Effects of bovine lactoferrin on l-DOPA absorption and metabolism in mice.

Bioactive natural products, habitually ingested with milk or its derivative nutrients, have been studied for their bioavailability. In this study, we investigated the effects of the co-administration of bovine milk-derived lactoferrin (bLF) and bioactive products, with a focus on catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT), an enzyme in the catechol metabolism. bLF showed inhibitory activity on COMT in vitro, and acidic pretreatment of bLF enhanced its inhibitory activity.

Inhibitory Effect of Bovine Lactoferrin on Catechol-O-Methyltransferase.

Lactoferrin (LF) is a well-known multifunctional protein. In this study, we report the inhibitory potency of bovine LF (bLF) on catechol--methyltransferase (COMT), which catalyzes methylation of catechol substrates. We found that bLF binds to and inhibits COMT using its -terminal region.

[Ruptured pseudoaneurysm of the renal artery associated with segmental arterial mediolysis].

We present a 71-year-old woman with spontaneous perinephric hematoma due to a rupture of pseudoaneurysm of the right renal artery on the fourth day after radical cystectomy and bilateral ureterocutaneostomy for bladder cancer. This patient received steroid therapy for chronic rheumatoid arthritis for several years. The digital subtraction angiography of the right renal artery showed two pseudoaneurysms in the anterior inferior segmental branch and the posterior inferior segmental branch.

[Bilateral renal cell carcinoma associated with polycystic kidney disease: case report and literature review].

A 56-year-old Japanese man consulted a urologist because of urethral bleeding. He had been undergoing hemodialysis for the past 15 years due to polycystic kidney disease. Computed tomography revealed an irregular cyst wall in the left kidney.

Washout studies of 11C in rabbit thigh muscle implanted by secondary beams of HIMAC.

Heavy ion therapy has two definite advantages: good dose localization and higher biological effect. Range calculation of the heavy ions is an important factor in treatment planning. X-ray CT numbers are used to estimate the heavy ion range by looking up values in a conversion table which relates empirically photon attenuation in tissues to particle stopping power; this is one source of uncertainty in the treatment planning.

[Voiding function and sexual activity in patients following Hautmann neobladder construction].

Purpose: We retrospectively evaluated the outcome of Hautmann neobladder reconstruction in terms of complications, lower urinary tract symptoms, and sexual function in a large group of patients who underwent radical cystectomy.

Methods: We reviewed the medical records of 118 patients (105 men and 13 women) who underwent radical cystectomy and Hautmann neobladder construction at the Gifu University Hospital or one of its affiliate hospitals between Jan 1993 and Dec 1999. The 118 patients were asked to complete a questionnaire regarding lower urinary tract symptoms and sexual activity, and the data was compiled.

[Intra-arterial chemotherapy via reservoir system for advanced bladder cancer and prostate cancer].

A clinical study was performed on the efficacy of intra-arterial chemotherapy using a reservoir system for advanced urological malignancies. The reservoir system was indwelted in the femoral subcutaneous layer by Seldinger's method. Fifteen cases of inoperable complicated advanced bladder cancer and 10 cases of postoperative local recurrent bladder cancer were administered intra-arterial chemotherapy using a reservoir system.

[Fleroxacin treatment for acute uncomplicated cystitis in women: comparison of 3-day and 7-day therapy].

The clinical efficacy of fleroxacin (FLRX), a new fluoroquinolone, for acute uncomplicated cystitis (AUC) in women was assessed. Two regimens, 3-day and 7-day courses of FLRX, 200 mg once a day, were compared. Clinical and bacteriological efficacy were evaluated after the therapy, and recurrence rate was evaluated 1 week and 4 weeks after termination of the therapy.

[Intraarterial chemotherapy via reservoir system for far-advanced bladder and prostate cancer].

