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T Gomi

Publications and source records attributed to T Gomi.

At least 55 records · Page 3Linked to original sources

[Estimation of 123I-metaiodobenzylguanidine lung uptake in heart and lung diseases--with reference to lung uptake ratio and decrease of lung uptake].

123I-metaiodobenzylguanidine (MIBG) myocardial scintigraphy was performed in 64 patients with heart and lung diseases. Distribution of MIBG in the chest was evaluated by planar images, using counts ratios of the heart to the mediastinum (H/M) and the unilateral lung to the mediastinum (Lu/M). Most of patients with heart diseases showed obvious lung uptake of MIBG. The ratios of H/M were 1.75 +/- 0.20 in the group without heart failure and 1.55 +/- 0.19 in the group with heart failure. The ratios of Lu/M in the right and left lung were 1.56 +/- 0.16 and 1.28 +/- 0.16 in the group without heart failure. And those were 1.45 +/- 0.16 and 1.19 +/- 0.15 in the group with heart failure. But 3 patients complicated with chronic pulmonary emphysema and one patient with interstitial pneumonia due to dermatomyositis showed markedly decreased lung uptake. The ratios of Lu/M in the right and left lung of these patients were 1.20, 1.17; 1.17, 1.13; 1.01, 0.97 and 1.27, 0.94, respectively. These results suggest that the lung uptake of MIBG may reflect the state of pulmonary endothelial cell function in clinical situations, considering that it has been demonstrated that MIBG may be useful as a marker of pulmonary endothelial cell function in the isolated rat lung.

3-Iodobenzylguanidine↗

[Myocardial scintigraphic studies with 123I-MIBG, 201Tl and 99mTc-PYP in patients with cardiac amyloidosis].

Myocardial scintigraphic studies, using 123I-metaiodobenzylguanidine (MIBG), 99mTc-pyrophosphate (PYP) and 201Tl were performed in 4 patients with cardiac amyloidosis. In MIBG myocardial images, 2 patients with familial amyloid polyneuropathy (FAP) showed complete or partial defect and the other 2 with primary amyloidosis had normal myocardial uptake of MIBG. In PYP myocardial images, diffuse myocardial uptake of PYP was mild in 2 patients with FAP and moderate in the other 2. 201Tl myocardial images revealed normal myocardial uptake of 201Tl in 2 patients with FAP and 1 with primary amyloidosis, and intense myocardial uptake in the other one with primary amyloidosis. These results suggest that myocardial scintigraphies with PYP and 201Tl may be useful for the detection of cardiac amyloidosis and estimation of its pathophysiology. And MIBG myocardial scintigraphy may provide useful information about sympathetic nerve abnormalities which vary with type of the fibril protein, clinical syndromes and disease process of cardiac amyloidosis.

3-Iodobenzylguanidine↗

Crystal structure of glycine N-methyltransferase from rat liver.

Glycine N-methyltransferase (GNMT) from rat liver is a tetrameric enzyme with 292 amino acid residues in each identical subunit and catalyzes the S-adenosylmethionine (AdoMet) dependent methylation of glycine to form sarcosine. The crystal structure of GNMT complexed with AdoMet and acetate, a competitive inhibitor of glycine, has been determined at 2.2 A resolution. The subunit of GNMT forms a spherical shape with an extended N-terminal region which corks the entrance of active site of the adjacent subunit. The active site is located in the near center of the spherical subunit. As a result, the AdoMet and acetate in the active site are completely surrounded by amino acid residues. Careful examination of the structure reveals several characteristics of GNMT. (1) Although the structure of the AdoMet binding domain of the GNMT is very similar to those of other methyltransferases recently determined by X-ray diffraction method, an additional domain found only in GNMT encloses the active site to form a molecular basket, and consequently the structure of GNMT looks quite different from those of other methyltransferases. (2) This unique molecular structure can explain why GNMT can capture folate and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons. (3) The unique N-terminal conformation and the subunit structure can explain why GNMT exhibits positive cooperativity in binding AdoMet. From the structural features of GNMT, we propose that the enzyme might be able to capture yet unidentified molecules in the cytosol and thus participates in various biological processes including detoxification of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons. In the active site, acetate binds near the S-CH3 moiety of AdoMet. Simple modeling indicates that the amino group of the substrate glycine can be placed close to the methyl group of AdoMet within 3.0 A and form a hydrogen bond with the carboxyl group of Glu15 of the adjacent subunit. On the basis of the ternary complex structure, the mechanism of the methyl transfer in GNMT has been proposed.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

Probing the S-adenosylmethionine-binding site of rat guanidinoacetate methyltransferase. Effect of site-directed mutagenesis of residues that are conserved across mammalian non-nucleic acid methyltransferases.

