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Biomedical subjects

K Nanjo

Publications and source records attributed to K Nanjo.

At least 91 records · Page 5Linked to original sources
PubMed1990

[Clinical significance of measurement of plasma melatonin concentration in women with irregular menstrual cycles].

To study the effects of melatonin on the human hypophyseal ovarian axis, we measured the concentrations of melatonin in the plasma of women with a regular menstrual cycle and of women with an abnormal menstrual cycle, at days 5 through 10 after the onset of menstruation or withdrawal bleeding. In seven women with a regular menstrual cycle, there was a tendency for the plasma melatonin concentration to gradually decrease chronologically from 49.0 +/- 9.8pg/ml (M +/- S.E.) at 9:30 h to 19.0 +/- 4.0pg/ml at 12:00 h. On the other hand, the plasma melatonin concentration at 21:30 h was 50.3 +/- 7.4pg/ml which was almost the same as the level at 9:30 h, while the concentration during the night significantly increased chronologically to 106.3 +/- 28.6pg/ml at 24:00 h. By comparing the plasma melatonin concentration measured during the day with that measured during the night, a significant difference was discovered after 21:40 h (p less than 0.05). The plasma melatonin concentration at 10:00 h and 22:00 h in 20 women with a regular menstrual cycle was 28.1 +/- 3.4pg/ml and 72.2 +/- 9.9pg/ml, respectively, showing a diurnal rhythm with a significantly higher level during the night than during the day. On the other hand, the plasma melatonin concentration in most of the women with an anovulatory cycle or amenorrhea was within the range of the mean level of +/- 1.5 x the standard deviation obtained from the 20 women with a regular menstrual cycle. However, an increase in plasma melatonin during the night was not found in three of nine women with an anovulatory cycle and one of two women with second grade amenorrhea.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Circadian Rhythm↗
PubMed1989

Hemoglobin A1 in cirrhosis of the liver.

Patients with cirrhosis of the liver (LC group, n = 12) frequently have glucose intolerance secondary to hepatic dysfunction. We compared HbA1 levels and other measures of blood sugar control in the LC group with those in healthy controls (N group, n = 43), patients with diabetes mellitus (DM group, n = 36), or patients with chronic hepatitis without evidence of cirrhosis (CH group, n = 12). HbA1 levels and the mean values of fasting plasma glucose for the past month (FPG) were as follows: LC group 6.40 +/- 0.36 (mean +/- SEM)% and 130 +/- 20 mg/dl, DM group 10.29 +/- 0.45% and 172 +/- 11 mg/dl, CH group 10.70 +/- 0.86% and 176 +/- 21 mg/dl, N group 6.52 +/- 0.11% and 83 +/- 1 mg/dl, respectively. HbA1 in the LC group was similar to that in the N group, although FPG in the former was higher (p less than 0.05). All groups showed statistically significant positive correlations between HbA1 levels and (a) FPG, (b) the daily profile of plasma glucose values, (c) the total or peak plasma glucose values during a 50 g-OGTT. The regression line in the LC group, however, was statistically different from that in DM or CH group. Thus, HbA1 in the LC group is lower than that in DM or CH in spite of equivalent glucose intolerance. Therefore, we suggest caution in the interpretation of HbA1 levels in hepatic cirrhosis.

Adult↗
PubMed1988

Diabetic neuropathy as a heterogeneous syndrome: multivariate analysis of clinical and neurological findings.

We quantitatively assessed peripheral and autonomic nerve function in diabetic patients and compared them with various parameters of their diabetic status. Motor and sensory nerve conduction velocity (MCV, SCV), vibratory perception threshold (VPT) and the coefficient of variation of the ECG R-R interval (CV R-R) were measured in 85 diabetic patients aged 20-59 years. These values were compared with those of age-matched healthy subjects. Moreover, in 53 patients, MCV, SCV, VPT and CV R-R were investigated by multivariate analysis in relation to clinical parameters. In diabetics, MCV, SCV and CV R-R were significantly lower and VPT was higher than in age-matched healthy controls. The prevalence of impaired values in diabetics was 70% for VPT in the toe, 60% for SCV, and 55% for MCV, CV R-R and VPT in the finger. Impairments of MCV, SCV, CV R-R and VPT were closely correlated with diabetic retinopathy, proteinuria and duration of disease. Categorical regression analysis (multivariate analysis) revealed that the impairment of conduction velocity was closely related to diabetic retinopathy and to hypo- or areflexia, that the impairment of the vibratory perception threshold was related to ischemic changes in ECG and to hypo- or areflexia, and that the reduction of CV R-R was related to orthostatic hypotension and to proteinuria. These findings suggest that diabetic neuropathy progresses in parallel with other complications, and that it is a heterogeneous syndrome rather than a single entity.

