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S Tashiro

Publications and source records attributed to S Tashiro.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources
PubMed2000

Current status of surgical treatment for hepatocellular carcinoma.

The therapeutic modalities for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) have diversified during the past decades, and in particular, the treatment has mainly been concentrated on small HCC of 3 cm or less. Therefore, it has become very important for surgeons to be able to identify the clinical indications for liver resection in HCC. We reviewed data on liver resection for HCC using the National Primary Hepatic Cancer follow-up survey report of the Liver Cancer Study Group of Japan, indicating problem associated with liver resection for HCC. As a result, the indications of surgical treatment for HCC are as follows: (1) In patients with HCC of 3 cm or less in diameter, a solitary HCC indicates liver resection. However, priority should be given to medical treatment such as percutaneous transhepatic ethanol injection therapy, microwave coagulative necrosis therapy for multiple HCC and patients with clinical states II or III. (2) HCC between 3 cm and 5 cm in diameter is a good indicator for liver resection. Solitary HCC indicates liver resection as a first choice. (3) HCC greater than 5 cm diameter eter and cases with tumor stages II or III indicate liver resection. (4) There are limits to treating HCC with tumor thrombus in the second branch of the portal vein (Vp2) and tumor thrombus in the first branch, the trunk of the portal vein or in a branch on the opposite side (Vp3) only by liver resection. (5) HCC with tumor thrombus in the right, middle or left hepatic vein trunk, posterior inferior hepatic vein trunk or short hepatic vein (Vv2) and with tumor thrombus in the inferior vena cava (Vv3) are indicators for liver resection. A limited resection according to Glissons structure and with a negative surgical margin can be performed in HCC of 5 cm or less, however an extended resection is required for HCC greater than 5 cm. Furthermore, the extent of liver resection should be considered according to the hepatitis virus. Finally, it was emphasized that effective measures against the postoperative recurrence was essential in order to improve the outcome of HCC.

Carcinoma, Hepatocellular↗
PubMed2000

Hepatocellular carcinoma with extension into the right atrium: report of a successful liver resection by hepatic vascular exclusion using cardiopulmonary bypass.

We report a successful liver resection using cardiopulmonary bypass with, total hepatic vascular exclusion (THVE) for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), with extension into the right atrium. A 61-year-old man with a cirrhotic liver was referred to our department with HCC in the medial segment of the left lobe of the liver, and tumor thrombus extending into the right atrium. During surgery, a left lobe and caudate lobe of the liver were transected leaving the left lobe of the liver connected to the inferior vena cava (IVC) by only the left and middle hepatic trunks, and then the intracaval tumor thrombus and the left lobe of the liver were removed en bloc using cardiopulmonary bypass with total hepatic vascular exclusion (THVE). Cardiac arrest was not performed during THVE, and the patient had an uneventful postoperative course and was discharged from the hospital 2 months following surgery. He died of multiple pulmonary metastases 4 years and 8 months after surgery; however, imaging showed no evidence of recurrence in the remnant liver during that period. In conclusion, by performing dissection of the hepatic parenchyma to the hepatic vein prior to removal of the tumor thrombus, the period of extracorporeal circulation, duration of warm ischemic time to the liver, and intraoperative blood loss were all reduced and a radical operation could be performed safely without scattering tumor cells during extirpation of the tumor.

Carcinoma, Hepatocellular↗
PubMed2000

Hepatopulmonary syndrome-discussion of cardiopulmonary parameters.

We report a 70-year-old man with hepatopulmonary syndrome (HPS) in C liver cirrhosis. Hypoxemia worsened markedly, especially on exertion, while the hepatic function was clinically stable. Contrast echocardiography, 99mTc macroaggregated albumin (99mTcMAA) lung scan, and pulmonary angiography were performed. The findings suggested the presence of both intrapulmonary vascular dilatation and substantial right-to-left shunt. The contribution of intrapulmonary vascular abnormalities in patients with severe liver cirrhosis without abnormal chest radiography and spirometry tests when marked hypoxemia is present should be investigated.

Aged↗
PubMed1999

ATF-2 is a common nuclear target of Smad and TAK1 pathways in transforming growth factor-beta signaling.

