PubMed Health⌕ Search

Biomedical subjects

O Nozaki

Publications and source records attributed to O Nozaki.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

Steroid analysis for medical diagnosis.

Steroid assays are important for medical diagnosis of diseases related to steroid disturbances and abuse. This article reviews the recent progress in analytical methods for steroids in the clinical laboratory. The requirements for these methods are rapid, highly sensitive, specific, direct assay of conjugated steroids, the simultaneous analysis, identification of unknown steroids, and ultra-miniaturization of the separation system.

Endocrine System Diseases↗

A patient with subcutaneous-insulin resistance treated by insulin lispro plus heparin.

Severe resistance to subcutaneous insulin but sensitivity to intravenous insulin persisted for 11 years in a 23-year-old diabetic woman. Several therapeutic trials revealed that (1) intravenous regular insulin improved her metabolic control; (2) continuous subcutaneous infusion (CSII) treatment with regular insulin or insulin lispro caused hyperglycemic period with hypoinsulinemia and hypoglycemic period with hyperinsulinemia alternately; (3) adding heparin to insulin lispro in CSII resulted in dramatic increase of serum insulin level and improvement of glycemic control; and (4) regular insulin plus heparin in CSII could not increase serum insulin level and thus the glycemic values was not improved. From these results, the patient followed the insulin lispro plus heparin protocol and obtained a better glycemic control without any adverse events. Effectiveness of this therapy may lead us to further understanding of pathophysiology of this syndrome.

Administration, Cutaneous↗

Study of the relationship between electrophoretic mobility of the diabetic red blood cell and hemoglobin A1c by using a mini-cell electrophoresis apparatus.

A mini-cell electrophoresis system using capillary tubing (50 microm inner diameter, length ca. 10 mm and volume ca. 20 nL) was applied to measure the electrophoretic mobility of red blood cells of 89 patients with diabetes on single cell level. A significant negative correlation was observed between hemoglobin A1c and the average electrophoretic mobility, with a correlation coefficient of 0.793. By statistically processing the electrophoretic mobility of each single red blood cell, it became clear that the reduction of the average value of electrophoretic mobility was caused by the reduction of the relative frequency of the red blood cell with high mobility. The cause of the average reduction was not the shift of electrophoretic mobility of all red blood cells to the lower mobility.

Diabetes Mellitus↗

Effect of ACE gene on diabetic nephropathy in NIDDM patients with insulin resistance.

We investigated the influence of the angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) gene on the onset and/or progression of diabetic nephropathy in 62 Japanese patients with non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM; type II diabetes). Because a number of factors are believed to be involved in the onset and/or progression of diabetic nephropathy, especially in patients with NIDDM, we selected the patients with well-matched risk factors, duration of disease, glycemic control, blood pressure, and others. All patients had normal renal function and none were receiving ACE inhibitors. Patients were divided into three groups according to albumin excretion rate (AER): group A, patients with an AER less than 15 microg/min (n = 29); group B, patients with an AER between 15 and 70 microg/min (n = 19); and group C, patients with an AER greater than 70 microg/min (n = 14). The glucose disposal rate was estimated using a euglycemic hyperinsulinemic clamp. We determined the mean glucose disposal rate in 132 patients with NIDDM (6.49 mg/kg/min). Patients with a glucose disposal rate less than the mean rate were considered to have a high degree of insulin resistance (n = 36). The presence of an insertion/deletion (I/D) polymorphism of the ACE gene was determined by the polymerase chain reaction method. Among patients with a high degree of insulin resistance, diabetic nephropathy was present in 2 of 11 patients with the II genotype of the ACE gene compared with 19 of 25 patients with the ID or DD genotype (P = 0.0024). The prevalence of diabetic nephropathy was greater in patients with both significant insulin resistance and the D allele (19 of 25) than in the remaining patients (14 of 37; odds ratio, 5.20). These results suggest that the ACE gene influences the onset and/or progression of diabetic nephropathy in patients with NIDDM with significant insulin resistance.

Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2↗

Psychiatric manifestations accompanying interferon therapy for patients with chronic hepatitis C: an overview of cases in Japan.

Thirty case reports published in Japan that refer to psychiatric symptoms accompanying interferon (IFN) therapy were examined. These papers covered a total of 49 cases. We categorized these 49 cases into 35 cases of mood disorder, 10 of delirium and four of psychotic disorder. The key findings of our study of these cases are as follows: (i) in total, 11 patients had psychiatric past histories: five patients in the mood disorders group were susceptible to the influence of social or psychological factors; (ii) whereas the symptoms of mood disorder or delirium appeared soon after IFN was administered, the symptoms of psychotic disorders appeared later. The patients with delirium displayed many neurological abnormalities, which were reduced by suspending IFN therapy. This suggests the neurological toxicity of IFN; (iii) the outcome of most patients was good; and (iv) we suspect that IFN-induced psychiatric symptoms other than delirium are connected with psychoneuroimmunological functions.

