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Biomedical subjects

N Yoshii

Publications and source records attributed to N Yoshii.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

Transcripts of the human herpesvirus 8 genome in skin lesions and peripheral blood mononuclear cells of a patient with classic Kaposi's sarcoma.

We report a 75-year-old Japanese woman with classic Kaposi's sarcoma. PCR amplified human herpesvirus 8 (HHV-8) DNA sequences from her skin lesions and peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC), but not her plasma, saliva or urine. An antibody test against HHV-8 lytic antigens was positive. Immunohistochemical staining detected latent antigen. There was no evidence of HHV-8 infection in her husband, sister or daughter. Genes coding for HHV-8-encoded viral interleukin-6, viral macrophage inflammatory protein I, viral G protein-coupled receptor, viral cyclin D and viral Bcl-2 were expressed to the same degree in both her skin lesion and PBMC. Latency-associated T0.7 mRNA and HHV-8-encoded viral tegument protein genes were expressed in her PBMC at levels lower than in the skin lesions. Based on the gene expression profile, we concluded that lytic HHV-8 infection was present in her skin lesions and PBMC.

Aged↗

Improvement of adult Still's disease with granulocyte and monocyte adsorption apheresis.

Adult Still's disease is characterized by a high spiking fever, transient skin rash, and polyarthralgia. Joint pain is one of the major complaints and is often intractable. We assessed the efficacy of granulocyte and monocyte adsorption apheresis (GCAP) therapy for treating arthralgia in adult Still's disease. A 33-year-old woman with adult Still's disease who suffered from recalcitrant arthralgia resistant to systemic corticosteroids was treated with GCAP therapy. She underwent five GCAP treatments at 5-day intervals. Her joint pain responded dramatically to the GCAP therapy, suggesting that GCAP may be useful for treating adult Still's disease. We present a detailed description of the patient and this novel therapy.

Adult↗

Efficacy of topical tacrolimus for treating the malar rash of systemic lupus erythematosus.

The rash of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is usually treated with topical corticosteroids, but prolonged use causes adverse cutaneous side-effects. We assessed the efficacy of topical tacrolimus for treating the skin lesions of SLE. Three patients with SLE affecting their facial skin applied 0.1% tacrolimus ointment on one side of their face twice daily for 3 weeks, in conjunction with a sunscreen cream. After 3 weeks, erythema on the treated side was ameliorated in all three patients compared with the untreated side. Although the study is preliminary, the results demonstrate that topical tacrolimus may be useful for treating the malar rash of SLE.

Adult↗

A new case of alpha-N-acetylgalactosaminidase deficiency with angiokeratoma corporis diffusum, with Ménière's syndrome and without mental retardation.

alpha-N-acetylgalactosaminidase (alpha-NAGA) deficiency is a rare hereditary lysosomal storage disease, and only three alpha-NAGA-deficient patients with angiokeratoma corporis diffusum (Kanzaki) have been described. We report a further case in a 47-year-old Japanese woman, the product of a consanguineous marriage. The remarkable findings in this patient were her normal intelligence, Ménière's syndrome, disturbance of peripheral sensory nerves, hearing loss and cardiac hypertrophy. alpha-NAGA enzyme activity in her plasma was 0.77% of the normal value. Other enzyme activities, such as alpha-galactosidase, beta-galactosidase, alpha-L-fucosidase, beta-mannosidase and aspartylglucosaminidase, were within normal limits. A large quantity of amino acid O-glycans was detected in her urine. Gene analysis revealed a novel point mutation (G-->A transition) at nucleotide 11018 (986 in the cDNA) resulting in an Arg-329-Gln substitution. Kanzaki disease has the same enzyme defect as Schindler disease, but the manifestations are quite different.

Fabry Disease↗

Cyclopropenone-containing cysteine proteinase inhibitors. Synthesis and enzyme inhibitory activities.