Adult↗
PubMed1988

Inhibitory effects of adrenocorticotrophin or corticosterone on progesterone secretion during mid-pregnancy in rats.

Conceptus number was reduced to one on Day 7 of pregnancy in rats by aspirating all but a single conceptus (Group E) or left at greater than or equal to 8 conceptuses (Group C). In Group E rats, serum progesterone concentrations remained low from Day 12 until autopsy at Day 21. Hypophysectomy on Day 12 significantly increased serum progesterone values after Day 17 of pregnancy, and these increases were blocked by treatment with ACTH (10 U/day, i.p., Days 12-17). Adrenalectomy on Day 12 also induced slight, but statistically significant, increases in serum progesterone concentration after Day 17, and these were overcome by implantation of a 10 mg capsule of corticosterone. In Group C rats, hypophysectomy or adrenalectomy on Day 12 did not change serum progesterone concentrations, but 40 U ACTH/day inhibited progesterone secretion. We conclude from these results that the pituitary-adrenal system exerts inhibitory effects on progesterone secretion during mid-pregnancy in rats.

Adrenocorticotropic Hormone↗
PubMed1988

Use of in vitro DNA amplification to screen family members for an insulin gene mutation.

The DNA polymerase chain reaction can be a powerful tool for amplifying selected segments of genomic DNA for investigation of point mutations that are inaccessible via classic restriction-fragment-length polymorphism analysis. We have applied this method to an analysis of the incidence of heterozygosity for the mutant insulin allele insulin Wakayama (A3 Val----Leu) in two unrelated Japanese families having the hyperinsulinemic mutant insulin syndrome. The results indicate that this method is simple, sensitive, and accurate and should be useful for screening larger (diabetic) populations to detect single-base substitutions in the insulin gene that lead to either altered (pro)insulin structure and/or insulin production.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1987

Insulin Wakayama: familial mutant insulin syndrome in Japan.

We describe a family from Japan displaying the mutant insulin syndrome with hyperinsulinaemia and an increased insulin: C-peptide molar ratio. Serum insulin isolated from several family members showed reduced in vitro biological activity, and analysis by high performance liquid chromatography revealed a peak co-eluting with human insulin and a second species of increased hydrophobicity co-migrating with the previously reported Insulin Wakayama. The insulin genes from the propositus were cloned and sequenced, revealing one normal allele; the second allele, encoding a leucine for valine amino acid substitution at position 3 of the insulin A chain, was similar to that previously described for Insulin Wakayama. Synthesized [LeuA3] insulin showed 0.14% of receptor binding activity on rat adipocytes and a 10-fold prolonged half-life in a somatostatin-infused dog compared with human insulin. The finding of the same mutant gene in two unrelated Japanese families suggests that Insulin Wakayama may be discovered in additional Japanese families with hyperinsulinaemia and/or diabetes.

Adult↗
PubMed1987

Use of bromocriptine in the treatment of normoprolactinemic infertility.

The efficacy of bromocriptine therapy was studied in 84 normoprolactinemic infertile patients. Bromocriptine (2.5-5.0 mg/day) was given for at least 1 month. Bromocriptine therapy was effective in 54 of 84 cases (64%), including 6 of 15 (40%) cases with amenorrhea, 16 of 24 cases (67%) with anovulatory cycle, 9 of 15 cases (60%) with delayed ovulation and 23 of 30 cases (77%) with luteal phase defect. Sixteen cases were able to conceive with bromocriptine alone. Twenty-five patients who did not respond to bromocriptine were treated with a combination therapy consisting of bromocriptine and clomiphene. Of the 25 cases, 14 responded to the therapy, and 6 of them were able to conceive. The response of prolactin to domperidone (10 mg, i.v.) was significantly (p less than 0.01) higher in the group responding to bromocriptine than in the nonresponding group. These results indicate that the administration of bromocriptine is an effective therapy for patients with normoprolactinemic endocrine disorders, and that domperidone may be useful in selecting the candidates for bromocriptine therapy.

Adult↗
PubMed1987

[Auditory brainstem responses and electroencephalographic findings in patients with occupational vibration disease].

