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Biomedical subjects

K Moriyama

Publications and source records attributed to K Moriyama.

At least 199 records · Page 11Linked to original sources

Alteration of left ventricular geometry during preload reduction and afterload increment.

To ascertain whether or not left ventricular geometry changes during preload reduction and afterload increment, the shortening characteristics of small segments in the left ventricular free wall were examined using 4 pairs of ultrasonic crystals in 10 dogs. Three pairs of ultrasonic crystals were circumferentially implanted in the basal, the midventricular and the apical portion of the left ventricle. Another pair of crystals were longitudinally placed in the midventricle. In the control state, the shortening at the apex was largest of all segments. During preload reduction, the end-diastolic length decreased significantly in each segment. The percent shortening decreased significantly at the apical and the longitudinal segment, but it remained unchanged at the midventricular and the basal segment. During afterload increment, the end-diastolic length increased significantly, but the percent shortening remained unchanged in each segment. We concluded that left ventricular geometry was altered during preload reduction and that the apical part is more responsive to preload change than the other portion.

Animals↗

Sudden deafness in a man with thyrotoxic hypokalemic periodic paralysis.

We treated a 32-year-old man with hearing loss in the right ear followed by severe muscle weakness of the extremities. When admitted to hospital by ambulance, the serum potassium level was 1.5 mEq/L. The muscle weakness was improved following administration of potassium chloride but the hearing impairment continued. Hearing level of the right ear was extremely impaired at the level of 60-105 dB, while hearing in the left ear was fairly normal. Spontaneous nystagmus was also present. The triiodothyronine level was 290 ng/dl, thyroxine 14.4 micrograms/dl, thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) 0.84 microU/ml, and the anti-TSH-receptor antibody was positive. Attaining an enthyroid state, the patient was discharged on 80th hospital day with the continuous medication of Methimazole. This is a very rare case of sudden deafness complicated by hypokalemic paralytic attacks. Circulatory insufficiency and electrolytes imbalance in the right inner ear was assumed to have caused the deafness.

Adult↗

Immunodeficiency in preclinical smoldering adult T-cell leukemia.

We treated two Japanese patients with Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia. Inclusion bodies in both adrenal glands of patient no. 1 indicated a herpesvirus infection. The patient no. 2 recovered from the pneumonia upon sulfametoxazole-trimethoprim medication and high-dose methylprednisolone therapy. In both patients, anti-human T-cell leukemia virus type I (HTLV-I) antibodies were positive and anti-human immunodeficiency virus antibodies were negative. Peripheral leukocytes in patient no. 1 numbered 13.6 X 10(3)/microliter with 25% morphologically normal lymphocytes and 4% abnormal. Lymphocyte surface markers were 72.6%, CD4+, 13.6% CD8+ and 46.4% CD3+. In patient no. 2, leukocytes numbered 13.8 X 10(3)/microliter, including 18% lymphocytes, although no morphologically abnormal lymphocyte was evident. Lymphocyte markers were 36.6% CD4+, 16.8% CD8+ and 46.6% CD3+. Monoclonal integration HTLV-I proviral DNA in lymphocytes of patient no. 2 was demonstrated by Southern blotting. Thus, both patients must have had smoldering adult T-cell leukemia (ATL) without any cutaneous involvement, whereas the morphological diagnosis from peripheral blood smears was one of HTLV-I carrier status with a few atypical lymphocytes, i.e., the preclinical state of smoldering ATL. Pneumocystis carinii infections, a viral infection of the adrenals (no. 1), negative purified protein derivatives of the tuberculin reaction and suppressed blastogenesis of the peripheral lymphocytes indicated HTLV-I-induced impairment of the immune mechanism to have already occurred in both patients without there being a vast proliferation of ATL cells.

Adult↗

Effects of sodium vanadate on smooth muscles of guinea-pig ureter and their relation to extracellular Ca.

