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Biomedical subjects

G Kajiyama

Publications and source records attributed to G Kajiyama.

At least 73 records · Page 4Linked to original sources

Abnormal magnesium status in patients with cardiovascular diseases.

To investigate magnesium status in patients with cardiovascular diseases and in those presenting high factors for these diseases, we measured the concentrations of serum total Mg, serum ionized Mg and intra-erythrocyte Mg. Mg is an important cofactor for many enzymes, especially those involved in phosphate transfer reactions. Mg deficiency has been shown to be associated with fatal cardiovascular diseases, as well as with risk factors for these diseases. Only measurement of the serum concentration of total Mg is routinely available, but ionized Mg is the physiologically active component. Furthermore, most of the body's Mg is present in the intracellular space. Subjects included patients with ischaemic heart disease (n=80), cardiac arrhythmia (n=60), diabetes mellitus (n=36), essential hypertension (n=194) and hypercholesterolaemia (n=60). The same measurements were made in healthy controls (30 men and 26 women; mean age 58+/-11 years). The serum ionized Mg concentration was measured with a selective ion electrode. The intra-erythrocyte Mg concentration was measured by atomic absorption. No gender difference was found for any Mg parameter, nor was age related to any Mg parameter. The serum albumin concentration was positively correlated only with the serum total Mg concentration. Although the serum total Mg concentration was similar in all groups, patients with diabetes mellitus and arrhythmia had lower serum levels of ionized Mg. Patients with essential hypertension exhibited higher intra-erythrocyte Mg concentrations than the healthy controls. Thus the measurement of serum total Mg concentration may obscure the presence of extracellular Mg deficiency in patients with arrhythmia and diabetes mellitus. Furthermore, the intracellular accumulation of Mg does not support the hypothesis of Mg deficiency in patients with essential hypertension.

Biomarkers↗

Detailed colonoscopy for detecting early superficial carcinoma: recent developments.

Early superficial colorectal carcinoma (CRC) has been commonly detected by routine colonoscopic examination in Japan. A series of 769 early CRCs and 4821 adenomas were diagnosed by colonoscopy at Hiroshima University Medical Hospital between 1991 and 1998. Of early CRCs, macroscopically superficial early CRCs accounted for 209 lesions (28%). Among 5590 lesions of adenomas and carcinomas, depressed-type lesions showed a significantly higher malignant potential for cancerous and submucosal invasion than elevated lesions (polypoid, IIa-type lesions, and G-LST). As one of the quantitative examinations for early CRC, pit pattern observed by magnifying video-colonoscopy was useful. We performed magnifying observations for 265 lesions of colorectal neoplasias using Kudo's pit pattern classification for 2 years. Depressed-type lesions characterized the Ills and V pit patterns, and elevated lesions characterized the III(L) pit pattern. The incidence of cancer was significantly higher in lesions with IIIs and V pit patterns. Furthermore, the V(N) pit pattern was considered a significant indicator of submucosal invasion. These results indicated that superficial early CRC could be considered to constitute about one-third of all early CRCs. Of them, the depressed-type lesions showed a significantly higher malignant potential than elevated lesions. Pit pattern observation by magnifying videocolonoscopy is useful for predicting the histology/invasion depth of early CRC.

Adenomatous Polyps↗

Comparison of properties of slow pathway potential between successful and unsuccessful radiofrequency applications in patients who underwent catheter ablation for atrioventricular nodal reentrant tachycardia.

Findings concerning selective slow pathway radiofrequency ablation for atrioventricular nodal reentrant tachycardia (AVNRT) using the slow pathway potential (SPP) guided method are reported. The electrogram at the SPP recording site showed double potentials consisting of the atrial potential (A) and SPP. However, SPP is usually recorded widely in the right atrial posteroseptal region. To examine whether there was any characteristic marker in the electrogram at the SPP recording site specific to successful RF application, the properties of SPP and its anatomical locations in both successful (S) (38 sites) and unsuccessful (UN) (28 sites) application sites were analyzed in 38 patients who underwent SPP-guided ablation. The distance between the upper margin of the coronary sinus ostium (UCSO) and the ablation catheter (ABL) (DUCSO-ABL) was shorter in S than in UN (2.3 +/- 6.3 mm vs. 9.0 +/- 5.2 mm below the level of UCSO, p < 0.001). The interval between A and SPP (A-SPP) was longer in S than in UN (44.2 +/- 9.9 msec vs. 24.0 +/- 7.0 msec, p < 0.001). RF applications at the more anterior sites with longer A-SPP were more successful than at other sites. The sensitivity and specificity of A-SPP (more than 40 msec) were superior to those of DUCSO-ABL (within 5 mm) as the marker for the successful application (sensitivity; 73.7% v.s. 68.4%, specificity; 100% v.s. 82.1%, respectively). In conclusion, the sites with longer A-SPP might be specific for successful ablation.

