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Biomedical subjects

M Fujimura

Publications and source records attributed to M Fujimura.

At least 217 records · Page 12Linked to original sources
PubMed1996

Sequencing of a 65 kb region of the Bacillus subtilis genome containing the lic and cel loci, and creation of a 177 kb contig covering the gnt-sacXY region.

Within the framework of an international project for the sequencing of the entire Bacillus subtilis genome, this paper communicates the sequencing of a chromosome region containing the lic and cel loci (65 kb), which creates a 177 kb contig covering the region from gnt to sacXY. This 65 kb region contains 64 ORFs (62 complete and two partial genes). The 14th, 15th and 17th genes correspond to licT, licS and katE, encoding the antiterminator for licS transcription, beta-glucanase (lichenase) and catalase 2, respectively. The 11th, 30th, 36th, 39th, 41st, 45th-48th, 51st and 58th genes are designated deaD, pepT, galE, aldY, msmX, cydABCD, sigY and katX because their products probably encode ATP-dependent RNA helicase, tripeptidase, UDP-glucose 4-epimerase, aldehyde dehydrogenase, multiple sugar-binding transport ATP-binding protein, the respective components of cytochrome d ubiquinol oxidase and ATP-binding cassette transporter, sigma-factor of RNA polymerase and catalase, respectively. The 60th-64th genes are celRABCD, which are probably involved in cellobiose utilization. Gene organization and gene features in the gnt-sacXY region are discussed.

Bacillus subtilis↗
PubMed1996

Effect of ethanol on airway caliber and nonspecific bronchial responsiveness in patients with alcohol-induced asthma.

No study has investigated the effects of ethanol on bronchial responsiveness in patients with alcohol-induced asthma, although acetaldehyde, which is a metabolite of ethanol and is thought to be a main factor in alcohol-induced asthma, causes both bronchoconstriction and bronchial hyperresponsiveness. The purpose of this study was to investigate the direct action of ethanol on the airway in patients with alcohol-induced asthma. First, we investigated the bronchial response to inhalation of ascending doses (5, 10, and 20%) of ethanol in nine patients with alcohol-induced asthma. Then, the bronchial responsiveness to methacholine was measured in 14 patients who were pretreated with saline or 20% ethanol in a double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled, crossover fashion. Ascending doses of inhaled ethanol caused no significant changes in FEV1. The methacholine concentrations producing a 20% fall in FEV1 (PC20-MCh) after 20% ethanol (0.769 mg/ml, GSEM 1.514) were significantly (P = 0.0357) higher than those after saline (0.493 mg/ml, GSEM 1.368). This indicates that ethanol has a reducing effect on nonspecific bronchial responsiveness in patients with alcohol-induced asthma; this paper is the first report on the effects of ethanol on bronchial responsiveness.

Administration, Inhalation↗
PubMed1996

Involvement of NK2 receptors rather than NK1 receptors in bronchial hyperresponsiveness induced by allergic reaction in guinea-pigs.

1. In this study, the role of neuropeptides in antigen-induced bronchoconstriction and bronchial responsiveness in guinea-pigs was evaluated by use of phosphoramidon, the inhibitor of neutral endopeptidases (NEP), the NK1 receptor antagonist, FK888, and the dual NK1/NK2 receptor antagonist, FK224. The role of endogenous tachykinins in bronchial hyperresponsiveness induced by inhaled capsaicin was also observed with FK888 and FK224. 2. Allergic bronchoconstriction and bronchial responsiveness was evoked by inhalation of ovalbumin (OA), and increasing doses of methacholine were inhaled at 5-min intervals for 30 min after OA challenge in passively sensitized and artificially ventilated guinea-pigs. Animals were treated with a 30 s inhalation of phosphoramidon (10(-3)M) or saline 10 min before the OA challenge. FK888 (1.0 or 10 mg kg-1) or FK224 (1.0 or 10 mg kg-1) was administered intravenously 5 min before the OA challenge. 3. Treatment with phosphoramidon did not alter the increase in the lateral pressure at the tracheal tube (Pao) caused by OA inhalation or the increase in bronchial response to methacholine following the allergic reaction. Pretreatment with FK224 did not inhibit the increase in Pao after antigen provocation but did significantly inhibit antigen-induced bronchial hyperresponsiveness in a dose-dependent manner, while FK888 did not affect either allergic bronchoconstriction or post-allergic bronchial hyperresponsiveness. 4. Histamine, 25, 50, 100 or 200 micrograms ml-1 was inhaled for 20 s at 5-min intervals in non-sensitized guinea-pigs which were pretreated with inhalation of subthreshold dose of capsaicin (10(-7) M). FK888 or FK224, each at a dose of 0.1 or 1.0 mg kg-1, or vehicle was given to guinea-pigs intravenously 3 min before inhalation of capsaicin. The capsaicin inhalation significantly potentiated bronchial responsiveness to histamine, compared with control. The capsaicin-induced bronchial hyperresponsiveness was completely blocked by FK224 in a dose-dependent manner but not by FK888. 5. These results suggest that NK2 receptors rather than NK1 receptors may play an important role in bronchial hyperresponsiveness induced by antigen challenge as well as capsaicin while tachykinins do not play a primary role in the acute bronchospasm elicited by antigen challenge in passively sensitized guinea-pigs.

