Purification and partial characterization of CD9 antigen of human platelets

AbstractCD9 antigen (p24) was purified from human platelets and partially characterized. The yield was 75 μg from 10 units of platelet concentrates. p24 (38 000 copies/platelet) has intramolecular disulfide bond(s) and, in SDS-PAGE, consists of major 24-kDa molecule and minor 26- to 31-kDa molecules. The N-terminal sequence of p24, PVKGOTKXIKYLLFGFNFIF, indicates that the protein has not previously been characterized and amino terminus (position 12–20) is hydrophobic

Early hemoperfusion with an immobilized polymyxin B fiber column eliminates humoral mediators and improves pulmonary oxygenation

INTRODUCTION: The objective of this study was to clarify the efficacy and mechanism of action of direct hemoperfusion with an immobilized polymyxin B fiber column (DHP-PMX) in patients with acute lung injury or acute respiratory distress syndrome caused by sepsis. METHOD: Thirty-six patients with sepsis were included. In each patient a thermodilution catheter was inserted, and the oxygen delivery index and oxygen consumption index were measured. DHP-PMX was performed in patients with a normal oxygen delivery index and oxygen consumption index (> 500 ml/minute per m(2 )and >120 ml/minute per m(2), respectively). The Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation II score was used as an index of the severity of sepsis, and survival was assessed after 1 month. The humoral mediators measured were the chemokine IL-8, plasminogen activator inhibitor-1, and neutrophil elastase (NE). These mediators were measured before DHP-PMX treatment, and at 24, 48, and 78 hours after the start of treatment. The arterial oxygen tension (PaO(2))/fractional inspired oxygen (FiO(2)) ratio was measured before DHP-PMX treatment and at 24, 48, 72, 92, and 120 hours after the start of treatment. RESULTS: All patients remained alive after 1 month. Before DHP-PMX treatment, the Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation II score was 24 ± 2.0, the IL-8 level was 54 ± 15.8 pg/ml, plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 was 133 ± 28.1 ng/ml, and NE was 418 ± 72.1 μg/l. These three humoral mediators began to decrease from 24 hours after DHP-PMX treatment, and the decline became significant from 48 hours onward. The PaO(2)/FiO(2 )ratio was 244 ± 26.3 before DHP-PMX treatment but improved significantly from 96 hours onward. There were significant negative correlations between the PaO(2)/FiO(2 )ratio and blood levels of NE and IL-8. CONCLUSION: The mechanism of action of DHP-PMX is still not fully understood, but we report the following findings. The mean blood levels of plasminogen activator inhibitor-1, NE, and IL-8 were significantly decreased from 48 hours after DHP-PMX treatment. The mean PaO(2)/FiO(2 )ratio was significantly improved from 96 hours after DHP-PMX treatment. Improvement in the PaO(2)/FiO(2 )ratio appeared to be related to the decreases in blood NE and IL-8 levels

Effect of juggling therapy on anxiety disorders in female patients

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Aims</p> <p>The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of juggling therapy for anxiety disorder patients.</p> <p>Design and Method</p> <p>Subjects were 17 female outpatients who met the DSM-IV diagnostic criteria for anxiety disorders. Subjects were treated with standard psychotherapy, medication and counseling for 6 months. For the last 3 months of treatment, subjects were randomized into either a non-juggling group (n = 9) or a juggling therapy group (juggling group: n = 8). The juggling group gradually acquired juggling skills by practicing juggling beanbags (<it>otedama </it>in Japan) with both hands. The therapeutic effect was evaluated using scores of psychological testing (STAI: State and Trate Anxiety Inventry, POMS: Profile of Mood Status) and of ADL (FAI: Franchay Activity Index) collected before treatment, 3 months after treatment (before juggling therapy), and at the end of both treatments.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>After 6 months, an analysis of variance revealed that scores on the state anxiety, trait anxiety subscales of STAI and tension-anxiety (T-A) score of POMS were significantly lower in the juggling group than in the non-juggling group (p < 0.01). Depression, anger-hostility scores of POMS were improved more than non-jugglers. In the juggling group, activity scores on the vigor subscale of POMS and FAI score were significantly higher than those in the non juggling group (p < 0.01). Other mood scores of POMS did not differ between the two groups.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>These findings suggest that juggling therapy may be effective for the treatment of anxiety disorders.</p

