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Biomedical subjects

K Kondo

Publications and source records attributed to K Kondo.

At least 307 records · Page 17Linked to original sources
PubMed1997

Circulating levels of soluble interleukin-6 receptor in patients with bronchial asthma.

In the search for markers of airway inflammation, we investigated the role of soluble interleukin-6 receptor (sIL-6R) in patients with bronchial asthma. Serum levels of sIL-6R were measured in 20 patients with stable asthma and in 18 healthy control subjects by means of a sandwich enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Such levels were also evaluated during a spontaneous attack of asthma (n = 10) as well as that after allergen inhalation (n = 7). Results were compared with those observed during the stable state and after the inhalation of methacholine. Serum levels of sIL-6R in asthmatic patients (132 +/- 31 ng/ml) significantly exceeded those of control subjects (111 +/- 16 ng/ml) (p < 0.05). These levels showed no correlation with such clinical variables as nonspecific bronchial hyperreactivity, atopic status, or serum concentration of IgE. Serum sIL-6R levels observed during an asthmatic attack versus those during the stable state (4 wk later) differed significantly. After a severe attack of asthma, such levels were significantly elevated on the second and third days, but not on Day 5. After challenge, circulating levels of sIL-6R were significantly increased 24 h after the inhalation of allergen but not of methacholine. Results suggest that serum levels of sIL-6R are increased in patients with asthma and are further increased during a spontaneous attack or that provoked by the inhalation of allergen. Thus, serum sIL-6R may reflect inflammation of the airway. Further studies are indicated to determine the clinical significance and the application of serum levels of sIL-6R in evaluating asthmatic patients.

Adult↗
PubMed1997

Synthesis and hypolipidemic activity of diesters of arylnaphthalene lignan and their heteroaromatic analogs.

A series of diesters of arylnaphthalene lignan and their heteroaromatic analogs were synthesized and evaluated for hypolipidemic activity. The disasters with modifications at C-3 showed excellent hypocholesterolemic and high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol-elevating activities. Structure-activity analysis indicated that the 2-pyridylmethyl ester 5l has the optimum activity.

Animals↗
PubMed1997

Synthesis and nematocidal activity of aralkyl- and aralkenylamides related to piperamide on second-stage larvae of Toxocara canis.

Seventy-nine aralkyl- and aralkenylamides related to piperamides were synthesized and their nematocidal activity against second-stage larvae of dog roundworm, Toxocara canis, was examined. The activity was greatly dependent on the alkyl chain length and the nature of the amine moiety, but was scarcely affected by the presence or absence of double bond(s) in the chain. The alkyl chain lengths which showed the strongest activity in a series of homologues were m = 11 for the pyrrolidine amides and m = 13 for the N-methylpiperazine amides. Although piperamides (3,4-methylenedioxyphenyl homologues) showed the strongest activity among the homologues tested, methoxy substituent(s) on the aromatic ring did not have much effect on the activity. However, conversion of the methoxy group to a hydroxy group greatly decreased the activity and shortened the chain length giving the strongest activity. Calculated log P values of non-phenolic aryl-piperamides fell in the range from 3.5 to 4.5, whereas those of hydroxyphenyl-piperamides were smaller, suggesting that different mechanisms are involved in the nematocidal activity of phenolic and non-phenolic compounds.

Amides↗
PubMed1997

Acute myocardial infarction associated with hypereosinophilic syndrome in a young man.

The case of a 20-year-old man with acute myocardial infarction is described. He developed acute myocardial infarction on 11 July 1995. An emergency coronary arteriogram revealed total occlusion of the proximal left anterior descending coronary artery. Reperfusion was achieved by intracoronary injection of 6.4 x 10(6) units of native tissue plasminogen activator, which left multiple, angiographically identifiable, thrombi in the left anterior descending coronary artery. As a coronary angiogram 28 days after the onset showed no organic stenosis or wall irregularity, we conducted an ergonovine provocation test. The infusion of 32 micrograms of ergonovine into the left coronary artery provoked diffuse, high-grade vasospasm. The patient's medical history showed that he had been diagnosed as having Kimura's disease when he was 19 year-old. Additionally, he had exhibited persistent eosinophilia of unknown origin for 10 months or more. Thus, his condition was consistent with a diagnosis of hypereosinophilic syndrome (HES). This is the first report to document angiographically the presence of acute coronary obstruction in a patient with HES. The acute coronary occlusion was thought to be related to coronary artery vasospasm.

