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Biomedical subjects

T Watari

Publications and source records attributed to T Watari.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

Detection of enhancer repeats in the long terminal repeats of feline leukemia viruses from cats with spontaneous neoplastic and nonneoplastic diseases.

Enhancer duplication in the long terminal repeat of feline leukemia virus (FeLV) was examined in primary cells from naturally FeLV-infected cats with various neoplastic and nonneoplastic diseases using the polymerase chain reaction. In all cases, a 170-bp band, corresponding to a standard exogenous FeLV with one copy of enhancer, was detected. Repeated enhancer sequences were found in all 8 cases of thymic-form lymphosarcoma, in some cases of lymphosarcoma of other forms (3/8) and myeloid tumors (2/3), and in only 1 of 6 cases with nonneoplastic diseases. The copy number of FeLV proviruses with a repeated enhancer seemed higher than that of those with one copy of enhancer in 3 cases of thymic form lymphosarcoma. In 5 cases of thymic form lymphosarcoma and in 1 case of erythroleukemia, coexistent FeLVs with double and triple enhancers of different sizes were found. Of the enhancer elements, only the SV40 core binding site was found in all the enhancer direct repeats of these FeLVs. All the provirus clones with single and duplicated enhancer sequences from a single tumor showed mutations or deletions characteristic to that tumor, indicating that enhancer repeats may arise in individual animals after infection with a single virus clone. The present findings indicate that FeLV with enhancer repeats generated in the cat is associated with the induction of neoplastic diseases in natural conditions.

Animals

Elevation of feline interleukin 6-like activity in feline immunodeficiency virus infection.

The involvement of feline interleukin 6 (IL-6)-like activity in polyclonal B-cell activation in feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV) infection was investigated by using the proliferative response of hybridoma cell clone B3B1. Cats spontaneously infected with FIV had hyperimmunoglobulinemia, as shown by increases in the percentage of gamma-globulin and the plasma IgG concentration and decrease in the albumin/globulin (A/G) ratio. Because IL-6 plays an essential role in the differentiation of activated B cells into Ig-secreting cells, we examined the effect of FIV infection on the plasma IL-6 level. Plasma IL-6-like activity was found to be significantly higher in FIV-infected cats than in healthy controls. Peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) isolated from FIV-infected cats and cultured without any exogenous activators of IL-6 production released more feline IL-6-like activity than cells from healthy controls. This phenomenon was mainly due to the increase in the production of IL-6 by adherent cells such as monocytes/macrophages, but also partly by nonadherent cells. These results indicate that elevation of feline IL-6-like activity is associated with FIV infection and that overproduction of IL-6 may contribute to the polyclonal B-cell activation seen in FIV infection.

Animals

Altered surface antigen expression on peripheral blood mononuclear cells in cats infected with feline immunodeficiency virus.

Expression of CD4, CD8, IL-2 receptor alpha chain (IL-2R alpha), and MHC class II (MHC-II) on peripheral blood mononuclear cells were examined in cats infected with feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV). CD4/CD8 T cell ratio in FIV-infected cats was slightly decreased, as compared with that in specific-pathogen-free (SPF) cats. However, there was no statistical differences between them. The number of circulating IL-2R alpha+ cells in FIV-infected cats was higher than that in healthy cats, whereas induction of IL-2R alpha expression by concanavalin A (Con A) stimulation was depressed in FIV-infected cats. By using two-color cytofluorometry, Con A-induced enhancement of IL-2R alpha expression was found to be reduced in both CD4+ and CD8+ populations in PBMC from FIV-infected cats. The circulating MHC-II+ cells were also increased in FIV-infected cats. Furthermore, the induction of IL-2R alpha expression on PBMC after Con A-stimulation significantly depressed by FIV inoculation in vitro. These results suggest that FIV activates PBMC in vivo via direct and/or indirect mechanisms, leading to the unresponsive state of T cells to further stimuli in vitro.

Animals

Exercise-induced phospholipid degradation in the equine skeletal muscle and erythrocytes.

To understand the pathogenesis of equine exercise-induced myopathies and hemolysis, changes of phospholipid peroxidation products in the equine middle gluteal muscle and erythrocytes following the high-speed treadmill exercise were studied. In the skeletal muscle, the peroxidized phosphatidylethanolamine (PE) were increased at 24 hours after the exercise. The malondialdehydes (MDAs) were also increased as the protein-bound MDAs following exercise. In the erythrocytes, the peroxidized PE were significantly decreased at 24 hours after the exercise. The protein-bound MDAs were significantly increased at 5 min after the exercise and returned to the base values at 24 hours after the exercise. These findings indicate that the PE is more susceptible to in vivo oxidative effects than the other phospholipid classes, and the accumulation of the protein-bound MDAs is considered to play some cytotoxic roles in the equine skeletal muscle and erythrocytes following exercise.

Animals

Immune mediated skin lesions in a dog with autoimmune hemolytic anemia.

A canine case of Coombs' test positive and antinuclear antibody-negative hemolytic anemia was examined because of the development of skin lesions after 18 months treatment with prednisolone. Histopathological examination of biopsy specimens obtained from skin and oral mucosa revealed the acantholysis, edematous lesions of the stratum basale and mononuclear cell accumulation in the dermis. Deposits of immunoglobulin G and complement factor 3 were detected at the intercellular and dermoepidermal junction by the direct immunofluorescent test. From these results, the case was considered to be an autoimmune disease caused by distinct antibodies against different organs.

Anemia, Hemolytic, Autoimmune

[Mixed type total anomalous pulmonary venous connection with the left upper pulmonary vein draining into the innominate vein and the other pulmonary veins into the coronary sinus--surgical correction in 2 infants].

