Search PubMed⌕ Search

Biomedical subjects

K Abe

Publications and source records attributed to K Abe.

At least 847 records · Page 47Linked to original sources
PubMed1997

Chronic hepatitis C associated with anti-liver/kidney microsome-1 antibody is not a subgroup of autoimmune hepatitis.

To determine whether "autoimmune hepatitis type IIb" should be categorized as a subgroup of autoimmune hepatitis, we conducted a clinicopathological study of 25 adult Japanese patients who were positive for anti-liver/kidney microsome-1 (anti-LKM-1) anti-body and infected with the hepatitis C virus (HCV). Anti-LKM-1 was determined by indirect immunofluorescence and by the double immunodiffusion assays we have developed. Twenty-two patients did not present any unusual symptoms or any associated diseases during the course of their chronic HCV infection. The spectrum of HCV genotypes of these patients did not significantly differ from that of anti-LKM-1-negative Japanese patients with chronic hepatitis C. Histological examination of liver biopsy specimens showed the usual characteristics of chronic hepatitis C and lack of characteristics of autoimmune hepatitis type I. No disease-specific HLA haplotypes were noted, and HLA-DR4, which is detectable in 88.7% of Japanese patients with autoimmune hepatitis type I, was detected in only 50.0% of our group, the same rate as the background frequency. Prednisolone was effective in none of the six patients treated, but interferon was effective in six of ten treated patients (60%). From these results, we conclude that "autoimmune hepatitis type IIb" should not be categorized as autoimmune hepatitis, and that this subgroup is essentially chronic hepatitis C in which an autoantibody has been produced during the course of chronic HCV infection.

Adult↗
PubMed1997

Arterial oxygenation during one lung ventilation.

PURPOSE: To compare the effects of isoflurane and sevoflurane on arterial oxygenation and middle cerebral artery blood flow velocity during one lung ventilation. METHODS: This was a randomized, crossover study in 20 patients undergoing thoracotomy for oesophageal cancer and scheduled for long term one lung ventilation (OLV). They were randomized to one of two groups: group A, firstly isoflurane was administered followed by sevoflurane, and then isoflurane was resumed; group B, the order of the administration was reversed. Arterial blood gas samples were drawn at the start of OLV, 30 and 60 min after the initiation of OLV and the end of OLV (the change of volatile anesthetics was done 30 and 60 min after the start of OLV). Middle cerebral artery (MCA) was monitored continuously with the probe positioned over the temporal bone window. This probe transmitted 2 MHZ wave Doppler signals. Time-averaged MCA blood flow velocity was calculated from the signals. RESULTS: The PaO2 values decreased 30 min after the start of OLV (364.4 +/- 33.4 mmHg vs 179.0 +/- 19.5, and 338.7 +/- 24.8 mmHg vs 139.7-19.9 in groups A and B respectively), but there was no difference between the groups. Blood flow velocity of MCA did not change after the start of OLV (53.1 +/- 3.2, 55.9 +/- 3.0, 56.4 +/- 2.4, and 54.1 +/- 1.9 vs 50.8 +/- 2.1, 50.7 +/- 2.4, 53.7 +/- 1.5, 50.8 +/- 2.2 cm.sec-1 in groups A and B respectively): there was no difference between the groups. (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: In clinical practice, the selection of either isoflurane and sevoflurane for OLV was of no difference in terms of the arterial blood oxygenation. With both agents MCA blood flow velocity was maintained during OLV.

Adult↗
PubMed1997

Hyperthermia after cardiac surgery.

