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Biomedical subjects

E Ueno

Publications and source records attributed to E Ueno.

At least 55 records · Page 3Linked to original sources
PubMed1998

[Demonstration of normal bile duct and pancreatic duct with MR cholangiopancreatography].

Demonstration of normal bile duct and pancreatic duct with MR cholangiopancreatography was assessed in 78 patients including 19 cases of not impacted gallstone. Breath hold 2D-MRCP and intermittent breath hold 3D-MRCP was performed with half-Fourier fast spin echo technique using 1.5 T imager and surface coil. Diagnostic depiction rates of main pancreatic duct were 99% in the head, 97% in the body, and 91% in the tail, and of extrahepatic bile duct was 100%. Visualization of accessory pancreatic duct was 42%, but of side branch of pancreatic duct in the body to tail was poor. Anatomic variants of the biliary tree were seen in 15 cases. The reason of poor demonstration was the poor breath hold. In the majority of patients, MRCP can provide the accurate information of pancreaticobiliary tract without dilatation.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1997

A novel therapeutic approach for rectal varices: a case report of rectal varices treated with double balloon-occluded embolotherapy.

We present a patient with continuous melena, diagnosed as rectal varices bleeding. She had a history of esophageal varices, which was treated by endoscopic ligation therapy. Eight years after the treatment of esophageal varices, the continuous melena began. Colonoscopic examination showed that the melena was caused by rectal varices, which were so severe that they could not be treated by either endoscopic sclerotherapy or surgical devascularization. Taking into considering the overall risk of treating rectal varices, we chose the approach of double balloon-occluded embolotherapy (DBOE) with 5% ethanolamine oleate with iopamodol as a liquid embolic material. DBOE is one of the interventional radiology techniques (Morita et al., Acta Hepatol Jpn 1994;35:109-120), but in this case was a completely new and novel clinical procedure for rectal varices. After the DBOE therapy, the condition of rectal varices was markedly improved. Thus, DBOE might be a new tool for treating inoperable rectal varices.

Aged↗
PubMed1997

Reactivity of recombinant Treponema pallidum (r-Tp) antigens with anti-Tp antibodies in human syphilitic sera evaluated by ELISA.

We evaluated the immunoreactivity of recombinant Treponema pallidum (r-Tp) antigens with human sera by indirect enzyme-linked immunoabsorbant assay (ELISA). We expressed antigens with a molecular weight (MW) of 17KDa, 15KDa, 47KDa, and 42KDa, which are believed to be major immunoreactive membrane proteins of Tp cells. The expressed proteins were described by adding the prefix M, S, and G to the corresponding Tp antigens, namely, mature antigens, signal sequence containing antigens, and glutathione s-transferase (GST)-fused antigen in this report. A rather high expression occurred for M47 and S42 proteins in the Escherichia coli system, whereas for M15 and M17 proteins, a poor expression was observed. However, a fairly high expression occurred for G15 and G17. Thus expressed proteins were purified by means of chromatographies to a level of > 95%, and the purified proteins were found to be reactive with TPHA positive serum by Western blotting (WB). An ELISA performed with a serum of 1/1000 dilution using these purified antigens for coating on the solid phase showed that G17 antigen was more effective in detecting syphilis antibodies in human serum than M47, S42, and G15. There was a good consistency between ELISA and TPHA, whereby the cutoff indexes (CI) on ELISA showed a correlation coefficient of 0.7276 in logarithmic TPHA titers.

Animals↗
PubMed1996

Differential effects of snake venom phospholipase A2 neurotoxin (beta-bungarotoxin) and enzyme (Naja naja atra) on protein kinases.

The phospholipase A2 (PLA2) neurotoxin, beta-bungarotoxin (beta-BuTX), presynaptically alters acetylcholine release. We previously found that beta-BuTX inhibits protein phosphorylation in rat brain synaptosomes. This inhibition was not due to the inhibition of ATP synthesis, the action of arachidonic acid (AA) metabolites, or the stimulation of phosphatase activities. A typical PLA2 enzyme from Naja naja atra (N. n. atra) venom also inhibited phosphorylation but with lesser potency than that of beta-BuTX. We now report the effects of beta-BuTX and N. n. atra PLA2 on the activities of protein kinases. Treatments of synaptic plasma membrane or cytosol with N. n. atra PLA2 stimulated the activities of cAMP-dependent kinase, Ca2+/calmodulin-dependent kinase II, and protein kinase C (PKC), whereas beta-BuTX had no effect on these kinases. Calyculin A, a phosphatase-1 and -2A inhibitor, increased the stimulation of phosphorylation by N. n. atra PLA2, indicating that the stimulation is not due to an inhibition of phosphatase activities. The stimulation of PKC by N. n. atra PLA2 appears to be mediated by free fatty acids (FFAs) resulting from phospholipid hydrolysis by PLA2, since (1) treatment of either synaptic plasma membrane or cytosol with N. n. atra PLA2 produced large amounts of FFAs, and (2) AA, an exogenous FFA, stimulated PKC activity to an extent similar to that caused by N. n. atra PLA2. Thus, the mechanisms of action of beta-BuTX and N. n. atra PLA2 appear quite different from each other although both agents inhibit phosphorylation in intact synaptosomes.

