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Biomedical subjects

K Fujii

Publications and source records attributed to K Fujii.

At least 811 records · Page 45Linked to original sources

Association of HLA-DRw8 and DQw3 with minimal change nephrotic syndrome in Japanese adults.

The HLA systems of forty Japanese patients with adult-onset nephrotic syndrome and biopsy-proven minimal change were investigated. HLA-DRw8 was found in 35% of the patients and HLA-DQw3 in 95%, compared to 12.6 and 63.1% of the control, respectively (DRw8: and Pc less than 0.01, RR = 3.74; DQw3: Pc less than 0.02, RR = 11.1). The phenotype frequencies of all but one HLA-DR antigens, DR4, DR5, DRw8, and DRw9 associating with DQw3, were observed to increase (patient vs. control: DR4, 65 vs. 41.4%; DR5, 10 vs. 4.3%; DRw9, 20 vs. 23%). These results suggest that HLA-DQw3 may be a primary genetic marker associated with a major susceptibility gene to adult-onset minimal change nephrotic syndrome in the Japanese population.

Adolescent↗

Coexistence of IgA nephropathy and membranous nephropathy.

Renal biopsy findings of a 27-year-old female with asymptomatic proteinuria and hematuria revealed two distinct glomerular alterations compatible with both IgA nephropathy and membranous nephropathy. The concomitant presence of two different primary glomerular diseases is very rare.

Adult↗

Comparison of the effects of caffeine and procaine on noradrenergic transmission in the guinea-pig mesenteric artery.

The effects of caffeine and procaine on noradrenergic transmission in the guinea-pig mesenteric artery were investigated by recording electrical responses of smooth muscle cells and by measuring the outflow of noradrenaline (NA) and 3,4-dihydroxyphenylglycol (DOPEG) induced by perivascular nerve stimulation. Caffeine possessed dual actions on the membrane, i.e., at low concentrations (2.5 X 10(-4)-5 X 10(-4)M), it hyperpolarized the membrane and decreased the membrane resistance and at high concentrations (over 2.5 X 10(-3)M) it depolarized the membrane and increased the membrane resistance. Procaine (over 10(-4)M) consistently depolarized the membrane and increased the membrane resistance. The amplitude of the excitatory junction potential (e.j.p.) produced by perivascular nerve stimulation was increased by low concentrations of procaine (2.5 X 10(-5)-10(-4)M) or high concentrations (10(-3)-5 X 10(-3)M) of caffeine and was decreased by low concentrations of caffeine (2.5 X 10(-5)-10(-4)M) or high concentrations of procaine (5 X 10(-4)-10(-3)M). Higher concentrations of caffeine (over 5 X 10(-3)M) induced a spike potential on the e.j.p., while higher concentrations of procaine (over 2.5 X 10(-3)M) inhibited the generation of e.j.ps. Facilitation of e.j.ps produced by repetitive stimulation of perivascular nerves remained unchanged by caffeine, while it was enhanced by procaine at any given concentration (caffeine 2.5 X 10(-4)-10(-3)M; procaine 10(-4)-10(-3)M). The membrane depolarization produced by exogenously applied NA (10(-5)M) was not blocked by pretreatment with procaine. Conduction velocity of perivascular nerve excitation remained unchanged by application of caffeine (up to 5 X 10(-3)M), and was reduced by application of procaine (over 2.5 X 10(-4)M). Outflow of NA during perivascular nerve stimulation remained unchanged by caffeine (10(-4)-3 X 10(-3)M), while it was enhanced by procaine (over 2.5 X 10(-4)M). The outflow of DOPEG was slightly reduced by caffeine (10(-3)-5 X 10(-3)M) and by lower concentrations of procaine (10(-4)-2.5 X 10(-4)M) but was not altered by higher concentrations of procaine (10(-3)-5 X 10(-3)M). It is concluded that in the guinea-pig mesenteric artery, high concentrations of caffeine (over 10(-3)M) increased the e.j.p. amplitude which might be due to an increase in membrane resistance of the smooth muscle cells. No marked effect of caffeine was observed on transmitter release from the nerve terminals. Procaine (over 2.5 X 10(-4)M) increased transmitter release from perivascular nerves and blocked the re-uptake mechanism of released NA. The mechanisms underlying the decrease in ej.p. amplitude by procaine remain to be determined.