Animals↗
PubMed1996

Rhabdomyolysis following status asthmaticus.

A case of rhabdomyolysis following an asthmatic attack is reported. A 71-year-old man was admitted because of wheezing and hypoxemia. Brown urine was present on admission. Although these symptoms completely disappeared with the treatment with aminophylline, salbutamol and corticosteroid, transiently elevated serum creatine phosphokinase and myoglobinuria were present. Rhabdomyolysis has rarely been reported in cases of bronchial asthma. This case represents an extremely rare case of rhabdomyolysis following status asthmaticus.

Aged↗
PubMed1996

Female gender as a determinant of cough threshold to inhaled capsaicin.

Chronic, nonproductive cough and cough associated with the use of angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitors, are more frequently observed in females as compared to males. To examine the influence of sex, age, height, weight and pulmonary function on airway cough sensitivity, cough threshold to inhaled capsaicin, an index of the airway cough sensitivity, was measured in 160 nonsmoking, nonatopic healthy subjects. Forty young males (aged 24 +/- 2 yrs) 40 young females (aged 22 +/- 2 yrs) 40 middle-aged males (aged 48 +/- 5 yrs) and 40 middle-aged females (aged 50 +/- 7 yrs) were studied. The cough threshold was defined as the lowest concentration of inhaled capsaicin causing five or more coughs. The cough threshold was 3-5 fold lower in females than in males both in young (p<0.001) and middle-aged (p<0.005) subjects. Cough threshold was weakly but significantly correlated to height, weight, forced vital capacity (FVC) and forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV1) when all subjects were considered together but not when each group was considered separately. Multiple regression analysis revealed that sex difference was the significant predictive factor for the cough threshold in either age group. These results confirm that cough sensitivity is heightened in females and suggest that influence of height and pulmonary function on the cough threshold may have resulted from sex difference.

Adult↗
PubMed1996

Involvement of PAF in postallergic propranolol-induced bronchoconstriction in guinea-pigs.

Administration of propranolol can provoke bronchoconstriction in asthmatic patients. Recently, we successfully developed a guinea-pig model for propranolol-induced bronchoconstriction (PIB). We hypothesized that such bronchoconstriction may result from the inflammatory mediators released by an allergic reaction. The purpose of this study was to examine the role of platelet-activating factor (PAF) in the development of PIB after allergic reaction. Propranolol, at a concentration of 10 mg.mL-1 was inhaled 20 min after antigen challenge in passively sensitized, anaesthetized and artificially-ventilated guinea-pigs. The animals were treated intravenously with PAF antagonists, E6123 (1 and 10 micrograms.kg-1) or Y-24180 (1 and 10 mg.kg-1), 10 min before or 15 min after antigen challenge. Propranolol inhaled 20 min after antigen challenge caused bronchoconstriction. E6123 and Y-24180 administered 15 min after antigen challenge as well as 10 min before antigen challenge reduced the PIB in a dose-dependent manner. We conclude that platelet-activating factor may contribute to the development of propranolol-induced bronchoconstriction after allergic reaction in our guinea-pig model.

Administration, Inhalation↗
PubMed1996

Perivascular coating with fibrin glue of cerebral arteries in patients with aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage; incidence of chronic hydrocephalus.

The incidence of chronic hydrocephalus was studied in 39 patients with subarachnoid hemorrhage, who underwent perivascular coating with fibrin glue of cerebral arteries after clipping of aneurysm. A use was made of this procedure in order to prevent vasospasm by keeping the main cerebral arteries away from direct contact with subarachnoid clots. Most cases in this series belonged to group 3 of Fisher's CT grade (33/39, 84.6%). As a result, despite the high CT grade, the incidence of chronic hydrocephalus was as low as 17.9% (7/39), almost in agreement with those of the previous literature. In conclusion, (1) coating with fibrin glue did not increase the incidence of chronic hydrocephalus and (2) intrathecal application of fibrin glue is a promising method in the field of clinical neurosurgery.

