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Biomedical subjects

A Hirata

Publications and source records attributed to A Hirata.

257 records · Page 15Linked to original sources
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Effects of a calcium channel blocker, manidipine, on insulin sensitivity in essential hypertensives.

This study was designed to investigate the effects of the calcium channel blocker manidipine on insulin-dependent glucose uptake (insulin sensitivity) and insulin action to renal sodium handling and pressor systems in essential hypertensive (EHT). Seven EHT were hospitalized and a 2-h euglycemic hyperinsulinemic glucose clamp was performed in a fasting condition before and after 2 weeks administration of manidipine (20 mg/day). Insulin sensitivity was evaluated as M-value calculated from the infusion rate of glucose. Manidipine administration decreased mean blood pressure and increased M-value significantly in EHT. Before the manidipine treatment, hyperinsulinemia during the clamp induced a decrease of urinary sodium excretion and increases of plasma norepinephrine and plasma renin activity in EHT. After manidipine treatment, however, hyperinsulinemia induced natriuresis and did not augment the pressor systems activity. Thus, the calcium channel blocker improved insulin resistance as assessed by glucose clamp technique in EHT. Suppression of augmented renal sodium reabsorption and pressor system activities of insulin may be connected with the hypotensive mechanisms and the natriuresis caused by calcium channel blockers.

Blood Glucose↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Effects of Chinese herbal medicine on sperm motility and fluorescence spectra parameters.

Hochu-ekki-to is a Chinese herbal medicine that has been used for unexplained male infertility with some favorable clinical results. However, the detailed mechanisms of the effect of this medicine on male infertility have not been disclosed. This study investigated the effects of Hochu-ekki-to on sperm motility of human semen. Sixteen semen samples were obtained from 14 normal volunteers. Semen samples were incubated with 1, 10, and 100 micrograms/mL of Hochu-ekki-to solution in 5% CO2, 37 degrees C for 1-6 h, and the motility was compared with that of the control groups (the untreated semen and the semen incubated with phosphate-buffered saline). The motility of sperm in 10 and 100 micrograms/mL of Hochu-ekki-to solution for 1-6 h was significantly higher than that of the control groups. One microgram/milliliter of Hochu-ekki-to solution also maintained higher sperm motility after 4-6 h incubation compared with the control groups. Previous reports showed that sperm motility correlated significantly with fluorescence intensity peaks from both spermatozoa and semen plasma. However, the fluorescence intensity at 622 nm excited at 488 nm from spermatozoa fractions in each group was not significantly different. It would appear that the enhanced sperm motility induced by Hochu-ekki-to is mediated by improvement of the circumstances of semen rather than that of spermatozoa-related factors.

Adult↗