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Biomedical subjects

N Shimidzu

Publications and source records attributed to N Shimidzu.

9 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1998

Multiple intensified performance of an enzyme-catalyzed reaction in organic medium.

A lipase-catalyzed glycerolysis reaction (a transesterification between polyunsaturated fatty acid ethyl ester [PUFA] and glycerol) was investigated. Its performance was multiply intensified by (1) using a lipase having high specific activity, high activity in organic solvent, and high tolerance in organic solvent; (2) immobilization on fine CaCO3 powder (cheap and safe material, easy physical adsorption method of immobilization, reusable); (3) reaction in vacuo resulting in 100% conversion and effective avoidance of oxidative deterioration of PUFA; (4) high volumetric productivity because of no use of solvent; and (5) no need of further separation and purification of the oil product. It is emphasized that performance of biocatalytic reactions in organic media should be enhanced manifold for industrial implementation.

Chromobacterium↗
PubMed1998

Chemopreventive effects of carotenoids and curcumins on mouse colon carcinogenesis after 1,2-dimethylhydrazine initiation.

The present study was carried out to examine the chemopreventive effects of carotenoids such as fucoxanthin, lycopene and lutein as well as curcumin and its derivative, tetrahydrocurcumin (THC), on development of putative preneoplastic aberrant crypt foci (ACF) in colons of mice initiated with 1,2-dimethylhydrazine dihydrochloride (DMH). Influence on proliferation of colonic crypt epithelial cells was also assessed in terms of 5-bromo-2'-deoxyuridine (BrdU) incorporation. Five-week-old B6C3F1 male mice were divided into three groups, groups 1 and 2 being given DMH (20 mg/kg body wt, s.c.) twice a week for 3 weeks. Animals of group 1 were then treated with one of the test compounds, lycopene (0.005% and 0.0025%) or fucoxanthin (0.01%) in the drinking water and lutein (0.05%), curcumin (0.5%) or THC (0.5% and 0.2%) in the diet from weeks 5-12. Group 2 served as a carcinogen alone control and group 3 mice were given test compounds alone. All animals were killed at week 12. Numbers of ACF/mouse in the group 1 treated with fucoxanthin (47.1 +/- 13.7), lutein (42.6 +/- 19.6) or 0.5% THC (46.6 +/- 17.7) were significantly decreased as compared to the control group 2 value (63.3 +/- 19.4) (P < 0.01). Numbers of aberrant crypts (ACs)/mouse were also significantly lower after treatment with lutein (79.9 +/- 34.7) or 0.5% THC (81.8 +/- 32.5) than in the control group (115.1 +/- 37.1) (P < 0.01). BrdU labeling indices (LI) in mice treated with lutein and 0.5% THC were significantly decreased in both upper and lower half compartments of colonic crypts as compared to the controls (P < 0.05 and 0.01, respectively), especially the upper half data corresponding to reduction of ACs/mouse. The results thus suggest that fucoxanthin, lutein, and THC may have potential as chemopreventive agents against colon carcinogenesis.

1,2-Dimethylhydrazine↗
PubMed1996

Exophilin A, a new antibiotic from a marine microorganism Exophiala pisciphila.

Exophilin A, a new antibacterial compound, was discovered in the culture of the marine microorganism Exophiala pisciphila NI10102, which was isolated from a marine sponge Mycale adhaerens. The absolute chemical structure of exophilin A was elucidated as a trimer of (3R,5R)-3,5-dihydroxydecanoic acid by spectroscopic methods and analyses of a degradative product. Exophilin A showed antimicrobial activity against Gram-positive bacteria.

Anti-Bacterial Agents↗
PubMed1991

Purification and characterization of hepatocyte growth factor from injured liver of carbon tetrachloride-treated rats.

