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Biomedical subjects

Noboru Goto

Publications and source records attributed to Noboru Goto.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2006

Development of the human magnocellular red nucleus: a morphological study.

The development of the human magnocellular red nucleus (RNm) was studied in 20 fetuses at 12-39 weeks of gestation (WG). With microscopic observation on serial sections of the brain, we measured the profile area of a neuronal cell body. At 12WG, several islands of immature cells of the RNm appeared dorsal to the parvocellular red nucleus (RNp). At 16WG, the RNm was detected ventral to the RNp as a cluster of semilunar shape, consisting of basophilic neurons of various sizes. During 18-23WG, the neurons were dispersed dorsal to the RNp. They were isolated or aggregated as small clusters among the myelinated oculomotor nerve roots. Twenty-eight WG onwards, the neurons were widely distributed ventrolateral to the superior cerebellar peduncle and around the caudal pole of the RNp. Measurement of the profile area revealed that the average size of overall neurons increased almost linearly with the gestational age, and that two populations (large and small neurons) were clearly distinguished on the histogram from 33WG onwards. The relative position of the RNm to the RNp may vary among the individuals, especially in earlier fetal stage. This study suggests that the differentiation and maturation of neuronal cytoarchitecture of the RNm may gradually and monotonously progress during the later half of gestation.

Age Factors↗
PubMed2006

Morphometric evaluations of the human nervous system.

It is very important to evaluate and accurately understand the various conditions of the human nervous system. In this review article, we introduce several morphometric reports that are proven to be accurate from the view point of various errors (range of tissue shrinkage ratios, microscopic multiple counting, artifacts of microscopic structures, etc.). We review the following aspects of the selected reports: methodology, developmental research, neuronal differences, gender differences, aging process and miscellaneous (nerve fibers, unmyelinated fibers, in relation to neuropathology, clinical image-analysis and immunohistochemistry).

Aging↗
PubMed2006

Morphometric development of the posterior funicular nucleus in the human medulla oblongata.

Using serial sections of 11 human brains of fetuses 18-40 weeks of gestation (WG), 2-month-old infant and 63-year-old adult, we conducted the quantitative analysis of the development of the posterior funicular nucleus (PFN) in the medulla oblongata. The results suggest the following: (1) The cells of the human cuneatus lateralis nucleus are easily distinguished from those of the gracilis nucleus and cuneatus medialis nucleus because the neuronal somatic areas are the largest; the smallest neuronal areas are in the cuneatus medialis nucleus. (2) The development of the PFN occurs at least in four stages characterized by the degree of maturation of the neurons: (a) immature neuronal stage before 20 WG, (b) preparatory stage between (a) and (c), (c) accelerated development stage from 30 to 40 WG, and (d) postnatal stage. The development of the human posterior funicular nucleus accelerates after 30 WG, and postnatal qualitative maturation also occurs. Developmental differences of the three nuclei of the PFN in the medulla oblongata are presented and discussed from the morphological and morphometric point of view.

Humans↗
PubMed2005

A morphological comparison of cervical spondylotic myelopathy: MRI and dissection findings.

The number of people with functional disabilities has been increasing with the rapid changes of age structure in the overall population. One of the major causes of disturbances in daily activities is cervical spondylotic myelopathy (CSM). The transverse area and sagittal diameter of the spinal cord measured by MRI is reported to correlate with the clinical manifestations of CSM, the duration of the disease, and the speed of recovery after surgery in patients with CSM. The purpose of this research is to determine the morphological characteristics of CSM as seen in MRI findings including the spinal cord sagittal diameter, transverse diameter, transverse area and flatness ratio. Twenty-eight of several patients with CSM were treated conservatively after carrying out measurements by MRI. In addition, anatomical studies were carried out on the spinal cords after anatomical dissection of the vertebral column in seven cadavers with CSM. These results, when compared with the morphological analysis of the cervical spinal cord, show that there is a correlation between the transverse areas at C4, C5 and C6 levels, as those at every level of the cervical transverse areas of tissue sections in the dissection cadavers were 10-18% smaller than those in the MRI patients. These results should be taken into account for the treatment of CSM patients.

Aged↗
PubMed2005

Aging process of myelinated nerve fibers in the human Lissauer tract.

We calculated numbers and axonal areas of myelinated nerve fibers in the Lissauer tract of the human lumbar spinal cord (L1) from the viewpoint of the aging process. We examined 20 human spinal cords from 13 males and 7 females, age ranging from 41 to 88 years old. We found that, although the number of nerve fibers showed no significant change in relation to the age of the subject, the axonal area of myelinated nerve fiber in the Lissauer tract did decrease with age.

