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Biomedical subjects

T Taira

Publications and source records attributed to T Taira.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1992

c-myc protein complex binds to two sites in human hsp70 promoter region.

We investigated the binding of partially purified (enriched) c-myc protein to the human hsp70 promoter region by band shift and ultraviolet crosslinking assays. In the hsp70 promoter region, two sites were found to be homologous to the c-myc protein complex binding sequence in the c-myc gene. These sites are located at positions -230 and -160 bases relative to the transcription initiation site, overlapping with the region reported for the regulation of hsp70 gene expression by c-myc, and upstream of other regulatory sequences including the heat shock element and the serum responsive element. The results shown here suggest that the c-myc protein complex from human HL-60 cells binds to the two sites of the region directly and sequence specifically. It is therefore suggested that the c-myc protein or protein complex contribute to the regulation of hsp70 gene expression by binding directly to the promoter region.

Autoradiography↗
PubMed1992

Unexpected movement disorders in neurosurgical practice: report of three cases.

Hyperkinetic movement disorders may develop as a complication of stereotactic thalamotomy or pallidotomy. However, such movement disorders are uncommon after nonsterotactic intracranial operations. The authors report three cases of involuntary movement disorders unexpectedly developing after intracranial operations. The patients had undergone clipping of an internal carotid aneurysm, removal of an intracerebral hematoma, and resection of a tentorial meningioma. Two patients developed choreic movements and a dystonic posture of the unilateral upper extremity. One patient showed a tremor that had features of both parkinsonism and essential tremor. The symptoms of these patients were medically uncontrollable, and they were successfully treated with stereotactic ventrolateral thalamotomy.

Aged↗
PubMed1992

pH transients due to monosynaptic activation of GABAA receptors in rat hippocampal slices.

Extracellular pH transients were evoked in rat hippocampal brain slices by activation of a monosynaptic inhibitory pathway following pharmacological blockade of glutaminergic transmission. Repetitive stimulation in stratum radiatum near the recording site in stratum pyramidale evoked an immediate alkaline shift which was potentiated by pentobarbital and blocked by picrotoxin but not by 2-hydroxy-saclofen. Benzolamide, a poorly permeant inhibitor of carbonic anhydrase (CA), and prontosil-dextran 5000, a macromolecular CA inhibitor, abolished the alkaline transients evoked by stimulation and by exogenous GABA. Thus an extracellular CA is involved in regulating interstitial pH in brain, and the stimulation-induced alkaline transients are caused by net influx of CO2 into CA1 neurons in response to efflux of bicarbonate across postsynaptic GABAA receptor channels.

Animals↗
PubMed1992

Stereotactic mesencephalotomy for pain relief. A plea for stereotactic surgery.

Rostral mesencephalic reticulotomy (RMR) for pain relief was performed in 34 patients with intractable pain. Most of these patients have been followed for a long period of time postoperatively, the longest follow-up period being 11 years. Contrary to the commonly prevailed bias in the past that mesencephalotomy may be a surgical intervention with potential risk, these patients of RMR have continued to substantial improvement postoperatively in terms of their preoperative intractable painful dysesthesia after a long period of time. The results of pain relief for denervation pain as well as for nondenervation pain are surprisingly good even after unilateral procedures. There was no operative mortality. Postoperative disturbance of ocular motility has been reduced. RMR has its scientific basis in that the medial part of the reticular formation rather than the classical lateral spinothalamic tract has more significance in the central conduction of nociceptive impulses through the midbrain level, which was verified by intraoperative neuronal recording with a tungsten microelectrode. The present report emphasizes that stereotactic mesencephalotomy, if performed meticulously and precisely, is a safe surgical procedure for pain relief. Results of MRI and sensory manifestations of a patient 11 years after RMR are also presented.

Follow-Up Studies↗
PubMed1992

Equine haptoglobin: isolation, characterization, and the effects of ageing, delivery and inflammation on its serum concentration.