Surgical repair of the mixed type total anomalous pulmonary venous connection (TAPVC) in infancy is known to be difficult. In this report, experience of two infants with the mixed type TAPVC with the left upper pulmonary vein (PV) draining into the innominate vein and the other PVs into the coronary sinus (IIa + Ia (left upper PV) type TAPVC) is presented. In such cases, it has been said that the left upper PV should be left uncorrected, but we anastomosed the left upper PV, that was thin and fragile, to the left atrium and corrected all the other anomalous PVs. The results were satisfactory. Recently, Extra-Corporeal circulation, microsurgery, and other techniques have significantly progressed, so we consider that the anastomosis is possible in most infants with IIa + Ia (left upper PV) type TAPVC. In the future, careful clinical follow-up and repeat catheterizations should be done, and we'd like to examine the long term patency of the left upper PV.

Anastomosis, Surgical

Evaluation and comparison of the axis of the interventricular septum by two-dimensional echocardiography among the patients with congenital heart disease (ASD, VSD, PDA, PS, TOF) and the normal subjects.

A two-dimensional echocardiographic method was applied to determine the axis of interventricular septum (IVS) in the horizontal plane. This study comprised 19 subjects with ASD, 15 subjects with VSD(I), 20 subjects with VSD(II), 13 subjects with PDA, 16 subjects with PS, 15 subjects with TOF and 99 normal children. Parasternal left ventricular short axis view was taken, and the IVS was recorded by using the polaroid prints. The axis of the IVS in the horizontal plane was measured from the recorded polaroid prints. The value of the angularity of IVS (IVS-A) expressed as means +/- one standard deviation (mean +/- 1S.D.) is 52.0 +/- 13.7 degrees in ASD, 42.2 +/- 9.7 degrees in VSD(I), 43.7 +/- 9.1 degrees in VSD(II), 41.6 +/- 11.4 degrees in PDA, 38.6 +/- 10.9 degrees in PS, 61.0 +/- 8.5 degrees in TOF and 40.1 +/- 8.2 degrees in normal controls. There was no significant difference among VSD(I), VSD(II), PDA, PS and normal controls but a highly significant difference was noted in ASD and TOF as compared to other groups. The correlation coefficient of the IVS-A with (1) the Qp/Qs ratio, (2) the magnitude of shunt (%), (3) the right ventricular pressure and (4) the hematocrits were evaluated among the patient groups. The IVS-A of ASD and VSD(II) had a good correlation with the shunt flow (r = 0.921 and 0.88 respectively) and/or the Qp/Qs ratio (r = 0.782 and 0.955 respectively); while that of VSD(I), PDA, and PS had a good correlation with the right ventricular pressure (r = 0.956, 0.953, 0.842 respectively) and that of TOF was mostly concerned with the hematocrits (r = 0.911). Besides, the IVS-A in each severe CHD subgroup was significantly (p less than 0.005 or a better value) higher than the normal control group. Thus an alternative method was validated for evaluating the severity of congenital heart disease by using a noninvasive two-dimensional echocardiographic technique.

Child

Two-dimensional pulsed Doppler echocardiographic technique for estimating pulmonary to systemic blood flow ratio in children with atrial septal defect and patent ductus arteriosus.

A two-dimensional pulsed Doppler echocardiographic method was evaluated for quantifying the pulmonary (Qp) to systemic (Qs) blood flow ratio. Twenty six patients were studied, 15 with atrial septal defect (ASD) and 11 with patent ductus arteriosus (PDA). An apical four-chamber view was used to measure the maximal Doppler flow velocities in the right and left ventricular inflow regions (RVIR and LVIR) and the maximal diameters of the tricuspid and mitral anuli at diastole. The two-dimensional pulsed Doppler pulmonary to systemic blood flow ratio (Qp/Qs) estimation involved calculating the area of the Doppler flow velocity signal along the time scale multiplied by the diameter of either the tricuspid or mitral anulus as measured on the apical four-chamber view. In ASD patients, Qp was measured at RVIR and Qs at LVIR. In PDA patients, Qp was calculated at LVIR and Qs at RVIR. Twenty-six healthy children comprised the control group. The areas of the Doppler flow velocity signals along the time scales of RVIR and LVIR were also quantified and the diameters of the tricuspid and mitral anuli were measured. In the control group, the linear correlation of the trans-mitral M(d)*M(a) to trans-tricuspid T(d)*T(a) value was r = 0.909, n = 26. The correlations between Doppler Qp/Qs ratio estimates and those obtained at cardiac catheterization were r = 0.902, n = 15 in ASD and r = 0.967, n = 11 in PDA. These results suggest a clinical application of this Doppler echocardiographic method in the noninvasive estimation of the cardiac shunt in ASD and PDA.

Blood Flow Velocity

[Current status of radiation therapy in the treatment of malignant glioma:].

The patients of malignant glioma mostly consisting of anaplastic astrocytoma (AA) and glioblastoma (GM) were surveyed at the Committee for Compiling the Manual of Radiotherapy in the Treatment of Brain Tumors, organized by Japanese Association for Radiotherapy Research. Total 286 patients were treated at ten institutes during the period from January 1985 through December 1987. Numbers of cases with AA and GM were 130 and 156, respectively. Concerning the treatment volume, the medium field (50-100 cm2) was applied to 127 patients (37.4%) and the whole brain to 25 one (7.4%). The total dose was given by the range from 56 Gy to 65 Gy in 158 patients (47.6%). One-year survival ratio of AA and GM were 60-75% and 40-65%, respectively. For obtaining the improvement of local control rate, it is considered that the beam focusing onto the target lesion and the sufficient removal of the tumor are necessary and essential.

Astrocytoma