Covalent N-arylation by the pollutant 1,2-naphthoquinone activates the EGF receptor

The epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) is the most intensively investigated receptor tyrosine kinase. Several EGFR mutations and modifications have been shown to lead to abnormal self-activation, which plays a critical role in carcinogenesis. Environmental air pollutants, which are associated with cancer and respiratory diseases, can also activate EGFR. Specifically, the environmental electrophile 1,2-naphthoquinone (1,2-NQ), a component of diesel exhaust particles and particulate matter more generally, has previously been shown to impact EGFR signaling. However, the detailed mechanism of 1,2-NQ function is unknown. Here, we demonstrate that 1,2-NQ is a novel chemical activator of EGFR but not other EGFR family proteins. We found that 1,2-NQ forms a covalent bond, in a reaction referred to as N-arylation, with Lys80, which is in the ligand-binding domain. This modification activates the EGFR–Akt signaling pathway, which inhibits serum deprivation–induced cell death in a human lung adenocarcinoma cell line. Our study reveals a novel mode of EGFR pathway activation and suggests a link between abnormal EGFR activation and environmental pollutant–associated diseases such as cancer

Rhenium-catalyzed insertion of terminal alkenes into a C(sp(2))–H bond and successive transfer hydrogenation

Treatment of aromatic aldimines with terminal alkenes in the presence of a rhenium catalyst, [HRe(CO)(4)](n), gives 2-alkenylbenzylamines in good to excellent yields. This reaction proceeds via the insertion of the alkene into a C-H bond at the ortho-position of the imino group of the aromatic aldimine followed by sequential beta-hydride elimination from the formed alkyl rhenium intermediate and then by hydrogenation of the imino group of the aldimine

An Ultra-Broad-Band Reflection-Type Phase-Shifter MMIC With Series and Parallel LC Circuits

Abstract-An ultra-broad-band reflection-type phase shifter is proposed. Theoretically, the proposed phase shifter has frequency-independent characteristics in the case of 180 phase shift. The phase shifter is composed of a 3-dB hybrid coupler and a pair of novel reflective terminating circuits. The reflective terminating circuit switches two states of series and parallel LC circuits. Using an ideal circuit model without parasitic circuit elements, we have derived the determining condition of frequency independence of circuit elements. Extending the concept, we can also obtain a broad-band phase shifter for other phase difference as well. In this case, for a given phase difference and an operating frequency, we also derive a condition to obtain minimum variation of phase difference around the operating frequency. This enables the broad-band characteristics for arbitrary phase difference. Index Terms-Broad-band, MMIC, monolithic microwave integrated circuit, phase shifter, reflection type

Perinatal Asphyxia Reduces Dentate Granule Cells and Exacerbates Methamphetamine-Induced Hyperlocomotion in Adulthood

Background: Obstetric complications have been regarded as a risk factor for schizophrenia later in life. One of the mechanisms underlying the association is postulated to be a hypoxic process in the brain in the offspring around the time of birth. Hippocampus is one of the brain regions implicated in the late-onset dopaminergic dysfunction associated with hypoxic obstetric complications. Methodology/Principal Findings: We used an animal model of perinatal asphyxia, in which rat pups were exposed to 15 min of intrauterine anoxia during Cesarean section birth. At 6 and 12 weeks after birth, the behavior of the pups was assessed using a methamphetamine-induced locomotion test. In addition, the histopathology of the hippocampus was examined by means of stereology. At 6 weeks, there was no change in the methamphetamine-induced locomotion. However, at 12 weeks of age, we found an elevation in methamphetamine-induced locomotor activity, which was associated with an increase of dopamine release in the nucleus accumbens. At the same age, we also found a reduction of the dentate granule cells of the hippocampus. Conclusions/Significance: These results suggest that the dopaminergic dysregulation after perinatal asphyxia is associated with a reduction in hippocampal dentate granule cells, and this may partly contribute to the pathogenesis of schizophrenia.浜松医科大学学位論文　医博第548号(平成２１年３月１８日