Biomedical subjects

M Ueda

Publications and source records attributed to M Ueda.

At least 109 records · Page 6Linked to original sources

PubMed1997

Less expression of cyclin E in cutaneous squamous cell carcinomas than in benign and premalignant keratinocytic lesions.

In a previous study, we showed that overexpression of cyclin D, a G1 cyclin, is frequently associated with keratinocyte carcinogenesis as an early event. Another G1 cyclin, cyclin E, was recently suggested to be a prognostic marker for breast cancer. In order to evaluate the role of cyclin E in human keratinocyte carcinogenesis, we analysed the expression of cyclin E by immunohistochemistry in normal skin, seborrheic keratosis (SK), keratoacanthoma (KA), actinic keratosis (AK), Bowen's disease (BD), basal cell carcinoma (BCC) and squamous cell carcinoma (SCC). Positive cells were seen rarely in normal epidermis, in 9 of 20 cases of SK, in 5 of 6 cases of KA, in 9 of 13 cases of AK and in all 27 cases of BD. Some of the cases of AK and BD had positive cells in the superficial epidermis, where atypicality is less obvious. In contrast, positive cells were seen in 4 of 25 cases of SCC and none of 15 cases of BCC. These results suggest that expression of cyclin E plays a role in the formation of benign and premalignant keratinocytic tumors, whereas down-regulation of cyclin E expression may be involved in carcinogenesis in human keratinocytes.

Blotting, Western↗

PubMed1997

p21WAF1/CIP1 expression in non-melanoma skin tumors.

Abnormal control of the cell cycle is closely linked to carcinogenesis. p21WAF1/CIP1 protein is a universal inhibitor of G1 cyclin-dependent kinase and is induced by p53-dependent and -independent pathways. In order to elucidate the role of p21WAF1/CIP1 in human skin carcinogenesis, protein expression in squamous cell carcinoma (SCC), basal cell carcinoma (BCC), Bowen's disease (BD), actinic keratosis (AK), keratoacanthoma (KA), seborrheic keratosis (SK), and normal skin was examined using an immunohistochemical method. In normal skin, a few positive cells were seen in some cases in the upper spinous layer of the epidermis; sebaceous glands also had positive cells. In cases of SK and KA, positive cells were found in the basal and suprabasal epidermal layers (proliferation pattern), and in cases of BD and AK, positive cells were seen mainly in the upper spinous layer (differentiation pattern). Cases of SCC had more positive cells and showed two staining patterns: proliferation, or mixed. Cases of BCC had no positive cells. p21WAF1/CIP1 has some unidentified role in keratinocyte tumorigenesis, which may not be related directly to carcinogenesis.

Antibodies↗

PubMed1997

Mouth guard for athletes during orthodontic treatment.

Mouth guards have been proven to greatly reduce the number and severity of traumatic dental injuries to participants in contact sports. However, there are some difficult problems in making mouth guards for athletes with orthodontic appliances on their teeth. We developed a method of making mouth guards by using a coating material for such athletes to prevent dental and oral sports injuries and to protect the orthodontic appliances. This mouth guard fits well and does not damage the appliances.

Athletic Injuries↗

PubMed1997

Recombinant thermostable cycloinulo-oligosaccharide fructanotransferase produced by Saccharomyces cerevisiae.

A truncated fragment of the cycloinulo-oligosaccharide fructanotransferase (CFTase) gene of Bacillus circulans MCI-2554 was fused to the prepro secretion sequence of the alpha-factor and expressed in Saccharomyces cerevisiae under the control of the 5' upstream region of the isocitrate lyase gene of Candida tropicalis (UPR-ICL). Efficiently secreted recombinant CFTase protein (yeast CFTase) was purified. Yeast CFTase consisted of three protein molecules, each of which had CFTase activity (yeast CFTase 1 [116 kDa], yeast CFTase 2 [117 kDa], and yeast CFTase 3 [116 kDa]). Yeast CFTase 2 was the major product of the expression system employed and was shown to be N glycosylated by endoglycosidase H treatment. Yeast CFTase 1 was N glycosylated but had a short truncation at its N terminus, while yeast CFTase 3 did not contain an N-glycosylated carbohydrate chain(s). Yeast CFTase 2 showed an optimum pH, an optimum temperature, and a pH stability similar to those of CFTase purified from B. circulans but exhibited a significant increase in thermostability. Production of yeast CFTase by the strain which had two copies of the CFTase gene integrated into its chromosomes reached 391 U per liter of culture at 120 h, which corresponded to 8.40 mg of protein per liter, by shake-flask cultivation.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