PURPOSE: To describe two cases of hyperthermia occurring after cardiac surgery. CLINICAL FEATURES: At the end of cardiopulmonary bypass, protamine was injected to reverse heparin. Following protamine, hypotension, pulmonary hypertension and hypoxia developed, but protamine induced hypotension recovered after administration of methyl predonisolone and catecholamines. Rectal temperature increased to 41 degrees C in the first case and 40 degrees C in the second after recovery from protamine induced hypotension. Arterial blood gas analysis, breathing 100% oxygen, showed severe acidosis and hypercapnia (pH 6.96, PaCO2 73 mmHg, PaO2 45 mmHg. BE -18 in the first case, and pH 7.13, PaCO2 59.9, PaO2 52.8, BE -11 in the second). At the same time, creatine phosphokinase levels showed 8400 u.L-1 in the first case and 4369 u.L-1 in the second. Serum and urine myoglobin concentrations were 334.2 ng.ml-1 and 1085 ng.ml-1, and 468 ng.ml-1 and 885 ng.ml-1, respectively. Efforts to cool the patients using alcohol were made. Following dantrolene (400 mg and 200 mg), the hyperthermia, acidosis, hypoxaemia and hypercarbia subsided (temperature 37.5 and 37.5 degrees C, PaO2 220 mmHg and 180 mmHg with 100% oxygen, PaCO2 35 mmHg and 41 mmHg respectively). Postoperatively, 20 mg.hr-1 dantrolene infusion were administered for 24 hr. In the first case, an anaphylactoid reaction was confirmed by increased plasma tryptase. CONCLUSION: We report two cases of hyperthermia after cardiac surgery in whom dantrolene was very effective in reducing the high rectal temperature.

Aged↗
PubMed1997

Effects of TMK688, a novel anti-allergic drug, on allergic nasal obstruction and exudative responses in sensitized guinea pigs.

TMK688 (1-[[5'-(3"-methoxy-4"-ethoxycarbonyloxyphenyl)-2',4'-pentadien oyl] aminoethyl]-4-diphenylmethoxypiperidine) is being developed as an orally effective antiallergic drug having both 5-lipoxygenase inhibitory activity and anti-histamine activity (Shizawa et al. 1996; Tohda et al. 1997). The efficacy of TMK688 against allergic rhinitis was examined in passively sensitized guinea pigs. TMK688 inhibited the increase in intranasal resistance following antigen challenge at doses of 1 and 3.2 mg/kg p.o. The allergic nasal obstruction was also suppressed by 10 mg/kg i.v. of FPL-55712, a peptide leukotriene receptor antagonist, but not by 3.2 mg/kg i.v. pyrilamine, a histamine H1 receptor antagonist, or by 10 mg/kg p.o. of ketotifen, an anti-allergic drug having anti-histamine activity, suggesting that the nasal obstruction was caused by leukotrienes. Following antigen challenge, the intranasal release of leukotrienes B4 and C4, and histamine increased in passively sensitized guinea pigs. TMK688 tended to suppress the increase in immunoreactive leukotrienes B4 and C4 in the nasal lavage fluid at a dose of 1 mg/kg p.o., and significantly inhibited the increase at 3.2 mg/kg. The brilliant blue dye leakage following antigen challenge from the blood stream into the nasal cavities was significantly inhibited by not only TMK688 and FPL-55712 but also pyrilamine, suggesting that the allergic dye leakage was caused cooperatively by leukotrienes and histamine. However, ketotifen showed no significant suppression of the dye leakage even at 10 mg/kg p.o., although this drug inhibited the histamine-induced dye leakage at far lower doses (0.1 mg/kg p.o. or higher) in unsensitized guinea pigs. Therefore, histamine is not necessarily the major mediator of allergic dye leakage in our experiment. These findings demonstrate that TMK688 may be superior to antihistamines as a therapeutic agent for allergic rhinitis.

Animals↗
PubMed1997

Imaging in primary progressive aphasia.

Primary progressive aphasia (PPA) presents with aphasia, with or without other minor cognitive dysfunction. We report five patients with PPA to show the correlation between their clinical signs and imaging findings. The patients can be divided into those with nonfluent (group 1) and those with fluent (group 2) aphasia. The characteristic speech impairment was bradylalia in group 1 and word amnesia in group 2. Impairment of comprehension was common but mild in both groups. On MRI, patients in group 1 showed predominantly left frontal and perisylvian atrophy with reduced uptake in the same region on single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) using technetium-99m hexamethyl propyleneamine oxime (99mTc HMPAO). Patients in group 2 showed left temporal atrophy involving the superior, middle and inferior temporal gyri, hippocampus and parahippocampal gyrus on MRI and reduced uptake in the same region on SPECT. These findings correlated well with the functional anatomy of speech impairment.

