Biomedical subjects

H Abe

Publications and source records attributed to H Abe.

At least 451 records · Page 25Linked to original sources

PubMed1997

Measurement of thickness of retinal nerve fiber layer by scanning laser polarimetry and high-pass resolution perimetry in patients with primary open-angle or normal-tension glaucoma.

PURPOSE: To evaluate the correlation between neural capacity, determined by high-pass resolution perimetry, and thickness of the retinal nerve fiber layer, evaluated by scanning laser polarimetry, in patients with primary open-angle glaucoma or normal-tension glaucoma. METHODS: Thickness of the peripapillary retinal nerve fiber layer was measured by scanning laser polarimetry in 19 eyes of 19 patients with primary open-angle glaucoma and in 23 eyes of 23 patients with normal-tension glaucoma. There were no significant differences between the two groups in mean age, sex ratio, or mean neural capacity. RESULTS: Neural capacity was significantly correlated with thickness of the retinal nerve fiber layer in all 42 eyes (r = 0.31, P = 0.0429). Neural capacity was significantly correlated with thickness of the retinal nerve fiber layer in the eyes of patients with primary open-angle glaucoma (r = 0.60, P = 0.0061), but not in the eyes of patients with normal-tension glaucoma (r = 0.04; P = 0.8522). CONCLUSION: The degree of correlation between neural capacity determined by high-pass resolution perimetry and thickness of the retinal nerve fiber layer measured by scanning laser polarimetry appeared to differ in patients with primary open-angle glaucoma vs those with normal-tension glaucoma.

Female↗

PubMed1997

Theoretical background of effect mechanism by extracorporeal immunomodulation.

Therapeutic plasmapheresis has usually been applied to diseases with unknown causes. Clear analysis of the mechanism of the effect that apheresis has on diseases derived from unknown causes has not been completed. The effect of leukocytapheresis on ulcerative colitis (UC) or rheumatoid arthritis (RA) also lacks clear analysis, but removal of 10(10) adhesive cells resulted in the suppression of both acute and chronic inflammatory reactions. The number of cells removed was not unreasonable for efficacy. A quite acceptable explanation is that the cells activated in the inflammatory lesions are more adhesive than nonactivated cells. However, only a few minutes of contact with the surface of the device can activate blood immune cells. All of the apheresis therapies, not only leukocytapheresis, should be evaluated for their efficacies, excluding the effects of contact activation. According to results presently available, the suppressive effect of leukocytapheresis on RA or UC is through to depend upon the removal of activated inflammation related cells that might transfer inflammatory signals. It may be that those cells removed are bound because of cell stimulation caused by microorganisms or foreign bodies.

Arthritis, Rheumatoid↗

PubMed1997

Factors affecting M13 bacteriophage inactivation by methylene blue photosensitization.

We have investigated the factors that affect the virucidal activity of methylene blue (MB) photosensitization. The M13 bacteriophage was more rapidly inactivated at higher temperatures (6 degrees C < 24 degrees C < 38 degrees C). Rate constants for inactivation were 0.072, 0.139 and 0.260 (log10 inactivation)/ (J/cm2) at 6 degrees C, 24 degrees C and 38 degrees C, respectively. On the other hand, dye penetration into virus particles, which was monitored by the fluorescence of YOYO-1, was unchanged with incubation temperature. These data suggest that temperature dependency of M13 inactivation was due to factors other than dye permeability. The pH of the virus suspension also affected the rate of M13 inactivation by MB. The M13 bacteriophage was inactivated faster in basic suspensions and slower in acidic suspensions compared with neutral buffers. These results suggest that temperature and pH are factors that influence the extent of MB photosensitization, and hence, the control of these factors will be necessary for MB phototreatment of plasma products in transfusion medicine.

Antiviral Agents↗

PubMed1997

Photoinactivation of virus infectivity by hypocrellin A.

