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Biomedical subjects

S Suzuki

Publications and source records attributed to S Suzuki.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

[The mechanism of glucose intolerance in patients with Graves' disease].

To investigate the mechanism of glucose intolerance in patients with Graves' disease, a 2-hour oral glucose tolerance test and euglycemic glucose clamp study using Biostator were performed in patients with Graves' disease and control subjects. 80 per cent of the patients showed impaired glucose tolerance. Insulinogenic index in the patients with borderline or diabetic glucose response was lower than that in subjects with normal glucose response. Insulinogenic index was inversely correlated with sigma PG during the test. Despite normal basal plasma glucose concentrations, basal plasma insulin levels in the patients with Graves' disease were higher than in the controls. Using the euglycemic glucose clamp technique, the glucose utilization rate (M value), the metabolic clearance rate of glucose (MCRG) and the insulin sensitivity index (M/I x 100) in the patients with Graves' disease were lower than in the controls. After treatment with antithyroid drug in 3 patients, glucose tolerance completely normalized, and there was a significant increase in the M value and the MCRG and a significant decrease in the metabolic clearance rate of insulin (MCRI) compared to the values before treatment. In the patients with Graves' disease, basal serum glucagon levels were higher than in the controls, and glucagon suppression during insulin infusion was found to be decreased. From these data, it is concluded that the decrease in glucose tolerance in patients with Graves' disease can be explained by 1) the impairment of early insulin release response to rapid intestinal glucose absorption, 2) increased insulin metabolic clearance and 3) hyperglucagonemia.

Adult

Role of colony-stimulating factor-1 in macrophage activation in tumor-bearing mice.

We previously reported a dramatically increased number of macrophages in tumor-bearing mice. In this study, we investigated the involvement of CSF in that phenomenon. CSF-1 responding cells as macrophages precursors increased significantly in number in the spleens of tumor-bearing mice as compared with those in normal mice. Splenic cells and sera from the tumor-bearing mice respectively expressed CSF-1 in mRNA and serum protein levels, but failed to express the other CSF (granulocyte-macrophage-CSF or IL-3). Nonadherent splenic mononuclear cells (< 0.5% macrophages) from normal mice proliferated and differentiated into mature macrophages in culture within 7 days with recombinant mouse CSF-1 (rCSF-1). Both macrophages harvested from tumor-bearing mice and those activated in vitro with rCSF-1 expressed mostly Mac-1, -2 (and -3) Ag, showed yeast phagocytosis, produced IL-1 but not IL-2 or IL-3, and displayed potent cytotoxicity against NK cell resistant Meth-A tumor cells. These macrophages also expressed lipocortin I mRNA and secreted lipocortin I protein, and suppressed mitogenic responses of splenic lymphocytes. rCSF-1-activated macrophages derived from nonadherent splenic cells expressed both CSF-1 and CSF-1 receptor (c-fms) mRNA. Administration of rCSF-1 into normal mice induced hemopoietic and immunologic alternations similar to those observed in tumor-bearing mice. These results suggest that CSF-1 is involved in the dramatic increase of macrophages in tumor-bearing mice, possibly through an autocrine or paracrine loop.

Animals

Inhibition of active oxygen generation by dipyridamole in human polymorphonuclear leukocytes.

The effect of dipyridamole on active oxygen generation by human polymorphonuclear leukocytes (PMN) was investigated. Dipyridamole inhibited the production of oxidative metabolites from human PMN stimulated by opsonized zymosan and formyl-methionyl-leucyl-phenylalanine dose and time dependently. To determine whether dipyridamole directly inhibits the production of oxygen metabolites by human PMN, human PMN were preincubated with dipyridamole washed prior to stimulation. Dipyridamole was found to directly inhibit human PMN from generated active oxygen metabolites at therapeutic concentrations. Dipyridamole may possibly be a potential scavenger of active oxygen metabolites since it inhibited active oxygen metabolite production from human PMN very rapidly. Dipyridamole was also found to directly affect the scavenging of active oxygen metabolites generated by opsonized zymosan-stimulated human PMN at therapeutic concentrations. This action of dipyridamole was also noted to be exerted against hydroxyl radicals and superoxide anions produced biochemically by an electron spin resonance spectrometer. It thus follows that dipyridamole may inhibit human PMN active oxygen metabolite generation and affect directly the scavenging of active oxygen metabolites at therapeutic concentrations.

Dipyridamole

Inhibitory effects of pectic substances on activated hyaluronidase and histamine release from mast cells.

