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Biomedical subjects

A Araki

Publications and source records attributed to A Araki.

At least 55 records · Page 3Linked to original sources
PubMed1995

[Burden of dietary therapy on elderly patients with diabetes mellitus].

As a part of a QOL study in elderly diabetes mellitus, we performed an interview conducted by professional interviewers on the sense of burden of dietary therapy in 383 elderly outpatients with diabetes mellitus aged over 60 years old. We used a scale on Burden of Dietary Therapy (BDT) that consisted of 7 questions (calorie restriction, dietary balance, regular dietary habits, restriction of favorite food, restriction of amounts of snacks, restrictions when eating out, burden of total dietary therapy). The sense of burden was rated from 1 (never burdened) to 4 (heavily burdened) for each question and the alpha coefficiency of the BDT scale was 0.80. Women, relatively younger elderly patients, hyperglycemic patients, or tablet-treated patients had higher BDT scale scores. The lower the positive family support scores and the higher the negative social support scores the greater was the BDT score. High BDT scores were significantly associated with low PGC moral scales (p < 0.001). The results suggest that the burden of dietary therapy could lower the quality of life in elderly patients with diabetes mellitus.

Aged↗
PubMed1994

Improved method for mutagenicity testing of gaseous compounds by using a gas sampling bag.

A simple and safety gas exposure method was developed using a gas sampling bag as an exposure vessel and a preparation vessel of diluted gas. The gas exposure conditions such as amount of S9 in the plate, volume of gas for the plate, amount of top agar, exposure period and exposure temperature were examined by mutagenicity testing of 1,3-butadiene using the gas sampling bag. Mutagenicity tests of 14 compounds and 1,3-butadiene on S. typhimurium TA98, TA100, TA1535 and TA1537, and E. coli WP2 uvrA were also examined by the developed gas exposure method. 1,3-Butadiene, propyne (methyl acetylene), monochlorodifluoromethane, ethylchloride, diborane and silane were mutagenic. 1-Butene, 2-butene, 2-methylpropene, methyl vinyl ether, trichlorofluoromethane, dichlorodifluoromethane, 1,2-dichloro-1,1,2,2-tetrafluoroethane, 1,1-difluoroethane and phosphine were not mutagenic on S. typhimurium TA98, TA100, TA1535 and TA1537, and E. coli WP2 uvrA with or without metabolic activation. These results were compatible with a previous report, and this developed method has the advantage that it can be tested easily and safely for combustible and self-combustible substances such as 1,3-butadiene and silane.

Animals↗
PubMed1994

Age-related changes in the metabolism of acetylated low-density lipoproteins by peritoneal macrophages from C57BL/6CrScl mice.

Macrophages are major precursors of foam cells in atherosclerotic lesions. Acetylated low-density lipoproteins (acetyl LDL) taken up by macrophages through scavenger receptors are degraded by lysosomes and the released cholesterol is re-esterified, leading to foam cell formation. The ability of resident peritoneal macrophages from C57BL/6CrScl mice to form foam cells in relation to the donor age was assessed by the cholesterol esterification and the metabolism of acetyl LDL. The incorporation of 14C-oleate (complexed to albumin) into cellular cholesteryl esters in the presence of acetyl LDL (100 micrograms/ml) was significantly greater in macrophages from senescent mice (24-25 months) than in cells from young (3-4 months) mice (p < .001). The degradation and cellular association of acetyl LDL by macrophages from senescent mice were significantly greater than macrophages from mature mice, (p < .001 and p < .01, respectively), whereas the binding of acetyl LDL was similar in peritoneal macrophages from mature and senescent mice. These results suggest that the uptake and degradation of acetyl LDL, and the re-esterification by macrophages increase with advancing age and that the ability of macrophages to form foam cells increases with aging. The enhanced ability of senescent macrophages to form foam cells might contribute to the development and progression of atherosclerosis related to the aging process.

Aging↗
PubMed1994

Choanal atresia and congenital pharyngeal stenosis.

From 1980 to 1992, 8 patients with choanal atresia were treated in our facility. The female to male ratio was 5:3. One patient, a girl, had unilateral osseous obstruction with membranous closure of the opposite naris while the other 7 had bilateral osseous obstruction. Seven of the 8 had other congenital anomalies, CHARGE association (2 cases), Apert's syndrome (1 case), meningocele and banded fingers (1 case), omphalocele (1 case), subdural hematoma (1 case), and nasal fistula (1 case). Of the 7 patients who underwent endonasal surgical repair, 3 (40%) experienced reclosure. The remaining one patient, whose obstruction was of the bilateral osseous type, was successfully operated on via a transpalatal approach. Surgical correction is particularly difficult in those with craniofacial abnormalities, e.g. Apert's syndrome and maxillary hypoplasia. We treated 5 congenital pharyneal stenosis cases (CPS). Our CPS cases were divided into Types 1, 2 and 3, the latter being a new type not previously reported on. We consider Type 3 to be the result of fetal tissue remnants. We performed uvula splitting surgery in 4 cases and obtained good results in 3.

