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Biomedical subjects

M Nagayoshi

Publications and source records attributed to M Nagayoshi.

36 records · Page 2Linked to original sources

Env-derived gp55 gene of Friend spleen focus-forming virus specifically induces neoplastic proliferation of erythroid progenitor cells.

A group of retroviruses carrying truncated viral genes has recently been suggested as the cause of new patterns of diseases. One such virus is the replication defective component of the Friend murine leukemia virus (F-MuLV) complex, called Friend spleen focus forming virus (F-SFFV). This virus induces erythroblastosis, and a virion envelope-related glycoprotein, gp55, encoded by F-SFFV has been suggested as the pathogenic gene. The role of the gp55 gene is, however, yet unclear in the apparently multistep erythroleukemogenesis. By separately producing transgenic mice harboring the whole F-SFFV DNA, the gp55 gene alone under the control of the retroviral long terminal repeat (LTR) and the gp55 gene under the control of cytoplasmic beta actin transcriptional regulatory unit, we show here that the gp55 gene is capable of inducing neoplastic proliferation of erythroid progenitor cells specifically in the absence of helper virus and other F-SFFV sequences. Under the control of the viral LTR the gp55 expression was detected only in leukemic tissues, but under the control of cytoplasmic beta-actin regulatory sequences, the gp55 was also expressed in a variety of normal tissues including preleukemic normal spleens. The development of erythroleukemia was suppressed under the genetic background of C57B1/6 mouse (resistant to F-MuLV; Fv-2rr), and required additional events even under the background of DDD mouse (susceptible to F-MuLV; Fv-2ss). The p53 and Spi-1 genes were frequently aberrant in transplanted tumors and cell lines derived from them, but were not in primary leukemic spleens.

Animals↗

Increased uptake sites for serotonin and dopamine with decreased S2 serotonin receptors in microencephalic rat brain.

Methylazoxymethanol (MAM)-induced cerebral hypoplasia resulted in a significant increase in densities of both serotonin uptake sites in frontal cortex and dopamine uptake sites in striatum, suggesting serotonergic and dopaminergic axons terminals were compressed in the smaller brain volumes. The density of S2 serotonin receptors in MAM-lesioned frontal cortex was decreased probably due to down-regulation, while densities of D1 and D2 dopamine receptors in striatum were identical between MAM-lesioned rats and control rats.

Abnormalities, Drug-Induced↗

[A case of rapidly developed constrictive pericarditis following acute non-specific pericarditis].

A case of constrictive pericarditis which developed within one month after the onset of acute pericarditis was presented. A 3-year-old boy was admitted to our hospital suffering from dyspnea. Pericardectomy was performed 3 weeks after the pericardial drainage. His echocardiograms revealed the progressive thickening of the pericardium, severely restricted ventricular motion in both systole and diastole and paradoxical motion of the interventricular septum. Echocardiography at close intervals is useful for making the diagnosis and decision of the surgical intervention of rapidly developed constrictive pericarditis.

Acute Disease↗

[A case of leiomyosarcoma of the inferior vena cava].

Primary leiomyosarcoma of the inferior vena cava is rare and fatal. A 15-year-old female was admitted with the diagnosis of the right atrial myxoma associated with the Budd-Chiari syndrome. The tumor of the IVC was unresectable, although the right atrial tumor extended from the IVC was extirpated. Pathological examination of the tumor revealed a leiomyosarcoma. She was hemodynamically improved immediately after the operation. But she was expired due to the hepatic failure 9 days postoperatively. No autopsy was obtained. The literature regarding with leiomyosarcoma of the IVC was briefly reviewed.

Adolescent↗

Brain changes in rats induced by prenatal injection of methylazoxymethanol.

Various doses (0, 1, 5, 10, 15, 20, or 25 mg/kg) of methylazoxymethanol acetate (MAM), a potent alkylating agent, were injected singly into pregnant rats intraperitoneally on day 15 of gestation. Relationships between brain weights and neurochemical changes in the cerebral hemispheres (CHs; cerebral cortex and subjacent white matter, hippocampus, amygdala) and remainder of the brain (BGDM; basal ganglia, diencephalon, and mesencephalon) were examined at 60 days of age in offspring; varying degrees of microencephaly were observed. Dose-dependent reductions in the weights of CH and BGDM were observed. Reductions in total DNA content positively correlated with decreases in brain weights also observed. Dose-dependent elevations of noradrenaline (NA) and dopamine (DA) were observed in CH at MAM levels 10 mg/kg and above; dose-dependent elevations of 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT) were observed at 15 mg/kg and above; and in BGDM at 20 mg/kg and above dose-dependent elevations for NA and 5-HT were observed; dose-dependent elevations at 15 mg/kg and above were observed for DA. Monoamine concentrations were negatively correlated with brain weights or total DNA contents. NA and DA concentrations increased to the extent of approximately 1.3 times of control at a time when an 18% loss of CH weight was noted in animals treated with 10 mg/kg MAM. It is suggested that the above variables might be appropriately sensitive neurochemical markers for detecting minor developmental anomalies in the brain.

