Biomedical subjects

Y Minami

Publications and source records attributed to Y Minami.

At least 145 records · Page 8Linked to original sources

PubMed1995

The attenuation of suppression of motility by triazolam in the conditioned fear stress task is exacerbated by ethanol in mice.

We investigated whether triazolam attenuated the suppression of motility in the conditioned fear stress task in mice and whether ethanol modified the effects of triazolam. When mice were placed 24 hours later (retention test) in the same environment in which they had previously been exposed to an electric foot shock (training), they exhibited a marked suppression of motility (conditioned fear stress). Triazolam (0.01-0.1 mg/kg, s.c.), administered before training, attenuated the suppression of motility in the conditioned fear stress task in a dose-dependent manner, without affecting the sensitivity to an electric foot shock. The doses of triazolam that attenuated the suppression of motility were much lower that those of chlordiazepoxide (5-10 mg/kg, s.c.). Neither drug, administered before the retention test, attenuated the suppression of motility in the conditioned fear stress task. These results suggest that both benzodiazepines may inhibit the process of acquisition, but not the process of recall, of memory. Ethanol (1 g/kg, p.o.), which, by itself, did not affect either the suppression of motility or the sensitivity to an electric foot shock, exacerbated the attenuation of the suppression of motility in the conditioned fear stress task induced by both triazolam (0.01 mg/kg) and chlordiazepoxide (5 mg/kg). These results suggest that ethanol exacerbates the effects of benzodiazepines.

Animals↗

PubMed1995

IL-2 signaling: recruitment and activation of multiple protein tyrosine kinases by the components of the IL-2 receptor.

Cytokine receptors transduce signals to the cell interior upon binding of their cognate ligands, eventually leading to cellular responses such as cellular proliferation, differentiation and other effector functions. Most of the cytokine receptors, including the interleukin (IL)-2 receptor, consist of two or more distinct subunits, yet none possess any known catalytic activity such as protein tyrosine kinase activity. Significant advances have recently been made in identifying the multiple signaling molecules, including protein tyrosine kinases, that couple with the cytoplasmic regions of the IL-2 receptor, although their exact roles in cytokine signaling are still not fully understood. Another important development in the understanding of IL-2 signaling is the identification of the target genes, including nuclear proto-oncogenes. Furthermore, structure-function analyses of the components of the IL-2 receptor have enabled the dissection of multiple intracellular signaling pathways that lead to the induction of the respective target genes.

Animals↗

PubMed1995

Protein tyrosine kinase Syk is associated with and activated by the IL-2 receptor: possible link with the c-myc induction pathway.

The IL-2 receptor (IL-2R) consists of three subunits, the IL-2R alpha, IL-2R beta, and IL-2R gamma chains. The IL-2-induced proliferative signals emanate from the cytoplasmic domains of IL-2R beta and IL-2R gamma, but the nature and function of the signaling molecules that transmit these signals are not fully understood. Here, we report that Syk protein tyrosine kinase (PTK) is physically associated with IL-2R in peripheral blood lymphocytes. cDNA expression studies further revealed that this association is critical for the IL-2-induced activation of Syk PTK, which occurs primarily via the serine-rich region of the IL-2R beta chain, which is essential for proliferative signal transmission. Furthermore, we provide evidence that in the hematopoietic cell line, BAF-B03, the activation of Syk PTK results in the induction of the c-myc gene, an event critical for the cell proliferation. Thus, Syk PTK may be a critical integral member of the signaling molecules engaged by the IL-2R.

Adult↗

PubMed1995

Active life expectancy among elderly Japanese.

