PubMed Health⌕ Search

Biomedical subjects

T Furusho

Publications and source records attributed to T Furusho.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

Detection of an X-Ray Hot Region in the Virgo Cluster of Galaxies with ASCA.

Based on mapping observations with ASCA, an unusual hot region with a spatial extent of 1 deg2 was discovered between M87 and M49 at a center coordinate of R.A.=12h27m36s and decl.=9&j0;18' (J2000). The X-ray emission from the region has a 2-10 keV flux of 1x10-11 ergs s-1 cm-2 and a temperature of kT greater, similar4 keV, which is significantly higher than that in the surrounding medium of approximately 2 keV. The internal thermal energy in the hot region is estimated to be VnkT approximately 1060 ergs with a gas density of approximately 10-4 cm-3. A power-law spectrum with a photon index of 1.7-2.3 is also allowed by the data. The hot region suggests there is an energy input due to a shock that is probably caused by the motion of the gas associated with M49, infalling toward the M87 cluster with a velocity greater, similar1000 km s-1.

Journal Article↗

Retinol equivalence of carotenoids can be evaluated by hepatic vitamin A content.

The present study demonstrates a new method to evaluate the bioavailability of carotenoids based on the calculation of the hepatic retinol contents. Weaning male rats of Wistar strain were divided into 5 groups. Each group respectively received retinol acetate (2000-10,000 IU per kg diet), alpha-carotene (2400-6000 micrograms per kg diet), beta-carotene (2400-6000 micrograms per kg diet), mixture of alpha- and beta-carotenes in the ratio of 1:2 (2400 and 4800 micrograms per kg dit), and palm-carotene oil (2400-6000 micrograms per kg diet). The derived retinol equivalences of each carotenoid calculated according to the hepatic retinol contents were almost constant regardless of the volume of respective intake (alpha-carotene: 1.25 micrograms per IU; beta-carotene: 0.59 microgram per IU; mixture of alpha- and beta-carotene in the ratio of 1:2: 0.96 microgram per IU; Palm-carotene oil: 1.23 micrograms per IU). The results suggest that the hepatic retinol contents can be used as a new measure to evaluate the vitamin A bioavailability of carotenoids.

Animals↗

Tissue specific-distribution and metabolism of vitamin A are affected by dietary protein levels in rats.

The effect of dietary protein levels on tissue-specific distribution and metabolism of vitamin A was studied in rats given [15-14C] retinol (14C-ROH). The weanling rats were fed a low level vitamin A diet for 10 days, then rats (15 rats per group) were divided into 2 groups; one was given a 40% casein diet as a high protein diet (HP-diet), and the other a 5% casein diet as a low protein diet (LP-diet). After 10 days feeding on these diets, 14C-ROH (5 microCi/rat) was given to both groups, HP-diet and LP-diet, by intraperitoneal injection. The radioactivity in the exhalated gases, urine and feces was measured to estimate the rate of vitamin A metabolism. The tissue specific-distribution of ROH was studied in terms of the radioactivities of the ROH fractions separated by HPLC. The hepatic 14C-ROH content in the HP-diet group was lower than that in the LP-diet group at 24, 48, and 72 hours after administration of 14C-ROH. In contrast, 14C-ROH content in serum, spleen, pancreas, and small intestinal mucosa in the HP-diet group was higher than that in the LP-diet group. The radioactivity of the exhalated gas and feces was higher in the HP-diet group. These results suggest that metabolism of vitamin A is higher with intake of a HP-diet. Thus, dietary protein levels may affect tissue-specific distribution and metabolism of vitamin A, thereby modulating the actions of this vitamin.

Animals↗

Intravital and electron microscopic observation of Ito cells in rat hepatic microcirculation.