Haptoglobin (Hp) was isolated from equine serum by ammonium sulphate precipitation, anion-exchange chromatography and gel filtration. Equine Hp which migrated to the alpha 2-globulin region in electrophoresis, contained 2 fractions with molecular weights (NW) of 108,000 and 105,000, and each fraction consisting of 2 subunits. Quantitative measurement of Hp in equine serum was performed by the single radial immunodiffusion method using anti-equine Hp serum. In clinically normal horses, the highest concentration of serum Hp was found in newborn foals and a high value was maintained until 12 months of age. The concentration then decreased with age. Normal Hp values were 5.25 +/- 2.36 mg/ml in foals (less than or equal to 12 months old), 2.19 +/- 1.54 mg/ml in adult horses (greater than or equal to 18 months old) and 3.62 +/- 0.81 mg/ml in all horses. Serum Hp concentration in mares during the perinatal period in comparison with the normal adult female was high for 4 months pre-partum, a passing increase at delivery, and then decreased at 2 weeks post-partum returning to normal within 1 month of delivery. In horses with experimentally-induced inflammation, serum Hp concentration began to increase immediately after treatment and reached the highest value, 1.5 to 9 times higher than those of pre-treatment at 2 to 5 days, then decreased within 4 weeks. It was also elevated in most cases of horses with clinically inflammatory signs.

Aging↗
PubMed1992

[Zonisamide induced tremor--report of two cases].

Zonisamide is a new antiepileptic drug which has a wide range of antiepileptic efficacy. This drug is becoming widely to be used for patients with refractory epilepsies. The author reports two patients who developed resting and postural hand tremor after administration of zonisamide. The tremor was confined to the upper extremities and was enhanced with the emotional stress. The tremor has 4-5 Hz frequency and was severe enough to disturb their daily activities. Mild cogwheel rigidity was seen, but neither akinesia nor gait disturbance was recognized. The symptoms disappeared completely after cessation of the drug. This side effect should always be kept in mind in the treatment with zonisamide.

Adult↗
PubMed1992

Aggravation of minimal change nephrotic syndrome by administration of human albumin.

Human albumin infusions are frequently administered to patients with nephrotic syndrome. We reviewed the clinical course of 27 patients with minimal change nephrotic syndrome (MCNS) in which 16 patients were treated with human albumin (group A) and 11 were not (group B). The percent of body weight gain, serum total protein, serum albumin, urine protein excretion and renal function were equivalent in both groups as was the initial dose of corticosteroid and amount of dietary protein intake. The period from the start of corticosteroid therapy to complete remission for group A (73.4 +/- 19.2 days, mean +/- SEM) was significantly longer than that for group B (17.1 +/- 3.6), (p less than 0.05). 10 patients of group B (10/11 = 90.9%) showed complete remission within 20 days from the start of corticosteroid therapy, but more than 20 days were needed for 9 cases (9/16 = 56.3%) of group A. Moreover, significant correlations were observed between the period required for remission and the duration of albumin administration (p less than 0.01) or the total volume of albumin infused (p less than 0.01). Proportion of relapsers within 2 years after discharge was also higher in group A (68.8%) than in group B (9.1%), (p less than 0.01). In conclusion, administration of albumin may delay the response to corticosteroid therapy and induce more frequent relapses after remission, possibly due to more severe glomerular epithelial changes induced by albumin infusion in addition to preexisting glomerular epithelial changes from the MCNS.

Adult↗
PubMed1992

[Changes of urinary human epidermal growth factor excretion in 16 patients with acute renal failure].

In order to evaluate the clinical significance of urinary human epidermal growth factor (hEGF) in patients with acute renal failure (ARF), urinary hEGF levels were determined by radioimmunoassay, and were corrected for creatinine (creat.) concentrations in 16 patients with ARF and 12 healthy controls. The urinary hEGF levels significantly decreased in patients with ARF in acute phase compared with normal control subjects (0.98 +/- 0.20 vs 13.74 +/- 1.18 ng/mg creat. p less than 0.01), and it subsequently increased during recovery phase (6.10 +/- 0.73 ng/mg creat. p less than 0.01 vs acute phase). A significant correlation between the urinary hEGF levels and creatinine clearance (r = 0.712, p less than 0.001) and an inverse correlation between urinary hEGF levels and fractional excretion of sodium (r = -0.406, p less than 0.05) was demonstrated. The remarkable decrease of urinary hEGF excretion preceded the increase of urinary beta 2-microglobulin and N-acetyl-beta-D-glucosaminidase levels. Our data suggests that urinary hEGF originates from renal tissues in humans and measurement of urinary hEGF is useful for diagnosing renal damage and recovery of renal tissues from severe tubular injury.