BACKGROUND: This study estimated the active life expectancy (ALE) among the elderly in a Japanese urban society to determine whether or not the Japanese live long lives at the expense of life quality. METHODS: Survival and ability to perform activities of daily living (ADLs) were followed up on a probability sample (n = 3,459) of the aged people living in Sendai City, Japan, between 1988 and 1991. ALE was calculated by an increment-decrement life table method. RESULTS: At age 65, ALE was 14.7 years for men and 17.7 years for women. The duration of active life occupied 91% of the total life expectancy for men and 87% for women. These values were further compared with those reported for the elderly in the United States. ALE among the Japanese subjects was longer than that among the American elderly. The percentage of remaining life that was active was comparable with that in the United States. However, the interpretation of the results requires caution because of the difficulty in comparing self-reported disabilities across cultures. CONCLUSION: The authors conclude that it is premature at this time to judge which country is better in terms of functional status among the elderly. An international comparison of ALE would create an opportunity to evaluate and promote health and function of the elderly population worldwide. For this purpose, an international standardization of ALE measurement is urgently needed.

Activities of Daily Living↗

PubMed1995

Adrenocorticotropic hormone-independent bilateral macronodular adrenocortical hyperplasia associated with Cushing's syndrome.

A case of adrenocorticotropic hormone independent bilateral adrenocortical macronodular hyperplasia (AIMAH) is reported. A 59 year old male was admitted to hospital because of hypertension. Subsequently, hypercortisolism, low plasma adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH), loss of diurnal rhythm of ACTH, lack of suppression with high dose dexamethasone were found and bilateral adrenal enlargement was detected by abdominal computerized tomography and adrenal scintigraphy. Bilateral total adrenalectomy was performed under a diagnosis of bilateral adrenal hyperplasia associated with Cushing's syndrome. Both adrenal glands were enlarged in size and weight. Bulging nodules were found at the cut section. Microscopically, a variegated histologic pattern including trabecular, adenoid and zona glomerulosa-like (ZG-like) structures was revealed in the nodules. Immunohistochemical examination disclosed positive staining of cytochrome P-450 17 alpha, negative of 3 beta-HSD in the ZG-like structure. Ultrastructurally, the cells composing the ZG-like structure were similar to those of the ZG in normal adrenal cortex. The authors agree that AIMAH is one of the entities causing Cushing's syndrome, and advise pathologists to keep this disorder in mind when they examine the adrenals in Cushing's syndrome.

17-Ketosteroids↗

PubMed1995

Proliferating cell nuclear antigen in ACTH-independent bilateral macronodular adrenal hyperplasia.

ACTH-independent bilateral macronodular adrenal hyperplasia (AIMAH) has been recently described as a rare cause of Cushing's syndrome and it is an unusual process of unknown etiology. This report describes a case of a 59-year-old man with AIMAH. The proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) has been implicated in the process of cell proliferation and is detectable throughout most of the cell cycle. This report also describes the expression of PCNA in AIMAH by immunohistochemical staining. Most of the positive expression was seen in the greater part of the epithelial cells of the cortical lesion, but not in the interstitial cells. These data suggest that some effective factor, specific for adrenal cortical cell growth, might be produced in AIMAH.

Adrenal Glands↗

PubMed1995

Localization and rapid regulation of Na+/myo-inositol cotransporter in rat kidney.

myo-inositol, a major compatible osmolyte in renal medulla, is accumulated in several kinds of cells under hypertonic conditions via Na+/myo-inositol cotransporter (SMIT). To investigate the physiological role of the SMIT, we sought to determine its localization by in situ hybridization and its acute regulation by NaCl and furosemide administration. Northern analysis demonstrated that SMIT is strongly expressed in the medulla and at low levels in the cortex of kidney. Intraperitoneal injection of NaCl rapidly induced SMIT mRNA in both the cortex and medulla, and furosemide completely abolished this induction. In situ hybridization revealed that SMIT it predominantly present in the medullary and cortical thick ascending limbs of Henle's loop (TALH) and macula densa cells. Less intense signals were seen in the inner medullary collecting ducts (IMCD). NaCl loading increased the signals throughout the TALH, and furosemide reduced the signals. SMIT in the IMCD is less sensitive to these kinds of acute regulation. Thus, the distribution pattern of SMIT does not correspond to the corticomedullary osmotic gradient, and SMIT in the TALH and macula densa cells is regulated very rapidly. These results suggest that SMIT expression in TALH may be regulated by intracellular and/or peritubular tonicity close to the basolateral membrane, which is supposed to be proportional to the magnitude of NaCl reabsorption.