Aged↗
PubMed1997

Crossed cerebellar diaschisis in chronic Broca's aphasia.

The cerebellum has anatomical connections to the cerebral cortex, through which it can affect language function. To study these connections, we investigated patients with chronic Broca's aphasia using MRI and single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT). We selected 15 such patients (9 male, 6 female, aged 17-64 years, mean age 56 years) from 30 chronically aphasic patients. Using the results of SPECT, we divided them into patients with (group 1) and without (group 2) crossed cerebellar diaschisis (CCD). We compared the language function of the two groups. Patients in group 1 showed classical Broca's aphasia, while patients in group 2 showed mainly word-finding difficulty. Patients with CCD hat infarcts involving the lower part of the frontal gyrus but patients without CCD did not, which suggests that this region may have functional and anatomical connections with the cerebellum. Our findings support the notion that the cerebellum contributes to language.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1997

Pre-incisional caudal epidural blockade and the relief of pain after lumbar spine operations.

We report the effect of pre-incisional caudal epidural injection of a mixture of 20 ml 0.25% bupivacaine and 0.1 mg buprenorphine performed under general anaesthesia for relieving wound pain after posterior interbody fusion and laminotomy for spinal stenosis. Pain was compared in groups with and without blockade: 24 and 23 patients with fusion, and 30 and 28 with laminotomy respectively. In the first 12 h after each operation, the group with blockade required additional analgesics less frequently and had a lower visual analogue scale score than those without blockade. In, and after, the second 24 h patients with hypotension of 10 mm Hg, or more, after the blockade required additional analgesics less frequently than those without blockade for both operations and had a lower visual analogue score than those without blockade for laminotomy, but not for fusion. This is a simple procedure for relieving wound pain and in patients with hypotension caused by the block, the effect continued even after the analgesic action had disappeared.

Adult↗
PubMed1997

Immunocytochemical study of cathepsin L and rat salivary cystatin-3 in rat osteoclasts treated with E-64 in vivo.

The localization of cathepsin L and rat salivary cystatin-3 (RSC-3) in rat osteoclasts (rat femoral and alveolar bones) treated with or without E-64 (control) was examined immunocytochemically. In osteoclasts pretreated with E-64, immunoreactivity for cathepsin L was very weak extracellularly compared to that in the control osteoclasts. However, it was strong intracellularly. The localization of RSC-3 was unclear in the control osteoclasts, while in E-64 treated osteoclasts, both the clear zone and ruffled border areas showed a very strong immunoreaction. At the electron-microscopic level, in normal osteoclasts, numerous immunoreaction products for cathepsin L were found extracellularly in the bone matrix under the ruffled border, while few intracellular products were observed. In contrast, in the E-64-treated osteoclasts, only a few immunoreaction products were found extracellularly, while intracellularly cathepsin L was found in numerous endosome-lysosomal vacuoles. In the immunoreaction for RSC-3, the cytoplasm of the ruffled border was positive, and the tips of the RSC-3-positive ruffled border appeared to enter deeply into the bone matrix. Intracellularly, the granular reaction products of RSC-3 were found in the vacuoles (probably autophagolysosomes). Thus, in E-64-treated osteoclasts, inhibition of the extracellular release of cathepsin L was demonstrated. In addition, intralysosomal accumulation of RSC-3 and deep penetration of the RSC-3-positive ruffled border into the bone matrix were found. These findings suggest that RSC-3 is associated with the inhibition of cathepsin L in both the lysosomes (in the osteoclasts) and bone matrix.

Animals↗
PubMed1997

Selective motor neuron death and heat shock protein induction after spinal cord ischemia in rabbits.

