Biomedical subjects

K Nishida

Publications and source records attributed to K Nishida.

At least 199 records · Page 11Linked to original sources

PubMed1997

Effect of transforming growth factor-beta1 and -beta2 on in vitro rabbit corneal epithelial cell proliferation promoted by epidermal growth factor, keratinocyte growth factor, or hepatocyte growth factor.

Corneal epithelial wound healing is intimately controlled by a variety of growth factors, such as epidermal growth factor (EGF), keratinocyte growth factor (KGF), hepatocyte growth factor (HGF), and transforming growth factor-betas (TGF-betas). In this study, we investigate the effects of TGF-beta1 and TGF-beta2 on cultured rabbit corneal epithelial cell proliferation promoted by EGF, KGF, or HGF. Both TGF-beta1 and -beta2 dose-dependently inhibited corneal epithelial cell proliferation promoted by KGF (40 ng ml-1) and HGF (40 ng ml-1), and weakly inhibited cell proliferation promoted by EGF (4 ng ml-1). Furthermore, the inhibitory effect tended to be stronger with TGF-beta2 than TGF-beta1. These findings suggest that TGF-beta1 and -beta2 play important roles as negative modulators against the cell proliferation effect of EGF, KGF and HGF.

Animals↗

PubMed1997

Micrometastatic tumor cells in the bone marrow of patients with non-small cell lung cancer.

BACKGROUND: This study was designed to evaluate the incidence and clinical implications of detection of micrometastatic cancer cells in bone marrow aspirates of patients with operable non-small cell lung cancer. The relationship between micrometastatic cells and p53 overexpression in the primary tumor was also assessed. METHODS: Thirty-nine patients with stages I through III non-small cell lung cancer who underwent curative resection were entered into this study. Immunohistochemistry with monoclonal antibody to cytokeratin 18 was used to detect tumor cells in bone marrow. Immunostaining of p53 protein in the corresponding primary tumors was also done. RESULTS: Cytokeratin 18-positive cells were detected in 15 (39%) of the 39 patients. Overexpression of p53 was associated with positivity of the tumor cells in the bone marrow at borderline significance (14/29 versus 1/10; p = 0.0574). The patients with cytokeratin 18-positive cells in bone marrow demonstrated a significantly earlier recurrence than those without such cells (p = 0.0083, log-rank test). CONCLUSIONS: Micrometastatic cancer cells were frequently present in bone marrow of patients with operable non-small cell lung cancer and may be a significant predictor of early recurrence. Further evaluation of this method may be useful in identifying patients with non-small cell lung cancer who are most likely to benefit from adjuvant chemotherapy.

Aged↗

PubMed1997

Interphase detection of BCL6/IgH fusion gene in non-Hodgkin lymphoma by fluorescence in situ hybridization.

We characterized a t(3;14)(q27;q32) translocation in nine patients with B-cell, non-Hodgkin lymphoma (B-NHL) by fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH). Fluorescence in situ hybridization with immunoglobulin heavy chain (IgH) and BCL6 gene probes detected t(3;14) rapidly and accurately, including complex t(3;14) in three patients; one with t(3;12;8;14)(q27;p13;q24.1;q32) and two with t(3;?;14)(q27;?;q32). Among these nine patients, seven escaped from cytogenetic detection by our G-banding analysis. Double-color FISH with IgH (Y6) and BCL6 (cosB5-1) showed fusion of BCL6 and IgH genes on der(3)t(3;14) in all nine patients, suggesting that der(3) may play a critical role in the development of lymphoma carrying complex as well as standard t(3;14) translocations. BCL6/IgH fusion gene was also demonstrated in interphase nuclei at a frequency of 23% to 91.5% over the cut-off value in control studies (9.0 +/- 2.76%). The breakpoints assessed by FISH with two cosmid clones containing BCL6 probes, cosB5-1 and cosB5-2, were within the cluster region in seven patients including one with complex type, but were not evaluated in two patients with t(3;?;14), because of the loss of partner chromosome. Using double-color FISH with these two BCL6-specific probes, none of an additional 32 patients in whom mitotic spreads were available showed 3q27 translocations. Fluorescence in situ hybridization with IgH and BCL6 gene probes is a rapid and sensitive method to detect t(3;14) in routine cytogenetic studies.

