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Biomedical subjects

K Kawaguchi

Publications and source records attributed to K Kawaguchi.

At least 73 records · Page 4Linked to original sources

Transition Dipole Moments for the Vibrational Fundamentals of HNC Determined from the Herman-Wallis Effect.

The nu1 and nu3 fundamental bands of HNC are recorded with a Fourier transform infrared spectrometer with a resolution of 0.008 cm-1. Hydrogen isocyanide is generated in situ by dc discharge in a mixture of CH3CN ( approximately 40 mTorr), H2 ( approximately 160 mTorr), and Ar ( approximately 160 mTorr). The transition dipole moments for these fundamental bands are determined from the analysis of the Herman-Wallis effect, and they are compared with ab initio calculated values. It is found that the ab initio values for the nu1 and nu3 bands are about 50 and 30% larger, respectively. The transition dipole moments determined are to be of use for determination of the abundance of HNC in reaction systems such as the dissociative recombination reaction of HCNH+ with electrons. Copyright 1998 Academic Press.

Journal Article↗

Biotransformation of digitoxigenin by cultured Strophanthus hybrid cells.

Hybrid cells between Strophanthus gratus and S. amboensis were obtained by electrofusion and confirmed to be hybrids through isozyme and RFLP analyses. Because a new and hybrid compound, 17 beta H-periplogenin beta-D-glucoside, was isolated as a biotransformation product of digitoxigenin by the hybrid cells, isomerization of 17 beta-lactone ring on S. gratus and glucosylation on S. amboensis were demonstrated simultaneously as the biotransformation abilities in the hybrid cells. Moreover, the productivity of the hybrid compound was increased by raising the sucrose concentration.

Biotransformation↗

Colony stimulating factor-inducing activity of isoflavone C-glucosides from the bark of Dalbergia monetaria.

To obtain immunomodulating substances from Amazonian medicinal plants, hot water extracts from 21 samples available commercially were tested in terms of mitogenic and colony-stimulating factor (CSF)-inducing activities. Among them, Dalbergia monetaria exhibited the highest CSF-inducing activity. Orobol 8-C-glucoside (OCG-8) and orobol 6-C-glucoside (OCG-6) were isolated from the bark of D. monetaria as major constituents. The CSF-inducing activity of OCG-8 was higher than that of OCG-6 and a dose-dependent manner at a range of 0.1-10 mg/mouse. Serum CSF production induced by an intraperitoneal (i.p.) injection with 1 mg OCG-8 reached a peak at 4-6 h later, suggesting that OCG-8 would act on hematopoietic system.

Adjuvants, Immunologic↗

[A case of systemic sclerosis complicated with pneumoperitoneum and pneumatosis cystoides intestinalis].

Here we report a case of systemic sclerosis (SSc) complicated with pneumoperitoneum and pneumatosis cystoides intestinalis (PCI). A 58-year-old woman who had been treated with oxygen therapy for chronic respiratory failure caused by interstitial pneumonia was admitted to Tokyo Metropolitan Ohtsuka Hospital because of abdominal fullness. On admission, laboratory data showed accelerated erythrocyte sedimentation rate, mild anemia, hypoalbuminemia, and elevated level of lactose dehydrogenase (LDH). Anti-nuclear antibodies, anti-RNP antibodies, anti-Topoisomerase I antibodies, anti-Ku antibodies, and rheumatoid factor were positive. Chest and abdominal roentgenograms showed free air under the diaphragm, dilatation of small intestine and colon, and multiple intestinal cysts. The diagnosis of pneumoperitoneum and PCI was made with laboratory findings and radiographic findings. Her symptoms did not respond to medications altering colonic motility and oxygen therapy. Finally, abdominal symptoms and radiographic findings caused by pneumoperitoneum and PCI disappeared three weeks after treatment with 1,500 mg/day of kanamycin sulfate. PCI is rarely associated with SSc. Possible pathogenic relationship between these diseases was discussed.