Alkylating Agents↗

[A neurochemical study of rat brain maldevelopment induced by MAM treatment at different stages of gestation].

The regional levels of several cell marker proteins in the brain and the ability of operant discrimination learning on a multiple fixed ratio (FR), fixed interval (FI) schedule were determined in rats with microencephaly induced by prenatal treatment with methylazoxymethanol (MAM), an antimitotic agent, on the 11 th to 13 th days (Group A) or on the 15 th day (Group B) of gestation. The cell marker proteins were determined with a sensitive enzyme immunoassay. Neuron-specific enolase (NSE; gamma gamma-enolase) had a significantly lowered level in the neocortex anterior in Group A. Non-neuronal enolase (NNE; alpha alpha-enolase) was significantly reduced in the superior colliculus, lateral geniculate body and optic nerve, but increased 1.5 fold in the retina in Group A. S-100b protein, a marker of astroglial cells, showed no significant change. As for the learning performance, the Group B animals showed an elevated behavioral activity and made evident discrimination between the FI and FR schedule. But Group A animals had prolonged FR components requiring responses to light on, and their spontaneous activity counts recorded by Automex showed an inhibition of behavior in light environments. These findings suggest a causative role of some developmental abnormality in the central visual system, indicated by the aberrant cell marker levels, in the disturbed learning ability of the Group A animals.

Abnormalities, Drug-Induced↗

Changes in the levels of neural cell specific proteins in the developing rat brain.

The levels of S-100 protein (S-100) and neuron-specific enolase (NSE) in the developing rat brain were determined by a sensitive enzyme immunoassay and the results were compared with those obtained by other methods. Changes with development in the levels of S-100, NSE, and 2', 3'-cyclic nucleotide 3'-phosphodiesterase (CNPase), biochemical markers for astroglia, neurons and oligodendroglia respectively, were determined in various brain regions including the cerebral hemisphere (CH), brain stem (BS) and cerebellum (Ce). The peak increments of S-100, NSE, and CNPase activity were reached later than that of the brain weight in all of the regions. The ratios of S-100/NSE and CNPase/NSE rose during the 21 days after birth in the CH and BS; the S-100/NSE ratio in the CH began to decrease from the 21st day, whereas the CNPase/NSE ratio continued to rise even after the 30th day, suggesting different maturation periods of the different glial cells. In the Ce, the change of these ratios showed a pattern different from those in the other regions. In the CH of rats with experimental microencephaly induced by methylazoxymethanol (MAM), the ratios were almost normal, in spite of the reduction of the brain weight to about 50% of the control.

2',3'-Cyclic Nucleotide 3'-Phosphodiesterase↗

A neurochemical study of developmental impairment of the brain caused by the administration of cytosine arabinoside during the fetal or neonatal period of rats.

Injection of pregnant rats with cytosine arabinoside (ara-C) (280 mg/kg) on day 15 of gestation caused a significant rise (about two times the control value) in monoamine concentrations (norepinephrine, dopamine, and serotonin) accompanied by a decrease (about 60% of the control) in the brain weight and DNA content in the cerebrum of the offspring at 60 days of age. When neonatal rats were injected with ara-C (30 mg/kg/day) for four consecutive days from the fourth to seventh days after birth, a decrease of DNA content per cerebellum and an elevation of monoamine concentrations in the cerebellum were found. However, the total content of each monoamine per cerebrum or cerebellum showed no difference from the control. These results suggest that monoaminergic neurons may remain intact, with normal monoaminergic synapses compressed into a small brain volume. The neonatal administration of ara-C caused an elevation of 2',3'-cyclic nucleotide 3'-phosphodiesterase (CNPase) (EC 3.1.4.37) activity and myelin protein content in the cerebellum, suggesting a relative increase in myelin concentration as a result of hypoplasia of granule cells.

Animals↗