[Progress on diagnosis of Behcet's syndrome].
Explore the source record for details and available documents.
Biomedical subjects
Publications and source records attributed to A Takeuchi.
Explore the source record for details and available documents.
Quantitative measurements of regional cerebral blood flow with N-isopropyl-(Iodine 123)p-iodoamphetamine (I-123 IMP) as a microsphere model were performed in forty cases. The regional cerebral blood flow values obtained with I-123 IMP were slightly underestimated compared with those of Xe-133 inhalation methods (y = 0.90x-2.1, r = 0.85, p less than 0.01). After correction by global extraction (87%) between the artery and internal jugular vein, which was measured in four patients by means of a catheter technique, the underestimation of the values obtained with I-123 IMP was improved (y = 1.0x-2.4, r = 0.85, p less than 0.01). Several problems in the accurate quantitative measurement of regional cerebral blood flow with I-123 IMP are discussed.
We have found that carp and bastard halibut contain 25-hydroxyvitamin D3 (25-D3)-1 alpha-hydroxylase in the liver besides in the kidney by the following in vivo and in vitro experiments. When [3H]-25-D3 was intraperitoneally injected to vitamin D(D)-deficient carp and normal bastard halibut (D-deficient bastard halibut could not be raised because they died during farming), the profiles of high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) of the plasma lipid extract showed the formation of a peak corresponding to [3H]-1 alpha,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 (1,25-D3). When [3H]-25-D3 was incubated with liver homogenates of the fish, a peak corresponding to [3H]-1,25-D3 was also observed in the profile of HPLC. The formation of the metabolite was confirmed by the thermal isomerization into the pre-isomer and mass fragmentography. Although the 1 alpha-hydroxylase was also observed in the kidney, the activity of the enzyme was lower than that in the liver. The results suggest that 25-D3-1 alpha-hydroxylase exists in the liver of carp and bastard halibut and the 25-D3 formed from D3 in the liver is immediately metabolized into 1,25-D3 in the same tissue. The suggestion is supported by the fact that D3 is a major circulating compound with small amounts of 1,25-D3 in the fish while the plasma levels of 25-D3 are under the limit of detection.
1. The distribution of excitatory amino acid receptors on ventral horn neurones was investigated using slices of newborn rat spinal cord. 2. The neurone and the tip of the pipette used to inject amino acids were visualized using Lucifer Yellow under a fluorescent microscope. The pipette was precisely located on the soma and dendrite of the neurone under visual control, and L-glutamate (Glu), L-aspartate (Asp), N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA), kainate (KA) and quisqualate (Quis) were ionophoretically applied with a short pulse. The potential changes were intracellularly recorded from the soma. 3. Sensitivity to Glu as tested with short pulses (1-2 ms) was almost the same at the soma and along dendrites. 4. The amplitude of the responses to NMDA produced at the soma and the proximal part of the dendrite was about the same as that of Glu, but smaller than that of Glu at the distal part of the dendrite. Suppression of the Glu potential by an NMDA receptor antagonist, 2-amino-5-phosphonovaleric acid (APV), was greater at the soma than at the dendrite, suggesting that the contribution of NMDA receptors to the Glu potential was greater at the soma. 5. Sensitivity to Asp was about one-half that to Glu sensitivity on the soma and even less on the dendrite. Sensitivity to KA was high at the soma and low at the dendrite. However, Quis responses were produced throughout the neurone. 6. The Quis response induced by the application of a short pulse showed two phases: a fast response followed by a very slow depolarization that lasted more than 10 s. 7. The fast Quis response was easily desensitized and insensitive to APV. The time course of the fast Quis potential was shorter than that of Glu. 8. The slow Quis response was more pronounced at the dendrites than at the soma and was reduced by the intracellular injection of EGTA, suggesting the contribution of Ca2+ in the cell, possibly mediated by a second messenger system. 9. Experimental results suggest that the distribution of excitatory amino acid receptors differs between the soma and the dendrites of spinal neurones.