By focusing on the amphiphilic properties of cyclopropenone (e.g. a good electrophile and a precursor for a stable 2pi-aromatic hydroxycyclopropenium cation), a new class of cysteine proteinase inhibitors containing a cyclopropenone moiety was designed. For the purpose of the present research, we needed to devise a new method to introduce a peptide-related moiety as a substituent on the cyclopropenone residue. We investigated the reaction of metalated cyclopropenone acetal derivatives (2, R2 = metal) with N-protected alpha-aminoaldehydes 4 to obtain the adduct 5, and succeeded in the preparation of highly potentiated cysteine proteinase inhibitors 8 after several steps transformations. They showed strong inhibitory activities only to cysteine proteinases such as calpain, papain, cathepsin B, and cathepsin L and not to serine (e.g. thrombin and cathepsin G) and aspartic proteinases (e.g. cathepsin D). Kinetic studies indicated that they are competitive inhibitors, and by the examinations of their inhibitory mechanism it became clear that they are reversible inhibitors.

Calpain↗

Demonstration of focal brain ischemia induced by hyperventilation using Tc-99m HMPAO SPECT.

A case with vasospasm of the right anterior cerebral artery induced by hyperventilation is presented. Consecutive Tc-99m HMPAO brain SPECT studies at rest and during hyperventilation greatly contributed to the quantitative evaluation of focal perfusion decrease in conjunction with contrast angiography. This technique seems to be useful for the detection of alterations in regional brain perfusion during short duration intervention.

Adult↗

Inhibitory effect of MY-1250 on histamine release from rat peritoneal mast cells and guinea pig lung fragments: the elucidation of the mechanism.

When the effect of MY-1250 (5,6-dihydro-7,8-dimethyl-4,5-dioxo-4 H-pyrano [3,2-c] quinoline-2-carboxylic acid) on histamine release from rat peritoneal mast cells induced by compound 48/80 was studied, MY-1250 caused a significant inhibition of histamine release at concentrations higher than 3 microM. Furthermore, the compound inhibited not only 45C a uptake into the mast cells but also Ca2+ release from the intracellular Ca store at a concentration of 10 microM in both cases. By contrast, MY-1250 did not affect either histamine release from permeabilized mast cells induced by TPA, IP3 and GTP gamma S or Ca2+ release from the endoplasmic reticulum induced by IP3. In the chopped lung preparations, MY-1250 at doses of 10 and 100 microM caused a significant inhibition in histamine release from the pieces of actively sensitized guinea pigs exposed to antigen and simultaneously prevented a decrease in intracellular cAMP contents taking place in association with antigen-antibody reaction. No significant changes were effected by MY-1250 in alpha-chymotrypsin activity and phospholipase A2 activity. Also, no antagonistic effects on LTD4 and PAF were observed.

Animals↗

Conditioned responses in the visual cortex of dogs. I. During wakefulness.

Repetitive electrical stimulation or double shocks of the optic chiasm were used as cue stimuli for alimentary lever-press in dogs. Changes in evoked potentials recorded from the visual cortex were examined by using 'matrix' and component analysis. Peak-to-peak amplitude of components 4 and 5 (C4-5) increased preceding initiation of the lever-press, whereas component 1 or 2 remained unchanged. The enhancement of C4-5 amplitude was suppressed during extinction and reappeared during the reacquisition phase. Possible artifacts and relation between enhancement of EP and lever-press behavior were discussed. The results demonstrate that the enhancement of C4-5 amplitude before the lever-press initiation is the conditioned response in the central nervous system.

Animals↗

Conditioned responses in the visual cortex of dogs. II. During sleep.

