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Biomedical subjects

K Hara

Publications and source records attributed to K Hara.

At least 127 records · Page 7Linked to original sources
PubMed2001

Microscopic polyangiitis associated with sinobronchial syndrome.

A woman with a long history of chronic bronchitis and chronic sinusitis, i.e., sinobronchial syndrome, was admitted with a fever. Radiologically, there were areas of longstanding consolidation in both lungs, with areas of active inflammation demonstrated by gallium-67 scintigraphy. Antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibody specific for myeloperoxidase was highly positive. Pulmonary hemorrhage and hematuria occurred 2 weeks after admission and responded to steroid therapy. However, the patient died of pneumonia. An autopsy revealed systemic necrotizing vasculitis affecting multiple organs, consistent with microscopic polyangiitis. The vasculitis might have been caused by the chronic inflammation in the lungs associated with sinobronchial syndrome.

Aged↗
PubMed2001

Using contrast-enhanced sonography to assess the effectiveness of transcatheter arterial embolization for hepatocellular carcinoma.

OBJECTIVE: We evaluated the usefulness of contrast-enhanced wideband harmonic gray-scale sonography in assessing the therapeutic effects of transcatheter arterial embolization for patients with hepatocellular carcinoma and compared the findings of this imaging modality with those of helical CT. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: Twenty-nine patients with 39 hepatocellular carcinoma lesions were examined. We scanned lesions before and after therapy using contrast-enhanced wideband harmonic gray-scale sonography after injection of a galactose-palmitic acid contrast agent. All patients held their breath for 20--50 sec after injection while the vascularity of the tumor was observed. We then monitored tumor enhancement between 60 and 180 sec after injection with patients breath-holding for a few seconds. Lesions were considered to exhibit viable tumor residue if hypervascular enhancement was observed in the tumor. We compared this enhancement with helical CT findings. RESULTS: After therapy, 36 of the 39 lesions showed viable tumor residue on contrast-enhanced wideband harmonic gray-scale sonography, with no artifacts from iodized oil. Helical CT revealed a high-attenuation area in 12 of the 36 lesions, whereas 24 of the 36 lesions could not be evaluated for tumor residue as a result of artifacts from iodized oil accumulation in the tumor. The remaining three lesions showed complete deposition of iodized oil and complete necrosis on contrast-enhanced wideband harmonic gray-scale sonography. CONCLUSION: Contrast-enhanced wideband harmonic gray-scale sonography is useful in evaluating the therapeutic effects of transcatheter arterial embolization for hepatocellular carcinoma.

Aged↗
PubMed2001

Nonresectable hepatocellular carcinoma: improved percutaneous ethanol injection therapy guided by CO(2)-enhanced sonography.

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of our study was to evaluate the usefulness of percutaneous ethanol installation using CO(2)-enhanced sonography for patients with nonresectable hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). SUBJECTS AND METHODS: Forty-six patients with 65 HCC lesions were examined with contrast-enhanced sonography with direct injection of CO(2) into the proper hepatic artery during arteriography. We performed percutaneous ethanol injection guided by CO(2)-enhanced sonography for the treatment of hypervascular HCC lesions that could not be treated with conventional percutaneous ethanol injection or with transcatheter arterial embolization. RESULTS: CO(2)-enhanced sonography detected five additional small HCC lesions before treatment (p<0.05) and 14 new lesions during follow-up (p<0.01), than conventional sonography detected. CO(2)-enhanced sonography showed positive enhancement of residual lesions after initial treatment (n = 3) and incomplete local treatment (n = 5) that were not detected on conventional sonography. These 27 lesions were successfully treated with percutaneous ethanol injection using a mixture of iodized oil and ethanol and guided by CO(2)-enhanced sonography. CONCLUSION: CO(2)-enhanced sonography is a sensitive method for detecting residual viable lesions and small new HCC lesions that cannot be detected with conventional sonography. Percutaneous ethanol injection guided by CO(2)-enhanced sonography can treat hypervascular HCC lesions that cannot be treated with conventional percutaneous ethanol injection or transcatheter arterial embolization.

Adult↗
PubMed2001

The Pro12 -->Ala substitution in PPAR-gamma is associated with resistance to development of diabetes in the general population: possible involvement in impairment of insulin secretion in individuals with type 2 diabetes.

