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Biomedical subjects

H Ando

Publications and source records attributed to H Ando.

At least 109 records · Page 6Linked to original sources

Embryogenesis of pancreaticobiliary maljunction inferred from development of duodenal atresia.

The embryogenesis of pancreaticobiliary maljunction is inferred from the embryogenesis of duodenal atresia. The epithelial cells of the duodenum begin to proliferate and completely plug the lumen, but a process of vacuolation recanalizes the duodenum. Recanalization of the common duct frequently appears with two lumina and openings into the duodenum with two orifices. These two major canals create a narrow segment of the duodenum and this narrow zone is the area in the duodenum that is most prone to faulty recanalization and atresia formation. A bifid biliary system inserts at blind upper and lower pouches of the duodenum, and the common bile duct inserts in a Y fashion. The common bile duct inserts at the stenotic segment, and the end result is a T-shaped formation in patients with duodenal stenosis. During the development of the bile duct, abnormal fusion may occur between the bile duct and branches of the right ventral pancreatic duct. The site in the bile duct where a branch of the pancreatic duct joins is likely to develop atresia due to disturbance of the recanalization process, as seen in duodenal atresia. Severe impairment of vacuolation causes divided atretic bile duct at the site where the pancreatic duct inserts in a Y-fashion into the upper and lower bile duct. Moderate impairment of vacuolation causes a stenosis at the site where the pancreatic duct inserts in a T-shape, with a moderate dilatation of the bile duct.

Choledochal Cyst↗

Gastric duplication communicating with the left hepatic duct: a rare case of recurrent hemobilia in a child.

Gastric duplication is a rare anomaly, usually manifested as an abdominal mass or gastric outlet obstruction mimicking congenital hypertrophic pyloric stenosis during the first year of life. Occasionally, it communicates with the pancreatic duct and causes pancreatitis. However, communication with the intrahepatic bile duct has not been described. The authors report a rare case of gastric duplication that communicated with the left hepatic duct and caused recurrent hemobilia in a 2-year-old girl. Left hepatectomy and excision of the duplication were curative.

Bile Ducts, Extrahepatic↗

Morphological investigation of the enteric nervous system in Hirschsprung's disease and hypoganglionosis using whole-mount colon preparation.

BACKGROUND/PURPOSE: A suction rectal mucosal biopsy with positive staining for acetylcholinesterase is a useful test for diagnosis of Hirschsprung's disease (HD). However, hypoganglionosis has not been diagnosed by a rectal mucosal biopsy. The authors morphologically examined the enteric nervous systems in HD and hypoganglionosis patients using whole-mount preparations. METHODS: Six HD patients, two hypoganglionosis patients, and 10 with normally innervated colons were examined. Colonic specimens were incubated with the primary antibodies against protein gene product 9.5 (PGP 9.5) mixed with S-100b protein, tyrosine hydroxylase (TH), calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP), substance P (SP), and neurofilament protein 200 kDa (NFH). They were observed by histochemical technique using light-microscopy in whole-mount preparations. RESULTS: The aganglionic distal colon had thick nerve strands stained with PGP 9.5 mixed with S100 or NFH located in the layer between the longitudinal muscle and the circular one, and the submucosal layer. The nerve strands in the myenteric layer contained few CGRP- and SP-positive fibers and ran along the long axis of the intestine. Ganglion cells appeared along with those thick nerve strands in the transitional zone of HD. In hypoganglionosis, we found small myenteric ganglia with no thick nerve strands. CONCLUSIONS: The enteric nervous system in oligoganglionic segments of HD morphologically differed from the one in hypoganglionosis. A suction rectal mucosal biopsy would be of no use in the diagnosis of hypoganglionosis.

Child, Preschool↗

Clinical results of the shallow core-out procedure in thyroglossal duct cyst operation.