A hepatocyte growth factor (HGF)-like substance that strongly stimulated DNA synthesis of adult rat hepatocytes in primary culture was found to increase markedly in liver of rats treated with carbon tetrachloride (CCl4). This increase of HGF-like activity was time- and dose-dependent, and 36 h after a dose of CCl4 of 0.2 ml per 100 g body weight the activity was about 20-times the normal level. The extent of induction of HGF-like factor correlated well with the extent of liver damage. The HGF-like factor was purified to homogeneity from the liver of CCl4-treated rats by a four-step procedure. The purified HGF-like factor had a molecular weight of 82-85 kDa, as estimated by SDS-PAGE, and was a heterodimer composed of a large subunit of about 69 kDa and a small subunit of 34 kDa linked by disulfide bridges. This factor had similar biological and chemical properties to HGF purified from rat platelets. Moreover, the N-terminal amino acid sequence of its 34-kDa subunit was identical to that of the small subunit of rat HGF. These findings indicate that the HGF-like factor in damaged liver of CCl4-treated rats is HGF and that liver itself can produce HGF when injured.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1981

Fluorescence polarization study on the increase of membrane fluidity of human erythrocyte ghosts induced by synthetic water-soluble polymers.

The effect of water-soluble polymers on the membrane fluidity of human erythrocyte ghosts was investigated and was compared with that of concanavalin A by means of the fluorescence polarization technique. 8-Anilino-1-naphthalene sulfonic acid sodium salt and 1,6-diphenyl-1,3,5-hexatriene were used as probe molecules. The membrane fluidity was increased by the addition of polycations with concentrations of less than 2 x 10(-3) wt% 60 min after mixing. The fluidity changes were affected by the chemical structure (hydrophobicity, charge density, etc.) of polycations. Thus, the membrane fluidity increased markedly with increasing charge density on the chain backbone of polycations. On the other hand, nonionic polymers such as poly(ethylene glycol) and poly(N-vinyl-2-pyrrolidone) changed the membrane fluidity in a biphasic manner. That is, the fluidity of human erythrocyte ghost was temporarily increased and then decrease. For example, 20 wt.% of poly(ethylene glycol) gave a maximum fluidity 15 min after mixing with erythrocyte ghosts. A similar fluidity change was observed by adding concanavalin A. Such fluidity changes were not observed when lipid bilayer vesicles were used instead of cell membranes. These results suggested that the increase of membrane fluidity resulted from the intramembraneous aggregation of membrane-bound proteins which was induced by the added polymers. Cell agglutination was also induced by the addition of a large amount of polymers. This agglutination was considered to be due to the intermembraneous aggregation of membrane-bound proteins.

Concanavalin A↗
PubMed1979

Syntheses and antiinflammatory actions of 4,5,6,7-tetrahydroindazole-5-carboxylic acids.

A novel series of 1-aryl-4,5,6,7-tetrahydro-1H-indazole-5-carboxylic acids and 2-aryl-4,5,6,7-tetrahydro-2H-indazole-5-carboxylic acids were synthesized via condensation between a phenylhydrazine and a 2-(hydroxymethylene)cyclohexanone-4-carboxylate, and the antiinflammatory activity was determined. In the carrageenan edema test, 1-aryl-4,5,6,7-tetrahydro-1H-indazole-5-carboxylic acids exhibited fairly high antiinflammatory activity. However, the 2-aryl isomers were far less active than the former. The most active compound of the series was 1-phenyl-4,5,6,7-tetrahydro-1H-indazole-5-carboxylic acid, which had an ED50 value of 3.5 mg/kg.

Analgesics↗
PubMedDate not supplied

MR diffusion imaging in Pelizaeus-Merzbacher disease.

A case of classical type Pelizaeus-Merzbacher disease was reported. This patient exhibited marked motor and mental developmental delay, and nystagmus, with a positive familial history. Electrophysiological studies, such as on brainstem auditory evoked potentials, blink reflex and somatosensory evoked potentials, suggested marked disturbance of nerve conduction in CNS. T2-weighted magnetic resonance (MR) images revealed non-progressive diffuse T2 prolongation of cerebral white matter after a 2-year interval, indicating congenital hypomyelination in CNS. A newly developed magnetic resonance diffusion imaging method demonstrated the existence of diffusional anisotropy in the corpus callosum, internal capsule, and white matter of the frontal lobe. Although the diffusional anisotropy was considered to depend on the well-developed multiple layers of myelin around the axons, the imaging data of this patient demonstrated that the diffusional anisotropy did not necessarily depend on those multiple layers. These results may indicate the potential usefulness of MR diffusion imaging, combined with electrophysiological studies and conventional MR imaging, for analyzing the lesions of the cerebral white matter.

Anisotropy↗