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Biomedical subjects

Y Kato

Publications and source records attributed to Y Kato.

At least 415 records · Page 23Linked to original sources
PubMed2000

Evaluation of serum KL-6, a mucin-like glycoprotein, as a tumor marker for breast cancer.

The utility of serum KL-6 as a tumor marker for breast cancer was evaluated in this study. The sera from 146 patients with breast cancer, 13 with benign breast disease, and 108 healthy individuals were measured for KL-6 titer using a sandwich enzyme immunoassay method. Carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) and carbohydrate antigen 15-3 (CA15-3) titers were also tested in the same sera from the patients. The mean KL-6 titer of patients with primary breast cancer was 673 units/ml, which was significantly higher than that of benign and healthy individuals (P = 0.037 and P < 0.0001, respectively). The titer of patients with relapsed breast cancer was 1964 units/ml, which was also higher than that of primary cancer (P = 0.013). KL-6 titer was related to tumor stage, distant metastasis, and relapse site (P = 0.0053, P < 0.0001, and P = 0.0251, respectively). Using the cutoff value of 467 units/ml, the sensitivity of KL-6 was 31% for primary breast cancer (16% for stage I and 29% for stage II) and 73% for relapsed breast cancer (50% for local relapse and 89% for distant relapse). The specificity was 92%. The sensitivity of KL-6 was higher than that of CA15-3 and CEA. Combination of the three markers, followed by KL-6 and CEA, raised the sensitivity for primary breast cancer. Single use of KL-6 demonstrated a higher sensitivity than in each combination for relapsed breast cancer. In conclusion, serum KL-6 may be helpful for clinical use as a tumor marker for breast cancer, and it may play an important role, especially in the surveillance of disease relapse.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2000

The inhibitory action of butyrate on lipopolysaccharide-induced nitric oxide production in RAW 264.7 murine macrophage cells.

The effect of butyrate, a natural bacterial product of colonic bacterial flora, on lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced nitric oxide (NO) production in RAW 264.7 murine macrophage cells was studied. Butyrate significantly reduced NO production in LPS-stimulated RAW cells. The inhibition was abolished by the removal of butyrate. Butyrate also inhibited the expression of inducible type NO synthase (iNOS) in LPS-stimulated RAW cells. Furthermore, butyrate prevented the activation of nuclear factor (NF)-kappaB through the stabilization of IkappaB-alpha and IkappaB-beta. Butyrate did not affect the phosphorylation of mitogen-activated protein (MAP) kinases by LPS. It was, therefore, suggested that butyrate down-regulated LPS-induced NO production in RAW cells through preventing the expression of iNOS, and that it was due to the inhibitory action of butyrate on the activation of NF-kappaB.

Animals↗
PubMed2000

Cloning of calves from various somatic cell types of male and female adult, newborn and fetal cows.

Twenty-four calves were cloned from six somatic cell types of female and male adult, newborn and fetal cows. The clones were derived from female cumulus (n = 3), oviduct (n = 2) and uterine (n = 2) cells, female and male skin cells (n = 10), and male ear (n = 5) and liver (n = 2) cells. On the basis of the number of cloned embryos transferred (n = 172) to surrogate cows, the overall rate of success was 14%, but based on the number of surrogate mothers that became pregnant (n = 50), the success rate was 48%. Cell nuclei from uterus, ear and liver cells, which have not been tested previously, developed into newborn calves after nuclear transfer into enucleated oocytes. To date, seven female and six male calves have survived: six of the females were from adult cells (cumulus (n = 3), oviduct (n = 2) and skin (n = 1) cells) and one was from newborn skin cells, whereas the male calves were derived from adult ear cells (n = 3), newborn liver and skin cells (n = 2), and fetal cells (n = 1). Clones derived from adult cells frequently aborted in the later stages of pregnancy and calves developing to term showed a higher number of abnormalities than did those derived from newborn or fetal cells. The telomeric DNA lengths in the ear cells of three male calves cloned from the ear cells of a bull aged 10 years were similar to those of the original bull. However, the telomeric DNA lengths from the white blood cells of the clones, although similar to those in an age-matched control, were shorter than those of the original bull, which indicates that telomeric shortening varies among tissues.