Female↗

Atrial natriuretic peptide as a preload depressor in acute renal failure secondary to congestive heart failure.

The present study was undertaken to verify the hypothesis that infusion of atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP) might lower preload and be beneficial in the treatment of pulmonary congestion even without a diuresis in patients with acute renal failure (ARF) secondary to severe congestive heart failure (CHF). We studied 22 patients with ARF secondary to CHF. The mean age of the patients (14 men and 8 women) was 72 years (range 36 to 85 years). Seven of the patients had dilated cardiomyopathy, ten had ischemic heart disease, and five had valvular heart disease. ANP was infused intravenously and the following data before and 1 hour after the start of ANP infusion were recorded; urinary output, systemic blood pressure (SBP), pulmonary blood pressure (PBP), right atrial pressure (RAP), cardiac index (CI), heart rate (HR), and arterial blood oxygen partial pressure. Diastolic PBP were employed as pulmonary capillary wedge pressure. Urinary output did not change. Mean SBP decreased from 92 to 85 mmHg (p < 0.05), and mean PBP decreased from 34 to 28 mmHg (p < 0.01). Mean RAP decreased from 11 to 9 mmHg (p < 0.01) and diastolic PBP decreased from 25 to 19 mmHg (p < 0.01). HR did not change significantly and CI increased 2.4 to 2.5 mi/min/m2 (p < 0.05). Arterial blood oxygen partial pressure increased significantly from 71 to 82 mmHg (p < 0.05). In conclusion, ANP decreased preload and improved arterial blood oxygen partial pressure, though diuretic response to ANP is attenuated in ARF secondary to CHE. Infusion of ANP will be very beneficial in cases in which dyspnea and pulmonary edema due to elevation of preload are the principal clinical problems.

Acute Kidney Injury↗

[A huge retrocerebellar arachnoid cyst with syringomyelia: case report].

The authors report a case of a huge posterior fossa arachnoid cyst with syringomyelia. This 22-year-old man presented with a history of drop attacks. Magnetic resonance imaging demonstrated ventricular hydrocephalus, a huge posterior fossa arachnoid cyst and syringomyelia. Cyst-peritoneal shunting was installed. The patient had an uneventful postoperative course, and his drop attacks disappeared. Magnetic resonance imaging one month after surgery showed reduction of the ventricular size and size of the arachnoid cyst and syrinx. Large arachnoid cysts in the posterior fossa are reported occasionally, but rare with syrinx. The authors described this case to illustrate the possible contribution of the pathogenesis of the syringomyelia associated with a huge posterior fossa arachnoid cyst.

Adult↗

[Clinical efficacy and reduction effect on prostatic volume of chlormadinone acetate combined with tamsulosin hydrochloride in benign prostatic hyperplasia patients insufficiently treated with tamsulosin hydrochloride only].

Alpha adrenergic blocker has become the first choice in the medical treatment of benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH). The efficacy of alpha adrenergic blocker has been suggested to be related to the prostatic tissue components, and to be ineffective in treating the clinical symptoms caused by BPH in some cases. The efficacy and prostate reduction of an anti-androgenic agent, chlormadinone acetate, combined with alpha adrenergic blocker, tamsulosin hydrochloride, were evaluated using 40-BPH patients insufficiently treated with tamsulosin hydrochloride alone. Fifty mg of chlormadinone acetate and 0.2 mg of tamsulosin hydrochloride were administered orally once a day for 16 weeks to patients with a prostate subjective symptoms score, I-PSS, of greater than 13 or a peak flow rate of less than 12 ml/s, even after the treatment with 0.2 mg of tamsulosin hydrochloride alone for more than four weeks. Total I-PSS decreased significantly after four weeks. The total irritative symptom score did not change for 16 weeks, but the total obstructive symptom score decreased significantly, as did the total I-PSS. In objective data, the estimated volume of both total prostate and the transition zone on transrectal ultrasonogram decreased significantly at the end of the treatment, and the peak flow rate decreased significantly after 12 weeks. These findings suggest that the addition of chlormadinone acetate may be a reasonable alternative in the treatment of BPH patients responding insufficiently to tamsulosin hydrochloride alone, and that combination therapy using chlormadinone acetate and tamsulosin hydrochloride may be useful for BPH patients with serious obstructive symptoms.

