Biomedical subjects
Publications and source records attributed to A Morikawa.
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Lower esophageal sphincter pressure (LESP) and extended pH monitoring of the distal esophagus were assessed in 15 asthmatic children in order to evaluate the most important symptoms of suspected gastroesophageal reflux (GER)-asthma. As a result, episodes of asthmatic attacks after overeating were closely correlated with GER as determined by decreased LESP and high pH score.
By using the new device, the "Astograph," it is possible to measure the continuous changes of respiratory resistance (Rrs) during bronchial inhalation challenge. This method, however, is not suitable for younger children because of wide variations in Rrs. So we studied a technique using a transcutaneous oxygen pressure (tcPO2) monitoring system. The bronchial reactivity and sensitivity were significantly correlated between Rrs and tcPO2 (P less than .001), and there was no correlation between cardiac output and Rrs. The tcPO2-method is useful for measuring bronchial responsiveness, especially in younger children.
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Nine healthy and seven mite-sensitive allergic subjects were examined by skin sensitivity and IgE antibody to fractions from Dermatophagoides farinae, including high and low allergenic fraction to human. In the intracutaneous test, all healthy subjects reacted to 200 ng and in particular, five of them to 0.2 ng of Fr void on Sephadex G-100 filtration which was a low allergenic fraction. Furthermore, end points of intracutaneous test and specific IgE antibody titers did not correlate on Fr void. Conclusively, Dermatophagoides farinae extracts contain a nonimmunologically highly skin-reactive fraction.
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The aim of this study is to define the change of plasma high density lipoprotein-cholesterol (HDL-C) in the spontaneously diabetic Chinese hamsters in the Asahikawa colony (CHA). These animals were divided into two groups according to fasting plasma glucose level; non-diabetic group and diabetic group. Plasma HDL-C was measured by a microliters-scale ultracentrifugal method using an RPL-42T rotor (Hitachi Koki Co.). The diabetic hamsters had hypoinsulinemia and hyperlipidemia. Plasma HDL-C in the diabetic group was significantly elevated as compared with the non-diabetic group. A significant positive correlation was observed in both groups between plasma HDL-C and total cholesterol. The male hamsters tended to have higher plasma HDL-C and total cholesterol levels than the female hamsters in either group. Moreover, an electrophoretic analysis showed that there was some relative increase in plasma very low density lipoprotein, low density lipoprotein and high density lipoprotein (HDL) in the diabetic hamsters. An ultracentrifugal analysis showed that plasma chylomicron appeared only in the diabetic hamsters. The heterogeneity of particle size of HDL was found by gradient gel electrophoresis. The apparent average molecular weight of HDL was approximately 265,000 in either group. It is concluded that plasma HDL-C increased with the advance of hyperglycemia and hyperlipidemia in insulin-deficient diabetic hamsters and that there was sex difference in the hamsters for plasma HDL-C and total cholesterol.
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The present investigation was conducted to determine a single dose of the carcinogen N-methyl-N-nitrosourea (MNU) which remains subcarcinogenic in a heterotopically transplanted rat urinary bladder with a communicating reservoir (HTB) either in a urine-free or urine-existing environment. A single dose of MNU, either 0.1 mg or 0.025 mg, was instilled directly into the HTB, and was followed by weekly instillation of normal rat urine or 2.1% NaCl solution (equiosmolar to the urine) for up to 52 weeks. Bladder tumors observed were divided into 2 categories depending upon their location. Those arising at the hyperplastic foci which were induced by mechanical irritation by the connector tip were referred to as inflammatory polyp (IP)-related tumors and those arising in the region free from the IP changes were referred to as IP-unrelated tumors. The results indicated that both carcinogen levels fail to induce IP-related or IP-unrelated tumors in the urine-free environment. In the presence of urine, however, the high MNU dose (0.1 mg) was tumorigenic at both IP-related and IP-unrelated sites, whereas, the low MNU dose exhibited tumorigenicity only at the IP-related site. Physical irritation by the connector enhanced MNU-initiated tumorigenesis at the connector tip only in the presence of urine in bladder lumen. Physical irritation per se induced tumors at the connector tip even without prior carcinogen treatment provided urine was present in the HTBs.
We have studied the precipitation test as a diagnostic procedure for hypersensitivity pneumonitis or associated allergic states using Sitophilus granarius (SG) antigen. The incidence of positive reaction in the precipitation test against SG is extremely high in children and adults, not only asthmatics, but also in normal, healthy subjects. In experiments with radioimmunoassay using SG paper discs and 125I-labelled IgG fragments, SG was more strongly bound to the Fab than to the Fc fragment. However, the binding was not mediated by a true antigen-antibody reaction because the reaction was inhibited by both kappa- and lambda-type Bence-Jones proteins. Nonspecific immunoglobulin binding substance (IBS) was separated from crude SG extract by affinity chromatography using IgG immunosorbent. IBS was monocomponent on polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis in sodium dodecyl sulfate, and the molecular weight was about 12,000-14,000. We believe that IBS might be a valuable tool for immunological experiments, comparable with staphylococcal protein A.
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We have studied cyclic adenosine 3':5'-monophosphate (cAMP) and cyclic 3':5'-guanosine monophosphate (cGMP) concentration in cord blood lymphocytes (CBL) and in adult peripheral blood lymphocytes (PBL) after stimulation with thymosin V-1 and V-2. At concentrations of 100 micrograms/ml, thymosin V-1 produced an 85% increase of cAMP in adult PBL, alterations being demonstrated within 1 min, whereas it did not affect the cAMP level in CBL which have a nine times higher basal level than PBL. On the other hand, thymosin V-1 did not have any effect on cGMP in CBL nor in adult PBL. Thymosin V-2 which inhibits E-rosette formation also increased cAMP in adult PBL like thymosin V-1. The increasing effect of thymosin V-1 on cAMP was observed even when cAMP phosphodiesterase was completely inhibited with isobutyl methylxanthine. From these data it was assumed that thymosin probably acts through the stimulation of adenylate cyclase.
It is well recognized that only very low concentration of antibiotics is obtained from cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) despite its high blood concentration. It has been attributed to the blood-brain and blood-CSF barriers. Penetration of CTM into CSF was studied in 7 patients. Two of them were complicated with septic meningitis, and others were not infected. CTM was administered intravenously and samples were obtained from both serum and CSF from 15 minutes to 4 hours for determination of concentration of the antibiotics. In 2 patients with meningitis, the peak level of CTM in CSF after intravenous injection of 2 g and 1 g of CTM was 197 mcg/ml (46% of peak serum concentration), and 17.3 mcg/ml (38% of peak serum level), respectively. In noninfected patients the peak level of CTM in CSF after intravenous injection of 1g of CTM was from 0.3 mcg/ml to 1.9 mcg/ml (0.84% approximately 3.64% of peak serum concentration). We conclude that the percent penetration of CTM into CSF increases in the presence of the inflamed meninges and that prophylactic dosage of CTM for postoperative meningitis will be intravenous administration of 2 g of CTM in adults.