Animals↗

PubMed1995

Physical status and dementia risk: a three-year prospective study in urban Japan.

A three-year prospective study of 3,180 non-dementia persons in Sendai City, Japan was conducted to examine the effects of physical status and diseases diagnosed on dementia incidence. This cohort had been made at the initial survey in 1988 and the evaluation for incident dementia was performed on 2,461 respondents (77.4%) in a follow-up survey in 1991. Regarding physical status, the logistic regression including sex, age, health status, ambulatory activity and activities of daily living indicated that the poor health status and the limitation of ambulatory activity were significantly associated with an increased risk of dementia. The significant positive association with dementia was observed on stroke, respiratory disease and depression. This study identified the high risk population for dementia in the aspect of physical status.

Activities of Daily Living↗

PubMed1995

Hepatocellular carcinoma cases with five-year survival and prognostic factors affecting the survival time.

Between 1980 and 1994, 178 patients were confirmed to have hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) in our hospital. The 5-year survival rates in patients with HCC of stage I, II and IVA were 38.1%, 31.8% and 3.9%, respectively. No patient in stage III or IVB survived for more than four years. The 5-year survival rates of the patients treated by hepatic resection, ultrasonically guided percutaneous ethanol injection and transcatheter hepatic arterial embolization were 53.7%, 38.7% and 13.5%, respectively. The logrank test showed a significant difference in cumulative survival rates obtained in patients with HCC according to the tumor stage (p < 0.001) or principal treatment procedure (p < 0.001). Twelve patients survived for more than five years. We employed a Cox's proportional hazards model to estimate the factors significantly affecting the survival time. Variables with statistical significance were the clinical stage (p < 0.001), tumor size (maximal tumor diameter) (p < 0.001) and patient's age (p < 0.05). Conclusively, patients in the early stage of HCC associated with mild liver cirrhosis have a significantly better chance for long survival.

Adult↗

PubMed1995

Dementia and physical disability as competing risks for mortality in a community-based sample of the elderly Japanese.

To examine whether an excess mortality due to dementia is independent of coexisting physical disability, a probability-sample of the non-institutionalized elderly (n = 3,308) living in Sendai City, Japan was followed between 1988 and 1991. Of those, 128 were diagnosed as dementia in 1988 by psychiatrists, using Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Third Edition-Revised as a diagnostic standard. Information on the ability to perform activities of daily living (ADL) was collected by self-report of the study subjects in 1988 baseline survey. The survival status was investigated three years later. The risks of dementia and co-existing ADL disability for mortality was examined by Cox proportional hazard models. The results indicated that the relation between dementia and mortality was two-fold, depending upon the physical functions. Dementia increased the risk for mortality among those without ADL disability, but it did not so among those with ADL disability, rather ADL function was a stronger predictor for mortality among the latter individuals. Prevention and treatment of physical disability would be important for improving the survival of the demented people.

Aged↗

PubMed1995

Calcitonin-like polypeptides without apparent biological activity in a patient with recurrent medullary thyroid carcinoma.

A 51-year-old male with a recurrent medullary thyroid carcinoma (MTC) showed high serum levels of calcitonin (CT) and carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) but with concomitant normocalcemia. The CT activities of the patient's serum in vivo (hypocalcemic activity in rats) and in vitro (cyclic AMP-increasing activity in cultured human mammary tumor, T47D) were much lower than those expected from the patient's CT level. High performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) with radioimmunoassay (RIA) detection gave a broad spectrum of molecular weights of CT-like polypeptides in the 3 kDa to 200 kDa range with separation from CEA, suggesting that the mechanism for CT production in MTC is an obscure one.

Animals↗

PubMed1995

Clinical application of ultrasonic blood rheography in vertebral artery for vertigo.