Repetitive electrical stimulation of the optic chiasm was used as a cue stimulus for alimentary conditioned lever-press in dogs. During sleep after conditioning, the cue was presented to test whether the conditioned response (CR) can be emitted during sleep and whether CR in visual cortex (VC) is due to change in excitability in VC. Though level-press behavior never occurred without accompanying EEG arousal responses, rate of occurrence periods of EMG (percent EMG) and rate of EMG in the lever-press forelimb increased in the conditioned animals. Amplitudes of components 4 and 5 of the evoked potential in VC enhanced during both slow-wave (SS) and fast-wave sleep (FS) with similar time course as in wakefulness. In addition, correlation between latency of the EMG and of maximum enhancement of the amplitudes which was obtained during wakefulness remained during these sleep stages. Enhancement of the amplitudes was greater during sleep than during wakefulness; no significant difference was found between SS and FS. These results support the hypothesis that the CR in VC is attributed to excitability change and suggest that CR, in the peripheral and central level, can be emitted during SS and FS periods in dogs.

Animals↗

[Studies on recurrence of cerebral aneurysm after operation].

It seems to be well established that the direct surgical treatment of intracranial aneurysm such as clipping, trapping and wrapping the aneurysm. These operations have brought about excellent results but are not perfect because recurrent aneurysm and rebleeding of aneurysm have been reported shortly after the operation. However, it is very rare that subarachnoid hemorrhage arising from recurrent aneurysm long time after the operation, authors have experienced 3 cases of recurrent aneurysm in the same region long after the surgery. Two cases were readmitted to our hospital following repeat episode of subarachnoid hemorrhage. Carotid angiogram showed a new small aneurysm locating about the same place where previously operated aneurysm was situated. One of them showed development of new aneurysm at the anterior communicating after 4 years artery the neck clipping, the other one was recurrent aneurysm 9 years after the neck clipping of aneurysm at the anterior communicating artery. Two cases were treated by reclipping and got well. It has been reported in the articles that 20 cases of recurrent aneurysm were located about the same place where previously clipping aneurysm was performed. Causes of such recurrence of already clipped aneurysm could be divided into two groups. First group was considered that the treatment was unsatisfactory, because the clip had been improperly placed. The other group was considered as mechanical failure of aneurysmal clip that resulted in "slipped out," or "broken clip", and local fragility of the arterial wall adjacent to clip edge. Last case had a giant pseudoaneurysm.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Aged↗

Ambiguus motoneurons discharging closely associated with ultrasonic vocalization in rats.

Unitary discharges closely associated with ultrasound were recorded from the nucleus ambiguus (NA) and adjacent medullary regions in rats. Two main types of units were distinguished: one firing in tonic bursts against little or no background activity prior to ultrasound emission, and the other remaining silent during ultrasound. Tonic burst units in NA are considered as motoneurons which are essential for ultrasound vocalization since lesions including NA completely abolished its production.

Animals↗

Identification of ultrasonic vocalization substrates determined by electrical stimulation applied to the medulla oblongata in the rat.

The aim of the present investigation was to identify the neural structures, within the rat medulla, that are responsible for rodent ultrasound production. Sound producing substrates were found to be located in the reticular formation and some cranial nerve nuclei as well as several other nuclei situated in the lateral and dorsomedial portions of the medulla. To estimate the degree of involvement in the generation of ultrasound signals, the sound response latencies were measured for each structure. The lateral reticular nucleus and the facial nucleus showed latencies that were significantly shorter than those for other nuclei, and they were assumed to have a primary part in rodent ultrasound production. Audible sounds of considerably longer latencies were produced exclusively by stimulation of the trigeminal spinal tract nucleus. No ultrasounds could be obtained in this region. These results were discussed in terms of innervations of the facial and laryngeal musculature by the specific neural structures. Present results were also discussed with reference to the roles of the bulbar monoaminergic neurons projecting to the spinal cord and the role of ascending nociceptive pathways.

Animals↗

The midbrain central gray substance as a highly sensitive neural structure for the production of ultrasonic vocalization in the rat.

To test whether there were any functional differences between the central gray substance (PVG) and other neural structures for the production of ultrasonic vocalization in the rat, an electrical stimulation experiment was systematically undertaken in diencephalic and mesencephalic tegmental regions. The sound production sensitivity to electrical stimulation was the highest in PVG. This suggested that the periventricular fiber system of Schütz's bundle might be a possible neural structure underlying sound emission in the rat.

Animals↗