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Biomedical subjects

K Nishi

Publications and source records attributed to K Nishi.

At least 145 records · Page 8Linked to original sources
PubMed1997

[Adenosquamous cell carcinoma of the lung with multiple cystic metastases in the liver].

A 70-year-old man was admitted to the hospital because of mild dyspnea, a cough, and hemoptysis. A chest X-ray film and a computed tomographic scan showed a mass in the S1.2 region of the left lung, and swollen mediastinal lymph noes. Cytologic examination of sputum sample resulted in the diagnosis of lung cancer. The tumor did not respond to chemotherapy, and the patient died after seven months. Autopsy disclosed a solid tumor of left lung and many cystic lesions in the liver. Histological examination of the lung lesion revealed adenosquamous cell carcinoma. Metastatic lesions in the liver consisted of adenosquamous cell carcinoma, with predominantly squamous cell carcinoma. Cases of lung cancer in which hepatic metastases have many cystic cavities are rare.

Aged↗
PubMed1997

[Successful use of fluconazole against semi-invasive--pulmonary aspergillosis].

A 53-year-old man was admitted to the hospital because of productive coughing general malaise, and right-sided chest pain. At 41 years of age he was given a diagnosis of gastric cancer, underwent a and gastrectomy, was treated with anti-cancer drugs. At 49 years of age he suffered from atypical mycobacteriosis and received anti-tuberculosis drugs for 1 year. A chest X-ray film showed infiltrative shadows with a cavity in the right upper lung field. Semi-invasive aspergillosis was diagnosed on the basis of the clinical and radiographic findings, positive sputum cultures, and positive serologic tests. After 8 months of therapy with intravenous and oral fluconazole, no pulmonary aspergillosis was evident. Treatment with fluconazole was effective in this case of semi-invasive aspergillosis.

Antifungal Agents↗
PubMed1997

[Effects of a thromboxane-synthetase inhibitor in patients with chronic persistent coughing and no airwayhyperresponsiveness].

We studied the effects of the thromboxane-synthetase inhibitor ozagrel in 22 patients with chronic persistent coughing who did not have airwayhyperresponsiveness. Treatment with ozagrel (400 mg/day for 2 weeks) reduced coughing in 12 patients. Sputum from the patients in whom ozagrel was effective had a higher percentage of lymphocytes and a lower percentage of neutrophils than did sputum from those in whom ozagrel was not effective. Furthermore, in the former group the capsaicin cough threshold increased but in the latter it did not change consistently. These data indicate that thromboxane A2 may contribute to coughing associated with lymphocytic airway inflammation.

Adult↗
PubMed1996

Characterization of endothelin receptors in streptozotocin-induced diabetic rat vas deferens.

As there is increasing evidence that diabetes induces changes in the plasma levels of endothelins (ETs) and in the properties of ET receptors in peripheral tissues, and as there are reports indicating the presence of significant amounts of ET receptors in mammalian vasa deferentia, we studied possible alterations in ET receptor characteristics in the vasa deferentia of the following groups of rats: 8 weeks diabetic (D8), 8 weeks age-matched control (C8), 16 weeks diabetic (D16), 16 weeks diabetic-insulin-treated (started 8 weeks after the onset of diabetes) (DI16), and 16 weeks age-matched control (C16). Diabetes was induced by the i.v. injection of 65 mg/kg streptozotocin (STZ). Diabetic rats had hyperglycemia, hypoinsulinemia, glucosuria, polydipsia, and polyuria and had smaller vasa deferentia than control and diabetic-insulin-treated animals. Receptor binding experiments with [125I]ET-1 demonstrated that the densities of ET receptors in vasa deferentia from D8, C8, D16, DI16, and C16 animals were 377 +/- 11, 255 +/- 24, 315 +/- 18, 210 +/- 12, and 214 +/- 7 fmol/mg of protein, respectively. [125I]ET-1 binding to the ET receptors was inhibited by ET-1 (non-selective), BQ 610 (ETA selective), ET-3 (ETC selective), and IRL 1620 (ETB selective) with the following rank order of Ki values: ET-1 < BQ 610 < ET-3 < < IRL 1620. The pharmacological profile of the ET receptors was similar in all groups and was consistent with the predominance of the ETA receptor subtype in the rat vasa deferentia. Our data indicate that experimental diabetes up-regulates the density of ET receptors in the rat vasa deferentia and that the receptor up-regulation is reversed by insulin treatment.

