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H Tadokoro

Publications and source records attributed to H Tadokoro.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

Life-cycle toxicity of 4-nonylphenol to medaka (Oryzias latipes).

We studied the chronic effects of 4-nonylphenol (4-NP) on reproductive status of medaka (Oryzias latipes) over two generations of continuous exposure. The exposure study of the parental (F0) medaka was begun on embryos within 24 h postfertilization and continued with monitoring through embryological development, hatching, posthatch survival, growth, sexual differentiation, and reproduction under flow-through exposures to mean measured 4-NP concentrations of 4.2, 8.2, 17.7, 51.5, and 183 microg/L for up to 104 d. Eggs spawned from the F0 fish at 102 and 103 d posthatch were also examined for hatchability, survival after hatching, growth, and sexual differentiation until 60 d posthatch. The 183-microg/L treatment significantly reduced the embryo survival and swim-up success of the F0 fish. The cumulative mortality after swim-up of the F0 fish exposed to 17.7 and 51.5 microg/L were significantly higher than the control mortality. No concentration-related effect of 4-NP was observed on the growth of surviving F0 fish at 60 d posthatch. However, the sex ratio estimated from the appearance of their secondary sex characteristics was skewed toward female in the 51.5-microg/L treatment. Additionally, gonadal histology showed that 20% of the fish in the 17.7-microg/L treatment and 40% in the 51.5-microg/L treatment had testis-ova, indicating that 4-NP affects the gonadal development and survival of medaka at similar concentrations in juveniles. The sex ratio of the F0 fish in the 51.5-microg/L treatment was completely skewed toward female; subsequently, the effects on fecundity and fertility in this generation were monitored at mean measured concentrations of 4.2, 8.2, and 17.7 microg/L from 71 to 103 d posthatch. Fecundity was unaffected by any of the treatments examined. The mean fertility in the 17.7-microg/L treatment was reduced to 76% of that in the controls, although no statistically significant differences were determined. Overall, these results indicate that the lowest-observed-effect concentration (LOEC) and no-observed-effect concentration (NOEC) of 4-NP through the life cycle of the F0 medaka were 17.7 and 8.2 microg/L, respectively. In the F1 medaka, no significant effects were observed on hatching success, posthatch mortality, or growth, but sexual differentiation at 60 d posthatch was affected. Induction of testis-ova in the gonads of the F1 fish was observed in both the 8.2- and the 17.7-microg/L concentrations. The results indicate that 4-NP can have significant effects on reproductive potential of medaka at concentrations as low as 17.7 microg/L.

Animals↗

[A 68-year-old man with speech disturbance as the initial symptom followed by bradykinesia and dementia. Clinical conference].

We report a 68-year-old man with progressive speech disturbance and dementia. He was well until 1995, when he noted an onset of difficulty in speech. He was able to name simple objects and understand language, however, he showed great difficulty in spontaneous speech. In 1998, he visited our service. He was alert and oriented, but he showed moderate degree of dementia. He did not appear to have aphasia but he showed marked dysarthria and slurred speech. He showed limb-kinetic apraxia in his right hand. He showed moderate restriction in his vertical gaze, masked face, and dysphagia. He walked normally. No rigidity, ataxia, or abnormal involuntary movement was noted. He showed grasp response and he was bradykinetic. He was treated with levodopa without effect. His condition deteriorated slowly and he was admitted to our service because of fever on February 13, 1999. He was alert but almost mute. He was unable to look upward or downward. Oculocephalic response was preserved. Axial rigidity was noted but no limb rigidity was present. He walked with small steps. Retropulsion was present. Deep tendon reflexes were diminished and the plantar response was flexor bilaterally. Laboratory examinations were unremarkable and his fever went down within a few days by supportive treatment. He was discharged to his home, where his condition deteriorated further. He developed cardiopulmonary arrest on May 3, 1999 and was brought into ER again. Cardiopulmonary resuscitation was unsuccessful and he was pronounced dead at 7:30 in the morning on the same day. The patient was discussed in a neurological CPC. The chief discussant arrived at the conclusion that this patient had corticobasal degeneration. But he felt that the differential diagnosis from atypical progressive supranuclear palsy, in which cortical pathology and symptoms predominated as in corticobasal degeneration, would be extremely difficult. Most of the participants felt that this patient had corticobasal degeneration, but a few thought that he had atypical PSP. Post-mortem examination revealed asymmetric cortical atrophy, which was accentuated in the left motor cortical area. Microscopic examination of the precentral cortex revealed neuronal loss and gliosis. Ballooned neurons and astrocytic plaques were also seen. The substantia nigra showed marked neuronal loss. Neuropil threads were observed in the nigra. Those threads were positive for anti-tau immunohistochemistry. The internal segment of the globus pallidus, the subthalamic nucleus, and the cerebellar dentate nucleus showed mild to moderate neuronal loss. A few neurofibrillary tangle-positive neurons were seen in these structures. Neuropil threads were also seen throughout. Pathologic changes were consistent with the diagnosis of corticobasal degeneration. One of the participants pointed out that he was able to walk at the time when he was showing marked speech disturbance and limb-kinetic apraxia, which was rather unusual for PSP suggesting corticobasal degeneration.