Paraplegia is a serious complication that sometimes results from operation on the thoracic aorta. The mechanism of spinal cord injury has been thought to involve tissue ischemia, and spinal motor neurons are suggested to be vulnerable to ischemia. The exact mechanism, however, is not fully understood. To evaluate the mechanism of such vulnerability of motor neurons, we attempted to make a reproducible model for spinal cord ischemia and statistically analyzed cell damage. With this model, induction of heat shock protein 70 (HSP70) and heat shock cognate protein (HSC70) messenger ribonucleic acid molecules were investigated with Northern blot analysis for up to 7 days of reperfusion after 5 or 15 minutes of ischemia. Immunohistochemical studies of their proteins were also done. (heat shock proteins are a set of markers of neuronal injury after ischemia.) After 5 minutes of ischemia, there was no induction of HSP70 and HSC70 messenger ribonucleic acid molecules or their proteins, and all cells remained intact. In contrast, after 15 minutes of ischemia, HSP70 messenger ribonucleic acid was induced at 8 hours of reperfusion, and HSC70 messenger ribonucleic acid was expressed continuously at the control level. Immunoreactivity of HSP70 protein was slightly induced at 8 hours of reperfusion selectively in motor neurons, and about 70% of motor neuron cells showed selective cell death after 7 days of reperfusion. This study demonstrated induction of HSP70 messenger ribonucleic acid and its protein in motor neuron cells after transient ischemia in the spinal cord. This phenomenon was not accompanied by HSC70 induction.

Animals↗
PubMed1997

Flow-induced arterial enlargement is inhibited by suppression of nitric oxide synthase activity in vivo.

BACKGROUND: Acute flow-induced arterial dilation is mediated by nitric oxide (NO). The role of NO in chronic flow-induced adaptive enlargement is unknown. We assessed the role of NO in arterial adaptation to increased blood flow (BF). METHODS: Iliac artery BF was increased in adult male rats by creating a left femoral arteriovenous fistula. Left iliac BF and diameter were measured, and wall shear stress was calculated. The effect of the NO synthase inhibitor N omega-nitro-L-arginine-methyl ester (L-NAME) was studied in arteriovenous fistula rats divided into three groups (group 1, vehicle, group 2, 0.5 mg/ml; group 3, 2 mg/ml) in drinking water. Arterial diameter, blood pressure, and medial cell density were assessed after 21 days. Left iliac cyclic guanosine monophosphate content was measured in an additional group of animals. RESULTS: BF and wall shear stress in the left iliac artery increased fourfold immediately after arteriovenous fistula. Arterial enlargement was evident after 7 days, and wall shear stress normalized after 42 days. Flow-induced arterial enlargement was inhibited by both low- and high-dose L-NAME compared with control (analysis of variance p < 0.05). Blood pressure was elevated only in animals treated with high-dose L-NAME. Left iliac cyclic guanosine monophosphate content was lower in rats treated with L-NAME than in the control group (p < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: NO suppression by L-NAME inhibits flow-induced iliac artery enlargement in rats. This finding suggests that NO plays a role in flow-induced arterial remodeling.

Animals↗
PubMed1997

Rat kidney thromboxane synthase: cDNA cloning and gene expression regulation in hydronephrotic kidney.

We isolated a rat homolog of thromboxane (TX) synthase cDNA (-1.8 kb) from the kidney with a fragment of human TX synthase cDNA amplified by polymerase chain reaction with placenta cDNA as a template. Northern blot analysis has shown that rat TX synthase gene is expressed abundantly in lung, liver, and uterus; moderately in kidney. TX synthase mRNA expression was up-regulated in hydronephrotic kidney made by ureter ligation. In conclusion, we have revealed the structure of rat kidney TX synthase. Up-regulation of renal TX synthase, which may cause stimulation of TX synthesis, is possibly implicated in the tissue injury in hydronephrotic kidney.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1997

Protection of hu-PBL-SCID/beige mice from HIV-1 infection by a 6-mer modified oligonucleotide, R-95288.