Adolescent↗

Regulation of disease-progression genes in human gastric carcinoma cells by interleukin 8.

The expression of interleukin 8 (IL-8) by human gastric carcinomas directly correlates with tumor vascularity and disease progression. To determine whether IL-8 can act in an autocrine manner to regulate the expression of other disease-progression genes, we examined the expression of IL-8 receptors IL-8RA (CXCR1) and IL-8RB (CXCR2) in six different human gastric carcinoma cell lines and 38 surgical specimens of human gastric carcinomas. All of the gastric carcinoma cell lines expressed mRNA and protein for IL-8RA and IL-8RB protein. In all surgical specimens, the majority of the tumor cells and small vessel endothelial cells stained positive for IL-8RA and IL-8RB protein. In vitro treatment of human gastric cancer MKN-1 cells with exogenous IL-8 enhanced the expression of epidermal growth factor receptor, type IV collagenase (metalloproteinase-9), vascular endothelial growth factor, and IL-8 mRNA. In contrast, treatment with exogenous IL-8 decreased expression of E-cadherin mRNA. IL-8 treatment increased invasive capacity of MKN-1 cells, which was associated with activity of metalloproteinase-9. Collectively, these results demonstrate that human gastric carcinoma cells express receptors for IL-8 and that IL-8 may play a role in the progressive growth of human gastric carcinoma by autocrine/paracrine mechanisms.

Cell Membrane↗

[L-arginine].

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Animals↗

[Evaluation of vascular endothelial function].

Endothelial function was evaluated in renal and forearm vessels from patients with essential hypertension. First, the increase in renal blood flow evaluated by the clearance of para-aminohippurate, serum c-GMP and urinary NOx during L-arginine infusion was significantly attenuated in essential hypertension. This attenuated endothelium-dependent vasodilation was improved by angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitor, but unchanged by calcium antagonist. Second, the increase in forearm blood flow evaluated by plethysmography during acetylcholine infusion or reactive hyperemia was attenuated in essential hypertension. This attenuation was abolished by NO synthesis inhibitor. Forearm endothelial function was improved by angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitor, daily aerobic exercise and body weight reduction by low calorie diet. In conclusion, endothelium-dependent vasodilation was attenuated in renal and forearm vasculature of essential hypertensives via reduction of NO synthesis. This attenuation can be improved by several treatments.

Acetylcholine↗

Regular aerobic exercise augments endothelium-dependent vascular relaxation in normotensive as well as hypertensive subjects: role of endothelium-derived nitric oxide.

BACKGROUND: Several nonpharmacological interventions, including exercise, are recommended in primary prevention of hypertension and other cardiovascular diseases in which the pathogenetic role of endothelial dysfunction has been suggested. We studied the effects of long-term aerobic exercise on endothelial function in patients with essential hypertension. METHODS AND RESULTS: The forearm blood flow was measured by strain-gauge plethysmography. The responses of forearm vasculature to acetylcholine were smaller in the hypertensive patients than in the normotensive subjects. There was no significant difference in forearm vascular responses to isosorbide dinitrate in the normotensive and hypertensive subjects. We evaluated the effects of physical exercise for 12 weeks on forearm hemodynamics in untreated patients with mild essential hypertension who were divided randomly into an exercise group (n=10) and a control group (n=7). After 12 weeks, the forearm blood flow response to acetylcholine increased significantly, from 25.8+/-9.8 to 32.3+/-11.2 mL. min(-1). 100 mL tissue(-1) (P<0.05), in the exercise group but not in the control group. The increase in the forearm blood flow after isosorbide dinitrate was similar before and after 12 weeks of follow-up in both groups. The infusion of N(G)-monomethyl-L-arginine abolished the exercise-induced enhancement of forearm vasorelaxation evoked by acetylcholine in the exercising group. In normotensive subjects also, long-term aerobic exercise augmented acetylcholine-stimulated nitric oxide release. CONCLUSIONS: These findings suggest that long-term physical exercise improves endothelium-dependent vasorelaxation through an increase in the release of nitric oxide in normotensive as well as hypertensive subjects.