Delirium↗

Detection of an amino acid polymorphism in hormone-sensitive lipase in Japanese subjects.

Hormone-sensitive lipase (HSL) plays an important role in energy metabolism by controlling the hydrolysis of triglycerides stored in adipose tissue. To investigate whether mutations in the HSL gene are associated with non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM), we screened for mutations of this gene using single-stranded conformation polymorphism (SSCP) in 35 Japanese subjects with NIDDM. SSCP analysis identified a variant pattern in axon 4, and the sequence showed that this variant pattern resulted from amino acid polymorphism (Arg309Cys). Subsequent study showed that this polymorphism was found in 18 of 151 NIDDM patients and 10 of 97 nondiabetic subjects, but allele frequency was not significantly different between the two groups (P = .7). Body mass index, serum triglyceride, and high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol were not different in subjects with and without the polymorphism. But serum total cholesterol was higher in subjects with the polymorphism than in subjects without it (P = .0005). These data indicate that this HSL polymorphism is not associated with NIDDM, obesity, and serum triglyceride level. However, an effect of the polymorphism to elevate serum total cholesterol has not been excluded, although further study is necessary to resolve its association with cholesterol metabolism.

Alleles↗

Preparation of corn peptide from corn gluten meal and its administration effect on alcohol metabolism in stroke-prone spontaneously hypertensive rats.

Corn peptide (CP) was prepared from corn gluten meal by proteolysis with alkaline protease from alkalophilic Bacillus A-7. Free amino acids were not found in the CP product. Gel filtration on a Shodex OH-packed column revealed that the molecular weight distribution of the CP was less than about 2,000, characteristic of dipeptides to decapeptides, i.e. oligopeptides. The amino acid pattern of CP was similar to that of corn gluten meal, which was rich in alanine and branched-chain amino acids, but poor in basic amino acids. The effect of the CP administration on alcohol metabolism was examined with SHR-SP, which were given ethanol orally through a gastric tube at the rate of 1.0 g/kg. Prior administration of CP at 1.0 g/kg resulted in fast disappearance of ethanol and its oxidative product acetaldehyde from the blood relative to the control without administration. Hence, it is suggested that CP, rather than its constituent amino acids such as alanine and proline, effectively takes part in enhancing the metabolism of ethanol as well as acetaldehyde.

Acetaldehyde↗

Effect of long-term 'corn peptide' ingestion on alcohol metabolism in stroke-prone spontaneously hypertensive rats with alcohol loading.

The effect of long-term 'corn peptide (CP)' ingestion on alcohol metabolism was investigated in stroke-prone spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR-SP) with alcohol loading. Long-term CP ingestion in the EtOH/CP group did not significantly increase plasma GOT and GPT activities but markedly increased hepatic ADH and ALDH activities. Intragastric CP administration prior to a dose of 1.0 g/kg ethanol significantly lowered the blood ethanol concentration in SHR-SP which had been loaded with ethanol for a long time. Compared with non-loaded SHR-SP (control group), the rats loaded for a long time with ethanol (EtOH group) showed high concentrations of taurine, glycine and histidine in the plasma. The plasma threonine and proline concentrations were significantly elevated by long-term CP ingestion (EtOH/CP group), but the plasma alanine concentration was rather decreased. These results suggest that short- or long-term CP ingestion may enhance the alcohol metabolism within the body because of an increase in ADH and ALDH activities as well as the alleviation of alcohol-related hepatic injury.

Acetaldehyde↗

Immunohistochemical study of human advanced glycosylation end-products (AGE) in chronic renal failure.

