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Biomedical subjects

H Itoh

Publications and source records attributed to H Itoh.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources
PubMed2004

T-cell clonality to Porphyromonas gingivalis and human heat shock protein 60s in patients with atherosclerosis and periodontitis.

Individuals with periodontitis have been reported to have a significantly increased risk of developing coronary heart disease. Several studies have demonstrated that the immune response to heat shock protein 60 (HSP60) may be involved in the pathogenesis of both atherosclerosis and chronic periodontitis. To investigate this possible link between these diseases, cellular and humoral immune responses to HSP60 in atherosclerosis patients were compared with those in periodontitis patients and healthy subjects using human and Porphyromonas gingivalis HSP60 (GroEL) as antigens. Antibody levels to both human and P. gingivalis HSP60s were the highest in atherosclerosis patients, followed by periodontitis patients and healthy subjects. Clonal analysis of the T cells clearly demonstrated the presence of not only human HSP60- but also P. gingivalis GroEL-reactive T-cell populations in the peripheral circulation of atherosclerosis patients. Furthermore, these HSP60-reactive T cells seemed to be present in atherosclerotic lesions in some patients. These results suggest that T-cell clones with the same specificity may be involved in the pathogenesis of the different diseases.

Adult↗
PubMed2004

Effective doses of vecuronium in a patient with myotonic dystrophy.

Of the forms of muscular dystrophy, myotonic dystrophy has the greatest systemic involvement. Although most patients with myotonic dystrophy show normal sensitivity to non-depolarising neuromuscular blocking drugs, some have been reported to show greatly increased sensitivity to these drugs, and little is known about the sensitivity of different muscles. We compared effective doses of vecuronium in a patient with myotonic dystrophy at the orbicularis oculi, adductor pollicis and flexor hallucis brevis muscles during total intravenous anaesthesia. The calculated ED50 for the orbicularis oculi (7.77 microg x kg(-1) (95% CI 3.10-16.8 microg x kg(-1))) was lower than for the adductor pollicis (25.3 microg x kg(-1) (95% CI 20.7-43.3 microg x kg(-1))) and flexor hallucis brevis muscles (29.5 microg x kg(-1) (95% CI 11.0-85.6 microg x kg(-1); p < 0.01)). The ED90 was also lower for the orbicularis oculi (35.7 microg x kg(-1) (95% CI 14.8-66.5 microg x kg(-1))) than for the other muscles (51.8 microg x kg(-1) (95% CI 29.3-145.0 microg x kg(-1)) and 50.6 microg x kg(-1) (95% CI 5.29-642.0 microg x kg(-1)), respectively) (p < 0.01)).

Adult↗
PubMed2004

Somatosensory-evoked fields for gingiva, lip, and tongue.

To localize the oral primary somatosensory cortex, we measured somatosensory-evoked fields for the lip, gingiva, and tongue in six healthy subjects. The latency of the first peak of the posterior-oriented current in the contralateral hemisphere was 50.9 +/- 8.3 ms for the gingiva, significantly shorter than those for the lip and tongue peaks. The equivalent current dipole was localized on the central sulcus. The gingival dipole was localized significantly inferior to the lip dipole but not different from the tongue dipole. The moment of the gingival dipole was significantly smaller than that of the lip dipole but not different from that of the tongue dipole. Differences in the above parameters were negligible between the left and right, anterior and posterior, and upper and lower locations within the same organ, except that the dipole location for the anterior upper tongue was significantly inferior to that for the lower tongue.

Adult↗
PubMed2004

[Acceleration of aortic regurgitation due to localized aortic dissection; report of a case].

We successfully treated a patient with accelerated aortic regurgitation due to localized aortic dissection with mitral regurgitation causing congestive heart failure. A 58-year-old female, who had suffered from aortic regurgitation for more than 10 years, had acute heart failure due to acceleration of aortic regurgitation. The surgical findings showed prolapse of the aortic valve due to localized dissection in the sinus of Valsalva. We performed a Bentall operation and a mitral valve replacement, with a favorable outcome. The postoperative course was uneventful.

Aortic Dissection↗
PubMed2003

Spinal epidural metastasis from pineal germinoma.

A 16-year-old boy first presented with a pineal tumour identified by neuroimaging but without positive serum or cerebrospinal fluid markers. The tumour disappeared after 50 Gy cranial irradiation. One year later he returned with spinal epidural metastasis from the pineal germinoma and required emergency surgery. Intraoperative findings showed that the spinal tumour had originated from cerebrospinal fluid dissemination and had passed through the spinal nerve sleeve. The pathologic diagnosis of the tumour was of a pure germinoma metastasis. An epidural tumour frequently requires emergency diagnosis and treatment. Attention should be paid to the possibility of this rare but serious clinical situation caused by a metastasis from a pineal germinoma.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2003

Relation between voluntary physical activity and oxidant/antioxidant status in rats.

