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Biomedical subjects

A Kasai

Publications and source records attributed to A Kasai.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources

[A case of congenital long QT syndrome associated with T wave alternans].

A case was presented in which a rare T wave alternans occurred in association with congenital long QT syndrome. A 71-year-old woman, who had experienced several syncopal attacks per year for the previous forty years, was admitted for further evaluation of the syncope. She had a family history of sudden death (sister) and QT prolongation (son). Electrocardiogram showed a corrected QT interval of 0.68 seconds. Treadmill exercise-tolerance test revealed both T wave alternans immediately after exercise and torsades de pointes 150 seconds after exercise. The syncope was induced by the mental excitation. A prolonged corrected QT interval reduced from 0.70 seconds to 0.58 seconds by the correction of her serum potassium and magnesium. The effect of propranolol, verapamil, phenytoin or mexiletine on T wave alternans and ventricular arrhythmia was evaluated by the treadmill exercise-tolerance test. The treatment with propranolol was most effective.

Adrenergic beta-Antagonists↗

Two cases of bi-ventricular dysplasia associated with ventricular tachycardia and familial occurrence of sudden death.

Two strikingly similar patients with arrhythmogenic right ventricular dysplasia which severely impaired not only the right ventricle but also the left ventricle are described in association with familial occurrence of sudden death. A 49-year-old man experienced syncope which was due to ventricular tachycardia. Electrocardiography revealed a first degree atrioventricular block, incomplete right bundle-branch block, T wave inversions in leads II, III, a VF and V1 to V5, and multiformal ventricular extrasystoles. Echocardiography and ventricular cineangiography showed not only the right ventricular dilatation with an aneurysm in the right ventricular apex, inflow and outflow tracts, but also mild dilatation of the left ventricle with left ventricular apical and posterior aneurysms. Radionuclide angiography also disclosed dysfunction of both ventricles, especially during exercise. His family history revealed that 3 members of his family died of sudden deaths. A 56-year-old woman experienced syncope secondary to ventricular tachycardia, with left bundle-branch block. Electrocardiography showed complete right bundle-branch block, left axis deviation, and T wave inversions in leads V1 to V4. Echocardiography and ventricular cineangiography revealed not only marked right ventricular dilatation with the "triangle of dysplasia", but also a left ventricular aneurysm in the apex and posterior portion. Her elder brother died of a sudden death, and electrocardiograms of 2 members of her family showed ventricular extrasystoles and T wave inversions. These 2 cases may well be termed "familial bi-ventricular dysplasia".

Cardiac Complexes, Premature↗

[Eosinophilic heart disease with favorable courses: report of two cases].

Two cases of eosinophilia-associated acute peri-myocarditis which coursed favorably are reported. Case 1 was a 47-year-old man whose ECG revealed QS, ST-T change, bundle branch block, and arrhythmias. Case 2 was a 30-year-old man whose ECG showed ST segment depression. The chest radiographs of both patients revealed enlarged hearts. Left ventriculography showed abnormal regional wall motion. Their endomyocardial biopsies revealed eosinophilic infiltration of the myocardium, but few eosinophils were degranulated. In Case 1, the development of eosinophilia preceded perimyocarditis and the eosinophilia continued even after the symptoms of peri-myocarditis were improved. In conclusion, it seems that eosinophilia did not have specific relation to the initial manifestation of the disease but that it occurred as a secondary reaction to peri-myocarditis of unknown etiology in these cases.

Adult↗

[Analysis of left ventricular pulsus alternans in hypertrophic cardiomyopathy].

We analyzed left ventricular (LV) pulsus alternans in 49 patients with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy during cardiac catheterization. LV pulsus alternans was noted in 6 of 17 patients with hypertrophic obstructive cardiomyopathy, 5 of whom already showed intraventricular pressure gradient at rest. No patient with hypertrophic non-obstructive cardiomyopathy had LV pulsus alternans. Pulsus alternans was neither observed in the right ventricle nor in the pulmonary artery. There was little, if any, pulsus alternans in a low pressure LV chamber (subaortic portion) and peripheral artery during LV pulsus alternans in a high pressure chamber. LV end-diastolic pressure also remained unchanged during LV pulsus alternans, except in one case. It is suggested that LV pulsus alternans in hypertrophic obstructive cardiomyopathy may imply LV dysfunction associated with increased afterload.

Adult↗

[Exercise-induced ST segment shift in vasospastic angina with special reference to comparisons between treadmill and bicycle ergometer exercise testings].

