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Biomedical subjects

K Kawaguchi

Publications and source records attributed to K Kawaguchi.

At least 145 records · Page 8Linked to original sources
PubMed1991

Multi-center study of seasonal affective disorders in Japan. A preliminary report.

A multi-center study on seasonal affective disorder (SAD) was conducted from the autumn of 1988 to the spring of 1989 with the cooperation of 16 facilities in Japan. Forty-six SAD patients were identified among 1104 respondents to our advertisements in mass media, or patients seen at the outpatient clinics. Essentially similar findings to other previous reports were obtained in terms of onset age of the first episode, duration of episode, high proportion of depression in first-degree relatives and atypical vegetative symptoms. However, a nearly equal sex ratio, together with a high proportion of unipolar depression, is characteristic of the present study. Increased appetite and carbohydrate craving were predominant only in female patients, whereas hypersomnia was prominent in both sexes. Effective response to light therapy was found in 17 SAD patients. However, a controlled study on a large number of patients is required to allow final conclusions on the efficacy of light therapy in Japanese SAD patients.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1991

Recovery mechanism of postural disturbance after vestibular neurectomy.

Sectioning of the unilateral vestibular nerve of the bull frog resulted in tilting of the head and the body. The angle of head tilt was periodically measured. The angle returned to 0 degree in an average of 7.3 weeks. A morphological study demonstrated normal structure of the sensory epithelia and a well-regenerated nerve bundle. Also, discrete action potentials could be recorded from the nerve centrally to the cut site of the vestibular nerve. These results indicate that recovery from the tilting involves two mechanisms, one being central compensation and the other reactivation of the sensory cell-nerve unit.

Acoustic Maculae↗
PubMed1991

The growth inhibition of Streptococcus mutans by 5'-nucleotidase inhibitors from Areca catechu L.

New 5'-nucleotidase inhibitors named NF-86I, NF-86II were recently isolated from the seeds of Areca catechu L. NF-86I and NF86II showed inhibitory effects on the growth of Streptococcus mutans MT8148(c) and Streptococcus mutans MT6715(g), respectively. In addition, these inhibitors could inhibit insoluble glucan formation from sucrose. NF-86I and NF-86II were found to be polyphenolic substances. Some polyphenols such as tannic acid bind non-specifically to proteins (tannic activity). The 5'-nucleotidase inhibitors that we isolated did not show any such activity. However, the growth inhibitory activity and the inhibitory effect on water-insoluble glucan production were equal to tannic acid. It is therefore considered that these inhibitors bind specifically to the bacterial cell surface. Our findings suggest that the 5'-nucleotidase inhibitors NF-86I and NF-86II may be useful anti-plaque preventing agents.

5'-Nucleotidase↗
PubMed1991

Effect of gentamicin intoxication on frog behavior.

Eighty micrograms of Gentamicin were injected into bull frogs' perilymphatic cistern for 3 days. Behavioral changes were evaluated together with morphology of the semicircular canal crista and the utricular macula. The behaviors evaluated were posture, walking, head stability, jumping and swimming. The earliest change of behavior was noticed one day after the last injection, and the changes tended to develop over the following 1 to 2 weeks. When the utricular macula was damaged, the frog tilted toward the damaged side. No tilting was observed when bilateral utricles were intact, or when bilateral utricles were equally damaged. Damage of the posterior (p.v.c.) and anterior vertical canal (a.v.c.) cristae resulted in instability of the head. Jumping ability also deteriorated when the p.v.c. and a.v.c. were damaged. These results indicate that p.v.c. and a.v.c. are involved in head stability and jumping function, while the utricle contributes to perception of gravity.

Animals↗
PubMed1991

Purification and characterization of aseanostatins: actinomycete-derived fatty acid inhibitors to myeloperoxidase release from human polymorphonuclear leukocytes.

