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Biomedical subjects

K Komatsu

Publications and source records attributed to K Komatsu.

At least 127 records · Page 7Linked to original sources
PubMed2000

Diagnostic value of intravesical lidocaine for overactive bladder.

PURPOSE: To determine the diagnostic use of intravesical lidocaine, we evaluated its effects on the overactive bladder in patients with brain lesions, spinal lesions, benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) and idiopathic overactive bladder. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Cystometry was performed before and 15 minutes after intravesical instillation of 20 ml. 4% lidocaine in 57 patients with an overactive detrusor in the storage phase. RESULTS: The percentage increase in bladder capacity for patients with spinal lesions was 136%, compared to 56%, 29% and 41% for patients with brain lesions, BPH and idiopathic bladder overactivity, respectively (significant difference p <0.01 to 0.05). Of the patients with an increase of 50% or more 55% had brain lesions, 80% spinal lesions, 23% BPH and 31% idiopathic bladder overactivity. The incidence of the disappearance of detrusor contractions in patients with spinal lesions was greater than that in the others. CONCLUSIONS: These results suggest that intravesical instillation of 4% lidocaine is useful for identification of overactive bladder attributable to spinal or other lesions.

Administration, Intravesical↗
PubMed2000

Left internal thoracic artery harvesting in pleural symphyses under minimally invasive direct vision.

In minimally invasive direct coronary artery bypass grafting (MIDCAB), the internal thoracic artery (ITA) is harvested under a direct-vision or videothoracoscopic techniques. However, whatever the technique used, dense pleural adhesions hamper ITA harvesting. We describe the case of a patient who underwent MIDCAB 40 years after a pulmonary resection for tuberculosis. The parietal pleura adhered to the left lung so firmly that we could not enter the intrapleural cavity. Therefore, the ITA was harvested creating an extrapleural tunnel Although this approach resulted in more operating time and bleeding, an anastomosis between the ITA and left anterior descending coronary artery was performed successfully. We believe that MIDCAB can be carried out even in patients with dense pleural adhesions.

Aged↗
PubMed2000

Levels of interleukin 12, a cytokine of type 1 helper T cells, are elevated in sera from patients with systemic sclerosis.

OBJECTIVE: To determine serum levels and spontaneous production by peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) of interleukin 12 (IL-12), a potent inducer of type 1 helper (Th1) T cells, in patients with systemic sclerosis (SSc). METHODS: Serum IL-12 levels and spontaneous production levels of IL-12 in culture supernatants from PBMC were examined by ELISA. Serum levels of IL-4, IL-6. IL-10, and IL-13 and production levels by PBMC of IL-6 and IL-10 were also examined by ELISA. Renal vascular damage was determined as a pulsatility index (PI) by color flow Doppler ultrasonography of kidneys. RESULTS: Serum IL-12 levels were significantly elevated in patients with SSc (n = 62) compared with healthy controls (n = 20). Similarly, spontaneous production levels of IL-12 by PBMC in patients with SSc (n = 47) were higher than those in controls (n = 20). Serum IL-12 levels did not correlate with serum levels of any Th2-type cytokines such as IL-4, IL-6, IL-10, and IL-13. However, spontaneous production levels of IL-10 by PBMC significantly correlated with serum IL-12 levels in patients. Patients with elevated serum IL-12 levels had the increased PI values more frequently than those with normal IL-12 levels. Further, serum levels of IL-12 and production levels of IL-12 by PBMC correlated significantly with the PI values in patients with SSc. CONCLUSION: These results suggest that the increased levels of IL-12 may relate to the activation of Th1 cells in SSc and that IL- 12 overproduction may be associated with renal vascular damage.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2000

[Airway obstruction after general anesthesia in a patient with the first and second branchial arch syndrome].

A 20-year-old female with the first and second branchial arch syndrome underwent plastic surgery. Due to her mandibular hypoplasia and trismus, tracheal intubation was difficult even with a broncho-fiberscope. Fentanyl 100 micrograms was used for nasal intubation. Anesthesia was maintained with nitrous oxide (4 l.min-1), oxygen (2 l.min-1) and sevoflurane (0.5-3%). There were no troubles during surgery. The trachea was extubated after recovery of consciousness and spontaneous respiration. Five minutes after extubation, airway was obstructed suddenly after massive nasal bleeding. Sudden massive bleeding might have caused airway obstruction. Emergency insertion of an 18 G needle followed by Mini-trach II into the trachea through the cryothyroidal ligament improved her respiratory condition. The case suggests that preparing the instrument for the emergency cryothyroidal ligament puncture (for instance Mini-trach II) is useful for a patient with a risk of bleeding in the airway and with difficult intubation.