To assess the difference between cardiovascular responses to treadmill exercise (TM) and those to bicycle ergometer exercise (EM) in provoking coronary spasm, we compared the ST segment shifts (elevation or depression) during TM and EM in 67 patients with vasospastic angina. Coronary artery spasm was demonstrated on angiography. Both TM and EM were performed on the same day during a medication-free period. For both tests, multistage, symptom-limited exercise protocols were used; EM in the morning and TM in the afternoon. The results obtained were as follows: 1. Rate-pressure products at peak exercise during TM and EM were similar. Systolic blood pressure levels at peak exercise were higher during EM than during TM (p < 0.01). The patients' heart rates at peak exercise were higher during TM than during EM (p < 0.01). Diastolic blood pressure levels at peak exercise were higher during EM than during TM (p < 0.05). 2. Exercise-induced ST elevation occurred more frequently with TM than with EM (19% vs 9%, p < 0.05). 3. Exercise-induced ST depression was provided in 27 patients during TM and in 13 during EM (40% vs 19%, p < 0.01). Among 45 patients without significant lesions, ST depression occurred in 19 during TM, but in only 7 during EM (42% vs 16%, p < 0.01). In conclusion, coronary spasm seemed to occur more frequently with TM than with EM. The mechanism causing such difference remains to be elucidated, however, we speculate that the difference between TM and EM as to enhanced autonomous nervous system activity and coronary perfusion exercise may be related to the difference in the incidence of coronary spasm.

Aged↗

[Clinical evaluation of severe idiopathic tricuspid regurgitation].

This study clarified the clinical profile and echocardiographic findings of severe idiopathic tricuspid regurgitation (TR). Among 8,538 consecutive ultrasonic examinations, a total of 63 patients had severe TR, which was depicted by color flow mapping as a regurgitant signal more than 4 cm from the tricuspid valve orifice. Thirteen of the 63 patients had no underlying diseases, and these patients with severe idiopathic TR were the subjects of the present study. All 13 patients were over 66 years of age (mean 77.3 +/- 5.6 years old) and had had episodes of right heart failure which responded effectively to diuretics. All 13 patients had atrial fibrillation. Using two-dimensional echocardiography, thickening (77%), prolapse (69%) and malaligned coaptation (54%) of the tricuspid valves were observed. The tricuspid annular diameters, cross-sectional areas of the right and left atria and the right ventricular end-diastolic dimensions were significantly greater than those of the age-and-gender-matched lone atrial fibrillation group and the normal control group (p less than 0.01). The left ventricular dimension and ejection fraction did not differ from those of the matched lone atrial fibrillation group. Other valvular regurgitations were also detected (AR 77%, MR 100%, PR 69%), but the degrees of regurgitation were minimal. We proposed severe TR with tricuspid annular dilatation, right atrial and right ventricular dilatation observed in the aged as a distinct cardiac disease entity.

Aged↗

[Acute and chronic effects of a new oral inotropic agent, ibopamine hydrochloride, on hemodynamic and metabolic responses to ergometer exercise in patients with severe congestive heart failure].

The hemodynamic and metabolic effects of ibopamine, an orally active 3,4-diisobutylic ester of N-methyl-dopamine, at rest and during exercise, were evaluated in 8 patients with severe congestive heart failure, initially at 2 hrs after oral 100 mg and after 4 weeks of maintenance therapy (100 mg, 3 times a day). At rest, a single dose of ibopamine increased CI, SVI and SWI, and reduced PCWP, PAm, RA and PVR. These beneficial hemodynamic effects were maintained during supine bicycle exercise: CI and SVI increased markedly (p less than 0.05) and PCWP, PAm, RA and SVR increased at a lower extent (p less than 0.05) after ibopamine than on control conditions. After chronic therapy with the drug, LVDd and CTR decreased (p less than 0.05) and exercise tolerance time increased (p less than 0.01). HR, BPm, double product, norepinephrine, epinephrine, renin activity, aldosterone and lactate/pyruvate did not change significantly after administration of ibopamine. Clinical responses after 4 weeks of maintenance therapy were good in 4 cases and fair in 1 case. No adverse effects were observed. Therefore, ibopamine seems to have not only a positive inotropic action, but also a potent vasodilating action, leading to both afterload and preload reduction and so to be useful for the treatment of severe congestive heart failure at rest and during exercise after acute and chronic therapy with the drug.

Administration, Oral↗

Novel method for the preparation of controlled-release theophylline granules coated with a polyelectrolyte complex of sodium polyphosphate-chitosan.

