on liver injury induced by D-galactosamine and lipopolysaccharide. Five new dammarane-type triterpene oligoglycosides called quinquenosides I, II, III, IV, and V were isolated together with fourteen known dammarane-type triterpene oligoglycosides such as chikusetsusaponin IVa, pseudo-ginsenoside-RC1, malonyl-ginsenoside-Rb1, and notoginsenosides-A,-C, and -K from the 1-butanol-soluble fraction. From the ethyl acetate-soluble fraction, four known acetylenic compounds and 6'-O-acetyl ginsenoside-Rg1 were isolated. The structures of quinquenosides I, II, III, IV, and V were determined on the basis of chemical and physicochemical evidence as 3-O-[6-O-(E)-2-butenoyl-beta-D-glucopyranosyl(1-->2)-beta-D- glucopyranosyl]-20-O-(beta-D-glucopyranosyl) 20(S)-protopanaxadiol (quinquenoside I), 3-O-[6-O-(E)-2-octenoyl-beta-D- glucopyranosyl(1-->2)-beta-D-glucopyranosyl]-20-O-[beta-D-glucopyranosyl (1-->6)-beta-D-glucopyranosyl] 20(S)-protopanaxadiol (quinquenoside II), 3-O-[beta-D-glucopyranosyl (1-->2)-6-O-acetyl-beta-D-glucopyranosyl]-20-O-(beta-D-glucopyranosyl) 20(S)-protopanaxadiol (quinquenoside III), 3-O-[beta-D-glucopyranosyl(1-->2)-beta-D-glucopyranosyl]-20-O-beta-D- glucopyranosyl(1-->6)-beta-D-glucopyranosyl]-3 beta, 7 beta, 20(S)-trihydroxydammar-5,24-diene (quinquenoside IV), and 3-O-[beta-D-glucopyranosyl(1-->2)-beta-D-glucopyranosyl]-20-O-[alpha-D- glucopyranosyl(1-->4)-beta-D-glucopyranosyl(1-->6)-beta-D-glucopyranosyl ] 20(S)-protopanaxadiol (quinquenoside V).

Animals↗
PubMed1997

The Spirulina platensis adenylate cyclase gene, cyaC, encodes a novel signal transduction protein.

A cyaC gene encoding an adenylate cyclase of the filamentous cyanobacterium Spirulina platensis was sequenced. The predicted amino acid sequence of the C-terminal region of cyaC is similar to the catalytic domains of adenylate cyclases in other cyanobacteria and eukaryotes. The sequences of other regions are similar to those of proteins consisting of the bacterial two-component signal transduction system: the sensory kinase and the response regulator. The predicted gene product of cyaC contains, from the N-terminal end, a receiver domain of the response regulator protein (R1), a domain similar to the ETR1 of Arabidopsis thaliana, a transmitter domain of the sensory kinase protein, a receiver domain of the response regulator protein (R2), and a catalytic domain of adenylate cyclase. The cyaC gene was expressed as an affinity-tagged protein in Escherichia coli, and the recombinant protein was purified. The purified protein had adenylate cyclase activity which was activated by Mu2+. The results of Western blotting using an anti-CyaC antiserum and the S.platensis cell extract confirmed that cyaC gene is expressed in S. platensis.

Adenylyl Cyclases↗
PubMed1997

Bioactive saponins and glycosides. VIII. Notoginseng (1): new dammarane-type triterpene oligoglycosides, notoginsenosides-A, -B, -C, and -D, from the dried root of Panax notoginseng (Burk.) F.H. Chen.

The glycosidic fraction from the dried roots of Panax notoginseng (Burk.) F.H. Chen was found to show protective effect on liver injury induced by D-galactosamine and lipopolysaccharide. From the glycosidic fraction with hepatoprotective effect, nine new dammarane-type triterpene oligoglycosides, notoginsenosides-A, -B, -C, -D, -E, -G, -H, -I, and -J and an acetylenic fatty acid glycoside, notoginsenic acid beta-sophoroside, were isolated together with fourteen known dammarane-type triterpene oligoglycosides. The structures of notoginsenosides-A, -B, -C and -D were determined on the basis of chemical and physicochemical evidence, which included the chemical correlation with ginsenoside-Rb1 using photosensitized oxygenation, as follows: notoginsenoside A; 3-O-[beta-D-glucopyranosyl (1-->2)-beta-D-glucopyranosyl]-20-O-[beta-D-glucopyranosyl (1-->6)-beta-D-glucopyranosyl] 3 beta, 12 beta,20(S),25-tetrahydroxydammar -23-ene; B; 3-O-[beta-D-glucopyranosyl (1-->2)-beta-D-glucopyranosyl]-20-O-[beta-D-glucopyranosyl (1-->6)-beta-D- glucopyranosyl] 3 beta, 12 beta,20(S)-trihydroxydammar-25-en-24-one, C; 3-O-[beta-D-glucopyranosyl (1-->2)-beta-D-glucopyranosyl]-20-O-[beta-D -glucopyranosyl (1-->6)-beta-D-glucopyranosyl] 3 beta,12 beta,20(S)- trihydroxy-24 zeta-hydroperoxydammar-25-ene, and D; 3-O-[beta-D-xylopyranosyl (1-->2)-beta-D-glucopyranosyl (1-->2)-beta-D-glucopyranosyl]-20-O-[beta-D-xylopyranosyl (1-->6)-beta-D-glucopyranosyl (1-->6)-beta-D-glucopyranosyl]20(S)-protopanaxadiol, respectively.