Adult↗
PubMed1997

Effects of steroid 5alpha-reductase inhibitor ONO-9302 and anti-androgen allylestrenol on the prostatic growth, and plasma and prostatic hormone levels in rats.

ONO-9302 [epristeride; (-)-17beta-(tert-butylcarbamoyl)androsta-3,5-diene-3-carboxy lic acid] is a novel inhibitor of steroid 5alpha-reductase. We studied in vitro and in vivo effects of ONO-9302 on the rat prostatic tissue in comparison with those of the anti-androgen allylestrenol. ONO-9302 inhibited the rat prostatic enzyme with an IC50 value of 11 nM, whereas allylestrenol was about 80,000-fold less potent. The growth of ventral prostate, which was induced by the subcutaneous injection of testosterone propionate in the castrated rats, was significantly reduced by ONO-9302 at oral doses of 1-100 mg/kg/day. Allylestrenol showed a significant effect only at a dose of 100 mg/kg/day. In mature male rats, ONO-9302 significantly reduced the ventral prostate weight at doses of 10-100 mg/kg/day and decreased prostatic 5alpha-dihydrotestosterone (DHT) content associated with a rise in testosterone (T) content at doses of 0.1-100 mg/kg/day. Plasma hormone levels (i.e., T, DHT, luteinizing hormone (LH) and follicle stimulating hormone (FSH)) were not altered significantly. Allylestrenol significantly reduced the ventral prostate weight at doses of 10-100 mg/kg/day. However, unlike ONO-9302, allylestrenol reduced both the prostatic DHT and T contents and also lowered plasma T, DHT, LH and FSH levels at a dose of 30 mg/kg/day. These results suggest that ONO-9302 reduces the prostatic growth by inhibiting the conversion of T to DHT in the prostate without lowering blood T level unlike anti-androgen drugs.

5-alpha Reductase Inhibitors↗
PubMed1997

Morphometry of abnormal peroxisomes induced by withdrawal of bezafibrate, a hypolipidemic drug in male rat hepatocytes.

Peroxisomes containing fibrillar structures were induced after 1 week withdrawal of bezafibrate, a peroxisome proliferator. In this report, the relation between the duration of bezafibrate treatment and the induction of abnormal peroxisomes in rat hepatocytes was studied morphometrically. The abnormal peroxisomes did not appear during 3 to 90 days of treatment with bezafibrate, but they appeared after 1 week withdrawal of it. The number and frequency of abnormal peroxisomes were prominent in 3, 7, and 14 days of treatment followed by 1 week of withdrawal of bezafibrate. It was evident that the frequency of abnormal peroxisomes decreased with 30-90 days administration of bezafibrate. This means that long-term (30-90 days) treatment with bezafibrate suppresses the induction of abnormal peroxisomes.

Animals↗
PubMed1997

Catheter ablation of canine ventricular myocardium. The use of repetitive short time constant capacitive shocks to increase lesion volume.

Arching and barotrauma, seen with high energy DC catheter ablation, are responsible for diffuse cardiac damage and coronary sinus rupture. In six anesthetized dogs, we investigated the effects of an increasing number of short time-constant capacitive shocks on the volume of myocardial damage. Each dog received capacitive shocks of 2 J/kg at 3 sites in the left ventricle. One shock was delivered in 2 dogs, 2 shocks were delivered in 2 dogs and 3 shocks were delivered in 2 dogs. Shock delivery was not accompanied by hemodynamic collapse, sustained ventricular tachycardia or ventricular fibrillation. The dogs were sacrificed at 60 minutes. Mean (SEM) lesion volumes were 195 (39) mm3, 480 (41) mm3, and 595 (110) mm3, respectively. Despite variability in individual volume of damage, there was a significant increase in lesion volume with an increasing number of shocks. There was no evidence of perforation or tamponade. Increasing myocardial damage can be produced using repetitive capacitive shocks. Delivery of 2 shocks produces clinically useful lesions without the adverse effects associated with single high energy shocks. Repetitive capacitive shocks offer a method of increasing lesion volume without increasing energy and thereby without compromising safety.