Animals↗
PubMed1996

Injection of a GABA antagonist into the mesopontine reticular formation abolishes haloperidol-induced catalepsy in rats.

THE pedunculopontine nucleus and its adjacent structure of the mesopontine reticular formation are known as a mesencephalic locomotor region, since either electrical or chemical stimulation of these regions induces locomotion in decerebrate animals. In parkinsonism, it is presumed that the pedunculopontine nucleus is under GABAergic overinhibition from the basal ganglia. To reveal the behavioural effects of GABAergic disinhibition of the mesopontine reticular formation in parkinsonism, picrotoxin, a GABAA antagonist, (5 or 10 ng/ 0.25 microliter) or vehicle was injected unilaterally into the mesopontine reticular formation of rats via implanted cannulae after induction of catalepsy using haloperidol (1.5 mg kg-1, i.p.). Injection of the larger dose of picrotoxin, but not the smaller dose nor the vehicle, abolished the catalepsy with or without spontaneous locomotor activity. The present result suggests that the disinhibition of the brainstem output structures contributes to the recovery of mobility in the cataleptic state induced by blocking the dopaminergic transmission of the basal ganglia.

Animals↗
PubMed1996

Liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) poisoning: report of two cases and review of the literature.

Two autopsy cases of men who died while connecting a liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) pipe are reported. Their blood concentrations of propane (the main content of LPG) were 0.12 and 3.40 mg/100 g, respectively. The cause of death after exposure of LPG has generally been considered to be asphyxia from hypoxia. The large differences in the blood propane levels found here and reported in the literature, however, suggest that direct toxic effects of propane poisoning may be the cause of death in some cases. Propane concentrations and the cause of death are reviewed and discussed.

Adult↗
PubMed1996

Effect of experimental diabetes on rat prostate endothelin receptors.

We studied the properties of endothelin receptors in the prostate of 8-week streptozotocin-diabetic and control rats. The density of endothelin receptors, as determined by saturation experiments with [125I]endothelin-1, were 95.8 +/- 5.4 and 171.3 +/- 16.7 fmol/mg of protein in control and diabetic rat prostates, respectively. The pharmacological profile of the endothelin receptors was similar in both groups and was consistent with the predominance of the endothelin ETA receptor subtype in the prostate. Thus, the induction of diabetes upregulates the expression of endothelin receptors in the rat prostate, but does not alter the pharmacological profile of the receptors in these tissues.

Animals↗
PubMed1996

G1 arrest and down-regulation of cyclin E/cyclin-dependent kinase 2 by the protein kinase inhibitor staurosporine are dependent on the retinoblastoma protein in the bladder carcinoma cell line 5637.

The protein kinase inhibitor staurosporine has been shown to induce G1 phase arrest in normal cells but not in most transformed cells. Staurosporine did not induce G1 phase arrest in the bladder carcinoma cell line 5637 that lacks a functional retinoblastoma protein (pRB-). However, when infected with a pRB-expressing retrovirus [Goodrich, D. W., Chen, Y., Scully, P. & Lee, W.-H. (1992) Cancer Res. 52, 1968-1973], these cells, now pRB+, were arrested by staurosporine in G1 phase. This arrest was accompanied by the accumulation of hypophosphorylated pRB. In both the pRB+ and pRB- cells, cyclin D1-associated kinase activities were reduced on staurosporine treatment. In contrast, cyclin-dependent kinase (CDK) 2 and cyclin E/CDK2 activities were inhibited only in pRB+ cells. Staurosporine treatment did not cause reductions in the protein levels of CDK4, cyclin D1, CDK2, or cyclin E. The CDK inhibitor proteins p21(Waf1/Cip1) and p27 (Kip1) levels increased in staurosporine-treated cells. Immunoprecipitation of CDK2, cyclin E, and p2l from staurosporine-treated pRB+ cells revealed a 2.5- to 3-fold higher ratio of p2l bound to CDK2 compared with staurosporine-treated pRB- cells. In pRB+ cells, p2l was preferentially associated with Thrl6O phosphorylated active CDK2. In pRB- cells, however, p2l was bound preferentially to the unphosphorylated, inactive form of CDK2 even though the phosphorylated form was abundant. This is the first evidence suggesting that G1 arrest by 4 nM staurosporine is dependent on a functional pRB protein. Cell cycle arrest at the pRB- dependent checkpoint may prevent activation of cyclin E/CDK2 by stabilizing its interaction with inhibitor proteins p2l and p27.