Aged↗

PubMed1997

Modulating role of endogenous reduced glutathione in tert-butyl hydroperoxide-induced cell injury in isolated rat hepatocytes.

The role of endogenous reduced glutathione (GSH) in tert-butyl hydroperoxide (TBHP)-induced cell injury was examined in isolated rat hepatocytes. When liver cell injury was estimated from release of transaminases from hepatocytes into the incubation medium, cell injury in hepatocytes (2 x 10(6) cells/ml) incubated in Hanks' balanced salt solution (pH 7.2) containing 1.0 mM TBHP at 37 degrees C was potentiated with enhanced lipid peroxidation by prior depletion of intracellular GSH which was induced by diethylmaleate, a GSH depletor. GSH-depleted hepatocytes were incubated with gamma-glutamylcysteinylethyl ester (gamma-ECOEt), which is known to be converted to GSH via glutathione synthetase after its hydrolysis by esterase, at concentrations of 1.0 to 10 mM in order to replenish intracellular GSH. Although TBHP-induced cell injury and lipid peroxidation were enhanced in GSH-depleted hepatocytes, these enhancements were prevented with the consumption of intracellular GSH in GSH-depleted hepatocytes pretreated with 5.0 mM gamma-ECOEt. These preventive effects were observed at any time point during the TBHP treatment over a 60 min period and depended on the concentration of gamma-ECOEt used. But, no preventive effect was found in GSH-depleted hepatocytes pretreated with 5.0 mM GSH. No prevention of the potentiation of TBHP-induced cell injury found in GSH-depleted hepatocytes occurred in GSH-depleted hepatocytes pretreated with both 5.0 mM gamma-ECOEt and 250 microM bis-(p-nitrophenyl)phosphate, a nonspecific esterase inhibitor. gamma-ECOEt treatment caused an increase in intracellular GSH content in GSH-depleted hepatocytes, while treatments of both gamma-ECOEt and the esterase inhibitor caused no increase in intracellular GSH content in the cells. These results indicate that endogenous GSH modulates TBHP-induced cell injury and lipid peroxidation in isolated rat hepatocytes. The present results suggest that endogenous GSH should play a critical role in TBHP-induced cell injury in isolated rat hepatocytes and that in rat hepatocytes treated with TBHP, enhanced lipid peroxidation with the consumption of intracellular GSH could be associated with the initiation of cell injury.

Alanine Transaminase↗

PubMed1997

Relationship between changes of active oxygen metabolism and blood flow and formation, progression, and recovery of lesions is gastric mucosa of rats with a single treatment of compound 48/80, a mast cell degranulator.

The relationship between the changes of active oxygen metabolism and blood flow and the formation, progression, and recovery of lesions was examined in the gastric mucosa of rats treated once with compound 48/80, a mast cell degranulator. Gastric mucosal lesions appeared 0.5 hr after compound 48/80 treatment, became worst at 3 hr, and recovered fairly well at 12 hr. Increases in gastric mucosal lipid peroxide content and xanthine oxidase and myeloperoxidase activities and decreases in gastric mucosal vitamin E and hexosamine contents and Se-dependent glutathione peroxidase activity occurred with the formation and progression of gastric mucosal lesions. These changes were attenuated with the recovery of the lesion. Gastric mucosal nonprotein SH content decreased with the formation of gastric mucosal lesions, and this decreased SH content returned to near the original level with lesion progression. No changes in gastric mucosal superoxide dismutase and catalase activities occurred with the formation, progression, and recovery of gastric mucosal lesions. Gastric mucosal blood flow decreased with the formation of gastric mucosal lesions, and this decreased blood flow recovered with lesion progression. Serum serotonin concentration, an index of mast cell degranulation, increased with the formation of gastric mucosal lesions, and this increased serotonin level was attenuated with lesion progression and recovery. Pretreatment with ketotifen, a connective tissue mast cell stabilizer, prevented the formation of gastric mucosal lesions, the increases of gastric mucosal lipid peroxide content, xanthine oxidase and myeloperoxidase activities, and serum serotonin level; and the decreases of gastric mucosal nonprotein SH content, glutathione peroxidase activity, and blood flow found at 0.5 hr after compound 48/80 treatment. These results indicate that the changes of gastric mucosal active oxygen metabolism and blood flow are closely related to the formation, progression, and recovery of gastric mucosal lesions in rats with a single compound 48/80 treatment. The present results also suggest that this compound 48/80-induced gastric mucosal injury could be a kind of ischemia-reperfusion-induced injury occurring through degranulation of connective tissue mast cells.