Abortion, Spontaneous↗
PubMed2000

[Three cases of metastatic breast cancer, resistant to pre-chemo and/or endocrine therapy, markedly improved with UFT and cyclophosphamide oral combination therapy].

The cases of 3 female patients with metastatic breast cancer treated with oral UFT and cyclophosphamide (CPA) are reported. Patient 1 had lymph node and bone metastases. Patient 2 had bone metastasis. Patient 3 had skin, lymph node, and peritoneal metastases. All had a history of mastectomy and chemo- and/or endocrine therapy for metastatic lesions. Patients 2 and 3 had also undergone CAF combination chemotherapy. However, the lesions did not change. UFT 400 mg and CPA 100 mg, everyday, were administered to patient 1. UFT 400 mg and CPA 100 mg, 2 weeks, and UFT 400 mg, 2 weeks, were given every 4 weeks to patient 2. UFT 300 mg and CPA 150 mg, 6 weeks per 8 weeks were given to patient 3. Improvements in the metastatic lesions were seen 4 weeks after the beginning of UFT and CPA therapy. Therapy is now continuing, and no patients had a progression of the disease. All had leukopenia 2 or 4 weeks after the beginning of this therapy, and two temporarily stopped the therapy. No other side-effect was observed. Oral UFT and CPA combination therapy was considered useful for metastatic breast cancer. To prevent leukopenia and prolong the term of treatment efficacy, a treatment regimen will need to be established.

Administration, Oral↗
PubMed2000

Mild renal dysfunction is associated with insulin resistance in chronic glomerulonephritis.

BACKGROUND: Insulin resistance is associated with advanced and moderate chronic renal failure (CRF). However, insulin resistance in chronic glomerulonephritis (CGN) before onset of frank renal dysfunction is not fully evaluated. We attempted to investigate the association of insulin resistance with mild renal dysfunction and with abnormal calcium homeostasis. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Eighteen young, lean non-diabetic male patients with biopsy-proven CGN (age 30 +/- 7 years, body mass index 23.0 +/- 2.5 kg/m2) were enrolled. Insulin sensitivity was estimated by the glucose infusion rate (M value) during euglycemic hyperinsulinemic clamping for 60 to 120 min. Calcium-related parameters including intracellular calcium concentrations ([Ca2+]i) in platelets were also measured. Renal function was normal or slightly impaired (serum creatinine, 1.0 +/- 0.2 mg/dl; glomerular filtration rate (GFR), 68 to 131 ml/min/1.48 m2). We divided subjects into an insulin-sensitive (IS) group (M value > 7.3 mg/kg/min, the overall mean) and an insulin-resistant (IR) group (M value < 7.3 mg/kg/min). RESULTS: During a 75 g oral glucose tolerance test, the plasma glucose concentration at 120 min after glucose loading and the immunoreactive insulin concentration at 60 min were significantly higher in the IR group. GFR was notably lower in the IR group than in the IS group (p = 0.0003), and was significantly correlated with insulin sensitivity (p < 0.02, r = 0.58). The basal [Ca2+]i was significantly higher in the IR than in the IS group (39 +/- 9 vs. 30 +/- 9 nM, p < 0.05). CONCLUSION: Mild renal dysfunction and elevated basal [Ca2+]i are associated with insulin resistance in CGN.

Adult↗
PubMed2000

Acute epididymo-orchitis with abscess formation due to Pseudomonas aeruginosa: report of 3 cases.

