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Biomedical subjects

K Adachi

Publications and source records attributed to K Adachi.

At least 145 records · Page 8Linked to original sources
PubMed2000

[Drug therapy for nocturnal gastric acid breakthrough].

Nocturnal gastric acid breakthrough(NAB) is defined as nighttime periods of over 1 hour duration, with a gastric pH < 4.0, during administration of a proton pump inhibitor(PPI). Although the causative mechanism of NAB is unclear, this phenomenon is a serious problem for patients with high grade reflux esophagitis. NAB is more frequently observed in patients with reflux esophageals, since this phenomenon is mainly observed in cases without H. pylori infection. Bedtime administration of H2 receptor antagonist rather than additional administration of PPI on the standard dose of PPI is effective for the control of NAB.

Antacids↗
PubMed2000

[Terminal care at home and the burden on the family].

OBJECT: To assess the burden on families who care for a patients in the terminal stage of cancer at home. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Family members caring for three terminal patients at home completed the Burden Index every ten days and compared it with the patient's physical condition and the care provided by the family. The Index was used by the family to indicate the percent of the present burden against 100%, the imagined maximum. RESULTS: The Burden Index decreased at first as the family became accustomed to daily activities, then increased within 30 days due to the deterioration of patients' condition and increased caring chores and anxiety of the family. Factors affecting the Burden Index were complicated by caring factors such as habituation, anxiety, caring chores, cooperation of other family members, and factors of patients' conditions such as pain, consciousness level, and fever. CONCLUSION: Monitoring the burden of the family was useful in evaluating the patients' environment at home, and in reconsidering the management of the terminal care at home.

Aged↗
PubMed2000

[Oxygen saturation and activities of daily living among a senile population].

OBJECT: To evaluate the relationship between arterial oxygen saturation and activities of daily living (ADL) among a senile population, especially the handicapped. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Forty-eight elderly patients in a facility were divided into three groups according to ambulatory ability. The were 10 independents who could walk by themselves, 18 semi-independents who needed wheelchairs, and 20 fully handicapped residents who were permanently bedridden and needed stretchers for transportation. Pulse oxymetry was monitored, and the survival rate after 24 months and the cause of death were recorded. RESULTS: Pulse oxymetry data showed SpO2 was 97.0 +/- 1.7% in independents, 96.0 +/- 2.1% in semi-independents, and 94.6 +/- 2.5% in fully handicapped residents (significantly lower than the other two groups). Survival rates after 24 months were 90%, 89%, and 35% in each group, respectively, and 50% of the patients died of pneumonia, not related to the low arterial oxygen saturation. CONCLUSION: Though arterial oxygen saturation is not a predictive factor for pneumonia and death in senile residents, it is significantly lower in handicapped patients and can be a good monitoring parameter at home.

Activities of Daily Living↗
PubMed2000

Cloning and expression of the gene encoding thermostable poly(3-hydroxybutyrate) depolymerase.

The gene encoding extracellular poly(3-hydroxybutyrate) depolymerase from a thermophilic poly(3-hydroxybutyrate)-degrading bacterium, strain HS, was cloned and intracellularly expressed in Escherichia coli. The gene was found to consist of 1485-bp nucleotide sequence coding for a 22-amino-acid signal peptide and a 473-amino-acid mature protein. Phylogenetic analysis and domain structure showed that the enzyme was clustered with type II PHB depolymerases. The gene was expressed in E. coli under the control of the tac promoter. A 46-kDa protein was detected in the cell extract by SDS-PAGE. The N-terminal sequence of the protein agreed with that of the original enzyme. The crude enzyme was able to degrade PHB particles at 70 degrees C.

Journal Article↗
PubMed1999

Study of a rat skin in vivo micronucleus test: data generated by mitomycin C and methyl methanesulfonate.

We have developed an in vivo micronucleus (MN) test that uses rat skin as the target organ. Sample preparation involves cold-treating the epidermis with trypsin, peeling it off with a fine forceps, treating it in hypotonic solution, and staining it with acridine orange (A.O.). We evaluated the assay using mitomycin C (MMC) and methyl methanesulfonate (MMS) as model clastogens, applying them as single and repeat treatments. Both chemicals induced a significant, dose-dependent increase in MN frequency in basal cells. One treatment per day for 3 days was optimal for MN induction.

Acridine Orange↗
PubMed1999

Co-localization of mitochondrial and double minute DNA in the nuclei of HL-60 cells but not normal cells.

