Publications by authors named "Minamitani N"

Objectives: Methotrexate (MTX) is used as an anchor drug in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis (RA), although more than a half of the patients with RA require additional treatments. We designed a prospective study involving two medical centers in Japan to examine the association between the expression of MTX-related genes including a drug transporter ATP-binding cassette sub-family G member 2 (ABCG2) gene and the clinical response to MTX in MTX-naive patients with RA.

Methods: The primary endpoint of this study was good response based on the European League Against Rheumatism (EULAR) response criteria by Disease Activity Score using 28-joint count (DAS28).

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Objective: Mental defeat and cognitive flexibility have been studied as explanatory factors for depression and posttraumatic stress disorder. This study examined mental defeat and cognitive flexibility scores in patients with panic disorder (PD) before and after cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), and compared them to those of a gender- and age-matched healthy control group.

Results: Patients with PD (n = 15) received 16 weekly individual CBT sessions, and the control group (n = 35) received no treatment.

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Article Synopsis
  • A pilot study in Japan assessed the effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of a 16-week cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) program for treating panic disorder among 15 participants.
  • Results showed a significant reduction in panic disorder symptoms, with an average drop of 6.6 points on the Panic Disorder Severity Scale and 66.7% of participants achieving at least a 40% improvement.
  • The study suggests that CBT may be beneficial in Japanese clinical settings, but further randomized controlled trials are needed to confirm these findings.
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Recent studies have indicated that deposition of beta amyloid peptide in the brains of patients with senile dementia of the Alzheimer type (SDAT) is a consequence of abnormal processing of the beta amyloid protein precursor. In addition, reduced concentrations of various peptides have been measured in post-mortem brain tissue and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) of patients with SDAT. We determined concentrations of the peptides derived from prepro-vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP)--peptide histidine methionine-27 (PHM-27), peptide histidine valine (PHV) and VIP--and peptides derived from prepro-somatostatin (prepro-SS), SS-14 and SS-28, in CSF of patients with SDAT by radioimmunoassay combined with high performance liquid chromatography.

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Serum levels of prolactin (PRL), peptide histidine methionine (PHM) and vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP) were measured in 97 subjects and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) levels of PHM and VIP were measured in 50 subjects by specific radioimmunoassays to investigate correlations between them. The chromatographic studies revealed that PHM and C-terminal extended form of PHM, peptide histidine valine occurred in human serum and CSF. Significant age-related increases of CSF PHM (P < 0.

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Immunoreactivities (IRs) of peptide histidine methionine (PHM) as well as somatostatin and vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP) in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) were measured in patients with senile dementia of the Alzheimer type (SDAT) and age-matched control subjects. We found statistically significant reductions in the PHM-IR and somatostatin-IR levels in the CSF from patients with SDAT, as compared with those of the controls. However, the VIP-IR level in the CSF from SDAT was not different from that of the controls.

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In an attempt to clarify the regulatory role in GH secretion of central alpha-adrenergic and dopaminergic mechanisms, the effects of iv administration of alpha 1- and alpha 2-adrenergic antagonists and dopaminergic antagonists were investigated in undisturbed conscious male rabbits. During a 6-h observation period (1030-1630 h), control animals demonstrated spontaneous pulsatile GH secretion with mean (+/- SEM) 6-h GH levels of 6.49 +/- 0.

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Vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP) is a secretagogue for pituitary prolactin, but the importance of this peptide in the normal control of prolactin secretion is unclear. Recent studies suggest VIP synthesis within the rat anterior pituitary. We have shown (Endocrinology 124:1077) that the content of rat pituitary VIP increases in hypothyroidism.

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Abstract The profiles of growth hormone (GH) secretion were examined by obtaining serial blood samples every 15 min for a 5 to 24 h observation period from freely-moving, conscious male rabbits chronically implanted with a right atrial cannula. The effects of restraint or surgical stress on GH secretion were also investigated in these animals. Four days after cannulation of the right atrium, plasma GH levels remained low without oscillation, during a 5 h observation period (1100 to 1600 h) with the mean (+/- SEM) value of 1.

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Vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP) and PRL have been reported to be colocalized in rat lactotropes. To determine whether induced hypothyroidism, known to reduce pituitary PRL concentration, also reduces pituitary concentration of VIP, rats were treated with antithyroid drugs for 3 weeks. Pituitary PRL concentration in male rats (micrograms/mg protein) was markedly reduced by this treatment (9.

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The distribution of vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP) and peptide histidine isoleucine (PHI) mRNA within the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN) of rats was evaluated by immunocytochemistry and in situ hybridization. The pattern of VIP and PHI immunoreactivity corresponded closely to the distribution of VIP/PHI mRNA within the ventrolateral SCN. Clear hybridization signal was observed within the SCN of rats killed 5 h after light onset and in rats killed 2 h after the onset of the dark phase of the light-dark cycle.

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The concentration of vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP)-, peptide histidine isoleucine (PHI)-, neurotensin (NT)- and substance P (SP)-like immunoreactivity (LI) within the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN) were determined by radioimmunoassay in rats housed in LD 14:10 h, constant light or constant dark. No day-night differences were observed in the concentration of VIP-, PHI-, NT- or SP-LI within the SCN. Exposure to constant light significantly depressed the SCN concentrations of VIP- and PHI-LI, but had no significant effects on SCN concentrations of NT- or SP-LI, or VIP- or PHI-LI concentrations within the cortex.