We investigated the photoinactivation of virus infectivity by hypocrellin A and its mechanism. The titers of vesicular stomatitis virus (VSV) and human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1), both of which are enveloped viruses, were reduced upon illumination with hypocrellin A in a concentration-dependent manner, whereas canine parvovirus, a nonenveloped virus, was not killed. The removal of oxygen or addition of sodium azide or beta-carotene both inhibited VSV inactivation. Mannitol and superoxide dismutase had no effect on VSV inactivation. These results indicate that singlet oxygen was involved in the process of VSV inactivation. Of the three major VSV membrane proteins, peripheral membrane protein M was most damaged by the hypocrellin A phototreatment.

Animals↗

PubMed1997

Potential involvement of both type I and type II mechanisms in M13 virus inactivation by methylene blue photosensitization.

We have investigated the mechanism of virus photoinactivation with methylene blue (MB) by conducting deuterium oxide (D2O), azide ion (N3-) and oxygen-dependent studies. Inactivation of M13 bacteriophage and singlet oxygen (1O2) generation by MB photosensitization were irradiation dose dependent. Inactivation of M13 was enhanced by D2O and inhibited by N3-, suggesting that 1O2 participates in M13 inactivation by MB photosensitization. However, N3- did not inhibit M13 inactivation completely. On the other hand, deoxygenating the reaction solution still caused 52-67% of M13 inactivation observed in the presence of oxygen. These results suggest that 1O2-mediated (Type II) and sensitizer-mediated (Type I) reactions may both play roles in M13 inactivation by MB photosensitization.

Antiviral Agents↗

PubMed1997

Idiopathic intracranial hypertension in female homozygous twins.

The authors report on female homozygous twins with idiopathic intracranial hypertension. At the age of 12 years, both twins simultaneously developed visual disturbances with photophobia. At the age of 19 years, an ophthalmological examination disclosed papilloedema in both their eyes. At the age of 22 years, a lumbar puncture showed raised CSF pressure over (200 mm H2O) in both twins. Their neurological and radiological examinations were extremely similar; both of them had severely impaired visual acuity and impaired visual field, bilateral optic nerve atrophy, intracranial hypertension, an enlarged and partial empty sella turcica, digital markings of the calvalium, and an enlarged frontal subarachnoid space. This is the first case report describing idiopathic intracranial hypertension occurring in homozygous twins.

Atrophy↗

PubMed1997

Efficacy of toki-shigyakuka-gosyuyu-syokyo-to (danggui-sini-jia-wuzhuyu-shengjiang-tang) on peripheral circulation in autonomic disorders.

To investigate the improvement in peripheral circulation in autonomic disorders, we monitored skin temperature in the tails of rats by thermography before and after the oral administration of boiled water extract of Toki-shigyakuka-gosyuyu-syokyo-to (TSGS-to). Oral administration of this extract elevated the temperature, calculated as the calories of radiant heat in the rat tail 5-10 min after uptake. The temperature elevation remained stable for more than 20 min. Calories were significantly reduced 60 min after uptake and almost returned to initial values 90 min later. Some of the constituent herbs, especially Angelicae radix, Cinnamomi cortex, Evodiae fructus, and Zingiberis rhizoma, appeared to be active in relieving hypothermia.

Administration, Oral↗

PubMed1997

New successful treatment with disinfectant for atopic dermatitis.

For the treatment of atopic dermatitis, a variety of therapies are used including folk medicine. At present, there is no single treatment which is effective to cure the symptoms of atopic dermatitis completely in all patients. We are drawing attention to the high isolation rate of Staphylococcus aureus when starting disinfectant treatment combined with topical steroid therapies for the purpose of killing S. aureus. As a result, we examined many patients in whom almost a complete remission was obtained even after short periods of therapy, though it had been difficult to obtain improvement by conventional treatments. In many patients, IgE values and reagin antibody titer decrease dramatically soon after starting treatment. As a disinfectant, 10% povidone-iodine solution was used. We investigated also the effect of iodine contained in the povidone-iodine solution on the thyroid gland.