PubMed1997

Construction of a starch-utilizing yeast by cell surface engineering.

We have engineered the cell surface of the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae by anchoring active glucoamylase protein on the cell wall, and we have endowed the yeast cells with the ability to utilize starch directly as the sole carbon source. The gene encoding Rhizopus oryzae glucoamylase with its secretion signal peptide was fused with the gene encoding the C-terminal half (320 amino acid residues from the C terminus) of yeast alpha-agglutinin, a protein involved in mating and covalently anchored to the cell wall. The constructed plasmid containing this fusion gene was introduced into S. cerevisiae and expressed under the control of the glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase promoter from S. cerevisiae. The glucoamylase activity as not detected in the culture medium, but it was detected in the cell pellet fraction. The glucoamylase protein transferred to the soluble fraction from the cell wall fraction after glucanase treatment but not after sodium dodecyl sulfate treatment, indicating the covalent binding of the fusion protein to the cell wall. Display of the fused protein was further confirmed by immunofluorescence microscopy and immunoelectron microscopy. The transformant cells could surely grow on starch as the sole carbon source. These results showed that the glucoamylase was anchored on the cell wall and displayed as its active form. This is the first example of an application of cell surface engineering to utilize and improve the metabolic ability of cells.

Cell Membrane↗

PubMed1997

Producibility of exfoliative toxin and staphylococcal coagulase types of Staphylococcus aureus strains isolated from skin infections and atopic dermatitis.

BACKGROUND: Strains of Staphylococcus aureus which cause staphylococcal scalded skin syndrome (SSSS) and bullous impetigo secrete exfoliative toxin (ET). Two antigenically distinct serotypes of ET, ETA and ETB, have been reported. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Two hundred eighty-three strains of S. aureus isolated from impetigo, SSSS, furuncles (including furunculosis) and atopic dermatitis were examined in terms of the producibility of ET, ET serotypes and coagulase types. We examined ET production and ET serotypes using the polymerase chain reaction with the oligonucleotide primers for eta and etb. RESULTS: The incidence of ET producers was 69.4% (100/144) in impetigo, 100% (6/6) in SSSS, 2.8% (3/112) in atopic dermatitis and 0% (0/21) in furuncles. ETA alone was produced by 57 strains from impetigo and by 3 strains from atopic dermatitis. ETB alone was produced by 36 strains from impetigo and by all 6 strains from SSSS. Seven strains from impetigo produced both ETA and ETB. Most ETA producers belonged to coagulase type V and most ETB producers to coagulase type I. Impetigo strains mostly belonged to type I or V. All strains from SSSS were classified as type I. Type IV was most frequent among S. aureus isolates from furuncles. CONCLUSION: These results add to the epidemiological information as to ET producibility and ET serotypes of S. aureus strains isolated from impetigo, SSSS, furunculosis and atopic dermatitis. We have found that there is a relationship between the ET serotypes and the coagulase types of ET-producing strains.

Coagulase↗

PubMed1997

The Watanabe heritable hyperlipidemic rabbit is a suitable experimental model to study differences in tissue response between intimal and medical injury after balloon angioplasty.

