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T Nukui

Publications and source records attributed to T Nukui.

5 recordsLinked to original sources

Prognostic significance of expression of thymidine phosphorylase and vascular endothelial growth factor in human gastric carcinoma.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Both thymidine phosphorylase (dThdPase) and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) are well-characterized inducers of angiogenesis. The purpose of this study was to examine the expression of these antigens and their prognostic significance in gastric carcinoma. METHODS: Medical records of 102 patients with stage II tumor were retrospectively reviewed. Primary tumors were studied by immunohistochemical staining for dThdPase and VEGF. RESULTS: Positive dThdPase expression was observed in 52 (51%) tumors and positive VEGF expression in 53 (52%) tumors. There was a significant correlation between the positive expression of VEGF and lymphatic invasion. The patients with dThdPase-positive carcinoma showed a significantly worse prognosis than those with dThdPase-negative carcinoma in stage II. Moreover, the frequency of hepatic recurrence was significantly higher in the patients with dThdPase-positive and VEGF-positive tumors than in those with dThdPase-negative and VEGF-negative tumors. CONCLUSIONS: Combination analysis of dThdPase and VEGF expression in gastric carcinoma appears to be well-characterized inductors of prognosis and metastasis.

Adult↗

3,4-Dichloropropionanilide-induced atrophy of the thymus: mechanisms of toxicity and recovery.

The herbicide 3,4-dichloropropionanilide (propanil) has several well-documented neurotoxic and immunotoxic effects on mice. We report here a detailed characterization of the effects of propanil exposure on the thymus. We found that at doses of 100-200 mg/kg, propanil induces significant thymic atrophy between 2 and 7 days postexposure. This atrophy is characterized by a decrease in thymus/body ratio and a decrease in cellularity. Flow cytometric analyses of thymuses from propanil- and vehicle-treated mice indicate that the CD4(+) CD8(+) population of immature cells, is most significantly decreased in propanil-exposed mice. We performed cell cycle analysis of thymocyte populations using two-color surface staining and the DNA binding dye 7-aminoactinomycin D to determine whether thymic atrophy was associated with changes in the percentages of cells in the S, G2, and M phases of the cell cycle. We found a high percentage of proliferating CD4(+)CD8(+) thymocytes 4 days after exposure. Thus, recovery of the thymus occurs following increases in thymocyte proliferation, most notably the immature CD4(+) CD8(+) thymocytes. We tested the hypothesis that glucocorticoids play a role in the observed atrophy by examining thymuses in adrenalectomized, propanil-treated mice. No atrophy was observed in those animals. These results suggest that propanil has an immunotoxic effect on the thymus that appears to be mediated, in part, by endogenous glucocorticoids.

Adrenalectomy↗