Acetylglucosaminidase↗
PubMed1992

Isolation and characterization of alpha 1-acid glycoprotein from horses, and its evaluation as an acute-phase reactive protein in horses.

Equine alpha 1-acid glycoprotein (alpha 1AG) was isolated from equine serum by successive ammonium precipitation, anion- and cation-exchange chromatographies, and gel filtration. Purified equine alpha 1AG had a molecular weight of 46,000 +/- 1,000, and contained 31.4% carbohydrate. Gel isoelectric focusing revealed an isoelectric point range of 2.8 to 3.7. With immunoelectrophoresis, it was found that alpha 1AG migrated to the alpha 1-globulin region. Single radial immunodiffusion was used for quantitative measurement of alpha 1AG in equine serum. In clinically normal foals, serum alpha 1AG was undetectable (less than or equal to 20 micrograms/ml) in less than or equal to 7-day-old foals, but was detected by 14 days. The alpha 1AG concentration (mean +/- SD) increased to reach mean adult values of 99.23 +/- 26.90 micrograms/ml by 1 year of age. The alpha 1AG concentration in pregnant mares decreased at 2 to 3 months before parturition, then gradually increased until 1 day after parturition, when a brief decrease was observed. The concentration increased again at 2 weeks after foaling, then a decrease was observed, after which the alpha 1AG concentration increased again by 2 to 4 months after parturition. The concentration of serum alpha 1AG quickly rose to peak values 2 to 3 days after castration and jejunojejunostomy in adult horses, returning to baseline values by 14 to 28 days after surgery. The alpha 1AG was concluded to be an acute-phase reactive protein in horses.

Acute-Phase Reaction↗
PubMed1991

Effects of atipamezole, a novel alpha 2-adrenoceptor antagonist, in open-field, plus-maze, two compartment exploratory, and forced swimming tests in the rat.

The behavioral effects of atipamezole (0.5-4.5 mg/kg), a new and highly selective alpha 2-adrenoceptor antagonist, were studied in four behavioral models: open-field, elevated plus-maze, two compartment exploratory test and forced swimming test. Atipamezole (1.5 and 4.5 mg/kg) produced a dose-dependent suppression of locomotor activity in the open field test. In the two compartment exploratory test, the same doses of atipamezole decreased locomotor activity in a 5 min test but not in a 10 min test. The numbers of transitions between the compartments were not significantly affected by atipamezole. Doses of 0.5-4.5 mg/kg did not significantly change the time spent in the open arms or the total number of arm entries in the plus-maze, and doses of 1.5 and 4.5 mg/kg decreased defecation marginally. Vocalization during the forced swimming test was increased by atipamezole (1.5 mg/kg) but the duration of immobility was not increased over the dose range (0.5-1.5 mg/kg) of atipamezole used. Our results suggest that, in the rat, atipamezole decreases motor activity in the early phase of the exploration of new surroundings. In the doses used, atipamezole may suppress defecation and increase vocalization in rats.

Adrenergic alpha-Antagonists↗
PubMed1991

Goldberg-Shprintzen syndrome: Hirschsprung disease, hypotonia, and ptosis in sibs.

We describe a brother and sister with Hirschsprung disease, hypotonia, and ptosis. Their condition resembles that in 2 sibs reported by Goldberg and Shprintzen. We conclude that the clinical characteristics in 8 reported cases with similar clinical manifestations represent a distinct autosomal recessive syndrome, Goldberg-Shprintzen syndrome.

Blepharoptosis↗
PubMed1991

Activation of c-myc promoter by c-myc protein in serum starved cells.