Animals↗

PubMed1997

Isolation and chromosomal localization of a cornea-specific human keratin 12 gene and detection of four mutations in Meesmann corneal epithelial dystrophy.

Keratin 12 (K12) is an intermediate-filament protein expressed specifically in corneal epithelium. Recently, we isolated K12 cDNA from a human corneal epithelial cDNA library and determined its full sequence. Herein, we present the exon-intron boundary structure and chromosomal localization of human K12. In addition, we report four K12 mutations in Meesmann corneal epithelial dystrophy (MCD), an autosomal dominant disorder characterized by intraepithelial microcysts and corneal epithelial fragility in which mutations in keratin 3 (K3) and K12 have recently been implicated. In the human K12 gene, we identified seven introns, defining eight individual exons that cover the coding sequence. Together the exons and introns span approximately 6 kb of genomic DNA. Using FISH, we found that the K12 gene mapped to 17q12, where a type I keratin cluster exists. In this study, four new K12 mutations (Arg135Gly, Arg135Ile, Tyr429Asp, and Leu140Arg) were identified in three unrelated MCD pedigrees and in one individual with MCD. All mutations were either in the highly conserved alpha-helix-initiation motif of rod domain 1A or in the alpha-helix-termination motif of rod domain 2B. These sites are essential for keratin filament assembly, suggesting that the mutations described above may be causative for MCD. Of particular interest, one of these mutations (Tyr429Asp), detected in both affected individuals in one of our pedigrees, is the first mutation to be identified within the alpha-helix-termination motif in type I keratin.

Base Sequence↗

PubMed1997

Effect of application volume and area on the absorption of phenol red, as a model drug, from the liver surface in rats.

To determine the influence of the method of administration of a pharmaceutical formulation we have examined the importance of application volume and area in the absorption of phenol red, as a model drug, from the rat-liver surface. When 1 mg phenol red was applied to the rat-liver surface, in-vivo, in three volumes (0.1, 0.2 or 0.334 mL) using a cylindrical glass cell (i.d. 9 mm), the shape of the plasma concentration profile differed greatly, particularly the maximum concentration. These patterns were well fitted by a two-compartment model with first-order absorption, and the absorption-rate constant Ka obtained was inversely proportional to the application volume. The absorption ratio and biliary recovery of phenol red after 6 h increased with glass cell area (i.d. 6, 9 or 14 mm; area 0.28, 0.64 or 1.54 cm2). Furthermore, the permeability coefficient Papp derived from Ka did not depend on application area, indicating no difference in the absorption characteristics of the liver surface. This also implies transport of the drug by passive diffusion from the liver surface. After intraperitoneal administration to the rat-liver surface for clinical application, increasing the application volume resulted in the delayed disappearance of phenol red from the plasma. However, the difference was not as marked as that obtained by use of the glass cell. The assumption that the effective area relating to the absorption changed with the application volume enabled us to estimate Papp. Consequently, we speculate that absorbability can be estimated precisely by consideration of application volume and area.

Adsorption↗

PubMed1997

Ocular membrane permeability of hydrophilic drugs for ocular peptide delivery.

