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Biomedical subjects

A Ohno

Publications and source records attributed to A Ohno.

At least 109 records · Page 6Linked to original sources
PubMed1995

[AIDS control in industry in Okinawa Prefecture, Japan].

To see how industry is responding to AIDS, an anonymous questionnaire survey was conducted on member companies (n = 407) of the chamber of commerce with 50 or more employees in three large cities in Okinawa, during February to March, 1994. Responses were obtained from 221. The questionnaire looked at type of industry, number of employees, number of business trips to foreign countries, specialists for health management, AIDS control, attitudes and actions taken toward infected persons and AIDS patients, etc. The main results were as follows; In 73 companies foreign business trips had been made. The rate of appointment of specialists in health management was below 50%. In 80% of the companies, AIDS control was not in place. About 1/2 of the companies responded that there was a need to grapple with AIDS control while 40% of the companies were undecided. The majority of the companies felt that there was no chance of their employees having HIV infection within five or six years. Many companies had no regulations for dealing with employees who are infected with HIV. From the survey, three points were made clear: 1. Industry does not have an adequate plan to deal with AIDS. 2. There is no awareness of a crisis. 3. There is insufficient dissemination of information regarding AIDS. HIV/AIDS is predicted to increase in industries in our country and management will be hard-pressed to deal with the intricate problems that arise. HIV/AIDS is not exclusively an individual problem, but should be the concern of industries and society as well.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome↗
PubMed1994

Fat-storing cell abnormalities associated with endothelial cell damage after cold ischemic storage of rat liver in UW solution.

Rat liver was stored at 1 degree C in University of Wisconsin solution, and morphological changes were observed after 12, 18, 24, and 36 hr by transmission electron microscopy. There were two types of endothelial cell damage in the hepatic sinusoids. One was disruption of the endothelial linings, and the other detachment of endothelial cells into the sinusoidal space accompanied by fat-storing cell abnormalities. The former damage was seen after storage longer than 12 hr, while the latter developed after 18 hr even in the hepatic sinusoids with no disruption of the linings. Considering that fat-storing cell damage can produce endothelial cell destruction, this damage should be given attention as one of factors of endothelial cell destruction in the hepatic sinusoids after cold storage of the liver.

Adenosine↗
PubMed1994

Effect of cyclodextrin on improvement of enantioselectivity in the reduction of ketopantolactone with baker's yeast.

Addition of beta-cyclodextrin improves enantioselectivity dramatically in the reduction of ketopantolactone mediated by baker's yeast. It has been found that the selectivity increases with the decrease in concentration of ketopantolactone in bulk solvent, and beta-cyclodextrin controls its effective concentration. The role of beta-cyclodextrin is discussed.

4-Butyrolactone↗
PubMed1994

Profiles of outer membrane proteins and lipopolysaccharide of Pseudomonas aeruginosa grown in the presence of sub-MICs of macrolide antibiotics and their relation to enhanced serum sensitivity.

We have previously reported that erythromycin at sub-inhibitory concentrations enhanced the serum sensitivity of some Pseudomonas aeruginosa strains. To explore the mechanism of this effect, we have now examined the influence of macrolide antibiotics on outer membrane proteins and lipopolysaccharide (LPS) of P. aeruginosa. The strains S-6 and PAO-1 of P. aeruginosa were used as susceptible and resistant strains respectively to assess enhancement of serum sensitivity by erythromycin. The strain S-6 became more serum-sensitive when grown on agar with sub-MICs of erythromycin or azithromycin, but not of josamycin, whereas no change was observed in the serum sensitivity of the strain PAO-1 after growth with any of these antibiotics. The analysis of outer membrane proteins showed that erythromycin treatment resulted in a reduction in the amount of the 38 kDa protein (OprF) and in a prominent increase of 41 kDa protein band in the strain S-6, but not in the strain PAO-1. By an immunoblotting assay, this 41 kDa protein was shown to be highly reactive to the immune serum against untreated P. aeruginosa. LPS of the strain S-6 were examined by SDS acrylamide gel electrophoresis. The treatment with erythromycin or azithromycin, but not with josamycin, reduced the amounts of LPS species with lower molecular weights although the levels of LPS species with high molecular weights were similar to those of untreated bacteria. These results suggest that the enhanced serum sensitivity of P. aeruginosa by erythromycin is associated with changes in bacterial surface components, such as outer membrane proteins and LPS.