Animals↗

A new approach to noninvasive evaluation of aortic regurgitant fraction by two-dimensional Doppler echocardiography.

The aortic regurgitant fraction was estimated noninvasively in 20 patients with aortic regurgitation from systolic aortic and pulmonary volume flow determined by duplex Doppler echocardiography. By assuming that an excess of the aortic volume flow (AF) compared with the pulmonary volume flow (PF) is due to aortic regurgitant flow, the aortic regurgitant fraction (RF) was calculated as follows: RF(%) = (AF - PF)/AF X 100. The aortic and pulmonary volume flows were determined as products of systolic integrals of ejection flow velocities and cross-sectional areas of the left and right ventricular outflow tracts, respectively. The Doppler estimate of the regurgitant fraction was compared by semiquantitative grading (1+ to 4+) by cineaortography and with the measurement of regurgitant fraction by catheter technique. The mean Doppler-determined aortic regurgitant fraction was 2.4% for normal subjects, 28.0% for the patients with 1+, 32.6% for the patients with 2+, 53.3% for the patients with 3+, and 62.4% for the patients with 4+. A fair correlation was found between Doppler estimates of regurgitant fraction and semiquantitative cineaortographic grades (r = .80, p less than .01). In the patients without associated mitral regurgitation, a close correlation was observed between Doppler and catheter estimates of regurgitant fraction (r = .96, p less than .01; y = 1.0x - 0.08). In the patients with associated mild mitral regurgitation, however, Doppler estimates of regurgitant fraction substantially underestimated those determined by the conventional catheter technique, which cannot separately quantitate the aortic regurgitant fraction in the presence of mitral regurgitation. These observations indicate that the proposed Doppler technique provides a useful method to evaluate the aortic regurgitant fraction specifically regardless of the presence of associated mitral lesions.

Adolescent↗

[Neovascularization around tumors in esophageal carcinoma].

We studied neovascularization around tumors in correlation with other histological findings in 54 resected esophageal carcinomas. The resected materials were divided into positive (more marked) and negative (less marked) vascularization groups according to the degree of neovascularization. So classified, the carcinomas were equally divided. There were significantly more advanced cases of depth of tumor invasion (a-factor) in the positive than in the negative group, and the grade of neovascularization around the tumor tended to increase with the depth of invasion (a-factor). In the a1-3 cases, the rates of nodal metastasis and lymphatic vessel invasion in the positive group were significantly higher than in the negative group. The two-year survival rate of the former appeared to be inferior to the latter. We concluded that neovascularization around a tumor in esophageal carcinoma is an index of tumor malignancy and prognosis.

Adult↗

Effects of YM-12617, an alpha adrenoceptor blocking agent, on electrical and mechanical properties of the guinea-pig mesenteric and pulmonary arteries.

The effects of YM-12617 on the electrophysiological properties of smooth muscle membranes and prejunctional nerve terminals and contractions evoked by different procedures were studied using guinea-pig mesenteric and pulmonary arteries. In concentrations over 1 nM, YM-12617 inhibited the depolarization induced by norepinephrine in both muscle tissues. Yohimbine had no effect whereas prazosin inhibited the norepinephrine-induced depolarization to a lesser extent than YM-12617. When YM-12617, in concentrations over 1 microM, was applied to the mesenteric artery the amplitude of the first excitatory junction potential evoked by a train stimulation of perivascular nerves was inhibited, but the facilitation of excitatory junction potentials evoked by frequencies over 0.1 Hz was enhanced. As a consequence, the amplitude of the excitatory junction potentials after completion of the facilitation exceeded the control, as was expected to occur with a typical alpha-2 adrenoceptor blocker. YM-12617 inhibited the contraction evoked by exogenously applied norepinephrine or perivascular nerve stimulation, with a higher potency than seen with prazosin, but this agent had no effect on the contraction evoked by excess concentrations of K+ or by direct muscle stimulation. These results indicate that YM-12617 possesses a more potent alpha-1 adrenoceptor blocking action than does prazosin, and is more selective for alpha-1 than for alpha-2 adrenoceptors.