Aged↗

Adenosine-induced coronary flow reserve in Watanabe heritable hyperlipidemic rabbits.

The Watanabe heritable hyperlipidemic (WHHL) rabbit develops coronary atherosclerosis and hypercholesterolemia because of a genetic deficiency of low-density lipoprotein receptors and is therefore a good animal model for studying the relationships of coronary atherosclerosis, hypercholesterolemia and coronary flow reserve. The aim of the present study was to assess myocardial perfusion at baseline and during adenosine infusion (0.2 mg x kg(-1) x min(-1)) in 8 WHHL rabbits (13.8+/-0.5 months) with 13N-ammonia, small-animal positron emission tomography (PET) and colored microspheres. Results were compared with those from 6 age-matched Japanese white rabbits. Plaque distribution was also examined in the extramural coronary arteries. All 8 WHHL rabbits had coronary plaques, with 6 showing multiple plaques. Mean global myocardial blood flow (ml x min(-1) x g(-1)) did not differ significantly between control and WHHL groups both at baseline (3.67+/-0.72 vs 4.26+/-1.12 ml x min(-1) x g(-1), p=NS) and with adenosine (7.92+/-2.00 vs 9.27+/-2.91 ml x min(-1) x g(-1), p=NS), nor did coronary flow reserve (2.16+/-0.37 vs 2.18+/-0.41, p=NS). None showed evidence of regional perfusion abnormalities by visual and semiquantitative analyses of PET images. It was concluded that WHHL rabbits preserve adenosine-induced coronary flow reserve despite coronary atherosclerosis and hypercholesterolemia, suggesting that a compensatory mechanism develops in this animal model.

Adenosine↗

Uptakes and images of 38K in rabbit heart, kidney, and brain.

UNLABELLED: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the kinetics and image quality of positron-emitting 38K (half-life, 7.6 min) and high-resolution small-animal PET in the heart, kidney, and brain of rabbits. METHODS: Studies were performed with 18 closed-chest anesthetized rabbits at baseline and during infusions of adenosine (0.2 mg/kg/min) and propranolol (0.5-1.0 mg/kg intravenously) using high-resolution small-animal PET. 38K was injected intravenously and dynamic PET imaging of the heart, kidney, or brain was performed for 3 min. Colored microspheres were injected into the left ventricle to measure organ blood flow. Arterial blood was withdrawn directly from the femoral artery, and, after the animals were killed, 38K activities in each organ were measured directly with a well counter. Uptake of 38K was calculated by dividing the 38K activities in each organ by the integral of the input function. The extraction fraction of 38K was estimated by dividing the uptake of 38K in each organ by the organ blood flow, measured by microspheres. RESULTS: The left ventricular myocardium and kidney were clearly visualized, but there was no visual 38K uptake in the brain. For the heart, kidney, and brain, respectively, average blood flow was 2.91 +/- 1.29, 5.49 +/- 0.71, and 0.57 +/- 0.11 mL/min/g, and the extraction fraction of 38K at baseline was 0.55 +/- 0.13, 0.48 +/- 0.13, and 0.022 +/- 0004. The Renkin-Crone model fit the relation between myocardial extraction and flow under a wide range of myocardial blood flow (r = 0.89). CONCLUSION: 38K is a suitable tracer for noninvasively showing the potassium kinetics of the heart, kidney, and brain by PET imaging.