Anti-Bacterial Agents↗
PubMed1994

Selective decrease of eumelanin in hypopigmented epidermis of hypomelanosis of Ito.

A Japanese infant had bilateral hypopigmented macules in a whorled or marble-cakelike configuration on her trunk and extremities. Her irides were bluish gray and her hair was dark brown. She had photophobia and macrocephaly with developmental delay. Analysis of peripheral lymphocytes and dermal fibroblasts disclosed a normal chromosomal pattern. A new finding was that the eumelanin content of the hypopigmented epidermis was decreased. We suggest that at least a portion of patients with this disorder have a defect in eumelanogenesis in hypopigmented skin.

Epidermis↗
PubMed1994

Oxidative stress in hepatocytes and stimulatory state of Kupffer cells after reperfusion differ between warm and cold ischemia in rats.

Rat liver was kept at 4 degrees C or 37 degrees C in MEM, and reperfused through a closed circulation from the hepatic vein to the portal vein at 37 degrees C with the same solution. Although purine nucleoside phosphorylase and ALT activities were increased in the perfusate, depending on the duration of ischemia at both 4 degrees C and 37 degrees C, the ratio of the latter to the former was significantly higher after 37 degrees C-ischemia than after 4 degrees C-ischemia. The stimulation stage of Kupffer cells evaluated in situ by formazan deposition after liver perfusion with nitro blue tetrazolium and phorbol myristate acetate was elevated after 4 degrees C-ischemia longer than 1 h, but not after 37 degrees C-ischemia. In contrast, the degree of oxidative stress in hepatocytes assessed by formazan deposition after liver perfusion with nitro blue tetrazolium alone was greater after 37 degrees C-ischemia than after 4 degrees C-ischemia. These results suggest that oxidative stress in hepatocytes and the stimulatory state of Kupffer cells after ischemia-reperfusion may differ between 4 degrees C-ischemia and 37 degrees C-ischemia, probably leading to different development of liver damage.

Alanine Transaminase↗
PubMed1994

Accelerative effect of shikonin, alkannin and acetylshikonin on the proliferation of granulation tissue in rats.

The present study was carried out to compare the accelerative effect of shikonin (R-type), alkannin (S-type), and acetylshikonin on the proliferation of granulation tissue in rats, and to elucidate the correlation between the potency of the effect and their optical activity. Koushikon mainly contained the R-type of acetylshikonin, and Nanshikon mainly contained the S-type of acetylshikonin. Each compound produced a dose-dependent acceleration of the cotton pellet-induced granuloma formation. In comparing identical doses of shikonin, alkannin and acetylshikonin, the potency of their accelerative effects on the proliferation of granulation tissue was about the same. This result suggests that their absolute configurations (R-type or S-type) and their acetylation on the hydroxy group of the sidechain of shikonin or alkannin may not be important in producing the effect.

Animals↗
PubMed1994

"Myocardial stunning"-like phenomenon during a crisis of pheochromocytoma.

A woman with a pheochromocytoma crisis initiated by cardiogenic shock showed severely impaired left ventricular contraction at the time of admission. Heart failure was improved rapidly, and an endomyocardial biopsy performed on the 11th day of admission showed findings compatible with "catecholamine cardiomyopathy". Regarding the pathogenesis of short-duration left ventricular dysfunction, catecholamine-induced cardiotoxicity would probably be the initial consideration. However, in this case, after considering the electrocardiogram on admission and a series of left ventriculograms, "myocardial stunning" following diffuse coronary vasospasm induced by catecholamine crisis may have also contributed to the dysfunction.

Adrenal Gland Neoplasms↗
PubMed1994

Loop diuretics affect transcellular electrolyte transport in cells of the distal convoluted tubule.