The study evaluates whether the Watanabe heritable hyperlipidemic (WHHL) rabbit is an adequate model to study mechanisms that underlie differences in tissue response after postangioplasty injury. Postangioplasty studies of human coronary arteries have revealed that healing and restenotic processes differ depending on whether the laceration is limited to the atherosclerotic plaque or whether injury extends into the media. Forty-five homozygous WHHL rabbits underwent percutaneous transluminal angioplasty of the left subclavian artery. The inflated arterial segment was studied histologically at 3, 7, 14, 28, and 56 days, using conventional and immunohistochemical techniques to identify macrophages, smooth muscle cell (SMC) phenotypes, and cell proliferation. Electron microscopy was done to study reendothelialization. There were marked differences in response between those segments with medial injury and those with injury limited to the atherosclerotic plaque tissues. The latter category shows a distinct retardation in redifferentiation of SMCs, confirming previous observations in human coronary arteries. In these segments, moreover, cell proliferation occurred mainly in macrophages and spindle cells. Medial injury showed a more florid fibrocellular response, as in human coronary arteries, with cell proliferation initially confined to areas with dedifferentiated SMCs in the preexistent media and, once neointimal tissue was formed, among spindle cells also. The similarities with the repair processes encountered in postangioplasty human coronary arteries suggest that the WHHL rabbit is an adequate model to study differences in the response related to different types of angioplasty injury.

Angioplasty, Balloon↗

PubMed1997

Natriuretic peptide family as a novel antimigration factor of vascular smooth muscle cells.

Vascular smooth muscle cell (SMC) migration is proposed to be an important process in the initiation and/or progression of atherosclerosis. The present study examined the effects of the natriuretic peptide family (atrial, brain, and C-type natriuretic peptides; ANP, BNP, and CNP) on the migration of cultured rat SMCs, using Boyden's chamber methods. Fetal calf serum (FCS) and platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF)-BB potently stimulated SMC migration. Rat ANP(1-28), rat BNP-45, and rat CNP-22 clearly inhibited SMC migration stimulated with FCS or PDGF-BB in a concentration-dependent manner. CNP-22 had the most potent inhibitory effect compared with other natriuretic peptides. When PDGF-BB-induced migration was separated into chemotactic and chemokinetic activities, the chemotactic component was strongly inhibited by these natriuretic peptides. Such inhibition by these natriuretic peptides was paralleled by an increase in the cellular level of cyclic GMP. The addition of a cyclic GMP analogue, 8-bromo cyclic GMP, and an activator of the cytosolic guanylate cyclase, sodium nitroprusside, significantly inhibited FCS- and PDGF-BB-stimulated migration in a concentration-dependent manner. These results suggest that natriuretic peptides, especially CNP-22, inhibit FCS- or PDGF-BB-stimulated SMC migration at least in part through a cyclic GMP-dependent process. Thus, the natriuretic peptide family may play a role as an antimigration factor of SMCs under certain circumstances.

Animals↗

PubMed1997

Effect of natriuretic peptide family on the oxidized LDL-induced migration of human coronary artery smooth muscle cells.

The migration of medial smooth muscle cells (SMCs) into the intima is proposed to be an important process of intimal thickening in atherosclerotic lesions. The present study examined the possible effect of a novel endothelium-derived relaxing peptide, C-type natriuretic peptide (CNP), on oxidized low-density lipoprotein (LDL)-induced migration of cultured human coronary artery SMCs by the Boyden's chamber method. The effect of CNP was compared with that of atrial and brain natriuretic peptides (ANP and BNP, respectively). Oxidized LDL stimulates SMC migration in a concentration-dependent manner between 20 and 200 micrograms/mL. This stimulation was chemotactic in nature but was not chemokinetic. By contrast, native LDL was without significant activity. CNP-22 clearly inhibited SMC migration stimulated with 200 micrograms/mL oxidized LDL in a concentration-dependent manner between 10(-9) and 10(-6) mol/L. ANP-(1-28) and BNP-32 also inhibited oxidized LDL-induced SMC migration at concentrations of 10(-7) and 10(-6) mol/L, but these effects were weaker than the effect of CNP-22. Such inhibition by these natriuretic peptides was paralleled by an increase in the cellular level of cGMP. Oxidized LDL-induced migration was significantly inhibited by a stable analogue of cGMP, 8-bromo-cGMP, or an activator of the cytosolic guanylate cyclase, sodium nitroprusside. These natriuretic peptides did not suppress the cell adhesion either in the absence or presence of oxidized LDL. These data indicate that oxidized LDL stimulates migration of human coronary artery SMCs and that natriuretic peptides, especially CNP, inhibit this stimulated SMC migration, at least in part, through a cGMP-dependent process. Taken together with the finding that oxidized LDL is present in the intima, CNP may play a role as a local antimigration factor during the process of intimal thickening in hypercholesterolemia-induced coronary atherosclerosis.

