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Biomedical subjects

K Higuchi

Publications and source records attributed to K Higuchi.

At least 397 records · Page 22Linked to original sources
PubMed1986

[Urinary trehalase activity during normal pregnancy: tubular dysfunctions].

By measuring urinary trehalase which is localized in renal brush borders, we examined whether tubular dysfunction occurred or not during and after normal pregnancy. Urinary trehalase activity in 1st trimester, 2nd trimester, and 3rd trimester was increased significantly as compared with the controls (=non-pregnant women) (p less than 0.01). After delivery, urinary trehalase activity in puerperal 5th day was decreased to the level of the 1st trimester, and the activity of puerperal on the 30th day was in the range of the control value. Urinary beta 2-microglobulin (beta 2-MG) in the 1st trimester and 2nd trimester was not increased significantly as compared with the controls. Urinary beta 2-MG in the 3rd trimester, however, was significantly higher than that in the controls. After delivery, the value for beta 2-MG in puerperal on the 5th day was not decreased significantly as compared with the 3rd trimester, and in puerperal on the 30th day, urinary beta 2-MG was decreased to the control value. Urinary N-acetyl-beta-D-glucosaminidase (NAG) in the 3rd trimester was significantly higher than that in the controls (p less than 0.01) and in the 1st trimester (p less than 0.02). After delivery, a significant decrease was observed in urinary NAG between 5th puerperal day and the 3rd trimester. Moreover, urinary NAG on the 30th puerperal day was the level of the controls. On the basis of these results, it is inferred that tubular dysfunction is observed during normal pregnancy.

Female↗
PubMed1986

[Reevaluation of the surgical treatment of thyroid nodules diagnosed as cancer postoperatively].

Reevaluation was carried out on the surgical treatment for clinically benign thyroid nodules. One hundred and thirty-seven patients underwent conservative resections of the thyroid because of preoperative impression of benign nodules at the First Department of Surgery, Nagoya University Hospital from 1970 to 1984. Permanent paraffin sections of the resected specimen revealed that the nodules in 4 patients were intrathyroidal cancer (3 papillary and 1 follicular) and the nodules in the other 8 patients were associated with an unsuspected small (3 approximately 15 mm) thyroid cancer. All those patients underwent either lobectomy or subtotal thyroidectomy at the initial surgery except for one patient in whom enucleation was performed. No further intervention was carried out when the definitive diagnosis was made, except for one patient in whom the enucleation was followed by lobectomy. No neck dissection was attempted in all of them. Patients have been living and well without evidence of recurrence for 3 to 11 years and one died of unrelated disease. From these results, it is recommended that lobectomy is the least requirement in treating clinically benign nodule and that, when paraffin section reveals the tumor is intrathyroidal cancer, no further surgery is justified unless there are other foci of cancer in the resected lobe.

Adenocarcinoma↗
PubMed1986

Age-related changes in bone mass in the senescence-accelerated mouse (SAM). SAM-R/3 and SAM-P/6 as new murine models for senile osteoporosis.

Age-related changes of the femoral bone mass in several strains of the senescence-accelerated mouse (SAM) were investigated. Microdensitometrically, all strains exhibited essentially the same patterns of age changes, that is, bone mass corrected by the diameter of the shaft reached the peak value when the mice were 4 or 5 months of age and then fell linearly with age up to over 20 months of age. Two strains, SAM-R/3 and SAM-P/6, which originated from the same ancestry on pedigree, had a significantly lower peak bone mass than other strains (SAM-R/1, SAM-R/2, SAM-P/1, and SAM-P/2). On the other hand, the strains with a low peak bone mass had the same rate of decrease as other strains. Mineral and collagen contents per dry weight of bone showed little difference among the strains. Histologic studies of tibia, femur, and lumbar spine revealed that the osteopenia was not due to osteomalacia but, rather, to osteoporosis. The elderly mice in these two strains were prone to fracture, thus should be important models for study of senile osteoporosis seen clinically.

Aging↗
PubMed1985

[The effects of metoclopramide and dopamine on aldosterone secretion in cultured adrenocortical adenoma cells and adjacent non-adenoma cells from patients with primary aldosteronism].

