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Biomedical subjects

K Kawabata

Publications and source records attributed to K Kawabata.

At least 145 records · Page 8Linked to original sources
PubMed1997

Cysteinyl leukotrienes induce nasal symptoms of allergic rhinitis via a receptor-mediated mechanism in guinea pigs.

To examine whether cysteinyl leukotrienes (cysLTs: LTC4, LTD4 and LTE4) induce symptoms of allergic rhinitis via their receptors, we studied the following: i) the specific binding of radiolabeled cysLTs to guinea pig nasal mucosa membrane and ii) effects of nasal LTD4 challenge in normal guinea pigs. The binding study indicated that there was a single population of binding sites for LTC4, LTD4 and LTE4 with Kd and Bmax values of 34.9+/-2.0, 0.252+/-0.015 and 0.589+/-0.039 nM and 10, 140+/-490, 122+/-11 and 306+/-23 fmol/mg protein, respectively. The in vivo study showed that topical nasal challenge of LTD4 (0.1-30 microg/nose) increased nasal secretion, nasal airway resistance and nasal eosinophil infiltration without inducing sneezing. While the increases in nasal secretion and nasal airway resistance were transient, peaking 10 to 20 min after LTD4 challenge, nasal eosinophil infiltration persisted at least until 24 hr post-challenge. These nasal symptoms were dose-dependently suppressed by oral administrations of pranlukast (0.3-3 mg/kg). The results suggest that cysLTs cause not only early-phase symptoms but also nasal eosinophil migration, a characteristic associated with the late-phase symptom of allergic rhinitis, via a receptor-mediated mechanism. Cysteinyl leukotrienes, thus, may be important mediators in allergic rhinitis.

Administration, Oral↗
PubMed1997

[Study on the relationship between lifestyles and maximal oxygen uptake in healthy adults].

In this study, to determine the influence of different lifestyles on maximal oxygen uptake, we carried out a survey on the effects of age, smoking, physical exercise, clinical examination values and dietary habits of 899 male factory workers on their maximal oxygen uptake. The results of the study were as follows: Maximal oxygen uptake significantly decreased with age. In the male factory workers, there were significant correlations between maximal oxygen uptake and frequency of physical exercise, a greasy diet and seasoning of the diet. Multiple regression analysis showed that the variables which correlated best with the maximal oxygen uptake were serum total cholesterol and HDL cholesterol. These results indicated that good nutrition and physical activity are important for maintaining physical fitness.

Adult↗
PubMed1997

Alveolar bone loss in rats infected with a strain of Prevotella intermedia and Fusobacterium nucleatum isolated from a child with prepubertal periodontitis.

Prevotella intermedia and fusobacterium nucleatum are associated with various forms of periodontal disease. The purpose of the present study was to infect the clinical isolates of these periodontopathic bacteria and to induce a significant loss of alveolar bone in specific pathogen-free (SPF) rats in the absence of ligatures. P. intermedia YKD8 and F. nucleatum YKZ5 were isolated from a prepubertal periodontitis patient, while P. gingivalis MWB13 was from a patient with juvenile periodontitis. At first, SPF Sprague-Dawley rats (70 days of age, male) were infected with A. viscosus Ny1R and subsequently superinfected with P. gingivalis MWB13, P. intermedia YKD8, or F. nucleatum YKZ5, respectively. The control group was infected with A. viscosus Ny1R alone. All rats were killed and periodontal bone levels were assessed morphometrically 135 days after the first infection with A. viscosus. P. intermedia YKD8 was recovered frequently from rats, with serum antibody levels remaining highly elevated throughout the experiment. Significant loss of alveolar bone was found in rats infected with P. intermedia YKD8, the virulence of which was equivalent to that of P. gingivalis MWB13. F. nucleatum YKZ5 also induced alveolar bone loss, but not significantly when compared with rats infected with A. viscosus Ny1R alone.

Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans↗
PubMed1997

[Assessment of Swallowing Ability Scale for oral and oropharyngeal cancer patients].