Animals↗
PubMed1997

Effects of maternal iodine deficiency and thyroidectomy on basal neuroendocrine function in rat pups.

We have used in situ hybridization histochemistry to investigate the effects of maternal thyroidectomy and chronic maternal iodine deficiency on basal neuroendocrine function in rat pups. Specifically, we have measured hypothalamic thyrotrophin-releasing hormone (TRH) and pituitary thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) expression together with circulating levels of tri-iodothyronine (T3) in rat pups delivered from and suckled by thyroidectomized or iodine-deficient dams. Because of the close interaction between the thyroid, adrenal and growth hormone axes, we have also examined hypothalamic corticotrophin-releasing hormone (CRH) and growth hormone-releasing hormone (GRH) transcripts at the same time points: birth, 1 month and 2 months of age. Three weeks after surgical thyroidectomy, adult female Sprague-Dawley rats proved unable to carry pups to term and lactate successfully. Pups delivered from thyroidectomized dams given a small replacement dose of T3 during pregnancy were significantly lighter than controls (84 +/- 3%) and had markedly depressed plasma T3 levels (36 +/- 6% of control). Hypothalamic CRH and GRH transcript levels were significantly decreased in pups at birth (to 8 +/- 2.5% and 24 +/- 8% of control respectively) but had returned to normal by 1 month after delivery. Pituitary TSH transcript levels and hypothalamic levels of TRH transcripts, however, were similar to those of controls. Only one of seven dams fed a low-iodine diet for 6 months produced live pups, and these were too few in number to produce significant data. Dams fed a low-iodine diet from 4 months before mating, however, did produce live pups and although they were not significantly lighter than control pups at birth, by 1 month after birth, they were significantly lighter (72 +/- 3% of controls). Circulating T3 levels were not significantly different from control at any time point examined. Hypothalamic TRH levels were significantly elevated at birth (451 +/- 138% of control), but this difference was not maintained at 1 or 2 months after birth despite the lactating dams being maintained on the low-iodine diet. Pituitary TSH levels showed an upward trend at all time points that reached significance at 1 month after birth (204 +/- 19%; P < 0.05). Hypothalamic CRH and GRH transcript levels were not different from controls at any time point. In summary, chronic iodine deficiency or thyroidectomy with low-level T3 replacement in Sprague-Dawley rats markedly impaired fertility and the ability to carry pups to term, and produced an unexpectedly modest up-regulation of the hypothalamo-pituitary-thyroid axis and down-regulation of the hypothalamo-pituitary-adrenal axis.

Animals↗
PubMed1997

Distal acinar emphysema and interstitial pneumonia in a patient with von Recklinghausen's disease: five-year observation following quitting smoking.

Cystic lesion, malignancy and interstitial pneumonia are well-known as pulmonary complications of patients with von Recklinghausen's disease. We report herein an unusual patient with distal acinar emphysema and interstitial pneumonia of prominent hypercellularity demonstrated by transbronchial biopsy and broncho-alveolar lavage fluid (BALF). Six months after quitting smoking, the total cell count of BALF was remarkably reduced. This patient remains stable under 5-year observation in terms of symptoms and findings of both BALF and pulmonary function tests. Quitting smoking may have facilitated a favorable prognosis for the particular lung disease complicated in this patient.

Bronchoalveolar Lavage Fluid↗
PubMed1997

Severity of neurological disorders in elderly residents of a farming town in Kyushu, Japan; prevalence of disability in activities of daily living.

Activities of daily living (ADL) were evaluated in 421 elderly people, aged 60-95, who resided in 27 randomly selected communities in the town of Mifune, Japan. The disability of ADL increased with age, and was particularly rapid after age 80. Most of the elderly were independent; the prevalence of dependent elderly ranged from 0.7% (in feeding) to 9.5% (in working). The prevalence of dependent elderly increased markedly after age 80 in all ADL items, especially those related to behavior such as ambulation, stair climbing, transfers, and working (i.e., employment, housekeeping, etc.). These results emphasize the importance of community health care of the elderly for preventing and treating neurological disorders which comprised the main cause of disabilities of behavioral ADL.