A novel method for the preparation of theophylline granules coated with a polyelectrolyte complex of sodium tripolyphosphate and chitosan was developed. The theophylline granules containing sodium tripolyphosphate were stirred in an HCl solution of chitosan. During the mixing, the dissolved sodium tripolyphosphate in the granule moved to the surface and reacted with the chitosan, resulting in the formation of the polyelectrolyte complex film. The factors affecting the drug content, the particle size, and the coating-film thickness of the resultant coated granules were determined. The theophylline content in the coated granule decreased with increasing content ratio of sodium tripolyphosphate to theophylline in the original granule and with increasing chitosan concentration in the coating solution. The coated granule size increased with increasing chitosan concentration in the coating solution and with decreasing agitation speed. The coating-film thickness increased with an increase in the chitosan concentration, the pH of the coating solution, and the sodium tripolyphosphate to theophylline content ratio in the original granule. The drug-release pattern of the coated granules followed zero-order kinetics and the release rates were significantly reduced compared with that of the original granule.

Chemical Phenomena↗

[Studies on toxicity of hydrocortisone 17-butyrate 21-propionate -2. Subacute toxicity in rats by subcutaneous administration (author's transl)].

Subacute toxicity of hydrocortisone 17-butyrate 21-propionate (HBP), a new synthetic corticosteroid, was studied in rats, using betamethasone 17-valerate (BV) and hydrocortisone 17-butyrate (HB) as the reference drugs. HBP was subcutaneously injected to rats at the daily doses of 0.08, 0.4, 2.0, 10 and 50 mg/kg for 30 days. BV and HB were also administered at the daily doses of 0.08, 0.4 and 2.0 mg/kg. The recovery test was performed for 4 weeks after administration of HBP, BV and HB. The suppression of body weight gain by HBP was observed at the doses more than 0.08 mg/kg in male and more than 2.0 mg/kg in female rats. In addition, at the doses more than 0.4 mg/kg of HBP induced the dose-dependent symptoms such as decrease in the number of circulating white blood cells, lymphocyte counts and S-ALP level, increase in total cholesterol, GOT and GPT level of serum, and regressive changes in adrenals, lymphatic and hematopoietic tissues. There were fatal cases in rats given 50 mg/kg of HBP. These changes are considered to be common phenomena to other corticosteroids, and less toxic in female than male rats. Changes of symptoms caused by the administration of HBP 2.0 mg/kg were almost recovered after withdrawal. The toxicities of three corticosteroids were in the order of BV greater than HB greater than or equal to HBP in strength. As the result, maximum non-toxic dose of HBP was estimated to be 0.08 mg/kg in female and lower than that in male rats.

Administration, Topical↗

[Studies on toxicity of hydrocortisone 17-butyrate 21-propionate -4. Chronic toxicity in rats by subcutaneous administration (author's transl)].

Chronic toxicity of hydrocortisone 17-butyrate 21-propionate (HBP), a new synthetic corticosteroid, was studied in rats. HBP was subcutaneously injected to rats as the daily doses of 0.001, 0.01, 0.01, 1.0 and 3.0 mg/kg for 6 months, and the following recovery test was carried out for 4 weeks. Hydrocortisone 17-butyrate (HB) and betamethasone 17-valerate (BV) were used as the reference drugs at the doses of 0.1, 1.0 and 3.0 mg/kg. The suppression of body weight gain by the administration of HBP was observed at the doses more than 1.0 mg/kg in male and more than 0.1 mg/kg in female, and the dead animals were sent at the highest dose of HB and BV. Mainly at the doses more than 0.1 mg/kg HBP induced the dose-dependent symptoms such as decrease in the number of white blood cells and total protein level in serum, and increase in total cholesterol, GOT and GPT level in serum, and atrophic changes of adrenals, lymphatic tissues, skin and subsexual organs. No usual abnormality was recognized at the doses less than 0.01 mg/kg of HBP. These symptoms were more toxic in male, and the strength of toxicity was in the order of BV greater than HB greater than HBP. Many of these findings have known as common effects of corticosteroids. The changes observed in this study were almost recovered after withdrawal of HBP at the doses less than 0.1 mg/kg. As the result, it was suggested that the maximum non-toxic dose of HBP was 0.001 mg/kg.

Administration, Topical↗

[Measurement of 222Rn in air using liquid scintillation techniques (author's transl)].

A simple method for the measurement of 222Rn in air was established. At first step radon daughters in air were eliminated from air by suction using glass fiber filter, after that the air were introduced directly to the scrubbing bottle filled with scintillator based on toluene and bubbled until the concentration of 222Rn in the liquid scintillator reached equilibrium state. Then 120ml of the bubbled liquid scintillator were sealed in the teflon vial for the measurement of radioactivity. After the radioactive equilibrium between 222Rn and its daughters were reached, the radioactivity were measured by the low background liquid scintillation counter. The detection limit of 222Rn in air by this method was 3 x 10(-3) Bq/l air (8 x 10(-14)Ci/l air). Though alpha spectrometry by multi-channel analyzer was also achieved, the integral counting method was used more effectively. This method was effectively applied to determine the relatively high concentration of 222Rn in air.

Air↗