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Biomedical subjects

H Okamura

Publications and source records attributed to H Okamura.

At least 685 records · Page 38Linked to original sources
PubMed1985

[A case of triple simultaneous cancer of the esophagus, gallbladder and colon].

The patient was a 60-year-old man with the chief complaints of bloody stools, and their abnormal motion. The diagnosis was sigmoid colon cancer. Esophageal cancer and cholelithiasis were also found by several preoperative examinations. Subtotal esophagectomy, cholecystectomy and sigmoidectomy were performed. Resected Specimen: There was an early cancer measuring 2.5 X 2.0 cm at the abdominal esophagus. It was a poorly differentiated squamous cell carcinoma. There were two polyps at the gallbladder, in which carcinoma in situ was found. A well-differentiated papillotubular adenocarcinoma of type Borr 2 was found at the sigmoid colon.

Adenocarcinoma↗
PubMed1984

Influence of ascending noradrenergic fibers on the neurotensin-like immunoreactive perikarya and evidence of direct projection of ascending neurotensin-like immunoreactive fibers in the rat central nucleus of the amygdala.

The influence of ascending noradrenergic neuronal input on the neurotensin (NT)-like immunoreactive neuronal perikarya located in the dorsal part of the central nucleus of the amygdala (CNA) was examined using fluorescence histochemistry and peroxidase-antiperoxidase (PAP) immunocytochemistry. Unilateral hemitransection of the ascending noradrenergic pathway by injection of 6-hydroxydopamine into the caudal mesencephalon just rostral to the locus coeruleus caused a marked depletion of immunoreactivity in NT-like immunoreactive neuronal perikarya in the CNA. Ascending noradrenergic neuronal input, therefore, is considered to facilitate production of NT-like immunoreactive substances in neuronal perikarya and to influence on the functional role of the amygdaloid complex. In addition, we obtained evidence of unilateral direct ascending projections of NT-like immunoreactive neurons into the CNA since the disappearance of NT-like immunoreactive processes occurred mainly in the ventral part of the CNA after surgical hemitransection of the ascending neuronal pathway that interrupts the ascending NT-like immunoreactive pathway arising from the neurons in the brain stem.

Amygdala↗
PubMed1984

Purification to apparent homogeneity of inactive kallikrein from rat urine.

Inactive kallikrein was purified from rat urine by a procedure including ammonium sulfate fractionation, DEAE cellulose chromatography, phenyl-Sepharose CL-4B chromatography, and gel filtration on Sephadex G-100 and Sephadex G-75 columns. The resulting preparation was essentially homogeneous, as assessed by polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. This preparation migrated as a single protein band on a SDS-polyacrylamide gel and the molecular weight was 41000. The purified material underwent marked activation by trypsin, but not by deoxycholate, Triton X-100, SDS or acidification. These results indicate that the purified inactive kallikrein is the precursor rather than a complex with a substance binding to the active form of kallikrein.

Animals↗
PubMed1984

Light and electron microscopic immunocytochemistry of neurotensin-like immunoreactive neurons in the rat hypothalamus.

Neurotensin-like immunoreactive neuronal perikarya, fibers and terminals in the rat hypothalamus, particularly in the arcuate nucleus, the paraventricular nucleus and the median eminence, were investigated by light and electron microscopic immunocytochemistry. The main distributional areas of immunoreactive neuronal perikarya were found to be the arcuate nucleus, the periventricular nucleus and the paraventricular nucleus by light microscopic immunocytochemistry. Immunoreactive neuronal perikarya showed a characteristic distributional pattern in the arcuate nucleus. In the paraventricular nucleus they were distributed in both the magnocellular and parvocellular portions. A large number of immunoreactive terminals were observed throughout the external layer of the median eminence, particularly its lateral portion. A moderate number of immunoreactive terminals were also observed in the internal layer of the median eminence. By electron microscopic immunocytochemistry immunoreactive neuronal perikarya both in the arcuate and paraventricular nuclei showed generally well-developed cell organelles such as mitochondria, r-ER, and Golgi complex. In addition, immunoreactive dense granules were dispersed throughout the perikarya. A large number of immunoreactive terminals containing immunoreactive dense granules, clear vesicles and mitochondria were observed in the vicinity of pericapillary spaces of the external layer of the median eminence. This observation strongly suggests that neurotensin-like immunoreactive substance is released into the portal capillaries.

Animals↗
PubMed1984

Influence of ascending noradrenergic fibers on the neurotensin-like immunoreactive neurons in the rat paraventricular nucleus.