Several authors have reported that metoclopramide (MCP), a dopaminergic antagonist, stimulates aldosterone secretion and that dopamine (DA) inhibits the MCP-mediated aldosterone secretion in man. However, many controversial results have been reported relating to the direct effect of MCP and DA on the secretion of aldosterone by adrenocortical cells in in vitro experiments. The present studies were designed to determine whether or not MCP and DA exerts its effect directly on the cultured human adrenocortical adenoma cells and adjacent non-adenoma cells obtained from patients with primary aldosteronism. A bolus intravenous injection of 10 mg MCP significantly increased the plasma aldosterone concentration (PAC) from 255 +/- 57 pg/ml (mean +/- SD) to 386 +/- 98 pg/ml after 15 min in patients with primary aldosteronism. But MCP (10(10)-10(-6) M) failed to increase aldosterone secretion from both adenoma cells and non-adenoma cells in culture. DA (10(-9) and 10(-6) M) did not suppress the basal secretion and the enhanced secretion of aldosterone by A II or ACTH in cells of either culture. The analysis by HPLC showed that 57% of dopamine hydrochloride added in the medium was preserved after 60 min incubation. These results suggest that MCP and DA do not act directly on the human adrenal glomerulosa cells in the regulation of aldosterone secretion.

Adenoma↗
PubMed1985

Epinephrine and norepinephrine syntheses are regulated by a glucocorticoid receptor-mediated mechanism in the bovine adrenal medulla.

The bovine adrenal medulla was investigated regarding the presence of glucocorticoid binding protein and the increases in ornithine decarboxylase (ODC) activity and epinephrine and norepinephrine by dexamethasone. Scatchard analysis of specific cytosol [3H] dexamethasone-binding study indicated a single class of high affinity (kd, 35 +/- 5 nM) and limited binding sites (150 +/- 26 fmoles/mg protein). Competition studies of various steroids indicated a high affinity for dexamethasone and hydrocortisone. Sedimentation in sucrose density gradients revealed a 7.3 S binding peak in the cytosol. Dexamethasone caused an increase in ornithine decarboxylase (ODC) activity within 1 to 2 hours after which the norepinephrine and epinephrine contents increased 16 hours after the peak of ODC activity in a dose dependent manner of dexamethasone in bovine adrenal medullary chromaffin cells in primary monolayer culture. These data suggest that the bovine adrenal medulla is a target organ of glucocorticoid hormone and that norepinephrine and epinephrine syntheses are regulated by a glucocorticoid receptor-mediated mechanism.

Adrenal Medulla↗
PubMed1985

Primary biliary cirrhosis in Japan: national survey by the Subcommittee on Autoimmune hepatitis.

A total of 280 cases of primary biliary cirrhosis were reported from 86 institutes in Japan, of whom 208 were middle aged women. Four clinical stages (asymptomatic, pruritus, icteric and terminal stage) were set up for analysing clinical and histopathological features based on the natural course of the disease. The clinical and histopathological findings were similar to the study reported from the United States and European countries. Out of 270 cases examined, 245 (90.7%), had mitochondrial antibodies. Concerning the prognosis 37 of 120 asymptomatic patients developed symptoms and the average symptom-free period in these patients was 28.7 months. Fifty-eight cases were fatal and causes of death were hepatic failure in 27, gastrointestinal bleeding in 20 and others in 11 cases. Patients were subdivided into three groups to elucidate the survival rate in patients with different symptoms. Asymptomatic patients showed almost the same survival rate as the patients with pruritus alone, showing about 50% survival 8 years after the diagnosis, in contrast to jaundiced cases with only 13.6% surviving 8 years after the onset of this symptom.

Adult↗
PubMed1985

Ovine prolactin potentiates the action of adrenocorticotropic hormone on the secretion of dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate and dehydroepiandrosterone from cultured bovine adrenal cells.

To determine the direct effect of prolactin on adrenal androgen secretion, the daily secretions of dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate (DHEA-S), dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA), androstenedione and cortisol were determined in monolayer culture of bovine adrenal cells in the presence or absence of adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) and/or prolactin. In the absence of ACTH ovine prolactin alone had no effect on steroid secretion during seven-day culture. Ovine prolactin, when administered in combination with ACTH, significantly potentiated the stimulatory effect of ACTH on DHEA-S and DHEA but not androstenedione secretion on the seventh day in culture. On the first day in culture prolactin showed no synergistic effect with ACTH on DHEA and DHEA-S secretion, although ACTH significantly increased DHEA and cortisol secretion. DHEA-S secretion increased as a function of prolactin concentration in the presence of ACTH. These results indicated that long-term treatment by ovine prolactin with ACTH caused the increase in adrenal androgen secretion from bovine adrenal cells. The site of action of prolactin was suggested to be the partial inhibition of adrenal 3 beta-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase by the result of increases in DHEA-S and DHEA but not androstenedione secretion.