Adult↗
PubMed2005

Morphometric difference in the human maxillary nerve fibers between dentulous and edentulous jaw subjects.

This study was conducted to quantify the change in the number and size of myelinated nerve fibers of the maxillary nerve with tooth loss in humans. We carried out a morphometric analysis to compare the number and size of myelinated nerve fibers in the human maxillary nerve between four dentulous and four edentulous jaw cases. Our results indicated that the number of axons decreased by approximately 13,000 with tooth loss. The average size of axons remained unchanged, but there was a change in the fiber size distribution, namely the loss of a large number of small-sized axons was accompanied by the total disappearance of small number of large-sized axons.

Aged↗
PubMed2005

Morphometric comparison of human nerve cells: special sensory system.

We compared morphometric data on various nerve cells in the human special sensory system using the modified Klüver-Barrera staining method with an extremely minimized shrinkage ratio and an image-analyzer. According to the measurement data of cell-body sizes, we classified nerve cells of the various nerve nuclei in the special sensory system into three groups. These data are of interest to better understand the process of nerve conduction in the special sensory system.

Afferent Pathways↗
PubMed2005

Morphometric comparison of human nerve cells: pyramidal motor system.

We compared morphological and morphometric data on various motor neurons in the human pyramidal system using the modified Klüver-Barrera staining method with extremely minimized shrinkage ratio and an image-analyzer. We classified motor neurons in the human pyramidal system into three groups according to the measurement data. This report may be of interest to better understand the process of nerve conduction in the human pyramidal system.

Female↗
PubMed2005

Morphometric evaluation of posterior funiculus nerve fibers in relation to aging.

We morphologically evaluated the size of axons in the posterior funiculus in different age groups and examined the changes due to aging. In the past, such studies have been conducted at the cervical spinal cord (C6) level, and a decrease in the size and number of axons due to aging has been noted. The current study was conducted at the lower lumbar spinal cord (L2) level.

Aged↗
PubMed2005

Morphometric comparison of human spinal cord anterior horn cells between the cervical and lumbar levels.

Morphometric comparisons of anterior horn cells (AHCs) were conducted between cervical and lumbar spinal cords in 29 cadavers. The sizes of the AHCs were always larger at the lumbar level than at cervical level irrespective of the age of the spicemens, but a decrease in size with age was observed at both levels. The correlation coefficient shows a larger decrease in numbers and volumes at lumbar level than at cervical level.

Adult↗
PubMed2005

Morphometric evaluation of the human tractus solitarius.

We measured the cross-sectional area (CSA) of the human tractus solitarius (HTS) with the help of an image-analyzer system on a cross section of the upper part of the medulla oblongata in 44 Japanese cadavers (22 males and 22 females) and examined the relationship between age, sex and whether the subjects were dentulous or edentulous. The results showed no significant differences between the left and right sides of the HTS in either male or female subjects. However, the size of HTS decreased slightly with age in males but not at all in females, whereas tooth loss had a definite incidence on the size of HTS in females but not in male, as the CSA was smaller in edentulous females but not in edentulous males. This would tend to indicate that a decreases in taste function is connected with the aging process in male, and with tooth loss in females.

Age Factors↗
PubMed2004

Effect of pituitary adenylate cyclase-activating polypeptide 38 (PACAP38) on tissue oxygen content--treatment in central nervous system of mice.

It has been reported that pituitary adenylate cyclase-activating polypeptide (PACAP) plays an important role in preventing neuronal cell death and is also a potent vasodilator. Cerebral hypotension and hypoperfusion during cerebral ischemia and neurodegenerative diseases are well known as some of the negative factors which aggravate neuronal cell death. Nevertheless, the effect of PACAP on the cerebral circulation was not understood well. Therefore, in the present study, we determined the mean arterial blood pressure (MBP), regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF) and cerebral oxygen content (pO2) in mice, and estimated the therapeutically useful doses of PACAP. Under barbiturate anesthesia, polyethylene tubes were inserted into mice to monitor MBP and to administer PACAP (5 x 10(-13)-5 x 10(-8) mol/kg) or vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP; 5 x 10(-12) and 5 x 10(-9) mol/kg). Then, MBP, rCBF and cerebral pO2 were simultaneously measured in the mice. PACAP (5 x 10(-10)-5 x 10(-9) mol/kg) injections transiently decreased MBP, and cerebral pO2. PACAP (5 x 10(-8) mol/kg) injections produced a long-lasting potent decline of MBP, rCBF and cerebral pO2. Therefore, PACAP should be applied at low doses which do not influence the MBP and cerebral circulation to determine the therapeutically useful doses of PACAP for neuroprotection.