Administration, Topical↗

PubMed1997

Effects of surgical revascularization on outcome of patients with pediatric moyamoya disease.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: We reviewed surgically treated patients with pediatric moyamoya disease and examined whether vasoreconstructive surgeries reduced the risk of recurrent ischemic attacks and changed overall outcomes in terms of the patients' performance and intellectual status. METHODS: Sixty-four hemispheric sides in 34 pediatric moyamoya disease patients who received surgical treatment were examined. We performed superficial temporal artery to middle cerebral artery (STA-MCA) bypass and encephalo-duro-arterio-myo-synangiosis (EDAMS) on 48 sides (combined group) and indirect bypass surgery such as EDAMS on 16 sides (indirect group). These 34 patients were observed postoperatively from 1 to 14 years (mean +/- SD, 6.6 +/- 3.8 years) and were examined for the incidence of recurrent ischemic attack. Of the 34 patients, 23 were followed up for > 5 postoperative years, and their overall outcomes in terms of their performance and intellectual status were determined. RESULTS: Perioperative ischemic events (< or = 2 weeks after surgery) occurred in 5 surgeries (31%) of the indirect group and in 6 (13%) of the combined group (P = NS). The incidence of postoperative ischemic events (> 2 weeks after surgery) was significantly reduced in the combined group (10%) compared with the indirect group (56%; P < .01). Of the 23 patients observed > 5 years, 7 patients (30%) were mentally retarded and regarded as having a fair outcome. CONCLUSIONS: Combined surgery (STA-MCA bypass with EDAMS) for pediatric moyamoya disease was effective in reducing the risk of postoperative ischemic attacks compared with indirect surgery. Surgical revascularization may be effective in preventing intellectual deterioration and improving overall outcome.

Adolescent↗

PubMed1997

Novel compound heterozygous mutations of growth hormone (GH) receptor gene in a patient with GH insensitivity syndrome.

A girl with severe growth retardation had the clinical features of Laron syndrome. Her serum insulin-like growth factor-I level was completely unresponsive to exogenous GH administration. The serum GH-binding protein (GHBP) level was below the detectable limit in the patient, but it was normal in her parents and brother. Her parents and brother were normal in their height. Amplification with PCR and direct sequencing of her GH receptor gene revealed compound heterozygous mutations. The allele from her mother contained a transversion of G to T in exon 7 that could introduce a stop codon in place of a glutamic acid at amino acid 224. Another mutation was found in the allele in her father and also identified in her brother. It was a C deletion at position 981 in exon 10 that could introduce a frame shift, thereby causing the production of 20 novel amino acids (310-329) instead of the wild-type sequence, the premature termination at codon 330, and the subsequent deletion of the C terminal portion of the intracellular domain. RT-PCR of her father's lymphocytes and sequencing of its complementary DNA revealed that only the wild-type GH receptor messenger RNA was expressed in his lymphocytes, though the mechanism remains unclear. These results suggest that neither of the mutant alleles could generate a functional GH receptor, which would be consistent with the patient's severe growth retardation and undetectable serum GHBP.

Adolescent↗

PubMed1997

Low molecular-weight G-actin binding proteins involved in the regulation of actin assembly during myofibrillogenesis.