Cell Movement↗

PubMed1997

Laminin suppresses progesterone production by human luteinizing granulosa cells via interaction with integrin alpha 6 beta 1.

We previously raised a murine monoclonal antibody (mAb), OG-1, against human granulosa cells (GC) and reported that human GC express the OG-1 antigen with the highest immunoreactivity during the periovulatory phase. Later, we showed that the OG-1 antigen is identical to human integrin alpha 6, and that human GC express integrin alpha 6 beta 1, but not alpha 6 beta 4. In the present study, we examined the expression of laminin (LN), the ligand for integrin alpha 6 beta 1. Flow cytometry showed that LN was bound to the cell surface of some GC obtained from preovulatory follicles of patients undergoing in vitro fertilization. Immunohistochemistry showed that LN was detected between luteinizing GC in the early corpora lutea. To examine the effect of LN on steroidogenesis by human luteinizing GC, GC obtained from patients undergoing in vitro fertilization were cultured on mouse LN-coated or noncoated plastic dishes in medium containing 5% FCS for 24 h. In the absence or presence in hCG (1 IU/mL), GC cultured on LN-coated dishes produced 0.70- and 0.67-fold less progesterone than those on noncoated dishes, respectively (P < 0.05). We examined the effect of the interaction of integrin alpha 6 beta 1 and LN on steroidogenesis by human luteinizing GC. We cultured GC with 5 micrograms/mL of the anti-alpha 6 mAb GoH3, which inhibits the interaction between human integrin alpha 6 beta 1 and mouse LN, or with a control rat mAb (TER199) on mouse LN-coated dishes in serum-free medium for 24 h. In the absence or presence of hCG (1 IU/mL), GC cultured with GoH3 produced 1.97- and 1.94-fold more progesterone than the control cells (P < 0.01 and P < 0.05, respectively). In contrast, when GC were cultured on dishes coated with type IV collagen, progesterone production was not enhanced by GoH3. Furthermore, the anti-alpha 6 mAb OG-1, which does not inhibit the interaction between integrin alpha 6 beta 1 and LN, had no effect on the progesterone production by GC cultured on LN. These results indicate that LN suppresses the luteinization of human luteinizing GC via integrin alpha 6 beta 1 and that integrin alpha 6 beta 1 regulates the luteinization of human GC during the periovulatory phase.

Adult↗

PubMed1997

Effects of cAMP and cGMP on L-type calcium channel currents in rat mesenteric artery cells.

L-type Ca2+ channel currents in cultured rat mesenteric artery smooth muscle cells were recorded by the cell-attached patch-clamp technique. Depolarizing voltage steps from a holding potential of -40 mV elicited voltage-dependent inward Ba2+ currents. The inward currents were inhibited by nifedipine (10 microM) but enhanced by Bay K 8644 (5 microM), which suggests that the inward currents are carried almost exclusively by L-type Ca2+ channels. Application of dibutyryl cAMP (0.1-1 microM) and forskolin (0.01-1 microM) enhanced the activity of these Ca2+ channels. The dibutyryl cAMP induced enhancement of Ca2+ channels was antagonized by the serine/threonine kinase inhibitor H-8 (1 microM). Application of 8-bromo-cGMP (0.01-1 microM) and the cGMP inducer nitroglycerin (0.01-1 microM) inhibited the activity of these Ca2+ channels, and the inhibition of channel activity induced by 8-bromo-cGMP was antagonized by the serine/threonine kinase inhibitor H-8 (1 microM). These results suggest that in rat mesenteric artery cells, the L-type Ca2+ channel current is enhanced by a rise in intracellular cAMP levels and suppressed by a rise in intracellular cGMP levels. Furthermore, cGMP-induced Ca2+ channel inhibition may play a role in the expression of the nitric oxide-mediated vasodilating action of drugs such as nitroglycerin and atrial natriuretic peptide.