In an attempt to isolate genes located on double minute (Dmin) DNA in HL-60 cells, we prepared DNA probe from purified micronuclei. Micronucleation was induced in HL-60 cells by treatment with hydroxyurea. Screening of a cDNA library unexpectedly produced a number of clones containing mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) sequences. Here, we show that amplified mtDNA sequences were localized in nuclei and micronuclei of HL-60 and COLO 320DM cells, but not in nuclei of WI-38 normal human fibroblasts or peripheral blood T-cells. To unequivocally demonstrate the presence of mtDNA inside of nuclei and micronuclei, we obtained tomographic fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) images of mtDNA by confocal microscopy of consecutive sections of paraformaldehyde (PFA)-fixed material. We also located mtDNA in nuclear buds and purified micronuclei. Dmin DNA and mtDNA were always located at similar sites. The mechanisms of nuclear retention of mtDNA and Dmin DNA and the resulting influence on tumorigenesis are discussed.

Cell Cycle↗
PubMed1999

SK&F 83959 and non-cyclase-coupled dopamine D1-like receptors in jaw movements via dopamine D1-like/D2-like receptor synergism.

This study compared the effects of the dopamine D1-like receptor agents SK&F 83959 (3-methyl-6-chloro-7,8-dihydroxy-1-[3-methyl-phenyl]-2,3,4,5-tetrahydro- 1 H-3-benzazepine), which inhibits the stimulation of adenylyl cyclase, and A 68930 ([1R,3S]-1-aminomethyl-5,6-dihydroxy-3-phenyl-isochroman), a full efficacy agonist, in regulating jaw movements in the rat by synergism with dopamine D2-like receptor agonism. When SK&F 83959 and A 68930 were given in combination with quinpirole, there was a synergistic induction of jaw movements. Responsivity to SK&F 83959 + quinpirole was antagonised by the dopamine D1-like receptor antagonists SCH 23390 ([R]-3-methyl-7-chloro-8-hydroxy-1-phenyl-2,3,4,5-tetrahydro-1H-3-ben zaz epine) and BW 737C ([S]-6-chloro-1-[2,5-dimethoxy-4-propylbenzyl]-7-hydroxy-2-methyl- 1,2,3,4-tetrahydroisoquinoline); synergism was antagonised also by the dopamine D2-like receptor antagonist YM 09151-2 (cis-N-[1-benzyl-2-methyl-pyrrolidin-3-yl]-5-chloro-2-methoxy-4-++ +methyl-aminobenzamide). Responsivity to A 68930 + quinpirole was enhanced by low doses of SCH 23390, BW 737C and YM 09151-2, and antagonised by higher doses of SCH 23390 and YM 09151-2. These results implicate a novel, dopamine D1-like receptor that is coupled to a transduction system other than/additional to adenylyl cyclase, and suggest that its functional role extends to the regulation of jaw movements by synergistic interactions with dopamine D2-like receptors.

2,3,4,5-Tetrahydro-7,8-dihydroxy-1-phenyl-1H-3-ben↗
PubMed1999

Effects of chronic haloperidol and clozapine on vacuous chewing and dopamine-mediated jaw movements in rats: evaluation of a revised animal model of tardive dyskinesia.

Rats received haloperidol (1.0 mg/kg i.p.) or clozapine (10 mg/kg i.p.), twice daily for 4 weeks: vacuous chewing--recorded 26 h after the final injection--similarly increased in both groups. Three h later, the rats were challenged with dopaminomimetics, and automatically recorded jaw movements were analysed. Both apomorphine and a mixture of D1 and D2 receptor agonists (SKF 38393 resp. quinpirole) increased jaw movements in haloperidol-treated, but not clozapine-treated rats; SKF 38393 or quinpirole remained ineffective, when given alone. A fixed dose of quinpirole together with increasing doses of SKF 38393, but not a fixed dose of SKF 38393 together with increasing doses of quinpirole, produced a dose-dependent increase in jaw movements in otherwise non-treated rats, suggesting that the noted haloperidol-induced increase was due to a shift in the D1-D2 receptor balance towards a predominance of D1 receptors. This study presents a new animal model of tardive dyskinesia with predictive validity, good reliability and, especially, great efficiency.

2,3,4,5-Tetrahydro-7,8-dihydroxy-1-phenyl-1H-3-ben↗
PubMed1999

Anxiety traits associated with a polymorphism in the serotonin transporter gene regulatory region in the Japanese.

