Hypothesis
Can Cysteine Direct Tyrosine in Signal Transduction for Environment-oriented Gene Control?
IZUMI NAKASHIMA
pg(s) 1- 10
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Signals are transduced from the cell surface to the nucleus through phosphorylation and dephosphorylation chain reactions of cellular proteins at tyrosine and serine/threonine. Recent evidence suggests that the signal generated through the protein modification at cysteine by oxidation/reduction crosstalks to the protein phosphorylation/dephosphorylation-linked one. I propose that the cysteine-oriented signal potentially directs the tyrosine-oriented one and this mechanism underlies the environment-oriented control of internal signaling for gene expression.
Original Papers
A Comparison of Transurethral Resection of the Prostate and Medical Treatment for the Patient with Moderate Symptoms of Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia
MASANORI YAMAMOTO, HATSUKI HIBI and KOJI MIYAKE
pg(s) 11- 16
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Transurethral resection of the prostate is the most common surgical treatment for benign prostatic hyperplasia. We conducted a prospective randomized clinical trial to compare this surgery with medical treatment in men with moderate symptoms of benign prostatic hyperplasia. Of 98 men over the age of 54 years who were screened between June 1993 and June 1995, 53 were studied (25 in the surgery group and 28 in the medication group). Patients' symptoms and the degree to which they were bothered by urinary difficulties were measured with standardized questionnaires and medical evaluations. The men randomly assigned to the surgery group underwent surgery within 2 weeks after the assignment. Surgery was not associated with an impotence or urinary incontinence. The follow-up period was 1 year. Surgery was significantly associated with improvement in residual urinary volume and peak flow rate; and also in the scores for urinary difficulties, sexual performance and interference with activities of daily living (P < 0.001 for all comparisons). We concluded that for patients with moderate symptoms of benign prostatic hyperplasia, surgery is more effective than medication in improving genitourinary symptoms and enhancing the quality of life. Thus, medication as treatment should be reserved for patients who are less bothered by urinary difficulty or who wish to delay surgery.
18 Years of Conformation Radiotherapy at Nagoya University Hospital
HIDETOSHI KOBAYASHI, TSUYOSHI KODAIRA, TETSUYA YAMADA, YOSHIMI HORIKAWA, YOSHIYUKI ITO, TAKAYUKI MURAO, YASUNORI OBATA and TAKEO ISHIGAKI
pg(s) 17- 24
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Conformation radiotherapy is one of the best techniques for minimizing the radiation dose absorbed by the surrounding normal tissue while delivering a high dose to a cancerous target area. The cases of all patients who underwent external irradiation at Nagoya University Hospital from 1975 to 1992 were reviewed. A total of 5740 patients with 6179 lesions were irradiated during this time, and 3795 treatment plans involved radical intended irradiation. Of the 5740 patients, 1017 had head and neck cancer, 982 had cervical cancer, 506 had lung cancer, 439 had primary brain tumors, 308 had esophageal cancer, 1213 had metastatic tumors, and 1275 had other types of tumors. The total number of treatment plans per year decreased from 442 in 1975 to 292 in 1992. Likewise, the percentage of conformation radiotherapy performed in all patients decreased from 29.4% (130/442) in 1975 to 8.6% (25/292) in 1992. It occupied 14.5% (982/6179) of all intended plans, and 20% (775/3795) of radical treatment plans. The conformation technique was used in cases of cervical cancer (72%), esophageal cancer (65%) and primary brain tumors (25%). Boost Conformation radiotherapy represented 2% of all treatment planning and 29% of the conformation radiotherapy. Boost Conformation radiotherapy has recently become more popular and now represents more than 50% of conformation radiotherapy. With respect to cases of cervical cancer, the rates of local recurrence and late complications in cases treated by conformation radiotherapy were lower than in cases treated by two parallel opposed radiotherapy.
The Incidence of Antisperm Antibodies in Patients with Seminal Tract Obstructions
MASANORI YAMAMOTO, HATSUKI HIBI and KOJI MIYAKE
pg(s) 25- 29
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Antisperm antibodies are one of the important factors in male infertility caused by vasal obstructions. To investigate the incidence of serum antisperm antibodies in patients with various kinds of seminal tract obstructions, we retrospectively analyzed the sera of 60 patients using the indirect immunobead test (IBT) to find serum antisperm antibodies. Immunoglobulin (Ig)G and IgA class antisperm antibodies were positive in 55% and 18% of those patients with a vasal obstruction caused by inguinal herniorrhaphy and in 60% and 20% of vasectomized patients respectively; whereas these antibodies were positive in 13% and 0% of those patients with an epididymal obstruction of unknown etiology and in 8% and 3% of those patients with congenital bilateral absence of the vas deferens (CBAVD). The incidence of antisperm antibodies was significantly higher in patients with a vasal obstruction than in those with an epididymal obstruction (p < 0.001).
Does Epididymal Length in Men with Congenital Bilateral Absence of the Vas Deferens Have a Correlation with the Fertilization Rate of Epididymal Sperm Retrieved by Micropuncture Technique?
