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Biomedical subjects

A Maeda

Publications and source records attributed to A Maeda.

At least 73 records · Page 4Linked to original sources
PubMed2000

Changes in vasoactive substances during gastric ulcer healing.

In order to study the roles of vasoactive peptides during tissue repair of gastric ulcers, we compared concentrations in tissue surrounding gastric ulcers of endothelin-1(ET-1), adrenomedullin (AM), and transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-beta) among different stages of ulcer development. A total of 82 cases were studied. Ulcers were located in the gastric angulus in 51 cases. All cases were positive for Helicobacter pylori (Hp). Ten cases were in the active stage (GA), 18 were in the healing stage (GH), and 28 were in the scarring stage (GS). As control, 17 cases of Hp-positive gastritis (gast+) and 14 of Hp-negative gastritis (gast-) were studied. The concentrations of endothelin (ET) and TGF-beta were in the order of GH> GA> GS, and those of AM were in the order of GS > GH > GA. On immunostaining, ET stained positively in endothelial cells and vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) during the GH and GS stages, and AM stained positively in histiocytes during GA, GH and GS, and also stained positively in glandular epithelia and smooth muscle fibers during GH and GS. When our results were reviewed with respect to the regulation of vascular tonus and the proliferation of VSMCs, ET and AM were considered to have roles in the regulation of proliferation.

Adrenomedullin↗
PubMed2000

Characterization of the coronavirus M protein and nucleocapsid interaction in infected cells.

Coronavirus contains three envelope proteins, M, E and S, and a nucleocapsid, which consists of genomic RNA and N protein, within the viral envelope. We studied the macromolecular interactions involved in coronavirus assembly in cells infected with a murine coronavirus, mouse hepatitis virus (MHV). Coimmunoprecipitation analyses demonstrated an interaction between N protein and M protein in infected cells. Pulse-labeling experiments showed that newly synthesized, unglycosylated M protein interacted with N protein in a pre-Golgi compartment, which is part of the MHV budding site. Coimmunoprecipitation analyses further revealed that M protein interacted with only genomic-length MHV mRNA, mRNA 1, while N protein interacted with all MHV mRNAs. These data indicated that M protein interacted with the nucleocapsid, consisting of N protein and mRNA 1, in infected cells. The M protein-nucleocapsid interaction occurred in the absence of S and E proteins. Intracellular M protein-N protein interaction was maintained after removal of viral RNAs by RNase treatment. However, the M protein-N protein interaction did not occur in cells coexpressing M protein and N protein alone. These data indicated that while the M protein-N protein interaction, which is independent of viral RNA, occurred in the M protein-nucleocapsid complex, some MHV function(s) was necessary for the initiation of M protein-nucleocapsid interaction. The M protein-nucleocapsid interaction, which occurred near or at the MHV budding site, most probably represented the process of specific packaging of the MHV genome into MHV particles.

Animals↗
PubMed2000

Inhibitory effects of a lecithinized superoxide dismutase on bleomycin-induced pulmonary fibrosis in mice.

Oxidant/antioxidant imbalance is thought to be involved in the pathogenesis of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF). Therefore, antioxidants, such as superoxide dismutase (SOD), are expected to have an inhibitory potential against IPF. To elucidate whether a lecithinized SOD (phosphatidylcholine [PC]-SOD) has the potential to be a new therapeutic agent for IPF, we investigated the inhibitory effects of PC-SOD at doses of 1 mg/kg/d (low dose) and 10 mg/kg/d (high dose) and of methylprednisolone (mPSL) on bleomycin (BLM)-induced pulmonary fibrosis in mice. Histopathologic evaluation and lung hydroxyproline content revealed that the severity of fibrosis was attenuated in mice treated with low-dose PC-SOD, whereas no significant effect was observed in other mice. In bronchoalveolar lavage fluid on Day 1 after treatment with BLM, BLM-induced increases in total cell number, populations of lymphocytes and neutrophils, and expression of messenger RNA for interleukin-1beta and platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF)-A were significantly suppressed in PC-SOD-treated mice. The suppression of PDGF-A expression was significantly greater in mice treated with low-dose PC-SOD than in mice treated with high-dose PC-SOD or mPSL. In summary, this study demonstrated the inhibitory effects of low-dose PC-SOD on the development of pulmonary fibrosis, which indicates the potential usefulness of PC-SOD as a new treatment agent for IPF or at least for BLM-induced pulmonary fibrosis in humans.

Animals↗
PubMed2000

Coronary stent implantation in diabetic versus nondiabetic patients. Early and late outcomes.