Adrenergic alpha-Antagonists↗

Non-NMDA but not NMDA blockade at deep prepiriform cortex protects against hippocampal cell death in status epilepticus.

The present study investigates the role of pharmacologic blockade of NMDA (N-methyl-D-aspartate) and non-NMDA receptors at deep prepiriform cortex (area tempestas, AT) in neuronal injury during prolonged seizures in rat. Status epilepticus was induced by intravenous kainate (15 mg/kg) and neuronal death was assessed in hippocampal CA3 sector 72 h following status epilepticus. Unilateral equimolar microinjections of 2-amino-7-phosphonoheptanoic acid (AP-7), an NMDA receptor antagonist, or 2,3-dihydroxy-6-nitro-7-sulfamoyl-benzo(F)quinoxaline (NBQX), a non-NMDA receptor antagonist, into AT were given prior to kainate administration. Counts of surviving cells in CA3 ipsilateral to NBQX-injected AT were significantly greater than on the contralateral control-side, but no significant difference between the AP-7-injected and saline-injected side was found. These results indicate that neurotransmission via non-NMDA receptors is more important than that via NMDA receptors at AT in the genesis of neuronal injury in hippocampus during kainate-induced status epilepticus.

2-Amino-5-phosphonovalerate↗

Neuroprotective effects of the glutamate release inhibitor 619C89 in temporary middle cerebral artery occlusion.

619C89 is a use-dependent Na+ channel antagonist that decreases the release of glutamate during ischemia. The efficacy of this drug in reducing infarction volume 72 h after occlusion of the middle cerebral artery (MCA) for 2 h in rats (n = 93) was determined by analysis of TTC-stained coronal section of the brain. Doses of 10, 20, 30 and 50 mg/kg of study drug given i.v. prior to MCA occlusion significantly (P < 0.05-0.01) reduced infarction volume in cortex compared to vehicle controls. Only the 50 mg/kg dose reduced infarction volume in the striatum (P < 0.05). Administration of 50 mg/kg of 619C89 30 and 60 min after the onset of ischemia reduced cortical infarction volume (P < 0.05), but there was no effect when the drug was given 5 min after reperfusion. No post-treatment regimen reduced striatal infarction volume. These results confirm the neuroprotective effects of 619C89 in temporary focal ischemia.

Animals↗

Pharmacologic blockade of non-NMDA receptors at deep prepiriform cortex attenuates heat shock protein expression in global ischemia.

Deep prepiriform cortex modulates excitatory activity in the limbic system during seizures. We therefore studied a potential role for this system in another process involving excitatory neurotransmission: global ischemia in the rat. The non-NMDA antagonist NBQX was microinjected bilaterally into deep prepiriform cortex prior to 10 min of global ischemia. Hippocampal cell injury was then assessed by heath shock protein (HSP) expression 24 h after ischemia. NBQX significantly decreased the number of HSP positive cells in both CA1 and CA3 hippocampal subsectors, suggesting the possibility that pathways from deep prepiriform cortex to hippocampus modulate excitotoxicity in target neurons during ischemia.

Animals↗

Immediate and chronic results of cutting balloon angioplasty: a matched comparison with conventional angioplasty.