A novel vitamin D3 analogue, [2 beta-(3-hydroxypropoxy)-calcitriol: ED-71] showed a similar Ca-regulating activity as calcitriol in the in vivo and in vitro Ca mobilization test and ex vivo intestinal Ca absorption assay using vitamin D-deficient rats. The differentiation-inducing activity of ED-71 in mouse myeloid leukemia cell line (WEHI-3 cell) was slightly less than that of calcitriol. ED-71 distributes predominantly in plasma as an intact form and its half-life plasma was twice as long as that of calcitriol. Further study revealed that the higher binding potency of ED-71 to plasma-specific vitamin D-binding protein (DBP) compared with that of calcitriol accounts for its stability in the blood circulation. The pharmacological effect of ED-71 for the animal models with osteoporosis seemed to be better than that calcitriol. These results suggest that ED-71 should become a valuable therapeutic long-acting drug for patients with osteoporosis.
The binding potencies of OCT to chick intestinal calcitriol receptor and vitamin DBP were approximately 1/8 and 1/600 of the respective values of calcitriol. OCT is circulating mainly as an intact form bound to chylomicrons and/or lipoproteins. Intravenously injected [3H]-OCT to normal rats was quickly decreased from blood and rapid excretion of OCT as a glucuronate into bile was observed. However, significant amounts of radioactivities were recovered in the intact form in liver and intestine even after 24 h. The separation of calcemic and immune and/or differentiation activities may be derived from the rapid turnover and the nonspecific transporting system.
Explore the source record for details and available documents.
Effects of the selective M1 receptor antagonist pirenzepine and the selective M2 receptor antagonist AF-DX 116 on ganglionic transmission were examined in anesthetized dogs, in order to elucidate a functional role of M1 and M2 receptors. Preganglionic or postganglionic stimulation of the cardiac sympathetic nerves (SNS, 0.5-16 Hz) produced frequency-dependent increases in heart rate. Pirenzepine (3-100 microgram/kg) caused dose-dependent and significant inhibition of positive chronotropic response to preganglionic SNS but not to postganglionic SNS. AF-DX 116 (10-100 micrograms/kg) had no effect on the preganglionic SNS-induced tachycardia. The simultaneous administration of pirenzepine (30 micrograms/kg) and hexamethonium (C6, 1 mg/kg), and the subsequent administration of 10 mg/kg of C6, inhibited more potently the tachycardic responses to preganglionic SNS than each dose of C6 did by itself. The enhancement by pirenzepine of the C6-induced inhibition was evident at high frequencies (8 and 16 Hz) of SNS. In contrast, the blocking effect of C6 (1 and 10 mg/kg) on ganglionic transmission was significantly attenuated by AF-DX 116 (30 micrograms/kg). The attenuation by AF-DX 116 was observed at a wide range of stimulation frequency (0.5-8 Hz). These results suggest that M1 receptors play a facilitatory role in ganglionic transmission but M2 receptors do not contribute to the transmission when nicotinic pathway is intact. However, the activation of M2 receptors would further suppress ganglionic transmission when nicotinic transmission is inhibited. Under these conditions, activation of M1 receptors would mediate the transmission elicited by high frequency of stimulation.
To clarify the effect of abnormal lipid metabolism and lipid deposition in glomerular injuries, we conducted clinical and pathological examination of various glomerulonephritis. There was no relationship between serum TC, TG or apo B and renal deposition of apo B or TG in glomerulonephritis. Apo B staining was intense for MCNS but was very weak for FGS. The staining was more intense in higher grade of glomerular injury in IgAN. Apo B demonstrated a specific pattern for MN, MPGN and lupus nephritis. These data suggest that apo B deposition reflects disturbance of glomerular permselectivity of macromolecules including abnormal influx, transport and endocytosis of macromolecules.
Cardiac involvement in Behçet's disease is quite uncommon. We report a case of Behçet's disease with aortic regurgitation of which histology was examined. A 56-year-old male came to our hospital with a complaint of right cervical pain. Diagnosis of aortic regurgitation was made by echocardiography, cardiac catheterization and aortography. As the cardiac lesion worsened, the operation of the aortic valve replacement was performed. On pathological examination, there was marked fibrous thickening on the aortic valve and the rupture of elastic tissue in the media of aortic wall. There was no history of rheumatic fever nor syphilis, and dilation of orifice of the aorta was not observed. Thus these changes were probably due to Behçet's disease itself.