Adrenal Glands↗
PubMed1985

Chronic food restriction modulates the advance of senescence in the senescence accelerated mouse (SAM).

The effects of chronic food restriction on grading scores of senescence, deposition of senile amyloid (ASSAM), mean life span and 10th decile were investigated by using animal models for accelerated senescence (SAM-P/1) and for normal aging (SAM-R/1). The experimental groups consisted of control (ad libitum fed), 80% (fed 80% of control intake), and 60% (fed 60% of control intake) groups. The grading score of SAM-P/1 mice was significantly improved in the 60% group, but not in the 80% group, compared to the control group. The grading score of SAM-R/1 mice, however, was significantly less than that in the control group in both the 60 and 80% groups. In SAM-P/1 mice liver, skin and testis, the severity of senile amyloid deposition was significantly less with 40% food restriction (60% group) than in the control group. A restriction of 20% (80% group) had no influence on amyloid deposition. A definite tendency to prolong mean life span (24.3%) and 10th decile (65.9%, mean life span of the last 10th of survivors of a group) was observed in the 60% group of SAM-P/1 mice, but the changes were not statistically significant. In the 80% group of SAM-P/1 mice and also in either restriction group of SAM-R/1 mice, however, such a tendency was not evident. These results indicate that 40% food restriction modulates the advance of senescence in these mice.

Aging↗
PubMed1985

Retardation in gonadotropin-secreting function of the pituitary during the early puerperium in women with postpartum hemorrhage but without circulatory collapse.

Recovery of gonadotropin-secreting function of the pituitary during the early puerperium has been studied in women with postpartum hemorrhage of 500 g and more during the first 2 h after expulsion of the placenta but without circulatory collapse. On day 4 postpartum, the concentrations of erythrocytes, hemoglobin, and hematocrit were significantly lower in puerperal women with postpartum hemorrhage than in normal puerperal women. On day 20 postpartum, administration of 100 micrograms synthetic luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone (LHRH) significantly increased serum follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH), but not luteinizing hormone, in puerperal women with severe postpartum hemorrhage of more than 1,000 g, but the FSH response to LHRH was significantly lower in these women than in normal women on the same postpartum day. All puerperal women were lactating and there was no significant difference in serum prolactin levels between normal puerperal women and puerperal women with postpartum hemorrhage. These results indicate that blood loss in the amount of more than 1,000 g during the first 2 h after expulsion of the placenta may cause perturbation to some extent in recovery of gonadotropin-secreting function of the pituitary during the early puerperium, even if there are no complications by circulatory collapse and disabled lactation.

Adult↗
PubMed1985

Mechanism of dissociation of cortisol and adrenal androgen secretion after removal of adrenocortical adenoma in patients with Cushing's syndrome.

We investigated the mechanism of dissociation of cortisol and dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate (DHEA-S) secretion by the adrenal glands after the removal of an adrenal gland containing an adrenocortical adenoma in a patient with Cushing's syndrome. After removal of the adrenocortical adenoma, the serum cortisol rapidly decreased from 24.6 +/- 6.4 micrograms/dl (mean +/- SD, n = 6) to 0.7 +/- 0.5 micrograms/dl. Serum DHEA-S levels were 15 +/- 14 micrograms/dl and 6 +/- 9 micrograms/dl before and after surgery, respectively, and significantly lower than the control values. Serum cortisol levels reverted to normal levels 1.5 to 3 years after the surgery. On the other hand, DHEA-S levels reverted to normal 5 to 7 years after the serum cortisol levels had normalized. Monolayer cultures of normal human adrenal cells obtained at adrenalectomy in patients with advanced breast cancer and atrophic adrenal cells adjacent to the adrenocortical adenoma in patients with Cushing's syndrome were used to study the mechanism of the dissociation of cortisol and DHEA-S secretion. ACTH caused significant increases in the productions of pregnenolone (P5), progesterone (P4), 17-hydroxypregnenolone (17-OH-P5), 17-hydroxyprogesterone (17-OH-P4), DHEA, DHEA-S, androstenedione (delta 4-A), and cortisol. The amounts of 17-OH-P5 and 17-OH-P4 produced by ACTH in atrophic adrenal cells were significantly greater than those in normal adrenal cells. The amounts of DHEA, DHEA-S and delta 4-A produced by ACTH in atrophic adrenal cells were significantly smaller than those of normal adrenal cells. The conversion rate of 17-OH-[3H]P5 to 17-OH-[3H]P4 and 11-deoxy-[3H] cortisol was higher in atrophic adrenal cells than in normal adrenal cells, but the conversion rate to [3H]DHEA, [3H]DHEA-S and [3H]delta 4-A was significantly lower in atrophic adrenal cells than in normal adrenal cells. These results suggest that the dissociation of cortisol from DHEA-S after the removal of adrenocortical adenoma is a probably due to diminished C17,20-lyase activity in the remaining atrophic adrenal gland.

