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Biomedical subjects

M Asagi

Publications and source records attributed to M Asagi.

17 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2001

Increase in peripheral CD4 bright+ CD8 dull+ T cells in Parkinson disease.

BACKGROUND: Immune abnormalities are known to be involved in the pathogenesis of sporadic Parkinson disease. OBJECTIVE: To examine whether abnormalities in peripheral lymphocytes exist in Parkinson disease. METHODS: Immune mediators, including CD1a, CD3, CD4, CD8, CD45RO, and Fas (CD95), were examined in peripheral lymphocytes of patients by 3-color flow cytometry. RESULTS: Patients with Parkinson disease displayed a significantly greater population of circulating CD3+ CD4 bright+ CD8 dull+ lymphocytes than age-matched control subjects (P =.005) and patients with cerebrovascular disease (P =.002). The increase in these cells appeared to continue for at least 17 months. These T cells also expressed CD45RO and Fas, markers for activated T cells, while CD1a, a marker for thymic T cells, was negative, suggesting that these cells are mature T cells with immune activities. CONCLUSIONS: As CD4+ CD8+ T cells are known to increase after some specific viral infections, the continuous increase in CD4 bright+ CD8 dull+ T cells shown here may indicate postinfectious immune abnormalities that are possibly associated with the pathogenesis of this slowly progressive, multifactorial neurodegenerative disease.

Adult↗
PubMed1993

Effect of heparin on hemagglutination by pseudorabies virus.

Heparin inhibited hemagglutination (HA) by pseudorabies virus (PRV), but not HA by Akabane virus, bovine adenovirus type 7, Fukuoka virus, Getah virus, Japanese encephalitis virus, and parainfluenza virus type 3 belonging to the families Bunyaviridae, Adenoviridae, Rhabdoviridae, Togaviridae, Flavivi-idae, and Paramyxoviridae, respectively. The minimal inhibitory concentration of heparin required to inhibit 8 HA U of PRV ranged from 0.005 to 0.01 U/ml. Mouse erythrocytes failed to combine with the HA inhibitory factor of heparin. On the other hand, mouse erythrocytes treated with heparinase had greatly reduced agglutinability by PRV. Virus-heparin complex formation could be observed by sedimenting heparin with the virus particles.

Animals↗
PubMed1988

Physicochemical properties of transmissible gastroenteritis virus hemagglutinin.

Transmissible gastroenteritis virus was readily adsorbed onto chicken erythrocytes at 4 degrees C. The hemagglutinin thus adsorbed could be eluted from the erythrocytes by incubating in phosphate buffered saline at 37 degrees C. The receptor on chicken erythrocytes for the hemagglutinin was inactivated by neuraminidase and potassium periodate, but not by trypsin, 2-mercaptoethanol and formalin. The hemagglutinin was inactivated by trypsin, papain, pepsin, alpha-amylase, phospholipase C, neuraminidase, formalin, 2-mercaptoethanol, potassium periodate, ethyl ether, chloroform, Tween-80 and beta-propiolactone, but not by sodium deoxycholate and trichlorotrifluoroethane, suggesting that the active component of the hemagglutinin involved glycoproteins. The hemagglutinin was stable at 37 degrees C or lower temperatures but not at 60 degrees C or higher temperatures. The hemagglutinin activity was resistant to ultraviolet irradiation, while the infectivity was very susceptible. The hemagglutinin and the infectivity were readily sedimented by ultracentrifugation at 45,000 x g for 60 minutes. In rate zonal centrifugation of the hemagglutinin preparation on a sucrose density gradient, the hemagglutinin activity showed a sharp peak at 1.19 g/ml coinciding with the peak of infectivity. The activity in the peak fraction seemed to be structurally associated with virus particles.

Chemical Phenomena↗
PubMed1987

Hemagglutination with transmissible gastroenteritis virus.