The purpose of this study is to investigate the ocular membrane permeability and the permeation mechanism of hydrophilic drugs such as thyrotropin-releasing hormone (TRH), p-nitrophenyl beta-cellopentaoside (PNP) and luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone (LHRH). The penetration of hydrophilic drugs was measured across the isolated corneal and conjunctival membranes of albino rabbits using a two-chamber diffusion glass cell. The corneal permeabilities of hydrophilic drugs were much lower than those of beta blockers reported previously. The corneal penetration of TRH was the highest among the hydrophilic drugs studied. Scraping the corneal epithelium increased the penetration of hydrophilic drugs. Conjunctival membranes showed higher permeability to hydrophilic drugs compared with corneal membranes. The permeability of drugs was also analysed by Fick's equation. The partition parameter and diffusion parameter of TRH, PNP and LHRH in the cornea were lower than those in scraped cornea and conjunctiva. In addition to the data of fluorescein isothiocyanate-dextran reported previously, the permeability coefficient of hydrophilic drugs through the cornea, scraped cornea and conjunctiva correlated with molecular weight of the drugs. The diffusion parameters of hydrophilic drugs decreased with an increase of molecular weight for all ocular membranes. The extent of dependency of partition parameters on the molecular weights of drugs varied according to the ocular membrane. These results indicate that ocular membranes are sufficiently different in permeation character and mechanism to control the extent and pathway for ocular absorption of hydrophilic drugs.

Animals↗

PubMed1997

In-situ ocular absorption of ophthalmic beta-blockers through ocular membranes in albino rabbits.

Ocular membranes have been characterized by in-situ absorption of the ophthalmic beta-blockers carteolol (hydrophilic) and timolol and befunolol (lipophilic) using a cylindrical cell. After introduction of drug solution into the cell on the cornea, sclera (bulbar conjunctival and scleral layer) or palpebral conjunctiva, the disappearance of the drug from the cell was determined as in-situ absorption. The ophthalmic drugs disappeared from the conjunctival and scleral membranes although disappearance from the cornea was hardly observed. The conjunctival membrane showed the highest permeability. Lipophilic drugs were more permeable than hydrophilic. In-situ apparent permeability coefficients of the ophthalmic drugs through the conjunctiva and sclera correlated with the lipophilicity of drugs. A high drug concentration in the aqueous humor was observed after corneal application. There is a relationship between concentration in the aqueous humor was observed after corneal application. There is a relationship between concentrations of drugs in the aqueous humor and previously reported in-vitro apparent permeability coefficients of the drugs in the cornea. This in-situ method using a cylindrical cell is a useful method of investigating the ocular absorption of ophthalmic drugs.

Absorption↗

PubMed1997

Effectiveness of hyaluronan on corneal epithelial barrier function in dry eye.

AIMS/BACKGROUND: The aim of this study was to assess quantitatively the effectiveness of hyaluronan on corneal disruption in patients with dry eye. Corneal epithelial barrier function was evaluated by measuring fluorescein permeability using a slit-lamp fluorophotometer. METHODS: 11 patients with dry eye were assigned to this study. Hyaluronan ophthalmic solution (0.1% hyaluronic acid) was instilled five times a day to the right eye, in addition to the usual artificial tear solutions. The left eye received only the artificial tear solutions. Corneal barrier function was evaluated on the pretreatment day, and at 2 and 4 weeks after treatment. Fluorophotometry was used to measure fluorescein uptake at the central and lower corneal portions. RESULTS: Two weeks after treatment, hyaluronan treated right corneas showed significant corneal epithelial barrier improvement in the lower portion, compared with the pretreatment day (p < 0.025). Four weeks after treatment, the treated corneas showed significant improvement in the central corneal portion (p < 0.025) and improvement in the lower portion, compared with the pretreatment day. The untreated left corneas, on the other hand showed no improvement during the course of the study. CONCLUSION: This study suggests that hyaluronan is effective in the treatment of corneal epithelial disruption in dry eye.

Adult↗

PubMed1997

Preventive effect of oren-gedoku-to (huanglian-jie-du-tang) extract on progression of carbon tetrachloride-induced acute liver injury in rats.