The relationship between voluntary distance running and antioxidant capacity was studied in rats after three weeks voluntary running. Hydroxyl radical level, reduced glutathione level, activities of glutathione reductase and superoxide dismutase were measured in plasma, liver, brain, soleus and gastrocnemius white muscle. Hydroxyl radical level of liver negatively correlated with the running distance (r=-0.616, P<0.001). The reduced glutathione levels of liver and brain increased depending on the running distance and the correlation was confirmed between them in liver (r=0.638, P<0.01) and brain (r=0.766, P<0.001). The hydroxyl radical level in liver positively correlated with the activities of glutathione reductase (r=0.464, P<0.05) and superoxide dismutase (r=0.549, P<0.05). A significant positive correlation was detected between the hydroxyl radical level and superoxide dismutase activity in brain (r=0.488, P<0.05). These results demonstrate that physical activity correlates well with glutathione level and anti-oxidant enzyme activities in liver, suggesting a close relation between physical activity and induction of antioxidant systems.

Animals↗
PubMed2003

Frameless stereotactic radiosurgery with mobile CT, mask immobilization and micro-multileaf collimators.

We present frameless stereotactic radiosurgery using mobile CT, thermal plastic mask fixation, a vacuum-form body immobilizer and micro-multileaf collimators. A linear accelerator and a self-moving helical CT scanner gantry were installed in the same room. The isocenter of irradiation can be also aligned with the center of the CT gantry by rotating the couch. A thermal plastic mask and vacuum-form body immobilizer was used for registration and immobilization. The advantages of this system are as follows: 1) Accurate and painless frameless fractionated irradiation can be performed smoothly, as the patient's head is fixed without exchanging the couch from CT scanning to irradiation system. 2) This mask system can be applied to children, infants or adults with a previous craniotomy bone flap that must have a fixation pin placed into it. This system can be also used for fractionated radiotherapy without painful skull pin-fixed frame. 3) 1 mm micro-multileaf collimators enable irregular contour irradiation. 4) Image fusion (among CT, MRI, angiography, and PET) and 3D images can be used for irradiation planning. 5) This system can be used on any part of the body. 6) This system can be installed in any irradiation room without any extension or new construction.

Brain Neoplasms↗
PubMed2003

Effects of pre-exercise listening to slow and fast rhythm music on supramaximal cycle performance and selected metabolic variables.

We examined the effect of listening to two different types of music (with slow and fast rhythm), prior to supramaximal cycle exercise, on performance, heart rate, the concentration of lactate and ammonia in blood, and the concentration of catecholamines in plasma. Six male students participated in this study. After listening to slow rhythm or fast rhythm music for 20 min, the subjects performed supramaximal exercise for 45 s using a cycle ergometer. Listening to slow and fast rhythm music prior to supramaximal exercise did not significantly affect the mean power output. The plasma norepinephrine concentration immediately before the end of listening to slow rhythm music was significantly lower than before listening (p < 0.05). The plasma epinephrine concentration immediately before the end of listening to fast rhythm music was significantly higher than before listening (p < 0.05). The type of music had no effect on blood lactate and ammonia levels or on plasma catecholamine levels following exercise. In conclusion, listening to slow rhythm music decreases the plasma norepinephrine level, and listening to fast rhythm music increases the plasma epinephrine level. The type of music has no impact on power output during exercise.

Adult↗
PubMed2003

Guest-host coupling and anharmonicity in clathrate hydrates.

We present a review of our work on the dynamics of clathrate hydrates (gas hydrates). The experimental results obtained with inelastic neutron scattering are compared with molecular-dynamics calculations. The vibrations of the guest molecules and their coupling to the cages is found to depend critically on the size, shape and electrostatic properties of the encaged guest. Atoms like xenon, that are large enough to fill the cages, show close-to-harmonic behaviour and couple strongly to the cage vibrations. Small atoms and molecules fully explore the anharmonicities of the potential within the cage, in particular at low frequencies and low temperatures. Their dynamic response is broad in energy and they couple weakly to the cage vibrations. The relevance of the microscopic dynamics for cage stability and the glass-like thermal conductivity is discussed. We equally place the observed dynamic peculiarities into the broader context of vibrations in disordered systems. Raman spectroscopic results on internal guest vibrations at high frequencies reflect also the influence of guest-host interactions and are discussed in the framework of the loose-cage tight-cage model.

