Biomedical subjects
Yayoi Nishi
Publications and source records attributed to Yayoi Nishi.
Effect of sera on the adhesion of natural killer cells to the endothelium in severe pre-eclampsia.
OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effect of serum on the interaction between natural killer (NK) cells and endothelial cells in pre-eclampsia. METHODS: Seven severely pre-eclamptic patients, five normal pregnant women, and four normal non-pregnant women were included in this study. Freshly isolated NK cells labeled with Chromium-51 were incubated on an endothelial cell monolayer in the presence of patient serum. In regard to the characteristics of adhesive molecules, the endothelial cells were blocked by monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) to intracellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1), vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 (VCAM-1); the NK cells were blocked by mAbs to leukocyte function-associated antigen (LFA-1) and very late antigen-4 (VLA-4) before co-incubation. After incubation, the adherent cells were solubilized with 1% Triton X. The lysates were collected and counted in a gamma counter. RESULTS: The adhesion of NK cells to the endothelium in the normal pregnancy group decreased significantly in comparison to the non-pregnant group (7%vs 72%; P < 0.01). Adhesion in the severe pre-eclamptic group was significantly higher in comparison to the normal pregnant group (44%vs 7%; P < 0.01). The blocking percentages of mAbs on NK adhesion in the severe pre-eclampsia group were 49 +/- 4% to LFA-1, 61 +/- 48%, 67 +/- 39% to VLA-4, ICAM-1, and 68 +/- 7% to VCAM-1. CONCLUSION: Sera from normal pregnant women suppress the adhesion between NK cells and endothelial cells, whereas the suppressive effect of sera from pre-eclamptic patients has a diminished affect.
Gasless laparoscopic surgery using a new intra-abdominal fan retractor system: an experience of 500 cases.
AIM: The aim of this study is to report the feasibility of a newly developed intra-abdominal fan retractor system for use in gynecologic laparoscopic surgery. METHODS: Five hundred women undergoing gasless laparoscopic surgery using the abdominal wall lifting device were included in the study. The intraoperative and postoperative courses, and complications were examined. RESULTS: The intra-abdominal retractor system provided adequate exposure in all cases, except for one patient with morbid obesity. Neither the presence of the intra-abdominal retractor blades nor the mechanical arm interfered with the placement of instruments during surgery. No complications related to the use of gasless laparoscopy were encountered in this study period. CONCLUSION: The new intra-abdominal fan retractor system is feasible in gynecologic laparoscopic surgery.
Change of the mitochondrial distribution in mouse ooplasm during in vitro maturation.
Mitochondria (mt) have been reported to be closely related to the maturation of mammalian oocytes, but their function in oocyte maturation has not been elucidated. In this study, we examined the kinetics of mt and chromatin configuration during in vitro maturation of mouse oocytes to clarify the relationship between oocyte maturation and mitochondrial distribution morphologically. Oocytes were recovered from 6-to 8-wk-old ICR strain female mice. Germinal vesicle (GV) -stage oocytes were divided into 4 groups and cultured: group A, oocytes collected after pregnant mare serum gonadotropin (PMSG) injection; and group B, oocytes collected after PMSG-human chorionic gonadotropin injection. Groups A and B were subdivided into 2 groups: denuded oocytes (DO) and cumulus-enclosed-oocytes (CEO). At 0, 4, 8, 12 and 16 h from the onset of the culture, oocytes were fixed and stained to visualize alpha-tubulin, chromatin and mt using confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM). It was observed that mt aggregated around the nucleus from the GV-stage through progression to germinal vesicle breakdown (GVBD). With the movement of the nucleus, mt were concentrated around the nucleus and polarized. The maturation rate (the rate of the first polar body extrusion) and the fertilization rate of CEO were significantly higher than that of DO in both groups A (p<0.01) and B (p<0.05). During the GV-stage to GVBD, the rate of mitochondrial aggregation around the nucleus tended to be high in group A (CEO). The rates of mitochondrial polarization in MI and MII oocytes were 76.1% with in-vitro maturation (IVM) and 86.7% with in-vivo-maturation, respectively; the rate was significantly higher in in-vivo-maturation-oocytes than in IVM-oocytes (p<0.01). From the present results it can be considered that aggregaton of mitochondria around the nucleus was essential for maturation, fertilization and development.