The allele frequencies for a Pro12-->Ala substitution in peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-gamma differ among ethnic groups, and its relationship with diabetes and associated diseases is controversial. The prevalence of this polymorphism and its effects on clinical characteristics have now been evaluated with a large number of Japanese individuals with type 2 diabetes (n = 2,201) and normal control subjects (n = 1,212) recruited by 10 institutions located in seven different cities in Japan. The allele frequency for the Ala12 variant was significantly lower in the type 2 diabetic group than in the control group (2.39 vs. 4.13%, P = 0.000054). However, compared with subjects without the Ala12 variant, the diabetic subjects with this variant exhibited a significantly higher serum concentration of total cholesterol (P = 0.001), manifested a reduced capacity for insulin secretion as evaluated by homeostasis model assessment (P = 0.007), and tended to possess a higher level of HbA1c. These data suggest that the Ala12 variant is associated with a reduced risk for the development of diabetes in the general population, but that it may be also a risk factor for insulin deficiency and disease severity in individuals with type 2 diabetes.

Adult↗
PubMed2001

Contrast-enhanced, wide-band harmonic gray scale imaging of hepatocellular carcinoma: correlation with helical computed tomographic findings.

We evaluated the usefulness of contrast-enhanced, wide-band harmonic gray scale imaging for the diagnosis of hepatocellular carcinoma and compared it with helical computed tomography. Forty-eight patients with 61 hepatocellular carcinoma lesions were scanned by contrast-enhanced, wide-band harmonic gray scale imaging after an intravenous bolus injection of the contrast agent Levovist. Fifty-seven of the 61 hepatocellular carcinoma lesions showed hypervascular enhancement, and intratumoral vessels could be observed in 40 of the 57 lesions. Helical computed tomography revealed a high-attenuation area in 54 of the 61 lesions, whereas the other lesions showed an equivocal-attenuation area. Contrast-enhanced, wide-band harmonic gray scale imaging is a useful method for diagnosing the vascularity of hepatocellular carcinoma.

Adult↗
PubMed2001

[Two cases of B cell lymphoma associated with hemophagocytic syndrome].

B cell lymphoma-associated hemophagocytic syndrome (B-LAHS) is clinically characterized by hepatosplenomegaly and bone marrow invasion without lymphadenopathy and skin lesions. Several cases of B-LAHS have been reported to demonstrate histopathologic findings of intravascular lymphomatosis (IVL), which in Western countries is characterized by a high rate of skin involvement and, rarely, bone marrow involvement and hemophagocytosis. Here we describe two interesting cases of B-LAHS. One patient was a 52-year-old woman whose bone marrow showed proliferation of large CD20-positive cells and hemophagocytosis at presentation. Combination chemotherapy was not effective, and the patient died of progressive disease. At autopsy, the lymphoma cells showed extravascular proliferation in many organs such as the bone marrow and liver, whereas in the adrenal glands, the lymphoma cells showed intravascular proliferation. The other patient was a 50-year-old man who had swellings of the bilateral kidneys and adrenal glands at presentation. Skin involvement by large lymphoma cells, a rare complication of B-LAHS, was observed. At autopsy, there was no evidence of IVL. Both of these patients showed high fever and cytopenia, and the disease took an aggressive clinical course, as in other reported cases of B-LAHS.

Female↗
PubMed2001

[Reproductive and developmental toxicity studies of S-1090, cefmatilen hydrochloride hydrate (1)--A study on oral administration prior to and in the early stages of pregnancy in rats].

Cefmatilen hydrochloride hydrate (S-1090) was administered daily by gavage to rats at doses of 100, 300 or 1000 mg potency/kg/day prior to and in the early stage of pregnancy to assess its adverse effects on parental reproductive ability and embryo-fetal development. Loose and/or reddish brown feces were observed in both males and females of all the S-1090 dosing groups, and abdominal distention was also observed in males throughout the dosing period. No drug-related deaths occurred in either males or females. In males, body weight and food consumption were increased at a dose of 1000 mg potency/kg/day throughout the dosing period. In females, body weight gain was restrained during late pregnancy, and food consumption was decreased transiently following the initiation of dosing, and then remained high on the day before parturition in all the S-1090 dosing groups. Necropsy of male and female rats revealed an increase in the cecum weight. The reproductive ability of males and females was normal in all the S-1090 dosing groups. No effects of S-1090 were observed in the implantation ratio, embryo-fetal viability, fetal body weight, and incidence of external, skeletal and visceral anomalies. Based on these results, the no observed adverse effect levels of S-1090 are estimated to be less than 100 mg potency/kg/day for parental general toxicity, 1000 mg potency/kg/day for reproductive toxicity, and 1000 mg potency/kg/day for developmental toxicity in embryo-fetuses under the conditions of the present study.

Administration, Oral↗
PubMed2001

[Reproductive and developmental toxicity studies of S-1090, cefmatilen hydrochloride hydrate (2)--A study on oral administration during the period of organogenesis in rats].