Upon transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-beta) binding to its cognate receptor, Smad3 and Smad4 form heterodimers and transduce the TGF-beta signal to the nucleus. In addition to the Smad pathway, another pathway involving a member of the mitogen-activated protein kinase kinase kinase family of kinases, TGF-beta-activated kinase-1 (TAK1), is required for TGF-beta signaling. However, it is unknown how these pathways function together to synergistically amplify TGF-beta signaling. Here we report that the transcription factor ATF-2 (also called CRE-BP1) is bound by a hetero-oligomer of Smad3 and Smad4 upon TGF-beta stimulation. ATF-2 is one member of the ATF/CREB family that binds to the cAMP response element, and its activity is enhanced after phosphorylation by stress-activated protein kinases such as c-Jun N-terminal kinase and p38. The binding between ATF-2 and Smad3/4 is mediated via the MH1 region of the Smad proteins and the basic leucine zipper region of ATF-2. TGF-beta signaling also induces the phosphorylation of ATF-2 via TAK1 and p38. Both of these actions are shown to be responsible for the synergistic stimulation of ATF-2 trans-activating capacity. These results indicate that ATF-2 plays a central role in TGF-beta signaling by acting as a common nuclear target of both Smad and TAK1 pathways.

Activating Transcription Factor 2↗
PubMed1999

Clinical relevance of antibiotic-induced endotoxin release in patients undergoing hepatic resection.

It has been proved that antibiotics binding to penicillin-binding protein 3 (PBP3) are associated with the greater release of endotoxin than those that bind to PBP2 in both in vitro and animal models. The aim of this study is to evaluate the potential clinical implications of antibiotic-induced endotoxin release after hepatic resection. Forty-five patients who underwent hepatic resection in our clinic were enrolled. The patients were divided into two groups. Group A (n = 26): antibiotics that bind primarily to PBP3, including cefmetazole (CMZ), latamoxef (LMOX), flomoxef (FMOX), were used. Group B (n = 19); antibiotics that bind to both PBP2 and PBP3, including cefazolin (CEZ), cefoperazone (CPZ), cefotiam (CTM). Postoperative complications, liver functional tests, and chemical mediators [endotoxin, interleukins (IL-6, IL-8), tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNFalpha), granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF), hepatotrophic growth factor (HGF) were examined after hepatic resection. There were no significant differences in the backgrounds of the two groups. Eight patients in each group developed postoperative complications; in particular, 9 of 13 patients with biliary tract carcinoma developed postoperative complications. No significant elevation of peripheral blood endotoxin was noted by the endospecy method, in any of the patients, although six died following sepsis. Pre- and postoperative levels of cytokines showed no significant difference between the two groups. Our data suggest that clinical antibiotic-induced endotoxin release would not occur after hepatic resection regardless of the antibiotic, probably owing to continuous scavenging of endotoxin from peripheral blood.

Analysis of Variance↗
PubMed1999

Clinical features of isolated noncompaction of the ventricular myocardium: long-term clinical course, hemodynamic properties, and genetic background.

OBJECTIVES: A nationwide survey was conducted to clarify the clinical features of isolated noncompaction of the ventricular myocardium (INVM) in Japanese children in comparison with features previously described in patients with INVM. BACKGROUND: Isolated noncompaction of the ventricular myocardium is a rare disorder characterized by an excessively prominent trabecular meshwork. It is accompanied by depressed ventricular function, systemic embolism and ventricular arrhythmia. METHODS: A questionnaire specifically designed for this study was sent to 150 hospitals in Japan where a pediatric cardiology division exists. RESULTS: Twenty-seven patients were diagnosed by two-dimensional echocardiography, their ages ranging from one week to 15 years at presentation, with follow-up lasting as long as 17 years. The gross anatomical appearance and the extension of noncompacted myocardium predominantly at the apex observed on two-dimensional echocardiograms were similar to observations reported previously. Dissimilarities included a greater number of asymptomatic patients at initial presentation, a longer clinical course with gradually depressed left ventricular function, no systemic embolism, and rare ventricular tachycardia in the Japanese children. Cardiac catheterization disclosed normal left ventricular end-diastolic volume and increased left ventricular end-diastolic pressure in most cases, consistent with restrictive hemodynamics. A higher incidence of Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome was found in the children, whereas left bundle branch block was rarer than reported in adults. Familial recurrence was high (44%) and included many women. CONCLUSIONS: In Japanese children, INVM can be found by screening examinations at asymptomatic stage, and it might have a longer dinical course with gradually depressed left ventricular function and restrictive hemodynamics. The pattern of familial recurrence we observed implies that INVM is a distinctive clinical entity with a heterogeneous genetic background.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1999

Daily pattern of energy metabolism in cirrhosis.