The effects of sodium vanadate on electrical and mechanical activities of the guinea-pig ureter were studied. Sodium vanadate at concentrations higher than 10(-5) M induced elevations of basal tension and repetitive twitch-like contractions. The drug depolarized membrane only slightly but induced repetitive action potentials. Sodium vanadate potentiated phasic and tonic contractions of K-contracture. It also increased tension development of high amplitude in K-depolarized preparations. Thus, the change in the resting membrane potential does not seem to play the only role in the initiation of contractions, though sodium vanadate-induced twitch-like contractions were associated by repetitive action potentials. Sodium vanadate-induced twitch-like contractions were blocked by Ca removal or by verapamil, but elevated basal tension was depressed only slightly under these treatments. Sodium vanadate induced tension development in the absence of Ca both in polarized and K-depolarized preparations. These results suggest that sodium vanadate increased mechanical activities by enhancing Ca influx as well as releasing intracellular bound Ca and/or inhibiting Ca extrusion through cell membrane.

Animals↗

Three-dimensional observation of intracellular membranous structures in dog heart muscle cells by scanning electron microscopy.

The three-dimensional architecture of intracellular membranous structures in dog heart muscle cells was studied by a field emission scanning electron microscope (SEM) using the Osmium-DMSO-Osmium method. Sarcoplasmic reticulum, T-tubule, mitochondria, intercalated disc, surface vesicles and sarcolemma were definitely observed in three dimensions, and the relationship of sarcoplasmic reticulum to other intracellular structures was clearly demonstrated. Especially, the connection between T-tubules and sarcoplasmic reticulum was sometimes observed. On the surface of intercalated disc, small holes of 100 nm in diameter which were lined by a boundary layer were seen among papillary projections. Their functional role remains unsettled.

Actin Cytoskeleton↗

Studies of immune functions of patients with systemic lupus erythematosus: antibodies to desialized, rather than intact, T cells preferentially bind to and eliminate suppressor effector T cells.

Patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) were found to have in their plasma antibodies specific for desialized T cells. Adsorption studies with intact or desialized T cells indicated that SLE anti-T cell antibodies consisted of two populations with different target cell specificities, one capable of recognizing unique determinants on desialized T cells and another able to bind to both intact and desialized T cells. Normal T cells did not remove the antibodies specific for desialized T cells. moreover, the antibodies to desialized T cells were not removed by adsorption with either desialized non-T cells or desialized erythrocytes. Thus, the antibodies to desialized T cells recognize a determinant that is unique to a T cell subset and also includes a sugar. Inhibition studies with various sugars indicated that lactose was the most potent inhibitor of antibody binding. The anti-desialized T cell antibody appears to recognize a T cell determinant which includes lactose, probably in the form of a beta-galactosyl residue, but which also includes additional T cell determinants. The antibodies to desialized T cells were found to bind preferentially to concanavalin A-induced autorosetting T cells, which had been already demonstrated to contain suppressor effector cells. Indeed, such antibodies were effective in eliminating suppressor effector function without interfering with T cells necessary for such activation (such as precursor or inducer cells). Finally, studies of patients with SLE yielded a highly significant correlation (r = 0.92) between impaired suppressor effector function of their cells and the presence of antibodies to desialized T cells in their plasma.

Antibody Specificity↗

Studies on terreic acid.

It was found that Aspergillus sp. No. Y-8980 which was isolated from a soil sample collected at Yoron Island in Kagoshima Prefecture belonged to Aspergillus terreus group by morphological observation. The active substance produced by the strain was obtained with a high yield in sucrose-yeast extract medium and extracted by chloroform, ethyl acetate and n-butanol at pH 2.4 approximately 2.6 from the culture broth. The substance was crystallized from chloroform and ethyl acetate after charcoal treatment of the crude crystal. From various physico-chemical properties, it was found that the substance was identical to terreic acid. Terreic acid showed MICs of 25 approximately 100 mcg/ml, 12.5 mcg/ml and 50 mcg/ml against Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria, Xanthomonas oryzae and Xanthomonas citri, respectively, but it did not control Pseudomonas, fungi and yeast. The LD50 was 75 mg/kg i.p. and i.v. in mice. With regards to the anti-tumor effect, the morphological degeneration on HeLa cells (human carcinoma cells) was observed in the concentrations of more than 6.25 mcg/ml of terreic acid. An increase of body weight of mice caused by Ehrlich ascites carcinoma cells was not definitely observed by the daily administration of 150 mcg of terreic acid per mouse for 8 consecutive days. Above showed the enough survival effect in dd mice implanted with Ehrlich ascites carcinoma cells, and the effect also was demonstrated by anatomies of mice.

Animals↗