Abnormalities, Multiple↗
PubMed1994

T cell receptor V beta repertoires of angioimmunoblastic lymphadenopathy-like T cell lymphoma.

To elucidate the pathogenesis of angioimmunoblastic lymphadenopathy-like T cell lymphoma (AILD-T) we investigated the T cell receptor V beta gene repertoires of four AILD-Ts and compared them with those of other histological types of lymphomas and three cases with reactive disorders. All lymphoma patients had rearrangement bands detected by Southern blot analysis. Only 1 of the 4 cases of AILD-T showed a single predominant usage of V beta 20 gene by PCR with 20 different V beta specific primers and the others had repertoires somewhat restricted but similar to reactive lesions. Subsequent sequencing of this PCR product revealed that only 2 of 7 clones were identical. These results suggest the monoclonal malignant cells in AILD-T are scant and that the infiltrating T cells show a reactive pattern. In the only AILD-T case with a single dominant V beta usage, the relationships of this repertoire and lymphoma cells seems to be of some consequence.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1994

[Comparative analysis of living conditions of elderly diabetic patients in rural areas].

The present study was performed to examine living conditions of elderly diabetic patients in rural areas in Iwate and Miyagi in northern Honsyu and compared them with similar cases in Tokyo. One hundred and nine cases over 60 years old were interviewed, and results were compared to 109 age- and sex-matched random samples in the Tokyo area. The original Tokyo subjects consisted of 383 outpatients of the Diabetic Clinic of Tokyo Metropolitan Geriatric Hospital. Types of family structure, educational background and total income were quite different in the 3 areas, and patterns of social support depended on area-specific characteristics. Attitudes toward diabetic treatment (acceptance of importance and compliance) in Tokyo were excellent, but the sensation of social burden and dissatisfaction were also at a high level. In contrast, the level of compliance in Iwate was low. Total morale scale scores were similar in the 3 areas. Multivariate analysis (dependent variable is the total morale score) showed significant contribution of levels of ADL and adherent behavioral style only in Tokyo. In contrast, the feeling of social burden was a negative factor in all areas. The quality of life of elderly people with chronic diseases such as diabetes, is affected by ability to adaptation to living conditions.

Activities of Daily Living↗
PubMed1994

[Hearing loss following discharge from the NICU].

We experienced 10 pediatric cases born between November of 1988 and November of 1992, whose ABR were normal at the time of discharge from the NICU, who subsequently developed hearing impairment. These children underwent thorough evaluations and the causes of their hearing loss are discussed herein. All 10 were born at full term, birth weights ranged from 2500g to 3826g, and all had severe cardiovascular and/or pulmonary disorders. Eight of the 10 had persistent pulmonary hypertension of the newborn (PPHN). During the four year period in which these 10 infants were born, a total of 25 PPHN cases were diagnosed in our NICU, i.e. the rate of hearing loss in PPHN infants was 32% (8/25). All 10 infants were intubated and maintained on mechanical ventilation for an average of 30 days. Five cases also required high frequency oscillation and six received extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO). During the same time period there were only eight surviving ECMO cases such that the rate of hearing loss was 75% (6/8). All 10 were treated with an aminoglycoside, furosemide and a muscle relaxant. As These infants are at very high risk for hearing impairment, follow-up at 6 and 12 months of age is essential.

Evoked Potentials, Auditory, Brain Stem↗
PubMed1994

[Developmental changes of central conduction time of evoked potentials in infants and children].

We investigated the developmental changes of the central conduction time (CCT) of the median nerve somatosensory evoked potential (SEP) and the auditory evoked potential (ABR): SEP was recorded in 148 children and adults, and ABR in 307 subjects. We determined the rostral CCT (CCT 1:P 14 to N 17) and the caudal CCT (CCT 2:N 17 to N 19), because the central sensory tract was long, and included the spinal tract, brainstem, thalamus and cerebral cortex. The greatest changes in CCT of SEP occurred during early infancy (0 to 6 months of age). The latency of SEP gradually decreased with maturation. CCT 2 showed similar developmental patterns and was longer than CCT 1 during 0 to 4 months of age. Developmental changes in CCT 1 linearly decreased as age increased. The CCT of ABR also decreased as age increased. The maturation of I-III interpeak latency (IPL) (2 years of age) was earlier than the III-V IPL (3 years of age). The maturation of both ABR and SEP was seen from the rostral to caudal direction. The correlation coefficients of CCT, CCT 1 and CCT 2 divided by body height were 0.86, 0.77 and 0.69, respectively. They were higher than non-divided correlation coefficients. CCTs of the short latency SEPs were also related to body height.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1993

Modulation of in vivo immune response by selective depletion of neutrophils using a monoclonal antibody, RP-3. I. Inhibition by RP-3 treatment of the priming and effector phases of delayed type hypersensitivity to sheep red blood cells in rats.