Cefmatilen hydrochloride hydrate (S-1090) was administered daily by gavage to female rats at doses of 100, 300 or 1000 mg potency/kg/day from Days 7 to 17 of pregnancy to assess its effects on dams and on development of the embryo-fetuses and offspring. Loose or reddish-brown feces were observed in dams of all the S-1090 dosing groups. Body weight gain was increased from the early stage of administration to the end of pregnancy, food consumption was transiently decreased at the early stage of administration, and water consumption was increased from the middle to the end of pregnancy in all the S-1090 dosing groups. However, no effects on pregnancy, parturition and lactation were observed. Necrospy revealed an increased cecum weight in pregnant and lactating dams of all the S-1090 dosing groups. No effects of S-1090 were observed in viability, growth, incidences of external, skeletal and visceral anomalies, and degree of ossification in F1 fetuses. No effects of S-1090 were observed in such parameters as viability, incidence of external and skeletal anomalies, physical development, sensory functions/reflexes, behavior and reproductive function in F1 offspring. No adverse effects were observed in F2 offspring. On the basis of these results, the no observed adverse effect levels of S-1090 are estimated to be less than 100 mg potency/kg/day for maternal general toxicity, 1000 mg potency/kg/day for maternal reproductive toxicity and the developmental toxicity in the embryo-fetuses and offspring under the conditions of the present study.

Abnormalities, Drug-Induced↗
PubMed2001

[Reproductive and developmental toxicity studies of S-1090, cefmatilen hydrochloride hydrate (4)--A study on oral administration during the perinatal and lactation periods in rats].

Cefmatilen hydrochloride hydrate (S-1090) was administered daily by gavage to female rats at doses of 100, 300 or 1000 mg potency/kg/day from Day 17 of pregnancy to Day 20 of lactation to assess its effects on pregnant/lactating females and on development of the offspring. In dams, loose feces/reddish brown feces, increased cecum weight, decreased weights of the heart, spleen and submaxillary gland in all the S-1090 dosing groups and a decreased weight of the thymus in the 1000 mg potency/kg dosing group were observed. However, no effects on parturition and lactation were observed in any of the dosing groups. In F1 offspring, although increased cecum weight was found at weaning in all the S-1090 dosing groups, no abnormalities in viability, physical development, sensory functions/reflexes, behavior and reproductive function were observed. No adverse effects were observed in F2 fetuses and offspring. On the basis of these results, the no observed adverse effect levels of S-1090 are estimated to be less than 100 mg potency/kg/day for maternal general toxicity, and 1000 mg potency/kg/day for maternal reproductive toxicity and for developmental and reproductive toxicity in offspring under the conditions of the present study.

Administration, Oral↗
PubMed2001

[Protein S deficiency in three patients with thrombosis].

Protein S (PS) deficiency, which is caused by various factors including congenital and acquired disorders, is a risk factor for thrombophilia. We described 3 patients with different backgrounds, who all exhibited PS deficiency. The first patient was a 47-year-old woman who suffered from frequent cerebral infarctions, deep-vein thrombosis (DVT) of her lower extremities, and pulmonary thromboembolism. Her son suffered from skin necrosis due to PS deficiency and both had the same mutant allele of the PS gene. The second patient was a 50-year-old woman who experienced a cold sensation in her fingers. Her relatives had a history of cerebrovascular disease. No mutation was detected in her PS gene. The third patient was a 27-year-old man with antiphospholipid antibody. He suffered from thrombocytopenia, skin necrosis, DVT of his lower extremities, and pulmonary thromboembolism. A mutation was identified in the steroid hormone-binding globulin-like (SHBG) domain of his PS gene. Neither his parents nor siblings had a history of thrombosis. The mutations found in the first and third patients were both missense mutations in the SHBG domain that have not been reported previously. The third patient had a mutation in the site that is involved in binding to C4b-binding protein, which modifies the immune response. These three cases provide key insights into the pathophysiology of PS deficiency.

Adult↗
PubMed2001

Does acetaldehyde mediate ethanol action in the central nervous system?

BACKGROUND: Some of the effects of ethanol in the central nervous system are due to changes in function of ligand-gated ion channels. Production of detectable amounts of acetaldehyde, a primary metabolite of ethanol, has been demonstrated in brain homogenates. The aim of this study was to determine whether central actions that are often attributed to ethanol may actually be mediated by acetaldehyde. METHODS: The effects of acetaldehyde (1-1000 microM) were tested by two-electrode voltage-clamp electrophysiology in Xenopus laevis oocytes expressing 10 different ligand-gated ion channel receptors [alpha1 glycine; alpha1beta2gamma2Sgamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA)A; rho1 GABAc; 5-hydroxytryptamine-3A; NR1a/NR2A NMDA; GluR1/GluR2 AMPA; GluR6/KA2 kainate; and alpha4beta2, alpha4beta4, and alpha2beta4 nicotinic-acetylcholine] and the G-protein-coupled inward rectifying potassium channel GIRK2. We also investigated the effect of acetaldehyde on the dopamine transporter (DAT), performing dopamine uptake assays in oocytes expressing DAT. RESULTS: Acetaldehyde (1 and 10 microM) significantly enhanced alpha1 glycine receptor-mediated currents. Acetaldehyde did not affect the function of any of the other receptors tested or the potassium currents measured in GIRK2 channels. Moreover, acetaldehyde did not alter the DAT-mediated dopamine uptake. CONCLUSIONS: Our results suggest a potential minor role for acetaldehyde in the glycine receptor-mediated effects of ethanol. Otherwise, acetaldehyde does not modulate function of the neuronal receptors tested in this study, in GIRK channels or DAT, when expressed recombinantly in Xenopus laevis oocytes.