Acetylcholine↗

Mutations of a novel human RAD54 homologue, RAD54B, in primary cancer.

Association of breast tumor susceptibility gene products BRCA1 and BRCA2 with the RAD51 recombination protein suggested that cancer could arise through defects in recombination. The identification of NBS1, responsible for Nijmegen breakage syndrome, from the MRE11/RAD50 recombination protein complex also supports this hypothesis. However, our mutation analysis revealed that known members of the RAD52 epistasis group are rarely mutated in human primary cancer. Here we describe the isolation of a novel member of the SNF2 superfamily, characterized with sequence motifs similar to those in DNA and RNA helicases. The gene, designated RAD54B, is significantly homologous to the RAD54 recombination gene. The expression of RAD54B was high in testis and spleen, which are active in meiotic and mitotic recombination. These findings suggest that RAD54B may play an active role in recombination processes in concert with other members of the RAD52 epistasis group. RAD54B maps to human chromosome 8q21.3-q22 in a region associated with cancer-related chromosomal abnormalities. Homozygous mutations at highly conserved positions of RAD54B were observed in human primary lymphoma and colon cancer. These findings suggest that some cancers arise through alterations of the RAD54B function.

Adenocarcinoma↗

Partial replacement of bile salts causes marked changes of cholesterol crystallization in supersaturated model bile systems.

Cholesterol crystallization is a key step in gallstone formation and is influenced by numerous factors. Human bile contains various bile salts having different hydrophobicity and micelle-forming capacities, but the importance of lipid composition to bile metastability remains unclear. This study investigated the effect of bile salts on cholesterol crystallization in model bile (MB) systems. Supersaturated MB systems were prepared with an identical composition on a molar basis (taurocholate/phosphatidylcholine/cholesterol, 152 mM:38 mM: 24 mM), except for partial replacement of taurocholate (10, 20, and 30%) with various taurine-conjugated bile salts. Cholesterol crystallization was quantitatively estimated by spectrophotometrically measuring crystal-related turbidity and morphologically scanned by video-enhanced microscopy. After partial replacement of taurocholate with hydrophobic bile salts, cholesterol crystallization increased dose-dependently without changing the size of vesicles or crystal morphology and the rank order of crystallization was deoxycholate>chenodeoxycholate>cholate (control MB). All of the hydrophilic bile salts (ursodeoxycholate, ursocholate and beta-muricholate) inhibited cholesterol precipitation by forming a stable liquid-crystal phase, and there were no significant differences among the hydrophilic bile-salt species. Cholesterol crystallization was markedly altered by partial replacement of bile salts with a different hydrophobicity. Thus minimal changes in bile-salt composition may dramatically alter bile lipid metastability.

Bile Acids and Salts↗

Relation between QT dispersion and adenosine triphosphate stress thallium-201 single-photon emission computed tomographic imaging for detecting myocardial ischemia and scar.

It is not known if QT dispersion is useful for detecting coronary artery disease. We investigated whether QT dispersion at baseline and during adenosine triphosphate (ATP) infusion correlate with the imaging patterns obtained from ATP stress thallium-201 single-photon emission computed tomography (ATP-SPECT). QT dispersion was determined in 169 patients who underwent ATP-SPECT from 12-lead electrocardiograms obtained at baseline and 3 minutes after the beginning of ATP infusion. Based on the results of ATP-SPECT, patients were divided into 4 groups: normal (n = 55), ischemia (n = 38), ischemia and scar (n = 42), and scar (n = 34). Baseline QT dispersions (mean +/- SD) in the normal, ischemia, ischemia and scar, and scar groups were 48 +/- 15, 50 +/- 17, 69 +/- 25, and 70 +/- 24 ms, respectively. Baseline QT dispersion was significantly greater in the groups with myocardial scar. QT dispersions during ATP infusion were 43 +/- 16, 63 +/- 20, 76 +/- 20, and 62 +/- 25 ms in the normal, ischemia, ischemia and scar, and scar groups, respectively. QT dispersion increased with ATP infusion in patients with myocardial ischemia. QT dispersion at baseline and during ATP infusion correlated with the ATP-SPECT imaging pattern. These findings suggest that baseline QT dispersion and ATP-induced changes in QT dispersion may help detect the presence of myocardial ischemia and scar.

Adenosine Triphosphate↗