Adenoma↗
PubMed1985

Treatment of irritable bowel syndrome with prifinium bromide.

Prifinium bromide, an anticholinergic agent, was given to patients with irritable bowel syndrome in an open trial to evaluate the drug's clinical efficacy. The trial lasted four weeks, although two of the 40 patients were treated for only two weeks. Prifinium bromide was judged beneficial in 28 patients (70%), slightly beneficial in six (15%), and not beneficial in six (15%). One case of moderate constipation was the only side effect encountered. In conclusion, prifinium bromide is considered a valuable drug for the management of irritable bowel syndrome.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1985

Morphologic demonstration of cytoplasmic ASSAM-related antigenic substance (CASSAM) by an immunoperoxidase technique.

Murine senile amyloid protein identified in the senescence-accelerated mouse (SAM) was called ASSAM, and the ASSAM-related antigenic substance was detected in the cytoplasm of hepatocytes, columnar epithelia of the small intestine, and epithelia of the proximal convoluted tubules of the kidney, with the use of an immunoperoxidase method. This substance, called CASSAM (cytoplasmic ASSAM-related antigenic substance), did not stain positively with Congo red nor fibril structure, as determined under an electron microscope. As the ASSAM (senile amyloid) deposition increased with advancing age, CASSAM observed in hepatocytes and columnar epithelia decreased both in SAM-P and SAM-R strains. In the liver of the SAM-P strain in particular, the incidence and intensity in deposition of ASSAM increased rapidly from 5 months of age; on the other hand, CASSAM observed in the hepatocytes decreased rapidly at about the same time. Cycloheximide-treated animals showed a significantly low concentration of SASSAM (serum ASSAM-related antigenic substance) and also a low incidence and intensity of CASSAM observed in the cytoplasm of the hepatocytes and epithelia of the small intestine. In colchicine-treated animals, SASSAM concentration was slightly lower, and the severity of CASSAM observed in the cytoplasm was slightly higher, in the liver and kidney, as compared with control values. CASSAM is assumed to be synthesized in the cytoplasm of the cell and to be secreted alone or in the lipoprotein form into the serum. This CASSAM or lipoprotein including CASSAM is perhaps a constituent of SASSAM (CASSAM is assumed to include apoSASSAM) and the hepatocytes and intestinal mucosal epithelia are possible production sites of apoSASSAM.

Aging↗
PubMed1985

Inflammatory mediators and modulators released in organ culture from rabbit skin lesions produced in vivo by sulfur mustard. I. Quantitative histopathology; PMN, basophil, and mononuclear cell survival; and unbound (serum) protein content.