Recent studies on neutrophils have revealed that these cells produce various cytokines, and may be involved in regulation of the immune response. We examined whether neutrophils are involved in delayed type hypersensitivity (DTH) to SRBC in rats by selective depletion of in vivo neutrophils using a mAb designated RP-3. When the rats had been treated with RP-3 at the time of priming with SRBC, DTH to these cells was inhibited. Furthermore, RP-3 treatment was effective in inhibiting the effector phase of the DTH response to SRBC. When spleen cells from rats that had been treated with RP-3 at the time of immunization were used for local transfer of DTH, footpad swelling was significantly less than that induced by spleen cells from the RP-3-untreated immune rats.

Animals↗
PubMed1993

Plasma homocysteine concentrations in Japanese patients with non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus: effect of parenteral methylcobalamin treatment.

It has been postulated that the accumulation of homocysteine in plasma may induce arteriosclerosis. In order to explore the possible contribution of homocysteine to the occurrence of macroangiopathy in patients with non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus, the concentrations of total homocysteine in plasma were determined in 52 diabetic patients with clinical macroangiopathy, 84 diabetic patients without macroangiopathy, and 57 non-diabetic control subjects. The levels of total homocysteine in plasma were significantly higher in diabetic patients with macroangiopathy (10.8 +/- 3.8 nmol/ml) than in those without macroangiopathy (8.3 +/- 3.1 mmol/ml, P < 0.001) or non-diabetic subjects (7.5 +/- 2.1 nmol/ml, P < 0.001). Among all diabetic patients, multiple logistic regression analysis after adjustment for age, sex, and systolic blood pressure revealed that high levels of plasma homocysteine were significantly associated with the presence of diabetic macroangiopathy (P = 0.01). By an intramuscular injection of 1000 micrograms methylcobalamin daily for 3 weeks, the plasma levels of homocysteine in 10 diabetic patients were significantly decreased (14.7 +/- 7.5 vs. 10.2 +/- 6.0 nmol/ml, P < 0.01). Our results suggest that plasma homocysteine levels could be one of a number of independent risk factors for macroangiopathy in patients with diabetes mellitus and that they can be reduced by parenteral treatment with methylcobalamin.

Adult↗
PubMed1993

Risk factors for development of retinopathy in elderly Japanese patients with diabetes mellitus.

OBJECTIVE: To define the risk factors for the development of diabetic retinopathy in elderly patients with diabetes mellitus. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS: We studied 110 diabetic outpatients > 60 yr of age who were free of diabetic retinopathy at the first visit and were followed for at least 5 yr to examine the relationships between the initial findings and the subsequent development of retinopathy. RESULTS: A total of 49 of the subjects developed diabetic retinopathy during the follow-up period; of these, 4 patients progressed to preproliferative and 3 to proliferative retinopathy. Univariate analysis showed that the initial fasting plasma glucose levels, the HbA1 values, the 2-h postload plasma glucose levels, the estimated duration of diabetes, and the presence of persistent proteinuria were all associated with the development of diabetic retinopathy. However, age at the initial examination, estimated age at diabetes onset, sex, body mass index, type of therapy, and hypertension had little impact on the development of retinopathy. Stepwise multiple Cox regression analysis revealed that the initial HbA1 or fasting plasma glucose, the diabetes duration, and the presence of persistent proteinuria are significant independent predictors for the development of retinopathy. CONCLUSIONS: Initial fasting plasma glucose, diabetes duration, and proteinuria are important risk factors for the development of retinopathy in elderly patients with diabetes mellitus.

Age Factors↗
PubMed1993

[Course, prognosis and mortality in Japanese elderly diabetes mellitus--a seven year follow-up study].

Course, prognosis and mortality in Japanese elderly diabetes mellitus were studied using a 7 year follow-up study of 424 elderly diabetics whose ages were 60 years old or more (mean age: 72.6 +/- 6.2, 144 males: 280 females) at baseline. The relationships between clinical findings at baseline and prognosis, causes of death and onset of ischemic heart disease during the follow-up period were also studied. A total of 133 (31%) deaths were observed during the follow-up period. Risk factors present at baseline which significantly influenced the patients' prognosis included age, male gender, previous cerebro-vascular disease, body mass index, pharmacological treatment of diabetes and persistent proteinuria. These factors were also related to the causes of death among the patients. Cardio-vascular disease deaths (n = 66, 50%) tended to increase in patients with a relatively higher age, male gender, previous ischemic heart disease and persistent proteinuria. Malignant neoplasm deaths (n = 28, 21%) tended to increase in patients with relatively higher age and previous cerebrovascular disease. Furthermore, infectious deaths (n = 16, 12%) were relatively increased in patients with a relatively higher age, male gender, previous cerebro-vascular disease, relatively lower body mass index and higher fasting plasma glucose levels. Among various causes for cardio-vascular disease deaths, ischemic heart disease (n = 40) was the leading cause of death.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Aged↗
PubMed1993

[Congenital nasal stenosis--new concept and its cases].

