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Biomedical subjects

A Watanabe

Publications and source records attributed to A Watanabe.

At least 955 records · Page 53Linked to original sources
PubMed1983

[Clinical experience with cefpiramide in pediatrics].

Clinical effects of cefpiramide (CPM) on 10 respiratory tract infections were excellent in 9 and poor in 1, and those on 3 urinary tract infections were excellent in 3. Although CPM is considered to be excreted mainly into bile, it was suggested that the excretion rate of CPM at doses of 10 approximately 20 mg/kg into urine is good enough. Antibacterial activity of CPM was considered to be almost the same as that of cefmetazole and cefoperazone. As to side effects, weak diarrhea was observed in 2 cases. This should be considered when CPM is given to children because of its main excretion route to bile duct.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1983

[Effect of beta-phenylethylamine on locomotor activity and brain catecholamine metabolism in mice].

beta-Phenylethylamine (PEA) is a naturally occurring compound and its structure is close to amphetamine. The effects of PEA on locomotor activity and brain catecholamine metabolism in mice were investigated. Mice were injected with PEA 50 mg/kg intraperitoneally. PEA produced increased locomotor activity between 3 and 6 min, then a decline to 20 min after the injection. There was decreased activity with a slight stereotyped behavior consisted of sniffing and head bobbing between 15 and 20 min. 3-Methoxy-4-hydroxy-phenylethyleneglycol (MHPG), homovanillic acid (HVA) and 3,4-dihydroxyphenylacetic acid (DOPAC) levels in the whole brain were examined. MHPG levels showed no remarkable changes at 5 min after PEA, then increase at 30 and 60 min. HVA level was increased but DOPAC level was decreased at 60 min. Type B monoamine oxidase activity showed no remarkable changes in discrete regions of the brain at 5 and 30 min. These results suggest that PEA may not only release catecholamines but inhibit the reuptake of neurogenically released dopamine.

3,4-Dihydroxyphenylacetic Acid↗
PubMed1983

[Comparison of side effects of intravenous cephapirin and cephalothin with special reference to the incidence of phlebitis].

The frequency and severity of side effects, above all, phlebitis, associated with an intravenous use of cephapirin (CEPR) or cephalothin (CET) was compared in 69 patients with infections. Two grams of each drug were administered intravenously twice a day with a 21-G vein needle in one of the two arms of the patients. CEPR was administered to 32 patients, and CET to 37 patients respectively. After treatment, the status of the veins was checked, and laboratory findings and other side effects were evaluated daily. Each drug appeared to be equally efficacious in the treatment of infections. The administration of CEPR was associated with a slightly lower rate of phlebitis and other side effects, but the difference between the 2 drugs was not significant (0.05 less than P less than 0.10). Phlebitis was observed in 1 patient (3.1%) of CEPR group and in 3 patients (8.1%) of CET group. Side effects, including phlebitis, were observed in 4 patients (12.5%) of CEPR group and in 12 patients (32.4%) of CET group. In CET group, drug exanthema (3 cases), drug fever (3 cases), and abnormalities in liver function (4 cases) were observed. These findings, together with the results of other reports, suggest that CEPR is a safe and useful drug in the treatment of infection as compared with CET.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1982

Regulation of rat alpha-fetoprotein production by methionine during ethionine-hepatocarcinogenesis.

The levels of serum alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) in rats were determined during hepatocarcinogenesis with ethionine, and the effects of methionine administration on serum AFP elevation in these animals were studied with the aim of investigating regulatory mechanisms of AFP was observed 6 weeks following the start of feeding a diet containing 0.25% ethionine and again at the 22nd week of feeding, when a well-differentiated hepatoma had already developed. These biphasic elevations of serum AFP concentrations in rats fed a 0.25% ethionine-containing diet decreased abruptly an significantly following a change to the basal diet either supplemented with or without 0.7% methionine. The possibility that regulation of AFP production in these rats may correlate with methionine metabolisms is discussed on the basis of the experimental data obtained.

Animals↗
PubMed1982

Electrical responses to mechanical stimulation of the membrane of squid giant axons.

The mechano-electrical transduction in the squid axon was studied. A certain volume of solution was intracellularly injected, subsequently redrawn, by a microsyringe, and the resultant expansion and shrinkage of the cell was employed as the mechanical stimulus. Upon stimulation, two types of responses appeared: a depolarizing response and a hyperpolarizing response. The former appeared on large stimulation, but the shape and magnitude were variable even with the same stimulation, and the recovery was very slow. The latter appeared constantly on small stimulation. This hyperpolarizing response was associated with an increase in membrane conductance. Application of inward current through the membrane reversed the sign of the response. The reversal potential was 5-15 mV more negative than the resting potential. It was greatly affected by extracellular K+ concentration. Tetraethylammonium, applied intracellularly, reduced the amplitude of the hyperpolarizing response. However, 4-aminopyridine, tetrodotoxin, and procaine did not affect the response at all. The response became larger when the temperature was reduced. It is possible that the mechanically-induced hyperpolarizing response arises from an increase of potassium and leakage conductance.

Animals↗
PubMed1982

Alpha-fetoprotein dynamics during ethionine-induced hepatocarcinogenesis in rat.

Rats fed on a diet containing 0.25% DL-ethionine (ethionine), which has been usually used as carcinogenic dose, demonstrated the early elevations of serum alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) approximately in week 6 of the feedings. After declining once between week 10 and 14, the serum AFP levels increased again in week 22 of the continuous feeding, when well differentiated hepatocellular carcinoma had already developed. The level of serum AFP after development of hepatoma was found to be lower than those seen during the early elevation of AFP. Furthermore, in ethionine-induced hepatoma-bearing rats, AFP levels in the tumors were rather low as compared to those in the nontumorous portions of the liver surrounding the tumors. The results indicated that ethionine-induced hepatocellular carcinoma is not an AFP-highly-producing tumor.

