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Biomedical subjects

N Chida

Publications and source records attributed to N Chida.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

Synthesis of (+)- and (-)-nojirimycin and their 1-deoxy derivatives from myo-inositol.

The conversion of the naturally abundant cyclitol, myo-inositol (4), into (+)-nojirimycin (1a), its enantiomer (1b), and their 1-deoxy analogues (2a and 2b) is described. Biological assay of 2a, 2b, and the bisulfite adducts of 1a and 1b (3a and 3b) showed that the compounds having the unnatural L-gluco configuration (2b and 3b) possess moderate-to-high inhibitory activity against almond beta-D-glucosidase and bovine liver beta-D-galactosidase.

1-Deoxynojirimycin

Spermine facilitates the generation of long-term potentiation of evoked potential in the dentate gyrus of anesthetized rats.

The effects of the polyamines, spermine, spermidine and putrescine, on long-term potentiation (LTP) of evoked potential were investigated in the dentate gyrus of anesthetized rats. Injection of 5 nmol spermine into the lateral ventricle did not influence the basal amplitude of the population spike, but significantly enhanced the potentiation induced by subthreshold tetanic stimulation (20 pulses at 60 Hz). The effect of spermine resulted in facilitation of LTP generation. Injection of the same dose of spermidine or putrescine affected neither the basal response nor the potentiation induced by subthreshold tetanus at all, indicating that the LTP-facilitating effect is specific to spermine. Furthermore, the LTP-facilitating effect of spermine was dose-dependent in the range of 0.5-50 nmol. When 5 nmol ifenprodil, an antagonist at the polyamine site of the NMDA receptor channel complex, was concomitantly injected, spermine could not facilitate the generation of LTP. Since injection of ifenprodil alone did not influence the generation of LTP, it is probable that ifenprodil specifically blocks the effect of spermine. These results suggest that spermine facilitates the generation of hippocampal LTP, probably through an ifenprodil-sensitive polyamine site associated with the NMDA receptor.

Adrenergic alpha-Antagonists

Prenatal diagnosis in high risk pregnancies for Zellweger syndrome.

Zellweger syndrome is a lethal disorder. At present, no effective therapies are known for the patients of Zellweger syndrome. Recently a typical case of Zellweger syndrome in Japan was observed. In spite of intensive care, the patient died at the age of 3 months. Following this, the parents requested prenatal diagnosis for their following two pregnancies. We investigated levels of very long chain fatty acids (VLCFA), levels of bile acids in amniotic fluid and immunoblotting of peroxisomal beta-oxidation enzymes in cultured amniocytes. We report that immunoblotting using cultured amniocytes is an effective method for prenatal diagnosis of Zellweger syndrome. Furthermore, if we use immunoblotting for prenatal diagnosis, we can discriminate pseudoZellweger syndrome from pseudoneonatal adrenoleucodystrophy. Following prenatal diagnosis, two healthy babies were delivered. After birth, no abnormal levels of VLCFA in either serum or red blood cell membranes were confirmed. In this paper, we report that we can diagnose a healthy fetus in a high risk pregnancy for Zellweger syndrome.

Amniocentesis

Postheparin plasma lipoprotein lipase activity in heterozygotes of familial lipoprotein lipase deficiency.

Serum lipoprotein pattern, apoproteins and two postheparin triglyceride lipases were analyzed in a patient with familial lipoprotein lipase (LPL) deficiency and her family. Serum of the patient showed extreme hyperchylomicronemia and her postheparin plasma LPL activity was distinctly decreased. None of heterozygotes had any type of hyperlipoproteinemia. The mother and brother of the patient had moderately decreased LPL activity. There were no consistent changes in hepatic triglyceride lipase (H-TGL) activity among heterozygotes. These results suggest that assay of LPL may be helpful for detection of heterozygotes in familial LPL deficiency.

Adult

Serial changes in sonographic appearance after transcatheter hepatic arterial embolization.

Serial changes in sonographic appearance after transcatheter hepatic arterial embolization (TAE) were studied in 22 patients who had hepatoma and one patient who had a hepatoblastoma. These changes were classified into three types. In cases of type 1, the internal echo of the entire tumor became remarkably echogenic with or without an acoustic shadow. In cases of type 2, echogenic areas or scattered echogenic spots with or without acoustic shadows were observed. In Type 3 cases, no changes in sonographic appearance were observed. Tumor diameters in all of the type 1 cases were less than 4.9 cm. Various size tumors were observed in the cases of type 2 and type 3. Transcatheter arterial embolization was completely effective or effective in 89 per cent of the type 1 and type 2 cases, but was not effective in 75 per cent of the type 3 cases. The sonographic changes correlated well with the effectiveness of TAE.

Adult

Globoid cell leukodystrophy: the first case with antemortem diagnosis in Japan.

A Japanese boy was diagnosed as globoid cell leukodystrophy on the basis of a marked decrease in the galactocerebroside beta-galactosidase activity in the leukocytes and the serum when one year and two months old. At autopsy when 1 year and 10 months, microscopic findings were characteristic for those of globoid cell leukodystrophy. Galactocerebroside beta-galactosidase activities of leukocytes and sera of his father and mother were found to be half those of control subjects, thus it suggested the parents being heterozygotes of the disease.

Autopsy