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Biomedical subjects

Y Nii

Publications and source records attributed to Y Nii.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2000

Effects of pH variation and NaCl on in vitro digestibility of cow's milk proteins in commercially available infant formulas.

Allergenicity and antigenicity of food proteins are generally dependent on their heat-stability and resistance to digestive enzymes. Using the methods of SDS-PAGE and immunoblots, we assessed peptic-digestibility of major milk proteins (casein, beta-lactoglobulin and alpha-lactalbumin) in commercially available infant formulas in acidic pH range (pH 1.5 to 4.0), and we also investigated the effect of NaCl on peptic-digestibility of cow's milk proteins at pH 2.0. The profile of peptic-digestion of casein was similar at pH range from 1.5 to 3.5 where the intact protein of casein rapidly disappeared, whereas slow digestibility of the protein was found at pH 4.0. Beta-lactoglobulin and alpha-lactalbumin were digested at pH range from 1.5 to 2.5 and were almost entirely resistant to peptic digestion at over pH 3.0. In the presence of NaCl at pH 2.0, casein showed a good digestibility by pepsin similar to that in the absence of NaCl, in contrast to beta-lactoglobulin and alpha-lactalbumin both having their peptic-digestibility decreased in the presence of 0.2 M NaCl. As the state of the stomach in new born infants shows low amounts of secretary pepsin and out of optimum pH of peptic activity, low digestibility of beta-lactoglobulin and alpha-lactalbumin in cow's milk based infant formulas at over pH 3.0 is supposed to be responsible for their allergenicity.

Animals↗
PubMed1999

Heterogeneous expression of glycoconjugates among individual glomeruli of the hamster main olfactory bulb.

Glomeruli within the main olfactory bulb (MOB) are known as areas of synapse formation between axon terminals of olfactory neurons in the olfactory epithelium and dendrites of the first relay neurons (mitral and tufted cells) in the MOB, so that they serve as functional units in olfaction. We examined expression patterns of glycoconjugates in the glomeruli of the hamster MOB by lectin histochemistry using 21 biotinylated lectins. Thirteen lectins, WGA, s-WGA, DSL, DBA, SBA, WA, SJA, RCA-I, PNA, ECL, UEA-I, PSA and LCA, showed differential binding patterns among the glomeruli. To evaluate these differential binding patterns of lectins, we analysed staining intensity of each of the 13 lectins on the level of individual glomeruli by image analysis, and classified staining intensity into five grades (negative, 1+, 2+, 3+, 4+) on the basis of results obtained. This classification enables us to make detailed comparison among individual glomeruli. We further analysed the grade of staining intensity of each of the 13 lectins in the same glomerulus in adjacent serial sections by image analysis, and found that individual glomeruli varied in combination of grades of staining intensity and kinds of lectins. These results indicate that glycoconjugates are expressed heterogeneously in individual glomeruli, and that heterogeneous expression may contribute to the topographic organization of the primary olfactory pathway.

Animals↗
PubMed1998

Translucence stereoscopy of interictal magnetoencephalographic epileptiform discharge.

We have developed a translucence stereoscopy method for displaying the distribution of multiple interictal epileptiform discharges within the intracranial space. The epileptiform discharges, measured using a whole-head magnetoencephalography system, were modeled by a least-squares method to obtain the equivalent current dipoles. The dipoles were located in the stereo pair of intracranial images composed of translucent brain slices at several selected levels. The technique demonstrated clearly the distribution of interictal dipoles within the brain in three patients. Three dimensional understanding of the intracranial distribution of multiple dipoles in one image is valuable in analyzing the intracerebral neurophysiological events in epileptic patients.

Adult↗
PubMed1996

Does the central sulcus divide motor and sensory functions? Cortical mapping of human hand areas as revealed by electrical stimulation through subdural grid electrodes.