In 507 vertigo cases in which circulatory velocity in the vertebral artery was determined, using ultrasonic blood rheography, the results in 150 cases (32%) were abnormal, falling appropriately into a 'laterality' group and a 'lower' group. Twenty-one patients whose clinical course was followed up showed a decrease in the side difference of their circulatory velocity, with consequent improvement in their vertigo. VBI demonstrated a poorer prognosis for the laterality group than for the normals, thus indicating a positive correlation between side difference and the effect of fluctuating blood pressure on serum lipids. Certain antivertiginous drugs had a beneficial effect on side difference, increasing the circulatory velocity.

Adolescent↗

PubMed1995

Clinical application of ultrasonic blood rheography for vertigo.

The blood flow in the vertebral artery was measured in 507 patients with vertigo using ultrasonic blood rheography. In 150 of the 507 cases (32%), abnormal findings including laterality and decreased flow were detected. Twenty-one cases whose clinical course was observed showed a decrease in the differences in velocity between sides as vertigo improved. VBI (vertebro-basilar insufficiency) showed a worse prognosis in patients with laterality compared with those without and a positive correlation was demonstrated between side differences and fluctuating blood pressure or serum lipids. Some anti-vertiginous drugs improved the difference between sides by increasing the velocity.

Adolescent↗

PubMed1995

[A single session of transurethral balloon laser thermotherapy for benign prostatic hyperplasia].

BACKGROUND: The objective of this study is to evaluate the efficiency of a new method of transurethral balloon laser thermotherapy (TUBAL-T) using prostalase in patients with benign prostatic hyperplasia. METHODS: From September 1993 to March 1994, 21 men were treated with a single session of TUBAL-T for the relief of bladder outlet obstruction secondary to benign prostatic hyperplasia. Thirteen of them had hormonal therapy before TUBAL-T and have no mediation after treatment (group A). Eight men had no hormonal therapy before and after TUBAL-T (group B). The clinical efficacy of this modality was evaluated by analysing the subjective and objective responses following the treatment. The laser balloon, equipped with a cooling system for preservation of urethral mucosa, delivers a Nd:YAG laser into the prostate. Treatment was performed by using a laser powder of 30 to 50 watts for 40 minutes. At 3 months after treatment, the clinical efficacy was evaluated by subjective symptom score, and residual urine volume, uroflowmetry and prostatic volume by transrectal ultrasound as objective data. RESULTS: In group A, subjective symptom scores decreased by an average of 72.8%, the average uroflow rates and the peak uroflow rates increased by an average of 44% and 45.9%, the post-void residual urine volume rates decreased by an average of 58.4% and ultrasonography showed that the prostatic volume decreased in 8 men but increased in 5 men. In group B, symptom score decreased by an average of 85.1%, the average uroflow rates and the peak uroflow rates increased by an average of 46.2%, the post-void residual urine volume rates decreased by average of 83.4% and ultrasonography showed that the prostatic volume decreased by an average of 35.6%. CONCLUSION: During the treatment and follow-up period, no adverse effect was detected. These results suggest that TUBAL-T for the relief of bladder outlet obstruction secondary to BPH is a useful therapy.

Aged↗

PubMed1994

Functional activation of Jak1 and Jak3 by selective association with IL-2 receptor subunits.

The interleukin-2 receptor (IL-2R) consists of three subunits: the IL-2R alpha, IL-2R beta, and IL-2R gamma chains, the last of which is also used in the receptors for IL-4, IL-7, and IL-9. Stimulation with IL-2 induces the tyrosine phosphorylation and activation of the Janus kinases Jak1 and Jak3. Jak1 and Jak3 were found to be selectively associated with the "serine-rich" region of IL-2R beta and the carboxyl-terminal region of IL-2R gamma, respectively. Both regions were necessary for IL-2 signaling. Furthermore, Jak3-negative fibroblasts expressing reconstituted IL-2R became responsive to IL-2 after the additional expression of Jak3 complementary DNA. Thus, activation of Jak1 and Jak3 may be a key event in IL-2 signaling.