Animals↗

Cone-beam CT angiography of the thorax: an experimental study.

The authors recently developed a cone-beam computed tomography (CT) scanner and this report presents their evaluation of its potential for thoracic vascular imaging. An X-ray tube and a video-fluoroscopic system were rotated around the objects and 360 projected images were collected in a 12-s scan. Each image was digitized and a 3 dimensional (D) image (256x256x256 voxel volume with a voxel dimension of 0.9x0.9x0.9 mm) was reconstructed. Two different 3D-CT angiographies were investigated in 2 pigs: right atriography and thoracic aortography. Each pig was anesthetized, mechanically ventilated and positioned within the scanner. Contrast agent was infused through the right atrium or the aortic root at a rate of 3 ml/s during the scan. The right atriography scan clearly delineated the anatomy of the pulmonary artery, heart chambers and thoracic aorta. The thoracic aortography scan also clearly delineated the aortic anatomy including the internal thoracic and intercostal arteries. In conclusion, cone-beam CT angiography is potentially useful for thoracic vascular imaging.

Angiography↗

High-resolution cardiac PET in rabbits: imaging and quantitation of myocardial blood flow.

UNLABELLED: A high-resolution PET system for small animals was tested for its applicability to the investigation of regional myocardial blood flow (MBF) in rabbits. METHODS: Nineteen measurements were performed in 10 closed-chest anesthetized rabbits at baseline and during infusions of adenosine (0.2 mg/kg/min) and propranolol (0.20-1.20 mg slow infusion) to obtain a wide range of MBF. Myocardial blood flow was assessed both by dynamic 13N-ammonia PET and by colored microspheres. Blood was withdrawn directly from the femoral artery, and arterial 13N activity was measured by coincidence type gamma detection system for the input function. Nitrogen-13 myocardial uptake was calculated by dividing the myocardial 13N activity by the integral value of the input function. RESULTS: Three or four contiguous cross-sectional myocardial images were obtained after 13N-ammonia injection. The left ventricular wall and cardiac cavity were clearly visualized. Moreover, initial passage of the tracer through the heart was obtained with serial 10-sec PET images. Nitrogen-13 myocardial uptake correlated well with flow measured with microspheres (r = 0.88). CONCLUSION: Our cardiac PET system can be used for in vivo imaging and quantitation of MBF in small animals and may play an important role in the future study of animal models of cardiovascular diseases.

Adenosine↗

Embryological fusion between the ducts of the ventral and dorsal primordia of the pancreas occurs in two manners.

The junction between the main pancreatic duct and the accessory duct has been thought to be the site of fusion between the ducts of the ventral and the dorsal primordia of the pancreas. The aim of this study was to investigate the fusion point between the ventral and the dorsal pancreatic ducts and to determine whether there is any relationship between the configuration of the pancreatic ducts and the manner of embryological fusion. Pancreatography was performed at 22 consecutive autopsies. Immunohistochemical staining of pancreatic polypeptide (PP) was performed because PP cells were rich in the ventral pancreas but poor in the dorsal pancreas. We identified two types of fusion. In one type, the ventral and the dorsal pancreatic ducts fuse at their junction (one-point fusion). In the other type, the two ducts fuse not only at the proximal site but at a second, more distal site (two-point fusion). Analysis of the pancreatograms showed that the distance between the junction and the major papilla in two-point fusion is significantly shorter than in one-point fusion (p < 0.01). These results indicate a close correlation between the pattern seen on pancreatograms and the manner of embryological fusion.

Aged↗

Cloning and nucleotide sequence of the major capsid proteins of Lactobacillus bacteriophage phi gle.