Adhesives↗
PubMed1996

Multiple fluorescence-based PCR-SSCP analysis using internal fluorescent labeling of PCR products.

The method to internally label PCR products with multiple colored fluorescent dyes was developed and applied to multiple fluorescence-based PCR single-stranded conformational polymorphism (MF-PCR-SSCP) analysis. PCR-amplified fluorescent DNA fragments, which were internally labeled by adding fluorescent dUTPs ([F]dUTPs) to the PCR mixture, were heat-denatured and applied to a nondenaturing polyacrylamide gel (SSCP gel) set on an automated DNA sequencer with a gel temperature-controlling system. The image data were analyzed by GENESCAN 672 software. In spite of differences in species and amount of integrated [F]dUTPs, the SSCP profiles were not significantly affected, even by the different labeling methods used-internal labeling or post-labeling at the 3' ends-in regard to the three different [F]dUTPs examined. However, the salt concentration of the solution containing the DNA samples affected the SSCP profiles. The internally labeled [F]dUTP-containing DNA fragments beyond 1000 bp in length were successfully digested with restriction endonucleases and subjected to SSCP analysis. MF-PCR-SSCP analysis with internal fluorescence labeling affords a simple and sensitive method to detect alterations in DNA sequences.

DNA Mutational Analysis↗
PubMed1996

Anomalous internal carotid artery-anterior cerebral artery anastomosis associated with fenestration and cerebral aneurysm.

A 69-year-old female presented with a ruptured aneurysm at the distal tip of a fenestrated anomalous artery which originated in the ophthalmic segment of the internal carotid artery (ICA), passed between the optic nerves, ascended along the midline, and formed the fenestration before dividing into the bilateral pericallosal arteries. The anomalous artery manifested as subarachnoid hemorrhage. Four days later, she died from severe pulmonary edema. The angiographic finding was confirmed by postmortem examination. Numerous perforating vessels from the anomalous artery and the distal ICA supplied the optic nerves and chiasm. This finding supports the idea that this anomalous vessel may be an extreme developmental variation of the prechiasmal arterial plexus.

Adult↗
PubMed1996

[Increased CA19-9 level in serum and bronchoalveolar lavage fluid from a patient with pulmonary tuberculosis].

A 66-year-old woman was admitted to the hospital because of general malaise and loss of appetite. Laboratory examination revealed an abnormally high level of CA19-9 in serum and a chest roentgenogram revealed soft reticular shadows in the right mid-lung field. An extensive examination revealed no malignant disease. Bronchoalveolar lavage fluid obtained from the right B5 contained an abnormally high level of CA19-9. Immunochemical staining for CA19-9 was positive in the epithelial cells of respiratory bronchioles. The level of CA19-9 decreased during anti-tuberculosis therapy. This case suggests that the CA19-9 level can reflect the activity of pulmonary tuberculosis.

Aged↗
PubMed1996

Sensory neuropeptides are not directly involved in bronchial hyperresponsiveness induced by interleukin-8 in guinea-pigs in vivo.

BACKGROUND: Interleukin-8 (IL-8) has been shown to be a chemotactic factor for neutrophils, T-lymphocytes and eosinophils. Repeated intranasal administration of IL-8 enhances bronchial responsiveness to inhaled histamine in guinea-pigs. Neuropeptides which are released from C-fibre nerve-endings have been postulated to induce bronchial hyperresponsiveness through neurogenic inflammation. OBJECTIVE: This study was conducted to examine whether sensory neuropeptides are involved in the IL-8-induced bronchial hyperresponsiveness. METHODS: IL-8 at a dose of 5 micrograms/kg was administered intranasally to guinea-pigs twice a week for 3 weeks. One day after the last administration, animals were anesthetized and artificially ventilated through tracheal cannula, and lateral pressure at the tracheal cannula (Pao) was measured as an overall index of airway responses to increasing concentrations of inhaled histamine (25, 50, 100, and 200 micrograms/mL). A NK1 and NK2 dual antagonist FK224 (10 mg/kg), a selective NK1 antagonist FK888 (10 mg/kg) or vehicle was intravenously administered 10 min before measurement of bronchial responsiveness. RESULTS: The IL-8 treatment significantly enhanced bronchial responsiveness to histamine (ANOVA P < 0.01). FK224 or FK888 did not alter the IL-8-induced bronchial hyperresponsiveness. CONCLUSION: We conclude that repeated intranasal administration of IL-8 causes bronchial hyperresponsiveness (BHR) and that neuropeptides such as neurokinin A and substance P do not directly contribute to the development of BHR induced by IL-8.