Transmissible gastroenteritis virus grown in primary swine kidney cell cultures agglutinated erythrocytes from chicken, guinea pig and cattle but not erythrocytes from mouse and goose. The optimal incubation temperature was at 4 degrees C. The hemagglutination (HA) reaction was inhibited by specific antiserum. Some factors involved in the HA and HA-inhibition (HI) were investigated and standard HA and HI tests were established. HI antibody titers of individual pig sera showed a significant positive correlation with their neutralizing antibody titers.

Animals↗
PubMed1986

Protective effect of acidic mannan fraction of bakers' yeast on experimental candidiasis in mice.

An acidic fraction of bakers' yeast mannan, WAM025, showed a significant protective effect against Candida albicans infection in mice, but a neutral fraction of the same bakers' yeast mannan, WNM, did not exhibit this effect. Moreover, pretreatment with WAM025 resulted in a marked reduction of proliferation of C. albicans cells in the organs of the infected mice. We investigated the stimulative effect of these mannan fractions on the function of mouse peritoneal phagocytes, and found that mice administered WAM025 showed a greater increase in the number of peritoneal exudate cells, macrophages and polymorphonuclear leucocytes (PMN), than the mice treated with WNM, especially in the proportion of PMN. Peritoneal phagocytes, PMN and macrophages obtained from WAM025-treated mice showed marked candidacidal activity. Of the phagocytes, PMN were responsible for the larger part of the candidacidal activity. The myeloperoxidase activities of PMN and macrophages in WAM025-treated PEC were greater than in untreated macrophages. The myeloperoxidase activity of WAM025-treated PMN was significantly greater than that of WAM025-treated macrophages. This activity paralleled the active oxygen-releasing activity of the phagocytes. On the other hand, the phagocytic activity of phagocytes from mice administered WNM or WAM025 for C. albicans cells was identical to that of untreated phagocytes. WAM025 seems to cause enhance elimination of the pathogen from mice, by increasing the number and candidacidal activity of phagocytic cells.

Animals↗
PubMed1986

Detection of transmissible gastroenteritis virus in feces from pigs by reversed passive hemagglutination.

A reversed passive hemagglutination (RPHA) method was developed for the detection of transmissible gastroenteritis (TGE) virus in the fecal specimens from pigs. Ovine erythrocytes fixed with glutaraldehyde and treated with tannic acid were coated with anti-TGE virus swine antibodies, which were purified by affinity chromatographic technique linked with purified TGE virus. The RPHA test was done by the Microtiter method. Erythrocytes coated with purified specific antibodies were agglutinated by TGE virus, but not by porcine rotavirus or porcine enterovirus. The reaction was specifically inhibited by antiserum against TGE virus, confirming the specificity of the reaction. A litter of seven 3-day-old pigs was orally inoculated with TGE virus, and fecal specimens were obtained once a day and serum was obtained every 4th day. With the RPHA test, TGE virus was detected in the diarrheal feces; all of the inoculated pigs developed virus-neutralization antibody for the TGE virus. The RPHA test detected TGE virus in feces from pigs with naturally occurring diarrhea. The RPHA test detected TGE virus in 5 of 6 fecal specimens (80%), whereas the positive rate was only 50% (3/6) for the immunofluorescent staining of primary cultures of porcine kidney cells inoculated with the specimens. The advantages of the RPHA method are simplicity, high sensitivity, and rapid to do.

Animals↗
PubMed1984

Detection of bovine coronavirus in feces by reversed passive hemagglutination.

A reversed passive hemagglutination (RPHA) method was developed for the detection of bovine coronavirus in fecal specimens. Sheep erythrocytes fixed with glutaraldehyde, and then treated with tannic acid were coated with anti-bovine coronavirus rabbit antibodies purified by affinity chromatography using bovine coronavirus linked to Sepharose 4B. The RPHA test was carried out by a microtiter method. Erythrocytes coated with purified specific antibodies were agglutinated by bovine coronavirus, but not by bovine rotavirus or enterovirus. The reaction was inhibited by antiserum to bovine coronavirus, confirming the specificity of the reaction. The RPHA test detected bovine coronavirus in 13 of 22 fecal specimens (59 per cent), from natural cases of diarrhea, while the positive rates were only 14 per cent (3/22) and 22 per cent (5/22) for immunofluorescent staining of primary cultures of calf kidney cells infected with the specimens, and immune electron microscopy respectively. The advantages of the RPHA method are its simplicity, high sensitivity and rapidity.

