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Biomedical subjects

A Kisanuki

Publications and source records attributed to A Kisanuki.

At least 55 records · Page 3Linked to original sources
PubMed1992

Phonoechocardiographic identification of chordal snap in hypertrophic cardiomyopathy.

In three patients with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, a late systolic click following mid systolic murmur was recognized. M-mode and two-dimensional echocardiography showed the presence of systolic anterior motion of the chordae tendineae in all cases. Phonoechocardiographic studies showed that the time of the click always coincided with the endpoint of mild anterior motion of the chordae tendineae. The click was considered to be a chordal snap.

Adult↗
PubMed1992

[Arterial intimal thickening].

Disturbances in the integrity of the arterial endothelium are considered to be a primary event in the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis. Platelets do not adhere to the intact endothelium but with removal of the endothelium, a thrombotic response to the exposed thrombotic subendothelium occurs. With time, proliferation of smooth muscle cells occurs in the inner-most part of the media beneath the thrombus, and the proliferated smooth muscle cells migrate beyond the internal elastic lamina to invade the thrombus and organize it. A growth factor released from activated platelets (PDGF) stimulates smooth muscle cell proliferation. At the same time, the endothelium, adjacent to the thrombus, proliferates and covers the organizing thrombus from its margin. Thus, localized flat or raised intimal thickenings are formed from organization of mural thrombus or repair of intimal injury. There is much evidence that the release of platelet constituents can damage the vessel wall. Our study clearly demonstrated that material released from situ platelet-rich mural thrombi into the arterial circulation can cause endothelial damage and promote the proliferation of smooth muscle cells in the intima, downstream, and in remote segments of the arterial wall, without apparent endothelial denudation. PDGF, together with other growth factors, is also considered to be involved in smooth muscle cell proliferation in this case.

Arteries↗
PubMed1990

Aortic endothelial cell damage induced by beta-VLDL and macrophages in vitro.

We performed an in vitro study to assess damage to swine aortic endothelial cells by rabbit beta-VLDL and/or rabbit peritoneal macrophages. Incubation of cultured aortic endothelial cells with beta-VLDL, macrophages, or macrophage lysate induced endothelial cell damage time- and dose-dependently as estimated by [3H]adenine release. Incubation of endothelial cells with both beta-VLDL and macrophages produced a synergistic effect on the increase of [3H]adenine release. Pretreatment of the endothelial cells with some kinds of antioxidants (probucol 50 micrograms/ml, vitamin E 50 microM, superoxide dismutase-polyethylene glycol 0.5 mg/ml, or catalase-polyethylene glycol 0.5-1.0 mg/ml) significantly prevented the endothelial damage by beta-VLDL or macrophage lysate. We conclude that beta-VLDL and/or macrophages could induce endothelial cell damage and that some kinds of antioxidants could prevent it.

Adenine↗
PubMed1989

[Continuous wave Doppler echocardiographic evaluations of the severity of mitral regurgitation].

To ascertain the usefulness of continuous wave Doppler echocardiography in evaluating the severity of mitral regurgitation (MR), 29 patients with MR and 10 normal subjects were examined. The patients were categorized in three groups according to the angiographic evidence of severity of MR. To analyze the flow velocity patterns of MR, the time to peak velocity index (time from onset of MR signal to peak flow velocity/duration of MR signal), the A/B ratio (the ratio of the first and second half of the systolic MR signal area), systolic peak velocity, and diastolic peak velocity were measured using continuous wave Doppler echocardiograms. The velocity patterns of MR differed significantly among the three groups. With severer MR, the flow velocity pattern showed an earlier appearance of the peak in systole, a steeper decrease in systole and a greater increase in early diastole. The time to peak velocity index was 55 +/- 7% (mean +/- SD) in mild MR, 42 +/- 6% in moderate MR and 35 +/- 5% in severe MR. This index shortened significantly in accord with the severity of MR (mild vs moderate MR: p less than 0.001, moderate vs severe MR: p less than 0.05). The A/B ratio was 1.06 +/- 0.12 in mild MR, 1.23 +/- 0.10 in moderate MR and 1.41 +/- 0.07 in severe MR. This ratio increased significantly with the severity of MR (mild vs moderate MR: p less than 0.01, moderate vs severe MR: p less than 0.01).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Adult↗
PubMed1987

Color Doppler echocardiographic assessment of the change in the mitral regurgitant volume.