Animals↗
PubMed1996

[Diffuse alveolar septal amyloidosis associated with multiple myeloma (IgA lambda type)].

A 75-year-old man with multiple myeloma presented with fever and respiratory symptoms. A chest roentgenogram showed interstitial shadows and transbronchial lung biopsy revealed diffuse infiltration of amyloid in the alveolar walls. Analysis of bronchoalveolar lavage fluid showed the presence of an IgA-lambda paraprotein, and the IgA/albumin ratio was similar to that in serum. However, plasma cells could not be detected in the cells obtained by lavage. We know of no previous case in Japan in which bronchoalveolar lavage fluid was examined in a case of diffuse alveolar septal amyloidosis.

Aged↗
PubMed1996

[Chronic persistent coughing successfully treated with ozagrel].

A 25-year-old woman complained of coughing for over 8 weeks. The coughing was not relieved by a bronchodilator (beta 2-adrenoceptor agonist; clenbuterol), and anti-allergic agent (azelastine), or an inhaled corticosteroid. The thromboxane synthetase inhibitor ozagrel completely abolished her cough. In this case, thromboxane A2 may have contributed to the coughing.

Adult↗
PubMed1996

The role of vacuolar H(+)-ATPase in the control of intragranular pH and exocytosis in eosinophils.

The presence of vacuolar H(+)-ATPase (V-ATPase) on exocytotic granules in eosinophils and the role of this enzyme in exocytosis were explored in this study. Antibody against 116-kd subunit of V-ATPase positively stained eosinophil granules in immunofluorescence analysis. When eosinophil lysate was extracted immunomagnetically with the same antibody, the extracted fraction contained a considerable amount of eosinophil peroxidase, a marker of eosinophil-specific granules, which indicates that V-ATPase was present on the membranes of eosinophil exsosomal granules. The pH of the eosinophil granules, measured fluorometrically with acridine orange as a delta pH-sensitive dye, was estimated to be 5.1. The acidity of the eosinophil granules was perturbed by bafilomycin A1, a potent selective inhibitor of V-ATPase, which indicates that the low pH of these granules is maintained by V-ATPase activity. BafilomycinA1 and NH4Cl, both of which raise the intragranular pH to neutral, inhibited the eosinophil peroxidase exocytosis induced by platelet-activating factor. These agents did not, however, affect the changes in cytosolic free calcium concentration [Ca2+]i induced by platelet-activating factor. These observations suggest that bafilomycin A1 inhibited a delta pH-requiring step in eosinophil exocytosis that was preceded by the [Ca2+]i transient in the signal transduction pathway, and, hence, the findings suggest the pivotal role of V-ATPase in maintaining intragranular pH and its function of eosinophil exosomal granules.

Ammonium Chloride↗
PubMed1996

[Inhibitor of chemical mediator release].

Since tranilast, the first inhibitor of chemical mediator (ICMR), had been assessed to be as effective as disodium cromogycate in asthma, several orally active ICMRs, which have no antihistamine or bronchodilator effect, have been developed and prescribed for asthma control in Japan. On the other hand, as histamine H1-antagonists (H1-antagonists) have been shown to inhibit mediator release from mast cells in vitro, these drugs are sometimes classified as ICMR. ICMRs are effective in 40% of asthmatics but it takes 6 or more months for these drugs to improve the symptoms clearly. Although H1-antagonists are effective in only about 30% of asthmatics, they have been shown to be more effective on cough of asthma, cough variant asthma and atopic cough. H1-antagonists have been shown to strongly inhibit alcohol-induced asthma which is evoked in 60% of Japanese asthmatics.

Asthma↗
PubMed1996

[Early cancer in the uterus and ovaries].

Concept of early cancer in gynecology is not well established to date because of the wide variation in biological behaviors of gynecologic tumors. The "early cancer" should be basically diagnosed on the concept that the tumor should be curable, that means a tumor of which growth is limited to the original portion of the organ, i.e. uterine cervix, uterine corps and ovaries, and also no lymph node metastasis could be estimated. The concepts, diagnostic modalities and management strategies of early cancer in uterine cervix, uterine corps and ovaries are discussed.

Female↗