The Swallowing Ability Scale (SAS) has been recently reported by us. This scale is a new method to assess dysphagia after therapy for oral and oropharyngeal cancer. The preliminary results on 23 patients showed that the scale was reliable and sensitive to functional differences across a broad spectrum of oropharyngeal dysphagia after therapy. This paper confirmed the above facts in 73 oral and oropharyngeal cancer patients who were treated in two hospitals between 1995 and 1996. As stated in the previous paper, SAS consists of a 2-step questionnaire: the MTF score and the Dysphagia score. The MTF score is a simple and practical assessment tool consisting of three subscales: 1) Method of intake, 2) Time of intake, and 3) Food. The Dysphagia score is a relevant assessment tool for defining patients' anatomic or physiologic swallowing disorders. In 40 patients with wide resection of the tongue, the Dysphagia score (p < 0.05) and the MTF score (p < 0.01) were significantly decreased. And we found a correlation between the MTF score and the Dysphagia score (r = 0.78, p < 0.001) in 73 patients. The usefulness of the SAS will be further studied for the assessment of rehabilitation to improve postoperative dysphagia.

Deglutition↗
PubMed1997

[Pharyngo-cutaneous fistula after total laryngectomy].

The charts of 319 consecutive patients who underwent total laryngectomy at the Cancer Institute Hospital from 1971 to 1994 were reviewed in order to clarify the relationship between pharyngo-cutaneous fistula formation and age, the dose of pre-operative radiation and radical neck dissection, as well as the need for subsequent surgical repair. The patients did not need to undergo reconstruction by flaps at the time of laryngectomy. Radiation sources were limited to X ray radiotherapy and Cobalt 60. Of the 319 patients 204 (63.9%) underwent neck dissection. Both radical neck dissection and modified radical neck dissection were classified as neck dissection. The chi-square test was used to construct a table of the three parameters age, dose of radiation and neck dissection. With respect to age, the incidence of fistula formation was 13.4% (16 patients of 119) in patients at the age of 59 and below, 5.9% (7/118) in those from 60 to 69, and 8.5% (7/82) in those at 70 years and above. Our analysis reveals that the age at the time of surgery is not a predisposing factor for fistula formation in the three age groups (59 and below, between 60 and 69, and 70 and above). Similarly the need for subsequent surgical repair is also not age-related. With respect to radiation, the incidence of fistula formation was 8.0% (4/50) for patients who received radiotherapy less than 20 Gy, 6.3% (2/32) in those who received between 20 and 40 Gy, 2.6% (2/77) in those who received between 40 and 60 Gy, 13.2% (20/152) in those who received between 60 and 80 Gy and 25.0% (2/8) in those who received over 80 Gy. When the preoperative dose of radiation was divided into three classes, that is, less than 40 Gy, 40 to 60 Gy and over 60 Gy, we observed that the incidence of fistula formation increased significantly in the patients who received over 60 Gy. Surgical repair was also indicated more frequently for those patients who received over 60 Gy than for those who received less than 60 Gy. With respect to neck dissection, the incidence of fistula formation was 12.2% (14/115) for the patients who did not undergo neck dissection or those who underwent only lymphadenectomy, 7.8% (9/115) for the patients who underwent unilateral neck dissection, and 7.9% (7/89) for those who underwent bilateral neck dissection. These data reveal that neck dissection, whether unilateral or bilateral, dose not increase the incidence of fistula formation, nor the need for subsequent surgical repair. Fistulae were present in 30 patients (9.4%) for 24 years, and 14 of these 30 patients did not need subsequent surgery. In these 30 patients with fistulae, we did not find patients with systemic disease such as diabetes mellitus prior to the surgery. When the period of 24 years was divided into 4 periods, the incidence of fistula formation was 19.0% (from 1971 to 1976), 6.9% (from 1977 to 1982), 10.3% (from 1983 to 1989) and 2.6% (from 1989 to 1994), that of the latest period was the lowest with gradual improvement. The average dose of preoperative radiation was 57.7 Gy (from 1971 to 1976), 50.8 Gy (from 1977 to 1982), 39.6 Gy (from 1982 to 1988) and 45.7 Gy (from 1989 to 1994) and reduction in dose of radiation seemed to be one of the reasons for the lower frequency of fistula. Several surgeons performed the operations for different patients, but the procedure of laryngectomy was recently directed by an experienced surgeon. The study also indicates that the risk of fistula formation is reduced not only by the dose of radiation but also by improved surgical skill.

Adult↗
PubMed1997

[Evaluation of benzodiazepine receptor in the cerebral cortex of Parkinson's disease using 123I-iomazenil SPECT].