Animals↗
PubMed1996

Breast ultrasound.

In ultrasound, ultrasonic images are formed by means of echoes among tissues with different acoustic impedance. Acoustic impedance is the product of sound speed and bulk modulus. The bulk modulus expresses the elasticity of an object, and in the human body, the value is increased by conditions such as fibrosis and calcification. The sound speed is usually high in elastic tissues and low in water. In the body, it is lowest in the fatty tissue. Ultrasound echoes are strong on the surface of bones which are hard and have a high sound speed. In organs filled with air such as the lungs, the bulk modulus is low and the sound speed is extremely low at 340 m/s, which produce strong echoes (the sound speed in solid tissues is 1,530 m/s). Human tissue is constructed of units smaller than the ultrasonic beam, and it is necessary to understand back-scattering in order to understand the ultrasonic images of these tissues. When ultrasound passes through tissue, it is absorbed as thermal energy and attenuated. Fiber is a tissue with a high absorption and attenuation rate. When the rate increases, the posterior echoes are attenuated. However, in masses with a high water content such as cysts, the posterior echoes are accentuated. This phenomenon is an important, basic finding for determining the properties of tumors. Breast cancer can be classified into two types: stellate carcinoma and circumscribed carcinoma. Since stellate carcinoma is rich in fiber, the posterior echoes are attenuated or lacking. However, circumscribed carcinoma has a high cellularity and the posterior echoes are accentuated. The same tendency is also seen in benign tumors. In immature fibroadenomas, posterior echoes are accentuated, while in fibroadenomas with hyalinosis, the posterior echoes are attenuated. Therefore, if the fundamentals of this tissue characterization and the histological features are understood, reading of ultrasound becomes easy. Color Doppler has also been developed and has contributed to the diagnosis of breast cancer. Breast cancer is rich in blood vessels. The feeding arteries flow directly into the tumor and are characterized by tortuosity and flexion. Since the intraductal spread of breast cancer can easily be evaluated, ultrasound has come to play an important role in breast conserving treatment. Breast cancer with intraductal spreading causes dilation of the mammary ducts, and the resolution of ultrasound at present has been improved to the degree that this dilation is shown as a tubular hypoechoic area. With the progress made in imaging diagnosis, nonpalpable breast cancer has increased and ultrasonically-guided aspiration cytology and biopsy techniques have been developed to obtain definite diagnoses of these lesions. In cases of micro-calcification detected by mammography, ultrasonically guided biopsy is recommended when identification by ultrasound is possible. Since this is a simple technique, it should be mastered.

Adult↗
PubMed1996

Balloon-occluded retrograde transvenous obliteration (BRTO), a promising nonsurgical therapy for ectopic varices: a case report of successful treatment of duodenal varices by BRTO.

We present a patient with massive tarry stool, diagnosed as duodenal varices bleeding. Endoscopic ligation (EL) therapy was carried out for the varices, but because the possibility of re-bleeding remained, we treated the varices with balloon-occluded retrograde transvenous obliteration (BRTO), and duodenal varices were successfully decompressed without any complications. BRTO might be a novel therapeutic approach for ectopic varices, including duodenal varices.

Catheterization↗
PubMed1995

Antisense oligonucleotide inhibits the expression of procollagen type III gene in mouse fibroblasts.

The effects of transfection of phosphorothioate antisense oligonucleotides (ASOs) into BALB/c 3T3 mouse fibroblasts on procollagen type III production were examined. Immunohistochemistry and Western blots showed that the expression of procollagen type III decreased. Semi-quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction revealed that the expression of procollagen type III mRNA was inhibited. ASOs were effective for inhibiting procollagen type III production at the gene level, although the effect was transient.