Journal Article↗
PubMed2003

[Mediastinal mature teratoma perforating into the lung with elevated serum carbohydrate antigen 19-9 (CA19-9) levels; report of a case].

A 17-year-old woman was suddenly seized with anterior chest pain and admitted to our hospital. Chest X-ray, computed tomography (CT) scan and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) showed a mass shadow in the left middle lung field associated with the left pleural effusion and high serum carbohydrate antigen 19-9 (CA 19-9) levels (58.5 U/ml). We performed a total resection of the tumor with adherent parts of the left lung. The tumor was 6.5 x 3. 8 x 2.9 cm in size, and was made up of soft tissues, fluid and cystic components. The histological diagnosis was a mature cystic teratoma with perforation into the lung, which contained pancreatic tissues, hepatic cells, bronchial epithelium, serous glands and so on. The levels of fluid amylase and CA 19-9 were high. We report mediastinal mature teratoma perforating into the lung and discuss the mechanism of perforation.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2003

[Intraoperative conversion and postoperative complication of video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery lobectomy for primary lung cancer].

By 2002, we had attempted video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS) lobectomy or segmentectomy for 140 primary lung cancer cases. Four cases (2.9%) were converted to standard posterolateral thoracotomy for oncologic reasons and aortic injury, and 7 cases (5%) were converted to minithoracotomy with a 10 cm incision due to almost injuring the vascular system. Average blood loss in these cases was 379 ml, and there was no blood transfusion required. Seven of these 11 cases had true pleural symphysis in the thoracic cavity. The remaining 129 cases, consisted of 93 lobectomies and 34 segmentectomies, performed with a minithoracotomy of 5 cm using 2 ports. Average surgical duration was 227 minutes, and blood loss was 100 ml. Postoperative complication occurred in 15 patients (11.6%). Major complications included 1 broncho-pleural fistula, 1 pulmonary infarction, 1 cerebral infarction and 1 respiratory failure needed for mechanical ventilation. However, there were no hospital deaths. The mean postoperative hospital stay was 12 days. We recommend that surgeons should pay attention to hilar dissection, particularly in the presences of adhesion and carefully judge whether to convert to thoracotomy at the time of hemorrhage. The VATS procedure has a low mortality and morbidity for lung cancer, but particulaly in high risk patients, requires care and management the same as an open thoracotomy.

Aged↗
PubMed2002

Differential amygdala response during facial recognition in patients with schizophrenia: an fMRI study.

Human lesion or neuroimaging studies suggest that amygdala is involved in facial emotion recognition. Although impairments in recognition of facial and/or emotional expression have been reported in schizophrenia, there are few neuroimaging studies that have examined differential brain activation during facial recognition between patients with schizophrenia and normal controls. To investigate amygdala responses during facial recognition in schizophrenia, we conducted a functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) study with 12 right-handed medicated patients with schizophrenia and 12 age- and sex-matched healthy controls. The experiment task was a type of emotional intensity judgment task. During the task period, subjects were asked to view happy (or angry/disgusting/sad) and neutral faces simultaneously presented every 3 s and to judge which face was more emotional (positive or negative face discrimination). Imaging data were investigated in voxel-by-voxel basis for single-group analysis and for between-group analysis according to the random effect model using Statistical Parametric Mapping (SPM). No significant difference in task accuracy was found between the schizophrenic and control groups. Positive face discrimination activated the bilateral amygdalae of both controls and schizophrenics, with more prominent activation of the right amygdala shown in the schizophrenic group. Negative face discrimination activated the bilateral amygdalae in the schizophrenic group whereas the right amygdala alone in the control group, although no significant group difference was found. Exaggerated amygdala activation during emotional intensity judgment found in the schizophrenic patients may reflect impaired gating of sensory input containing emotion.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2002

The role of the hypothalamic nitric oxide in the pressor responses elicited by acute environmental stress in awake rats.