The daily pattern of energy expenditure and the oxidation rates of carbohydrates, fats, and protein were evaluated by indirect calorimetry in 18 control subjects (Group 1) and 34 cirrhotic patients who were divided into Groups 2a and 2b showing indocyanin green retention rates at 15 min of <30% and 30% or more, respectively. The ratio of resting energy expenditure to basal energy expenditure (%REE) was higher in the cirrhotic patients than in the controls at 8:30 AM and 2:30 PM. The oxidation rates of carbohydrates and fats under fasting conditions in Group 2b patients were respectively lower, and higher than in Group 1 and 2a patients. After the subjects ate, glucose became the substrate preferentially metabolized, and the proportion of fat metabolized was reduced from 82.9+/-5.1% to 43.9+/-21.9% and from 70.7+/-14.1% to 46.8+/-13.9% in the patients with advanced and less advanced cirrhosis, respectively, and from 59.4+/-27.2% to 48.4+/-18.5% in the controls. The fasting concentrations of non-esterified fatty acids in Group 2b were also significantly higher than those in the Group 1 and Group 2a patients. After eating, these concentrations fell and reached similar levels in the patients and controls. These data indicated that the patients with cirrhosis developed the catabolic state of starvation in the morning because of a lack of glycogen stores. Therefore, frequent meal supplementation to prevent early-onset starvation and energy deficiency may be advisable in such patients to maintain a well-nourished condition.

Aged↗
PubMed1999

Instability of chromosome 7 in colony forming cells of patients with aplastic anemia.

Monosomy 7 in isolated bone marrow mononuclear cells and colony forming cells from patients with aplastic anemia who later developed myelodysplastic syndrome/leukemia with monosomy 7 were examined by fluorescence in situ hybridization. Colonies derived from bone marrow mononuclear cells of the aplastic anemia patients consisted of a mixture of cells of normal karyotype and monosomy 7, ranging from 0 to 97.2%. This result suggests that colony forming cells initially had a normal karyotype but then lost chromosome 7 during growth in the semisolid culture. This finding suggests the genetically unstable condition of chromosome 7 in colony forming cells in aplastic anemia patients. This chromosome instability of colony forming cells may lead to malignant transformation.

Anemia, Aplastic↗
PubMed1999

Effect of intermittent liver ischemia on outcome in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma on liver cirrhosis.

The influence on postoperative liver function of intermittent normothermic hepatic ischemia in cirrhotic patients was studied retrospectively. The mean total ischemia time was 88 (range 30-140) minutes in the hemi-hepatic occlusion group, and 68 (range 10-187) minutes in the total occlusion group. There were no operative deaths due to hepatic failure. Postoperative liver function improved within 1 week of the operation. There was no significant difference in the incidence of postoperative complications between the groups. Thus normothermic hepatic ischemia is tolerated for up to 180 minutes in the cirrhotic liver when an intermittent technique (15 minutes clamped and 5 minutes unclamped) is used.

Carcinoma, Hepatocellular↗
PubMed1998

Effect of donor-specific splenocytes via portal vein and FK506 in rat small bowel transplantation.

BACKGROUND: To investigate the role of the liver in immune responses after small bowel transplantation, donor-specific splenocytes were infused perioperatively, via the portal vein, in a rat heterotopic small bowel transplant model. METHODS: Heterotopic small bowel transplantation between the fully allogenic Brown Norway (BN) (RT1n) and Lewis (RT1[1]) strain rats were performed. We prepared donor splenocytes from BN or third-party WKA (RT1k) rat spleens for Lewis hosts and injected the splenocytes perioperatively via the host portal vein or the systemic vein. The hosts were treated with a short course of the immunosuppressive agent, FK506 (0.5 mg/kg, 0-3 days postoperatively), following the experimental protocols. RESULTS: Untreated Lewis hosts rejected BN small bowel grafts at 5.4+/-0.9 days (n=8). BN splenocytes given alone caused fatal graft-versus-host disease in six of eight animals, and two others died from graft rejection. FK506 alone did not significantly prolong graft survival (6.3+/-1.0 days, n=10). However, BN splenocytes injected via the portal vein, combined with FK506, prolonged graft survival to 12.7+/-2.1 days (n=12, P < 0.01) and 10 of 12 rats survived more than 70 days. This was donor antigen specific. BN splenocytes administered systemically caused fatal graft-versus-host disease in all recipients, and FK506 did not ameliorate this. Histologic findings of graft rejection were remarkably mild in the recipients of the combined therapy, compared with the recipients that were given FK506 alone. Down-regulation of one-way mixed lymphocyte reaction to BN splenocytes was observed in the splenocytes of the tolerant hosts. CONCLUSIONS: Combined administration of donor splenocytes and FK506 reduced allograft rejection and prolonged survival in this rat model of small bowel transplantation.