We previously demonstrated that small G-actin binding proteins, cofilin, ADF and profilin, are involved in the actin dynamics during myofibrillogenesis (OBINATA, T. (1993). Int. Rev. Cytol., 143: 153-189.). To better understand how they are responsible for the regulation of actin assembly, the amounts of the actin-binding proteins were quantified by means of quantitative immunoblotting and compared with that of G-actin pool. The sum of the amounts of cofilin, ADF and profilin was insufficient at early developmental stages but sufficient at later stages to account for the pool of G-actin in muscle cells. We detected expression of thymosin beta 4 at a considerable level in young embryonic but not in adult skeletal muscles. We, therefore, conclude that the G-actin pool in young embryonic skeletal muscle is mainly due to cofilin, ADF, profilin and thymosin beta 4. Switching from a non-muscle-type (NM-) cofilin to a muscle-type (M-) cofilin was observed during muscle development of mammals. In order to clarify cofilin-dependent regulation of actin assembly in muscle cells, cofilin tagged with fluorescence dyes was introduced into C2 myoblasts by a micro injection method. The exogeneous cofilin, but not ADF, caused quick disassembly of actin filaments and accumulated in furrow region of dividing cells. The analogs of the unphosphorylated form (A3-cofilin) and the phosphorylated form (D3-cofilin) were prepared by converting Ser3, a regulatory phosphorylation site, to Ala or Asp. When A3-cofilin and D3-cofilin were injected into living cells, the former was concentrated at the membrane ruffles and cleavage furrow, while the latter showed only diffuse distribution in the cytoplasm. These results suggest that the subcellular distribution of cofilin as well as its interaction with actin in vivo is regulated by its phosphorylation and dephosphorylation.

Actin Depolymerizing Factors↗

PubMed1997

10-year survival rate in 92 patients with invasive bladder carcinoma treated by bladder sparing methods.

The 10-year survival rate was evaluated in 92 patients with invasive bladder cancer (stages T 2 to 4) who were treated between 1966 and 1985 using bladder-sparing methods such as intravesical instillation of antineoplastic agents, transurethral resection, partial cystectomy, arterial infusion chemotherapy, radiation and embolization of the internal iliac artery. The overall 5-year and 10-year survival rates were 68.1% and 53.9% respectively at a median follow-up period of 60 months. The 10-year survival rate for patients with clinical stage T 2, T3a, T3b and T 4 were 83.7%, 58.9%, 50.8% and 0%, respectively. Our data were comparable or superior to those following radical cystectomy combined with pre- and post-operative radiation or chemotherapy. In conclusion, our bladder-sparing conservative method is thought to be an alternative treatment for advanced bladder cancer and provides a favorable survival rate as well as an improved quality of life with preservation of bladder function.

Administration, Intravesical↗

PubMed1997

Left ventricular systolic and diastolic function and mass before and after antihypertensive treatment in patients with essential hypertension.

The effects of antihypertensive treatment on regression of left ventricular hypertrophy and on left ventricular systolic and diastolic function were investigated echocardiographically in 13 untreated patients with mild hypertension (group I) and 16 untreated patients with moderate to severe hypertension (group II). The left ventricular mass index, left ventricular wall thickness, end-systolic left ventricular wall stress, and diastolic filling indexes before treatment were significantly higher in group II than in group I (p < 0.01). The blood pressure of both groups decreased significantly after antihypertensive treatment (mean duration of follow-up, 1.8 +/- 0.3 yr in group I and 2.0 +/- 0.4 yr in group II) (p < 0.01). The left ventricular mass index did not change in group I, whereas it decreased significantly in group II (p < 0.01). The relation between fractional shortening and end-systolic wall stress was similar in both groups before treatment and was unaltered by treatment in either group. After treatment, peak velocity in early diastole (E) significantly increased in both groups; however, peak velocity in late diastole (A) did not decrease in either group. The A/E ratio was significantly decreased in both groups and was significantly higher in group II than in group I (p < 0.01). In conclusion, the results suggest that intrinsic contractility may not be affected by left ventricular hypertrophy or regression of left ventricular hypertrophy. A/E ratio decreased after antihypertensive treatment in patients with mild hypertension mainly because of a decrease in blood pressure.

Adult↗

PubMed1997

Exercise-induced neurally mediated syncope.

We describe a 16-year-old female referred for evaluation of syncope associated with competitive long distance running. She had experienced 4 episodes of syncope during competitive long distance racing. The syncope associated with marked bradycardia and asystole was demonstrated by head-up tilt testing without isoproterenol infusion. Oral propranolol therapy failed to prevent the syncope. Oral disopyramide therapy, however, prevented the syncope induced by both head-up tilt testing and competitive long distance racing. Caution should be urged in evaluating athletes with syncope, especially in the pediatric age group, because the cause of the syncope may result from life-threatening disorders such as cardiomyopathy, long QT syndrome, or exercise-induced arrhythmias. The head-up tilt test is an important diagnostic tool for the evaluation of exercise-associated syncope.