We determined polymorphism in the serotonin (5-HT) transporter gene-linked polymorphic region (5-HTTLPR) in 501 healthy Japanese, individuals, using the polymerase chain reaction of Lesch et al., with minor modifications. The distribution of allele frequencies was determined and found to differ from that in Caucasians. We also investigated the relationship of polymorphism in 5-HTTLPR to anxiety traits, by having 189 of the 501 subjects complete a self-rating questionnaire for anxiety and depression. Subjects with the short/short (s/s) genotype had significantly higher anxiety scores than those with the long/long (l/l) or l/s genotype. It is suggested that populations with the s/s genotype of 5-HTTLPR have stronger anxiety-related personality traits than those with the 1 allele.

Adult↗
PubMed1999

A splicing mutation in the hydroxymethylbilane synthase gene in a Japanese family with acute intermittent porphyria.

OBJECTIVES: Acute intermittent porphyria (AIP) is an autosomal dominant inherited disease caused by a decreased activity of hydroxymethylbilane synthase (HMBS). As far as the gene abnormalities of the HMBS, many different mutations have been reported. In this work, we investigated the presence of mutations in a Japanese family with AIP. DESIGN AND METHODS: A 44-year-old Japanese male and nine members of his family were investigated. All of them were screened by traditional biochemical markers. Mutational analysis was performed using polymerase chain reaction-single strand conformation polymorphism method followed by DNA sequencing. A reliable restriction enzyme cleavage assay was established for the pedigree analysis. RESULTS: The mutation was a splicing mutation, a C to G transversion at position -3 of the acceptor site of intron 11 of the HMBS gene, resulting in the exon 12 skipping. The patient is heterozygous for the mutation, and his father appeared to be the source of the mutant allele. This mutation created a new cleavage site of the Nla III restriction enzyme and could be screened by a amplified fragment from genomic DNA with digestion. Using this cleavage assay, an asymptomatic carrier in the family was definitively identified. CONCLUSIONS: This mutation was first found among Japanese AIP patients, but happened to be the same as reported previously from Europe. A similarity of gene abnormality may suggest that those European and Japanese AIP families have a common ancestor. Molecular investigations on the family members should be applied not only for more accurate diagnosis, but also for understanding the molecular genetic heterogeneity underlying this dominantly inherited enzymopathy.

Adult↗
PubMed1999

Determinant of microvolt-level T-wave alternans in patients with dilated cardiomyopathy.

OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to clarify the clinical significance and the determinant of microvolt-level T-wave alternans (TWA) in patients with dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM). BACKGROUND: The prevention of sudden death in patients with DCM remains the therapeutic target. T-wave alternans has been proposed as a powerful tool for identification of patients at high risk for ventricular arrhythmias and sudden death in coronary artery disease. METHODS: In 58 DCM patients, TWA was measured during bicycle exercise testing using a CH 2000 system (Cambridge Heart, Bedford, Massachusetts). The New York Heart Association class, signal-averaged electrocardiogram, QT dispersion, left ventricular end-diastolic diameter (LVDd) and percent fractional shortening detected by echocardiogram and the grade of the ventricular arrhythmia were obtained in all patients. RESULTS: T-wave alternans was positive in 23 patients (TWA+ group), negative in 25 (TWA- group) and indeterminate in 10. Univariate analysis showed that the percentage of patients with ventricular tachycardia (VT) and the LVDd in the TWA+ group was significantly higher than those in the TWA- group (61% vs. 8%, p < 0.001 and 65 +/- 11 mm vs. 58 +/- 8 mm, p < 0.05, respectively). The sensitivity, specificity and predictive accuracy of TWA for VT were 88%, 72% and 77%, respectively. Multivariate analysis showed that the presence of VT was a major independent determinant of TWA in patients with DCM (p = 0.003). CONCLUSIONS: T-wave alternans was closely related to VT in patients with DCM. T-wave alternans is a useful noninvasive test for identifying high risk patients with DCM who have VT.

Adult↗
PubMed1999

A new epidioxy sterol as an antifouling substance from a palauan marine sponge, lendenfeldia chondrodes

Bioassay-guided fractionation of an extract of a marine sponge, Lendenfeldia chondrodes, has led to the isolation and identification of new epidioxy sterols 1a and 1b as an inseparable mixture. Two known epidioxy sterols 2 and 3 and three known sesterterpenes 4-6 were also isolated from the same extract. These compounds showed repellent activity against the blue mussel Mytilus edulis galloprovincialis.

Journal Article↗
PubMed1999

Effect of vitamin E deficiency on rat brain monoamine metabolism.