BACKGROUND: At the initial stages of percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty (PTCA), several studies reported on the feasibility of coronary artery incision and dilatation leading to the extension of the PTCA technique. HYPOTHESIS: This study was designed to determine the immediate and chronic results of cutting balloon (CB) angioplasty. METHODS: This procedure was performed on 127 lesions in 110 patients (male 83%, age 61.8 +/- 9.3 years). RESULTS: The overall procedural success rates for the CB were 93.7% (119 lesions) and 92.7% (102 patients), while solitary CB without pre- and/or postdilatation was 76.4% (91 lesions). There was one major in-hospital complication (Q-wave myocardial infarction, 0.9%), but there were no deaths or emergency coronary artery bypass graftings. Significant angiographic dissections (> or = grade C) occurred in four patients, and coronary perforation occurred in one. The successfully treated CB group (95 lesions) was matched with the successful conventional angioplasty group (PTCA group) for chronic result assessment in regard to reference vessel size and lesion characteristics. In the CB group, postprocedural minimal luminal diameters were significantly larger and the percentage of stenosis at the stenotic site was significantly lower compared with the PTCA group. Restenosis occurred in 22 lesions (23.1%). This showed a significantly lower restenosis rate compared with the PTCA group (42.1%). In addition, the restenosis rate of the CB without inclusion of the pre- and/or postdilatation-treated lesions was 19.7%. CONCLUSIONS: (1) Cutting balloon angioplasty procedures can be performed with high success rates with few major inhospital events. (2) The restenosis rate in the CB group was significantly lower compared with the PTCA group.

Angioplasty, Balloon, Coronary↗

Fourier Transform Far-Infrared Spectroscopy of the NH2, NHD, and ND2 Radicals

The gas-phase far-infrared absorption spectra of the NH2, NHD, and ND2 radicals have been observed in the 51-366 cm-1 region with a high-resolution Fourier transform spectrometer. The NH2 radical was generated in a multiple-traversal absorption cell by a dc discharge in an NH3 and Ar mixture. A discharge in an NH3, D2, and Ar mixture was used for production of NHD and ND2. The observed spectra with a resolved fine structure were analyzed by Watson's A-reduced Hamiltonian including a spin-rotation interaction term. The rotational and spin-rotation constants were determined to higher order. In the same experiment of NH2, the rotational spectrum of the NH radical was also observed. From the rotational constants, inertia defect Delta and r0 structure were determined, as follows, with one standard deviation in parentheses:NH2ND2r0 (A)1.0245(37)1.0239(19)theta0 (degree)103.34(51)103.33(27)Deltaobs (amuA2)0.049561(4)0.06770(4);Dgr;calc (amuA2)0.0476530.066566 Copyright 1997Academic Press

Journal Article↗

Early detection of DNA strand breaks in the brain after transient focal ischemia: implications for the role of DNA damage in apoptosis and neuronal cell death.

Using in situ DNA polymerase I-mediated biotin-dATP nick-translation (PANT) and terminal deoxynucleotidyl-transferase-mediated dUTP nick end-labeling (TUNEL), we investigated the evolution of DNA strand breaks, a marker of DNA damage, in rat brain after 1 h of middle cerebral artery occlusion and various durations of reperfusion. DNA single-strand breaks (SSBs) detected by PANT were present in neurons after as little as 1 min of reperfusion. Numbers of neurons containing an SSB increased progressively in the ischemic core but decreased in the ischemic penumbra after 1 h of reperfusion. DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs) detected by TUNEL were first seen in neurons after 1 h of reperfusion, and their numbers then increased progressively in the ischemic core, with a regional distribution similar to that of SSBs. However, the number of SSB-containing cells was greater than that of DSB-containing cells at all time points tested. SSB-containing cells detected within the first hour of reperfusion were exclusively neuronal and exhibited normal nuclear morphology. At 16-72 h of reperfusion, many SSB- and DSB-containing cells, including both neurons and astrocytes, showed morphological changes consistent with apoptosis. Gel electrophoresis of DNA isolated from the ischemic core showed DNA fragmentation at 24 h, when both SSBs and DSBs were present, but not at 1 h, when few DSBs were detected. These results suggest that damage to nuclear DNA is an early event after neuronal ischemia and that the accumulation of unrepaired DNA SSBs may contribute to delayed ischemic neuronal death, perhaps by triggering apoptosis.