Animals↗

PubMed1994

Signal transduction mediated by the reconstituted IL-2 receptor. Evidence for a cell type-specific function of IL-2 receptor beta-chain.

The binding of IL-2 to its specific receptor (IL-2R) triggers various cellular events including the induction of nuclear proto-oncogenes (c-fos, c-jun and c-myc genes) and the proliferation of hemopoietic cells. In the present study, we have established NIH 3T3 fibroblasts in which the three IL-2R subunits, the alpha-chain (IL-2R alpha), the beta-chain (IL-2R beta), and the gamma-chain (IL-2R gamma), are constitutively expressed. The resulting cell lines express high affinity IL-2R on their cell surface at levels comparable with those of IL-2-responsive lymphoid cells. We observed that the high affinity IL-2R in NIH 3T3 fibroblasts can mediate the IL-2-stimulated tyrosine phosphorylation of p42/p44 (mitogen-activated protein kinase) and the induction of the c-fos, c-jun and c-myc genes. In NIH 3T3 fibroblasts the high affinity IL-2R bearing a deletion of a region rich in acidic amino acids (the "acidic" region) in the IL-2R beta-chain failed to induce the tyrosine phosphorylation of MAP kinase as well as the expression of the all three nuclear proto-oncogenes. On the other hand, our previous studies had demonstrated that the high affinity IL-2R bearing the same mutant IL-2R beta-chain retained the ability to induce c-myc gene in response to IL-2 in a murine IL-3-dependent pro-B cell line, BAF/B03. Hence, these results reveal the underlying complexity of signal transduction among different cell types. The inability of the reconstituted high affinity receptor to mediate the IL-2-induced proliferation of NIH 3T3 fibroblasts suggests that induction of the three nuclear proto-oncogenes and the tyrosine phosphorylation of mitogen-activated protein kinase in NIH 3T3 fibroblasts are not sufficient to induce cellular proliferation.

3T3 Cells↗

PubMed1994

Chemo-endocrine therapy for prostate cancer with bone metastasis. Nagasaki Prostate Cancer Research Group.

We analyzed the clinical effects of initial chemoendocrine therapy on 31 prostate cancer patients with bone metastasis. These patients had been newly diagnosed between 1983 and 1991 and had received no previous therapy. As endocrine therapy, the patients received 1 mg ethynylestradiol daily with or without orchiectomy. In addition, they received three courses of chemotherapy consisting of 20 mg/m2 cisplatin given on days 1, 3, and 5 and 20 mg/m2 Adriamycin or 40 mg/m2 epirubicin given on day 5. Subsequently, for maintenance therapy, the patients received 1 mg ethynylestradiol and 150 mg 5-fluorouracil [or 300 mg tegafur plus uracil (UFT)] daily. Patients given our regimen of chemoendocrine therapy had a significantly better prognosis than did the controls treated with endocrine therapy alone (P = 0.05), although treatment was not randomized. The cause-specific survival rates at 5 years for the chemoendocrine-therapy patients and the control group were 65.4% and 37.4%, respectively. A multivariate analysis of possible prognostic factors, i.e., age, histological grade, prostatic acid phosphatase, tumor-related pain, the extent of disease (EOD) on bone scan, and the type of initial treatment, confirmed that the initial treatment (P = 0.03) and the EOD grade (P = 0.05) had a significant effect on survival. On the basis of these results, it is necessary to carry out a randomized trial to compare our chemoendocrine regimen with endocrine therapy alone in untreated patients with advanced prostate cancer.

Aged↗

PubMed1994

Emergency operation for thoracic aortic aneurysm caused by the Ehlers-Danlos syndrome.

Two patients were treated emergently for impending ruptured thoracic aortic aneurysms caused by type IV Ehlers-Danlos syndrome. One patient had typical physical evidence of type IV Ehlers-Danlos syndrome. The other patient had a normal phenotype. Type IV Ehlers-Danlos syndrome was diagnosed by electrophoresis of the collagen extracted from the skin. The clinician must be aware of the variations in presentation of type IV Ehlers-Danlos syndrome.

Adolescent↗