The pharmacological responses of internal thoracic artery (ITA), gastroepiploic artery (GEA) and saphenous vein (SV) obtained from patients receiving coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) were assessed by isometric contraction records. The concentration-response curves for ergonovine and serotonin showed the leftward shift in SV compared with ITA and GEA. The 50% effective dose values of SV for ergonovine and serotonin were significantly less than those of ITA and GEA. The concentration-response curves for phenylephrine were similar among three kinds of grafts. There were no significant differences in the 50% effective dose values for phenylephrine among them. The effect of 0.4% papaverine chloride on the free graft flow was assessed in 15 patients receiving CABG with mean body surface area of 1.62 +/- 0.12 M2. The free flow of ITA graft was 71 +/- 32 ml/min before intraluminal papaverine injection, and that increased to 112 +/- 41 ml/min after injection. The free flow of GEA graft was 82 +/- 39 ml/min before injection, and that also increased to 128 +/- 40 ml/min after injection. The patency rates at the mean 2.2 months after grafting were 98% in ITA, 93% in GEA, and 88% in SV. In conclusion, both GEA graft and ITA graft can be expected as an excellent conduit in myocardial revascularization.
Peripheral lymphocytes from 14 patients with Behçet's disease (BD) were examined for frequencies of chromosomal aberration. The frequency of gaps and breaks were not high in patients with BD but the frequency of dicentrics was increased in patients treated with colchicine or anticancer medicines. Patients treated with neither colchicine nor anticancer medicines showed no increased frequency of dicentrics. Our data suggested that the effect of treatment with colchicine or anticancer medication was one of the causes of the chromosome aberration observed in some BD lymphocytes. No numerical abnormality was observed in BD lymphocytes.
Multiple bypass grafting in complete myocardial revascularization requires frequently the use of sequential saphenous vein grafts as well as arterial grafts. To expect the favorable good clinical results of revascularization, therefore, refined surgical technique for saphenous vein grafting and proper selection of suitable coronary arteries for bypass are important. Between January 1989 and April 1990, 91 patients underwent CABG utilizing internal thoracic arteries (ITA) in 79% and SVG in 99% of the patients with an average of 3.3 anastomoses per patients. Postoperative angiography was performed 4 or 8 weeks after surgery. Early patency rates were 92% (204/221) in overall anastomotic sites, 96% (52/54) in ITA and 91% (152/167) in SVG respectively. There was no difference in patency rates between individual (90%) and sequential (92%) grafts. In sequential grafting, however, patency rate of side-to-side anastomosis was higher than that of end-to-side anastomosis. Patency rates of the grafts were also evaluated in terms of the sizes of coronary arteries and intraoperative graft flows. These studies lead to the following conclusions: In individual grafting, the acceptable patency rate can be expected when the graft flow exceeds 30 ml/min even if the internal diameter of coronary artery is less than 1.5 mm. In sequential grafting, on the other hand, a diameter more than 1.5 mm is desirable for the coronary artery at the site of end-to-side anastomosis.
Seventy patients in whom the gastroepiploic artery was used for coronary artery bypass grafting were compared with 70 patients in whom the gastroepiploic artery was not used. Mean age was 56.8 years in the group in which this artery was used and 61.8 years in the group in which it was not (p less than 0.001). All other preoperative characteristics including number of women, extent of coronary artery disease, previous myocardial infarction, unstable angina, and preoperative left ventricular function were not significantly different between the two groups. An internal mammary artery graft was concomitantly used in 68 patients (97%) of the group with a gastroepiploic artery graft and in 61 patients (87%) without such a graft. The mean number of distal anastomoses was 3.3 and 3.4, aortic crossclamp time was 65.3 +/- 19.9 minutes and 54.0 +/- 20.1 minutes, and cardiopulmonary bypass time was 114.8 +/- 23.6 minutes and 112.9 +/- 25.0 minutes, respectively, in the groups with and without a gastroepiploic artery graft. Only aortic crossclamp time was significantly (p less than 0.05) longer in the group with a gastroepiploic artery graft. There were two (2.9%) early deaths and two (2.9%) new Q-wave infarctions in both groups. Intraaortic balloon pumping was required in five patients (7.1%) in the group with a gastroepiploic artery graft and in three patients (4.3%) without this graft. Postoperative complications were similar and rare in both groups. Intraoperative endoscopic laser Doppler study demonstrated no significant change of gastric mucosal blood flow before and after division of the gastroepiploic artery. We concluded that there is no additional risk in the use of the gastroepiploic artery for coronary bypass grafting, and a favorable outcome can be expected.