123I-iomazenil is a partial inverse agonist of central-type benzodiazepine receptors (BZRs). BZR and the gamma-aminobutylic acid(GABA) receptor comprise a receptor complex in the cerebral cortex. Therefore, 123I-iomazenil SPECT will provide indirect information of the GABA receptor. Since the GABA-ergic system has been reported to modulate the dopaminergic system, the impairment of GABA/BZR may affect parkinsonian symptoms. However, there are few reports on Parkinson's disease(PD) regarding the impairment of GABA/BZR in the cerebral cortex. We found a correlation between motor disability and decrease in 123I-iomazenil uptake in the cerebral cortex, suggesting that BZR in the cerebral cortex of patients with PD may be impaired in proportion to the severity of the disease. In addition, the 123I-iomazenil image is, in part, different from the perfusion image. Therefore, 123I-iomazenil SPECT may give an additional information on the pathophysiology of PD.

Amphetamines↗
PubMed1997

Pitfalls of intervention therapy in a patient with anomalous origin of the right coronary artery from the left sinus of Valsalva associated with organic stenosis.

A 64-year-old man visited our hospital with a complaint of exertional chest discomfort. Exercise electrocardiography revealed ST segment depression in the V4-V6 leads, and exercise thallium myocardial scintigraphy demonstrated myocardial ischemia in the area of the right coronary artery, suggesting effort angina. Diagnostic coronary angiography revealed an anomalous origin of the right coronary artery from the left sinus of Valsalva and 90% organic stenosis at the proximal portion. We performed percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty (PTCA), but repeat PTCA was required 3 months later because of restenosis. Follow-up angiography 1 year later showed regression of the stenotic lesion to less than 50% diameter compared with the data obtained 3 months after the second PTCA. However, exercise 99mtechnetium-tetrofosmin myocardial scintigraphy disclosed obvious myocardial ischemia in the inferior region. These results suggested that the myocardial ischemia in this particular patient was caused not only by the organic stenosis but also by the anatomic anomaly which might reduce coronary blood flow during exercise. Such patients should be followed up cautiously with much more sophisticated methodology.

Angioplasty, Balloon, Coronary↗
PubMed1997

Paraganglion of the prostate in a needle biopsy: a potential diagnostic pitfall.

Paraganglionic tissue incidentally observed in a needle biopsy of the prostate is reported. The tissue was seen in the periprostatic adipose tissue obtained during a needle biopsy of the prostate of an 81-year-old man. The paraganglionic cells demonstrated round to oval nuclei and basophilic granular or vacuolated cytoplasm and were immunohistochemically positive for chromogranin A, but negative for prostatic acid phosphatase and prostate-specific antigen. Paraganglion in the periprostatic adipose tissue is a diagnostic pitfall and should be distinguished from extension of prostatic adenocarcinoma outside the prostatic capsule into the periprostatic adipose tissue.

Adenocarcinoma↗
PubMed1997

Development of an oral health indicator in infants.

OBJECTIVE: To develop a simple predictive indicator for 1.5-year-old infants' oral health as an aid for maternal preventive efforts. DESIGN: The development of an indicator was based on the relationship between life style factors of the 1.5-year-old infants and the caries incidence of the same children at three years of age. Data gained at examination of the 3-year-old subjects were subjected to analysis with the caries-free information on the same subjects at 1.5 years. SETTING: A community health centre in Hiroshima Japan. SUBJECTS: 1575 children received an oral check-up at 3 years of age at a community health centre. OUTCOME MEASURES: The category scores of the six items which were extracted retrospectively from life style factors at 1.5 years affecting caries prevalence at 3 years of age were quantified and transformed into integral numbers so as to make up a total of 100. The sum of the six transformed scores was named an Infants Dental Index (IDI). RESULTS: The IDI score was associated significantly with the dmft score at 3 years of age (r = -0.18 P < 0.001). When the subjects were classified into four groups with respect to the IDI score these four groups were significantly related to the caries onset between 1.5 and 3 years of age (chi 2 = 36.74, P < 0.001 CONCLUSIONS: The IDI developed in this study appeared to be valid so that it could be applied in the field of the community dental health to identity higher risk infants and direct more effective health education to mothers.

Algorithms↗
PubMed1997

[Gene therapy by in vivo interferon-gamma gene transfer to murine bladder tumor].