3-Pyridinecarboxylic acid, 1,4-dihydro-2,6-dimethy↗

PubMed1997

Recent trends in the management of Graves' hyperthyroidism in Japan: opinion survey results, especially on the combination therapy of antithyroid drug and thyroid hormone.

An opinion survey concerning the management of Graves' hyperthyroidism was conducted among the council members of the Japan Thyroid Association. The selection of 3 major treatments by 90 respondents for their patients was 98.6 +/- 4.2% for antithyroid drug (ATD), 7.8 +/- 12.6% for partial thyroidectomy and 5.2 +/- 8.1% for radioiodide. They expressed a movement away from the past trend of surgery because of postoperative complications and unsatisfactory therapeutic results, and they assumed a further reduction in the future. On the other hand, the frequency of radioiodide treatment was not considered to have decreased greatly, and they expected a slight increase in the future. Of the respondents, 65% suggested that hyperthyroidism should be completely cured even if the patient would fall into hypothyroidism. The major reasons for choosing surgery or radioiodide after ATD were the adverse effects of ATD and the age and social backgrounds of the patients. Large goiter size was the 3rd reason for surgery but was a minimal indicator for radioiodide. As for ATD treatment, none of the respondents reported the routine application of any uniform fixed-time therapy protocol. Japanese Graves' patients were shown to be less responsive to ATD than Caucasian patients. This was assumed to result at least from high iodide intake, and half of them had ordered their patients to restrict iodide intake. Furthermore, 78% of them had treated with a combined therapy of ATD and thyroid hormone. Most of them apply this for selected patients mainly to lower TSH receptor antibody activity, to better control their patients and to reduce the goiter size. All but 8 (9%) did not give T4 (or T3) after the cessation of ATD, and they felt this to be unnecessary, doubtful about the effect, unsuitable or even possible to induce recurrence. The excellent findings reported by Hashizume et al. (N Engl J Med 324: 947-953, 1991) are well known among them. However, most of them did not agree with the efficacy of the protocol to reduce TRAb or to improve the remission rate, and 90% of the respondents did not intend to apply the protocol immediately. In conclusion, the Japanese thyroidologists were shown to highly prefer ATD, and they intended to treat their patients for longer periods of time only by ATD until clinical remission is achieved. The combination therapy is widely used, but most of them do not consider it effective. The therapeutic protocol reported by Hashizume et al. was not accepted widely in Japan.

Antithyroid Agents↗

PubMed1997

Effectiveness of a short-term steroid treatment on the reduction in goiter size in antithyroid drug-treated patients with Graves' disease.

Reduction of goiter size is one of the criteria necessary to determine clinical remission in antithyroid drug (ATD)-treated Graves' patients. To facilitate goiter reduction or to achieve quick remission, a short-term steroid treatment was administered to 5 Graves' patients. These patients had been treated with ATD for a considerable period of time, had maintained euthyroidism with negative or weak thyrotropin-binding inhibitor immunoglobulin (TBII), but still had an enlarged goiter and remained T3 unsuppressive. Betamethazone was initially given 1.5 mg daily and then gradually tapered to 0 mg for 3 months. Compared to the 6-month observation period or the pre-medication period, goiter reduction exceeding 0.7 cm was achieved in all 5 patients during the steroid treatment. These reductions partly reversed to an extent smaller than pre-treatment levels in 2 patients, but continuous goiter reductions were observed for at least 3 months after steroid cessation in 3 patients. In 2 of these reduced goiter patients, T3 suppressibility was confirmed, and they were diagnosed in remission. During steroid administration, serum T3 and TSH concentrations were lowered but reversed shortly, serum fT4 concentrations did not change, and TBII levels became negative in all patients including the 2 with weak positive values before the treatment. In conclusion, a short-term steroid treatment for goitrous ATD-treated Graves' patients appears promising in achieving goiter reduction or remission.