Image quality of dynamic single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) using a rotating gamma camera is dependent on the time activity variation of the tracer such as accumulation and excretion in the object's organ. Especially at the early time after injection of radionuclide, artifacts may occur strongly in the SPECT images. Simulated and experimental projection data of line sources and Jaszczak phantom were altered by sequentially weighting the projections with a function that varied linearly with time. With a variation of object activity given by linearly decaying functions, the main effect observed on the SPECT images obtained from simulated line sources was an elliptical deformation on the object. If the changing rate (R (t + 1)-R(t))/R(t) x 100 remained within 20% during acquisition, this deformation of SPECT images of line sources was not noticeable visually and resolution (FWHM) of line sources scarcely was degraded. In renal dynamic SPECT study using 99mTc-DTPA, the image quality of the first scan (30 sec) was considerably degraded. However, the changing rates after the third scan were less than 20% on the mean of 10 kidneys and the image quality was not noticeable visually.
We here present a case of allergic granulomatous angiitis (AGA) in a patient who died of perforation in the gallbladder and small intestine in spite of vigorous corticosteroid therapy. During his clinical course, we made close observations of the progress of this disease using visceral angiography; at first, multiple small aneurysms were detected in the proper hepatic and cystic arteries. Additionally, marginal irregularity was detected in a superior mesenteric arteriography. Secondly, after corticosteroid therapy these multiple small aneurysms were decreased remarkably in number but severe narrowing and marginal irregularity worsened. Furthermore, incessant production of rheumatoid factor (RF) was demonstrated; the serum level of RF was only slightly elevated upon admission, but gradually increased thereafter. It attained its maximal level at the time of death. Postmortem examination revealed healed necrotizing vasculitides with marked narrowing of the arterial lumina. It is speculated that a severe RF production might have been relevant to the progress of AGA in this case.
Interleukin 1 (IL-1) has been shown to have antiproliferative or cytocidal effects on several tumor cell lines and this effect is closely related to the induction of terminal differentiation of the target tumor cells. In this study we analyzed the antiproliferative effect of recombinant human IL-1 alpha on a human melanoma cell line A375 in relation to cell cycle. Nutrient-starved cells, most of which were in G0 + G1, were stimulated by culturing in fresh medium, causing them to enter S. IL-1 treatment induced a slight decrease in the first cell cycle progression from G0 + G1 to S. In addition IL-1 retarded progression of the cells through G2M and inhibited progression of the second cell cycle from G0 + G1 to S. Therefore we concluded that IL-1 exerts its antiproliferative effect by arresting the cells in G0 + G1.
N-(Benzyloxycarbonyl)-L-asparty-L-phenylalanine methyl ester, the precursor of the synthetic sweetener aspartame, was continuously synthesized in an immobilized thermolysin plug-flow type reactor at 25 degrees C with the substrates (N-benzyloxycarbonyl-L-aspartic acid and L-phenylalanine methyl ester) dissolved in ethyl acetate. The immobilized enzyme was quite stable in ethyl acetate containing 2.5% 0.01 M 2-(N-morpholino)ethanesulphonic acid-NaOH buffer, pH 6.0, and 20 mM CaCl2 with or without the substrate at 25 degrees C. By periodically washing the column, we could conduct a continuous reaction for over 500 h with an average yield of 95% and a space velocity of 1.85 h-1.