3T3 Cells↗
PubMed1995

beta-Bungarotoxin blocks phorbol ester-stimulated phosphorylation of MARCKS, GAP-43 and synapsin I in rat brain synaptosomes.

The phospholipase A2 neurotoxin, beta-bungarotoxin, presynaptically blocks acetylcholine release. Its mechanism of action is unknown; however, our previous studies suggest that it inhibits phosphorylation of synaptosomal proteins, which might be expected to decrease neurotransmitter release. In our present study, we found that 1 nM beta-BuTX blocked phorbol ester-stimulated phosphorylation of GAP-43, MARCKS and synapsin I without affecting their basal phosphorylation. In contrast, a 1 nM concentration of the non-neurotoxic enzyme. Naja naja atra phospholipase A2 did not affect the phorbol ester-stimulated phosphorylation of these proteins but increased the basal phosphorylation of GAP-43 and MARCKS. Although it has been suggested that cytosolic calmodulin is increased by phosphorylation of the protein kinase C substrates, GAP-43 and MARCKS, we found no change in calmodulin levels by phorbol ester or beta-bungarotoxin. The stimulation of phosphorylation by Naja naja atra phospholipase A2 may be due to products liberated as a result of its phospholipase A2 activity. In contrast, the inhibition of phosphorylation by beta-bungarotoxin appears to be due to an action which may be unrelated its relatively weak phospholipase A2 activity. Inhibition of phosphorylation by beta-bungarotoxin is a possible mechanism by which it could block acetylcholine release. Furthermore, beta-bungarotoxin may be a useful tool to study the physiological role of phosphorylation of synaptosomal proteins in neurotransmitter release.

Animals↗
PubMed1995

Use of Doppler color flow imaging for differential diagnosis of vascular malformations: a preliminary report.

PURPOSE: To ascertain whether Doppler color flow imaging can demonstrate the characteristics of blood flow within vascular lesions. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Two cases with vascular malformation in the soft tissues of the maxillofacial region were examined. One was an arteriovenous, high-flow type malformation involving the tongue, the floor of the mouth, and the mandible. The other was a venous, low-flow type malformation of the whole tongue. The technique used was the same as that for the extraoral approach in conventional ultrasound imaging. RESULTS: Doppler color flow imaging provided valuable information on the hemodynamic characteristics of the vascular malformations when comparing with other diagnostic forms of imaging, and clearly differentiated between high- and low-flow vascular lesions. CONCLUSION: Doppler color flow imaging was suggested to be another method in our armamentarium for differential diagnosis of vascular malformations.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1995

[Analysis of gait disturbance in a patient with corticobasal degeneration].

A 64-year-old right-handed man was admitted because of increasing clumsiness of the right hand and difficulty in walking since 8 months earlier. The WAIS revealed verbal IQ 124, performance IQ 104 and full scale IQ 115. Neurological examination revealed slight dysarthria and normal eye movements. The right upper extremity showed Gegenhalten, tremor, dystonic elbow flexion, marked grasp reflex, grasping and groping behavior. Voluntary movements were slow and clumsy on the right side. However, neither ideational nor ideomotor apraxia was observed. Tendon reflexes were slightly exaggerated on the right side. Plantar responses were normal. The patient had difficulty in initiating forward walking and turning movements. Once started, he walked dragging his right foot ahead of the left with short steps. A line on the floor was of no benefit. He could not stride across the line on the floor in front of him. Analysis of gait with floor reaction force revealed that the single step rhythm of his frozen gait was about 1.5 Hz, which contrasted with the high frequency seen in Parkinson's disease. MRI demonstrated atrophy of the frontal and parietal lobes on both sides. 123I-IMP single-photon emission CT demonstrated severe hypoperfusion of the left frontal and parietal lobes. Frozen or shuffling gait is a popular symptom as well as unsteady gait and tendency to fall in corticobasal degeneration. It may result from the frontal lobe dysfunction. Lack of improvement in freezing by the visual input contrasts with Parkinson's disease and may be related to dysfunction of the mesial part of the frontal lobe or the parietal lobe involved in corticobasal degeneration.

Basal Ganglia Diseases↗
PubMed1995

A candidate gene for RNA export carrier protein has two RBDs (RNA binding domain and Ran binding domain).