To clarify the exact anatomic relationship of electrically identified hand areas to the central sulcus, we constructed cortical surface renderings of magnetic resonance images (MRI) to locate the central sulcus accurately and measured the distances of stimulated points from the central sulcus and the Sylvian fissure. We obtained hand responses in 33 patients who underwent implantation of subdural grid electrodes for evaluation and surgical treatment of intractable epilepsy and analyzed these responses according to the presence of motor, sensory, mixed motor and sensory, and arrest responses. Hand motor responses occurred not only in the precentral gyrus but also in the postcentral gyrus, with great variability in superior-to-inferior distribution. Sensory responses also occurred in both the precentral and postcentral gyri with a distribution more ventral than that of motor responses. Mixed motor and sensory responses tended to be limited to the middle part of the central sulcus. Sites where electrical stimulation arrested simple hand repetitive voluntary movements occurred widely throughout the premotor and primary sensorimotor cortices. These data indicate a marked variability in the location of the human cortical hand area, and suggest that motor and sensory hand cortices overlap and are not divided in a simple manner by the central sulcus.

Brain Mapping↗
PubMed1993

Subdivisions of the accessory olfactory bulb, as demonstrated by lectin-histochemistry in the golden hamster.

Lectin-binding patterns in the accessory olfactory bulb (AOB) of the golden hamster were investigated histochemically with 21 biotinylated lectins. The AOB was divided into rostral and caudal halves according to binding patterns of 16 lectins, WGA, s-WGA, LEL, STL, DSL, BSL-II, DBA, SBA, BSL-I, VVA, SJA, PNA, ECL, UEA-I, Con A and PSA. The caudal half of the AOB was further subdivided into anterior 2/3 and posterior 1/3 by 10 lectins, WGA, s-WGA, BSL-II, DBA, SBA, BSL-I, VVA, SJA, PNA and ECL. In addition, the rostral half of the AOB was subdivided into anterior 1/4 and posterior 3/4 by one lectin, PNA. Thus, the AOB of the golden hamster was divided into 4 divisions on the basis of lectin-binding patterns.

Animals↗
PubMed1992

Cell profile and elastase activity in diffuse panbronchiolitis investigated by bronchoalveolar and bronchial lavage.

To examine the mechanism of tissue damage which causes bronchiolectasis in diffuse panbronchiolitis (DPB), the cellular components, elastase and its main inhibitor, alpha 1-protease inhibitor (alpha 1-PI) were measured in bronchoalveolar and bronchial lavage fluid (BALF and BLF) from 14 DPB patients. A predominant increase in the neutrophil count was observed in DPB. Elastase activity in BALF and BLF was about 1,000-fold higher in the DPB group than in the control group. An inhibitor study and a positive correlation between elastase activity and the neutrophil count in both lavage fluids from the DPB group indicated that the activity was mainly that of neutrophil elastase. Western blot analysis of alpha 1-PI showed that most of the alpha 1-PI in the lavage fluids from DPB group was degraded. These results indicated that neutrophil infiltration increases the level of elastase in the DPB lesions; this increase seems to be closely related to tissue damage.

Adult↗
PubMed1992

Enhanced phagocytosis of rat alveolar macrophages by intravenous infusion of an arginine-enriched solution.

Phagocytosis of rat alveolar macrophages (AM) was enhanced by the infusion of arginine-rich solution for 7 days. The enhancement of phagocytosis by arginine-rich solution was due to not the difference in the distribution of AM subpopulations (I to IV) but the difference in phagocytic activity of AM in fraction IV. In the process of phagocytosis, there were no significant differences in the stages of migration, attachment, and digestion between control and arginine-rich solutions, although AM from fraction IV of rats infused with arginine-rich solution showed significantly higher ingestion of opsonized sheep red blood cells (SRBC) compared to that of control group. Furthermore, the production of macrophage-activating factor (MAF) from rat splenocytes was higher in arginine-rich group than that of control group. AM from fraction IV of rats fed a stock diet had a higher arginase activity and showed a significant increase of phagocytosis following in vitro incubation with L-arginine (25 and 50 mM) for 24 h. From these results, the enhanced phagocytosis of AM by arginine-rich solution may be due to the increased phagocytosis of AM from fraction IV, in which the higher sensitivity of AM from fraction IV to arginine and the higher production of MAF from splenocytes following the infusion of arginine-rich solution participate.

Amino Acids↗
PubMed1991

Somatosensory evoked potentials to median nerve stimulation after partial section of the corpus callosum.