PURPOSE: This procedure for thyroglossal duct cyst operation based on pathological studies was first published in the Journal of Pediatric Surgery in 1992. This procedure is similar to Sistrunk's operation except that the core depth of the tongue excision is more shallow (about 5 mm in young children). The purpose of this report is to report and evaluate the clinical results of this operation compared with our earlier operative results. METHODS: Eighty-three patients underwent surgery for thyroglossal duct cyst from 1970 to 1997. They were divided into 3 groups. Group I consisted of 31 patients undergoing Schlange's operation (1970 to 1988). Group II were 18 patients undergoing Sistrunk's operation (1989 to 1990). Group III consisted of 34 patients operated on with the authors' procedure (1991 through 1997). The 3 groups are compared for recurrence rate. RESULTS: Recurrence in group I was 6 of 31 (19.3%), 1 of 18 (5.6%) in group II, and 1 of 34 (2.9%) in group III. The recurrence rate showed a statistically significant difference only between group I and III (P = .033). CONCLUSION: The recurrence rate with our procedure was not higher than that of Sistrunk's operation but was significantly lower than for Schlange's operation.

Child↗

Acute respiratory failure associated with intrathoracic masses in neonates.

BACKGROUND: Intrathoracic masses are uncommon in children. Occasionally, they present with acute respiratory failure in the neonatal period. Although emergency resection usually is the treatment of choice, other modalities are sometimes necessary to stabilize the patient. METHODS: Seven neonates with intrathoracic masses were treated. Five had congenital cystic adenomatoid malformations (CCAM), 1 had a mediastinal teratoma, and 1 had a pneumatocele. These cases were reviewed retrospectively. RESULTS: Four of the 7 infants had respiratory failure in the neonatal period. A patient with a large mediastinal teratoma and 1 with a CCAM that increased rapidly after presentation underwent emergency operation, relieving respiratory distress. The other 2 large CCAMs presented with severe respiratory distress immediately after birth because of pulmonary hypoplasia. One neonate with a Stocker-I CCAM died after emergency resection. One more recent patient with a Stocker-III CCAM survived after successful treatment with delayed resection, performed 3 days after birth. Nitric oxide (NO), and extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) were instituted as supportive care because of profound persistent fetal circulation (PFC). CONCLUSIONS: Acute respiratory failure associated with intrathoracic masses in neonates may be managed in 1 of 2 ways. A small mass that increases rapidly should be resected soon after presentation. In neonates with large masses with associated PFC, surgery can be delayed until the patient is stable. ECMO, NO, and high-frequency oscillation (HFO) can be used aggressively for stabilizing such neonates.

Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation↗

Pioglitazone prevents mice from multiple low-dose streptozotocin-induced insulitis and diabetes.

Macrophage infiltration into pancreatic islets is thought to be an initial event inducing insulitis in the development of type 1 diabetes. Thiazolidinedione is a direct ligand for peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-gamma, recently reported to inhibit macrophage activation, including cytokine production and type 2 nitric oxide synthase expression. We investigated the effect of pioglitazone, a thiazolidinedione compound, on the development of multiple low-dose streptozotocin (MLDS)-induced autoimmune diabetes in mice. CD-1 mice intraperitoneally injected with five daily sub-diabetogenic doses (30 or 40 mg/kg body weight) of streptozotocin developed mononuclear cell infiltration in and around islets, followed by hyperglycemia. Oral administration of pioglitazone (0.01% food admixture) from 7 days before the first streptozotocin injection prevented or delayed the development of diabetes induced by MLDS. Histologically, pioglitazone blocked the infiltration of mononuclear cells into islets in MLDS mice. Peritoneal macrophages from MLDS mice at day-7 produced significantly large amount of nitric oxide compared with those from control mice. Such activation of peritoneal macrophages was not observed in pioglitazone-treated MLDS mice. These findings suggest that pioglitazone blocks the autoimmune process in the development of MLDS diabetes, partly by inhibiting the macrophage activation.

Administration, Oral↗

Teratogenicity of thujaplicin in ICR mice.

Beta-thujaplicin (TP) was studied by in vitro and in vivo tests for teratogenicity using ICR mice. In the in vitro study, TP (0, 3.125, 6.25, 12.5 microg/ml medium) dissolved in dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) was administered to cultured embryos on 9 day of gestation. After 24 hr of exposure to TP, the embryos were examined for developmental parameters and external anomalies. Growth retardation and embryos with facial dysplasia or hydrocyst of the tail tip were observed among the embryos given 12.5 microg/ml. In the in vivo study, TP (0, 420, 560, 750 or 1000 mg/kg) dissolved in olive oil was administered orally to pregnant mice on day 9 of gestation. All foetuses were removed from the uterus on day 18 of gestation, and were examined for external and skeletal anomalies. Various types of malformations were observed in the mice given 560 mg/kg or more. The number of litters having foetuses with external or skeletal anomalies increased in proportion to the dose of TP. The regression lines of Y (probit response) on X (log dose) for external anomalies was Y = 4.87X-8.43 . The 1% effective dose (ED1) for the malformation was 190 mg/kg. The present study shows that TP has teratogenic effects on mice.