Adolescent↗

PubMed1997

Atomic force microscopic studies of isolated collagen fibrils of the bovine cornea and sclera.

Isolated collagen fibrils from the bovine cornea and sclera were investigated by atomic force microscopy (AFM) in a non-contact mode. AFM imaging visualized the surface topography of both corneal and scleral collagen fibrils with quantitative information on their height and width. The corneal collagen fibrils had a height of 15.6 +/- 1.5 nm and a D-periodicity of 63.9 +/- 0.5 nm. On the other hand, the height and D-periodicity of scleral collagen fibrils were 74.2 +/- 55.7 nm and 65.4 +/- 0.7 nm, respectively. A periodic banding pattern of grooves and ridges was found in individual fibrils, although the groove depth was 2.81 +/- 0.29 nm in the cornea and 5.47 +/- 0.66 nm in the sclera. When collagen fibrils were treated with acetic acid, they swelled and untwisted into subfibrils. The AFM is useful to analyze surface morphology of collagen fibrils and their subfibrils at high resolution with quantitative information.

Acetic Acid↗

PubMed1997

Primary structure of mouse actin-related protein 1 (Arp1) and its tissue expression.

Different types of actin-related proteins which constitute an actin-superfamily together with conventional actin have recently been described (Mullins et al., 1996). Among them, Arp1 exhibits the highest homology with conventional actin. With the aim of clarifying the cellular function of Arp1 in mammalian cells, we cloned the cDNA encoding mouse alpha-Arp1, one of the variants of Arp1, from a mouse diaphragm cDNA library; two types of alpha-Arp1 cDNAs, which are probably generated by alternative RNA splicing from a single gene, were obtained and the entire sequences were determined. They differed only in the presence or absence of an insertion of 1.3 kb in the 3'-non-cooling region but shared a common open reading frame. The deduced amino acid sequence was identical with that of human alpha-Arp1. Northern blot analysis showed that the alpha-Arp1 mRNA corresponding to the longer cDNA is transcribed not only in various non-muscle tissues but also in muscle tissues, while the transcript corresponding to the shorter one becomes expressed only in skeletal muscle as development progresses. It is suggested that alpha-Arp1 may play some role in muscle, as judged by the significant level of its expression.

Actins↗

PubMed1997

Bone window computed tomography for detection of dural defect associated with cervical ossified posterior longitudinal ligament.

Anterior decompression of a cervical ossified posterior longitudinal ligament (OPLL) which involves the dura mater occasionally results in a postoperative cerebrospinal fluid fistula. Bone window computed tomography (CT) was carried out to detect dural defects in 21 patients with cervical OPLL. Twelve of 21 patients had double-layer OPLL, and nine had single-layer OPLL. Dural defects were present in 10 of the 12 patients with double-layer OPLL compared with only one of the nine patients with single-layer OPLL. In addition, greater stenosis of the spinal canal by the OPLL was also associated with dural defect. Preoperative bone window CT can indicate likely locations of dural defect in patients with OPLL.

Adult↗

PubMed1997

Effect of acquired tolerance to ischemia on focal infarction in gerbils.

The protective effect of prior ischemia on focal cerebral infarction produced by permanent middle cerebral artery (MCA) occlusion was studied in a gerbil model. Forebrain ischemia for 2 and 5 minutes at an interval of 48 hours was used as the prior ischemic insult. Forty-eight hours after the second forebrain ischemia, the MCA was occluded. Progression of ischemic change caused by the MCA occlusion was delayed in the early ischemic period in animals with prior ischemia, as compared to animals without prior ischemia. The mean infarct volume 24 hours after the MCA occlusion was the same in animals with and without prior ischemia. Ischemic tolerance was acquired in this model, but had no effect on the extent of infarction caused by permanent ischemia.

Animals↗