Adult↗

PubMed1997

Viability of transgenic rat embryos after freezing and thawing.

In-vivo viability of frozen-thawed embryos derived from transgenic rats, as well as the transmission and the expression of transgenes in the resultant newborn rats, was investigated. Three strains of transgenic rats, carrying human growth hormone gene connected downstream to the promoter region of the bovine alpha-lactalbumin gene (alpha LA/hGH), bovine beta-casein gene (beta CN/hGH) or bovine alpha-S1 casein gene (alpha S1CN/hGH), were used. Two-cell stage embryos (non-transgenic Wistar female x heterozygous transgenic male) were placed in 10% (v/v) dimethylsulfoxide (DMSO) solution and cooled from -7 to -30 degrees C at -0.5 degree C/min before being plunged into liquid nitrogen. After 2 to 4 years storage, the embryos were thawed by rapid warming. The intact embryos were transferred into the oviducts of Day 1 pseudopregnant recipients. The postthaw survival rate of frozen embryos was high in all 3 transgenic strains (88 to 92%), which was similar to that of control (non-transgenic) frozen embryos (95%). Development to newborn rats following transfer of embryos derived from the 3 strains (64 to 68%) was also similar to that of control embryos (60%). These transgenes (alpha LA/hGH, beta CN/hGH and alpha S1CN/hGH) were detected in the DNA extracts from tail tissue of the newborn rats, but the transmission rates (41, 23 and 32%, respectively) were lower than 50% which is expected in the Mendelian fashion. In a transgenic line carrying alpha S1CN/hGH, hGH levels of secretion into the milk of transgenic newborn rats derived from frozen-thawed embryos and her transgenic offspring were the same mg/ml-level as that of their founder rat. Two-step freezing of embryos derived from transgenic rats was therefore an effective method for the long-term cryopreservation of transgene.

Animals↗

PubMed1997

Association of type VI collagen with D-periodic collagen fibrils in developing tail tendons of mice.

The process of the arrangement of D-periodic collagen fibrils and their growth in maturing tail tendon of mice were studied with the association of type VI collagen, from fetal day 10 to 10 weeks after birth. In tail tendons, the amount of collagen fibers gradually increased along with the diameters of D-periodic collagen fibrils during maturation. Type VI collagens first appeared on fetal day 10, when D-periodic collagen fibrils were not recognizable. Type VI collagens were observed around the fibroblastic cells in early stages of development, but were among thick collagen fibrils in the adult tendon. While the periodic distances of type VI collagen fibrils were over 100 nm at fetal days, they were packed to 80-90 nm after birth. The periodic bands were stained well with ruthenium red in adult but not in young tendons, indicating the close association of proteoglycans or glycosaminoglycans (PGs/GAGs) with maturing type VI collagens. Since type VI collagen in native form is known to associate with D-periodic collagen fibrils via PGs/ GAGs, ruthenium red-stainability on the surface of D-periodic collagen fibrils was also examined; results showed that ruthenium red-stainable elements were D-periodically associated. When the surface morphology of D-periodic collagen fibrils in adult animals was examined by atomic force microscopy, a large depth of the groove between elevated and depressed surfaces became prominent when the fibril surface was digested with hyaluronidase. Thus, it is possible to observe topologically the association of PGs/GAGs and probably that of type VI collagens with D-periodic collagen fibrils.

Animals↗

PubMed1997

Changes in intracellular Ca2+ concentration produced by the alteration of intracellular pH in rat parotid acinar cells.