The human Ras-related nuclear protein Ran/TC4 is the member of a well conserved family of GTPases that can regulate cell-cycle progression, nuclear structure, protein import, and RNA export through nuclear pore complex (NPC). Translocation of RNA through the NPC also needs a RNA-binding protein as a possible mediator of export. By a low-stringency hybridization with a PCR fragment encoding RNA-binding domain as a probe, we obtained a partial human cDNA from skeletal muscle cDNA library. The deduced amino acid sequence indicated that the gene possessed both RNA-binding domain and Ran-binding domain, therefore it is a candidate gene for RNA export carrier protein. RNA blot analysis showed that this gene appeared approximately 8-10 kilo base in length and that the gene expression level in several human tissues is ubiquitous. The function of the gene will be discussed.

Animals↗
PubMed1994

[Clinical diagnosis of early breast cancer].

During the recent 5 years between 1988 and 1992, 254 cases of breast cancer were experienced in the Tsukuba University Hospital. Of them, 80 cases were palpable cancers measuring less than 2cm and 37 cases were nonpalpable cancers. The total of early cancers was 117 cases, 43.3% of all cases. Noninvasive carcinoma without minimally invasive carcinomas were 35 cases, 13.2% (ductal ca: 27, lobularca: 2, Paget ca: 6). According to the palpability of tumour mass, the sensitivity and accuracy rate of palpable early masses are 56.6% and 88.4% by physical examination, 57.9% and 96.4% by mammography, 77.6% and 82.5% by echography respectively. Those of nonpalpable diseases are 29.0% and 88.8% by physical examination, 42.9% and 91.2% by mammography, and 32.1% and 76.8% by echography. The sensitivity of echography for palpable breast cancer is extremely high. On the other hand, mammography is the most effective for nonpalpable cancer. For the detection of noninvasive carcinoma, characteristics of nipple discharge, measurement of CEA in nipple discharge and erosion of the nipple are other important factors.

Adult↗
PubMed1993

[Apraxia of gait and disorders in posture and locomotion].

Apraxia of gait is a unique disorder of locomotion characterized by inability in lifting the feet from the floor despite alternating stepping action (frozen gait), and disequilibrium. Responsible site of lesions are in the frontal lobe and/or the basal ganglia. It is observed in an advanced stage of Parkinson's (PD) or vascular parkinsonism with multiple cerebral infarction (MCI). Studies on equilibrium and natural gait have disclosed unique features in this condition. Records of floor reaction forces in forward locomotion showed that vertical-foreaft vector angles at kick-off phase is small in both PD and MCI with frozen gait. EMG of antagonists in leg muscles were either reciprocal or coincided in frozen gait, and rhythm of stepping was crucial for development of freezing. Center of foot pressure (CFP) in forward-bent natural posture in PD still locates behind that of normals. For voluntary forward bending, maximal shift of CFP was smaller, and increase in EMG was larger in PD subjects. Pushing chest backward results in step-out or fall in parkinsonians. In this response, EMG in the pretibial muscles were the same amount in both PD and normals. However, velocity in hip extension and amount of knee and ankle displacement were smaller in PD.

Apraxias↗
PubMed1993

[Current status of ultrasound examination of the superficial organs (breast and thyroid)].

The ultrasound examination of superficial organs began with the application of the breast and thyroid. After the development of the high resolution real-time echography, this method has also been used for the examination of the salivary gland, parathyroid and lymph nodes, and it has become an indispensable diagnostic equipment, owing to low price, high diagnostic accuracy rate, short examination time and no invasiveness. Recently, colour Doppler equipment has developed and it has altered the reliability of ultrasound. [Breast]. The real-time method brought about the evaluation of compressibility and mobility by the dynamic test, and the interruption of the borderline of the mammary gland was added to the diagnostic criteria for breast cancer. Colour Doppler imaging will become a useful method to diagnose tumours, by evaluating the vascularity, blood flow volume or flow velocity. For nonpalpable tumours, ultrasonically guided aspiration cytology and biopsy were devised and they showed good results. [Thyroid]. Thyroid echography, together with aspiration cytology, became an integral part of the diagnostic method for thyroid cancer, and the necessity of the X-ray of the thyroid has decreased. The accuracy rate for papillary carcinoma recorded more than 80%. In the screening, the detection rate of carcinoma is now 1%. The differential diagnosis between carcinoma and adenoma, which both have a follicular pattern, is a problem yet to be solved. [Parathyroid]. Hyperplasia and adenoma of the parathyroid show hypoechoic and hypervascular area. In addition, the salivary gland and lymph nodes can also be evaluated with echography.

Humans↗