Animals↗
PubMed1982

Influence of methionine administration on serum alpha-fetoprotein levels in ethionine-injured rats.

Serum alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) concentrations increased promptly 2 days following a single injection of DL-ethionine (ethionine) in adult female rats. Continuous elevation of serum AFP was also observed on feeding a diet containing 1% ethionine for at least 2-3 weeks. A rise of serum AFP was not found if the diet was supplemented with 2.8% methionine. Furthermore, in rats fed on 1% ethionine for 2 weeks, dietary change to the laboratory chow supplemented with and without 2.8% methionine produced a decrease of increased serum AFP levels.

Animals↗
PubMed1982

Insulin and glucagon concentrations in the portal and peripheral blood in liver-injured and partially hepatectomized rats.

Insulin and glucagon concentrations in the peripheral and portal circulation were comparatively determined during 48 hours following partial hepatectomy and hepatotoxin treatment. Insulin and glucagon levels both in the peripheral and portal blood increased 24 hours after carbon tetrachloride (CCl4) and D-galactosamine administrations, when nearly maximum degree of liver injury has been occurred. Thereafter glucagon continued to rise further, but insulin diminished sharply at the 48th hour of the hepatotoxin treatment. In partially hepatectomized rats, glucagon levels both in the peripheral and portal blood increased to a greater extent but insulin only in the portal circulation slightly elevated. The liver under repaired process of acute CCl4 and galactosamine liver injuries can not uptake glucagon from the portal blood, but the regenerating liver following partial hepatectomy showed the increased uptake of glucagon as well as insulin. Different behaviors of glucagon uptake by the liver under these experimental conditions may support our previous observations that repair process of liver injury is pathophysiologically different from liver regeneration following partial hepatectomy.

Animals↗
PubMed1982

Characteristics change in serum amino acid levels in different types of hepatic encephalopathy.

Serum amino acid patterns in patients with different types of hepatic encephalopathy were investigated. Marked elevations in most of serum amino acids observed in untreated patients with acute type of fulminant hepatitis were not remarkable in the patients who have already treated; particularly branched chain amino acids (BCAA), phenylalanine and tyrosine were much lower in the latter group. However, elevation of serum methionine levels and lower ratio of BCAA/(phenylalanine + tyrosine) were similarly observed in both groups. In encephalopathic patients with decompensated cirrhosis, many amino acids such as phenylalanine, tyrosine and methionine were elevated with a slight depressed levels of serum BCAA. Highly significant decrease in serum BCAA levels and no elevation of phenylalanine and methionine with a minimal increase of tyrosine were observed in patients with chronic type of hepatic encephalopathy; other amino acids except for glutamine and arginine were much lower as compared to those in decompensated cirrhotics and even to the control values.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1982

Primary carcinoma of the gallbladder and the extrahepatic bile duct.

The clinical records of 68 patients with primary carcinoma of the gallbladder (39 cases) and the extrahepatic biliary tracts (29 cases) were comparatively reviewed. The survivals with carcinoma of the gallbladder were limited to five patients operated upon because of cholelithiasis and/or cholecystitis. The majority of the cases preoperatively diagnosed as cancer of the gallbladder were not able to undergo radical cholecystectomy. Of seven patients with radically resected tumors among 29 cases with carcinoma of the extrahepatic biliary tracts, only two patients survived and other five died with locally recurrent tumors. This experience reemphasizes the inadequacy of the present diagnosing approaches to the diseases. Therefore, for discovery of the early cases with primary carcinoma of the gallbladder and the extrahepatic biliary tracts, it may be far more important to make more aggressive measures by using newly developed diagnosing tools.

Adult↗
PubMed1982

Effects of intraduodenal feeding of a branched-chain amino acid-rich solution on ammonia-induced encephalopathy in liver-injured rats.

A preventive effect of intraduodenal prefeeding of a branched-chain amino acid (BCAA)-rich solution on ammonia-induced encephalopathy was investigated with carbon tetrachloride CC14-injured rats with the elevated levels of blood ammonia. Five out of six cirrhotic rats, to which an electrolyte solution alone was preinfused for 24 hours, fell into coma following ammonia acetate injection and two comatose rats died. However, no cirrhotic rats preinfused with a BCAA-rich solution died and only two out of the six showed coma with complete recovery. The similar preventive effect could not be observed in rats with acute liver injury.

Acetates↗
PubMed1982

Translation of mRNAs for subunits of chloroplast coupling factor 1 in spinach.

The chloroplast coupling factor 1 consists of five nonidentical subunits, three of which (alpha, beta, and epsilon subunits) have been shown in several laboratories to be synthesized within chloroplasts. The site of synthesis of the remaining two (gamma and delta subunits) was investigated by analyzing products directed by spinach leaf RNAs in wheat germ and reticulocyte translation systems in vitro. It was found that poly(A)(+) RNA directs the synthesis of two distinct polypeptides, one of which is immunochemically related to the gamma subunit but is 4,000 daltons larger. The other shares antigenic sites with the delta subunit but is 8,000 daltons larger. When wheat germ or reticulocyte translation systems were programmed with RNAs from purified chloroplasts, the only products related to CF(1) that we could detect were a putative precursor of beta, 2,000 daltons larger than the mature subunit, and some smaller polypeptides, which appear to be incomplete translation products of beta. From these results it appears likely that the gamma and delta subunits are synthesized in the cytoplasm as larger precursors and that beta is synthesized within the chloroplast as a precursor.

Journal Article↗