To evaluate the function of the central nervous system of patients with occupational vibration disease, electroencephalograms and auditory brainstem responses (ABR) were recorded in 20 male subjects with occupational vibration disease whose age ranged from 46 to 67 years (mean 57.4 yr). All the subjects had operated chain saws from 10 to 25 yr (mean 15.2 yr) and had frequently complained of many subjective symptoms induced by central nervous system disturbances such as headache, head heaviness, tinnitus, vertigo, and insomnia, which corresponded to stage 3 in the diagnostic criteria of Andreeva-Galanina. Twenty-six healthy men whose age ranged from 40 to 67 yr (mean 53.0 yr) were selected as controls. Electroencephalograms were recorded with a 12-channel electroencephalograph, using unipolar and bipolar leads. Auditory brainstem responses were recorded by signal averaging technique using 100 microseconds alternating clicks. The stimuli were presented at 70 dB above threshold (SL) with a rate of 10 per second. The following results were obtained. 1. By electroencephalography, the incidence of diffuse alpha pattern, slow alpha wave and drowsy pattern was 32%, 32%, and 42%, respectively. 2. Click thresholds in the patients were obviously higher than those in the healthy controls. 3. The occurrence rate of wave II of ABR in the patients (61.8%) was significantly lower than that in the healthy controls (85.0%) (p less than 0.05). 4. The interpeak latencies I-V and III-V of ABR in the patients were significantly longer than those in the healthy controls.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Aged↗
PubMed1986

Effect of calcium antagonists on reactive hypoglycemia associated with hyperinsulinemia.

The clinical usefulness of calcium antagonists was studied in four patients with reactive hypoglycemia including two with alimentary and two with idiopathic. All patients had hyperresponses of plasma insulin (IRI) and C-peptide (CPR) during an oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT). A calcium antagonist (diltiazem 90 mg/d, or nifedipine 30 mg/d, or nicardipine 60 mg/d) was administered orally for about two months. After two months of treatment, plasma IRI and CPR responses during the OGTT were clearly suppressed in all patients and symptomatic reactive hypoglycemia disappeared. One month after the discontinuation of the treatment in two patients, plasma IRI and CPR responses during the OGTT became higher again and symptomatic reactive hypoglycemia recurred. In addition, an intravenous glucose tolerance test was performed before and after two months of the treatment with calcium antagonists in the two patients with reactive hypoglycemia and seven patients with hypertension, who were free from glucose intolerance and were also treated with a calcium antagonist. In these patients, plasma IRI and CPR responses were also reduced after the treatment compared with those before the treatment. These results suggest that calcium antagonists are useful as therapeutic agents for the treatment of reactive hypoglycemia associated with hyperinsulinemia, and that one of the main mechanisms of action of calcium antagonists is a direct action on the pancreatic B-cell to inhibit glucose-induced insulin release.

Adult↗
PubMed1986

Properdin factor B frequencies in four Asian populations.

The distribution of Properdin factor B (Bf) phenotypes and their gene frequencies were investigated in four Asian populations (Chinese, Filipino, Thai and Japanese). The frequency of the BfS phenotype in Filipinos (0.717) was significantly lower than that in Chinese (0.900) and Thai (0.889) (p less than 0.01), but not different from the Japanese (0.840). One variant, BfF 0.65 S, was identified in a Japanese subject. Thus, in the Asian populations studied, Bfs frequencies were high and the frequency of variants other than F and S were low.

China↗
PubMed1986

Diabetes due to secretion of a structurally abnormal insulin (insulin Wakayama). Clinical and functional characteristics of [LeuA3] insulin.

We have identified a non-insulin-dependent diabetic patient with fasting hyperinsulinemia (90 microU/ml), an elevated insulin:C-peptide molar ratio (1.68; normal, 0.05-0.20), normal insulin counterregulatory hormone levels, and an adequate response to exogenously administered insulin. Insulin-binding antibodies were absent from serum, erythrocyte insulin receptor binding was normal, and greater than 90% of circulating immunoreactive insulin coeluted with 125I-labeled insulin on gel filtration. The patient's insulin diluted in parallel with a human standard in the insulin radioimmunoassay, confirming close molecular similarity. The patient's insulin was purified from serum and shown to possess both reduced binding and ability to stimulate glucose uptake and oxidation in vitro. Analysis of the patient's insulin by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) revealed two products: 7.3% of insulin immunoreactivity coeluted with the human standard, while the remaining 92.7% eluted as a single peak with increased hydrophobicity. Family studies confirmed the presence of hyperinsulinemia in four of five relatives in three generations, with secretion of an abnormal insulin documented by HPLC in the three tested. Leukocyte DNA was harvested from the propositus and the insulin gene cloned. One allele was normal, but the other displayed a thymine for guanine substitution at nucleotide position 1298 from the putative cap site, resulting in a leucine for valine substitution at position 3 of the insulin A chain. Insulin Wakayama is therefore identified as [LeuA3] insulin.

Adipose Tissue↗