Cortical somatosensory evoked potentials (SEPs) to electrical stimulation of the median nerve were studied in four patients with intractable epilepsy who had undergone callosotomy and in a patient with infarction in the corpus callosum in order to determine whether the corpus callosum was involved in the generation of ipsilateral frontal components. Both pre- and postoperative SEPs were recorded in three of four epileptic patients. There were no significant differences in the latencies and amplitudes of the bilateral frontal components (P20, N26) between pre- and postoperative recordings. Furthermore, irrespective of the extent of the section or lesion in the corpus callosum, the nature of the impairment and the existence of the disconnection syndrome, the SEP findings showed no significant differences compared with those of normal subjects. It thus appears unlikely that the ipsilateral SEP responses are transmitted from the contralateral hemisphere through at least the anterior portion of the corpus callosum.

Adult↗
PubMed1991

Efficacy and toxicity of thromboxane synthetase inhibitor for cerebral vasospasm after subarachnoid hemorrhage.

The efficacy and possible side effects of thromboxane A2 (TXA2) synthetase inhibitor in the treatment of cerebral vasospasm after subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) were assessed for 24 patients who presented with grades I to IV of the Hunt and Hess classification. All patients underwent aneurysmal clipping within 48 hours after SAH. Postoperatively, TXA2 synthetase inhibitor, Cataclot [sodium (E)-3-[p-(1H-imidazol-1-ylmethyl)phenyl]-2-propenoate] was administered to 13 patients by continuous drip infusion at a dose of 1 microgram/kg/min for 8 to 14 days (group A). The remaining 11 patients did not receive this drug (group B). Of the 13 patients in group A, seven patients (54%) showed no symptomatic vasospasm after SAH. Four patients (31%) developed a transient deterioration of consciousness and/or motor disturbance. Three of these patients fully recovered, while one of them showed a mild neurological deficit on discharge. One patient (8%) developed permanent dysphasia and hemiparesis as a result of ischemic brain damage due to vasospasm. One patient (8%) died of the side effect. On the other hand, of the 11 patients in group B, only three (27%) showed no symptomatic vasospasm. One (9%) patient presented a transient neurological deficit but fully recovered upon discharge. Four patients (36%) showed permanent neurological deficits, although they all could lead an independent life after discharge. The three remaining patients developed a severe disturbance of consciousness caused by ischemia due to vasospasm, and two of them died within 1 month after the onset of SAH. In the group treated with Cataclot, two patients developed an epidural hematoma late during the administration of the drug. Of these two, one patient died of increased intracranial pressure that was accelerated by the complication. These results indicate that TXA2 synthetase inhibitor is effective in not only decreasing the occurrence of symptomatic vasospasm but also reducing the neurological deterioration due to vasospasm after SAH. However, this drug has a hazardous side effect in that it may promote a tendency to bleed, which caused death in one of our patients.

Adult↗
PubMed1991

Purine catabolites in cerebral interstitial fluid during progression of and recovery from ischemia.

The concentrations of purine catabolites in the cerebral interstitial fluid during progression of and recovery from ischemia were studied using brain microdialysis and high-performance liquid chromatography. Sealed 0.5-mm hollow dialysis fibers were stereotactically implanted into either the cerebral cortex or hippocampus of ketamine anesthetized gerbils and perfused with artificial cerebrospinal fluid at 2 microliters/min. Cerebral ischemia was induced by occlusion of the bilateral common carotid arteries. The reflectance spectra of oxy- and deoxyhemoglobin at the brain surface were monitored over the scalp to assess ischemia and confirm recirculation. Ischemia caused a rapid, 4.8-fold increase in the extracellular concentration of adenosine. The progressive increase in the concentration of adenosine, inosine, and hypoxanthine soon after recirculation is particularly interesting. The subsequent decrease in purine compound concentration was rapid for adenosine but more gradual for inosine and hypoxanthine. Calculated K values for adenosine deaminase and purine nucleoside phosphorylase were 0.045/min and 0.016/min, respectively. However, no xanthine, uric acid, or purine nucleotides were found in the perfusate. These observations indicated the presence of purine catabolites in the cerebral interstitial space as well as consecutive degradation and recycling involving the interconversion of purine compounds by biochemical metabolic pathways.