We report 3 patients with acute epididymo-orchitis with abscess formation due to Pseudomonas aeruginosa, which is relatively unusual and difficult to treat. All patients presented with swollen testicles, pain and high fever. First, they were treated empirically with several antibiotics. After several weeks of antibiotics therapy, the swelling of scrotum still persisted. In one patient, dark yellow pus drained from a fistula of the scrotum. Finally, an orchiectomy was performed on all patients. During the operation, an abscess was found in each testis. Each culture of the pus yielded P. aeruginosa, which is susceptible to many antibiotics.

Abscess↗
PubMed2000

[Werner syndrome].

Explore the source record for details and available documents.

Chromosomes, Human, Pair 8↗
PubMed1999

Multiple binding sites for nuclear proteins of the anterior pituitary are located in the 5'-flanking region of the porcine follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) beta-subunit gene.

Gonadotropins, follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH), and luteinizing hormone (LH), are synthesized specifically in the gonadotropes of the anterior pituitary. The aim of this study was to investigate nuclear factors that bind specifically to the porcine FSH beta-subunit gene. We examined nuclear protein binding to 2.75 kilobase pairs (kbp) of DNA adjacent to the porcine FSH beta-subunit gene: about 2.32 kbp of upstream DNA and 0.43 kbp of downstream DNA. The upstream region contains only TATA box, CACCC element, and some imperfect sequences of cAMP-responsive element, activator protein-1 binding site, and activator protein-2 binding site. Gel mobility shift assay using nuclear proteins extracted from the porcine anterior pituitary revealed that the proteins bound to a limited region of DNA, 107 bp long (designated as Fd2), located about -800 bp upstream from the transcription initiation site. Competitive binding assays demonstrated that the protein binding was sequence specific; the addition of excess amounts of several putative regulatory sequences and plasmid (non-homologous) DNA fragments did not reduce the binding. Furthermore, all five subfragments of Fd2 were also bound by the pituitary nuclear proteins, showing that the entire region of Fd2 is involved in this interaction. Southwestern blotting demonstrated that at least seven protein species of 110, 98, 78, 63, 52, 42, and 35 kDa recognize Fd2. Nuclear proteins from several other porcine tissues were also able to bind to the Fd2 fragment but the gel shift patterns were different and the bindings were weak, although only the cerebellum showed a pattern of binding that was similar to that of the anterior pituitary. These data suggest that multiple proteins of the anterior pituitary recognize a specific region of the porcine FSH beta-subunit gene.

5' Untranslated Regions↗
PubMed1999

MEKK3 directly regulates MEK5 activity as part of the big mitogen-activated protein kinase 1 (BMK1) signaling pathway.

Big mitogen-activated protein (MAP) kinase (BMK1), also known as ERK5, is a member of the MAP kinase family whose cellular activity is elevated in response to growth factors, oxidative stress, and hyperosmolar conditions. Previous studies have identified MEK5 as a cellular kinase directly regulating BMK1 activity; however, signaling molecules that directly regulate MEK5 activity have not yet been defined. Through utilization of a yeast two-hybrid screen, we have identified MEKK3 as a molecule that physically interacts with MEK5. This interaction appears to take place in mammalian cells as evidenced by the fact that cellular MEK5 and MEKK3 co-immunoprecipitate. In addition, we show that a dominant active form of MEKK3 stimulates BMK1 activity through MEK5. Moreover, we demonstrate that MEKK3 activity is required for growth factor mediated cellular activation of endogenous BMK1. Taken together, these results identify MEKK3 as a kinase that regulates the activity of MEK5 and BMK1 during growth factor-induced cellular stimulation.

Animals↗
PubMed1999

In vitro antiplatelet profile of FR171113, a novel non-peptide thrombin receptor antagonist.