Adult↗
PubMed1999

Expression of full-length NBS1 protein restores normal radiation responses in cells from Nijmegen breakage syndrome patients.

Cells from Nijmegen breakage syndrome (NBS) display multiple phenotypes, such as chromosomal instability, hypersensitivity to cell killing from ionizing radiation, and possibly abnormal cell cycle checkpoints. NBS1, a gene mutated in NBS patients, appears to encode a possible repair protein, which could form the foci of a sensor-like molecular complex capable of detecting DNA double strand breaks, however, it has no kinase domain for signaling DNA damage. Here, we report that the stable expression of NBS1 cDNA in NBS cells after transfection results in the complete restoration of foci formation in the nucleus, and in normal cell survival after irradiation. The prolonged G2 block observed after irradiation was also abolished by expression of NBS1, providing additional confirmation that the G2 checkpoint is abrogated in NBS cells. These results suggest that a defective NBS1 protein could be the sole cause of the NBS phenotype, and that NBS1 likely interacts with another protein(s) to produce the entire range of NBS phenotypic expression.

Base Sequence↗
PubMed1999

Mutations of a novel human RAD54 homologue, RAD54B, in primary cancer.

Association of breast tumor susceptibility gene products BRCA1 and BRCA2 with the RAD51 recombination protein suggested that cancer could arise through defects in recombination. The identification of NBS1, responsible for Nijmegen breakage syndrome, from the MRE11/RAD50 recombination protein complex also supports this hypothesis. However, our mutation analysis revealed that known members of the RAD52 epistasis group are rarely mutated in human primary cancer. Here we describe the isolation of a novel member of the SNF2 superfamily, characterized with sequence motifs similar to those in DNA and RNA helicases. The gene, designated RAD54B, is significantly homologous to the RAD54 recombination gene. The expression of RAD54B was high in testis and spleen, which are active in meiotic and mitotic recombination. These findings suggest that RAD54B may play an active role in recombination processes in concert with other members of the RAD52 epistasis group. RAD54B maps to human chromosome 8q21.3-q22 in a region associated with cancer-related chromosomal abnormalities. Homozygous mutations at highly conserved positions of RAD54B were observed in human primary lymphoma and colon cancer. These findings suggest that some cancers arise through alterations of the RAD54B function.

Adenocarcinoma↗
PubMed1999

Sequence analysis of an 800-kb genomic DNA region on chromosome 8q21 that contains the Nijmegen breakage syndrome gene, NBS1.

An 800-kb region on chromosome 8q21, which complements the phenotype of cells from Nijmegen breakage syndrome patients, is a candidate for the locus of the underlying gene, termed NBS1. The sequence of this 800-kb region of DNA indicated that the size of this segment is 755,832 bp with an additional 36-kb gap. From this region, we identified four genes including NBS1, a gene coding for a 27-kDa vitamin D-dependent calcium-binding protein (27-kDa calbindin), the mitochondrial 2,4-dienoyl-CoA reductase gene, and a novel gene, C8orf1/hT41. All four genes were aligned in a 250-kb centromeric portion of the region, and no gene was found in the remaining telomeric portion containing 500 kb. The genomic organization of the C8orf1/hT41 and NBS1 genes has been analyzed using the computer programs GRAIL 2 and GENSCAN. They predicted and successfully found more than 93% of the exons, even a small 54-bp exon, indicating that one or more exons in any gene can be identified by these programs. GENSCAN was more efficient at locating the four genes than GRAIL 2 and identified 15 of the 16 exons of the NBS1 gene. This 800-kb region contained repetitive sequences, including 179 copies of the Alu sequence (1 copy/4.2 kb), 123 copies of the L1 sequence (1 copy/6.1 kb), 107 copies of the LTR sequence (1 copy/7.1 kb), and 63 copies of the MER sequence (1 copy/12 kb). There was a slight but not significant difference in the repetitive content of the gene-rich region and the remaining noncoding region. Our results indicate that computer-assisted methods are useful and powerful for identifying exons of both known and novel genes.