Animals↗
PubMed1991

Fluorescence demonstration of cathepsin B activity in fractionated alveolar macrophages.

Histochemical localization of cathepsin B in alveolar macrophages (AM) that separated into four different density fractions (I, II, III and IV) by discontinuous Percoll gradient centrifugation was demonstrated in fluorescence microscope using CBZ-Arg-Arg-4-methoxy-2- naphthylamide as a substrate and 5-nitrosalicylaldehyde as a coupling reagent. The least dense AM (fraction I) was found numerous bright yellow fluorescing particles with high intensity in small granules distributed throughout the cytoplasm when compared to the most dense cells (fraction IV). The different localization of cathepsin B activity in the fractionated cells suggested differentiation of lysosomal system and existence of maturational (or aging) sequence in rat AM.

Animals↗
PubMed1990

Partial callosotomy for Lennox-Gastaut syndrome--first cases in Japan.

Corpus callosotomy is a well established procedure for the treatment of intractable epilepsy. However, this is the first clinical report of surgical division of the corpus callosum in Japan. Four patients with refractory seizures suffering from Lennox-Gastaut syndrome underwent anterior partial corpus callosotomy. Their seizures consisted of absences, tonic, atonic, tonic-clonic attacks and were characterized by frequent falls. Electroencephalograms showed paroxysms of bilateral synchrony of slow spike and wave complexes. Postoperative follow-up during 12-27 months showed that partial callosotomy reduced the frequency and severity of seizures in all the patients, although they still require antiepileptic medication. This procedure was effective even in patients with mixed cerebral dominance and also in a patient with low intelligence quotient. Postoperatively, disconnection syndrome developed in three patients, which was transient in one and lasting in two.

Adult↗
PubMed1990

[Lung surfactant apoprotein (LSP) content of sputum samples from patients with chronic airway diseases].

LSP contents of sputum samples from patients with chronic airway diseases were measured by an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) kit which was designed by Kuroki et al to examine whether a substance identical to lung surfactant contained in alveolar lining layer, is also contained in respiratory tract fluid or not in the ELISA kit. One antibody to LSP was conjugated to peroxidase and another one to LSP was fixed onto a bead. A neo-anionic detergent, Triton X-100 and an anionic detergent, sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) were added to extraction medium to separate LSP from lung surfactant, and LSP reaction of sputum sample was maximal when the ratio of Triton X-100 to SDS was in range of 1 to 4. Airway mucous glycoprotein (AMG) purified from sputum sample did not show any LSP reaction. In CsCl density gradient ultracentrifugation of whole sputum, the LSP reaction was detectable only in the top fraction with density of about 1.40 and AMG was located in the fraction with a density of about 1.50. These results indicate that the LSP reaction of sputum sample is not due to false reaction caused by nonspecific binding of viscous AMG to the two antibodies to LSP, but to the existence of LSP. Therefore it was concluded that lung surfactant is contained in respiratory tract fluid. In general, the LSP concentrations in sputum samples were lower in purulent sputa than in mucoid or mucopurulent sputa, and lower in patients with diffuse panbronchiolitis and bronchiectasia than in those with pulmonary emphysema and chronic bronchitis. It was shown that LSP was hydrolyzed by neutrophil leucocyte homogenate. These results suggest that LSP content of sputum is influenced by various factors such as infection and disease in the respiratory tract, and thus is useful to estimate pathological states of chronic airway diseases.

Aged↗
PubMed1989

Long-term survival after removal of primary intracranial malignant melanoma. Case report.

A 57-year-old male with primary intracranial malignant melanoma who survived 9 years and 6 months is reported. He underwent surgical removal of the tumour three times during the decade 1978 to 1988, and received chemo-immuno-radiotherapy during that time. Acute tumour growth, suggesting tumour dissemination, was seen in the CT scans after the third removal of recurrent tumour, but then it disappeared after combined chemoradiotherapy with DTIC. He gradually became inactive, probably because of brain atrophy caused by high-dose radiotherapy and chemotherapy, and died of renal failure without any sign of recurrence on CT scans.

Brain Neoplasms↗