Intralobular distribution of Ito cells (fat-storing cells) in hepatic microcirculatory units was investigated through intravital fluorescence microscopy. By using a low-level ultraviolet epi-illumination and a sensitive silicon intensified target camera, the intrahepatic autofluorescence was visualized and digitally processed. In rats fed an ordinary diet, the ultraviolet-excited autofluorescence was composed of at least two different origins that could not be spectrophotometrically distinguished, namely, multiple patchy autofluorescence activities along the sinusoids and terminal hepatic venules and diffuse parenchymal autofluorescence. Multiple patchy activities showed a rapid photobleaching phenomenon under the continuous ultraviolet excitation. These fluorescent activities were completely eliminated by depleting the intrahepatic retinoid contents using a vitamin A-deficient diet for 4 weeks. Furthermore repeated administration of vitamin A significantly enhanced the patchy fluorescent activities. Electron microscopy revealed that these vitamin A fluorescent activities are colocalized with the fat droplets in Ito cells, providing evidence that Ito cells exist not only in perisinusoidal spaces but also in the perivascular spaces of the terminal hepatic and portal venules. The current intravital technique thus provides a new method to observe Ito cells in hepatic microcirculatory units in vivo.

Animals↗

Gene expression of cellular retinol-binding protein I (CRBP I) is affected by dietary proteins in the rat liver.

The effect of dietary proteins and vitamin A status on the gene expression of cellular retinol-binding protein I (CRBP I) was studied in the rat liver. The gene expression was estimated as amounts of transcript (mRNA) by Northern blot analysis using rat CRBP I cDNA. Though vitamin A status is known to positively regulate the gene expression of CRBP I in the extrahepatic tissues, in the present study we observed that the amount of the CRBP I transcript in liver was neither reduced by vitamin A-deficiency, nor affected by replenishment with an excess dose of all-trans retinoic acid. These results indicate that in the liver, different from the extrahepatic tissues, the gene expression of CRBP I may not be controlled by vitamin A. However, when the rats were fed on the diets that differed in dietary proteins, the gene expression of CRBP I in liver was enhanced by higher quality and quantity of dietary proteins, though no effect of dietary proteins was observed upon the hepatic contents of retinol. The concentrations of serum retinol were almost proportional to the mRNA levels of CRBP I. In contrast, the hepatic gene expression of another retinol-binding protein, RBP, and one subtype of retinoic acid receptor, RAR alpha was not influenced in the nutritional condition tested here. Our findings suggest that the gene expression of CRBP I in liver may be under control of the intake of dietary proteins. Thus, it is likely that in the light of the function of CRBP I on cellular transport and metabolism of retinol, dietary proteins may affect the actions of vitamin A in the extrahepatic tissues through changing the amounts of CRBP I in liver.

Animals↗

Linkage analysis of affective disorder using DNA markers on chromosomes 11 and X.

We have investigated two pedigrees in an attempt to detect the putative linkages between affective disorder and c-Ha-ras-1 oncogene and the insulin gene on chromosome 11, or hypoxanthine phosphoribosyltransferase (HPRT) on X chromosome. The linkage between affective disorders and the markers on chromosomes 11 and X was ruled out with the assumption of no recombination.

Bipolar Disorder↗

[Clinical cytogenetic studies on patients with cleft lip and/or cleft palate--2. Chromosome analysis of twins].

Development of DNA diagnosis on the monocular level for patients with cleft lip and/or palate may be expected in the near future. The necessary condition for this is to confirm the heredity, elucidate the mode of inheritance and decide on the regional mapping etc. The authors tried a chromosome analysis on a pair of monozygotic twins with cleft lip and palate by using high-resolution banding techniques (about 700 bands). However, chromosome aberration was not confirmed. Therefore, the relation between this congenital anomaly and the chromosome aberration could not be confirmed. In this paper the authors discussed about this problem.

Chromosome Aberrations↗

Unique chromosomal location of amplified EGF receptor genes in EGF receptor-hyperproducing tumor cell line NA.

The epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) gene was analyzed by in situ hybridization using a squamous cell carcinoma line NA, which has high numbers of EGF receptors and carries a 20-fold amplification of EGFR genes. NA cells are pseudotriploid (mode of chromosome number is 69) and have three copies of an apparently normal chromosome 7 together with several aberrant chromosomes. Strong hybridization signals were observed in the abnormal banding region of one of the aberrant chromosome, MH1, which has no structural homology to chromosome 7. This MH1 chromosome was lost in NA-derived variant lines that possess reduced numbers of EGF receptors. These results are in contrast to previous findings that EGFR gene amplification is associated with structural alterations of the short arm of chromosome 7 and provide new evidence in regard to the location of the amplified EGFR gene in tumor cells.

