Biomedical subjects
Publications and source records attributed to H Fujioka.
We report a case of an infertile man treated successfully with microsurgical transvaso-vasostomy. The patient had a normal testicle with an obstructed vas deferens on one side and an atrophied testicle with a normal vas on the other side. We anastomosed the proximal vas from the functioning testicle to the opposite intact vas through the median scrotal raphe. As a result, the patient fathered a child 16 months after operation.
Some patients with spinal cord injury complain of a severe intractable pain. This intractable pain places new hurdles on the road to return to the ordinary daily life in these patients. The effective therapy for the intractable pain has not been established. Dorsal root entry zone (DREZ) lesion was originally reported by Nashold et al to alleviate deafferented pain syndrome. Three male and one female patients with intractable pain following spinal cord injury were treated with DREZ-lesions. One month after operation, all 4 patients obtained good pain relief. However, at a follow-up period till February 1989 (ranging 11 months from 2 years and 6 months), 2 patients had subjective pain relief. When other therapies on intractable pain following spinal cord trauma are not effective, the DREZ-lesion might be considered.
Exposure of dog coronary arterial strips to dithiothreitol resulted in a triphasic response which was characterized by an initial rapid, weak contraction (phase A), an intervening slow relaxation (phase B) and finally, a slowly developing intense contraction (phase C). No responses were observed when either oxidized dithiothreitol or threitol were used. No contractions were observed if the extracellular Ca2+ was omitted. Ca2+ channel blockers (nicardipine and diltiazem), a protein kinase inhibitor (1-(5-isoquinolinesulfonyl)-2-methylpiperazine, H-7), and a myosin light chain kinase inhibitor (1-(5-chloronaphthalene-1-sulfonyl)-1H-hexahydro-1,4-diazepine, ML-9), all suppressed the dithiothreitol-induced responses. The calmodulin antagonists, N-(6-aminohexyl)-5-chloro-1-naphthalenesulfonamide (W-7) and N-(6-aminohexyl)-1-naphthalenesulfonamide (W-5), however, augmented phase A, and W-7 and chlorpromazine depressed phase C. Prolonged exposure of the arteries to dithiothreitol was essential to elicit phase C. The implications of these data are discussed with respect to the possible mechanisms of dithiothreitol-induced vascular responses.
Transcriptional activation of the mating-type gene mat1-Pi essential for meiosis in the fission yeast Schizosaccharomyces pombe was studied. A homozygous diploid harboring the mutation at the h+-specific sterility gene, map1, was arrested before premeiotic DNA synthesis in the nitrogen-free sporulation medium. Transcription of mat1-Pi was totally absent in the map1 mutant. The mei2 gene encoding a positive regulator for meiosis was normally transcribed in the map1 mutant, suggesting that the map1 function was specific to mat1-Pi.
To study changes in renin secretion from the human testis at various days after hCG treatment, plasma renin activity in the internal spermatic vein (ISV) and cubital vein (CV) was measured at the time of surgical repair of varicocele in 79 patients. Sixty-five of them were given a single administration of hCG (10,000 IU/m2) 1 to 10 days before operation. Although the mean PRA levels in CV in both treated and untreated groups were similar, the mean PRA levels in ISV obtained 1 to 5 days after hCG treatment were significantly higher than that in the untreated group. However, the mean PRA levels in ISV returned to that in the untreated group 6-10 days after treatment. Serum testosterone levels in the same ISV were also much higher 1 to 6 days after hCG treatment, compared with those in the untreated group. On the basis of these results it is concluded that (a) the secretion of renin from the testis into ISV can be demonstrated for 5 days after hCG treatment; (b) the parallel increases in PRA with testosterone in ISV seem to suggest a possible influence of androgen on renin production in Leydig cells of human testis.
A case of typical congestive heart failure associated with diabetes mellitus is reported. The case was diagnosed on the basis of biopsy findings such as basal laminar thickness and of angiographically normal coronary arteries. The therapy, including insulin, resulted in normalization of electrocardiographic abnormalities and improvement of myocardial contractility.
To determine the fertility potential of men with an undescended testis a retrospective study was performed on 274 patients by evaluating sperm density and sperm motility, as well as histopathological findings of the seminiferous tubules. The patients, who had been treated surgically when they were 2 to 5 or 9 to 12 years old and who were examined when they were 18 to 39 years old, were divided into 4 groups: group 1 (61 patients) underwent bilateral orchiopexy, group 2 (149) underwent unilateral orchiopexy, group 3 (26) underwent unilateral orchiectomy and group 4 (38) received no surgical treatment for a unilateral undescended testis. Significant differences in the sperm density and motility were detected between group 1 (normal range 0 to 7 per cent) and group 2 or 3 (normal range 72 to 79 per cent), and between group 2 or 3 and group 4 (normal range 42 to 58 per cent). Histopathological differences were significant between group 1 or 2 (Johnsen's score count 6.06 to 6.11) and group 4 (4.72) for the affected side, and between group 2 or 3 (9.09 to 9.20) and group 4 (8.60) for the unaffected side. The results suggest that surgical treatment may not significantly ameliorate the fertility potential of patients with bilateral undescended testes. On the other hand, in patients with unilateral undescended testis an operation not later than at early puberty is advisable to maintain the spermatogenic function in the unaffected testis. It is suggested that some unknown factors relating to the highly impaired unilateral undescended testis may in some way inhibit function of the contralateral unaffected testis.