Bacteriophage phi gle was induced from a lysogenic Lactobacillus strain Gle. phi gle genome is double-stranded DNA of approximately 42.5 kilo-base (kb) pairs. SDS poly-acrylamide gel electrophoresis demonstrated that the phage particles contain 4 major structural (capsid) proteins, gpB, gpG, gpO, and gpP, whose molecular weights (MW) are estimated to be 64, 43, 29 and 26 kilodaltons (kDa), respectively. More than 16 minor proteins ranging from 113 to 9.6 kDa were also detected. The genes for the major capsid proteins were cloned and each DNA sequence was determined. N-terminal amino acid alignments determined by protein sequencing completely coincided with those deduced from the nucleotide sequences.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

Infarct size reduction with coronary venous retroinfusion of diltiazem in the acute occlusion/reperfusion porcine heart model.

Calcium channel blockers are commonly used for the treatment of ischemic heart disease, but their effects on myocardial infarct size (IS) after reperfusion are not well known. Enflurane-anesthetized open-chest pigs subjected to 60-min left anterior descending coronary artery (LAD) occlusion followed by 3-h reperfusion were referred to one of the four experimental groups. Beginning 10 min before the onset of reperfusion, pigs in group A received diltiazem (7.5 micrograms/kg/min) retrogradely infused into the coronary vein for 30 min. In group B, the same amount of diltiazem was infused into the right atrium. A corresponding volume of saline was infused into the coronary vein in group C or into the right atrium in group D. IS expressed as a percentage of the myocardium at risk was significantly smaller (p < 0.01) in group A (33 +/- 14%; mean +/- SD) than in groups B (58 +/- 11%), C (58 +/- 11%), and D(63 +/- 10%). After reperfusion, functional recovery of the ischemic myocardium, determined by ultrasound crystals, was significantly more improved (p < 0.05) in group A as compared with other groups. The ischemic and nonischemic regional myocardial blood flow (RMBF), determined by radioactive microspheres, did not differ between four groups. Coronary venous retroinfusion of diltiazem had a myocardial protective effect in the porcine experimental model of acute coronary occlusion/reperfusion, whereas intravenous drug administration was not effective. The protective effect could not be attributed to washout of toxic metabolites from the ischemic area or to improved microcirculation. It was probably related to a pronounced accumulation of the calcium-channel blocker diltiazem in the ischemic myocardium achieved by the coronary venous route of delivery.

Animals↗

Flow visualization study on centrifugal blood pump using a high speed video camera.

Flow visualization is widely applied to evaluate rotary blood pumps; however, it is very difficult to visualize flow near the vanes of centrifugal blood pumps because the rotational speed of the impeller is usually several thousand rpm. In this study, a tracer method with a high speed video camera that can take more than 2,000 frames/s was utilized for flow visualization together with computer-assisted image measurement. This method visualized the complex secondary flow pattern near the vanes of the impeller, such as the vortex and recirculation. It also visualized the enhanced washout effect by the secondary washout vanes on the backside of the impeller. The proposed method was effective to analyze the flow pattern in the centrifugal blood pump by providing useful information for better design of the pump hemolysis and thrombus formation.

Blood Flow Velocity↗

Platelet deposition onto polymeric surfaces during shunting.

In an attempt to develop blood-contacting tubes that can be applied for short-term uses with a reduced heparin concentration or, ideally, without heparinization, we evaluated the blood compatibility of polymeric materials with a rabbit ex vivo shunt model. The shunt tubes employed were made of silicone, plasticized poly(vinyl chloride) (PVC), and segmented poly(ether urethane) (PU). In addition, two kinds of surface-modified tube were used: poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA)-coated PVC and poly(dimethylacrylamide) (PDMAA)-grafted PU. The ex vivo shunt results correlated well with protein adsorption and platelet adhesion in vitro. The following order for the extent of platelet deposition was given, irrespective of the blood-contacting duration: PDMAA-grafted PU < PVA-coated PVC < PU < silicone, PVC. It is likely that many platelet aggregates detached from the PVA-coated PVC surface. For PDMAA-grafted PU, no trace of detachment of aggregates could be detected on any of the SEM photographs. The number and morphology of blood cells adhered onto the tube surfaces during ex vivo shunting were dependent on the kind of polymer surfaces, the blood exposure time, and the flow rate of blood.

Animals↗

Local beta-adrenergic blockade does not reduce infarct size after coronary occlusion and reperfusion: a study of coronary venous retroinfusion of metoprolol.

