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Biomedical subjects

T Matsuzawa

Publications and source records attributed to T Matsuzawa.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

Differences in myocardial fluoro-18 2-deoxyglucose uptake in young versus older patients with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy.

The purpose of this study was to determine whether regional myocardial glucose use in patients diagnosed as having hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HC) at a younger age differs from that in those diagnosed at middle to old age. Sixteen patients with HC (group 1 aged less than 40 years (n = 8); group 2 aged greater than 40 (n = 8) were studied using positron emission tomography and fluoro-18 2-deoxyglucose (FDG). All patients were diagnosed as having HC within 6 years of the study. Contiguous regions of interest were selected circumferentially on each cross-sectional image of the left ventricular wall. In each region of interest, % FDG fractional uptake was calculated. In each patient, % left ventricular FDG fractional uptake was determined as a mean value of % FDG fractional uptake in each region of interest. Moreover, as a measure of nonhomogeneity, the % interregional coefficient of variation in FDG fractional uptake was calculated in each patient. Whereas % left ventricular FDG fractional uptake did not differ between the 2 groups, the % interregional coefficient of variation in FDG fractional uptake was increased in group 1 compared with that in group 2 (11.5 +/- 3.6 vs 7.4 +/- 1.6%; p less than 0.02). Interventricular septum/left ventricular posterior wall thickness ratio and total counts in cross-sectional image did not differ between the 2 groups. These data suggest that patients diagnosed as having HC at a younger age have more nonhomogeneous myocardial metabolic characteristics than do patients diagnosed at middle or old age, and support the notion that HC in the young may be different from that in the middle-aged or elderly.

Adolescent

Perception of complex geometric figures in chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes) and humans (Homo sapiens): analyses of visual similarity on the basis of choice reaction time.

In a conditional-discrimination task (matching-to-sample), we assessed similarities among figures consisting of 2 elemental figures through the choice reaction time, nonmetric multidimensional scaling, and hierarchical cluster analysis data from chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes) and humans (Homo sapiens). Humans also rated similarities among figures. The results of the 3 experiments clearly indicated that the reaction time data obtained from chimpanzees' performances were useful measures of the similarities among figures. The results suggested that chimpanzees and humans perceived the complex figures similarly. The outer-contour elements were perceived most dominantly by both species, and the straight-line elements were perceived least dominantly. Both species showed the same perceptual hierarchy or dominance among perceptual categories, as determined by the similarity of simple elements, on the basis of transformational invariances.

Adult

Present status of animal clinical pathology examinations in the Japanese Pharmaceutical Manufacturers Association.

This paper will review the current status of animal clinical pathology in Japan using data obtained during a survey conducted by the Japanese Pharmaceutical Manufacturers Association (JPMA). I am presenting this information as a representative of the Non-Clinical Evaluation Committee of the JPMA. Two co-workers, Dr. Nomura of Daiichi Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd., and Dr. Unno of Kanebo Co., Ltd., are also involved in this effort. Investigating and discussing the various problems concerning animal clinical pathology is timely and truly heartening, and we expect this information exchange in the animal clinical pathology field to continue.

Animals

Antitumor activity of Hypsizigus marmoreus. I. Antitumor activity of extracts and polysaccharides.

Antitumor activity of Hypsizigus marmoreus, one of the most popular Japanese edible mushrooms, was investigated. The aqueous and methanol extracts were tested against allogeneic tumor, solid sarcoma 180 and syngeneic tumor, Meth A fibrosarcoma. The aqueous extract was highly active in inhibiting growth of solid sarcoma 180, but not as much for Meth A fibrosarcoma. Fractionation of antitumor substances of the aqueous extract isolated four polysaccharides. Chemical analysis revealed one of them to be beta-(1-3)-glucan with a remarkable inhibitory effect against tumor-growth of sarcoma 180.

Animals

In vitro study on the increase of trypsin resistance in the rat testicular sperm head.

The alteration of trypsin resistance in rat sperm head was investigated after the sperm were incubated in the culture media (199-Earele, 1% BSA) containing the inhibitors of protein synthesis. The head of non-incubated testicular sperm was easily digested by trypsin (1 mg/ml) while the head of the incubated sperm showed resistance to trypsin digestion after 3 hr-incubation. Trypsin resistance in epididymal sperm head did not change after the sperm was incubated. Neither cycloheximide (100 micrograms/ml) nor chloramphenicol (100 micrograms/ml) affected the trypsin resistance in the testicular sperm head.

Animals

Increase of methionine aminopeptidase activity in hyperplastic Leydig cells of rat cryptorchid testis: a histochemical study.