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The role of the paraventricular nucleus (PVN) in mediating acute stimulatory PRL responses was investigated in conscious male rats. Electrolytic lesions, verified histologically at autopsy, were stereotaxically made in the PVN region, and sham lesions were made in control rats. Blood was obtained through a chronically indwelling catheter in the right atrium.

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Regional distribution of gastrin-releasing peptide- (GRP) and somatostatin (SRIF)-like immunoreactivity in the discrete nuclei of the hypothalamus was examined in the rabbit according to Palkovits' microdissection method. GRP-like immunoreactivity (LI) was detected abundantly in the hypothalamus as compared with the cerebral cortex when measured by radioimmunoassay using the antiserum recognizing the C-terminal portion of synthetic porcine GRP. On gel-filtration chromatography of the hypothalamic extracts, two major peaks of GRP-LI were eluted; the peak with larger molecular size corresponded to synthetic porcine GRP1-27 and the smaller size to porcine GRP14-27.

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To clarify physiological roles of catecholaminergic systems in the control of rabbit prolactin (PRL) release, the effect of various catecholamine receptor antagonists on plasma PRL levels was examined in conscious, freely moving male rabbits. An intravenous (iv) injection of yohimbin (2.5 mg/kg body wt), an alpha 2-adrenoreceptor antagonist, but not prazosin (2 mg/kg body wt), an alpha 1-adrenergic receptor antagonist, resulted in a significant elevation of plasma PRL.

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The effect of [Asu1,7]-eel calcitonin (ECT), which is an equipotent analog of eel calcitonin (CT), on GH secretion was investigated in freely moving conscious male rats. Pulsatile GH secretion was completely inhibited by iv injection of ECT (2.5 micrograms/rat).

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The effect of [Asu1,7]eel calcitonin (ECT), an equipotent analogue of eel CT, on prolactin (Prl) secretion was examined in 12 healthy male subjects and in 6 patients with prolactinoma. In healthy subjects, ECT (0.5 microgram/kg body weight .

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Immunoreactive human growth hormone-releasing factor (I-hGRF) in human cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) was measured by radioimmunoassay using antiserum specific to the C-terminal portion of hGRF(1-44)NH2. Dilution curves of I-hGRF in the CSF were completely parallel to that of synthetic hGRF(1-44)NH2 standard. On Sephadex G-50 column chromatography a single peak of I-hGRF in the CSF was eluted at the position of synthetic hGRF(1-44)NH2.

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Plasma GH responses to iv administered synthetic human GH-releasing factor-(1-44)-NH2 (hGRF) and the concentration of endogenous hGRF-like immunoreactivity (hGRF-LI) in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) were examined in 16 children with GH deficiency (GHD). Ten patients had idiopathic GHD, and six had GHD secondary to germinoma. An iv bolus hGRF (1 microgram/kg BW) injection test was performed the day before and the day after treatment, with a daily 1-h iv infusion of hGRF (2 micrograms/kg BW) for 3 days.

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A heterologous RIA for rat GH-releasing factor (rGRF) was established using synthetic rGRF-(1-43)OH for both standard reference and radioiodination with the antiserum produced against human GRF-(1-44) NH2. The regional distribution of rGRF-like immunoreactivity (LI) in rat hypothalamus was examined according to the Palkovits microdissection method and compared with that of somatostatin (SRIF)-LI. Both rGRF- and SRIF-LI contents (mean +/- SE; nanograms per mg protein) were highest in the median eminence (rGRF, 32.

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Intravenous injection of pure peptide histidine isoleucine amide 1-27 (PHI) resulted in a prompt and significant increase of plasma prolactin (PRL) in conscious freely-moving male rats. Using a perifusion system of rat anterior pituitary tissues in vitro, effluent PRL levels were also increased by 10(-8)-10(-7) M PHI. A PRL releasing potency of PHI was almost similar with that of vasoactive intestinal polypeptide (VIP) or TRH both in vivo and in vitro.

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To clarify the role of noradrenergic neurons in the regulation of GH secretion, the effects of iv administered noradrenergic antagonists were investigated in freely moving, conscious male rabbits. During a 6-h observation period (1030-1630 h), control rabbits manifested pulsatile GH secretion with surges between 1030-1200 and 1415-1630 h. Phenoxybenzamine, (POB), an alpha-adrenergic blocker (5 mg/kg, twice), abolished the episodic GH surges; propranolol, a beta-adrenergic blocker (2.

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To clarify the functional characteristics of prolactin (Prl)-producing adenoma cells, the effect of TRH, prostaglandin E1 (PGE1), theophylline, dopamine and dopaminergic antagonists on Prl secretion was examined in vitro in perifused pituitary adenoma tissues obtained at surgery from 8 patients with prolactinoma. Perifusion with TRH at a concentration of 10(-6) to 10(-5) M resulted in a significant increase in effluent Prl levels in 3 of the 8 adenoma tissues. In the remaining 5 adenomas, TRH produced no effect on Prl release in vitro.

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Vasoactive intestinal polypeptide (VIP) was administered as an iv bolus of 1 micrograms/kg BW to 8 acromegalic patients and in doses of 0.5 and 1 microgram/kg BW to 15 normal volunteers. Both systolic and diastolic blood pressures decreased, and pulse rate increased transiently after VIP injection.

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