Abnormalities, Multiple↗
PubMed1999

Direct preparation of radioactive fullerenes as a tracer for applications.

The C60 and C70 fullerenes were irradiated by high-energy gamma-rays and charged particles. The irradiated samples were dissolved in CS2 and/or toluene and filtered to remove insoluble by-products. Finally, radioactive fullerenes and products labeled with 11C or 13N were isolated and detected in the liquid phase by radiochromatography. It was found that (1) not only 11C or 13N radioactive monomer fullerenes but also their dimers (trimers and, possibly, tetramers) were produced by recoil implantation process following nuclear reaction and (2) the radioactive fullerene labeled with 11C yields has led to high yields.

Carbon↗
PubMed1999

Four novel mutations of the Fanconi anemia group A gene (FAA) in Japanese patients.

Fanconi anemia (FA) is an autosomal recessive disorder characterized by pancytopenia, predisposition to cancers, and a diverse variety of congenital malformations. At least eight complementation groups, A through H, have been described. Recently, the FA-A gene (FAA) has been isolated, and a large number of distinct mutations reported in ethnically diverse FA-A patients. Here, we report on the mutation analysis of five FA patients by single-strand conformation polymorphism. Out of five patients, at least three were found to have mutations in the FAA gene. The first patient was a compound heterozygote with a 1-bp deletion and a single-base substitution. The second patient had a heterozygous 2-bp deletion, which introduces a premature termination codon, and the third patient had a heterozygous splice donor site mutation in intron 27.

Base Sequence↗
PubMed1999

Cerebellar clear cell ependymoma mimicking hemangioblastoma: its clinical and pathological features.

BACKGROUND: As the clinical and pathological significance of cerebellar clear cell ependymoma (CCE) has not been recognized in the past, eight cases of cerebellar CCEs were studied. METHODS: Subjects were six men and two women, and their ages ranged from 23 to 64 years old. Their neuroradiological, operative, and pathological features were reviewed. RESULTS: The tumors frequently showed high vascularity on angiography and marked enhancement on computerized tomography. Grossly, six tumors exhibited a "cyst with mural nodule" and two were mostly solid containing small cysts. At operation, the tumor nodules were dark red in color and the cysts contained xanthochromic fluid. Microscopically, all tumors displayed mostly clear round cells and abundant blood vessels. Although they commonly lacked the characteristic features of ependymomas, immunostaining and electron microscopy confirmed their ependymal origin. CONCLUSIONS: The results indicate that cerebellar CCEs closely mimic hemangioblastoma both clinically and pathologically, which suggests CCE should be considered in the differential diagnosis of vascular tumors of the cerebellum. Some diagnostic clues to differentiate CCE from hemangioblastoma are discussed.

Adult↗
PubMed1999

Induction of autologous graft-versus-host disease after autologous peripheral blood stem cell transplantation.

BACKGROUND: Autologous graft-versus-host disease has been reported after the administration of cyclosporine in patients who have received autologous bone marrow transplantation. OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to determine whether autologous graft-versus-host disease could be induced in recipients of autologous peripheral blood stem cell transplantation and whether tacrolimus induced the disease instead of cyclosporine. METHODS: Twelve patients with acute leukemia and 5 patients with malignant lymphoma received either cyclosporine (1 mg/kg/day) or tacrolimus (0. 05 mg/kg/day) orally after autologous bone marrow or peripheral blood stem cell transplantation. RESULTS: Autologous graft-versus-host disease of the skin, confirmed by histopathologic criteria, occurred in 40% of the patients at 8 to 25 days after transplantation and lasted 3 to 15 days. The frequency of autologous graft-versus-host disease was approximately the same (40%) irrespective of the source of the graft (bone marrow cells or peripheral blood stem cells) and the drug used for induction (cyclosporine or tacrolimus). CONCLUSIONS: This pilot study suggests that autologous graft-versus-host disease can be induced in recipients of autologous peripheral blood stem cell transplantation by cyclosporine or tacrolimus.