In this paper, we report the effect of pectic substances and D-galacturonic acid, the main constituent of pectic substances, on activated hyaluronidase and histamine release from mast cells. Although D-galacturonic acid itself showed no inhibition, IC50 values of hyaluronidase inhibition were correlated with the D-galacturonic-acid content of pectic substances. It was thought that the polymerization of D-galacturonic acid was necessary for inhibition of activated hyaluronidase. This type of inhibition was suggested to be non-competitive by the Lineweaver-Burk plot. Furthermore, pectic substances, including those purified from Gymnema sylvestre, inhibited histamine release from isolated rat peritoneal mast cells, which had been induced by the antigen. These results suggest that pectic substances may have anti-allergic activities.

Animals

Chemiluminescence in the crude extracts of soybean seedlings. Postulated mechanism on the formation of hydroperoxide intermediates.

It has been reported that weak chemiluminescence (CL) from crude extracts of soybean seedlings is remarkably enhanced with the addition of various aldehydes (Biochim. Biophys. Acta 1058, 209-216). The reactivity of certain emitter(s) with oxygen species was examined in the autoclaved extracts of seedlings. When samples were reduced by the addition of hydrosulfite, two different types of reactivities in CL were defined. One type showed an initial rapid increase and a subsequent fast decay in CL upon mixing with oxygen. This rapid increase in CL intensity was independent of the presence of aldehydes, and was significantly suppressed by SOD. However, the subsequent slow decay phase in CL was dependent on the presence of aldehydes. In the sample reduced more moderately by borohydride, the same slow decay of CL appeared upon mixing with acetaldehyde and oxygen. This second type of CL was not inhibited by active oxygen scavengers. Hydrogen peroxide added to unreduced (oxidized) samples also elicited CL. Three types of primary emitters may be oxidized to form transient hydroperoxide, and excited for light emission by slightly different ways: two of them are excited by abstraction of one atomic oxygen from the hydroperoxy intermediate with aldehyde or hydrogen peroxide, leading to formation of an excited hydroxide intermediate. The third is excited directly on the binding of superoxide anion to the reduced primary emitter.

Acetaldehyde

Autoreactivity of low but not of high CD4 variants of an antigen-specific, I-A-restricted mouse T cell clone.

Variant lines expressing high and low surface densities of the accessory molecule CD4 have been developed by repeated preparative flow cytometric cell sortings from the murine Th cell clone D10.G4.1 (D10). The high CD4 variant line (D10H) fully maintained the original I-Ak restricted specificity for conalbumin of wild-type D10 cells. In contrast, the low CD4 variant line (D10L) showed a strong autoreactivity to I-Ak carrying stimulator cells alone which was only slightly augmented by addition of conalbumin. Cell surface molecules other than CD4, including TCR, CD3, CD11a, CD2, CD45, CD44, and MHC class I, remained identical on D10H and D10L sublines as on D10 wild-type cells. The possibility that D10L cells had suffered alterations of their TCR-alpha beta was excluded by demonstrating their reactivity with a panel of eight different anti-clonotypic mAb specific for various epitopes of the D10 TCR. By limiting dilution analysis we show that the majority of responding cells of D10L sublines were autoreactive. Although the reactivity for allogeneic I-A also increased as compared with D10H cells, a clear preference for self-I-Ak was maintained so that a true autoreactive phenotype was evident. The results indicate that the surface concentration of CD4 has a decisive influence on self-non-self discrimination of MHC class II-restricted Th cells.

Animals

Structure of the Bombyx mori fibroin light-chain-encoding gene: upstream sequence elements common to the light and heavy chain.

Two overlapping genomic clones containing the fibroin light-chain (Fib-L)-encoding gene (Fib-L) were obtained from the cosmid library of the silkworm, Bombyx mori J-139, by hybridization with the Fib-L cDNA clone. Sequencing of the 14.6-kb region revealed that Fib-L was 13,472 bp long containing seven exons, and that the gene contained a large first intron which occupied about 60% of the gene. Comparison of restriction patterns of the J-139 Fib-L with those of eight other B. mori breeds producing normal-level fibroin demonstrated that considerable restriction-fragment length polymorphisms were present in regions containing the first intron and the 3'-flanking sequence. However, sizes of the Fib-L mRNA and the Fib-L polypeptide were very similar among the nine breeds tested, suggesting that the exon sequences and the splice signals were all well conserved. 5'-Flanking regions of Fib-L and the fibroin heavy-chain (Fib-H)-encoding gene (Fib-H) compared in this study contained three 18-30-bp sequences of high similarity and many 8-10-bp common elements, six of which coincided with the binding sites of homeodomain proteins. Gel retardation assays with the nuclear extracts of the posterior and middle silk glands suggested that protein factors present in the posterior silk-gland nuclei could bind to a set of those common upstream elements.