Synthetic peptides (5 to 14 amino acids), identical in sequence to the new amino-terminus of the thrombin receptor generated following cleavage by thrombin, act as thrombin receptor agonist peptides. Whilst thrombin receptor antagonist peptides are known, non-peptide thrombin receptor antagonists have yet to be described. In the present study, we compared the antiplatelet effects of 3-(4-chlorophenyl)-2-(2,4-dichlorobenzoylimino)-5-(methoxycarbonyl methylene)-1,3-thiazolidin-4-one (FR171113), a novel non-peptide thrombin receptor antagonist, with the known thrombin receptor antagonist 3-mercapto-propionyl-Phe-Cha-Cha-Arg-Asn-Pro-Asn-Asp-Lys-Tyr-OH (C186-65), and argatroban, a specific protease inhibitor of thrombin. FR171113 and C186-65 inhibited thrombin-induced platelet aggregation (IC(50)=0.29 microM and 15 microM, respectively) and Ser-Phe-Leu-Leu-Arg-Asn-NH(2) [a synthetic thrombin receptor agonist peptide (TRAP-6)] induced platelet aggregation (0.15 microM and 20 microM, respectively) in human washed platelets. Argatroban potently inhibited thrombin-induced platelet aggregation (IC(50)=3.5 nM), but did not inhibit TRAP-6-induced aggregation even at 100 microM. In contrast, these compounds did not show inhibitory effects on ADP- and collagen-induced aggregation in human platelet-rich plasma even at 100 microM. FR171113 caused a parallel shift to the right of the concentration-response curve describing aggregation induced by TRAP-6. The Schild plot of the data had a slope of -0.840 (r=0.98) and the pA(2) was 7.29. In protease activity studies using a chromogenic substrate, argatroban inhibited thrombin protease activity in a dose-dependent manner, whereas FR171113 and C186-65 were inactive, even at 100 microM. Additionally, only argatroban displayed dose-dependent prolongation of thrombin time, activated partial thromboplastin time and prothrombin time. FR171113 and C186-65 showed no effects, even at a concentration of 100 microM. These results suggest that FR171113 has a similar mode of action to C186-65, but with more potent antiplatelet activity. In conclusion, FR171113 is suggested to be the first example of a non-peptide thrombin receptor antagonist.

Arginine↗
PubMed1999

Long-term efficacy of immunization against hepatitis B virus in infants at high-risk analyzed by polymerase chain reaction.

Perinatal transmission of hepatitis B virus (HBV) is a common cause of chronic infection. In the present study, we evaluated the long-term efficacy of immunization against HBV in infants at high-risk, by using polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Two hundred and fifty-one infants received hepatitis B immunoglobulin at birth and a course of hepatitis B vaccine within 6 months of age between 1981 and 1993. Of 251 infants, 203 (81%) and 97 (39%) were followed until 1 and 4-6 years of age, respectively. HBV-DNA was detected by PCR in 74 (36%) of 203 children at 1 year of age, while the prevalence rate of children positive for HBV-DNA decreased to 14 (14%) of 97 children at 4-6 years of age, including 2 children who had the breakthrough variants of HBV. Our results indicate that most of HBV infections occur early, during the first year, and that immunization against HBV effectively protects infants at high-risk against viral transmission, at least up to 4-6 years of age.

Adult↗
PubMed1999

Neuralization of the Xenopus embryo by inhibition of p300/ CREB-binding protein function.

p300/ CREB-binding protein (CBP) is a transcriptional coactivator for a plethora of transcription factors and plays critical roles in signal transduction pathways. We report that the inhibition of p300/CBP function in the Xenopus embryo abolishes non-neural tissue formation and, strikingly, initiates neural induction and primary neurogenesis in the entire embryo. The observed neuralization is achieved in the absence of anterior or posterior gene expression, suggesting that neural fate activation and anterior patterning may represent distinct molecular events. We further demonstrate that the neuralizing and anteriorizing activities of chordin and noggin are separable properties of these neural inducers. This study reveals that all embryonic cells possess intrinsic neuralizing capability and that p300/CBP function is essential for embryonic germ layer formation and neural fate suppression during vertebrate embryogenesis.

Animals↗
PubMed1999

Membrane-bound transferrin-like protein (MTf): structure, evolution and selective expression during chondrogenic differentiation of mouse embryonic cells.