Acetaldehyde↗
PubMed2001

[Usefulness of near-infrared spectroscopy for identification of epileptic foci in two localization-related epilepsy patients].

We monitored cerebral blood volume (CBV) using near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) of two patients with symptomatic localization-related epilepsy who had no epileptic discharges in ictal scalp EEG. Case 1 was a 9-month-old boy who was suspected to have frontal lobe epilepsy. Although epileptic discharges were not identified on his ictal EEG due to motion artifacts, NIRS demonstrated an increase of CBV of the left brain during the seizure. Ictal single photon emission CT (SPECT) was dominant at the left side. Case 2 was a 3-year-old girl who was suspected to have temporal lobe epilepsy. Ictal EEG tracings, theta waves revealed prominent but did not enable identification of the focus. She had cortical dysplasia in the right cerebral hemisphere. NIRS monitoring demonstrated an increase in CBV in the right frontal region, which began 10 minutes before the seizure onset and lasted for 3 hours. Thus NIRS is a sensitive and non-invasive procedure for monitoring CBV changes during the seizure, and is useful in identification of the epileptic focus.

Cerebrovascular Circulation↗
PubMed2001

[Mid-ventricular obstructive hypertrophic cardiomyopathy associated with an apical aneurysm and sustained ventricular tachycardia: a case report].

A 60-year-old woman presented with mid-ventricular obstructive hypertrophic cardiomyopathy associated with an apical aneurysm and sustained ventricular tachycardia. She was admitted because of drug refractory ventricular tachycardia. She had been treated with several antiarrhythmic agents, including amiodarone, but symptomatic episodes had continued. Echocardiography, magnetic resonance imaging, and left ventriculography showed mid-ventricular obstructive hypertrophic cardiomyopathy with an apical aneurysm. Electrophysiological study easily reproduced sustained pleomorphic ventricular tachycardia, polymorphic ventricular tachycardia, and ventricular fibrillation. The patient underwent implantation of a cardioverter-defibrillator. The relationship between mid-ventricular hypertrophic cardiomyopathy and apical aneurysm is unknown, but mid-ventricular hypertrophic cardiomyopathy is one of the causes of severe ventricular arrhythmias and sudden death.

Cardiomyopathy, Hypertrophic↗
PubMed2000

Mild hypothermia decreases the incidence of transient ADC reduction detected with diffusion MRI and expression of c-fos and hsp70 mRNA during acute focal ischemia in rats.

The effects of mild hypothermia on the apparent diffusion coefficient of water (ADC) and expression of c-fos and hsp70 mRNA were examined during acute focal cerebral ischemia. Young adult rats were subjected to 60-min middle cerebral artery occlusion under either normothermia (37.5 degrees C) or hypothermia (33 degrees C). Diffusion-weighted echo-planar magnetic resonance imaging was used to monitor changes in ADC throughout the ischemic period. Perfusion MRI with dysprosium contrast was used at the end of the ischemic period to verify that the occlusion was successful. C-fos and hsp70 mRNA expression were examined with in situ hybridization at the end of the ischemic period. The results indicate that the size of the region that exhibited reduced ADC was smaller during hypothermia than during normothermia. Hypothermia also decreased the frequency of occurrence of transient ADC reductions, especially in dorsal aspects of cortex. Expression of both c-fos and hsp70 mRNA were markedly reduced by hypothermia. Transient ADC reduction and c-fos expression are associated with spreading depression, which is believed to contribute to lesion expansion during acute focal ischemia. The results suggest that part of the neuroprotective effect of hypothermia may be due to a reduced incidence of spreading depression.

Animals↗
PubMed2000

all-Z-Tetrabenzo

Crystal structures of the silver complexes derived from tetrabenzo[16]annulene with AgOTf and AgClO(4) are different, although these two complexes show similar (1)H NMR spectra reflecting a similar clathrate structure in solution. The silver complex of pentabenzo[20]annulene with AgClO(4) adopts a clathrate structure both in the solid state and in solution.

Journal Article↗