We analyzed the anti-HIV-1 activity of an oligonucleotide derivative, R-95288, in severe combined immunodeficient (SCID/beige) mice transplanted with normal human peripheral blood leukocytes (PBLs), designated hu-PBL-SCID/beige mice. The human chimeric mice were inoculated with HIV-1(CC1) 3 weeks after the transplantation and sacrificed 2 weeks later. Virus infection was determined by coculture of splenocytes with fresh human PBLs and also by detection of HIV- specific DNA sequences using the polymerase chain reaction. No evidence of infection was observed in mice treated with R-95288 (100 mg/kg/day) using intraperitoneal delivery by osmotic minipumps starting 1 day before virus challenge. In contrast, virus infection was observed in over 80% of the saline-treated control mice. In addition, partial inhibition of HIV-1 infection was obtained in mice treated subcutaneously with R-95288 (100 mg/kg/day). Toxicity towards the engrafted human cells was not observed by flow cytometric analysis. Moreover, R-95288 failed to inhibit lymphocyte proliferation (CC50 > 400 microg/ml), while 90% inhibition of HIV-1 replication was achieved at 3.1 microg/ml in vitro. These results suggest the ability of R-95288 to protect the human chimeric mice against HIV-1 infection.

Animals↗
PubMed1997

Congo red reverses amyloid beta protein-induced cellular stress in astrocytes.

An amyloid-binding dye Congo red has been reported to prevent the neurotoxic effect of Alzheimer's amyloid beta protein (Abeta). In the present study, we investigated the effect of Congo red in cultured rat cortical astrocytes. Abeta (1 nM-10 microM) did not cause cell death, but potently inhibited the cellular redox activity as determined by 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) reduction assay. Congo red (0.2-20 microM), when added together with or prior to Abeta, significantly blocked Abeta-induced inhibition of redox activity. Furthermore, when Congo red was added after treatment with Abeta, the inhibited redox activity was restored to normal, indicating that Congo red can reverse Abeta-induced cellular stress. The reversing effect of Congo red cannot be explained by the inhibition of Abeta fibril formation and suggests a novel aspect of the interaction of Congo red with Abeta.

Amyloid beta-Peptides↗
PubMed1997

Glomerulointerstitial interaction of adhesion molecules in IgA nephropathy and membranoproliferative glomerulonephritis.

The expression of two adhesion molecules, ICAM1 (CD54) and ICAM3 (CD50), infiltrating cells positive for their ligand, LFA1 (CD11a), and the markers of total leukocytes (CD45), T cells (CD3), granulocytes/monocytes (CD15), and macrophages (CD68) in renal interstitium were examined by an indirect immunoperoxidase method. The study was longitudinally performed on repeat renal biopsy specimens from 69 patients with two different proliferative glomerulonephritides: 43 with IgA nephropathy (IgAN) and 26 with membranoproliferative glomerulonephritis (MPGN). Interstitial ICAM1 (iICAM1) was mainly expressed on endothelium of peritubular venules and sometimes on tubular epithelium, and interstitial ICAM3 (iICAM3) on infiltrating immune cells. In IgAN, iICAM1 was significantly correlated with glomerular infiltration of LFA1+ cells (gLFA1) and CD68+ cells (gCD68) (r = 0.478/0.500; P < 0.0001) as well as CD3+ cells (gCD3) (r = 0.402; P < 0.002). In MPGN, iICAM1 was significantly correlated only with gCD68 (r = 0.382; P < 0.05). In both diseases, iICAM1 and iICAM3 were significantly correlated with interstitial infiltration of LFA1+ cells (iLFA1) and CD68+ cells (iCD68) (r = 0.616 to 0.815; P < 0.0001) and with interstitial infiltration of CD3+ cells (iCD3) (r = 0.474 to 0.816; P < 0.01). The iICAM3 was also significantly correlated with interstitial CD45+ cells (iCD45) (r = 0.672 in IgAN and 0.769 in MPGN; P < 0.00001). Interstitial infiltration of these immune cells was significantly correlated with the histologic parameters indicating renal injury, such as the index of glomerular lesion and the percent interstitial volume (r = 0.410 to 692; P < 0.05). Longitudinal analysis revealed that the parameters described above showed corresponding change with each other at the follow-up biopsy. These findings suggest that the glomeruler infiltration of T cells and macrophages influences the ICAM1/ICAM3 expression of the interstitial cells, especially In IgAN, and that ICAM1/LFA1 and ICAM3/LFA1 interactions contribute to the persistent infiltration of the interstitium by immune cells in both diseases.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1997

Analysis of the p53 gene mutations in patients with multiple primary cancers of the oesophagus.