A clinical study was performed on the efficacy of intraarterial chemotherapy using reservoir system for far-advanced urological malignancy. The reservoir system was indwelled in the femoral subcutaneous layer using Seldinger's method. Fifteen cases with inoperable complicated advanced bladder cancer and ten cases with postoperative local recurrent bladder cancer received intraarterial chemotherapy using the reservoir system.

Bovine lactoferrin stimulates the phagocytic activity of human neutrophils: identification of its active domain.

Bovine LF (bLF) at concentrations in the range of 50-250 micrograms/ml enhanced the phagocytic activity of human neutrophils as determined by measuring the incorporation of FITC-labeled latex beads by flow cytometry. The stimulatory effect of bLF was not abrogated by hydrolysis with pepsin. Bovine lactoferricin (bLFcin), which is a bactericidal fragment purified from a pepsin hydrolysate of bLF (bLFH), also enhanced the phagocytic activity, whereas, in contrast, the fraction of bLFH depleted of bLFcin showed no stimulatory effect.

Arbutin increases the pigmentation of cultured human melanocytes through mechanisms other than the induction of tyrosinase activity.

We assessed the effects of arbutin on the pigmentation of cultured normal human melanocytes. As indicated by a cell-blotting assay, arbutin at concentrations in the range of 0.5-8 mM increased the pigmentation of the cultured melanocytes, while kojic acid at concentrations in the range of 0.

Beta-lactoglobulin suppresses melanogenesis in cultured human melanocytes.

The effects of whey proteins from bovine milk on melanogenesis in cultured human melanocytes were examined. Among the major protein components of milk whey including beta-lactoglobulin (BLG), alpha-lactalbumin, serum albumin, and IgG, only BLG exhibited the depigmenting effect at a concentration of 1 mg/ml. Also, BLG suppressed the activity of tyrosinase in these cells.

Immunomodulatory effect of bovine lactoferrin pepsin hydrolysate on murine splenocytes and Peyer's patch cells.

The effects were examined of a pepsin hydrolysate of bovine lactoferrin on the proliferation of murine splenocytes. The hydrolysate enhanced [3H]thymidine uptake by splenocytes, but undigested bovine lactoferrin exerted an inhibitory effect. The hydrolysate had the ability to inhibit the blastogenesis that was induced by mitogens such as concanavalin A, phytohemagglutinin, and lipopolysaccharide; inhibition was similar to that with undigested lactoferrin.

[Diagnosis and follow-up of prostate cancer patients using prostate specific antigen (PSA)].

An international standard of prostate specific antigen (PSA) assays was constructed and prognosis of the patients with prostate cancers showing gray zone PSA was studied. For lower levels of serum PSA (< 50 ng/ml), the conversion formula to that of Tandem-R PSA from other assays was presented. Furthermore, based on the standards of Stanford Reference and Markit-MPA, conversion rates to this international standard from the conventional PSA assays were also obtained.

Lactoferrin as a suppressor of cell migration of gastrointestinal cell lines.

The effects of lactoferrin (Lf), an iron-binding glycoprotein, on cell migration were investigated. Lf inhibited the cell migration of three gastrointestinal cell lines (Caco-2 cells, AGS cells, and IEC-18 cells) in vitro. Both iron-saturated (holo) and iron-depleted (apo) Lf showed this inhibitory effect.

Kappa-casein suppresses melanogenesis in cultured pigment cells.

The effects of bovine milk proteins on melanogenesis in B16 cells were examined. Both whey protein isolate and casein exhibited depigmenting properties. Among the major protein components of milk--including beta-lactoglobulin, alpha-lactalbumin, alpha-, beta-, and kappa-casein--only kappa-casein exhibited the depigmenting effect.

Effects of lactoferrin and lactoferricin on the release of interleukin 8 from human polymorphonuclear leukocytes.