Previous studies have demonstrated pronounced ischemic zone myocardial concentrations of metoprolol following coronary venous retroinfusion in pigs with coronary artery ligation. The effect of coronary venous retroinfusion of metroprolol on myocardial infarct size was studied in 16 pentobarbital-anesthetized open-chest pigs undergoing 60-minute occlusion of the left anterior descending coronary artery followed by 3 hours of reperfusion. Pigs in the experimental group (n = 8) were given 0.4 mg/kg (1.0 mg/ml) of metroprolol via the anterior interventricular vein over a period of 5 minutes, beginning immediately after coronary occlusion followed by 0.2 mg/kg/hr intravenously. Control pigs (n = 8) received the same volume of saline as the treated group. The risk area and the necrotic area were assessed by monastral blue dye and triphenyl tetrazolium chloride staining, respectively. Metoprolol did not influence hemodynamics. Plasma concentrations of metoprolol were within therapeutic levels. The administration of the beta-blocker resulted in a trend toward reduced norepinephrine concentrations, both in the aorta and coronary vein after coronary occlusion, but it did not prevent norepinephrine overflow following reperfusion. Infarct size expressed as a percentage of the risk area was 77 +/- 11% in the control group and 75 +/- 12% (mean +/- SD; NS) in the treated group. Thus, metoprolol retroinfusion did not reduce infarct size and did not prevent catecholamine overflow after reperfusion. It is concluded that the beneficial effects of metroprolol in acute infarction are probably unrelated to local beta-adrenergic blockade, at least in the pig, an animal with a paucity of coronary collateral blood flow.

Adrenergic beta-Antagonists↗

Polyurethane surface modification by graft polymerization of acrylamide for reduced protein adsorption and platelet adhesion.

Surface modification of polyurethane by glow-discharge treatment and subsequent graft polymerization of acrylamide was studied. The modified hydrophilic surfaces were characterized by the measurements of dynamic contact angle and zeta potentials and examined for protein adsorption behaviour and platelet adhesion. Data from in vitro and ex vivo experiments indicated a reduction of protein adsorption and platelet adhesion for the hydrophillic graft polymers, the extent of which was correlated to polymer graft density.

Acrylamides↗

Low-frictional catheter materials by photo-induced graft polymerization.

To develop low-frictional catheters, photo-induced graft polymerization of N,N-dimethylacrylamide (DMAA) was performed on to films and tubes of ethylene-vinyl acetate copolymer (EVA) and poly(vinyl chloride) (PVC). Their surfaces became very slippery, when the materials were preirradiated with UV from a low-pressure mercury lamp, followed by graft polymerization with DMAA in the presence of small amount of riboflavin without degassing. Although no significant difference was observed in surface lubrication between the EVA film and the tube, the latter required an additional procedure for the graft polymerization, that is, removal of air trapped inside the tube. The surfaces of EVA and PVC tubes grafted with DMAA were found to exhibit frictional forces around 0.5 N against a PVC and a silicone surface under wet conditions, whereas the frictional force of the ungrafted tubes against the same substrates was 10 and 20 N for PVC and EVA, respectively.

Catheterization↗

Aquatic toxicity testing for multicomponent compounds with special reference to preparation of test solution.

An adequate method of determining the toxicity of a compound consisting of multiple components, such as creosote, coal tar, and coal tar pitch, was studied for different test solution preparation methods, i.e., direct dosing without filtration, diluting the stock solution of saturated concentration, and dispersing with acetone. Killifish, Oryzias latipes, as a freshwater fish; red sea bream, Pagrus major, as a saltwater fish; and daphnia, Daphnia magna, as a representative crustacean, were used for testing. The chemical analysis of each preparation of test solution with gas chromatography revealed an entirely different profile of the components. The highest toxicity was obtained with preparation by acetone dispersion. That was followed by the preparations with direct dosing method and with the method of dilution of saturated concentration stock solution. Considering the results obtained, the direct dosing method with a suitable settling time may provide useful information enabling extrapolation of the test results to the natural environment for complex multicomponent compounds.