Abnormalities, Drug-Induced↗

Unsupervised visual learning of three-dimensional objects using a modular network architecture.

This paper presents a modular network architecture that learns to cluster multiple views of multiple three-dimensional (3D) objects. The proposed network model is based on a mixture of non-linear autoencoders, which compete to encode multiple views of each 3D object. The main advantage of using a mixture of autoencoders is that it can capture multiple non-linear sub-spaces, rather than multiple centers for describing complex shapes of the view distributions. The unsupervised training algorithm is formulated within a maximum-likelihood estimation framework. The performance of the modular network model is evaluated through experiments using synthetic 3D wire-frame objects and gray-level images of real 3D objects. It is shown that the performance of the modular network model is superior to the performance of the conventional clustering algorithms, such as the K-means algorithm and the Gaussian mixture model.

Journal Article↗

Sequencing based typing for genetic polymorphisms in exons, 2, 3 and 4 of the MICA gene.

We have established a sequencing based typing (SBT) method for detection of genetic polymorphism in the exon 2 to 4 domains of the major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class I chain-related gene A (MICA) and applied it to allele typing of 130 healthy Japanese individuals. A 2.2-kb segment including exons 2, 3 and 4 of the MICA gene was amplified by a pair of generic primers followed by cycle sequencing using exon-specific nested primers. In total, 8 alleles were observed in a Japanese population and the most frequent allele was MICA008 with the gene frequency of 30.8%. MICA009 was the second most frequent (16.5%), while the rarest one was MICA007 (1.2%). MICA alleles displayed strong linkage equilibria with HLA-B antigens (i.e. MICA008 with B7, B48, B60 and B61; MICA009 with B51 and B52; MICA002 with B35, B39, B58 and B67; MICA004 with B44, MICA007 with B13 and B27; MICA010 with B46, B62 and B48, MICA012 with B54, B55, B56 and B59; MICA019 and B70, B71 and B62). Recently, the B48 haplotype has been reported to lack the entire MICA gene by a large-scale deletion in a Japanese population. Among 8 serologically B48 homozygous individuals, 4 were found to represent this MICA null allele as assessed by no polymerase chain reaction (PCR) amplification using MICA-specific primers, while the remaining four possessed the intact MICA gene with MICA008 or MICA010.

Asian People↗

HLA class I and II typing of the patients with Behçet's disease in Saudi Arabia.

Thirteen Saudi Arabian patients with Behçet's disease (BD) were typed for HLA-A and -B alleles by the conventional serologic typing and for HLA-DRB1, -DQB1 and -DPB1 alleles by the polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) method. As a result, the phenotype frequency of the B51 antigen was significantly increased in the patient group as compared to the ethnically matched control group (76.9% in patients vs. 22.20% in controls), but no significant difference was observed in HLA-A, -DRB1, -DQB1 or -DPB1 alleles between the patients and controls, as previously observed in Japanese BD. Further, by HLA-B51 allelic genotyping performed by the polymerase chain reaction-sequence specific primers (PCR-SSP) method, all of the B51-positive patients and controls were found to carry one particular allele, B*5101, except one patient with B*5108.

Behcet Syndrome↗

The critical region for Behçet disease in the human major histocompatibility complex is reduced to a 46-kb segment centromeric of HLA-B, by association analysis using refined microsatellite mapping.

The HLA-B51 allele is known to be associated with Behçet disease. Recently, we found a higher risk for Behçet disease in the MICA gene, 46 kb centromeric of HLA-B, by investigation of GCT repetitive polymorphism within exon 5 of MICA. The pathogenic gene causing Behçet disease, however, has remained uncertain. Here, eight polymorphic microsatellite markers, distributed over a 900-kb region surrounding the HLA-B locus, were subjected to association analysis for Behçet disease. Statistical studies of associated alleles detected on each microsatellite locus showed that the pathogenic gene for Behçet disease is most likely found within a 46-kb segment between the MICA and HLA-B genes. The results of this mapping study, and the results of an earlier study of ours, suggest that MICA is a strong candidate gene for the development of Behçet disease.