In patients with diabetic renal failure plasma advanced glycosylation end-products (AGE) levels are reported to be elevated and dialyzer of continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis (CAPD) is usually used with a high glucose concentration. Here, an immunohistochemical study on human AGE accumulation in vascular beds and peritonea of patients with chronic renal failure (CRF) or those on CAPD was undertaken. Further, the influence of aging was studied using AGE-specific monoclonal antibody. 1. AGE accumulation was observed in radial arterial walls (from vascular intima to smooth muscle layer) of diabetic patients with CRF. Even in some non-diabetic patients with CRF (n = 3/6), especially in those with a long history of CRF and dialysis treatment, similar positive staining was seen in vascular walls. No AGE staining was observed in any renal tissue of age-matched control subjects including tissue from patients with acute renal failure. 2. Although AGE accumulation was not seen in the peritonea of CRF patients with no prior CAPD therapy, it was seen in the mesothelial layers and in adjacent coarse connective tissues of peritonea from patients on CAPD (n = 6), even from as early as only 3 months of CAPD therapy. 3. AGE accumulation was observed in the vascular bed of the non-diabetic aged kidney with normal function, but not in that of the young kidney. Thus, AGE accumulation in the vascular bed may depend on the degree and term of renal impairment and on aging in addition to diabetes. AGE accumulation in the peritonea became positive following CAPD treatment, indicating that it might affect the efficiency of CAPD.

Adult↗

A glycine-1008 to valine mutation in the insulin receptor in a woman with type A insulin resistance.

We examined the insulin receptor gene in a Japanese woman with type A insulin resistance. Acanthosis nigricans and polycystic ovary were present. A 75-g oral glucose tolerance test showed a diabetic pattern, and fasting insulinemia was 780 pmol/L. Insulin binding was normal, but autophosphorylation and tyrosine kinase activity were reduced in partially purified insulin receptors from Epstein-Barr virus-transformed lymphocytes. The nucleotide sequence for all 22 exons of the insulin receptor gene was determined by direct sequencing of genomic DNA amplified with the polymerase chain reaction. Substitution of valine for glycine at codon 1008 in the tyrosine kinase domain was identified in one allele. This was the same mutation found in another patient, but there was no relationship between the two families. The father had the same mutation in one allele and impaired glucose tolerance with mild hyperinsulinemia, but the mother and two brothers had normal glucose tolerance. We conclude that a single mutant allele in the tyrosine kinase domain caused the insulin resistance.

Adult↗

Applications of a microfabricated device for evaluating sperm function.

Mesoscale structures (microns dimensions, nL-pL volumes) have been designed and fabricated in silicon for use in various analytical tasks. We studied sperm motility and performed sperm selection in channels (80 microns wide x 20 microns deep), branching structures (40 microns wide x 20 microns deep, eight bifurcations), and channels containing barriers (7 microns feature size). Sperm-cervical mucus and sperm-hyaluronic acid interactions were assessed by using appropriate microchannel-chamber structures filled with either cervical mucus or hyaluronic acid. Simultaneous assessment of the potency of different spermicides (e.g., nonoxynol-9, C13G) and spermicide concentrations was achieved with structures comprising chambers containing spermicide connected via channels to a central chamber into which semen was introduced. Semen was also tested for the presence of sperm-specific antibodies by using microchannels filled with human anti-IgG antibody-coated microbeads.

Humans↗

Abnormal messenger ribonucleic acid (mRNA) transcribed from a mutant insulin receptor gene in a patient with type A insulin resistance.

In a previous report on a 16-year-old Japanese girl with type A insulin resistance, we found that one allele of the insulin receptor gene was inherited from her mother and contained a 1.2 kilobase pair deletion which removed the 14th exon in the beta subunit. We extended investigation of the proband and found the deletion between two Alu sequences. To determine the effect of the deletion on the level of transcription and the splicing pattern of messenger ribonucleic acid (mRNA), we synthesized the complimentary DNA and used the polymerase chain reaction to amplify the region which included the deleted area. The deletion shifted the reading frame, resulting in a termination codon after amino acid 867 (Glu), thereby producing a truncated insulin receptor without a transmembrane region and cytoplasmic domain. We also sequenced each of 22 exons of the insulin receptor gene but found no mutation in exons of the insulin receptor gene, except for deletion of exon 14 of the maternal allele. Thus, the proband is a heterozygote for a single mutant allele. Abnormal mRNA transcribed from the mutant allele resulted in a decrease in insulin binding.

Adolescent↗

Unusual cutaneous lesions associated with chronic myelomonocytic leukaemia.

A 69-year-old man presented with unusual nodular cutaneous lesions of 3 years duration predominantly involving the chest, upper back and scalp. Histopathological changes in biopsy specimens from affected skin resembled those seen with granuloma annulare even though there was a lack of epithelioid cells. Based on the sluggish course of the condition, leukocytosis with monocytosis in peripheral blood and the findings on electron microscopic examination of peripheral blood cells, he was diagnosed as having chronic myelomonocytic leukaemia (CMMoL). At lower magnification under the electron microscope, the nodular skin lesions showed pleomorphic cell features with monocytes and histiocytic cells of abnormal appearance. The skin lesions were thus considered to be an unusual type of leukaemia cutis.

Aged↗