Human or bovine lactoferrin (LF) and lactoferricin (LFcin), a peptide derived from the N-terminal region of LF, each have the ability to stimulate the release of neutrophil-activating polypeptide interleukin 8 (IL-8) from human polymorphonuclear leukocytes (neutrophils, PMNs). This finding suggests that LF and LFcin may both function as immunomediators for activating the host defense system. A basic peptide, protamine, exerted the same effect as that of LF and LFcin, suggesting the importance of the basic nature of LF and LFcin in acting as an inducer of IL-8 release from PMNs.

[A case of soft renal calculi with xanthogranulomatous change].

A case of soft renal calculi with xanthogranulomatous change is reported. A 37-year-old female visited our hospital on February 4, 1992 complaining of frequency of urination and right lower abdominal pain. Under the clinical diagnosis of right renal calculi, extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy was attempted, but no sign of destruction was observed.

Effects of lactoferrin and its peptides on proliferation of rat intestinal epithelial cell line, IEC-18, in the presence of epidermal growth factor.

The cell growth-stimulating activity of lactoferrin (LF) in combination with epidermal growth factor (EGF) was evaluated by using a rat intestinal epithelial cell line, IEC-18. LF was found to be more effective than EGF for inducing an increase in cell numbers when cultured for over 6 days using a medium containing 0.2% fetal calf serum (FCS), although the 3H-thymidine incorporation-stimulating activity of EGF was more potent than that of LF.

[Clinical evaluation of TANDEM PSA in Japanese cases and comparison with other methods].

Clinical evaluation of TANDEM PSA which is the most frequently used prostate specific antigen (PSA) assay method in the world and a comparison with other methods were performed in Japanese cases in a cooperative research fashion. The minimum detectable level of the method was found to be 0.50 ng of PSA in one ml of serum and 1.

[Clinical study of neoadjuvant intraarterial chemotherapy (I A-MAC) for advanced bladder cancer].

The clinical efficacy of intraarterial neoadjuvant chemotherapy with MTX, ADR and CDDP in 88 patients with advanced bladder cancer (> or = T2 or TCC G3) was evaluated. The intraarterial chemotherapy was performed using Seldinger's method. The three drugs were administered at the same time among 60 patients.

Changes in nerve growth factor content of the submaxillary gland in the genetically dystrophic (mdx) mouse.

We evaluated the nerve growth factor (NGF) contents in the submaxillary gland of the mdx mouse, a model for Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD), and found that the NGF and NGF mRNA contents in this organ, where extraordinarily high amounts of NGF are synthesized and stored independently of development or maintenance of the nervous system, were markedly elevated in the male mdx mouse at 8 and 11 weeks of age. However, the NGF content of this organ in 4-week-old male mdx mice was lower than that of control mice although statistical significance of difference was not observed. In the mdx female mouse, the submaxillary NGF content was significantly lower than that of the normal mouse at 4 weeks of age, but was similar to that of the normal at 8 and 11 weeks of age.

Lactoferrin promotes nerve growth factor synthesis/secretion in mouse fibroblast L-M cells.

Fibroblast cells are known to have an ability to synthesize and secrete nerve growth factor (NGF). To investigate the mechanism of action of the iron-binding protein, lactoferrin (Lf), on cultured animal cells, the effect of bovine Lf (bLf) on NGF synthesis/secretion in mouse fibroblast cells was examined. Both apo- and holo-bLf induced an increase in NGF content in the cell-conditioned medium(CM) of mouse L-M cells, a line derived from L929 fibroblast cells, with similar effectiveness.

Stimulation by bovine lactoferrin of nerve growth factor synthesis/secretion in mouse L-M cells.

Cultured mouse fibroblasts synthesize and secrete nerve growth factor (NGF). To learn the mechanism of action of an iron-binding protein, lactoferrin (Lf), on cultured animal cells, we have examined the effects of bovine Lf (bLf) on NGF synthesis/secretion in mouse L-M cells, a line derived from L929 fibroblast cells. Both apo- and holo-bLf induced an increase in NGF content in the cell-conditioned medium (CM) with similar effectiveness.