Regulation of the neurotensin (NT)-producing neurons by ascending catecholamine fibers in the paraventricular nucleus of the rat hypothalamus was examined using fluorescence histochemistry and immunohistochemistry after the destruction of the ascending catecholamine pathway by 6-hydroxydopamine. On the ipsilaterally operated side, the fluorescence of the catecholamine terminals decreased remarkably in the paraventricular nucleus whereas an accumulation of catecholamine fluorescence was observed in the caudal mesencephalon rostral to the locus coeruleus. In addition, the number of neural perikarya with NT-like immunoreactivity was greatly decreased in the paraventricular nucleus on the operated side compared with the intact side as determined by peroxidase-antiperoxidase immunohistochemistry. This decrease in the NT-like immunoreactive neural perikarya may be due to the disappearance of noradrenergic input to the NT-like immunoreactive neurons through axo-somatic or axo-dendritic synapses.

Adrenergic Fibers↗
PubMed1984

Adenocarcinoma of the endometrium associated with intrauterine pregnancy.

A case of adenocarcinoma of the endometrium discovered during curettage of inevitable abortion is described and seven instances with the association of fundal cancer and intrauterine pregnancy are reviewed. In half of the eight patients including the present case, a complication of pregnancy led to the discovery of the tumor; in the remaining four instances, the gestation occurred incidentally in a patient known to have a fundal cancer. All the seven neoplasms previously reported were well-differentiated, minimally or noninvasive adenocarcinoma or adenoacanthoma, while the tumor of the present case was moderately differentiated adenocarcinoma which invaded into about one-half of the myometrium. Progesterone-induced histologic findings, such as secretory differentiation of glands, mitotic arrest, and decidual reaction of stromal cells, were not noted. Prognosis of the patients with this association seems to be good. Follow-up on five of the seven previously reported cases indicates that four are well more than 5 years. The present patient is also well more than 5 years after hysterectomy and pelvic irradiation therapy. There is only one patient who has died of recurrence 3 years after definitive therapy.

Abortion, Spontaneous↗
PubMed1984

Morphological survey of neurotensin-like immunoreactive neurons in the hypothalamus.

Neurotensin-like immunoreactive neuronal perikarya, fibers and terminals in in the rat hypothalamus were investigated by light and electron microscopic immunocytochemistry. Distributional density and pattern of these elements were clarified. Fine structure of immunoreactive neuronal perikarya with respect to development of cell organellae and immunoreactive dense granules was also elucidated. Features of immunoreactive processes, dendrites and preterminal axons were examined electron microscopically. In addition to the above findings by light and electron microscopic immunocytochemistry, we examined the coexistence of dopamine and neurotensin-like immunoreactive substances in these same neurons in the arcuate and periventricular nuclei. This was proved by the application of fluorescence histochemistry and immunocytochemistry on the same sections. Moreover, we speculated that the ascending noradrenergic neurons influence the neurotensin immunoreactive neurons in the paraventricular nucleus since a marked decrease in the number of neurotensin-like immunoreactive neuronal perikarya was observed after transection of ascending noradrenergic pathway.

Animals↗
PubMed1984

The fine structures of the VIP-like immunoreactive neurons in the cat hypothalamus.

The fine structures of the VIP-like immunoreactive neurons in the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN) and the arcuate nucleus ( ARN ) of the cat hypothalamus were investigated by electron microscopic immunocytochemistry. The VIP-like immunoreactive soma and fibers could be successfully visualized by a modified PAP method. VIP-like immunoreactive neurons in both nuclei contained immunoreactive rER, Golgi complexes and many immunoreactive granules, as well as well developed mitochondria. VIP-like immunoreactive synaptic endings with synaptic membrane specialization of Gray's type I and II were found in the SCN. Moreover VIP-like immunoreactive preterminal elements that made synaptic contact with VIP-like immunoreactive neuronal soma were also detected. On the other hand, it was difficult to detect typical preterminal endings with immunoreactivity in the ARN ; however, VIP-like immunoreactive processes in contact with the basement membrane of the capillaries were observed. These observations indicate that VIP-like immunoreactive neurons in the SCN act as intrinsic neurons and are involved in neuroendocrine function in ARN .

Animals↗
PubMed1984

Ultrastructure of ovarian follicles in in vitro perfused rabbit ovaries: response to human chorionic gonadotropin and comparison with in vivo observations.