Activities of Daily Living↗
PubMed1997

Reproducibility of dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry in the upper extremities in stroke patients.

Bone mineral loss after stroke in affected extremities can increase the prevalence of fractures that interrupt the rehabilitation programme and lower the level of activity. In stroke rehabilitation, precise bone mineral measurement is needed in order to assess the risk of fractures. We defined five regions-of-interest of the upper extremity (proximal humerus, distal forearm, distal radius, distal ulna and hand) consistently, so that the position was comfortable for hemiplegic patients to maintain during the measurement. The aim of this study was to determine whether our method using dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry is useful in hemiplegic patients. Ten normal subjects and 15 hemiplegic patients were studied. In normal subjects the reproducibility of our method was evaluated by repeated measurements of both the right and left sides. In hemiplegic patients the reproducibility was evaluated by repeated measurements of the affected side. The coefficient of variation (CV) values were obtained for BMD (0.7-1.7%) and BMC (0.7-2.3%) in normal subjects, and BMD (1.3-2.1%) and BMC (1.7-5.4%) in hemiplegic patients. The CV for the side-to-side BMD and BMC ratios in the normal subjects ranged from 1.1% to 2.2% and from 1.8% to 3.1%, respectively. Our study shows that the reproducibility of our method is sufficient for application to hemiplegic patients.

Absorptiometry, Photon↗
PubMed1997

Effects of antioxidants on the oxidative susceptibility of low-density lipoprotein.

An important event in the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis is believed to be the oxidative modification of low-density lipoprotein (LDL) initiated by a free radical-driven lipid peroxidation process. Vitamin E acts as a lipophilic chain-breaking antioxidant, while water-soluble chain-breaking antioxidants such as vitamin C or uric acid suppress the oxidation of LDL initiated by aqueous radicals. In this study, we established a new method of measuring the lag time of inhibited lipid peroxidation using the lipophilic azo radical initiator V-70:2-2'-azobis(4-methoxy-2,4-dimethylvaleronitrile) and investigated in vitro the susceptibility of LDL to oxidation using this method when lipid- and water-soluble antioxidants were added. When the lipid-soluble antioxidant, vitamin E, was added to LDL, the lag time was extended whereas a higher dose of vitamin E led to a shortened lag time of V-70-induced lipid peroxidation in LDL. These results suggest that vitamin E radicals (tocopheroxyl radicals) act as prooxidants during the autoxidation of LDL. It was also shown that the shortened lag time induced by higher doses of vitamin E was restored when lipid- and water-soluble antioxidants were added simultaneously, which suggests that vitamin E radicals derived from vitamin E are subsequently reduced by vitamin C to regenerate vitamin E. Thus, the interaction between lipid- and water-soluble antioxidants provides an important function in maintaining LDL resistance to oxidation.

Adult↗
PubMed1997

The effects of 20 days bed rest on serum lipids and lipoprotein concentrations in healthy young subjects.

The effects of 20 days bed rest (BR) on serum lipids and lipoprotein concentrations were investigated in 23 healthy young subjects (13 males and 10 females, aged 19 to 25 yr.). After 20 days BR, VO2max was reduced in both genders, but body composition did not change. The ratio of glucose area to insulin area during an oral glucose tolerance test decreased gradually throughout BR, which suggested a decrease in insulin sensitivity. Estimated changes in plasma volume from the beginning of BR were largest at day 3 of BR (-9.1% in females and -3.4% in males) and seemed to return the initial level at the end of BR in both genders. The increase in serum triglycerides and the decrease in high density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol, and apolipoprotein AI were observed in both genders during BR. In a smaller study of 4 males and 5 females, 20 days BR was associated with a decrease in HDL, cholesterol, a decrease in apolipoprotein AI and apolipoprotein AII, decrease in a plasma postheparin lipoprotein lipase activity and an increase in very low density lipoprotein triglyceride. Overall, the data suggested that the decrease in lipoprotein lipase activity and insulin sensitivity may contribute to the impairment in HDL metabolism.

Adult↗
PubMed1997

[Evaluation of thoracoscopic surgery with mini-thoracotomy for primary lung cancer--as seen from the angle of lymph node dissection].