Behcet Syndrome↗

Cardiac microvascular endothelial cells express alpha-smooth muscle actin and show low NOS III activity.

We established a culture system of porcine coronary microvascular endothelial cells (MVEC) with high cellular yield and purity >98%. Endothelial origin was confirmed by immunostaining, immunoblotting and fluorescence-activated cell sorter (FACS) analysis using low-density lipoprotein uptake, CD31, von Willebrand factor, and the lectin Dolichos biflorus agglutinin. MVEC were positive for alpha-smooth muscle actin in culture and in myocardium, as confirmed by FACS. Of the primary MVEC, approximately 30% expressed nitric oxide synthase (NOS) III in numbers decreasing from the first passage (6 +/- 1%) to the second passage (4 +/- 1%; P < 0.001 vs. primary isolates), whereas approximately 100% of aortic endothelial cells (AEC) expressed NOS III. In AEC, NOS III activity (pmol citrulline. mg protein-1. min-1) was 80 +/- 10 and was nearly abolished in the absence of calcium (5 +/- 1, P < 0.001). In primary MVEC, however, NOS III activity in the presence and absence of calcium was 20 +/- 4 and 25 +/- 5, respectively. We conclude that cardiac MVEC, in contrast to AEC, contain alpha-smooth muscle actin, show low-grade NOS III activity, and provide a suitable in vitro system for the study of endothelial pathophysiology.

Actinin↗

Microvascular endothelial cells remodel cultured adult cardiomyocytes and increase their survival.

We investigated the paracrine effect of cardiac microvascular endothelial cells (MVEC) on cultured adult rat cardiomyocytes (ARC). ARC were exposed for 8 days to serum-free medium (CM) conditioned by MVEC. Controls were grown in FCS or FCS-free medium. Protein synthesis of CM-stimulated ARC increased twofold versus 5% FCS-stimulated cells until day 8. Seventy-nine percent of CM-treated myocytes survived, whereas only twenty-four percent of FCS-free ARC retained viability. The phenotype of myocytes exposed to CM was different from control. Analysis by confocal laser microscopy of CM-stimulated myocytes showed actin staining throughout the whole cell body up to the peripheral extensions, with concomitant appearance of myomesin in a cross-striated pattern. The reexpression of fetal alpha-smooth muscle actin determined immunohistochemically and by Western blot increased from day 6 in CM-treated cells, whereas ARC grown in up to 20% serum were negative. These effects could not be mimicked by any of the other cardioactive substances tested here, indicating a novel trophic factor in CM.

Actins↗

Clinical significance of IgE-binding activity to enzymatic digests of ovomucoid in the diagnosis and the prediction of the outgrowing of egg white hypersensitivity.

BACKGROUND: We frequently encounter subjects without overt symptoms despite high IgE antibodies to egg white and its components. The measurements of these antibodies are not necessarily efficient for the diagnosis or the prediction of the outcome of egg allergy in children. METHODS: Specific IgE antibodies to egg white and its components, including ovomucoid, ovalbumin, ovotransferrin and lysozyme, were measured by direct RAST assays. IgE-binding activity to ovomucoid degraded by pepsin, trypsin and chymotrypsin was examined by RAST inhibition. Thirty subjects were divided into two groups with positive (n=18; mean age +/- SD = 42 +/-25 months) and negative (n=12; mean age +/- SD = 48 +/-31 months) oral challenge tests with egg white antigens. The individuals with positive results to the first challenge tests were given the second provocation tests at mean intervals of 32 months. IgE-binding activity of the sera collected on the first challenge to these ovomucoid fragments was compared between subjects with positive and negative reactions to the follow-up challenge tests. RESULTS: There were no significant differences in IgE antibody titers to egg white and its components between the positive and negative groups at the first and the second challenge tests. IgE-binding activity to ovomucoid digests after treatments with pepsin (p = 0.000008) and trypsin (p=0.037), except chymotrypsin (p=0.062), were significantly higher in subjects with positive challenge tests than in those with negative results. The difference was most remarkable in the IgE-binding to pepsin digests; the average concentrations (mean - SD and mean + SD) needed for 50% RAST inhibition in the positive group and in the negative group were 2.6 microg/ml (0.3 and 25) and 94.2 microg/ml (24.7 and 358.7), respectively. A significant difference was still observed in the inhibition tests using filtrates of pepsin digests with a membrane with MW 10,000 (p=0.014) and 3,000 (p=0.042) of cutoff. The concentration (mean= 0.8, mean - SD=0.2, mean + SD=3.4; microg/ml) of pepsin-treated ovomucoid required for 50% RAST inhibition in the subjects with positive second challenge results was significantly (p=0.033) lower than that (mean=6.8, mean-SD=0.6, mean + SD=73.9) of the negative group. CONCLUSION: IgE-binding activity to pepsin-digested ovomucoid was of diagnostic value to distinguish the challenge-positive subjects from the negative subjects. Subjects with high IgE-binding activity to pepsin-treated ovomucoid are unlikely to outgrow egg white allergy.