Ovulation may be achieved and studied in an isolated perfused rabbit ovary upon inclusion of human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) in the perfusion fluid. The ultrastructural features of the rabbit ovarian follicle prior to ovulation in vitro were compared with those in vivo. The perifollicular vasculature was also examined in in vitro perfused rabbit ovaries during the preovulatory interval. Granulosa cells of the preovulatory follicle share many ultrastructural features in vivo and in vitro; however, only small amounts of smooth endoplasmic reticulum (sER) were observed in granulosa cells in vitro after hCG. Ovulation after hCG in the in vitro preparation tends to occur earlier (6 hours) than in vivo (12 hours). Thus, there may be insufficient time and/or gonadotropin exposure to permit full functional development of granulosa cells, as reflected by reduced amounts of sER. Degradation of collagen fibrils was less prominent in the theca externa and tunica albuginea in vitro than in in vivo. Perifollicular capillaries became dilated after hCG, but interendothelial gaps were not observed. Disappearance of surface epithelium in the apex of follicles was similar in vitro and in vivo.

Animals↗
PubMed1984

A case of Ehlers-Danlos syndrome associated with cleft lip and palate.

A case of the Ehlers-Danlos syndrome associated with cleft lip and palate is presented. This is the first reported case with cleft lip and palate. The cleft palate in our case was successfully repaired by palatoplasty (push-back operation). The aetiology, clinical features and surgical problems of this syndrome are discussed.

Child↗
PubMed1984

Harmonics-to-noise ratio and psychophysical measurement of the degree of hoarseness.

The degree of hoarseness can be evaluated by judging the extent to which noise replaces the harmonic structure in the spectrogram . The relationship between these two components was quantified as the harmonics-to-noise (H/N) ratio. Eighty-seven phonatory samples (sustained vowel /a/), ranging from nearly normal to severely hoarse, were analyzed. The H/N ratio, the spectrographic classification, and cycle-to-cycle pitch perturbations (jitter) each showed a significant correlation with the psychophysical measurement of the degree of hoarseness (r = .809, .805, and .712, respectively; p less than .001). The analysis also revealed that the correlations of the psychophysical measurement of the degree of hoarseness with the first two parameters were significantly higher than that with jitter (p less than .05). Moreover, the spectrographic classification is subjective, and its scale is discrete and coarse. Therefore, the H/N ratio seems to be the most applicable in the clinic as a quantitative index of the degree of hoarseness.

Hoarseness↗
PubMed1984

[Collagen synthetic activity in rabbit ovary during ovulation and its blockage by indomethacin].

In order to investigate the possibility of the participation of prostaglandins (PGs) in the collagen synthetic activity during the ovulatory process, we measured prolyl hydroxylase (PH) activity and the hydroxyproline (Hyp) content of ovarian follicles in rabbits after the administration of hCG and indomethacin (IM). The minimum dose of IM (4mg/kg) effective in blocking ovulation was given simultaneously with hCG to mature female Japanese white rabbits. PH activity in the ovary reached its peak level at 13hr after the hCG injection, immediately after ovulation. This increase was not observed in other tissues such as skin, aorta or ear obtained from ovulating rabbits. In the IM-treated rabbits in which ovulation was blocked, PH activity was rather suppressed and did not show any prominent peaks, although IM did not directly suppress PH activity in the in vitro assay system. The amount of Hyp did not show any significant changes during the ovulatory process or during ovulation blockage by IM. It is suggested that PGs play an important role in controlling collagen synthetic activity of the ovary through the ovulatory process.

Animals↗
PubMed1984

[Effect of indomethacin on collagenolytic enzyme activities in rabbit ovary].

To investigate the possible participation of prostaglandins in the activation of collagenolytic enzymes of the follicular wall at ovulation, we measured the activities of neutral and acid collagenase in the rabbit ovaries at various stages of follicular development by using synthetic substrate DNP-Pro-Gln-Ile-Ala-Gly-Gln-D-Arg OH (DNP peptide) with its optimal pH 7.6 and alpha-N-benzoyl-DL-arginine-2-naphthylamide HCl (BANA) with pH 6.0, and the effect of ovulation-blocking doses of indomethacin (4 mg/kg) on DNP peptidase and BANA hydrolase activities were investigated. DNP peptidase and BANA hydrolase activities were increased toward ovulation with the highest level 7 to 9hrs after the hCG injection and then decreased significantly at 10hr. At 11hr, around the time of ovulation, the activity stayed at its low level, then rose by 13hr. Following the concomitant administration of IM with hCG, ovulation was blocked and the preovulatory increases in DNP peptidase and BANA hydrolase activities were not observed and their activities stayed at the low level until 20hr. It is suggested that collagenolytic activity for the ovulatory process started to intensiby 6hrs and ended 3hrs prior to ovulation and PGs are necessary for the enzymatic activation of DNP peptidase and BANA hydrolase.

Aminopeptidases↗