Animals↗
PubMed1996

Molecular characterization of an adenylate cyclase gene of the cyanobacterium Spirulina platensis.

A cyaA gene, encoding an adenylate cyclase, was isolated from a filamentous cyanobacterium, Spirulina platensis, by functional complementation of a cya mutant of Escherichia coli, defective in adenylate cyclase activity. The predicted gene product of cyaA contains a signal peptide-like domain, a putative sensor domain similar to the gene product of vsrA of Pseudomonas solanacearum, a putative membrane-spanning domain and an adenylate cyclase-like catalytic domain. Two other positive clones that complemented the E. coli mutant were isolated from the same cyanobacterium, suggesting that several cya genes are functioning in S. platensis.

Adenylate Cyclase Toxin↗
PubMed1996

Microsomal diacylglycerol acyltransferase in rat parotid and submandibular glands: acylation of 1,2-dioleoyl-sn-glycerol dispersed with phospholipids.

In order to investigate microsomal diacylglycerol acyltransferase activity, ethanol or several detergents have been used as a dispersing agent for water-insoluble substrates. However, ethanol acyltransferase interferes with the activity of this enzyme, and detergents inhibit it. We examined the properties of microsomal diacylglycerol acyltransferase in rat salivary glands without detergents or organic solvents. 1,2-Dioleoyl-sn-glycerol (1,2-diolein) was dispersed by sonication. The activity was measured as the formation rate of [14C]triglyceride using [1-14C]palmitoyl-CoA as an acyl-donor. The reaction was dependent on the microsomal protein and 1,2-diolein at least up to 145 micrograms/ml and 3.6 mM, respectively. The specific activities were 3.91 +/- 0.57 and 3.80 +/- 0.77 nmol/min per mg protein (SEM, n = 4) in the parotid and submandibular glands, respectively. They were 12- to 20-fold higher than the activities in liver, brain and spleen, and two orders of magnitude higher than that assayed with microsomal endogenous diacylglycerol. Adding tissue phospholipids to 1,2-diolein suspension reduced the concentration of 1,2-diolein required for the maximal velocity. A similar, but reduced, effect was induced by egg yolk phosphatidylcholine in place of the tissue phospholipids. The level of activity was recovered by adding another phospholipid class to the phosphatidylcholine. The results suggested that the physical condition of the substrate diacylglycerol affects diacylglycerol acyltransferase activity in rat salivary gland microsomes.

Acyltransferases↗
PubMed1996

Tongue, jaw, and lip muscle activity and jaw movement during experimental chewing efforts in man.

The electromyographic (EMG) activity of the human genioglossus (GG) muscle during chewing efforts is not fully understood. In this study, the EMG activity of the human GG muscle during unilateral gum chewing was illustrated and correlated with the activities in the anterior temporalis (AT), the anterior digastric (DG), and the inferior orbicularis oris (OI) muscles. GG muscle activity was measured with customized surface electrodes, while other muscles were recorded with conventional surface electrodes. EMG activities during tongue displacement and the articulation of long vowels, recorded by the customized electrodes, were consistent with the recordings obtained by fine wire electrodes placed in the GG muscle. Jaw displacement was monitored by means of a kinesiograph with a transducer attached to the mandibular central incisors. Mean normalized GG muscle activity showed an onset in the last one-fifth of the intercuspal phase, gradually increasing during jaw-opening, and at its greatest immediately before the maximum jaw-opening position. It then decreased during jaw-closing and ceased in intercuspation but showed a small rebound in the third fifth of the intercuspal phase. The GG muscle burst showed phase lags with the DG and OI muscles and an opposite phase with the AT muscle (all P < 0.0001). All correlations were statistically significant (all P < 0.0001, r values between 0.88 and 0.97). The results suggest central coordination of the timing of the activities of the jaw, lip, and tongue muscles in chewing.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1995

Substrate specificity of microsomal 1-acyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphoinositol acyltransferase in rat submandibular gland for polyunsaturated long-chain acyl-CoAs.