Mouse membrane-bound transferrin-like protein (MTf) cDNA was cloned to examine its expression during chondrogenic differentiation in the mouse embryonic cell line ATDC5, and to analyze the phylogenetic relationships among the MTfs of four animal species and 23 other transferrin members. Phylogenetic analysis indicated that the MTf gene diverged from the common ancestor gene earlier than the genes of the other transferrins such as serum transferrin, lactoferrin and ovotransferrin, and that the divergence occurred after the divergence of vertebrates and invertebrates. MTf, as well as the other transferrins, consists of two repeated domains. The similarity between the N-terminal and the C-terminal domains of MTf is much higher than that of the other transferrins, although the five amino acid residues required for iron binding were not conserved in the C-terminal domain of MTf in contrast to the conservation of these residues in both domains of the other transferrins. Among various adult mouse tissues, MTf mRNA was expressed at the highest level in cartilage and at a moderate level in the testis. MTf mRNA was expressed only at very low levels in the brain, spleen, thymus, muscle, lung, skin and intestine, and hardly detected in the heart, kidney, stomach and liver. In cultures of the mouse ATDC5 cell line, MTf is developmentally expressed in parallel with the expression of type II collagen and aggrecan, in the pattern commensurate with the onset of chondrogenesis to form cartilage nodules. The structural characteristics and the expression pattern suggest that during development and in adult tissues, MTf has some functions that are different from those of other transferrins.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1999

Inhibitory mechanism of sinapinic acid against peroxynitrite-mediated tyrosine nitration of protein in vitro.

The peroxynitrite-scavenging ability of some phenolic antioxidants, p-coumaric acid, caffeic acid and sinapinic acid, was examined and compared with ascorbic acid and tocopherol using 3-nitrotyrosine formation as a marker. Among these, caffeic acid and sinapinic acid strongly inhibited the formation of 3-nitrotyrosine in protein. The treatment of protein with peroxynitrite in the presence of sinapinic acid, but not caffeic acid, produced a novel product determined by reversed-phase high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). The product formed was purified and then identified as a mono-lactone type dimer (ML) of sinapinic acid by nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) and liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS). This ML was converted from a di-lactone type dimer, obtained from sinapinic acid with peroxidase/hydrogen peroxide, in neutral buffer. In this report, we have proposed that the ML of sinapinic acid is generated via one-electron oxidation by peroxynitrite treatment.

Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid↗
PubMed1999

p48 (ISGF-3gamma) is involved in interferon-alpha-induced suppression of hepatitis B virus enhancer-1 activity.

Interferon-alpha (IFN-alpha) suppresses hepatitis B virus (HBV) gene expression by reducing its enhancer-1 activity. IFN-alpha induces transcription factors, interferon-stimulated gene factor 3 (ISGF3), and interferon regulatory factor-1 (IRF-1), which activate interferon-inducible gene expression through binding to the interferon-stimulated regulatory element (ISRE) "AGTTTCNNTTTCNC" in the gene promoters. We found the ISRE-like sequence "AGGCTTTCACTTTCTC" in the HBV enhancer-1 region and elucidated the role of this sequence. Gel mobility shift assay showed binding of in vitro translated IRF-1 and in vitro translated p48 (ISGF3-gamma), which is a component of ISGF3 to this sequence. However, nuclear extracts binding to this sequence from human hepatoma cells (HuH-7) treated with IFN-alpha contained only the protein consisted of p48. In transfection experiments, IFN-alpha suppressed the HBV enhancer-1 activity, and overexpression of p48 enhanced this inhibitory effect. Both mutation and deletion of the ISRE-like sequence in the HBV enhancer-1 region reduced the suppressive effect of IFN-alpha. Our results suggest that the ISRE-like sequence in the HBV enhancer-1 can interact with the protein containing p48 and mediate the IFN-alpha-induced suppression of the enhancer activity.

Base Sequence↗