For the clinical application of the cytokine gene therapy, the antitumor effects of systemic administration of Interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma) and those of in vivo direct IFN-gamma gene transfer to the tumors of mouse bladder carcinoma (MBT2) were compared. After the subcutaneous inoculation of MBT2 cells into mice, 10(2), 10(3) or 10(4) units of IFN-gamma were injected intraperitoneally (i.p.) or subcutaneously (s.c.). Neither i.p. nor s.c. injection of IFN-gamma resulted in tumor suppression or prolonged the survival time of tumor-bearing mice. The effect of in vivo direct IFN-gamma gene transfer by a retrovirus vector to MBT2 tumors was also evaluated. After the subcutaneous inoculation of MBT2 cells into mice, a virus culture supernatant containing IFN-gamma gene was injected into the same tumor site once a day for 3 days. In 50% of the mice in the treatment groups with IFN-gamma gene induction, no tumor formation was observed. Tumor-free survival and actuarial survival in the treatment groups were significantly longer than those in the control group. These results showed the possibility of in vivo direct IFN-gamma gene transfer into tumors and were encouraging for the execution of tumor cell-targeted IFN-gamma gene therapy against human bladder cancer.

Animals↗
PubMed1996

The pleiotropic effect of the GTS1 gene product on heat tolerance, sporulation and the life span of Saccharomyces cerevisiae.

We investigated whether or not the potential clock gene, GTS1, of the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae, shows pleiotropic effects on the yeast cellular processes. We tested the efect of the Gts1 protein on heat tolerance, sporulation and life-span, by characterizing the phenotypes of transformants with different copy numbers of the gene. We found that the Gts1 protein affects the capacity of heat tolerance in the stationary phase and the speed leading to sporulation in a gene-dose dependent manner, and that both inactivation and overexpression of the gene shortened the life-span of yeast. These results supported the notion that GTS1 affects the biological clock of the yeast S. cerevisiae, although this cannot be definitively concluded because the strain cannot be synchronized with circadian or ultradian rhythms.

Fungal Proteins↗
PubMed1996

Cis-diamminedichloroplatinum(II) augments expression of tumor-associated antigens on human gastric cancer cell line KATO-3 and increases susceptibility and binding of tumor cells to various cytotoxic effector cells.

Previous studies have demonstrated the immunomodulatory effects of cisplatin under certain conditions. The present study was designed to clarify whether cisplatin modulates the expression of surface antigens, especially human leukocyte antigen (HLA), on human tumor cell lines and/or augments the susceptibility and binding of tumor cells to cytotoxic effector cells. A human gastric cancer cell line, KATO-3, was employed. The expression of HLA and other tumor-associated antigens was analyzed by flow cytometry using FITC-conjugated monoclonal antibodies. The cytotoxicity of effector cells was determined by 51Cr release assay. The expression of HLA class I antigen, beta2-microglobulin, leukocyte function-associated antigen-1, and AC-81 adenocarcinoma-associated antigen on KATO-3 increased after exposure to cisplatin at 10 micrograms/ml for 3-6 hr; augmentation of HLA class I subtypes -B2 and -B27 was particularly prominent. Furthermore, the susceptibility and binding of KATO-3 to both lymphokine-activated killer cells and KATO-3-specific cytotoxic T lymphocytes significantly increased after cisplatin treatment. Cisplatin may modulate the expression of tumor-associated antigens on some human tumor cells. Tumor regression by cisplatin administration may depend on its direct cytotoxicity as well as on its modulating effects on the expression of tumor-associated antigens, subsequently leading to the activation of the immune surveillance system against the tumor.

Adjuvants, Immunologic↗
PubMed1996

Decreased alpha/beta heterodimer among CD8 molecules of peripheral blood T cells in Wiskott-Aldrich syndrome.

Cell surface CD8 molecules exist as either alpha/alpha homodimers or alpha/beta heterodimers, and most CD8+ T cells that undergo differentiation in the thymus express alpha/beta heterodimers. CD8 molecules on peripheral blood lymphocytes of patients with Wiskott-Aldrich syndrome (WAS), an X-linked immunodeficiency disease, have now been shown to be composed mostly of alpha/alpha homodimers, while the total number of lymphocytes was maintained. This observation may indicate aberrant differentiation of CD8+ T cells in the thymus of WAS. Decreased CD8alpha/beta heterodimer expression, and the relative increase of CD8+ T cells expressing CD8alpha/alpha homodimer, may explain a part of the defective lymphocyte functions in WAS patients.

Aging↗