Alkaloids↗
PubMed1996

Ethnic differences in the expression of blood group antigens in the salivary gland secretory cells from German and Japanese non-secretor individuals.

Type 1 ABO blood group antigens (peripheral core structure: Gal beta 1-3GlcNAc beta 1-R) are expressed mainly in endodermally-derived tissues, but are not synthesized in mesodermally-derived tissues. In the former tissues, H type 1 antigen is generated largely by alpha-2-L-fucosyltransferase encoded by secretor (Se) gene and acting on the terminal galactose of the type 1 precursor chain. This theory has been generally accepted, and it seems that the expression of ABO blood group antigens is absent, or expressed at a low level, in these tissues from non-secretor individuals. In this immunohistochemical study on the secretory cells of salivary glands, we found ethnic difference between German and Japanese non-secretor individuals in the expression of blood group antigens: i.e. the expression of the type 1 blood group antigens is present in these cells from Japanese non-secretor individuals but absent from German. A possible explanation is that another alpha-2-L-fucosyltransferase, independent of the secretor gene, is present in Japanese non-secretor individuals.

ABO Blood-Group System↗
PubMed1996

The detection of picoplankton 16S rDNA in cases of drowning.

Picoplankton belonging to the Synechococcus genus in cyanobacteria (approximately 1 micron in size) are found ubiquitously in Lake Biwa, Japan. However, they could not be morphologically discriminated from other bacteria by microscopy. In this study we attempted to use picoplankton for the diagnosis of drowning by PCR analysis of the 16S ribosomal DNA (rDNA). We designed primers complementary to the variable regions of 16S rDNA of the picoplankton we had sequenced. A comparison was made of the PCR products from the three picoplanktons, five other cyanobacteria, Melosira (diatom), Staurdstrum (green alga), bacteria from Lake Baikal, and humans. The picogram order of template DNA from picoplankton was specifically amplified by the primers. When the template of picoplankton was mixed with human lung tissue, at least 10 ng of template DNA was needed to obtain a PCR product. The isolation of the picoplankton from human lung tissue increased the sensitivity of PCR more than a hundred-fold. The specific PCR products of the picoplankton were obtained from formalin-fixed drowning tissue. Molecular biological diagnosis of drowning was successful using picoplankton 16S rDNA.

Animals↗
PubMed1996

Effect of intraocular sustained release of indomethacin on postoperative inflammation and posterior capsule opacification.

PURPOSE: To assess whether the sustained release of indomethacin significantly reduces postoperative inflammation and posterior capsule opacification (PCO). SETTING: Nishi Eye Hospital, Jinshikai Medical Foundation, Osaka, Japan. METHODS: A 7 mm diameter, 1 mm thick polylactic-polyglycolic acid disk containing 7 mg of indomethacin was implanted in five rabbit eyes after continuous curvilinear capsulorhexis and phacoemulsification. The disk and an IOL placed above it were implanted in the capsular bag. The contralateral eyes, which served as controls, received a disk without indomethacin and the same type IOL in the same manner. RESULTS: The indomethacin was fully released within 3 weeks in vitro, a release rate of about 14 micrograms/h. Postoperatively, aqueous flare intensity was significantly lower at days 2, 3, and 4 and at weeks 1, 2, and 3. Prostaglandin E2 was not detectable in the aqueous humor of the indomethacin-treated eyes on day 3 and at week 4. In the control eyes, mean concentration was 491 pg/ml +/- 54 (SD) and 990 +/- 243 pg/ml, respectively. Histopathological examination showed no significant decrease in PCO. CONCLUSION: Although sustained release of indomethacin significantly decreased inflammation, it did not reduce PCO.

Animals↗
PubMed1996

Synthesis of interleukin-1, interleukin-6, and basic fibroblast growth factor by human cataract lens epithelial cells.