Animals↗
PubMed2004

Development of the human cuneatus medialis nucleus: a morphometric evaluation.

The morphometric features of the development of the human cuneatus medialis nucleus (CMN) were examined using complete serial celloidin sections of 11 brains: nine fetal brains, the brain of a 2-month-old infant and that of a 63-year-old adult. The morphometric analysis revealed at least four stages in the development of the CMN characterized by the maturation of neurons: (1) immature neuronal stage, (2) preparatory stage, (3) accelerated development stage and (4) postnatal stage. The development of the human CMN accelerates after 32 weeks of gestation (WG), and postnatal qualitative maturation also occurs. From the viewpoint of morphometric evaluation, the CMN gradually matures between 18 and 40 WG without a rapid growth phase as far as we have observed.

Female↗
PubMed2004

Plug-in structures at the lacrimal point.

In order to study the precise structures of the human eyelids, we made serial sections, and found a plug-in structure protruding from the lacrimal caruncle and reaching into the lacrimal point. We will show a photo of this plug-in structure, as we believe it plays an important role in the lacrimal drainage system.

Adult↗
PubMed2003

Suppression of oxidative neuronal damage after transient middle cerebral artery occlusion in mice lacking interleukin-1.

Interleukin-1 (IL-1) contributes to ischemic neurodegeneration. However, the mechanisms regulating action of IL-1 are still poorly understood. In order to clear this central issue, mice that were gene deficient in IL-1alpha and beta (IL-1 KO) and wild-type mice were subjected to 1-h transient middle cerebral artery occlusion (tMCAO). Expression levels of IL-1beta and IL-1 receptor I (IL-1RI) were then examined. Generation of peroxynitrite and the expression of mRNAs for nitric oxide synthase (NOS) subtypes were also determined. Immunostaining for IL-1beta was increased from 6 h and peaked at 24 h after tMCAO in the microglia and macrophage. The immunoreactivities of IL-1RI were increased progressively in the microvasculature and neuron-like cells of the ipsilateral hemisphere. Infarct volumes were significantly lower in IL-1 KO mice compared with wild-type mice 48 h after tMCAO (P<0.01). The immunoreactivities of 3-nitro-L-tyrosine were determined in the neurons and microvasculature 24 h after tMCAO and were significantly decreased in the IL-1 KO mice compared to wild-type mice. In addition, expression levels of NOS mRNA in IL-1 KO mice were lower than that measured in wild-type mice. These results indicate that IL-1 is up-regulated and may play a role in neurodegeneration by peroxynitrite production during ischemia.

Animals↗
PubMed2003

Immunoreactivity to pyruvate dehydrogenase complex-E2 in well-defined patients with autoimmune hepatitis: Western blot analysis.

Anti-mitochondrial antibodies (AMA) are frequently detected in sera from patients with primary biliary cirrhosis (PBC). Major autoantigens for AMA have been identified as members of the 2-oxoacid dehydrogenase enzyme complex family, with pyruvate dehydrogenase complex (PDC)-E2 showing strongest reactivity to AMA in PBC patients. Recently, anti-PDC-E2 has been found in patients with other diseases. Since frequency and significance of anti-PDC-E2 in patients with autoimmune hepatitis (AIH) remain obscure, we measured anti-PDC-E2 in sera from well-defined AIH cases by Western blotting using bovine heart mitochondrial protein and recombinant PDC-E2 protein as antigen sources. All 55 enrolled patients fulfilled the international diagnostic criteria for definite or probable AIH. Anti-PDC-E2 positivity showed concordance between native and recombinant antigens. Anti-PDC-E2 was detected in nine of 55 sera from AIH patients (16%). Variables including alkaline phosphatase (ALP) and IgM concentrations, effects of prednisolone, and pathologic findings concerning bile ducts showed no significant differences between anti-PDC-E2-positive and anti-PDC-E2-negative AIH patients. These data indicate that detection of anti-PDC-E2 is not rare in defined AIH, but anti-PDC-E2-positive AIH does not represent an intermediate entity in a clinical spectrum between AIH and PBC.

Journal Article↗
PubMed2003

The aging of human Meissner's corpuscles as evidenced by parallel sectioning.

We examined cross-sectional areas of Meissner's corpuscles to evaluate the changes in their morphology and density that occur during the aging process. Our study of 10 tissue specimens from the right index finger pulp of 10 males, showed that both the size and the number of Meissner's corpuscles decrease with age. We claim greater accuracy in our data thanks to the use of a new sectioning method, namely parallel sectioning of the skin.

Aged↗