OBJECTIVE: To assess whether coronary stenting in diabetic patients provides in-hospital results and clinical evolution similar to those in nondiabetic patients. METHODS: From July '97 to April '99 we performed coronary stent implantation in 386 patients with coronary heart disease, who were divided into two groups: diabetic patients and nondiabetic patients. The in-hospital results and the clinical evolution of each group were retrospectively analyzed. RESULTS: The nondiabetic group comprised 305 (79%) patients and the diabetic group 81 (21%) patients. Basic clinical and angiographic characteristics were similar. Angiographic success was in diabetics = 96.6% vs in nondiabetics = 97.9% (p=ns). Among the major complications in the in-hospital phase, the rate of myocardial infarction was higher in the diabetic group (7.4% vs 1.9%) (p=0.022). In the follow-up, a favorable and homogeneous evolution occurred in regard to asymptomatic patients, myocardial infarction, and death in the groups. A greater need for revascularization, however, existed in the diabetic patients (15% vs 2.4%, p<0.001). CONCLUSION: Coronary stenting in diabetic patients is an efficient procedure, with a high angiographic and clinical success rate similar to that in nondiabetic patients. Diabetic patients, however, had a higher incidence of in-hospital myocardial infarction and a greater need for additional myocardial revascularization.

Case-Control Studies↗
PubMed2000

Reliability and validity of the questionnaire to determine the biosocial rhythms of daily living in the disabled elderly.

The questionnaire to determine the biosocial rhythms of daily living in the disabled elderly was newly developed. This questionnaire was aimed to evaluate a state of synchronization of biological rhythms in the disabled elderly. Eighteen items of the questionnaire relating to the synchronization of biological rhythms were finally selected by the test-retest method that was conducted for 68 disabled elderly living in a community with a duration of one year. The factor analysis showed that the questionnaire consisted of five factors: outdoor activities, ultradian rhythms, subjective evaluation of health status, social support, and sleep habits. The cumulative contribution rate of five factors was 53.2%. Reliability of the questionnaire was confirmed by a calculation of the Equal-length Spearman-Brown coefficients ranging from 0.60 to 0.80. Regarding the construct validity of the questionnaire, results of factor analysis showed five factors that were consistent with the synchronizers known in chronobiology. The total score of the questionnaire was significantly correlated to Barthel Index score and the competence score, suggesting that it partly reflects the activities of daily living of the disabled elderly. We conclude that a new questionnaire to determine the biosocial rhythm of daily living in the disabled elderly is useful to evaluate the biosocial synchronization of the disabled elderly because of its high reliability and validity.

Activities of Daily Living↗
PubMed2000

Psoriatic arthritis complicating lung cancer.

Psoriatic arthritis is an inflammatory arthritis associated with psoriasis. While an elevated incidence of lung cancer has been observed in patients with RA or psoriasis, there has been no report of psoriatic arthritis associated with lung cancer. We here report the first case of psoriatic arthritis which developed lung cancer. In this case, it was suspected that a combination of cigarette smoking, pulmonary fibrosis, and low-dose methotrexate therapy might have promoted the development of lung cancer.

Aged↗
PubMed2000

Clinical evaluation of idiopathic interstitial pneumonia and interstitial pneumonia associated with collagen vascular disease using logistic regression analysis.

OBJECTIVE: To clarify the differences in the clinical features between idiopathic interstitial pneumonia (IIP) and interstitial pneumonia associated with collagen vascular diseases (CVD-IP). METHODS: Symptoms, radiographic findings, pulmonary function, blood chemistry data including autoantibody, and bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) findings were compared using multiple logistic regression analysis. PATIENTS: The subjects were 44 patients clinically diagnosed with IIP and 33 patients with CVD-IP. RESULTS: The clinical features related to IIP were as follows: male sex, advanced age, past history of hypertension, presence of cough, exertional dyspnea, digital clubbing, an increased level of gamma-globulin, decreased lung volume on chest X-ray, and typical type according to the criteria for IIP on chest X-ray. Increased levels of rheumatoid factor and total cell number in BALF were related to CVD-IP. CONCLUSION: These findings are considered to be useful to differentiate IIP and CVD-IP.

Adult↗
PubMed2000

An autopsy case of diffuse panbronchiolitis associated with lung cancer.

The prognosis of diffuse panbronchiolitis (DPB) has been remarkably improved after the development of low-dose erythromycin therapy, possibly due to anti-inflammatory rather than anti-infective mechanisms. Interestingly, DPB associated with lung cancer is quite rare. Here, we report an autopsy case of DPB who developed lung cancer after a long successful therapy with low-dose erythromycin.

Adenocarcinoma↗
PubMed2000

Microsomal epoxide hydrolase genotypes and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease in Japanese.