PURPOSE: To assay the following cytokines in an incubation medium of cultured lens epithelial cells (LECs) derived from human cataracts: interleukin-1 alpha (IL-1), interleukin (IL-6), basic fibroblast growth factor (b-FGF), tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha), and epidermal growth factor (EGF). SETTING: Nishi Eye Hospital, Jinshikai Medical Foundation, Osaka, Japan. METHODS: The anterior lens capsule with attached LECs was obtained by capsulotomy during cataract surgery and cultured. The incubation medium was changed on days 1 and 2 of culture and thereafter weekly up to 7 weeks. The media collected from a specific number of cultures at each medium change were pooled and assayed for cytokines by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. RESULTS: Interleukin-1 alpha was detected in one of the two pools of the 2 week cultures (207 pg/10(6) cells), in two of the three pools of the 3 week cultures (120 pg/10(6) and 139 pg/10(6) cells), and in one of the two pools of the 4 week cultures (111 pg/10(6) cells). Interleukin-6 was detected in one pool of the 1 week cultures (195 pg/10(5) cells) and in one pool of the 7 week cultures (81.6 pg/10(5) cells). Basic FGF was detected in the incubation media from three series of samples during the culture time course: 87 pg/ml in the 1 day cultures in the first series; 478, 310, and 269 pg/ml in the 1 day, 2 day, and 1 week cultures, respectively, in the second series; and 98 and 83 pg/ml in the 1 and 2 day cultures, respectively, in the third series. The TNF-alpha and EGF were not detected in any sample. CONCLUSION: After cataract surgery, IL-1, IL-6, and b-FGF may be produced in vivo by residual LECs, causing postoperative inflammation and LEC proliferation.

Cataract↗
PubMed1996

Decreased prostaglandin E2 synthesis by lens epithelial cells cultured on heparin-surface-modified poly(methyl methacrylate).

PURPOSE: To evaluate whether heparin surface modification reduces prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) synthesis by lens epithelial cells (LECs) after intraocular lens (IOL) implantation. SETTING: Nishi Eye Hospital, Jinshikai Medical Foundation, Osaka, Japan. METHODS: The prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) concentration was determined in an incubation medium of human cataract LECs cultured on heparin-surface-modified (HSM) poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) plates at 1, 2, 3, and 4 weeks of culture. A medium without heparin served as a control. RESULTS: The PGE2 concentration was significantly lower in the HSM than in the control medium at 3 and 4 weeks of culture. CONCLUSION: The results are consistent with the clinical observation of significantly decreased inflammation in eyes with HSM IOLs, indicating that such modification increases PMMA's biocompatibility with LECs.

Cataract↗
PubMed1996

Inhibition of migrating lens epithelial cells by sustained release of ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid.

PURPOSE: To evaluate the effect of the sustained-release of ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA) chelating Ca++ on lens epithelial cell (LEC) migration. SETTING: Nishi Eye Hospital, Jinshikai Medical Foundation, Osaka, Japan. METHODS: Polylactic-glycolic acid disks containing 10% EDTA were placed in saline solution for about 2 weeks in vitro. About 60% (7 micrograms/hour) of the EDTA was released during that time. The disks with a posterior chamber intraocular lens placed above were implanted in the capsular bag in five rabbit eyes after continuous curvilinear capsulorhexis and phacoemulsification. A disk without EDTA and the same lens type were placed in the bag in the contralateral eyes, which served as controls. RESULTS: After 2 to 3 months, opacification in the central posterior capsule was significantly reduced in all eyes that received the disk with EDTA. CONCLUSION: The deprivation of Ca++ disrupted interaction between the posterior capsule and migrating LECs by inactivating the adhesion molecule integrin synthesized by LECs, significantly reducing LEC migration onto the posterior capsule.

Animals↗
PubMed1996

Explantation of endocapsular posterior chamber lens after spontaneous posterior dislocation.

The management of spontaneous posterior dislocation of an intraocular lens (IOL) (11.0 mm in overall diameter) encapsulated within the remaining lens capable is presented. The patient was a 55-year-old man who had had phacoemulsification following continuous curvilinear capsulotomy for monocular cataract 3 years earlier. The dislocated, encapsulated IOL was lifted up by hooking the fibrotic capsular opening with a bent disposable needle following vitrectomy and then explanted. A conventional posterior chamber lens with modified C-loops was inserted and sutured in the ciliary sulcus. This technique may be an alternative treatment for a posteriorly dislocated IOL. Histopathological examination clearly revealed that lens epithelial cell migration stopped at the planoconvex optic edge. This finding may be consistent with reports that the incidence of posterior capsule opacification with the planoconvex IOL is lower than with the bioconvex IOL.