We quantitatively investigated the change in nitric oxide (NO) in the hypothalamic paraventricular nucleus (PVN) and its effect on cardiovascular regulation during shaker stress (SS) using brain microdialysis in awake rats. Male Wistar rats were fed either N(G)-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester (L-NAME, 0.7 g/L) or tap water for 2 weeks. Two days after implantation of an arterial catheter and guide shaft, a microdialysis probe was placed to perfuse the PVN with degassed Ringer solution at 2 microl/min in awake normotensive Wistar (CONTROL) and chronic L-NAME-treated hypertensive rats. After the rat was placed in a plastic cage set on a shaker, the blood pressure and heart rate was monitored and 10-min SS was loaded at a frequency of 200 cycles/min. Dialysate samples were analyzed by NO analyzer (based on the Griess reaction) every 10 min, and NOx (NO(2)(-) + NO(3)(-)) was measured. Plasma NOx was also measured before and after SS. Pressor responses elicited by SS were significantly greater in L-NAME-treated rats than in the CONTROL. Although NOx in the PVN dialysate were increased by SS in the CONTROL, these responses were attenuated in chronic L-NAME-treated rats. Resting plasma NOx were higher in the CONTROL than in L-NAME-treated rats. SS elicited no difference between two groups in plasma NOx. These results indicated that NO within the PVN, but not in systemic circulation, may play a role on the attenuation of the pressor responses elicited by SS. The dysfunction of NO release within the PVN may, in part, play a role in the exaggerated pressor responses in acute environmental stress.

Acute Disease↗
PubMed2002

Green revolution: a mutant gibberellin-synthesis gene in rice.

The chronic food shortage that was feared after the rapid expansion of the world population in the 1960s was averted largely by the development of a high-yielding semi-dwarf variety of rice known as IR8, the so-called rice 'green revolution'. The short stature of IR8 is due to a mutation in the plant's sd1 gene, and here we identify this gene as encoding an oxidase enzyme involved in the biosynthesis of gibberellin, a plant growth hormone. Gibberellin is also implicated in green-revolution varieties of wheat, but the reduced height of those crops is conferred by defects in the hormone's signalling pathway.

Crops, Agricultural↗
PubMed2002

Accelerated reendothelialization with suppressed thrombogenic property and neointimal hyperplasia of rabbit jugular vein grafts by adenovirus-mediated gene transfer of C-type natriuretic peptide.

BACKGROUND: Vein graft disease limits the late results of coronary revascularization. C-type natriuretic peptide (CNP) inhibits the growth of vascular smooth muscle cells. Given the effects of CNP on cGMP cascade, we hypothesized that transfected CNP genes modulate endothelial repair and thrombogenicity in the vein graft. METHODS AND RESULTS: Autologous rabbit jugular vein grafts were incubated ex vivo in a solution of adenovirus vectors containing CNP gene (Ad.CNP) or Escherichia coli lac Z gene (Ad.LacZ) and then interposed in the carotid artery. Reendothelialization, mural thrombi formation, and intima/media ratio were evaluated on the 14th and 28th postoperative days. More reendothelialization was seen in Ad.CNP-infected grafts than in Ad.LacZ-infected grafts both at 14 days (0.81+/-0.05 versus 0.30+/-0.14, P<0.01) and at 28 days (0.96+/-0.01 versus 0.45+/-0.08, P<0.001). The mural thrombus area was smaller in Ad.CNP-infected grafts than in Ad.LacZ-infected grafts. Neointimal thickening was significantly suppressed in the Ad.CNP group. The in vitro wound assay with human coronary artery endothelial cells revealed significant potentiation of the wound repair process by CNP and atrial natriuretic peptide administration. CONCLUSIONS: Infected Ad.CNP accelerated reendothelialization and suppressed thrombosis and neointimal hyperplasia. The method may potentially prevent vein graft disease in patients undergoing coronary artery revascularization.

Adenoviridae↗
PubMed2002

Effect of gender differences and voluntary exercise on antioxidant capacity in rats.

The effects of gender difference and voluntary exercise on antioxidant capacity in rats were evaluated. The subjects were divided into two groups, physically active and sedentary. In the sedentary group, the level of hydroxyl radical in the liver was higher (P<0.001) in male rats than in female rats, however, in the physically active group, the level in male rats was lower (P<0.05) than in female rats. The levels of reduced glutathione (GSH) in physically active males and females were higher compared to those in the sedentary group. The physically active group also showed an increase in antioxidant enzymes, such as glutathione peroxidase (GPx), glutathione reductase (GR) and superoxide dismutase activities. The level of liver GSH was higher in physically active females than in physically active males. For both groups, GPx and GR activities in females were significantly higher than in males. These results indicate that female rats have an intrinsically higher antioxidant capacity, which resulted in increased levels of GSH via the glutathione redox cycle and gamma-glutamyl cycle enzymes. The adaptation to altered antioxidant capacity, induced by physical activity, appeared to be affected by gender differences.

Animals↗