The effect of oral administration of Oren-gedoku-to (Huanglian-Jie-Du-Tang) extract (TJ-15) on the progression of acute liver injury was examined in rats intoxicated with carbon tetrachloride (CCl4). When TJ-15 at a dose of 500 mg/kg body weight (b.w.) was administered to male Wistar rats aged seven weeks 6 hours after i.p. injection of CCl4 (1.0 ml/kg b.w.), an apparent liver injury occurred. Significant prevention against the progression of liver injury was found 24 hours after the injection judging from the activities of serum transaminases and other indices of liver cell damage. An increase in lipid peroxide level and decreases in reduced glutathione level and superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity occurred in the liver at 6 and 24 hours after CCl4 injection. Serum SOD activity increased 24 hours after CCl4 injection. Post-oral TJ-15 administration significantly ameliorated all these changes found at 24 hours after CCl4 injection. An increase in liver triglyceride level and a decrease in serum triglyceride level also occurred 6 and 24 hours after CCl4 injection. Post-oral TJ-15 administration prevented the increase in liver triglyceride level at 24 hours after CCl4 injection. Although the activity of liver tryptophan 2,3-dioxygenase (TDO), a marker of the inhibition of liver protein synthesis by CCl4, decreased 6 and 24 hours after injection of the toxicant, post-oral TJ-15 administration had no effect on this decrease in TDO activity at 24 hours after the injection. These results indicate that oral TJ-15 administration can prevent the progression of acute liver injury in CCl4-injected rats, and suggest that this prevention could be due to the action of TJ-15 to scavenge free radicals formed in the liver and to inhibit triglyceride accumulation in the liver.

Administration, Oral↗

PubMed1997

Comparative study of oral and parenteral administration of sho-saiko-to (xiao-chaihu-tang) extract on D-galactosamine-induced liver injury in rats.

The preventive effect of Sho-saiko-to (Xiao-Chaihu-Tang) extract (TJ-9) on the progression of D-galactosamine (GaIN)-induced liver injury was examined in five week-old male Wistar rats with oral (p.o.) or intraperitoneal (i.p.) administration of the same dose of TJ-9. Rats treated once with GaIN (500 mg/kg body weight, i.p.) received TJ-9 at a dose of 1.0 g/kg body weight (p.o. or i.p.) 2 hours after GaIN treatment at which time an apparent liver injury occurred. Both p.o. and i.p. administration of TJ-9 showed similar significant prevention against the progression of liver injury 24 hours after GaIN injection. Although total protein and albumin concentrations in serum and protein concentration in the liver decreased with the progression of GaIN-induced liver injury, oral or i.p. administration of TJ-9 prevented these decreases in similar degree. However, decreases in serum and liver triglyceride concentration with the progression of liver injury were not attenuated after p.o. or i.p. administration of TJ-9. The activities of liver 5'-nucleotidase and glucose-6-phosphatase, marker enzymes of liver plasma and microsomal membranes, respectively, decreased during the progression of liver injury. A similar preventive effect on the decrease of both enzyme activities was found after p.o. or i.p. administration of TJ-9. These results indicate that the preventive effect on progression of GaIN-induced liver injury by oral or i.p. administration is approximately equal, and that the effect may be through improving the impaired liver protein synthesis and disrupted liver plasma and microsomal membranes in a similar degree.

5'-Nucleotidase↗

PubMed1997

Involvement of the xanthine-xanthine oxidase system and neutrophils in the development of acute gastric mucosal lesions in rats with water immersion restraint stress.