Although loop diuretics act preferentially on sodium chloride absorption in the thick ascending limb of the loop of Henle in the nephron, high concentrations of some loop diuretics also impair sodium absorption in the distal convoluted tubule (DCT). To characterize further the inhibitory effect of these agents on sodium absorption in the DCT, the action of torsemide and furosemide on cell sodium, chloride and potassium concentrations was examined in individual DCT cells of the kidney cortex and also, for comparison, in proximal convoluted tubule cells. In addition, initial cell uptake rates of rubidium, an index of in vivo Na+/K(+)-ATPase activity, were studied. Both diuretics caused a significant reduction of intracellular sodium concentration and rubidium uptake in DCT cells but not in connecting tubule, principal, intercalated or proximal tubule cells. These findings are consistent with the concept that both diuretics reduce transcellular sodium absorption in DCT cells by impairing sodium entry across the apical cell membrane and, as a consequence, sodium extrusion by primary active Na+/K+ (Rb+) exchange across the basolateral membrane.

Animals↗
PubMed1994

[The correlation between the MICs deduced from Showa disk method and the MICs determined by micro-dilution method].

Disc diffusion technique is useful to routine drug susceptibility testing for bacteria in clinical laboratories because of the advantages on simplicity and cost. Kirby-Bauer (KB) method recommended by NCCLS is using widely as a standard method of disk diffusion test, and simply categorize microorganisms as being susceptible, moderately susceptible, intermediate or resistant to different antimicrobial agents by the use of break point. In the determination of breakpoints, the relationship between MICs and clinical results and pharmacokinetics parameters (Cmax, T1/2 and AUC) are significantly considered. However, there are variance of pharmacokinetics among a race, moreover, breakpoint is not yet established in Japan. In report to doctor from clinical laboratory, the MIC might be better than that by breakpoint since there are such problems of breakpoint. Showa disk was developed as mono-disk method being able to deduce MIC from the linear regression between MIC and zone diameter. Therefore, it is thought that Showa disk is one of valuable methods for the routine drug susceptibility testing for bacteria in Japan. There is one problem, which is that MIC deduced by Showa disk is based on the relationship with agar dilution method although the determination method of MIC is going to turn into micro-dilution method, so we compared the MICs deduced from zone diameter of Showa disk method with the MICs determined by broth micro-dilution method by using a challenge set of 110 gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria for 7 antimicrobial agents. The total agreement of MIC within 1-log2 dilution difference was 77% and the correlation coefficient was 0.929. As results, a good relationship was obtained except the results of tetracycline and ofloxacin for beta-lactamase non-producing H. influenzae, and ceftizoxime for E. coli, and K. pneumoniae.

Anti-Bacterial Agents↗
PubMed1994

[In vitro antibacterial activities of broad spectrum quinolones against clinical bacterial isolates].

In vitro activities of broad-spectrum quinolones (sparfloxacin (SPFX), ciprofloxacin (CPFX), lomefloxacin (LFLX), fleroxacin (FLRX), and levofloxacin (LVFX) were examined against clinical bacterial isolates: Klebsiella pneumoniae, Haemophilus influenzae, Moraxella subgenus Branhamella catarrhalis, Methicillin-sensitive Staphylococcus aureus (MSSA), Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), Enterococcus faecalis, Enterococcus faecium, and Streptococcus pneumoniae). Antibacterial activities of SPFX, CPFX, and LVFX against Gram-negative bacteria such as K. pneumoniae, M. (B) catarrhalis and H. influenzae were better than those of FLRX and LFLX. SPFX showed the highest activity against all Gram-positive bacteria tested in this study. However, strains showed high MIC (> or = 16 micrograms/ml) to SPFX were found among MRSA, E. faecalis, and E. faecium, whose isolation frequencies were 28.6%, 10.0%, and 6.7%, respectively. The results of this study suggest that resistant strains of Gram-positive bacteria against new quinolone might increase among clinical isolates.

4-Quinolones↗
PubMed1993

Sinusoidal endothelial cell damage by activated macrophages in rat liver necrosis.