Histochemical study on the changes of the aminopeptidase activities in rat testes after surgically-induced cryptorchidism was conducted comparing them with the histochemical changes in regenerated hepatic cells of the partially hepatectomized rat liver. Methionine-aminopeptidase in Leydig cells gradually increased after cryptorchid was induced, whereas the enzyme activity in regenerated hepatic cells decreased. These histochemical observations were coincident with the data obtained by enzyme assay. The present study has indicated that in the rat cryptorchid testis the increase of methionine-aminopeptidase activity was caused by hyperplastic Leydig cells.

Aminopeptidases

Complete amino acid sequence of human liver cytosolic alanine aminotransferase (GPT) determined by a combination of conventional and mass spectral methods.

The complete amino acid sequence of human liver cytosolic alanine aminotransferase (GPT) (EC 2.6.1.2) is presented. Two primary sets of overlapping fragments were obtained by cleavage of the pyridylethylated protein at methionyl and lysyl bonds with cyanogen bromide and Achromobacter protease I, respectively. Isolated peptides were analyzed with a protein sequencer or with a plasma desorption time of flight mass spectrometer and placed in the sequence on the basis of their molecular mass and homology to the sequence of rat GPT. The protein was found to be acetylated at the amino terminus and contained 495 amino acid residues. The Mr of the subunit was calculated to be 54,479, which was in good agreement with a Mr of 55,000 estimated by SDS-PAGE, and also indicated that the active enzyme with a Mr of 114,000 was a homodimer composed of two identical subunits. The amino acid sequence is highly homologous to that of rat GPT (87.9% identity) recently determined [Ishiguro, M., Suzuki, M., Takio, K., Matsuzawa, T., & Titani, K. (1991) Biochemistry 30, 6048-6053]. All of the crucial amino acid residues are conserved in human GPT, which seem to be hydrogen bonding to pyridoxal 5'-phosphate in rat GPT by the sequence homology to other alpha-aminotransferases with known tertiary structures.

Alanine Transaminase

Complete amino acid sequence of rat liver cytosolic alanine aminotransferase.

The complete amino acid sequence of rat liver cytosolic alanine aminotransferase (EC 2.6.1.2) is presented. Two primary sets of overlapping fragments were obtained by cleavage of the pyridylethylated protein at methionyl and lysyl bonds with cyanogen bromide and Achromobacter protease I, respectively. The protein was found to be acetylated at the amino terminus and contained 495 amino acid residues. The molecular weight of the subunit was calculated to be 55,018 which was in good agreement with a molecular weight of 55,000 determined by SDS-PAGE and also indicated that the active enzyme with a molecular weight of 114,000 was a homodimer composed of two identical subunits. No highly homologous sequence was found in protein sequence databases except for a 20-residue sequence around the pyridoxal 5'-phosphate binding site of the pig heart enzyme [Tanase, S., Kojima, H., & Morino, Y. (1979) Biochemistry 18, 3002-3007], which was almost identical with that of residues 303-322 of the rat liver enzyme. In spite of rather low homology scores, rat alanine aminotransferase is clearly homologous to those of other aminotransferases from the same species, e.g., cytosolic tyrosine aminotransferase (24.7% identity), cytosolic aspartate aminotransferase (17.0%), and mitochondrial aspartate aminotransferase (16.0%). Most of the crucial amino acid residues hydrogen-bonding to pyridoxal 5'-phosphate identified in aspartate aminotransferase by X-ray crystallography are conserved in alanine aminotransferase. This suggests that the topology of secondary structures characteristic in the large domain of other alpha-aminotransferases with known tertiary structure may also be conserved in alanine aminotransferase.

Alanine Transaminase

Possibility for tumor detection with fatty acid analogs.

Newly synthesized 17-[18F]fluoro-3-methylheptadecanoic acid ([18F]BMHDA), 16-[18F]fluoropalmitic acid ([18F]PA) and 15-(p-[125I]iodophenyl)-3-R,S-methylpentadecanoic acid ([125I]BMIPP), fatty acid tracers, were examined for the possibility of tumor imaging using 10 tumor models in rats and mice. The highest tumor/muscle ratios with [18F]BMHDA were 2.3 using rat tumor AH109A and 1.9 using mouse tumor B16F1 (tumor accumulation 0.41 +/- 0.05, 4.29 +/- 0.77% ID/g, respectively). Tumor/muscle ratios with [125I]BMIPP and [18F]PA were lower than those with [18F]BMHDA. Labeled fatty acids seem to have a lower potential for tumor detection.

Animals

Evaluation of angelicae radix (Touki) by the inhibitory effect on platelet aggregation.