Animals↗

Lesioning of deep prepiriform cortex protects against ischemic neuronal necrosis by attenuating extracellular glutamate concentrations.

An area of the deep prepiriform cortex is a controlling site for limbic seizures. Focal pharmacologic blockade of NMDA receptors in the deep prepiriform cortex protects against hippocampal cell injury during limbic seizures induced by intravenous kainate and during the excitotoxicity of global ischemia. In the current study, the deep prepiriform cortex was lesioned bilaterally by microinjection of kainate, 3 days before 10 min of global ischemia induced by four-vessel occlusion. Extracellular glutamate concentrations in the hippocampus were measured before, during, and after global ischemia by using in vivo microdialysis technique. Surviving hippocampal neurons were counted 7 days after ischemia. Lesioned animals showed significantly greater numbers of surviving neurons and significantly lower ischemia-induced elevations of extracellular glutamate concentrations than nonlesioned animals. During seizures induced from the deep prepiriform cortex, the immediate early gene cox-2 is expressed in the hippocampus. These results indicate that deep prepiriform cortex can be a modulatory site for ischemic hippocampal injury.

Animals↗

Deep prepiriform cortex modulates neuronal cell death in global ischemia.

Deep prepiriform cortex has an important role in modulating neurotransmission during limbic seizures. We used pharmacologic blockade of non-N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptors to study excitatory circuitry from the deep prepiriform cortex to the hippocampus during global ischemia in rat. NBQX, a potent non-NMDA glutamate receptor antagonist, was microinjected stereotactically into the deep prepiriform cortex before global ischemia for 10 min. Neuronal cell death in the hippocampus was evaluated quantitatively 72 h after ischemia. The NBQX-injected rats had a greater number of surviving cells in CA1 sector of hippocampus than did saline-injected controls or rats that received NBQX injections 1 mm from the target. Thus, excitatory amino acid-mediated circuitry emanating from deep prepiriform cortex modulates ischemic neuronal injury in the hippocampus.

Animals↗

Mucinous cystadenoma of the appendix with raised serum carcinoembryonic antigen concentration: clinical and pathological features.

A case of mucinous cystadenoma mimicking ovarian cancer is reported. Serum carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) concentration was raised, and computed tomography of the abdomen and pelvis demonstrated a long oval shaped cystic mass measuring 9 cm in length on the right anterior side of the uterus. Because of possible right ovarian cancer, laparotomy was performed and the mass was found to be a mucinous cystadenoma of the appendix. This case indicates that mucinous cystadenoma of the appendix may show an unusual presentation including its location as well as the high serum CEA, mimicking ovarian cancer. Therefore, gynaecologists as well as gastroenterologists should consider its possibility as a differential diagnosis of the right adnexal mass in a patient without previous appendectomy.

Aged↗

Hesperidin as an inhibitor of lipases from porcine pancreas and Pseudomonas.

In the course of our screening work for new types of lipase inhibitors, hesperidin was identified as a simple and small molecular weight inhibitor in the peels of Citrus unshiu. Hesperidin inhibited lipase activity from porcine pancreas and that from Pseudomonas, and their IC50 was 32 and 132 micrograms/ml, respectively. Hesperidin, neohesperidin, narirutin, and naringin are known as the main flavonoids in Citrus unshiu. Neohesperidin also inhibited the lipase from procine pancreas, but did not have any effect on Pseudomonas. Narirutin and naringin did not show this effect on lipases from porcine pancreas and Pseudomonas. In animal experiments, the concentration of plasma triglyceride in rats fed a diet containing 10% hesperidin were significantly lower than that fed the control diet.

Animal Feed↗