Adrenergic alpha-Antagonists↗

[Reversible asynergy in acute transmural myocardial infarction: evaluations of patients with inferior infarction].

To evaluate the significance of chronological changes in wall motion abnormalities, echocardiography was performed for 46 patients with acute transmural inferior myocardial infarction without previous infarction or complications. Asynergy was analyzed by two-dimensional echocardiography (2-D Echo) on the third day (acute stage) and the 28th day (convalescent stage) after the onset of infarction. Asynergy was quantitatively estimated by dividing the left ventricle into 17 segments. The degree of asynergy was graded on a four-point scale as dyskinesis = 3, akinesis = 2, hypokinesis = 1, and normokinesis = 0. The total wall motion score (TWMS) was calculated on the both days. Improvement of asynergy was observed in 39 cases (84.8%). Among them, both the extent and degree of asynergy were improved in 17 cases (37.0%). In 10 cases (21.7%) the extent of asynergy was reduced. In the remaining 12 cases (26.1%), only the degree of asynergy was decreased. Concerning the relationship between the degree of asynergy on the 3rd day and the subsequent alteration of asynergy on the 28th day, two of four dyskinetic segments still had dyskinesis, and the other two reverted to akinesis. Among 156 akinetic segments, 80 did not change, but 58 reverted to hypokinesis and 18, to normokinesis. Among 82 hypokinetic segments, 48 did not change, but 34 became normal. The relationship between severity of asynergy on the third day indicated by the total wall motion score (TWMS 3rd) and the improvement in the score on the 28th day (TWMS 28th) was investigated in three patient groups: group-A (n = 19) showed TWMS 3rd greater than 9; group-B (n = 22), 9 greater than or equal to TWMS 3rd greater than or equal to 3; group-C (n = 5), TWMS 3rd less than 3. The frequency of "no improvement" was slightly higher in the group-C (62.5%) than in the group-A (52.1%) and in the group-B (56.4%). On comparison, improvement of asynergy was observed in the group-A in 47.9% and in the group-B in 43.6%, but the rate of resolution of asynergy was higher in group-B (53.6%) than in the group-A (40.3%). In the group-C, there was no case of significant coronary artery stenosis greater than 75% in diameter and sigma CPK was smaller than in the other two groups (p less than 0.005).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)

Adult↗

Pharmacological studies of a newly synthetized 1,4-dihydropyridine derivative, 2,6-dimethyl-3,5-dimethoxycarbonyl-4- (o-difluoromethoxyphenyl)-1,4-dihydropyridine (PP-1466).

Hemodynamic effects of a new 1,4-dihydropyridine derivative, 2,6-dimethyl-3,5-dimethoxycarbonyl-4-(o-difluoromethoxyphenyl++ +)-1,4-dihydropyridine (PP-1466), were examined by measuring systemic blood pressure, various arterial blood flow such as femoral, vertebral, renal and superior mesenteric artery, heart rate and respiratory rate in anesthetized dogs. Cardiohemodynamic effects were examined by measuring cardiac output, coronary blood flow, maximal rate of rise of left ventricular pressure (dp/dt max.) and right atrial pressure. The changes in myocardial oxygen consumption associated with the parameters mentioned above were also examined by measuring coronary sinus outflow and oxygen content in blood samples. The results obtained are as follows: The intraarterial administration of PP-1466 to the femoral artery caused vasodilating response. The vasodilating effect of PP-1466 was approximately 200 times more potent than that of papaverine and comparable to that of nifedipine or nicardipine (YC-93). The effective dose to induce vasodilation on femoral, vertebral and superior mesenteric artery by the systemic use of PP-1466 was more than 0.3 microgram/kg i.v. and more than 0.03 mg/kg i.d. The vasodilation in vertebral artery was most prominent. After intravenous administration of PP-1466, renal blood flow decreased probably due to the fall in systemic blood pressure, whereas the flow progressively increased after intraduodenal administration. The effective dose to induce a fall in systemic blood pressure by PP-1466 was the range from 1 to 3 micrograms/kg i.v. and more than 0.1 mg/kg i.d., respectively. Diastolic hypotension was remarkable. Heart rate and respiratory rate were increased at the same time.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Animals↗