The effects of intracellular pH (pH(i)) on intracellular Ca2+ concentration ([Ca2+]i) vary in different cells, and mechanisms underlying these effects are still not clear. In the experiments reported here, the effects of changes in pH(i) produced by ammonium chloride and butyric acid were studied in enzymatically dispersed acinar cells of rat parotid glands. The changes in pH(i) and [Ca2+]i were estimated using the fluorescent dyes biscarboxyethyl-5,6-carboxyfluorescein (BCECF) and fura-2, respectively. pH(i) was altered using NH4Cl, butyric acid, or propionic acid while keeping the external pH constant at 7.4. NH4Cl (20 mM) applied for 4-5 min increased pH(i) from 7.18 to 7.79 (a decrease of proton concentration, [H+]i, from 66 to 16 nM) and produced a transient [Ca2+]i increase followed by a small sustained decrease. On the other hand, butyric acid (20 mM) decreased pH(i) from 7.16 to 6.81 (an increase of [H+]i from 69 to 155 nM) and produced a small sustained increase in [Ca2+]i. Washing out the butyric acid 4 min after application induced the recovery of pH(i) from 6.93 to 7.43 (a decrease of [H+]i from 118 to 37 nM) and a further transient increase in [Ca2+]i. The removal of external Ca2+ had little effect on changes in pH(i) produced by NH4Cl or butyric acid, but markedly reduced both the sustained and transient components of [Ca2+]i response. Cyclopiazonic acid (0.3 microM), an inhibitor of Ca2+ pump in intracellular stores, abolished the transient [Ca2+]i increase produced by the application of NH4Cl or withdrawal of butyric acid. These results suggest that a decrease in [H+]i, not the absolute level of [H+]i may release Ca2+ from intracellular stores.

Animals↗

PubMed1997

Changes in regional cortical temperature and cerebral blood flow after cortical spreading depression.

Regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF) measurement by laser Doppler flowmetry and cortical temperature measurement using thermoencephaloscopy (TES) were performed to investigate the relationship between the changes in rCBF and cortical temperature after induced cortical spreading depression (CSD) in rats. TES showed a gradually expanding thermoresponse like an extending circular wave after CSD induced by application of KCl. Similarly, a transient increase in rCBF spread from the site of stimulation with a velocity of propagation of 2.5 mm/min. Simultaneous monitoring of rCBF and cortical temperature showed that the transient increase in rCBF was associated with an initial decrease in cortical temperature, followed by an increase in cortical temperature. We suggest that the cortical temperature is regulated mainly by neurogenic control of the pial microvascular blood supply that is precisely adjusted to the metabolic needs of the cerebral cortex. Non-injured cortex with the fine vascular architecture must be preserved during neurosurgery to allow heat transfer from deep areas of the cortex.

Animals↗

PubMed1997

Effect of chronic administration of alcoholic beverages and seasoning containing alcohol on hepatic ethanol metabolism in mice.

Five-week-old male mice, C3H/HeNCrj (C3H/He), were given a 5% (v/v) ethanol solution, commercial alcoholic beverages (Japanese sake (sake) or red wine) or a Japanese seasoning (mirin [containing ethanol and a large amount of glucose]) ad libitum for 45 d, and were then examined for changes in the hepatic enzymes related to ethanol metabolism 2 h after oral administration of 5 g of ethanol/kg body weight. The specific activity of aniline hydroxylase (ANH) in the hepatic microsome increased significantly in all groups chronically administered ethanol solution, sake, red wine or mirin, and the greatest increase was in the hepatic microsome of mirin-administered mice. The cytochrome P-450 (CYP) 2E1 increased in the hepatic microsome of the mice administered ethanol solution, red wine or mirin where accompanied by high ANH activity. The immunoreactive band for CYP1A1 showed high specificity in the microsome of mice given sake, red wine or mirin. It was assumed that CYP1A1 was induced by unknown component(s) other than ethanol in these solutions. In the cytosolic fraction, following the chronic administration of sake and mirin, the total aldehyde dehydrogenase (A1DH) activity with high-Km decreased significantly. In the mitochondrial fraction, the activity of high-Km A1DH increased significantly in the mirin-administered mice which drank a large amount of ethanol, whereas that in the red wine-administered group tended to decrease. These results indicate that the enzyme activities related to the oxidation of both ethanol and acetaldehyde in the cytosolic, mitochondrial and microsomal fractions of the liver were affected by either the action of ethanol or its interaction with other constituents of sake, red wine and mirin.

Alcohol Dehydrogenase↗