Amino Acid Sequence

Gamma/delta T cell antigen receptors expressed on tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes from patients with solid tumors.

The expression of gamma/delta T cell antigen receptors (TcR) in T cell lines or clones derived from tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TIL) from patients with solid tumors was investigated. gamma/delta TcR T cell lines were derived from TIL from patients with Wilms tumor, sarcoma or metastatic melanoma by stimulation with autologous tumor cells alone and recombinant interleukin 2 and they exhibited nonspecific cytotoxicity against autologous and allogeneic tumor cells, or cells of the K562 or the MEL21 tumor cell lines. Two T cell lines were derived from a patient with Wilms tumor. One of them expressed a non-disulfide-linked gamma/delta TcR using the 60-kDa gamma chain, whereas, the other expressed a disulfide-linked gamma/delta TcR. A T cell line was derived from a patient with sarcoma and expressed a disulfide-linked gamma/delta TcR, whereas, a T cell line derived from a patient with melanoma expressed a non-disulfide-linked gamma chain of 62 kDa. Several T cell clones were developed from patients with metastatic melanoma or Wilms tumor and expressed either disulfide- or non-disulfide-linked gamma/delta TcR. Northern analysis of RNA from certain of these clones revealed a full-length gamma chain transcript, whereas, the alpha or beta chain transcripts were either absent or truncated. These T cell clones exhibited nonspecific cytotoxicity. Both disulfide- and non-disulfide-linked TIL T cell lines and clones expressed the delta TCS1 determinant. gamma/delta TcR+ cells in freshly prepared TIL from these patients were present in low proportions (less than 5%) and their delta TCS1/delta 1 ratios were within the range observed in the peripheral blood of normal donors. These results demonstrate that both disulfide- and non-disulfide-linked gamma/delta TcR are expressed on T cell lines and clones derived from TIL from solid tumors. Non-disulfide-linked gamma/delta TcR using the 56-66-kDa gamma chain are frequently found on TIL-derived T cell lines and clones. These 56-66-kDa gamma chains are rarely expressed on T cell lines or clones derived from peripheral blood lymphocytes of normal donors.

Cell Line

Protein phosphorylation regulates the mouse sperm acrosome reaction induced by the zona pellucida.

Recently, the ligand-receptor signal transduction mechanism has been implicated in mediating the zona pellucida (ZP)-induced acrosome reaction. Little is known about the role of protein phosphorylation in this specific event. We examine whether modification of protein phosphorylation and dephosphorylation affects the kinetics of the acid-solubilized ZP-induced acrosome reaction of mouse sperm. Mouse epididymal sperm were incubated in modified Krebs-Ringer bicarbonate medium for a period of 90 to 120 min and then treated with 2 acid-solubilized ZP/microliters for an additional 60 min. The chlortetracycline fluorescence assay was used to monitor the acrosome reaction. Capacitated sperm were inhibited from undergoing acid-solubilized ZP-induced acrosome reaction in the presence of an inhibitor of cyclic nucleotide-dependent protein kinase, H8; activators of the Ca(2+)- and phospholipid-dependent protein kinase (protein kinase C); an inhibitor of phosphatases 1 and 2A, okadaic acid; or an inhibitor of protein tyrosine kinases, genistein. The addition of inhibitors of protein kinase C, such as staurosporine, H7, and protein kinase C [19-36] pseudosubstrate, inhibited the phorbol ester-dependent inhibition of the acid-solubilized ZP-induced acrosome reaction. The present study suggests that protein phosphorylation and dephosphorylation play a regulatory role in the process of the ZP-induced acrosome reaction.

1-(5-Isoquinolinesulfonyl)-2-Methylpiperazine

Effects of modulators of protein kinases and phosphatases on mouse sperm capacitation.

We examined effects of modulators of protein kinases and phosphatases on the kinetics of mouse sperm capacitation. The chlortetracycline fluorescence assay was used to monitor the process of capacitation (in terms of the appearance of the B pattern). The treatment of sperm with dibutyryl cyclic AMP (cAMP) or dibutyryl cGMP resulted in a higher percentage B pattern at various times during capacitation compared with the control. The addition of 100 microM H8 inhibited the cyclic nucleotide-dependent stimulation of capacitation. Tumor promotors, 12-O-tetradecanoyl phorbol 13-acetate (TPA; a stimulator of protein kinase C) and okadaic acid (an inhibitor of protein phosphatases 1 and 2A), induced a rapid appearance of the B pattern (15 min after addition) and maintained a percentage B pattern similar to that of the control in the later period of capacitation. An inhibitor of protein kinase C, staurosporine, inhibited the TPA-dependent acceleration of capacitation. Furthermore, the addition of genistein, an inhibitor of protein tyrosine kinases, resulted in a strong inhibition of capacitation. All agents tested did not affect sperm motility. These data suggest that protein phosphorylation and dephosphorylation may play regulatory roles in mediating mouse sperm capacitation.