Quality evaluation of Angelicae Radix (Touki) was discussed referring to its inhibitory effect on platelet aggregation. No better correlation was observed in quality determined morphologically from the above-ground part of Touki and that determined by anti-platelet aggregation (APA) effects. Phthalides and adenosine, known to be the major components of Touki, were found not sufficient to evaluate the Touki quality as regards APA active components have been studied and it was concluded that the APA effect of Touki results from the combined action of plural components. The importance of determining quality based on the action of total extract to meet the purpose for which the substance is to be used was suggested.

Drugs, Chinese Herbal

Steel-Dickie (Sld) mutation affects both maintenance and differentiation of testicular germ cells in mice.

The effects of Steel-Dickie (Sld) mutations on testicular germ cell differentiation were investigated using experimental cryptorchidism and its surgical reversal in mutant, C57BL/6-Sld/+ and wild-type C57BL/6- +/+ mice. In Sld/+ cryptorchid testes the maintenance of undifferentiated type-A spermatogonia was impaired and their numbers decreased. In contrast, the proliferative activity of type-A spermatogonia in the cryptorchid testis of mutant mice appeared normal as judged by their progression through the cell cycle. Surgical reversal of cryptorchidism resulted in regenerative differentiation of mature germ cells in +/+ testes. However, the regenerative differentiation of type-A spermatogonia which remained in Sld/+ cryptorchid testes was strongly impaired, particularly at two steps of cellular differentiation, from type-A spermatogonia to intermediate or type-B spermatogonia and at meiotic division. Furthermore, in mutant mice, no significant recovery of testicular weight was observed after surgical reversal compared with +/+ mice.

Animals

Emergence of symmetry in a visual conditional discrimination by chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes).

In Exp. 1, three young chimpanzees were trained to match red to a cross and green to a circle in an arbitrary matching-to-sample task. After acquisition of this task, they were tested for the emergence of associative symmetry of these conditional relations using the trials on which shapes were presented as samples and colors as comparisons. One of the three chimpanzees showed statistically significant accuracy on these test trials. This successful subject served in Exp. 2, in which an auditory-visual stimulus appeared contingent upon red and a cross while another auditory-visual stimulus was contingent upon green and a circle. This subject showed higher accuracies in symmetry tests than in Exp. 1, which suggested the facilitative effects of these events common to sample and correct comparison on the development of symmetry. In Exp. 3, subsequent tests in which only these stimuli were presented as samples indicated that these stimuli might have become the members of equivalence classes.

Animals

Visualization of histamine H1 receptors in dog brain by positron emission tomography.

Histamine H1 receptors were visualized in the living dog brain using [11C]pyrilamine or [11C]doxepin by positron emission tomography (PET). The regional distribution of these carbon-11 labeled compounds in the brain corresponded well with that of the histamine H1 receptors separately determined by in vitro binding assay. The radioactivity in the brain was reduced by treatment with triprolidine (1 mg/kg), a histamine H1 antagonist. The results of our study indicate that it is feasible to visualize histamine H1 receptors in human brain using these 11C-labeled compounds and PET.

Animals

Cerebral circulation and oxygen metabolism associated with subclinical periventricular hyperintensity as shown by magnetic resonance imaging.

A combined magnetic resonance imaging and positron emission tomography study was performed on 21 patients with cerebrovascular risk factors but without neurological abnormalities. Our purpose was to investigate the hypothesis that periventricular hyperintensity (PVH) reflects ischemia. Periventricular hyperintensity was evaluated with a method we devised, and cerebral circulation and oxygen metabolism were evaluated with the oxygen-15 steady-state technique. We concluded that the brain with severe periventricular hyperintensity had abnormal circulation, although oxygen metabolism was not measurably affected. The role of a compensation mechanism under conditions of decreased oxygen supply was considered.

Aged

Clinical assessment of therapeutic effects on cancer using 18F-2-fluoro-2-deoxy-D-glucose and positron emission tomography: preliminary study of lung cancer.

Using positron emission tomography, we studied the tumor uptake of 18F-2-fluoro-2-deoxy-D-glucose (18FDG) in five lung cancer patients before and after anti-cancer therapy (radiotherapy and/or chemotherapy). The tumor uptake of 18FDG was classified as positive and negative; the former, by increasing the uptake of 18FDG with time, and the latter, by decreasing or the constant uptake of 18FDG. Before therapy, all cases tested positive. After therapy, three cases were negative and two cases remained positive. All negative cases corresponded to complete second 18FDG study. Our findings in the 18FDG study correlate with the clinical results. 18FDG is a promising method for assessing therapeutic effects on cancer clinically.

Adult