When applied topically to the skin of rabbits in vivo, sulfur mustard (SM), the vesicant used in World War I, produced a slowly developing inflammatory response, which peaked in size at 1 and 2 days, ulcerated within 3 days, and reepithelialized by 10 days. Histologically, basophils and polymorphonuclear leukocytes (PMNs) were common in both early and late lesions, and the crust over the ulcers was composed of dead epidermal cells, fibrin, and large numbers of PMNs. Healing occurred under the crust by migration of epidermal cells from the margins of the lesions and from the hair follicles. In organ culture, the lesion explants survived well, and reepithelialization even took place. Their excellent survival enabled us to compare the life spans of the infiltrating leukocytes within an inflammatory site. PMNs within the explants began disappearing during the first day of culture, and almost all had disappeared by 3 days. In contrast, over half of the basophils and the mononuclear cells within the explants were still present after 3 days of culture. The 1-, 2-, 3-, 6-, and 10-day (1.0-sq cm) SM lesion biopsies showed a 30-45% increase in weight (when compared with normal skin), presumably due to the extravasation of serum proteins and the fluids retained by them. When the biopsies were organ-cultured for 3 days, the 1-, 2-, and 3-day lesions lost weight, and the 6- and 10-day lesions (and normal skin) gained weight. These weight differences were not due to the amount of unbound protein extractable into the culture fluids, because both the early lesions and the late lesions contained about the same amount of unbound protein. The most likely explanation for these weight differences is that the newly formed ground substances of late lesions absorbed culture fluid, because the ground substance had changed from the sol state of acute inflammation (in which it was extractable) back to its normal gel state (in which it was not extractable). The unbound protein extractable into the culture fluids was mostly of serum origin. This protein averaged 1.9 mg for 1.0 sq cm normal skin explants (with a mean weight of 215 mg), and 6.4 mg for 1-day SM lesions (with a mean weight of 313 mg). Because rabbit serum contains about 60 mg protein/ml, these figures indicate that normal skin contained about 15% (unbound) serum by weight.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)

Animals↗
PubMed1985

Inflammatory mediators and modulators release in organ culture from rabbit skin lesions produced in vivo by sulfur mustard. II. Evans blue dye experiments that determined the rates of entry and turnover of serum protein in developing and healing lesions.

Extravasated serum seems to be the major modulator of the local inflammatory response, because it provides both proinflammatory and antiinflammatory components. This report describes the rates of entry and turnover of extravasated serum protein in dermal inflammatory lesions produced by the military vesicant sulfur mustard (SM). Rabbits, bearing SM skin lesions, were given an intravenous injection of Evans blue dye, so that at the time of sacrifice, 2 hours later, their skin lesions were 2 hours and 1,2,3,6, and 10 days of age. Evans blue labels serum albumin, a representative serum protein. By multiplying the amount of Evans blue contained in the lesions by a factor that converted micrograms of Evans blue into milligrams of serum protein, the authors could estimate the 2-hour rate of entry of serum protein into these lesions. Serum protein in the lesions was both bound and unbound. The unbound protein was extractable from the lesions into the culture fluids, and, electrophoretically, was similar in composition to serum protein. Grossly edematous peak lesions (1 day of age) contained 7.8 mg of unbound serum protein per square centimeter of skin. Healing lesions (6 and 10 days of age) contained about 4.5 mg/sq cm, and normal skin about 1.7 mg/sq cm. Lesions 1 day of age had the highest rate of serum albumin entry, and about 36% of this Evans-blue-labeled protein was unbound, ie, extractable into the culture fluids. Lesions 3 and 6 days of age had a rate of serum albumin entry that was roughly half that of 1-day lesions, and only about 13% of this entering protein was unbound. Normal skin had a very low rate of serum albumin entry, and only 8% of this entering protein was unbound. The turnover rate of the unbound (extractable) serum protein could be estimated from the 2-hour entry rate of the Evans-blue-labeled albumin and the total protein in the culture fluids. In 1-day lesions, about 25% of the serum protein in the culture fluids was protein which had entered during the last 2 hours, so that 100% of this unbound protein should have been replaced once in 8 hours. In contrast, in 3- and 6-day lesions, this unbound serum protein should have been replaced once in about 35 hours, and in normal skin once in 80 hours. Evans-blue-labeled serum albumin continuously entered both the bound and unbound compartments of the SM lesions, even during the healing stages.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)

Animals↗
PubMed1985

[A case of adenolipoma of the breast].

A 40-year-old woman was found to have a well-circumscribed mass in the upper outer quadrant of the right breast at a routine physical examination. Mammographically, the tumor was a radiolucent mass, measuring 4.6 X 3.2 X 4 cm, surrounded by a capsule. The tumor consisted of fat and numerous strings with the appearance of ordinary glandular tissue. There was no area of microcalcification. Grossly, the tumor mass was encapsulated by fine connective tissue. On the cut surface, the tumor consisted of fatty tissue containing islands of grayish-white breast tissue. Histologically, the fatty tissue presented (a feature) of mature lipoma. Embedded in the fat were areas of breast tissue simulating fibrocystic disease. In limited areas, the fat cells had direct contact with the ducts without intervening fibrous tissue.

Adult↗