The function of the c-myc protein, the product of a proto oncogene, is not clearly understood although many reports, including ours, suggest that the c-myc protein plays several roles in the regulation of transcription and DNA replication. Here we examined the effects of c-myc protein on transcription from the c-myc promoter, and by inference its role in auto-regulation, after introducing into cultured cells a c-myc expression vector and a CAT reporter gene linked to the promoter and upstream region of the human c-myc gene. To minimize the effects of the endogenous c-myc protein on the exogenously added CAT reporter gene, the transfected cells were treated under serum-free conditions. The results show that CAT expression from the myc promoter increased in a dose-dependent manner after addition of the c-myc expression vector, and that it also required the presence of a c-myc binding sequence previously identified 2 kb upstream from c-myc's first exon. Moreover, the domains of the c-myc protein important for transactivation were determined by use of various deletions mutants of c-myc cDNA. The results showed that the N-terminal portion in the c-myc protein was necessary for transactivation beside the C-terminal portion containing basic region, helix-loop-helix, and leucine zipper.

3T3 Cells↗
PubMed1991

An ultrasound-guided stereotactic apparatus for intracranial mass lesions.

One of disadvantages of conventional stereotactic operation for intracranial mass lesions is that it is basically a blind procedure even if the operation is performed in a gantry of a CT scan. High resolution ultrasound image gives real-time information on intracranial pathology such as bleeding, remaining cyst fluid or haematoma. The authors report an ultrasound guided stereotactic apparatus which gives real-time images of the lesion during operation.

Biopsy, Needle↗
PubMed1991

Bilateral versus unilateral percutaneous high cervical cordotomy as a surgical method of pain relief.

The present report is concerned with the results of bilateral percutaneous high cervical cordotomy (60 patients) compared with those of unilateral cordotomy (161 patients). The result of pain relief is classified into 4 grades based on Hitchcock's criteria; grade 1: complete pain relief, grade 2: almost complete pain relief with slight residual pain, grade 3: persisting pain, but tolerable, grade 4: persisting pain, untolerable. In cases of bilateral cordotomy (60 patients), 76% of the cases showed grade 1, 19% being grade 2, 3% being grade 3 and 2% being grade 4. On the contrary, the unilateral cordotomy (161 patients) showed less impressive results, particularly in grade 1, namely, grade 1 being 64%, grade 2 being 18%, grade 3 being 14% and grade 4 being 4%. Clinically acceptable results (grade 1 plus grade 2) were, therefore, obtained in bilateral cordotomy (95%) as compared with unilateral cordotomy (82%). The difference in pain relief between bilateral and unilateral procedure observed in the present investigation is contrary to that reported previously by others. The possible explanation for less impressive result in regard to grade 1 of unilateral cordotomy is that unilateral cordotomy was performed in this series to alleviate the major side of patient's pain, followed by latent pain on the other side postoperatively, which is not uncommon phenomenon in cancer pain. Whereas all of the bilateral cordotomies were done either for midline pain or bilateral pain, unilateral cordotomy gave satisfactory pain relief in some cases of midline pain. Midline pain, therefore, does not necessarily require bilateral cordotomies from a clinical point of view.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Adolescent↗
PubMed1991

Molecular identification and comparison of the starch synthase bound to starch granules between endosperm and leaf blades in rice plants.

Normal (nonglutinous) rice plants (Oryza sativa and O. glaberrima) contain more than 18% amylose in endosperm starch, while waxy (glutinous) plants lack it in this starch. In contrast, leaf starch contained more than 3.6% amylose even in waxy plants. SDS-PAGE analysis of proteins bound to endosperm starch granules in the normal plants revealed a single band with a Mr of 60 kd, whereas waxy plants did not exhibit a similar band. The activity of starch synthase (NDP-glucose-starch glucosyltransferase) was completely inhibited by antibody against the 60-kd protein. Thus, we conclude that the 60-kd protein is the waxy protein encoded by the Wx allele, which also plays a role in the synthesis of nonglutinous starch in endosperm tissue. In leaf blades, the proteins bound to starch granules separated into five bands with Mr's of 53.6 to 64.9 kd on SDS-PAGE. Analysis of these proteins by immunoblotting using antiserum against Wx protein and inhibition of starch synthase activity by the synthase antibody revealed that none of these proteins was homologous to Wx protein. We suggest that the synthesis of amylose in leaf blades is brought about by a protein encoded by a gene(s) different from the Wx gene expressed in the endosperm.

Amylose↗