The extent of thoracoscopic surgery using a mini-thoracotomy for radical lung cancer surgery was investigated with regard to practical applicability. Thirteen patients with lung cancer underwent video-assisted lobectomy or segmentectomy and lymph node dissection through a 6-8 cm mini-thoracotomy. Eleven of thirteen cases were able to undergo video-assisted lobectomy and segmentectomy, but in one patient with strong adhesion and one patient who developed hemorrhage due to pulmonary arterial injury, thoracotomy was extended to 15-20 cm. Ten patients with lung cancer who underwent lobectomy under standard thoracotomy, underwent lymph node dissection under simulated 6-8 cm mini-thoracotomy. These ten cases and five cases who underwent lymph node dissection under 6-8 cm mini-thoracotomy were then switched over to standard thoracotomy to examine the possibility of residual lymph nodes. On the right-side, R2 lymph node dissection was practical, but on the left-side, #3, 3p, 4, 7 lymph node dissections were insufficient or impractical in some cases. The above results suggested that right-sided lobectomy is practical for radical thoracoscopic surgery with a mini-thoracotomy is practical for up to stage II. However, on the left side, the procedure should be confined to stage I.

Adenocarcinoma↗
PubMed1997

[The prion diseases].

Prions (proteinaceous infectious particles) are responsible to subacute spongiform encephalopathies (SSE) in man and animals. Recent outbreak of bovine SSE (BSE), or mad cow disease in UK provoked concerns on its possible human hazards. A statement of the British Government in March 1996 upset the world, which was based on 10 cases of "new variant" form of Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD). Prion diseases in animals are often epizootic and may be spread to different species through various routes including ingestion of contaminated meats. It is possible that mad cow disease causes a CJD-like malady in man through a dietary route. human SSE include; 1) Classical CJD, which represents over 95% of the cases with SSE, dispersely sporadic in occurrence in 1 per million a year, with monotonously rising incidence rates with age, of which the origin of the prion is totally unknown. 2) Gerstmann-Sträussler-Scheinker's disease which is inherited dominantly due to various genetic variants of the prion. 3) Transmitted cases of CJD occurring due to the prion introduced through contaminated objects either directly to the brain or its coverings, or indirectly to the brain through peripheral organs. 4) Kuru occurring among the Fore people in Papua New Guinea, probably due to the prion spread by a dietary route in cannibalism. New variant CJD (vCJD) now totals 14 cases all observed in UK and is different from all of four, is encountered in a dispersely sporadic manner, is far younger at onset than classical cases, showing kuru-plaques. Prions from vCJD have physical-chemical properties similar to those from BSE. Countermeasures in Japan against human hazards of BSE include, 1) agent controls by means of quarantine, and 2) host controls. So far no vCJD-like case is observed in Japan. An emergent surveillance for CJD was introduced by the Ministry of Health and Welfare in July 1996. It obtained a total of 2,637 answers from 4,027 departments of neurology, psychiatry, etc throughout the country and identified 766 cases including 51 familial cases, but no case with vCJD.

Adult↗
PubMed1997

Comparative studies of CAM 123-6 and carcinoembryonic antigen for the serological detection of pulmonary adenocarcinoma.

Carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) has been clinically used as a serum marker for lung cancer, especially for pulmonary adenocarcinoma. Since we had developed a tumor marker against pulmonary adenocarcinoma, CAM 123-6 belonging to KL-6 MUC 1 mucin, we compared its clinical value with that of CEA, in combination with squamous cell carcinoma-related antigen (SCC) and neuron-specific enolase (NSE). The subjects were 30 patients with adenocarcinoma, 23 with squamous cell carcinoma, 16 with small cell carcinoma, and 20 with benign lung disease. For discriminating lung cancer from benign lung disease, the combination of CAM 123-6, SCC, and NSE showed 64% diagnostic accuracy, and the combination of CEA, SCC, and NSE 65%. In differentiating pulmonary adenocarcinoma from other lung cancer, the diagnostic accuracy of CAM 123-6 was 81% and that of CEA was 74%, although there was no significant difference between them. These observations indicate that the diagnostic accuracy of CAM 123-6 is similar to that of CEA. Neither marker is sufficiently specific to differentiate pulmonary adenocarcinoma from other forms of lung cancer.

Adenocarcinoma↗