Cell Line↗

Tumor growth-promoting effect of immunosuppressive substance in mice.

The effect of immunosuppressive (IS) substance obtained from cancerous ascitic fluid on tumor growth and host immunity in plasmacytoma X5563-bearing C3H/He mice is described. IS substance given in three injections, before and after tumor inoculation caused: (a) enhanced tumor growth, (b) marked reduction in survival times, (c) inhibition on Con-A response of spleen cells. Depressed natural killer (NK) activity was observed in normal and tumor-bearing mice treated with IS substance. The data presented here suggest that IS substance suppresses both humoral and cellular immunoresponsiveness and tumor cells evade immune surveillance or immunologically mediated removal.

Animals↗

[A clinical and genetic study on the congenital dislocation of the hip].

Among 13,779 infants examined from 1974 to 1980 at Takashimadaira and Toride health centers, there were 45 patients with congenital hip dislocation, an incidence of 3.3 per 1,000 live births, that is, 0.08% and 0.53% respectively in male and female. The male to female ratio was 1: 7.4. Its incidence seems to be decreasing year by year with statistic significance, compared with the data previously reported. A family study was conducted based upon 117 patients with this disease diagnosed at the Tokyo Medical and Dental University from 1971 to 1980. Applying the recurrence rate of siblings and the incidence in the general population to the model proposed by Falconer, the heritability of liability to congenital hip dislocation in Japan is estimated to be 80 +/- 20% in males and 135 +/- 10% in females, which is beyond limitation of the heritability and much higher than Woolf's estimation (82% in male and 58% in female). This might be due to the insufficient size of the test population, but the genetic factors are presumed to play a more important role on the etiology of this abnormality.

Adult↗

Blood groups and diabetes mellitus: a possible tool in the analysis of the hereditary background of diabetes mellitus.

Blood groups ABO, MN, P1, Lewis and KIDD, were examined in 64 adult and 53 child diabetics. Patients were classified into 4 groups, NIDDM (n = 30), Insulin less than 20 U (n = 13) and Insulin greater than or equal to 20 U (n = 21) in adults and IDDM in children (n = 53). ABO blood group was found to have some association with Insulin greater than or equal to 20 U and IDDM. P1(+) was significantly rarer in the Insulin greater than or equal to 20 U group in adults, while this difference was not observed in IDDM in children. MN, Lewis and KIDD blood groups did not show any association with diabetes mellitus in our study. Further studies are needed to clarify the association of blood groups with diabetes mellitus.

Adult↗

The manifestation of genotypes responsible for blood pressure and blood sugar level.

It has been known for a long time that hypertension and diabetes mellitus are often complicated by each other. The aim of this paper was to disclose possible causes of such complications by investigating 1) whether or not hypertension and diabetes mellitus are entirely two independent diseases, 2) whether or not they occur together only by chance, 3) whether or not there are some causal factors which are shared by these two diseases and 4) whether or not these two diseases occur together with some probability. The genetic analyses of these two diseases were carried out on the basis of the genetic analyses on blood pressures (BP) and blood sugar levels (BS) in the present studies. It was proved that the genotypic correlation coefficients of BP and BS ranged from 0.075 to 0.573 with a mean value of 0.337 and their environmental correlation coefficients were from -0.029 to -0.337 with a mean value of -0.164. These results suggest that 1) the respective polygenic systems responsible for BP (hypertension) and BS (diabetes mellitus) have multiple effects and 2) the environmental factors responsible for BP and BS have inverse effects. The negative values of the environmental correlation coefficients between BP and BS indicate that the environmental factors which lower BP may elevate BS, and vice versa. An induction of an abnormal glucose tolerance as one of the side effects of thiazides, the most widely used anti-hypertensive diuretics, coincides with the inverse environmental correlation between BP and BS. This finding may be of great importance in the field of clinical genetics.

Adult↗