Congenital nasal stenosis is a new disease concept which was reported, for the first time, by Knegt-Junk et al in 1988. The authors experienced 10 cases of this disease from 1986 to 1990. Radiography revealed that transverse width of the bony nasal passage of these patients was smaller than that of normal infants. Infants with nasal stenosis showed respiratory distress after birth and half of them had a low body weight and/or other congenital defects. Our patients were treated by nasal or oral intubation or by installation of nasal vasoconstrictor into the nasal passage. Four cases showed improvement up to 4 months of age, 6 others after 6 months of age. Tracheostomy was performed in one case. We must differentiate this disease from incomplete choanal atresia or nasal aperture stenosis. Our cases were similar to that of Knegt-Junk et al. We speculate that the congenital origin of this disease stems from a disturbance in embryologic development of the middle third of the face. Accordingly, we measured the diameter of the nasal passage radiography and recognized a narrow transverse width in the bony portion of the nose.

Ephedrine↗
PubMed1992

Alterations of urinary acetylcarnitine in valproate-treated rats: the effect of L-carnitine supplementation.

Urinary excretion of acetylcarnitine was measured by high-performance liquid chromatography in two experimental groups of valproate-treated rats. In the urine of mature rats weighing 180 to 200 g treated with valproate (500 mg/kg/day), acetylcarnitine levels were higher than those in controls on days 4 and 7, while L-carnitine-supplemented rats showed lower levels than the valproate group. The valproate-treated rats showed an increased acetylcarnitine/acylcarnitine ratio on and after day 4, while the L-carnitine-supplemented rats showed no significant change compared to the controls on any days. In the urine of immature rats weighing 80 to 90 g treated with valproate (50 mg/kg/day), acetylcarnitine levels were increased after the 14th day of treatment. These results suggest that an increase in urinary acetylcarnitine occurs when small doses of valproate are administered for a longer time. We speculate that increased acetylcarnitine is not a product of beta-oxidation in mitochondria, because L-carnitine supplementation decreases the acetylcarnitine levels. Although the mechanism of acetylcarnitine excretion during valproate administration is not clear, L-carnitine supplementation is effective in decreasing the level of urinary acetylcarnitine and keeping the acetylcarnitine/acylcarnitine ratio normal.

Acetylcarnitine↗
PubMed1991

Inhibition of IL-8-induced W3/25+ (CD4+) T lymphocyte recruitment into subcutaneous tissues of rats by selective depletion of in vivo neutrophils with a monoclonal antibody.

IL-8 recruits both neutrophils and lymphocytes in vitro and in vivo. To elucidate the mechanisms of lymphocyte recruitment in vivo by IL-8, we examined the role of neutrophil infiltration through selective depletion of circulating neutrophils using a mAb, RP-3. Selective depletion of neutrophils inhibited the IL-8 induced in vivo migration of the W3/25+ (CD4+) T cell subset but did not inhibit that of the MRC-OX8+ (CD8+) subset. These results suggest that CD4+ T cell migration into IL-8-injected s.c. tissues depends on the prior infiltration of neutrophils chemoattracted directly by IL-8.

Animals↗
PubMed1991

[Role of MRI in diagnosis of adrenal tumors].

The authors evaluated the ability of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) at 1.5 T to characterize 33 adrenal masses, using visual analysis and the following quantitative variables: signal intensity ratios of tumor/liver, tumor/muscle, and (tumor--muscle)/(fat--muscle) on T2- and T1-weighted images, and the calculated T2 relaxation time of the adrenal masses. All 15 tumors of less than 3 cm in diameter were visually homogeneous on all pulse sequences, whereas the other 18 tumors of over 3 cm appeared to be inhomogeneous. The signal intensity ratios of tumor/liver and tumor/muscle and the calculated T2 relaxation time were not helpful in distinguishing tumors from one another. The ratios of tumor/fat and (tumor--muscle)/(fat--muscle) were useful in distinguishing pheochromocytoma and myelolipoma from other tumors on T2- and T1-weighted images, respectively. However, differentiation among other adrenal tumors appeared to be difficult. The authors concluded that, although MRI might have considerable potential in characterizing adrenal masses, the use of conventional MRI in such analysis is still quite limited.

Adenoma↗