MASANORI YAMAMOTO, HATSUKI HIBI, KOJI MIYAKE, TAKESHI KITAGAWA, YOSHIMASA ASADA, NOBUHIKO SUGANUMA and YUTAKA TOMODA
pg(s) 31- 35
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To investigate whether the variable length of the epididymis in men with congenital bilateral absence of the vas deferens (CBAVD) might have a correlation with fertilization and pregnancy rates in in vitro fertilization (IVF) treatment, we conducted a retrospective study involving a total of 60 CBAVD patients. All patients in this study had epididymal micropuncture in conjunction with perivascular nerve stimulation as part of the IVF program at the Nagoya University Hospital Reproduction Center. The patients were classified into 3 groups: group I consisted of patients having only a proximal portion of the caput epididymidis with a length of between 0.5 and 1.9 cm, group II consisted of patients with the caput and a portion of the corpus epididymidis with a length of between 2.0 and 4.0 cm, and group III consisted of patients with the caput, corpus and cauda of the epididymis measuring more than 4.0 cm. There were no differences in the sperm count, progression and normal morphology among the 3 groups; however, the motility was progressively higher in patients with a longer epididymis (12% in group 1, 18% in group II and 31% in group III). It was evident that group III showed the highest fertilization and pregnancy rate per patient (23% and 28%, respectively) among the 3 groups. This study shows that epididymal sperm from CBAVD patients with a longer epididymis have a higher IVF rate than CBAVD patients with a shorter epididymis.
A Study of the Bone Morphogenetic Protein Derived from Bovine Demineralized Dentin Matrix
HIDEKI MIZUTANI, KAZUHIKO MERA, MINORU UEDA and HISASHI IWATA
pg(s) 37- 47
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We tried to extract and purify bone morphogenetic protein (BMP) from bovine demineralized dentin matrix (DDM). Crude dentin BMP (d-BMP) was extracted from DDM in 3 sequential steps. Purification of crude d-BMP was carried out by liquid chromatography. The molecular weight and the isoelectric point of the purified d-BMP were determined by sodium dodecylsulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) and electrofocusing. All fractioned samples were bioassayed in the thigh muscle pouches of AKR strain mice to test their ability to induce new bone formation. A sequence of 3 extraction steps worked effectively to obtain crude d-BMP. The purified d-BMP was shown to be homogeneous on high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and SDS-PAGE. The molecular weight and the pI were 25 kDa and 6.5, respectively. The amino acid composition was different from that of known bone-derived BMP. The purified d-BMP induced new bone formation in the thigh muscle pouches. The molecular weight, pI and amino acid composition were different from those of bone-derived BMP.
Thermochemotherapy for Cancer of the Tongue Using Magnetic Induction Hyperthermia (Implant Heating System: IHS)
IWAI TOHNAI, YASUSHI HAYASHI, KENJI MITSUDO, TATSUYA KOBAYASHI, MASAAKI MATSUI and MINORU UEDA
pg(s) 49- 54
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A 55-year-old patient with cancer of the tongue (T2N0M0) was treated by thermochemotherapy using interstitial magnetic induction hyperthermia (Implant Heating System: IHS). The patient received 2 courses of hyperthermia, each of which was 45 minutes long. At the same time, the patient received 2 courses of chemotherapy, which included intra-arterial infusion of 100 mg of cisplatin (CDDP) and 25 mg of peplomycin (PEP). The patient showed complete response (CR) to this therapy. To date, 1.5 years after completion of treatment, the patient has shown no recurrence. This therapy, which makes surgery and radiotherapy unnecessary, is promising, because it is expected to improve the quality of life (QOL) of cancer patients.
Oxygen Intake Efficiency Slope: A New Index of Cardiorespiratory Functional Reserve Derived from the Relationship between Oxygen Consumption and Minute Ventilation during Incremental Exercise
REIZO BABA, MASAMI NAGASHIMA, MASAHIKO GOTO, YOSHIKO NAGANO, MITSUHIRO YOKOTA, NOBUO TAUCHI and KENJI NISHIBATA
pg(s) 55- 62
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We investigated the usefulness of the oxygen intake efficiency slope (OIES) as a submaximal measure of cardiorespiratory functional reserve. OIES was derived from the relationship between oxygen consumption (VO2; ml/min) and minute ventilation (VE; l/min) during incremental exercise, which was determined by the following equation: VO2 = a logVE + b, where "a" represents OIES, which shows the effectiveness of ventilation. Maximal oxygen consumption (VO2max) is effort-dependent. There is no standard submaximal measurement of cardiorespiratory reserve that provides generally acceptable results. Exercise tests were performed by 17 normal volunteers on an ergometer using a symptom-limited Ramp protocol. Expired gas was continuously analyzed. OIES was calculated using the first 75%, 90%, and 100% of exercise data. We also determined the following submaximal parameters: the ventilatory anaerobic threshold (VAT), the slope of the minute ventilation-carbon dioxide production relationship (VE-VCO2 slope), and the extrapolated maximal oxygen consumption (EMOC). We analyzed the relationship between OIES, other submaximal parameters and VO2max, and examined the effects of submaximal exercise on OIES. The correlation coefficient of the logarithmic curve-fitting model was 0.991 +/- 0.006. OIES and VO2max were significantly correlated (r = 0.966, p < 0.0001). The correlation between OIES and VO2max was stronger than the correlation between VO2max and VAT, the VE-VCO2 slope and EMOC. OIES values for 100% and 90% of exercise were identical; OIES for 75% of exercise was slightly lower (3%). Our results suggested that OIES may provide an objective, effort-independent estimation of cardiorespiratory functional reserve.