Animals↗
PubMed1998

Modification of enzyme sulfhydryl groups suppresses UV-induced mutagenesis depending on the nucleotide excision repair system in Escherichia coli B/r WP2.

S-Methyl methanethiosulfonate (MMTS), which was isolated from cauliflower (Brassica oleracea var. botrytis) homogenate as a potent bio-antimutagen, has been used as an enzyme-sulfhydryl (SH) temporary blocking agent in modification studies of enzyme activities. We examined whether 23 kinds of MMTS-related compounds have a suppressing effect on UV mutagenesis in Escherichia coli B/r WP2. Disulfide derivatives of diphenyl, 2.2'-dipyridine and 4.4'-dipyridine, and N-ethyl maleimide (NEM), which temporarily or tightly block sulfhydryl (SH)-groups, showed similar suppressing effect in E. coli B/r WP2, but not in WP2s hcr- (uvrA-) in the range of nanomolar/plate as MMTS previously did. Cystamine sulfate, methyl methylsulfinylmethyl sulfide and S-methyl-L-cysteinesulfoxide moderately suppressed, and diallyl disulfide and glutathione (oxidized form) weakly suppressed UV mutagenesis in E. coli B/r WP2 in the range of micromolar/plate. MMTS and phorone, a glutathione (GSH)-depleting agent, lowered the intracellular GSH level in E. coli B/r WP2, but phorone did not inhibit UV-induced mutation. These results indicate that the target for SH-modification is enzyme-SHs but not GSH, and that the direct or indirect modification of enzyme-activity by SH-blocking might be involved in the antimutagenesis through a pathway associated with the DNA-excision repair system.

Antimutagenic Agents↗
PubMed1998

New consecutive high-dose chemotherapy modality with fractionated blood stem cell support in the treatment of high-risk pediatric solid tumors: a feasibility study.

For the treatment of childhood solid tumors, we performed a pilot feasibility study of consecutive high-dose therapies, in which each course was followed by transplantation with granulocyte colony-stimulating factor-mobilized peripheral blood cells which had been separated into CD34-positive and -negative fractions by an Isolex system (Baxter). Positive selection of CD34+ cells has been associated with inevitable cell loss. To overcome this loss, CD34+ cells that had migrated into the negative fraction were saved and used for the first transplant, which was followed by a second transplant after a 3- to 5-month interval. In this phase I feasibility study, the results in six children were evaluated for safety and engraftment. Multi-drug cytoreductive regimens using ranimustine (MCNU), melphalan, thiotepa, carboplatin, cyclophosphamide or VP-16 were comparable between the two transplant procedures in terms of their intensity. The number of CD34+ cells in the 'CD34(+) fraction' was 3.31 x 10(6)/kg (0.63-4.3 x 10(6)/kg), while this number in the 'CD34(-) fraction' could not be evaluated correctly due their scarcity (<0.1%). The median numbers of infused MNC and CFU-GM were, respectively, 4.2 x 10(6)/kg and 1.75 x 10(5)/kg in the CD34(+) fraction, and 4.8 x 10(8)/kg and 3.35 x 10(5)/kg in the CD34(-) fraction. The number of days required to achieve an ANC >0.5 x 10(9)/l and a platelet count >20 x 10(9)/l and >50 x 10(9)/l were, respectively, 14.5, 15.0 and 19.5 in the first transplant with CD34- cells, and 13.5, 18.0 and 25.0 in the second transplant with CD34+ cells, with no essential difference between the two treatments. Although the small number of patients, the variation in clinical status and treatment, and the short follow-up invalidate any evaluation of the therapeutic benefit of this strategy, the encouraging results support the feasibility of this strategy, which enables an escalation of dose intensity with an improved cost/benefit ratio.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1998

Molecular cloning reveals that the p160 Myb-binding protein is a novel, predominantly nucleolar protein which may play a role in transactivation by Myb.