We found inhibitors, designated aseanostatins P1 and P5, against myeloperoxidase (MPO) release from human polymorphonuclear leukocytes (PMN). Aseanostatins were extracted from an actinomycete isolated in Thailand and purified by a series of column chromatography of charcoal and silica gel, and HPLC. Physico-chemical characterization by gas liquid chromatography and GC-MS indicated that aseanostatins were fatty acids. The active forms of aseanostatins were recovered by hydrolyzing their methyl esters after HPLC. Two components P1 and P5 with the IC50 of 0.96 and 0.54 microgram/ml to the MPO release were obtained as pure forms, indicating aseanostatin P5 was higher activity than aseanostatin P1. The component P1 was identical with 12-methyltridecanoic acid and P5 was indistinguishable to 12-methyltetradecanoic acid (ante-i-15:0). Aseanostatin P5 (1 microgram/ml) did not inhibit beta-glucuronidase release, but O2- production a little. It has no effect on chemotaxis of PMN to fMet-Leu-Phe (10(-8)M), PMN adhesion or phosphorylation of a 64-kD protein in the PMN cell-lysate system.

Actinomycetales↗
PubMed1991

[A case of anomalous origin of circumflex artery from right sinus of valsalva recognized by transesophageal echocardiography].

A 56-year-old man visited our hospital for further examination of resting electrocardiographic abnormality. Positive exercise stress resulted in mild chest discomfort and 1.5 mm ST depression in II.III.aVF leads. Myocardial imaging perfusion with thallium-201 was normal and an anomalous origin of the left circumflex coronary artery from the right aortic sinus was observed by coronary angiography. MRI showed that the vessel running behind the aorta was connected to the right Valsalva's sinus. Furthermore, transesophageal echocardiography revealed that the vessel connected to the lateral wall of the left ventricle was running from the right Valsalva's sinus between the aorta and left atrium. The above results indicated that this vessel was the left circumflex artery. Although myocardial infarction or sudden death in patients with coronary anomaly has been discussed, the mechanism is still unknown. The present case is a rare one in which the anatomical relation between the anomalous coronary and the great vessels was directly detectable by transesophageal echocardiography. Transesophageal echocardiography is useful for the assessment of this type of coronary anomaly.

Cardiac Catheterization↗
PubMed1991

Gene amplification of Japanese non-Hodgkin lymphoma with involvement of the BCL2 gene.

Twenty cases of Japanese non-Hodgkin's lymphoma with B cell markers were studied with respect to their immunoglobulin heavy (IgH) chain gene loci on chromosome 14 and BCL2 loci on chromosome 18. All of the 20 cases showed IgH gene rearrangement on at least one of the alleles. Molecular analysis using two chromosome 18-specific DNA probes (pFL1 and pFL2) showed rearrangement of the BCL2 region in three of 20 cases. As these three samples showed the rearranged allele of the IgH gene comigrating with that of the BCL2 gene, polymerase chain reaction (PCR) was carried out to amplify the juncture between IgJH on chromosome 14 and BCL2 on chromosome 18. In all of these three cases, gene amplification between the two loci was found to occur, indicating that molecular mechanisms involved in this type of chromosomal translocation in Japan might be similar to cases in the United States (U.S.) in a limited number of cases. Furthermore, this amplification technique revealed minimal tumor cells circulating in peripheral blood, even though lymphoma cells could not be identified morphologically. Thus, the PCR technique is useful for both the detection of minimal tumor cells as well as for the determination of the molecular nature of chromosomal translocation in some of Japanese cases.

Base Sequence↗
PubMed1991

[Clinical studies of terodiline hydrochloride and clenbuterol hydrochloride for urinary frequency and incontinence].

The clinical effectiveness and safety of terodiline hydrochloride and clenbuterol hydrochloride were studied on 51 patients with neurogenic bladder, stress incontinence, unstable bladder and others, the chief complaints of which were urinary frequency or urinary incontinence. Overall improvement was graded as marked in 6 patients (11.8%), moderate in 20 patients (39.2%), slight in 11 patients (21.6%), unchanged in 13 patients (25.5%) and aggravated in one. The patients impression was "good" or better in 56.9%. There were a total of 13 cases (25.5%) of adverse reactions, namely, 7 cases of finger tremor, 3 cases of dry mouth and others. These reactions disappeared rapidly after the discontinuance of drug administration. The clinical efficacy in the treatment of subjective symptoms was 71.4% for urinary incontinence, 56.4% for diurnal pollakisuria. The examination of lower urethral functions demonstrated a significant (p less than 0.01) increase in bladder capacity at first desire and maximum desire to void. However, we found no significant increase in urethral clossure pressure. The findings of this study suggest that terodiline hydrochloride and clenbuterol hydrochloride are very useful for the treatment of urinary frequency and incontinence.

Aged↗
PubMed1991

[A case of multiple myeloma with heart failure improved remarkably by chemotherapy alone].