Adult↗

Comparisons between hemodynamics, during and after bathing, and prognosis in patients with myocardial infarction.

The purpose of this study was to establish the safest way to bathe patients with myocardial infarction (MI) through measuring the hemodynamics during and after bathing. Seventy patients with MI were bathed supine in a Hubbard tank filled with 42 degrees C tap water for 5 min. The subjects were divided into 2 groups depending on their hemodynamic values 10 min after bathing: pulmonary capillary wedge pressure unchanged even after bathing (group A), and decreased pressure after bathing (group B). The left ventricular ejection fraction of group B was significantly higher than that of group A: 53.6% vs. 39.7%, respectively (p<0.01). The physical work capacity of group B was significantly higher at 5.6 METs, than that of group A with 4.5 METs (p<0.05). During the average of their 37-month follow-up period, there were 3 cardiac events in group B and 6 in group A. There were 2 cardiac events during bathing, both of which occurred in group A. When patients with MI take a bath, it is essential to closely monitor them, especially to those patients with lower cardiac function, because they have a higher possibility of a cardiac event.

Aged↗

Adrenal insufficiency due to metastatic hepatocellular carcinoma.

A 73-year-old man with general malaise and nausea following a common cold diagnosed by a local physician was found to have multiple hepatocellular carcinomas with enlarged bilateral adrenal glands, combined with adrenal insufficiency. Hydrocortisone replacement improved the symptoms and laboratory findings. Autopsy findings revealed that each adrenal gland was completely replaced by the tumor measuring 11 cm in diameter, and no adrenal tissue was recognized. Histologically, the adrenal tumors, as well as the liver tumors, were moderately differentiated Edmondson type II hepatocellular carcinomas. This is a second report of adrenal insufficiency due to hepatocellular carcinoma as a primary site of metastatic adrenal tumor.

Adrenal Gland Neoplasms↗

Changes in the levels of mRNAs for GH/prolactin/somatolactin family and Pit-1/GHF-1 in the pituitaries of pre-spawning chum salmon.

Changes in the levels of pituitary mRNAs encoding GH, prolactin (PRL) and somatolactin (SL) were determined in pre-spawning chum salmon (Oncorhynchus keta) caught at a few key points along their homing pathway in 1994 and 1995. Furthermore, we analyzed relationships between expression of pituitary-specific POU homeodomain transcription factor (Pit-1/GHF-1) and GH/PRL/SL family genes. In 1994, seawater (SW) fish and matured fresh-water (FW) fish were sequentially captured at two points along their homing pathway, the coast and the hatchery. In addition to these two points, maturing FW fish were captured at the intermediate of the two points in 1995. The levels of hormonal mRNAs were determined by a quantitative dot blot analysis using single-stranded sense DNA as the standard. Relative levels of Pit-1/GHF-1 mRNAs were estimated by Northern blot analysis. In 1994, the levels of GH/PRL/SL family mRNAs except for PRL mRNA in the male FW fish were 1.8-4 times higher than those in the SW fish. In 1995, the level of PRL mRNA was somewhat sharply elevated in the maturing FW fish soon after entry into the FW environment, while that of SL mRNA was gradually increased during upstream migration from the coast to the hatchery. The levels of 3 kb Pit-1/GHF-1 mRNA in the FW fish were higher than those in the SW fish in both 1994 and 1995. The present results indicate that expression of genes for the GH/PRL/SL family and Pit-1/GHF-1 is coincidentally enhanced in homing chum salmon. Moreover, the present study suggests that expression of the SL gene is elevated with sexual maturation, whereas that of PRL gene is elevated with osmotic change during the final stages of spawning migration.

Animals↗