Microsomal 1-acyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphoinositol (1-acyl-GPI) acyltransferase in the rat submandibular gland showed the highest specific activities for eicosanoid-related polyunsaturated acyl-CoAs, such as arachidonoyl-, bishomo-gamma-linolenoyl- and 5,8,11,14,17-eicosapentaenoyl-CoAs, with low Km values. High activities were also obtained with acyl-CoAs having long (more than 14 carbon atoms) and n - 6 unsaturated (more than 3 double bonds) acyl chains. This enzyme also utilized acyl-CoAs having trans-unsaturated or branched chains, but not short-chains, as substrates, although the activity levels for trans-unsaturated acyl-CoAs were lower than those for cis-unsaturated acyl-CoAs. Chronic administration of isoproterenol induced decreases of this enzyme activity and the content of arachidonic, bishomo-gamma-linolenic and 5,8,11,14,17-eicosapentaenoic acids at the sn-2 position of phosphatidylinositol. These results suggest that enrichment of arachidonic acid in the sn-2 position of phosphatidylinositol is established by the high specificity and affinity of 1-acyl-GPI acyltransferase for arachidonoyl-CoA. On the other hand, the low level of bishomo-gamma-linolenic and 5,8,11,14,17-eicosapentaenoic acids in the sn-2 position of phosphatidylinositol may be explained by their limited availability.

Acyl Coenzyme A↗
PubMed1995

Application of polynomial regression modeling to automatic measurement of periods of EMG activity.

We have developed a new algorithm for automatic detection and measurement of on/off periods of EMG burst and examined validity and reliability of the measuring technique. Mean EMG amplitude (M) during a semi-stationary state of an EMG data array [EMG] is calculated. Because M was determined to be significantly correlated with g(T(on)) (or g(Tend)) which represent amplitude on a polynomial regression curve g(t) which best-fitted to the [EMG], the estimate ]g(T(on) (or ĝ(T(end)) is calculated by substituting M into a regressive equation f(M) which explains the association between the M and g(T(on)) (or g(T(end)). T(on) and T(end) are human-determined on/off burst times for the [EMG]. The on/off periods of the EMG burst are finally computed as roots of the g(t) when ĝ(T(on)) and ĝ(T(end)) are subtracted from the constant of the polynomial. Application of the current method to the human masticatory muscle activity during chewing revealed that the absolute differences between human- and computer-determined measurements were smaller than 10 ms, and these measurements did not differ significantly. We conclude that the proposed algorithm is useful and effective for automatic detection and measurement of on/off periods of EMG burst.

Adult↗
PubMed1995

The significance of membrane lipids in exocytosis: control of liposome-evoked amylase release from secretory granules isolated from the rat parotid gland.

We investigated the significance of the plasma membrane lipid composition in exocytosis in an in vitro interaction system using an intact secretory granular fraction (SG) isolated from the rat parotid gland. When various liposomes (as a model of plasma membranes) were added to this assay system, rapid and transient amylase release from the SG was evoked and increased by Ca2+ in a concentration-dependent manner. The extent depended upon not only the amount of liposomes but also their lipid composition. The addition of 1,2-diacylglycerol and phosphatidic acid to egg yolk phosphatidylcholine-liposomes remarkably facilitated the release. On the other hand, that of various free fatty acids had different effects depending upon their molecular species. Furthermore, a fluorescence de-quenching study demonstrated that membrane fusion actually occurred in this interaction system, and appeared to correlate with the amylase release. These results suggest that the transient alteration of the membrane lipid composition upon cell activation is a modulator of the exocytotic membrane interaction.

Amylases↗
PubMed1995

Multiple abdominal telangiectases and lymphangiectases. A limited form of Osler-Weber-Rendu disease?

We describe a 23-year-old man with protein-losing enteropathy, iron deficiency anemia, and recurrent gastrointestinal bleeding. The patient eventually developed disseminated intravascular coagulation, portal vein thrombosis, and extensive small bowel infarction. The autopsy showed multiple telangiectases in the intestines, mesentery, liver, gallbladder, renal pelves, and diaphragm. In addition, lymphangiectases were found in the retroperitoneal space, intestines, and liver. These lesions appeared to have been the cause of the gastrointestinal bleeding and the protein-losing enteropathy. The case most likely represents Osler-Weber-Rendu disease without the usual manifestations in the skin and oral-nasal cavities.

Adult↗