A rare case is reported, in which heart failure in a patient with multiple myeloma without amyloidosis was improved following chemotherapy for the myeloma. The patient, a 50 year-old man, came to our hospital for examination because of anemia and hematuria. He was diagnosed as having an IgG kappa type of myeloma with the relatively rare complication of renal cancer. A chest X-ray revealed cardiomegaly and pulmonary congestion. An echocardiogram revealed an enlarged left ventricle with decreased wall motion. No cardiac amyloid deposits were detected upon endomyocardial biopsy. Chemotherapy for the myeloma which was carried out before the operation for renal cancer was not only effective for control of the myeloma, but also decreased the pulmonary congestion and improved the heart function. It is suggested that the lowering of heart function in this patient was not due to amyloid infiltration as is relatively frequent in heart failure but was due to increased blood viscosity due to the multiple myeloma.

Antineoplastic Agents↗
PubMed1991

[A clinical study of voiding status in multiple sclerosis patients].

During a period of 4.5 years, neurological and urodynamic evaluation was done on 12 patients with multiple sclerosis between 20 and 67 years old with an average age of 47.6 years. Pyramidal dysfunction (100%), sensory disturbance (100%) and brain stem dysfunction (60%) were common neurological signs. All patients were assessed by the Kurtzke's rating of neurologic impairment in multiple sclerosis: an expanded disability status scale (EDSS). Of the 12 cases 6 were diagnosed as severe multiple sclerosis (EDSS greater than or equal to 4.5) and the remainders were diagnosed as relatively mild (EDSS less than 4.5). Neurourologic evaluation was performed by rapid filling carbon dioxide cystometry and sphincter electromyography. Cystometry revealed overactive bladder in 4 (33%), underactive bladder in 3 (25%) and normoactive bladder in 5 (42%) of the 12 cases. Of the 6 severe cases of multiple sclerosis, 3 (50%) showed overactive bladder, while only 1 of the 6 (17%) mild cases showed overactive bladder. Detrusor sphincter dyssynergia (DSD) was observed in 4 of the 9 (67%) severe cases and none of the 6 mild cases. The presence of overactive bladder or DSD seems to correlate with the severity of multiple sclerosis.

Adult↗
PubMed1990

Beneficial effect of tan-shen, an extract from the root of Salvia, on post-hypoxic recovery of cardiac contractile force.

The present study was undertaken to elucidate the possible effects of tanshinone VI, one of the extracts from the root of Salvia, on post-hypoxic recovery of cardiac contractile force. For this purpose, rat hearts were perfused for 45 min under reoxygenated conditions following 20-min hypoxic perfusion, and changes in tissue high-energy phosphates and calcium contents, and release of ATP metabolites and creatine kinase were examined. Post-hypoxic recovery of cardiac contractile force was augmented when hearts were treated with 42 nM tanshinone VI during hypoxia. This beneficial recovery was accompanied by enhanced restoration of myocardial high-energy phosphates, depression of hypoxia- and reoxygenation-induced increase in tissue calcium content, and suppression of release of ATP metabolites such as adenosine, inosine and hypoxanthine from the perfused heart. The results suggest that tanshinone VI is beneficial for the recovery of cardiac contractility after a certain period of oxygen-deficiency, possibly through mechanisms involving improvement of myocardial energy production upon oxygen-replenishment and/or inhibition of calcium accumulation in the cardiac cell.

Abietanes↗
PubMed1990

Dyskeratosis congenita (Zinsser-Cole-Engman syndrome). An autopsy case presenting with rectal carcinoma, non-cirrhotic portal hypertension, and Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia.

A 24-year-old Japanese man presented with dyskeratosis congenita (DC, Zinsser-Cole-Engman syndrome) complicated by non-cirrhotic portal hypertension, signet ring carcinoma of the rectum and Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia. At the age of 9 years, he was diagnosed as having DC on the basis of typical clinical manifestations including atrophic lingual papillae, hyperpigmentation of the skin, thrombocytopenia, and ophthalmological abnormalities. A few years later pancytopenia and splenomegaly developed. At 24 years, signet ring carcinoma of the rectum was detected but could not be resected because of the severity of the pancytopenia. Death was due to respiratory failure from P. carinii pneumonia. At autopsy the case illustrated several unique findings for DC, including non-cirrhotic portal hypertension, atrophy of frontal lobe and markedly slender folia of the cerebellum and superimposed infections with herpes zoster virus and P. carinii. Striking lymphocyte depletion and atrophy of lymphoid parenchyma in lymph nodes, tonsils, spleen, gastrointestinal tract, or thymus were seen histologically. The morphological picture supports the suggestion that there is a defect in the cell-mediated immune system in patients with DC, although immunoglobulin levels in the blood are normal. The cell-immune deficiency is a major factor in the poor prognosis.

