Biomedical subjects

Mariko Noda

Publications and source records attributed to Mariko Noda.

3 recordsLinked to original sources

PubMed2006

Remote support for emergency medicine using a remote-control laser pointer.

We have developed a laser pointing system, the GestureLaser, which allows a remote operator to control a videocamera and a laser beam via a networked personal computer. The laser spot can be moved by the mouse cursor controlled by the remote instructor. The system was tested by giving remote instruction in thoracentesis to inexperienced operators using a training mannekin. Seven medical students received instructions using the laser pointer and another seven received instruction without the laser pointer. All operators completed the task correctly. The laser pointer group correctly identified the centesis space and performed the task on the first trial. When the laser pointer was not used, four operators (57%) made a mistake in selecting the centesis space at the first trial. The mean times for both stage 1--verbal versus GestureLaser 59 s (SD 13) versus 44 s (SD 5), p = 0.015 - and stage 2--verbal versus GestureLaser 98 s (SD 20) versus 64 s (SD 7), P = 0.002 - were significantly shorter when the GestureLaser was used. The study shows that the laser pointing system can be used to remotely instruct a novice operator in performing thoracentesis. It could improve collaboration between geographically separated sites.

Abdominal Wall↗

PubMed2006

Effect of epidermal growth factor and prostaglandin on the expression of aromatase (CYP19) in human adrenocortical carcinoma cell line NCI-H295R cells.

We investigated the effects of epidermal growth factor (EGF) and prostaglandins (PG) on the expression of aromatase (CYP19) in human adrenocortical carcinoma cell line NCI-H295R cells. EGF significantly increased aromatase activity and CYP19 gene transcript in NCI-H295R cells. Exon PII was selected from among several tissue-specific exon I regions. Promoter II that abuts on exon PII was activated by EGF. PGE(2) also significantly increased aromatase activity, CYP19 gene transcript, and promoter II activity. The results of experiments using protein kinase (PK) inhibitors suggest that the cAMP-PKA signaling pathway is involved in the up-regulation of aromatase expression by EGF. PGE(2) activated promoter II activity in 4 h, while 12 h was required for its activation by EGF. In addition, PGE(2) was secreted from NCI-H295R cells in response to EGF. Selective agonists for prostaglandin receptors EP(1) and EP(2) significantly increased aromatase activity, which was decreased by the corresponding antagonists. Finally, antagonists for EP(1) and EP(2) inhibited the up-regulation of aromatase expression following EGF. These results suggest that PGE(2) secondarily acts as an autocrine signal in the up-regulation of aromatase expression by EGF in NCI-H295R cells.

Adrenal Cortex Neoplasms↗

PubMed2005

Identification of rab12 as a vesicle-associated small GTPase highly expressed in Sertoli cells of rat testis.

We examined the expression and the localization of a small GTPase, rab12, in rat testis. Northern blot analysis showed that 2.3 kb transcript of rab12 was expressed in rat testis. RT-PCR analysis indicated constant expression of rab12 throughout testis development. Immunohistochemical studies revealed that rab12 protein was highly expressed in Sertoli cells in the seminiferous tubules, while both spermatogenic germ cells and interstitial cells exhibited faint or no immunosignal for rab12. The expression pattern of rab12 in Sertoli cells varied between the tubules: its immunostaining appeared as a wheel-like pattern at stage I approximately III and as a luminal staining pattern at stage IV approximately VI, whereas the immunostaining signals were only rudimentary detected at stage VIII and thereafter (approximately stage XIV). The diversified staining pattern of rab12 in the tubules seemed to reflect either the different shape of Sertoli cells during the cycle of the seminiferous epithelium or the variant expression levels of rab12 in Sertoli cells at each stage of the tubules. In cultured rat Sertoli cells and normal rat kidney (NRK) cells, rab12 was found to be associated with small vesicles distributed throughout the cytoplasm, but not with the Golgi apparatus. When overexpressed in NRK cells, rab12-associated small vesicles were not only distributed throughout the cytoplasm but also accumulated in the perinuclear cytoplasm around centrosome. We interrupt these data as a potential role of rab12 in acceleration of vesicular transport from the cell periphery to the perinuclear centrosome region.

Animals↗