BACKGROUND: Massive hepatic necrosis caused by fibrin deposition in the hepatic sinusoids develops with hepatic macrophage activation in rats given endotoxin after administration of heat-killed Corynebacterium parvum. Targeted cells of such macrophages were investigated. METHODS: In C. parvum-treated rats, the pathological appearance of liver cells was serially measured in serum following endotoxin administration and compared with the appearance in the perfusate during closed liver perfusion with endotoxin. RESULTS: Serum activities of tumor necrosis factor, purine nucleoside phosphorylase present in both hepatocytes and sinusoidal endothelial cells, and levels of alanine aminotransferase were higher after 30 minutes, 1 hour, and 3 hours, respectively. Pretreatment of rats with gadolinium chloride, an inhibitor of macrophage function, reduced this liver injury. Although alanine aminotransferase activity remained almost unchanged in the liver perfusate, purine nucleoside phosphorylase activity increased. This increase was reduced when rats were pretreated with gadolinium chloride. There was sinusoidal endothelial cell damage around hepatic macrophages in the liver perfused with endotoxin. CONCLUSIONS: Activated hepatic macrophages may cause sinusoidal endothelial cell damage leading to hepatocyte necrosis in rats given C. parvum and endotoxin.

Alanine Transaminase↗
PubMed1993

A new method for assessment of collateral development after acute myocardial infarction.

OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study was to test the hypothesis that the diameter of the recipient coronary artery of the well developed collateral circulation in patients with acute myocardial infarction increases because of the augmented intravascular pressure caused by subsequent collateral development. BACKGROUND: It is well known that collateral circulation develops after acute myocardial infarction. However, some patients have a well developed collateral circulation at the onset of infarction, which may limit the angiographic evaluation of further development of collateral circulation. METHODS: We measured the diameter of the donor and recipient arteries of the collateral circulation by means of a computer-assisted analysis system in seven patients with acute myocardial infarction who had a totally occluded infarct-related coronary artery during the acute and chronic stages of infarction. All coronary angiograms were obtained after the administration of sublingual nitroglycerin. The measurement was repeated immediately after (within 6 h) and late after (42 +/- 11 days) the onset of acute myocardial infarction. RESULTS: The diameter of the donor artery remained unchanged (1.32 +/- 0.98 vs. 1.42 +/- 1.12 mm). In contrast, the diameter of the recipient artery increased from 1.25 +/- 0.63 to 1.55 +/- 0.61 mm (p < 0.01). These changes in coronary artery diameter were associated with an improvement in regional myocardial wall motion at rest in infarct areas (6.7 +/- 7.0% vs. 13.6 +/- 10.7%, p < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: These findings indicate that serial measurement of coronary artery diameter is useful for the evaluation of collateral development after acute myocardial infarction.

Aged↗
PubMed1993

Discrepancies between myocardial perfusion and free fatty acid metabolism in patients with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy.

To test the hypothesis that there are discrepancies between 201Tl- and 123I-beta-methylpentadecanoic acid (BMIPP) distribution in the left ventricular myocardium and to assess whether BMIPP is a useful tracer agent for the assessment of left ventricular function in hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM), myocardial single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) was performed with 201Tl and BMIPP in five normal subjects and 12 patients with asymmetric septal hypertrophy. Tracer uptake in the left ventricular myocardium was scored using a four-point grading system. A homogenous distribution of the tracer with no discrepancy between 201Tl and BMIPP uptake in the left ventricular myocardium was observed in each normal subject. In contrast, BMIPP uptake was reduced compared to 201Tl in 58 segments (40%) of the 144 myocardial segments in patients with HCM. Such discordant BMIPP uptake was observed in 15 segments (42%) of the septal segments, in 19 segments (53%) of the anterior segments, in eight segments (22%) of the lateral segments, and in 16 segments (44%) of the inferior segments. There was no significant correlation between 201Tl perfusion score and left ventricular ejection fraction, whereas there was a significant correlation between BMIPP perfusion score and left ventricular ejection fraction (r = 0.748; P < 0.01). The results indicated that there were discrepancies between 201Tl and BMIPP uptake in a significant proportion of myocardial segments, suggesting the impairment of fatty acid metabolism and that BMIPP is a useful tracer agent for the assessment of left ventricular function in hypertrophic cardiomyopathy.

Cardiomyopathy, Hypertrophic↗
PubMed1993

Cytotoxic effect of hemolytic culture supernatant from Enterococcus faecalis on mouse polymorphonuclear neutrophils and macrophages.