Adenocarcinoma, Mucinous↗
PubMed1990

Disappearance of a cardiac rhabdomyoma complicating congenital mitral regurgitation as observed by serial two-dimensional echocardiography.

A cardiac tumor was diagnosed by two-dimensional (2D) echocardiography in a four-month-old infant who also had congenital mitral regurgitation. At 18 months of age, histological examination of a biopsy specimen of the cardiac tumor, obtained during surgery for mitral valve replacement, revealed a rhabdomyoma. In serial postoperative 2D echocardiograms, this tumor decreased in size until total disappearance after 6 months.

Echocardiography↗
PubMed1990

Biotransformation of digitoxigenin by ginseng hairy root cultures.

Five new compounds (three esters and two glycosides) and seven previously reported compounds were isolated as biotransformation products of digitoxigenin by ginseng hairy root cultures. The new esters and glycosides were elucidated as digitoxigenin stearate, digitoxigenin palmitate, digitoxigenin myristate, 3-epidigitoxigenin beta-D-gentiobioside and digitoxigenin beta-D-sophoroside using 1H and 13CNMR and FAB mass spectral data. Biotransformations involving esterification (of stearic acid, palmitic acid, myristic acid and lauric acid) and glycosylation (of gentiobiose and sophorose) of digitoxigenin have been demonstrated for the first time in the plant cell and tissue cultures. The hairy roots showed high glycosylation ability to the digitoxigenin molecule.

Angiotensinogen↗
PubMed1990

Isoenzyme profiles of creatine kinase, lactate dehydrogenase, and aspartate aminotransferase in the diabetic heart: comparison with hereditary and catecholamine cardiomyopathies.

STUDY OBJECTIVE: The aim was to investigate the redistribution of isoenzymes, clinically important markers of myocardial necrosis, in the diabetic heart and compare it with that investigated in other types of cardiomyopathies. DESIGN: Myocardial isoenzyme activity of creatine kinase (CK), lactate dehydrogenase (LD) and aspartate aminotransferase (AST) was measured in animals with diabetic, hereditary, and catecholamine cardiomyopathies. SUBJECTS: Diabetic rats (4 and 8 weeks after intravenous streptozotocin, n = 21), Bio 14.6 hamsters (30, 90, 160 and 240 days old, n = 29), and rats injected with isoprenaline (0.25, 0.5 and 1.0 mg.kg-1.d-1 for 3 weeks, n = 20) were used. Controls were age matched intact animals (n = 8-11). MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: Total CK and CK MM activity decreased in all groups. CK MB and BB decreased by 62 and 52% in diabetic rats, but increased by 40 and 33% in Bio hamsters and by 9 and 96% in isoprenaline treated rats. Thus the CK-B subunit decreased by 61% in diabetics and increased by 33 and 38% in Bio and isoprenaline groups, while the CK-M subunit decreased in all groups. Mitochondrial CK decreased in diabetic and isoprenaline groups. Total LD activity increased in diabetics and decreased in Bio. LD-H subunit increased by 21% in diabetics and decreased by 19 and 18% in Bio and isoprenaline groups. Accordingly the proportion of LD-M subunit, an index of anaerobic metabolism, decreased in diabetics and increased in Bio and isoprenaline groups. Changes in CK-M and CK-B subunits and the LD-M proportion in diabetic heart were normalised by insulin. Total AST activity decreased in diabetics because of the reduction in mitochondrial AST. CONCLUSIONS: Increased LD-M proportion and CK-B observed in Bio and isoprenaline groups may be a metabolic "compensation" to decreased myocardial perfusion and substrate. Decreased LD-M proportion and CK-B in the diabetic heart was insulin dependent and may indicate either lack of "compensation" to myocardial ischaemia or absence of ischaemia per se. Decreased myocardial CK and CK MB activity possibly causes underestimation of enzymatically assessed infarct size in the diabetic heart.

Animals↗