Acute Disease↗
PubMed1999

Active-oxygen scavenging activity of traditional nourishing-tonic herbal medicines and active constituents of Rhodiola sacra.

The active-oxygen scavenging activity of 70 traditional herbal medicines used in China and Japan as nourishing tonics were evaluated by electron spin resonance (ESR) technique, in order to evaluate their effectiveness for anti-aging and to search for new active-oxygen scavengers from natural resources. Most of the 70 herbal medicines showed scavenging activity with various intensities. Areca catechu (methanol extract), Dendrobium plicatile (methanol extract), Juglans regia (water extract), Paeonia lactiflora (methanol extract), Psychotria serpens (water and methanol extracts), Rhodiola sacra (water and methanol extracts) and Uncaria rhynchophylla (water extract) especially showed strong scavenging activity against superoxide anion radical (*O2-), while J. regia (water and methanol extracts), Morus alba (water extract) and Schisandra chinensis (water extract) revealed strong scavenging activity against hydroxyl radical (HO*). In addition, the active-oxygen scavenging activities of 19 compounds isolated from R. sacra were also examined, and hydroquinone (1), caffeic acid (3), protocatechuic acid (6), gallic acid (7), (-)-epigallocatechin 3-O-gallate (8), 3-O-galloylepigallocatechin-(4beta-->8)-epigallocatechin+ ++ 3-O-gallate (10), heterodendrin (17) and gallic acid 4-O-beta-D-glucopyranoside (19) were found to show mild or strong inhibitory activity against superoxide anion radical (*O2-), while 4-hydroxybenzoic acid (2), 3, 4-hydroxycinnamic acid (4), 6-8 and 19 inhibited hydroxyl radical (OH*). These active-oxygen scavengers may contribute, to different extents, to their anti-aging action.

Antioxidants↗
PubMed1999

A new flavanone isolated from rhizoma smilacis glabrae and the structural requirements of its derivatives for preventing immunological hepatocyte damage.

From the rhizome of Smilax glabra Roxb., a new flavanone was isolated and named as smitilbin (1), together with 6 known compounds, engeletin (2), astilbin (3), dihydroquercetin (4), eurryphin (5), resveratrol (6), and 5-O-caffeoylshikimic acid (7). These compounds were applied to the assay of liver nonparenchymal cells (NPC) against hepatocytes (HC) isolated from mice with an immunological liver injury. Against the NPC-caused elevation of ALT (alanine transminase) in culture supernatant from HC, the pretreatment of NPC with flavanoids (1-3) dose-dependently blocked the ALT release while 4, the aglycone of 3, did not. The chromone 5 showed a much stronger inhibition. Compound 6 also showed the activity. However, 1-7 did not show any suppression of NPC or CCl4-induced ALT release when they were used to pretreat HC. These results suggest that compounds 1-3, 5, and 6 could protect the hepatocyte damage from NPC through selectively producing the dysfunction of NPC with an essential requirement of rhamnose, and the chromone part in their structures may be critical for exhibiting the activity rather than through protecting the hepatocyte membranes.

Animals↗
PubMed1999

The effect of various doses of lazaroid U74389G on lung ischemia reperfusion injury.

BACKGROUND: We investigated the effect of lazaroid U74389G, a potent inhibitor of lipid peroxidation, on ischemia-reperfusion injury at three different doses in the rat orthotopic left lung transplantation model. METHODS: Four groups of reperfused lungs were studied. In group I (control) donor lungs were transplanted after 12 hours of preservation in University of Wisconsin (UW) solution at 4 degrees C. In groups II, III, and IV, lazaroid was used as an additive to UW solution at concentrations of 30 micromol/L, 50 micromol/L, and 100 micromol/L, respectively, and was also administered intravenously to the recipients 30 minutes before reperfusion after 12 hours of storage in the UW solution at 4 degrees C. RESULTS: After 1 hour of reperfusion, gas exchange function (p < 0.01), tissue lipid peroxide levels (p < 0.05) and histologic damage in reperfused lung allografts (p< 0.05) were significantly improved in lazaroid-treated group IV compared with control group I. CONCLUSIONS: These findings suggest that lazaroid U74389G ameliorates ischemia-reperfusion injury in rat lung transplants by inhibiting lipid peroxidation.

Animals↗