Most mammalian non-nucleic acid methyltransferases share three sequence motifs. To gain insight into the S-adenosyl-methionine (AdoMet)-binding site of guanidinoacetate methyltransferase, we mutated several conserved residues that are found in or near motifs I and II. Conversion of either of two glycine residues of motif I (Gly67 and Gly69) to an alanine resulted in an inactive enzyme. These enzymes, although having UV absorption, fluorescence and far-UV CD spectra virtually identical with those of the wild-type enzyme, seem to be conformationally different from the wild-type enzyme as judged by near-UV CD spectra and the extent of urea denaturation, and are apparently not capable of binding AdoMet. Mutation of Tyr136 of motif II to a valine resulted in a decrease in Kcat/Km values for substrates. Changing this residue to a phenylalanine caused only a minor change in Kcat/Km for AdoMet. This suggests that the aromatic side chain stabilizes the binding of AdoMet. Mutagenic changes of Glu89, which is the residue corresponding to the conserved acidic residue on the C-terminal side of motif I, indicated its contribution to AdoMet binding. These results are consistent with the idea that both motifs I and II are crucial in forming the AdoMet binding site of guanidinoacetate methyltransferase.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

Changes in glucose transporter 2 and carbohydrate-metabolizing enzymes in the liver during cold preservation and warm ischemia.

In order to examine glucose metabolism in liver grafts during cold preservation (24 and 48 hr), warm ischemia (60 and 120 min), a combination of the two and reperfusion, the amount of protein and mRNA of glucose transporter 2 and the activities of enzymes in glycolysis (glucokinase, phosphofructokinase, pyruvatekinase), gluconeogenesis (glucose 6-phosphatase, fructose 1,6-bisphosphatase), and the pentose phosphate pathway (glucose 6-phosphate dehydrogenase) were measured. It appeared that glucose transport, the pentose phosphate pathway, and gluconeogenesis were maintained during cold preservation and warm ischemia. The activity of glucokinase significantly decreased from the control value of 1.33 +/- 0.23 IU/g protein to 0.70 +/- 0.17 (24 hr, P<0.05) and 0.57 +/- 0.12 (48 hr, P<0.01) only during cold preservation. However, the activity of phosphofructokinase significantly decreased from the control value of 4.37 +/- 0.06 IU/g protein to 2.67 +/- 0.15 (60 min, P<0.0001) and 1.53 +/- 0.06 (120 min, P<0.0001) only during warm ischemia. This indicates that glycolysis deteriorates during both cold preservation and warm ischemia and demonstrates further that the balance between glycolysis and gluconeogenesis shifts to gluconeogenesis. Even when cold preservation was combined with warm ischemia, the activity of glucokinase decreased only during cold preservation and the activity of phosphofructokinase decreased only during warm ischemia. Furthermore, these changes were time-dependent. It is suggested that they can be used as a clock to measure the durations of cold preservation and warm ischemia separately and that the magnitude of an ischemic injury to a liver and a liver graft's viability can be indirectly estimated before transplantation.

Animals↗

Long-duration xenogeneic extracorporeal pig liver perfusion with human blood.

Hepatic xenografts can tolerate hyperacute rejection owing to their lower susceptibility to humorally mediated injury. We investigated the possibility of long-duration xenoperfusion without immunologically controlling natural antibodies or complements. Pig livers were perfused for 9 h with human blood (Group 1) or pig blood (Group 2). Physiological conditioning and administration of prostaglandin E1 and insulin was characteristic of our system. The portal vein and hepatic artery pressure and bile production did not significantly differ between the two groups. Despite a gradual decrease throughout the perfusion, overall oxygen consumption was significantly higher in Group 1. Liver enzymes were released at higher levels in Group 1. Histological examination revealed intact hepatic architecture in Group 2, while in Group 1 interlobular morphology was severely damaged by endothelial disruption, although hepatic sinusoidal architecture was preserved. It is concluded that, despite biochemically and histologically confirmed tissue injury, graft viability was well-maintained in xenoperfusion even without immunological manipulations.