We reconfirmed that the LD50s of hemolytic Enterococcus faecalis strains were significantly less than those of nonhemolytic E. faecalis strains in normal mice. Hemolysin produced by E. faecalis lysed human, horse, rabbit, and mouse erythrocytes, but not cow and sheep erythrocytes. Sphingomyelin comprises a part of the lipid composition of the erythrocyte membrane of all mammalian species tested. But phosphatidylcholine exists only in human, horse, rabbit, and mouse. These two lipids inhibited lysis of horse erythrocytes by hemolytic E. faecalis. Phosphatidylcholine is probably the binding component on the membrane of erythrocytes for E. faecalis hemolysin. The hemolytic culture supernatant lysed not only erythrocytes but also mouse polymorphonuclear neutrophils (PMNs) and macrophages.

Animals↗
PubMed1993

Effects of sub-MICs of erythromycin and other macrolide antibiotics on serum sensitivity of Pseudomonas aeruginosa.

We examined the effects of sub-MICs of erythromycin (EM) and other macrolide antibiotics on the serum sensitivity of Pseudomonas aeruginosa. P. aeruginosa S-6 grown for 36 and 48 h on agar with 10 micrograms of EM per ml (1/10th the MIC) showed significantly increased sensitivity to human serum bactericidal activity compared with those of bacteria grown on agar without EM (P < 0.05). No changes in serum sensitivity were observed in bacteria grown for less than 24 h. This increased sensitivity was apparent even at a concentration of 1.5 micrograms of EM per ml (1/67th the MIC) in bacteria grown for 48 h (P < 0.01). Among the other macrolide antibiotics tested, clarithromycin also enhanced sensitivity to serum, but there were no changes in the sensitivities of bacteria grown on agar with kitasamycin, josamycin, rokitamycin, or oleandomycin even at a concentration of 12 micrograms/ml (1/16th, 1/16th, 1/8th, and 1/33rd the MICs, respectively). P. aeruginosa S-6 grown on agar with subinhibitory concentrations of EM showed decreased cell surface hydrophobicity in a dose-dependent manner, whereas oleandomycin and rokitamycin, even at a concentration of 12 micrograms/ml, induced a slight decrease in hydrophobicity which was approximately equivalent to that of 1.5 micrograms of EM per ml. Among six other strains of the nonmucoid phenotype, three strains became more sensitive to serum by exposure to 10 micrograms of EM per ml for 48 h. In contrast, no evident correlation between EM treatment and a change in serum sensitivity was observed in six strains of the mucoid phenotype, as judged by the results of experiments with both 2 and 0.4% serum. These results show that EM at subinhibitory concentrations enhances the serum sensitivity of some P. aeruginosa strains. Since induced serum sensitivity was accompanied by a decrease in bacterial cell surface hydrophobicity, EM may render P. aeruginosa more serum sensitive by changing the cell surface structure(s) of this organism.

Anti-Bacterial Agents↗
PubMed1993

Comparative efficacy of thrombolytic therapy for acute myocardial infarction in patients with and without chronic preinfarction angina.

To resolve the question of whether coronary thrombolysis for acute myocardial infarction is more effective in patients with or in those without chronic preinfarction angina, we retrospectively analyzed cineventriculograms in 54 patients with the first anterior Q-wave myocardial infarction during the chronic stage of myocardial infarction. Patients were divided into 2 groups according to the presence (group A, n = 24) or absence (group B, n = 30) of chronic preinfarction angina. In group A, 16 had either intracoronary (n = 6) or intravenous (n = 10) coronary thrombolysis with urokinase within 6 h after the onset of acute myocardial infarction. In group B, 11 had either intracoronary (n = 4) or intravenous (n = 7) coronary thrombolysis within 6 h after the onset of acute myocardial infarction. Global left ventricular ejection fraction and regional wall motion in infarct areas were evaluated quantitatively. In group A, the percentage of systolic segment shortening in infarct areas was 20 +/- (SD) 16% in patients with thrombolytic therapy and 17 +/- 15% in those with conventional therapy (p = NS). By contrast, in group B, the regional wall motion in infarct areas was significantly (p < 0.01) better in patients with thrombolytic therapy compared to those with conventional therapy (13 +/- 10 vs. 3 +/- 8%). Thus, patients without chronic preinfarction angina might benefit from coronary thrombolysis, while in those with preinfarction angina the beneficial effect of thrombolytic therapy may be relatively limited.

Adult↗