Acetone↗

Pharmacokinetic analysis of coronary venous retroinfusion: a comparison with anterograde coronary artery drug administration using metoprolol as a tracer.

Plasma and myocardial tissue concentrations of metoprolol were studied in ischemic and nonischemic areas of 22 pigs after 90 (n = 19) and 16 (n = 3) min of left anterior descending coronary artery occlusion. Group A (n = 6) received simultaneous intravenous metoprolol (0.2 mg/kg body weight) and tritium-labeled (3H)-metoprolol (0.2 mg/kg) retrogradely into the coronary vein. In group B (n = 5), metoprolol and 3H-metoprolol were administered in the same way, but at half the volume to study the influence of derived coronary venous pressure on the myocardial concentration of drug. In group C (n = 3), metoprolol was given retrogradely and saline solution was infused into the left anterior descending artery before induced death to wash out metoprolol from the coronary veins. To rule out a possible influence of the development of myocardial necrosis on drug distribution, metoprolol was retroinfused after 1 min of arterial occlusion in three pigs (group D). In group E (n = 5), metoprolol (0.2 mg/kg) was infused anterogradely into the left anterior descending artery. Peak plasma concentration was significantly higher after intravenous infusion of metoprolol (1,188 +/- 503 nmol/liter) than after coronary venous infusion (417 +/- 155 nmol/liter; p less than 0.001). In groups A and B, the nonischemic myocardial concentration of metoprolol was 250 to 300 pmol/g, whether the drug was infused intravenously or into the coronary vein. Coronary venous retroinfusion, however, resulted in a substantial accumulation of metoprolol in the ischemic myocardium. In group A pigs, subendocardial myocardial concentration was 16,800 +/- 7,774, mid-myocardial 39,590 +/- 18,043 and subepicardial 57,143 +/- 29,030 pmol/g (mean +/- SE). The ischemic myocardial concentration in pigs from group B was somewhat less pronounced, probably secondary to a lower coronary venous pressure (15 +/- 3 mm Hg) with the lower volume of infusion (6.1 +/- 0.3 ml) in group B compared with 32 +/- 5 mm Hg with a 14 +/- 1 ml infusion in group A. Coronary artery anterograde administration resulted in myocardial ischemic and nonischemic zone drug concentrations similar to those observed after retroinfusion into the coronary vein. With both modes of administration, there was a transmyocardial gradient from a somewhat lower drug concentration in the subendocardium, toward an increasing level in the mid-myocardium, to the highest concentration in the subepicardial zone of the ischemic myocardium. Coronary venous retroinfusion resulted in pronounced drug accumulation in the ischemic myocardium. The derived coronary venous pressure during infusion influenced the concentration of drug.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)

Animals↗

Retrograde coronary venous administration of recombinant tissue-type plasminogen activator: a unique and effective approach to coronary artery thrombolysis.

Recent studies of interventional therapy by way of the coronary venous system have demonstrated that it can protect acutely ischemic myocardium. To evaluate the efficacy of coronary venous retroinfusion compared with systemic intravenous administration of recombinant tissue-type plasminogen activator (rt-PA), 14 dogs were studied with a copper coil-induced thrombus in the left anterior descending coronary artery. The rt-PA (24,000 fluorescence units/kg) was administered continuously, either intravenously (n = 8) or retrogradely (n = 6), for 30 min beginning 60 min after coronary occlusion. Thrombolysis was determined by repetitive coronary angiography. All dogs were killed 3 h after termination of rt-PA infusion and infarct size was measured by the triphenyltetrazolium chloride staining technique. Complete thrombolysis occurred in five of the six dogs in the retroinfusion group and four of the eight dogs in the systemic intravenous infusion group. Partial lysis was achieved in two dogs treated by intravenous infusion. Lysis did not occur in one dog treated with retroinfusion and in two dogs treated with intravenous infusion. Time to thrombolysis was 13.4 +/- 2.3 min in the retroinfusion group versus 27.8 +/- 4.8 min in the intravenous group (p less than 0.001). Myocardial functional recovery in the ischemic zone measured by two-dimensional echocardiography 60 min after reperfusion was significant only in the retroinfusion group (p less than 0.05).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Animals↗