Thirty acridone alkaloids obtained from Citrus, Glycosmis, or Severinia plants (members of the family Rutaceae) were tested for their antimalarial activities in vitro and in vivo. At a concentration of 10 micrograms/ml in vitro, seven of these alkaloids suppressed 90% or more of Plasmodium yoelii, which causes malaria in rodents. Atalaphillinine, when injected intraperitoneally in a daily dose of 50 mg/kg for 3 days into mice infected with 10(7) erythrocytes parasitized with Plasmodium berghei or Plasmodium vinckei, completely suppressed the development of malaria parasites, with there being no obvious acute toxic effects from the tested dose.
We report a case of ureteral tumor associated with Bowen's disease in a 67-year-old man. The patient has a history of occupational exposure to arsenic 42 years before. Arsenic produces multiple cancers and these cancers are characterized by a long period of latency.
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To study the spermatogenic potential of postpubertal undescended testis, the 3H-thymidine and 14C-uridine incorporations into normally descended and inguinal undescended testes were examined. The results suggest that DNA synthesis by the inguinal undescended testis is remarkably inhibited but, on the contrary, RNA synthesis is not. The cell-proliferative ability of postpubertal undescended testis may be impaired in spite of the retention of cell viability in the testis.
To study the spermatogenic potential of the early pubertal cryptorchid testis, testicular DNA synthesis was examined in vitro. DNA synthesis by early pubertal cryptorchid testis was inhibited and lost its normal temperature sensitivity. The spermatogenic potential of the cryptorchid testis may be impaired as early as puberty.
Testicular FSH and hCG receptors were measured in patients with Sertoli-cell-only syndrome (SCOS), and the value of Bmax for each hormone was compared with the value in subjects with normal testes. FSH receptor was detectable in only four of 10 patients, and the mean value of Bmax in four of the 10 patients was clearly lower than that in normal testes (p less than 0.005). On the other hand, hCG receptors were detected in all of six tested patients, and the mean value of Bmax was lower, but not remarkably so, than that in the normal testes. The function of Sertoli cells was remarkably impaired in most men with SCOS, whereas the function of Leydig cells was relatively preserved.
SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis followed by enzymography of a human testicular cell culture medium demonstrated that the molecular weight of plasminogen activator (PA) secreted was similar to that of human urokinase and it was also confirmed that follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) stimulated PA secretion. To further investigate the correlation between spermatogenic impairment and secretory potential of PA in human testicular cells in vivo, the maximum increment in PA activity as a result of treatment with ovine FSH was measured for two groups of patients with different degrees of spermatogenic impairment. The mean value of maximum increment in PA activity in one group with severely impaired testes was remarkably lower than that in another group with slightly impaired testes. Protein biosynthesis in human testicular cells dependent on FSH appears to be impaired with the progression of spermatogenic impairment.
Precursor incorporations into DNA, RNA and protein fractions of the human testicular tissue were examined at 28 degrees C-43 degrees C in vitro to study the optimal temperature for DNA, RNA and protein synthesis in the human testis. The results suggest that the DNA synthesis shows delicate temperature sensitivity and is at a maximum at 31 degrees C, whereas the RNA and protein syntheses are at a maximum at 37 degrees C-40 degrees C. The slight variation of the testicular temperature may cause spermatogenic dysfunction because of delicate temperature sensitivity of the testicular DNA synthesis.
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A case of coronary artery fistula with myocardial ischemia is reported. A 57-year-old-man was admitted to our hospital complaining of anterior chest pain on exertion. Submaximal Treadmill exercise showed the depression of ST segment in leads II, III, aVF, V5 and V6. 75% stenosis of right coronary artery (segment 2) and congenital coronary artery fistula originating from both the right and left coronary arteries were demonstrated by the coronary arteriography. One abnormal artery was originated from proximal portion of the right coronary artery (segment 1) and entered the pulmonary artery trunk. Another one was originated from proximal portion of the left coronary artery and terminated in angiomatous plexus which then communicated with the pulmonary artery trunk. We speculate that myocardial ischemia resulted from decreased right coronary blood flow due to coronary steal and proximal organic stenosis of right coronary artery. Recently, the reviews of coronary artery fistula are increasing, but coronary artery fistula with myocardial ischemia is relatively rare. This case was followed with medical therapy, because antianginal agents were effective. Operative coronary ligation may be necessary, if he has angina or high output heart failure during follow-up.