Epithelium↗
PubMed1996

Effect of ethanol on airway caliber and nonspecific bronchial responsiveness in patients with alcohol-induced asthma.

No study has investigated the effects of ethanol on bronchial responsiveness in patients with alcohol-induced asthma, although acetaldehyde, which is a metabolite of ethanol and is thought to be a main factor in alcohol-induced asthma, causes both bronchoconstriction and bronchial hyperresponsiveness. The purpose of this study was to investigate the direct action of ethanol on the airway in patients with alcohol-induced asthma. First, we investigated the bronchial response to inhalation of ascending doses (5, 10, and 20%) of ethanol in nine patients with alcohol-induced asthma. Then, the bronchial responsiveness to methacholine was measured in 14 patients who were pretreated with saline or 20% ethanol in a double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled, crossover fashion. Ascending doses of inhaled ethanol caused no significant changes in FEV1. The methacholine concentrations producing a 20% fall in FEV1 (PC20-MCh) after 20% ethanol (0.769 mg/ml, GSEM 1.514) were significantly (P = 0.0357) higher than those after saline (0.493 mg/ml, GSEM 1.368). This indicates that ethanol has a reducing effect on nonspecific bronchial responsiveness in patients with alcohol-induced asthma; this paper is the first report on the effects of ethanol on bronchial responsiveness.

Administration, Inhalation↗
PubMed1996

Involvement of NK2 receptors rather than NK1 receptors in bronchial hyperresponsiveness induced by allergic reaction in guinea-pigs.

1. In this study, the role of neuropeptides in antigen-induced bronchoconstriction and bronchial responsiveness in guinea-pigs was evaluated by use of phosphoramidon, the inhibitor of neutral endopeptidases (NEP), the NK1 receptor antagonist, FK888, and the dual NK1/NK2 receptor antagonist, FK224. The role of endogenous tachykinins in bronchial hyperresponsiveness induced by inhaled capsaicin was also observed with FK888 and FK224. 2. Allergic bronchoconstriction and bronchial responsiveness was evoked by inhalation of ovalbumin (OA), and increasing doses of methacholine were inhaled at 5-min intervals for 30 min after OA challenge in passively sensitized and artificially ventilated guinea-pigs. Animals were treated with a 30 s inhalation of phosphoramidon (10(-3)M) or saline 10 min before the OA challenge. FK888 (1.0 or 10 mg kg-1) or FK224 (1.0 or 10 mg kg-1) was administered intravenously 5 min before the OA challenge. 3. Treatment with phosphoramidon did not alter the increase in the lateral pressure at the tracheal tube (Pao) caused by OA inhalation or the increase in bronchial response to methacholine following the allergic reaction. Pretreatment with FK224 did not inhibit the increase in Pao after antigen provocation but did significantly inhibit antigen-induced bronchial hyperresponsiveness in a dose-dependent manner, while FK888 did not affect either allergic bronchoconstriction or post-allergic bronchial hyperresponsiveness. 4. Histamine, 25, 50, 100 or 200 micrograms ml-1 was inhaled for 20 s at 5-min intervals in non-sensitized guinea-pigs which were pretreated with inhalation of subthreshold dose of capsaicin (10(-7) M). FK888 or FK224, each at a dose of 0.1 or 1.0 mg kg-1, or vehicle was given to guinea-pigs intravenously 3 min before inhalation of capsaicin. The capsaicin inhalation significantly potentiated bronchial responsiveness to histamine, compared with control. The capsaicin-induced bronchial hyperresponsiveness was completely blocked by FK224 in a dose-dependent manner but not by FK888. 5. These results suggest that NK2 receptors rather than NK1 receptors may play an important role in bronchial hyperresponsiveness induced by antigen challenge as well as capsaicin while tachykinins do not play a primary role in the acute bronchospasm elicited by antigen challenge in passively sensitized guinea-pigs.

Animals↗