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Biomedical subjects

K Aoki

Publications and source records attributed to K Aoki.

At least 667 records · Page 37Linked to original sources

Genomic comparison of adenovirus type 3 isolates from patients with acute conjunctivitis in Japan, Australia, and the Philippines.

A total of 53 Ad3 isolates obtained from patients with acute conjunctivitis in Japan, Australia, and the Philippines during 1973 to 1986 were analyzed for their genome types with 4 restriction endonucleases, BamHI, BglII, HindIII, and SmaI. Two new genome types designated tentatively as Ad3f and Ad3g were identified by combination of BamHI and BglII in the isolates. The changes of restriction sites and sizes of restriction fragments in newly recognized Ad3f and Ad3g were located at the similar regions reported in other Ad3 genome types by O'Donnell et al (1986) on physical maps of the Ad3 prototype strain GB genome. In Japan, 46 Ad3 isolates obtained from 1983 to 1986 were either Ad3f or Ad3g. Yearly alternation of predominance of both genome types were observed in the northern part of Japan during the period. In Australia, two genome types Ad3p and Ad3f were found in 6 isolates, and the former was observed in the 3 isolates obtained before 1981 and the remaining 3 isolates were obtained after 1983. In the Philippines, the only isolate obtained in 1984 was Ad3p.

Adenoviridae Infections↗

Genome typing of adenovirus strains isolated from conjunctivitis in Japan, Australia, and the Philippines.

DNA restriction endonuclease analysis for genome typing of adenovirus (Ad) DNA was carried out on a total of 65 Ad isolates including serotypes Ad4, Ad7, Ad8, Ad11, Ad19, and Ad37 from patients with epidemic keratoconjunctivitis and acute conjunctivitis obtained in Japan from 1982 to 1986, Australia from 1973 to 1986, and the Philippines in 1984. All 4 isolates of Ad7 in Australia were Ad7b. Four of 6 Ad11 isolates obtained in Japan were typed as Ad11 prototype (Ad11p), and the remaining were identified to be new genome types, designated tentatively as Ad11c and Ad11d. An isolate of Ad11 obtained in Australia was typed as Ad11c. Nine Ad8 isolates in Australia and in the Philippines were typed as Ad8p, but 11 Ad8 isolates in Japan were Ad8b. Thirteen Ad19 isolates were identified as Ad19a. All 3 isolates of Ad37 in Japan and three isolates in Australia before 1982 were typed as Ad37p, however, 5 isolates in Australia after 1983 were identified as a new genome type, designated as Ad37d. In Japan, 10 isolates of Ad4 were identified as Ad4a.

Adenoviridae Infections↗

Prevalence of exfoliation syndrome in the Japanese.

We evaluated the prevalence of exfoliation syndrome (ES) with or without glaucoma seen in our Department over a 32-month period. We could identify a total of 59 patients with ES, 30 males and 29 females. All the cases were aged 50 years or more except one case, with the peak in the 8th decade. The ages of the cases averaged 70.0 +/- 8.34 years. ES was present unilaterally in 47 cases (85%) and bilaterally in 12 (15%). Glaucoma was associated in 37 out of the 59 cases of ES (63%). Males with ES seemed to be more prone to develop glaucoma than females. We observed 96 non-ES cases with primary open angle glaucoma (POAG) during the same period. The ages of the cases averaged 59.6 +/- 15.4 years. Our survey indicates that ES is not an uncommon occurrence among the Japanese population served by our Department. The incidence of ES as a whole approximates three-fifths of that of POAG.

Age Factors↗

Comparison of inhibitory effects of calcium channel blockers and that of a calmodulin antagonist in strips of mesenteric arteries from spontaneously hypertensive and normotensive rats.

Effects of calcium channel blockers and of calmodulin antagonist on the contractile responses to norepinephrine (NE) were compared between strips of mesenteric arteries from 6- and 14-week-old spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR) and age-matched, normotensive Wistar-Kyoto rats (WKY). The ratio of the maximum contraction developed by NE to that by 60 mM KCl was significantly increased in strips from 14-week-old SHR. Niludipine, verapamil and diltiazem antagonized the maximum NE contraction to a greater extent in strips from 14-week-old SHR than in those from the WKY. However, the antagonism by niludipine of the KCl- or caffeine-induced contraction was not significantly different between the strips from 14-week-old SHR and those from WKY. In strips from 6-week-old rats, there was no difference in the antagonism by niludipine of the maximum NE contraction. On the other hand, the effect of W-7 on the maximum NE contraction was not significantly different between the strips from 14-week-old SHR and those from WKY. Schild plot analyses demonstrated that alpha 1-adrenoceptors were the same for the strips from SHR and WKY. These results suggest that the enhanced maximum NE contraction in the mesenteric artery from 14-week-old SHR reflects the increased transmembrane influx of calcium, and the activity of calmodulin seems to be the same for the two strains.

Adrenergic alpha-Antagonists↗

Altered vascular beta adrenoceptor-mediated relaxation in deoxycorticosterone-salt hypertensive rats.

Beta adrenoceptor-mediated relaxation was studied on femoral and mesenteric arteries and thoracic aorta from deoxycorticosterone-salt hypertensive and age-matched normotensive rats. Maximum relaxations to isoproterenol (ISO), fenoterol and norepinephrine were less in hypertensive than in normotensive tissues. Mean negative log EC50 values of ISO and norepinephrine, but not fenoterol, were smaller in femoral and mesenteric strips from hypertensive rats than those from oil-water-treated rats. In thoracic aortas from hypertensive rats, the mean negative log EC50 values of ISO and fenoterol decreased, whereas those of norepinephrine increased as compared with those in oil-water-treated rats. In oil-salt- and deoxycorticosterone-water-treated rats, hypertension did not develop nor were the responses to ISO reduced. Relative potencies of the beta adrenoceptor agonists and Schild plot data for atenolol and butoxamine indicate that femoral arteries of normotensive and hypertensive rats possess beta-1 adrenoceptors mediating relaxation. It also is suggested that the mesenteric artery and thoracic aorta of both normotensive and hypertensive rats predominantly possess beta-2 adrenoceptors mediating relaxation. The present results suggest that an elevation in blood pressure is associated with the reduction of beta-1 adrenoceptor-mediated relaxation in femoral arteries and of beta-2 adrenoceptor-mediated relaxation in mesenteric arteries.

Animals↗

An outbreak of acute hemorrhagic conjunctivitis due to Coxsackie virus type A24 variant in Japan.

An outbreak of acute conjunctivitis due to Coxsackie virus A24 (CA24) occurred in Okinawa, the southernmost island of Japan, from 1985 to 1986. From conjunctival scrapings of 85 acute hemorrhagic conjunctivitis patients, 39 isolates identified as an antigenic variant of CA24 were obtained and then cultured in HeLa cells. Paired sera taken from these patients with acute conjunctivitis in Okinawa were also tested against enterovirus 70 (EV70) and CA24 and showed rises in neutralizing antibodies to these agents. The subconjunctival hemorrhage among the clinical manifestations caused by the CA24 variant in this recent epidemic was similar to that due to EV70. EV70 conjunctivitis is more commonly known as acute hemorrhagic conjunctivitis (AHC), first named by the Japanese ophthalmologist, Prof. Seiji Sugiura. The present seroepidemiologic survey for the CA24 variant and EV70 in different districts of Japan revealed a low frequency of rise in neutralizing antibody titers against these two pathogens. The differentiation between EV70 and the CA24 variant as the agent causing AHC is very important in epidemiology, especially as there is a high possibility in Japan of outbreaks caused by these two agents.

Adolescent↗