Alprostadil↗

Ischemic preconditioning of the liver in rats: implications of heat shock protein induction to increase tolerance of ischemia-reperfusion injury.

It has been reported that ischemic preconditioning of the heart or brain has a possible relevance to heat shock protein (HSP). It is still unknown, however, whether HSP induced by means of ischemic preconditioning of the liver is a direct factor in the acquisition of tolerance to succeeding ischemia-reperfusion injury. In the present study we used ischemic preconditioning of the liver to verify the effects of induced HSP72 in the liver on the subsequent longer warm ischemia and reperfusion. Rats preconditioned with short-term (15-minute) ischemia were compared with rats preconditioned by heat exposure or with control rats. After a 48-hour recovery from the sublethal stress for preconditioning, all rats were exposed to longer (30-minute) warm ischemia and reperfusion. Forty-eight hours after ischemic preconditioning, HSP72 was clearly induced in the liver, as well as in the liver preconditioned with heat shock, but not in the kidney or heart. This ischemic preconditioning also attenuated the liver damage in the subsequent ischemia-reperfusion injury, improving the restoration of hepatic function during reperfusion and resulting in higher postischemic rat survival. According to the proposed model of tolerance acquisition for ischemia-reperfusion injury by stress preconditioning, these observations support the speculation that the induced HSP72 plays some beneficial role in this protection mechanism.

Adaptation, Physiological↗

Hachimi-jio-gan extract protects the kidney from hypertensive injury in Dahl salt-sensitive rat.

We investigated whether the Chinese herbal remedy, Hachimi-jio-gan extract, attenuates the renal injury seen in salt-induced hypertension in Dahl salt-sensitive (Dahl S) rats. Administration of this extract for 5 weeks dose-dependently decreased systolic blood pressure in Dahl S rats fed with a high-salt (2% NaCl) diet. This blood pressure reduction was associated with a decrease in cardiac mass and in thickness of the aortic wall. Urinary excretion of prostaglandin E2 was increased and glomerular filtration rate was improved with this treatment. Glomerulosclerosis and arterial injury in the kidney were morphologically improved. These data suggest that Hachimi-jio-gan extract exhibits an antihypertensive effect, which is associated with partial resolution of renal injury in salt-induced hypertension.

Animals↗

Improvement of insulin sensitivity contributes to blood pressure reduction after weight loss in hypertensive subjects with obesity.

To access the role of insulin resistance in obesity hypertension, we examined the change of insulin sensitivity after weight loss in 24 obese hypertensive subjects by the euglycemic hyperinsulinemic glucose clamp method. The results of the 4-week calorie-restricted diet were a weight loss of 10.2% (from 74 +/- 12 to 67 +/- 11 kg, P < .01) and a decrease in mean blood pressure of 13.1% (from 124 +/- 7 to 107 +/- 9 mm Hg, P < .01). A decrease in plasma norepinephrine (from 208 +/- 74 to 142 +/- 52 pg/mL, P < .01) was associated with decreases in plasma renin activity (from 1.06 +/- 0.98 to 0.62 +/- 0.63 ng/mL per hour, P < .01) and serum aldosterone (from 70 +/- 28 to 57 +/- 24 pg/mL, P < .05). Glucose infusion rate increased significantly (42.9%), from 809 +/- to 1155 +/- 251 mumol/m2 per minute. The insulin sensitivity index, which is a measure of the glucose infusion rate divided by plasma insulin, increased significantly (42.6%), from 10.8 +/- 3.5 to 15.4 +/- 4.4 (mumol/m2 per minute)/(microU/mL). Stepwise multiple linear regression analysis showed that changes of plasma norepinephrine, insulin sensitivity index, plasma renin activity, and age were significant predictive factors for the change of mean blood pressure after weight loss. These results indicate a distinct relation between an improvement of insulin sensitivity and a decrease in blood pressure after weight loss in obese hypertensive subjects. The decrease in blood pressure after weight loss is probably related to the suppression of sympathetic nervous activity.

