Biomedical subjects

Shoko Honda

Publications and source records attributed to Shoko Honda.

3 recordsLinked to original sources

PubMed2006

Tacrolimus as a reinforcement therapy for a patient with MPO-ANCA-associated diffuse alveolar hemorrhage.

A 67-year-old woman, suffering from continuous hemoptysis, was admitted to our hospital where she was managed with mechanical ventilation. Computed tomography of the chest demonstrated bilateral massive alveolar hemorrhage without evidence of infectious disease. She was diagnosed with anti-myeloperoxidase antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibody (MPO-ANCA)-associated diffuse alveolar hemorrhage because a high titer of MPO-ANCA was found in the serum. Plasmapheresis as well as methylprednisolone pulse therapy were initiated, followed by intravenous administration of cyclophosphamide. Tacrolimus was employed for the maintenance therapy, and the oral prednisolone dosage could successfully be tapered without recurrence, along with the decrement of the titer of MPO-ANCA.

Aged↗

PubMed2005

Synchronized retinal oscillations encode essential information for escape behavior in frogs.

Synchronized oscillatory activity is generated among visual neurons in a manner that depends on certain key features of visual stimulation. Although this activity may be important for perceptual integration, its functional significance has yet to be explained. Here we find a very strong correlation between synchronized oscillatory activity in a class of frog retinal ganglion cells (dimming detectors) and a well-known escape response, as shown by behavioral tests and multi-electrode recordings from isolated retinas. Escape behavior elicited by an expanding dark spot was suppressed and potentiated by intraocular injection of GABA(A) receptor and GABA(C) receptor antagonists, respectively. Changes in escape behavior correlated with antagonist-evoked changes in synchronized oscillatory activity but not with changes in the discharge rate of dimming detectors. These antagonists did not affect the expanding dark spot-induced responses in retinal ganglion cells other than dimming detectors. Thus, synchronized oscillations in the retina are likely to encode escape-related information in frogs.

Animals↗

PubMedDate not supplied

A role for the pituitary tumor-transforming gene in the genesis and progression of non-small cell lung carcinomas.

BACKGROUND: The product of the pituitary tumor-transforming gene (PTTG) inhibits chromatid separation, which is considered to promote chromosome instability, especially in the absence of the p53 gene product, and also induces basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) production. Its expression and these variables in primary non-small cell carcinomas (NSCLCs) of known p53 status were examined. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Comparative genomic hybridization analysis of 78 lesions revealed a wide range of total (gain + loss) chromosomal imbalance numbers (tCINs). Seven each with the highest and lowest tCINs were examined for PTTG mRNA by semi-quantitative RT-PCR and bFGF production immunohistochemically. RESULTS: Mean relative values for PTTG mRNA for the tumors and corresponding normal lung tissues were 1.46 and 0.88, respectively, the difference being statistically significant. Overexpression of bFGF was observed in 12 out of 14 with intense immunostaining of carcinoma cells, in contrast to the weak or lack of staining in normal lung tissues. However, relative PTTG values did not correlate with tCINs or immunoreactivity for bFGF among the tumors regardless of the p53 status. CONCLUSION: The results indicate that overexpression of PTTG plays a role in the genesis and progression of NSCLCs, although its effects on CINs and bFGF production may be obscured by other complicating factors.

Adult↗