We investigated the effects of vitamin E deficiency on the monoamine metabolism in the rat brain. Male Wistar rats fed on the vitamin E deficient diet for 24 weeks were analyzed. At 28 weeks, they showed a reduced growth rate (52% of reduction), muscle atrophy, a motor weakness of hind limbs and disturbance of gait. The concentrations of monoamines, their precursors and metabolites in the brain were simultaneously determined using high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) coupled with a coulometric detection with electrode array system. In addition, tryptophan hydroxylase activity was measured. The dopamine (p = 0.009) and serotonin (p = 0.04) levels in the brain stem of vitamin E deficient rats were significantly lower than in the controls, whereas their precursors tyrosine (p = 0.0009) and tryptophan (p = 0.0065) levels in the brain stem were significantly higher than in the controls. Moreover, tryptophan hydroxylase activity (p = 0.0005) in the brain stem of vitamin E deficient brains was significantly lower than in the controls. All statistical comparisons were done using non-parametric tests (Mann-Whitney U test). These results suggest that vitamin E deficiency may play a role in the disturbance of monoamine metabolism in rat brain.

Animals↗
PubMed1999

Characterization of small intestinal pressure waves in ambulant subjects recorded with a novel portable manometric system.

The organization of lumen-occlusive pressure waves is believed to be an important determinant of luminal flow. At present, little is known about the organization of small intestinal pressure waves in humans. The aim of the present study was to characterize the spatiotemporal organization of small intestinal pressure waves using a portable 12-channel micromanometric system. Small intestinal pressures were recorded from six duodenal (1 cm apart) and six jejunal (1 cm apart) sites after a standard lunch (1892 kJ) and dinner (3305 kJ) and an overnight fast in seven ambulant subjects. Postprandially, the number of isolated pressure waves and the number of pressure wave sequences that spanned 1 and 2 cm decreased over time (P = 0.04, P = 0.003, and P = 0.0001) and were higher after lunch than dinner (P = 0.04, P = 0.02 and P = 0.04), in contrast to the number of long-spanned pressure wave sequences, which remained constant over time and were not influenced by the meal. The number of isolated pressure waves and pressure wave sequences over 1-5 cm recorded in the early postprandial period were higher than during the 30-min period of nocturnal phase II (P < 0.01). In conclusion, prolonged recording of small intestinal motility in ambulant subjects using a perfused manometric system is feasible. Postprandial recordings showed that the spatiotemporal organization of pressure waves is time- and meal-dependent.

Adult↗
PubMed1999

Single-fluorophore imaging with an unmodified epifluorescence microscope and conventional video camera

Single fluorophores in aqueous solution were imaged in real time with a conventional silicon-intensified target video camera connected to an unmodified commercial microscope (IX70, Olympus) with epifluorescence excitation with a high-pressure mercury lamp. Neither a powerful laser nor an extremely sensitive video camera was required. Three experimental systems were used to demonstrate quantitatively that individual, moving or stationary Cy3 fluorophores could be imaged with the microscope: Cy3-gelsolin attached to an actin filament sliding over heavy meromyosin, sliding actin filaments sparsely labelled with Cy3, and heavy meromyosin labelled with one or two Cy3 fluorophores. The results should encourage many laboratories to attempt 'single-molecule physiology' in which the functions and mechanisms of molecular machines are studied at the single-molecule level in an environment where the biological machines are fully active.

Journal Article↗
PubMed1999

Prevalence of non-ulcer dyspepsia in the Japanese population.

BACKGROUND: Non-ulcer dyspepsia (NUD) is one of the most frequently encountered disorders in general practice in Western countries. The prevalence of this disorder in the Japanese, however, has not been fully investigated. This study is designed to clarify the characteristics and prevalence of dyspepsia in the Japanese. METHODS: The subjects were 1139 people who visited our institutes for their annual medical check up for gastric cancers. After routine medical examination, all subjects were asked standardized questions in order to check for the presence of any symptoms suggesting dyspepsia. RESULTS: The results of the study showed that dysmotility-like dyspepsia, characterized by the presence of nausea, fullness and early satiety, is the most frequently observed dyspepsia in Japanese and that this type of dyspepsia decreases with age. Ulcer-like dyspepsia, which is the major type of dyspepsia in Western countries, is the least frequently experienced dyspepsia in the Japanese. CONCLUSIONS: This study clarified that NUD is also one of the most prevalent disorders in the Japanese, although its characteristics may be somewhat different from those in Western countries.

Adult↗