1-(5-Isoquinolinesulfonyl)-2-Methylpiperazine

Preservation of endothelium-dependent vasodilation in the spastic segment of the human epicardial coronary artery by substance P.

The objective of this study was to determine if endothelium-dependent vasodilation is preserved in the spastic segment of the epicardial coronary artery. Segmental responses of the coronary artery to substance P were examined by the use of a quantitative angiographic technique in 21 patients with variant angina. Coronary diameter at the basal state did not differ between the spastic and the nonspastic segments (2.3 +/- 0.2 mm, 2.3 +/- 0.4 mm, p greater than 0.05). Changes in coronary diameter in response to substance P did not differ between segments with ergonovine-induced spasm and nonspastic segments. Maximal dilation averaged 27.1 +/- 9.5% in the spastic segment and 24.4 +/- 9.6% in the nonspastic segment (expressed as a percent increase over the value before drug administration). It appears that both the potential of the endothelium to release endothelium-dependent relaxing factor and the dilating response of the smooth muscle to endothelium-dependent relaxing factor are preserved, even in the spastic segment.

Angina Pectoris, Variant

A prostacyclin analogue reduces free radical generation in heart-lung transplantation.

The mechanism by which prostacyclin acts to prevent in vivo reperfusion injury is still uncertain. This study was therefore undertaken to assess the effect of a stable prostacyclin analogue (OP 41483-alpha-CD [OP]) on oxygen-derived free radicals after heart-lung transplantation. OP was administered to the heart-lung graft through the pulmonary artery for 25 minutes encompassing the reperfusion process. Free radicals were directly measured by electron spin resonance spectroscopy. The radical intensities of pulmonary venous blood were significantly lower in the OP group than in the control group, suggesting that fewer free radicals were generated in the lungs of the OP group. The cardiac and respiratory function were better in the OP group than in the control group. The lung is the primary source of oxygen free radical attack, and the beneficial action of OP on free radical generation is almost exclusively restricted to the lung and does not apply to the heart. This result suggested that OP probably is effective in inhibiting free radical generation from the endothelium.

Adenosine Diphosphate

Structural study of cell wall mannan of a Candida albicans (serotype A) strain.

The structure of the mannan of Candida albicans NIH A-207 strain (serotype A) was investigated by adopting mild acetolysis followed by enzymolysis with an Arthrobacter GJM-1 exo-alpha-mannosidase. The resultant oligosaccharides, from pentaose to octaose (where manp = D-mannopyranose), were identified as manp beta (1----2)manp alpha (1----2)manp alpha (1----2)manp alpha (1----2)manp, manp beta (1----2)manp beta (1----2)manp alpha (1----2)manp alpha (1----2)- manp alpha (1----2)manp, manp beta (1----2)manp beta (1----2)manp beta (1----2)manp alpha (1----2)manp alpha (1----2)manp alpha (1----2)manp and manp beta (1----2)manp beta (1----2)manp beta (1----2)manp beta (1----2)manp alpha (1----2)manp alpha (1----2)manp alpha (1----2)manp, respectively. Analyses of alpha-linked oligosaccharides obtained by acetolysis under conventional conditions gave the same oligosaccharides, from biose to heptaose, as those obtained from the mannans of C. albicans NIH B-792 (serotype B) and J-1012 (serotype A, formerly serotype C).

Candida albicans

Mutagenicity assay for nitroarenes of air pollutants held in leaves of woody plants.

A new method was developed for the detection of mutagenic nitroarenes held in the leaves of woody plants using a small amount of leaves. This method consists of extraction of mutagen from fresh leaves (15-30 g) by ultrasonication with ethyl acetate and purification by elution with benzene on a silica gel column to remove such inhibitory components for mutagenesis as chlorophyll. The mutation assay uses the new Salmonella typhimurium strains YG1021 (a nitroreductase-overproducing strain of TA98) and YG1024 (an O-acetyltransferase-overproducing strain of TA98), which are very sensitive to some nitroarenes in the absence of S9, and standard strain YG1020 (TA98 containing pBR322-Aps) for comparison. This method was applied to woody plants growing on various sites in the Tokyo metropolitan area and the suburbs. It was shown that the leaves of all woody plants tested contained different amounts of mutagens, probably mutagenic nitroarenes, depending upon their growing sites.