We studied the possibility that a mitral regurgitant Doppler signal area on a two-dimensional color Doppler echocardiogram can reflect changes in mitral regurgitant volume in 24 patients with several types of mitral regurgitation. In 20 patients, mitral regurgitant Doppler signal areas were clear enough to measure. Injections of phenylephrine were given to these patients during the recording of the mitral regurgitant Doppler signal area in the same views and with the same Doppler gains. The mitral regurgitant Doppler signal area, blood pressure, and heart rate were measured before and after phenylephrine provocation. In addition, inhalation of amyl nitrite was performed during the recording of the mitral regurgitant Doppler signal area in the same way. Injection of phenylephrine resulted in an increase in the mitral regurgitant Doppler signal area accompanied by an increase in blood pressure and a decrease in heart rate. On the other hand, inhalation of amyl nitrite resulted in a decrease in the mitral regurgitant Doppler signal area, a decrease in blood pressure, and an increase in heart rate. A positive correlation between the change in blood pressure and that in the mitral regurgitant Doppler signal area was observed. In conclusion, two-dimensional color Doppler echocardiography may be useful in the assessment of the acute change in regurgitant volume in the patient with mitral regurgitation.

Adult↗
PubMed1987

[Two-dimensional contrast echocardiographic assessment of the time course of regional ischemic myocardial function].

The time course of percent fractional area change (%FAC) of the ischemic left ventricular wall as identified by myocardial contrast echocardiography was assessed. Two-dimensional echocardiograms of the left ventricular short axis at the level of the chordae tendineae were recorded in 16 anesthetized open-chest dogs. Myocardial ischemia was produced by occluding the left circumflex coronary artery (LCX) for 30 min, and identified by myocardial contrast echocardiography using aortic root contrast injection. The left ventricular wall in the short-axis view was divided into eight segments. The experiments were completed in nine dogs. The %FAC of the segment which includes the center of the ischemic area was normal before LCX occlusion (35 +/- 6%: mean +/- S.D.), markedly decreased during 30 min of LCX occlusion (-3 +/- 4%) and gradually recovered after coronary reperfusion. However, it was significantly decreased 150 min after reperfusion (8 +/- 9%) (p less than 0.001) compared to that before LCX occlusion. The %FAC of the segment which includes the center of the non-ischemic area was not significantly changed throughout the experiment. In conclusion, 1) the time course of regional ischemic myocardial function could be assessed by the analysis of the %FAC of the ischemic area determined by myocardial contrast echocardiography, 2) the %FAC is significantly decreased 150 min after coronary reperfusion following 30 min occlusion compared to that before coronary occlusion.

Animals↗
PubMed1987

[Diastolic pulmonary forward flow associated with pulmonary regurgitation demonstrated by Doppler echocardiography].

To demonstrate diastolic pulmonary forward flow, pulsed and continuous wave Doppler echocardiograms were recorded in four patients with postoperative residual pulmonary stenosis and regurgitation (Group I). To clarify the mechanism, we further examined 24 patients with pulmonary regurgitation without diastolic pulmonary forward flow, including three patients with surgical correction of tetralogy of Fallot (Group IIa) and 21 patients with functional pulmonary regurgitation (Group IIb), and compared the peak velocity and pressure half time of pulmonary regurgitation among the three groups. Diastolic pulmonary forward flow was characterized as a flow signal which began after the abrupt cessation of pulmonary regurgitation and continued until the beginning of ejection flow. The onset of the flow coincided with that of premature opening of the pulmonary valve, and was following atrial contraction in one, before atrial contraction in two, and mid-diastolic in one. The velocity of diastolic pulmonary forward flow was increased during inspiration and its maximum velocity was 1.3 m/sec. Simultaneous recording of pressures and continuous wave Doppler echo performed in two patients in Group I showed the equalization of right ventricular and pulmonary artery pressures during the flow. There was no significant difference in the peak velocity of pulmonary regurgitation among the three groups of patients. The mean pressure half time was significantly shortened in patients in Group I (90 +/- 11 msec) compared with those in patients in Group IIa (143 +/- 40 msec, p less than 0.05) and Group IIb (310 +/- 71 msec, p less than 0.001). In conclusion, a diastolic pulmonary forward flow seems to be produced by the rapid equalization of right ventricular and pulmonary artery pressures due to severe pulmonary regurgitation in the face of decreased right ventricular compliance.

Adult↗
PubMed1987

[Incidence of tricuspid regurgitation in normal subjects according to a new Doppler echographic criterion].