We investigated genetic alterations of the p53 gene in two patients with multiple primary oesophageal squamous cell carcinomas (ESCs). We found that each primary tumour could be distinguished by mutation of p53. Moreover, mutations detected in the p53 gene in metastatic lymph nodes were the same as those detected in at least one of the primary tumours. Our results presented the possibility of: (1) discrimination of primary and metastatic legions in patients with multiple primary ESCs; (2) determination of metastatic pathway to regional lymph nodes; and (3) application for the development of a better clinical management of patients with multiple primary ESCs.

Aged↗
PubMed1997

Reproducibility of home blood pressure measurements over a 1-year period.

We compared the reproducibility over time of blood pressure measured at the health examinations (screening blood pressure) and blood pressure measured at home (home blood pressure). Both screening and home blood pressure were measured in subjects of a rural community. Subjects measured their own blood pressure at home once in the morning using a semiautomatic oscillometric blood pressure measuring device at least three times (on at least 3 days) in each of two 4-week periods separated by one year. Similarly, two screening blood pressure measurements were obtained from the subjects at each of two health examinations also taken 1 year apart. A total of 136 untreated subjects without cardiovascular complications (40 men and 96 women, 56 +/- 11.7 years, mean +/- SD) were analyzed in the study. The correlations between the first and second blood pressure measurements of the subjects were significantly higher for the home blood pressure measurements (systolic: r = 0.844 and diastolic: r = 0.830) than for the screening blood pressure measurements (systolic: r = 0.692 and diastolic: r = 0.570). The mean differences between the first and second home blood pressure (0.8 +/- 7.7 mm Hg for systolic BP and 0.9 +/- 5.5 mm Hg for diastolic BP) were significantly smaller than those for the screening blood pressure (-3.9 +/- 13.8 for systolic BP and -3.1 +/- 10.2 for diastolic BP) (P < .001 for both comparisons), suggesting that the reproducibility of home blood pressure over time is superior to that of screening blood pressure. Such reliable blood pressure measurements obtained at home have a clinical significance for the diagnosis and treatment of hypertension and as a tool for evaluating the efficacy of antihypertensive drugs. Home blood pressure measurements also may be more useful than screening blood pressure measurements in predicting future cardiovascular events.

Adult↗
PubMed1997

Evaluation of the antihypertensive effect of barnidipine, a dihydropyridine calcium entry blocker, as determined by the ambulatory blood pressure level averaged for 24 h, daytime, and nighttime. Barnidipine Study Group.

We evaluated the effect of barnidipine, a dihydropyridine calcium antagonist, administered once daily in the morning in a dose of 5, 10, or 15 mg on ambulatory blood pressure (BP) in 34 patients (51.3+/-9.6 years). Hypertension was diagnosed based on the clinic BP. The patients were classified into groups according to the ambulatory BP: group 1, dippers with true hypertension; group 2, nondippers with true hypertension; group 3, dippers with false hypertension; and Group 4, nondippers with false hypertension. Barnidipine reduced the clinic systolic BP (SBP) and diastolic BP (DBP) in all groups and significantly reduced the average 24 h ambulatory BP (133.0+/-16.5/90.7+/-12.3 mm Hg v 119.7+/-13.7/81.8+/-10.3 mm Hg, P < .0001 for both SBP and DBP). Barnidipine significantly reduced the daytime ambulatory SBP in groups 1, 2, and 3, but not in group 4, and significantly reduced daytime ambulatory DBP in group 1 but not in groups 2, 3, and 4. Barnidipine significantly reduced the nighttime ambulatory SBP only in group 2 and the nighttime ambulatory DBP in groups 2 and 4. Once-a-day administration of barnidipine influenced 24 h BP on true hypertensives (the ratio of the trough to peak effect > 50%), but had minimal effect on low BP such as the nocturnal BP in dippers and the ambulatory BP in false hypertensives. These findings suggest that barnidipine can be used safely in patients with isolated clinic ("white coat") hypertension and in those with dipping patterns of circadian BP variation whose nocturnal BP is low before treatment.

Adult↗