Anthropometry↗

Laparotomy causes a transient induction of rat liver serine dehydratase mRNA.

Rat liver serine dehydratase mRNA shows rhythmicity with a high level at the onset of dark (19:00) and a low level at the onset of light (07:00). We have examined the effect of stress (laparotomy) on the rhythm. Upon laparotomy at 09:00 or 17:00, a marked induction of serine dehydratase mRNA occurred 2 h after operation. The elevated mRNA level then decreased and the original mRNA rhythm resumed 2 days later. By contrast, the transcription activator protein DBP mRNA level which shows a similar oscillation was not affected by this treatment. The induction was also seen in adrenalectomized rats that had been treated with hydrocortisone but not with saline or noradrenaline, indicating that glucocorticoids are absolutely necessary for the induction. Pretreatment of rats with phenoxybenzamine, and prazosin prevented the effect of laparotomy, but propranolol and yohimbine had no effect, indicating the necessity of the alpha 1-adrenergic stimulation for the induction. These results suggest that laparotomy releases glucocorticoids and neural noradrenaline that stimulates alpha 1-adrenergic receptors, thereby leading to the serine dehydratase gene expression.

Adrenalectomy↗

A new adenosine subtype-1 receptor antagonist, FK-838, attenuates salt-induced hypertension in Dahl salt-sensitive rats.

We investigated the effects of the adenosine type-1 receptor antagonist FK-838 on salt-induced hypertension in Dahl-Sea salt-sensitive (Dahl S) rats. Dahl S rats fed a high-salt (4% NaCl) diet for 4 weeks were treated with FK-838 or hydrochlorothiazide for 4 weeks and alterations in kidney function and morphologic changes were assessed. FK-838 attenuated the development of hypertension in Dahl S rats, and caused a decrease in aortic weight in a dose dependent fashion. The adenosine antagonist did not produce any detectable metabolic disturbance. The blood pressure reduction by FK-838 was associated with attenuation of glomerular and arterial injury in the kidney. The renal protective effect of FK-838 treatment was associated with a reduction of plasma renin activity and plasma aldosterone concentration. In contrast, the thiazide diuretic, which produced almost the same blood pressure reduction as FK-838, did not attenuate renal damage. These data indicate that adenosine A1 receptor antagonism reduces salt-induced hypertension and the consequent renal injuries.

Animals↗

Identification of a lysine residue in the NADH-binding site of salicylate hydroxylase from Pseudomonas putida S-1.

Salicylate hydroxylase from Pseudomonas putida S-1 was irreversibly inactivated by trinitrobenzenesulfonic acid (TNBS). The reaction was linearly dependent on TNBS concentration and the second-order rate constant was 120 M-1.min-1 for the holoprotein at pH 8.5. Modification of one mole of lysine residue per mole of enzyme caused a large loss of the activity, and the enzyme was no longer able to show NADH-dehydrogenase activity after uncoupling. The presence of NADH, NAD+, ATP, or AMP afforded protection against the inactivation. The enzyme modified at a single lysine residue was isolated by hydrophobic chromatography as an apoprotein form and characterized. It could bind FAD with the same Kd value for that of native apoprotein. The apparent Michaelis constant of the enzyme was increased 13-fold for NADH, but not for salicylate. Vmax for NADH oxidation was decreased to one-fifth of that of the native enzyme. A peptide containing one trinitrophenyl-lysine residue was isolated from the chymotryptic digest of the modified enzyme and its amino acid sequence was determined to be TADVAIAADGIKSSM, which is homologous to the sequence from R-154 to I-168 of salicylate hydroxylase from P. putida PpG7. The lysine in the peptide may represent a basic residue interacting with an anionic group of NADH in the binding site of the enzyme.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

Protective effect of thromboxane synthetase inhibitor on hypertensive renal damage in Dahl salt-sensitive rats.