Polymorphisms in the gene for microsomal epoxide hydrolase (mEPHX), an enzyme involved in the protective mechanism against oxidative stress, have been reported to be associated with individual susceptibility to the development of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). The polymorphisms in exons 3 and 4 in the mEPHX gene were examined in a total of 358 Japanese individuals, including 40 patients with COPD and 71 patients with lung cancer. The overall frequencies of variant allele for mEPHX codons 113 (exon 3) and 139 (exon 4) were 44% and 14%, respectively. Moreover, a novel single nucleotide polymorphism (estimated allele frequency: 0.29) was identified in Japanese at 20 bp downstream of the codon 113 polymorphism with strong linkage disequilibrium with the wild allele for codon 113. While the frequencies of variant allele and proportions of individuals homozygous variant for codon 113, assumed having very slow mEPHX activity, were similar among COPD or lung cancer patients and the control population, they were significantly higher in patients with severe COPD than in those with mild COPD [P=0.0225, odds ratio 2.9 (95%CI 1.1-7.4); P=0.0350, respectively]. Thus, we found that the frequency of the variant allele for mEPHX codon 113 is higher in Japanese than that in Caucasians (P=0.0028), a novel silent polymorphism exists in exon 3 and shows strong linkage disequilibrium with the wild allele for codon 113, and individual homozygous variants for codon 113 may be associated with development of advanced COPD rather than the susceptibility to COPD.

Adult↗
PubMed2000

Effects of pranlukast, a cysteinyl leukotriene antagonist, on bronchial responsiveness to methacholine in aspirin-intolerant asthmatics treated with corticosteroids.

Cysteinyl leukotrienes (cysLTs) are considered to be the most important mediator involved in the pathogenesis of aspirin-intolerant asthma (AIA). However, the role of cysLTs in the baseline condition of the pathophysiology of AIA when not exposed to non-steroidal antiinflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) as well as that in the pathophysiology of aspirin-tolerant asthma remains to be elucidated. Therefore, we evaluated the effect of pranlukast, a potent, selective cysLT receptor antagonist, on bronchial responsiveness to methacholine, a non-specific stimulus, in 7 well-controlled aspirin-intolerant asthmatics receiving oral or inhaled corticosteroid treatment. Pranlukast was orally administered at a dose of 225 mg twice daily to all patients for 4 weeks, and the methacholine challenge test was performed before and after pranlukast treatment. The methacholine provocative concentration producing a 20% fall in forced expiratory volume in 1 second (PC20-FEV1) was calculated as an index of bronchial hyperresponsiveness (BHR). The geometric mean values of PC20-FEV1 significantly (p = 0.028) increased from 0.34 mg/dl to 0.61 mg/dl after pranlukast treatment. No significant differences were observed in the baseline values of forced vital capacity (FVC) or FEV1 before and after pranlukast treatment. These findings suggest that antagonism of endogenous cysLT by pranlukast may be responsible for the improvement of BHR to methacholine.

Adrenal Cortex Hormones↗
PubMed2000

Haemodynamic comparison of propofol-fentanyl anaesthesia with midazolam-fentanyl anaesthesia in CABG patients without preoperative heart failure.

This study was designed to compare prebypass haemodynamics under total intravenous anaesthesia (TIVA) using midazolam-fentanyl (group M) and propofol-fentanyl (group P) combinations. Sixteen adult patients undergoing CABG were studied with patients in group M and P (n = 8 each) given intravenous midazolam 0.1 mg.kg-1.h-1 and propofol 4 mg.kg-1.h-1 with fentanyl 25 micrograms.kg-1 until sternotomy, respectively. Following induction of anaesthesia, cardiac index and heart rate decreased significantly (30% and 20% in both groups, p < 0.05) these variables returned to baseline on completion of sternotomy. In addition, in group P mean arterial pressure decreased significantly (about 15%) following induction and there were no ischaemic signs. Overall for MAP there was no significant difference between the two groups. LVSWI and RVSWI were reduced by around 25% in both groups. Only the change in LVSWI reached statistical significance (p < 0.05). This reduction may have exert a caridioprotectant action by decreasing myocardial oxygen consumption. We conclude that both TIVA techniques represent an acceptable anaesthetic regimen for use in cardiac anaesthesia.

Aged↗
PubMed2000

[Clinical features of late onset dementia with Lewy bodies].

We conducted a retrospective study to elucidate clinical features of late onset dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB). Nineteen patients with DLB of neocortical category were neuropathologically diagnosed out of 500 consecutive autopsies at Yokufukai Hospital by using the pathological criteria of the consortium on DLB International Workshop. Medical history and clinical signs and symptoms were reviewed from the medical records. The age at onset was 55-88 years (mean 75.9 years), the age at death was 62-91 years, and duration of illness was 1-14 years. The initial symptoms were memory disturbance (10 cases), delirium (6 cases), gait disturbance (3 cases), visual hallucination (3 cases). We divided nineteen cases of DLB into two group: the age of onset was under 75 years (9 cases) and over 76 years (10 cases). The early onset group showed parkinsonism (67%), and visual hallucination (55%). The sensitivity of the clinical diagnosis of probable DLB based on DLB international workshop consensus criteria was 67%. On the other hand, the late onset group (10cases) presented with delirium (70%), parkinsonism (20%), and visual hallucination (30%). The sensitivity of a clinical diagnosis of probable DLB was 30%. Our results indicated considerable difficulty of the diagnosis of late onset DLB cases by the consensus criteria, requiring more sensitive criteria and diagnostic tests for DLB.

Age of Onset↗