Air Pollutants

The effects of amylin on insulin secretion from Rin m5F cells and glycogen synthesis and lipogenesis in rat primary cultured hepatocytes.

The purpose of the study was to determine the physiological actions of amylin, a novel 37-amino acid peptide isolated from pancreatic islet amyloid deposits. Our results showed that an infusion of amylin reduced fasting plasma insulin levels and impaired glucose tolerance in mice. Amylin significantly reduced insulin secretion in rat insulinoma cell lines (Rin m5F cells) that were stimulated by either isoproterenol and forskolin, but it did not affect insulin secretion stimulated by isobutyl-methylxanthine (IBMX) or dibutyryl cyclic-adenosine monophosphate (db-cAMP). Amylin also reduced cAMP levels in Rin m5F cells in response to isoproterenol, but did not affect cAMP levels in cells pretreated with pertussis toxin. These results suggest that the reduction of cAMP by amylin may be mediated through pertussis toxin-sensitive Gi proteins. Amylin significantly reduced basal and insulin-stimulated glycogen synthesis in rat primary cultured hepatocytes. Amylin stimulated basal and insulin-stimulated lipogenesis in hepatocytes. Amylin did not affect DNA synthesis in hepatocytes. These results suggest that amylin conducts dispersion actions on in vivo glucose metabolism in rat, and in vitro insulin secretion from Rin m5F cells and metabolism in rat hepatocytes.

Acetates

Acute toxicity of ozone against morphology of gill and erythrocytes of Japanese charr (Salvelinus leucomaenis).

1. Acute toxicity of ozone exposure to Japanese charr (Salvelinus leucomaenis) was studied histopathologically, and hematologically on gill tissue and red blood cells (RBC) under different ozone concentrations (0-0.7 ppm). 2. Exposure of ozone above 0.7 ppm led to characteristic symptoms and all died of choking in 30 min. 3. Many swollen RBC were seen under the scanning electron microscope. 4. RBC congestion was serious in the gill where degeneration of lamellar epithelium was observed. However, injury to chloride cells was not clear.

Animals

Zonisamide blocks T-type calcium channel in cultured neurons of rat cerebral cortex.

We investigated the effect of zonisamide, a new antiepileptic drug, on voltage-dependent Ca2+ currents in cultured neurons of rat cerebral cortex. Whole-cell voltage-clamp recordings demonstrated at least two distinct voltage-dependent Ca2+ currents: (1) a low-threshold, rapidly inactivating component, T-type Ca2+ current, which is sensitive to 100 microM Ni2+, and (2) a high-threshold, slowly inactivating (long-lasting) component, L-type Ca2+ current. Zonisamide, a new anticonvulsant effective against maximal electroshock (MES) seizures in mice reduced T-type Ca2+ current in a dose-dependent manner. The mean percentage of reduction was 59.5 +/- 7.2% at 500 microM, but zonisamide had no effect on L-type Ca2+ current. A methylated analog of zonisamide, which is ineffective against MES seizures in mice, was tested at a concentration of 500 microM, and reduced neither T-type nor L-type Ca2+ current. These findings suggest that the effects of zonisamide against MES seizures might occur through the reduction of T-type Ca2+ current. Because drugs that are effective against MES seizures are thought to prevent seizure discharge spread, T-type Ca2+ channels could underlie a cellular mechanism of spreading activity in epileptic seizures.

Action Potentials

Computed tomography and ultrasonography in submandibular tumours.

The value of computed tomography (CT) and ultrasound (US) for assessing submandibular tumours has been assessed. Thirty-five patients with 23 benign submandibular gland tumours and 12 malignant tumours have been investigated. In 33/35 patients, 18 plain CT (PCT), 19 CT sialography (CTS), and eight intravenous contrast-enhanced CT (CECT) procedures were performed. PCT did not allow clear delineation of 78% of the lesions, due to the similar density of the tumour and normal submandibular gland parenchyma. The tumours were easily recognized as low-echogenic or low-density masses by US, CTS and CECT. Benign lesions were usually sharply demarcated and had smooth borders on US, CTS and CECT. In addition, lobulation was often recognized in pleomorphic adenomas. Malignant tumours were poorly defined with irregular borders in 11/12 cases on US, CTS and CECT. CECT was superior to PCT and CTS in providing images of the tumour and its involvement of adjacent structures. It was concluded that US is the most useful primary examination method for submandibular tumours, while CECT provides the best evaluation of extension to the surrounding structures and/or adjacent lymph nodes. CTS seems to be unnecessary, if a submandibular tumour can be visualized by US and CECT.

Adenoma, Pleomorphic