Animals↗
PubMed1981

Propagation of the Kakegawa strain of bovine coronavirus in suckling mice, rats and hamsters.

The Kakegawa strain of bovine coronavirus was easily propagated in suckling mice. Infected animals died with nervous symptoms, and serial passage was readily accomplished by intracerebral inoculation with brain emulsions. The 3rd passage viral material from infected mice evoked the same disease in suckling mice, rats and hamsters inoculated by the intracerebral or by the subcutaneous route. Viruses recovered from mice, rats and hamsters could be clearly differentiated from mouse hepatitis virus strain 2 by the neutralization test.

Animal Population Groups↗
PubMed1981

Incompatibility of citrate utilization plasmids isolated from Escherichia coli.

The 57 conjugative Cit plasmids isolated from 72 citrate-utilizing (Cit+) Escherichia coli strains from various sources were classified into four groups on the basis of their genetic properties. Escherichia coli K13 strains carrying these Cit plasmids could utilize cis-aconitate or tricarballylate, in addition to citrate.

Citrates↗
PubMed1980

Spontaneous emergence of an Hfr strain with a cit plasmid from natural isolates of citrate-positive Escherichia coli bovine origin.

From citrate-utilizing (Cit+) Escherichia coli strain C53 of bovine origin, strains C53A and C53B were obtained. Upon mating with recA+ but not with recA mutant recipients of K-12, C53A produced chromosomal recombinants at quite high frequencies, leading to the following conclusions: (i) C53A is an Hfr strain; (ii) the site of integration of the Cit plasmid (IncH1) is between metA (89 min) and ara (1 min); (iii) the direction of chromosome transfer is clockwise; and (iv) the plasmid-associated determinants are transferred as the terminal markers. A transductant of a dnaA(Ts) strain, CRT46, which acquired Cit determinants from a recombinant, SG13, was also an Hfr strain similar to SG13, and thermoresistant due to suppressive integration. On the other hand, unstable C53B did not produce recombinants, but the frequency of RecA-independent transfer of the Cit plasmid was high, indicating that the Cit plasmid (IncH1) exists autonomously in C53B. Attempts to isolate an Hfr strain from C53B failed.

Animals↗
PubMed1978

Detection of conjugative R plasmids conferring chloramphenicol resistance in Escherichia coli isolated from domestic and feral pigeons and crows.

A total of 87 domestic pigeons of 2 lots and 184 feral pigeons of 15 lots were examined from 1975 to 1977 for the presence of drug-resistant (especially chloramphenicol resistant) Escherichia coli. 20 (23.0%) of the domestic pigeons of the 2 lots, and 39 (21.2%) of the feral pigeons of 5 lots (33,3%) showed resistant E. coli. Usage of selective media containing chloramphenicol, streptomycin or tetracycline resulted in the increase in isolation frequency of resistant E. coli excepting one lot of domestic pigeons in which isolation of chloramphenicol resistant E. coli was very frequent without selection by the drug. Among a total of 106 resistant E. coli isolates from pigeons, 64 (60.4%) were multiply resistant and 58 of the 64 isolates were resistant to chloramphenicol. 58 (90.6%) of the multiply resistant E. coli carried conjugative R plasmids, including 13 thermosensitive R plasmids. 8 (19.0%) of 42 singly resistant E. coli isolates had conjugative R plasmids. 10 crows of 2 lots were examined similarly. Half of them had resistant E. coli. 15 (78.9%) of a total of 19 resistant E. coli isolates were multiply resistant. Of the 15 multiply resistant E. coli isolates, 5, from 2 Japanese jungle crows, were resistant to chloramphenicol. 11 (73.3%) of the 15 multiply resistant isolates carried conjugative R plasmids, including one thermosensitive R plasmid. Difference of drug resistance status between Salmonella and E. coli isolated from pigeons was discussed.

Animals↗