To develop a Doppler echocardiographic criterion for tricuspid regurgitation (TR) and to determine the incidence of TR in normal subjects, we examined 357 apparently normal subjects ranging in age from five to 95 years using pulsed and continuous wave Doppler echocardiography. A Doppler transducer was placed over the right ventricular apex, with the Doppler beam directed parallel with TR flow. TR was judged to be present when a holosystolic abnormal flow pattern with the peak velocity greater than 1.5 m/sec was recorded at the tricuspid valve orifice. This was based on the theory that in TR systolic pressure gradient across the tricuspid valve should be 10 mmHg or greater in normal subjects. TR was detected in 87 (24%) of 357 subjects and the mean peak velocity of the TR was 2.1 +/- 0.2 m/sec (mean +/- SD). It was more frequent in women (28%) than in men (19%) and differed significantly among the young, middle and old age groups. It was 79% in the first decade, 30% in the second, 10% in the third, 21% in the fourth, 5% in the fifth, 19% in the sixth, 14% in the seventh, 23% in the eight, 37% in the ninth and 40% in the tenth. The minimum dimension of the tricuspid annulus was significantly enlarged (p less than 0.001) in subjects with TR (2.2 +/- 0.3 cm/m2) compared to that of subjects without TR (1.8 +/- 0.3 cm/m2).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Adolescent↗
PubMed1987

[Exercise capacity in ischemic heart disease evaluated by continuous wave Doppler echocardiography].

To evaluate exercise capacity in ischemic heart disease, we measured the peak aortic flow velocity by continuous wave Doppler (CWD) echo from the suprasternal notch at rest and during multiple load ergometer testing in the supine position. The study subjects consisted of 14 normal controls, 10 patients with effort angina and 21 patients with old myocardial infarction (OMI). In all the patients and in five normal subjects, thallium-201 emission CT (SPECT) was also performed immediately after exercise and four hours subsequently. Change in the peak aortic flow velocity during exercise was compared with the extent of perfusion defects and the presence or absence of redistribution images on SPECT. At rest, the peak aortic flow velocity was not different from that of the other three groups. During exercise, it increased progressively (crescendo type) as the exercise was increased in normal subjects. In patients with angina pectoris it increased at the initial stage of exercise, but was unchanged (crescendo-plateau type) or decreased (crescendo-decrescendo type) at the maximum exercise stage. Redistribution images on SPECT were seen in nine of 10 patients with angina pectoris. In patients with OMI, change in the peak aortic flow velocity was of the crescendo type in 14, crescendo-decrescendo in three and crescendo-plateau in one. In the remaining three it decreased from the beginning of exercise (decrescendo type). Redistribution images were seen in all patients with the crescendo-decrescendo, crescendo-plateau or decrescendo types. Furthermore, myocardial damage was much more extensive in the decrescendo type. We conclude that exercise continuous wave Doppler echocardiography is a useful means of evaluating exercise capacity in ischemic heart disease.

Adult↗
PubMed1986

[Continuous wave Doppler echocardiographic assessment of prosthetic aortic valves].

To assess the prosthetic aortic valve functions according to types and sizes of valves, the peak flow velocity was recorded by means of continuous wave Doppler echocardiography in 40 patients (age 45 +/- 15 years) with prosthetic aortic valves and in 25 normal subjects. Twenty-one patients had Björk-Shiley valves (1-18 months after replacement); 12 had St. Jude Medical valves (6-48 months after replacement); and seven had Carpentier-Edwards porcine xenografts (48-84 months after replacement). The peak blood flow velocity across the prosthetic valve was recorded at the left ventricular apex, the suprasternal notch, and the right parasternal border in the second intercostal space. The pressure gradient was derived from the peak flow velocity by means of the simplified Bernoulli equation (P = 4V2). The peak and mean flow velocities and the peak and mean pressure gradients were measured to evaluate the opening function of the prosthetic valves. The results were as follows; The peak flow velocities were recorded in 33 patients (83%) with aortic valve replacements. All four measurements were significantly greater in patients with prosthetic aortic valves than in normal subjects, but there was no significant difference according to the valve type. The opening function was less in patients with smaller valves than in those with larger ones. There was a clear correlation between opening function and valve size. We concluded that continuous wave Doppler echocardiography is a useful noninvasive method for evaluating the opening function of a prosthetic aortic valve.

Adult↗
PubMed1985

Cardiac involvement in congenital myopathy.

We examined cardiac changes in 8 patients (4 men and 4 women, age 21-43 years) with congenital myopathy proven by skeletal muscle biopsy. Of 8 patients, 4 showed cardiac changes, including 1 with cytoplasmic body myopathy (patient 1), 2 with minimal change myopathy (patients 2 and 3) and 1 with nemaline myopathy (patient 4). Patients 1 and 2 showed left ventricular dilatation with severe global hypokinesis of left ventricular wall. These clinical features were quite similar to those of dilated cardiomyopathy and the patients were in NYHA class 3 or 4. Patient 3 had severe mitral regurgitation with mitral valve prolapse. This patient also had a persistent left superior vena cava and hypoplasia of the aorta, and her cardiac function was in NYHA class 3. Patient 4 showed moderate global left ventricular hypokinesis but the left ventricle was not dilated. This patient also had sino-atrial block and type A Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome. His cardiac function was NYHA class 1. In conclusion, various types of congenital myopathy are associated with cardiac changes which can result in severe congestive heart failure.