We have previously detected two related murine nuclear proteins, p160 and p67, that can bind to the leucine zipper motif within the negative regulatory domain of the Myb transcription factor. We now describe the molecular cloning of cDNA corresponding to murine p160. The P160 gene is located on mouse chromosome 11, and related sequences are found on chromosomes 1 and 12. The predicted p160 protein is novel, and in agreement with previous studies, we find that the corresponding 4.5-kb mRNA is ubiquitously expressed. We showed that p67 is an N-terminal fragment of p160 which is generated by proteolytic cleavage in certain cell types. The protein encoded by the cloned p160 cDNA and an engineered protein (p67*) comprising the amino-terminal region of p160 exhibit binding specificities for the Myb and Jun leucine zipper regions identical to those of endogenous p160 and p67, respectively. This implies that the Myb-binding site of p160 lies within the N-terminal 580 residues and that the Jun-binding site is C-terminal to this position. Moreover, we show that p67* but not p160 can inhibit transactivation by Myb. Unexpectedly, immunofluorescence studies show that p160 is localized predominantly in the nucleolus. The implications of these results for possible functions of p160 are discussed.

3T3 Cells↗
PubMed1998

Mechanism of the protective effect of sodium malate on cisplatin-induced toxicity in mice.

We examined the mechanism of the protective effect of sodium malate on cis-diamminedichloroplatinum(II) (cisplatin, CDDP)-induced nephrotoxicity in mice and obtained the following findings: 1: Sodium malate showed a maximum reduction of toxicity when it was administered at the same time as CDDP or at 30 min before the administration of CDDP; the reduction was significantly decreased when sodium malate was given after the administration of CDDP. 2: It is thought that diamminoplatinum(II) malate (DPM) is produced in the body following the administration of a combination of CDDP and sodium malate. DPM showed the same antitumor effect as CDDP and produced little nephrotoxicity. 3: When CDDP was combined with sodium malate, the time necessary for the elimination of platinum from the blood was prolonged, showing a intermediate value between the times for the elimination of CDDP and DPM from the blood. When the drug clearance was calculated based on this result, it was found that about 40% of the CDDP administered is converted to DPM in the blood. 4: In an experiment using L-[14C] malic acid, it was shown that sodium malate is distributed in the liver and the kidney at high concentrations, but in the tumor at only a low concentration. 5: When sodium malate was administered in combination with CDDP, the amount of platinum which accumulated in the kidney after 24 h was decreased by about 55% compared with the uncombined group, but there was no change in the amount of platinum which accumulated in the tumor. These results suggest that the sodium malate administered may be distributed rapidly in the blood and the tissue, and about 40% is bound to CDDP and converted to DPM, thus reducing the nephrotoxicity of CDDP.

Animals↗
PubMed1998

Temporal coincidence between the excitation of ventromedial hypothalamic efferents and the induction of lordosis reflex in ovariectomized estrogen-primed rats.

The temporal changes in excitability in ventromedial hypothalamic neurons which project to the midbrain central gray caused by chronic estrogen exposure were measured in ovariectomized rats. In 66 urethane-anesthetized animals which had either no capsule, or had a capsule containing estrogen implanted for 24 h, 48 h, 72 h or 96 h, 189 antidromic action potentials were recorded in the ventromedial hypothalamus (VMN) in response to stimulation of the midbrain central gray (CG). The antidromic activation threshold was lower in 40 recordings made from the VMN in the 72-h or 96-h group than in 67 from the no-treatment, 24-h or 48-h group. The decrease in the threshold coincided with the emergence of the lordosis reflex. In a separate cohort of ovariectomized rats, any absence of estrogen for 2-48 h before and during the measuring abolished the neuronal as well as the behavioral effects at 72 h. The results suggest that the lordosis reflex induced by estrogen alone depends on the excitation of VMN efferents to the CG. In addition, the indispensability of estrogen at the time of electrophysiological and behavioral evaluation indicates that a certain direct neural action of estrogen is involved in the behavioral activation.

Animals↗
PubMed1998

Inhibitory effect of a marine microalgal polysaccharide on the telomerase activity in K562 cells.

An extracellular polysaccharide from marine microalga, dinoflagellate Gymnodinium sp. A3 (GA3), showed cytotoxicity to human myeloid leukemia K562 cells. We measured telomerase activity in K562 cells cultured with GA3 polysaccharide. 10.0 micrograms/ml of GA3 polysaccharide inhibited the telomerase activity in the cells completely. Also, we found a decrease in expression of the catalytic subunit of protein phosphatase (PP) type 1, PP1 gamma 1, in K562 cells cultured with GA3 polysaccharide.

Animals↗