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Biomedical subjects

K Aoki

Publications and source records attributed to K Aoki.

At least 721 records · Page 40Linked to original sources
PubMed1987

Smoking, alcohol drinking and serum carotenoids levels.

Serum carotenoids concentrations in healthy inhabitants, aged 40-79 years, of a community were measured. The results are as follows. 1. The alpha- and beta-carotene and lycopene levels in serum were significantly higher in females than males. The alpha- and beta-carotene concentrations tended to increase with advancing age, this being especially marked for serum beta-carotene levels in males. However, beta-carotene levels were high in females throughout the age range of 50-69 years. There was no significant change in serum level of lycopene with age. 2. There was no significant difference in intake frequency of foods containing large amounts of carotenoids among the groups with or without smoking and drinking, as serum alpha- and beta-carotene levels were closely associated with intake frequency of green-yellow vegetables. 3. Regular alcohol drinkers or current smokers showed lower serum beta-carotene concentrations, and the effect of alcohol drinking on serum carotene level seemed to be larger than that of smoking. A synergistic lowering action of smoking and drinking on serum beta-carotene level was suggested. Among the alcohol drinkers, the more cigarettes consumed per day, the lower the serum beta-carotene level was, but this was not the case among the non-drinkers. Ex-smokers showed intermediate values between current smokers and non-smokers. The results suggest that alcohol drinking and smoking habit might be associated with lower serum beta-carotene level, which in turn may be related to excess incidence of cancer among smokers or drinkers.

Adult↗
PubMed1987

The pathophysiological role of water-sodium balance and renal dopaminergic activity in overweight patients with essential hypertension.

Studies were conducted to evaluate the role of water-sodium balance and renal dopaminergic activity in the hypertensive mechanisms of overweight patients with essential hypertension (EHT). The body mass index (BMI) was correlated positively with arterial pressure, plasma volume, extracellular fluid volume, or total exchangeable sodium and negatively with plasma noradrenaline concentration or plasma renin activity in patients with EHT. Fractional excretion of sodium (FENa) was significantly lower in overweight patients with EHT than that in normal-weight patients with EHT. Hypotensive effects of sodium restriction or the natriuretic response to infused dopamine was more remarkable in overweight than in normal-weight patients with EHT. Urinary excretion of free dopamine (UDA) was correlated positively with simultaneously measured urinary excretion of sodium or FENa and negatively with the natriuretic response to dopamine infusion. In addition, UDA was positively correlated with the BMI in normal-weight patients with EHT, whereas the relation between UDA and BMI was significantly negative in overweight patients with EHT. These findings suggest that the expansion of body fluid volume and sodium might result from the blunted natriuretic ability due to an attenuation of the renal dopaminergic activity in overweight patients with EHT. The expansion of body fluid volume and sodium may play an important role in the hypertensive mechanisms of overweight patients with EHT.

Adult↗
PubMed1987

[Family study of cancer among gastrectomized patients].

The purpose of this study was to examine whether patients with gastric cancer differ from those with benign gastroduodenal diseases in terms of familial disposition. This series consisted of 1,233 patients with gastric cancer and 2,200 patients with benign gastroduodenal diseases, who had had a gastrectomy between 1972 and 1979 in one hospital. The family information on cancer deaths of first and second relatives of the patients was obtained at the time of operation. The age-adjusted relative risk of positive family history of cancer was higher among the patients with gastric cancer than that among those with benign gastroduodenal diseases. The patients with diffuse type of cancer had a higher risk of positive family history than those with intestinal type of cancer. The non-cancer patients with family history had a slightly higher risk, although not statistical significant, to die from cancer than those without family history. Higher frequency of blood type A was seen in gastric cancer patients with positive family history. These results suggest that certain types of gastric cancer may seem to be associated with genetic factor.

ABO Blood-Group System↗
PubMed1987

[Obstruction of the inferior vena cava at the hepatic portion--surgical management and prognosis of 11 cases].

Eleven patients with obstruction of the inferior vena cava at the hepatic portion were reviewed. In these patients, 7 had membranous obstruction and underwent balloon membranotomy. Pressure gradient between inferior vena cava and right atrium was 13.1 +/- 5.1 mmHg (mean +/- S.D.) and after membranotomy, this fell down to 7.0 +/- 1.9 mmHg. Four patients had long segmental obstruction, and cavoatrial bypass grafting with 16 mm ring reinforced Expanded-Polytetrafluoroethylene graft in 3 and bidirectional digital-instrumental membranotomy in one, were done, respectively. In 2 of 7 patients with membranous obstruction, transcardiac membranotomy was followed. These 3 procedures were so effective that pressure gradient between inferior vena cava and right atrium was 11.7 +/- 3.4 mmHg preoperatively, and after operation, this fell down to 1.7 +/- 0.7 mmHg. During the follow-up period from 8 months to 9 years (mean 4 years and one month), all patients are alive with remarkable improvement of clinical symptoms and signs. It is concluded that balloon membranotomy for membranous obstruction and cavoatrial bypass grafting for long segmental obstruction of the inferior vena cava at the hepatic portion would be recommended.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1986

Complete amino acid sequence of the large subunit of the low-Ca2+-requiring form of human Ca2+-activated neutral protease (muCANP) deduced from its cDNA sequence.

The complete amino acid sequence of the large subunit (catalytic subunit) of human low-Ca2+-requiring-calcium-activated neutral protease (muCANP) was deduced from its cDNA base sequence. It is composed of 714 amino acid residues and its sequence is highly homologous to the chicken CANP sequence determined previously. Human muCANP, like chicken CANP, has a clear 4-domain structure, and their fundamental structures are essentially the same, although their Ca2+ sensitivities are significantly different. The role of each domain in the Ca2+ sensitivity and protease activity of CANP is discussed on the basis of sequence comparison.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1986

Comparative effects of bepridil and diltiazem on systemic blood pressure and isolated peripheral arteries in spontaneously hypertensive rats.

Bepridil and diltiazem were studied for their effects on blood pressure (BP) and heart rate (HR) of spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR) and on vascular tone of femoral and mesenteric arterial strips from SHR. The drugs (i.v.) reduced BP and HR more markedly in SHR than in normotensive Wistar Kyoto rats (WKY). The effects of bepridil were less pronounced and less prolonged than those of diltiazem. Bepridil relaxed arterial strips precontracted by KCl or prostaglandin F2 alpha to almost the same extent as diltiazem in both SHR and WKY. Bepridil was almost as potent as diltiazem in inhibiting non-competitively the Ca2+-evoked contractions of arteries depolarized in a Ca2+-free, high K+ buffer. alpha-Adrenoceptor agonist-induced contractions accompanied and not accompanied by Ca2+ influx were inhibited more markedly by bepridil than diltiazem under certain conditions. The inhibitions were more marked in SHR than in WKY. Thus, it was suggested that both drugs acted as Ca2+ influx inhibitor to reduce vascular tone. Bepridil inhibited intracellular vasoconstriction mechanisms linked with alpha-adrenoceptors more potently than did diltiazem in SHR. Taken together, these actions can explain the antihypertensive properties of both drugs in SHR.

Animals↗