Adult↗
PubMed1985

Noninvasive pulsed Doppler echocardiographic detection of the direction of shunt flow in patients with atrial septal defect: usefulness of the right parasternal approach.

Noninvasive pulsed Doppler echocardiography combined with two-dimensional echocardiography by the right parasternal approach was performed to detect the shunt flow through the defect in 31 patients with suspected secundum atrial septal defect (ASD). A defect of the interatrial septum was seen on the two-dimensional echocardiograms of 30 of 31 patients. In all the 30 patients, Doppler signals of shunt flow could be recorded by placing the sample volume in the center of the defect on the two-dimensional echocardiogram. Neither a defect nor Doppler signal indicating shunt flow were demonstrated in any of 15 normal control subjects. Cardiac catheterization indicated significant shunt flow in all the 31 patients with suspected ASD. Doppler signals obtained from the center of the defect showed left-to-right and/or right-to-left shunt flow patterns. The direction of the shunt flow was mainly left to right, with its peak in late systole and atrial systole in 28 of 30 patients; mainly right-to-left flow was present in the remaining two patients, who had Eisenmenger's syndrome. The direction of flow as predicted by the Doppler signal was confirmed by the coincidence of direction of flow as seen on the contrast two-dimensional echocardiogram. In 22 patients for whom the measurement of the pulmonary-to-systemic flow ratio by oximetry was believed to be reasonably accurate, the ratio was fairly well correlated with Doppler-determined left-to-right shunt flow velocity (r = .71, SEE = 6.7 cm/sec).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Adolescent↗
PubMed1985

[Mechanism of systolic anterior motion of the mitral valve in dogs].

The mechanism of systolic anterior motion (SAM) of the mitral valve remains somewhat controversial. We previously reported that SAM can be produced in dogs using dobutamine infusion. In the present study, dobutamine infusion, dextran infusion and venesection were performed in 13 anesthetized closed-chest dogs to study the mechanism of SAM. The degree of SAM was determined by M-mode echocardiography. End-systolic and end-diastolic short-axis areas of the left ventricle at the level of the chordae tendineae and the fractional area changes were measured by two-dimensional echocardiography. SAM was produced in six of the 13 dogs during dobutamine infusions (Group 1), but not in the other seven dogs (Group 2). During dobutamine infusions, % fractional area changes were greater in Group 1 (85 +/- 5; mean +/- standard deviation) than in Group 2 (65 +/- 15) (p less than 0.01), and the end-systolic short-axis area of the left ventricle was smaller in Group 1 (0.7 +/- 0.4 cm2) than in Group 2 (1.9 +/- 0.3 cm2) (p less than 0.01), although no significant change was observed between Groups 1 and 2 in the end-diastolic short-axis area of the left ventricle. Subsequent injections of dextran (mean 340 ml) in Group 1, decreased the degree of SAM and increased the end-diastolic and end-systolic short-axis areas of the left ventricle. Subsequently, venesections (mean 400 ml) in Group 1 resulted in increases in the degrees of SAM and decreases in the end-diastolic and end-systolic short-axis areas of the left ventricle.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Animals↗
PubMed1985

[Continuous wave Doppler measurement of transmitral pressure gradients in mitral stenosis: comparisons with simultaneous catheterization measurements].

To determine the accuracy and reliability of measurements of mitral flow velocity and pressure gradients obtained from continuous wave Doppler (CWD) echocardiography, the left ventricular pressure, pulmonary capillary wedge pressure and CWD echo were simultaneously recorded simultaneously for 22 patients with mitral stenosis. An ultrasonic transducer was placed over the left ventricular apex to direct the ultrasonic beam parallel with the mitral flow. High-pitched audio signals were used to determine whether the ultrasonic beam direction was appropriate. The angle formed by the beam direction and the blood flow was assumed to be zero when a good Doppler echo was recorded. The maximum flow velocity and pressure gradients calculated from CWD echo were compared with pressure gradients obtained by catheterization. These were analyzed during the same heart beats. The results were as follows: Good recordings of pressures and CWD echograms were obtained for 17 patients, and their data were used for the analysis. The maximum flow velocity through the mitral valve obtained by CWD echography was very similar to the pressure gradients obtained by catheterization in terms of phases and patterns. The pressure gradients (x) calculated from CWD using a simplified Bernoulli's equation correlated well with those (y) measured at the same time on pressure tracings (y = 1.2x + 1.5, r = 0.92, p less than 0.001). Mean diastolic pressure gradients (X) obtained by CWD echography also correlated well with those (Y) recorded at catheterization (Y = 1.2X + 0.15, r = 0.95). Based on these results, we conclude that CWD echography is a reliable, noninvasive method to measure the pressure gradient across the mitral valve in patients with mitral stenosis.

Adult↗