1. The effects of OKY-046, a specific thromboxane (TX) synthetase inhibitor, on blood pressure, urinary excretion of TX and its release from blood platelets and renal papilla, and pathological change of glomeruli were evaluated in Dahl salt-sensitive rats. 2. Average daily intakes of OKY-046-treated rats were 0.93 mg/kg (low dose), 9.8 mg/kg (moderate dose), and 88 mg/kg (high dose). 3. Systolic blood pressure tended to decrease by 6.3, 11.4, and 10.9% in three OKY-treated groups. 4. OKY-046 suppressed the release of TX from platelets in a dose-dependent fashion. Both TX in urine and released from renal papilla decreased in OKY-treated groups with moderate and high dose. OKY-046 resulted no change in urinary excretion or release from renal papilla of prostaglandin E2 or 6-keto-prostaglandin F1alpha. 5. Glomerular sclerosis score decreased significantly in both groups treated with moderate and high doses of OKY-046. 6. An inhibition of renal TX synthesis by TX synthetase inhibitor has a protective effect on the development of hypertensive renal damage with minor antihypertensive effect in Dahl salt-sensitive rats.

Animals↗

Persistent non-familial asymptomatic hyperphosphatasemia: a report on three cases.

Three male children, aged 9 days, 2 years and 13 years, were found to have elevated serum alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activity (hyperphosphatasemia) in the absence of disease. In these three cases, elevation of ALP activity had persisted for 6-10 years. These patients did not inherit the disease from their parents. Isoenzyme determination revealed a skeletal origin of the elevated ALP in the three patients. They were diagnosed as having persistent non-familial asymptomatic hyperphosphatasemia (PNAH) which differs from transient and persistent asymptomatic familial hyperphosphatasemia. Reviewing the literature, although the term PNAH had not been used, two similar cases have been reported in a 24-year-old female and in a 27-year-old female. PNAH may be another type of benign hyperphosphatasemia.

Adolescent↗

Protein synthesis and degradation in flight muscles of adult crickets (Gryllus bimaculatus)

The development and degeneration of the flight muscles in adult crickets, Gryllus bimaculatus, were studied (1) by determination of the total protein content, (2) by SDS one-dimensional polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS&shy;PAGE) of muscle protein and (3) by in vitro culturing of the muscle. The total protein content of the dorso-longitudinal muscle (DLM) and metathoracic dorso-ventral muscle (DVM) increased during the early days of adult life in both sexes. This high protein content was maintained for at least a further 10 days in some individuals, while in others it declined to a low level. Mesothoracic DVMs in males also showed an increase in protein content after adult emergence but did not undergo histolysis, whereas those in females showed no significant temporal change in protein content. Removal of hind wings or artificial de-alation was found to be useful in inducing degeneration of DLMs and metathoracic DVMs. This treatment also stimulated ovarian development in females. An analysis by SDS&shy;PAGE provided no evidence for new protein synthesis prior to or during flight muscle degeneration. A high rate of [3H]- or [35S]methionine incorporation was observed in DLMs taken from newly emerged adults, but, in intact crickets, the rate declined rapidly during the first 3 days of adult life, a pattern consistent with that obtained from the measurement of total protein content. Compared with DLMs removed from intact crickets, DLMs taken from de-alated crickets showed reduced rates of protein synthesis during in vitro culturing. This, together with the onset of protein degradation, appears to cause the rapid decrease in total protein content of the muscle in de-alated crickets.

Journal Article↗

Possible linkage between renal injury and cardiac remodeling in Dahl salt-sensitive rats treated with the calcium channel antagonist benidipine.

Interest in cardiovascular protection by calcium channel antagonists has grown over the past decade. We investigated the prevention of cardiac remodeling and renal injury by the long-acting calcium channel antagonist benidipine using 12 week-old Dahl salt-sensitive (Dahl S) rats fed a high-salt (4% NaCl) diet. Six-week benidipine treatment (10 mg/kg chow) decreased systolic blood pressure by 22% in Dahl S rats. This blood pressure reduction was associated with decreases in cardiac mass and weight of the aortic wall. Collagen content in the left ventricle tended to decline with benidipine treatment. In addition, glomerular filtration rate increased by 33% and arterial and glomerular lesions improved morphologically with this treatment. Regression of cardiac mass and collagen content in the left ventricle was due mainly to blood pressure reduction; however, collagen content in the low-pressure right ventricle was not only related to systemic blood pressure but to the severity of renal lesions. These data suggest that the calcium channel antagonist benidipine attenuates cardiac and renal injury in hypertensive Dahl S rats, and that part of the cardiac hypertrophy is due to a non-hemodynamic mechanism that might be responsible for, or be a consequence of, the lesions in the kidney.

Animals↗