In rats subjected to water immersion restraint (WIR) stress for 1, 3, and 6 h, gastric mucosal lesions developed time-dependently with an increase in lipid peroxide (LPO) levels and a decrease in nonprotein sulfhydryl levels in the gastric mucosa. The gastric mucosal xanthine oxidase (XO) activity significantly increased with the conversion of xanthine dehydrogenase (XD) to XO at 6 h of WIR (3.2-fold that of the control group without WIR). A significant increase in myeloperoxidase (MPO) activity, an index of neutrophil infiltration, occurred in the gastric mucosa at 3 and 6 h of the WIR (2.2- and 3.3-fold that of the control group without WIR, respectively). In contrast, superoxide dismutase, catalase, and glutathione peroxidase activities in the gastric mucosa did not change during the WIR period. Pretreatment with either allopurinol (AP), an inhibitor of XO, or soybean trypsin inhibitor (STI), a serine protease inhibitor, attenuated the lesion development at 6 h of WIR, but not at 3 h. In the gastric mucosa of rats pretreated with AP, enhancements of LPO formation, sulfhydryl oxidation, and XO activity found at 6 h of WIR were prevented with inhibition of XD plus XO activity, while in the gastric mucosa of rats pretreated with STI, these enhancements were prevented with inhibition of the conversion of XD to XO. In the gastric mucosa of rats pretreated with anti-polymorphonuclear leukocyte antiserum, the lesion development and enhanced LPO formation and sulfhydryl oxidation found at 3 and 6 h of WIR were prevented with a decrease in increased MPO activity. These results indicate that in the gastric mucosa of rats with WIR stress, the progression of lesions is mainly related to enhanced LPO formation and sulfhydryl oxidation which depend on an increased generation of oxygen free radicals via the xanthine-XO system and neutrophils rather than the change in the oxygen free radical-scavenging activity of antioxidant enzymes. The present results also suggest that increased gastric mucosal LPO formation and sulfhydryl oxidation found at 3 h of WIR could be mainly due to neutrophil-derived oxygen free radicals, while enhanced gastric mucosal LPO formation and sulfhydryl oxidation found at 6 h of WIR could be due to both neutrophil- and XO-derived oxygen free radicals.

Allopurinol↗

PubMed1997

Electrophoretic patterns of urinary proteins of diabetics in the pre, early and overt nephropathy stages.

Urinary proteins of patients with diabetes mellitus (DM) were analyzed using cellulose acetate membrane electrophoresis, to determine the clinical usefulness of fraction patterns of the proteins in detecting the group at high risk for diabetic nephropathy. We divided the protein patterns into 5 groups. Four groups (I, II, III, IV) were found in the healthy group and a newly classified group was termed group 0 and was characterized by a prominent albumin peak with a negligible or small globulin peak. The incidence of groups 0, I, II, III, and IV, was 36.6%, 13.3%, 18.7%, 10.7% and 22.7%, respectively. This distribution was clearly different from that of healthy subjects and the most characteristic feature of diabetics was that group 0 accounted for 36.6% of the total cases. Characteristic features of each group were examined from the aspect of laboratory and clinical findings. Urinary protein patterns were concluded to be useful not only to predict the high risk group for diabetic nephropathy in the preclinical stage but also to discriminate nephropathic types of glomerular or tubular origin. It is useful for clinicians to know the risk stage and prognosis for diabetic nephropathy.

Acetylglucosaminidase↗

PubMed1997

Negative charges bound to collagen fibrils in the rabbit articular cartilage: a light and electron microscopic study using cationic colloidal iron.

Negative charged sites in the normal rabbit articular cartilage were investigated using cationic colloidal iron methods. In light microscopy of the cartilage stained with the colloidal iron at pH 1.5, a distinct Prussian blue reaction was observed in the pericellular matrix, and a weak blue reaction in the territorial and interterritorial matrices. At pH 7.0, a diffuse Prussian blue reaction was observed in the pericellular and interterritorial matrices. Digestion with chondroitinase ABC, hyaluronidase and keratanase could not erase the Prussian blue reaction. However, the sections digested with collagenase followed by chondroitinase ABC showed significant elimination of the Prussian blue reaction. Electron microscopy of ultrathin sections stained with the colloidal iron at pH 1.5 revealed that the cationic colloid particles were deposited abundantly in the pericellular matrix and dotted along collagen fibrils in the territorial and interterritorial matrices. The present results suggest that negatively charged sites in the articular cartilage derive mostly from chondroitin sulfate, whose proteoglycans firmly bind to collagen fibrils. Such an ultrastructure may maintain the electrostatic microenvironment in the collagen plexus, holding much water in the cartilage matrix, and also producing biomechanical properties such as tensile strength and elasticity of the cartilage.

Animals↗

PubMed1997

Histopathology and clinical results of carpal tunnel syndrome in idiopathic cases and hemodialysis patients.

The results of the histological examinations of specimens of the tenosynovium of the flexor tendon, the epineurium and the transverse carpal ligament from two groups of Japanese patients with carpal tunnel syndrome (idiopathic and hemodialysis) were compared. Amyloid deposits, positively identified as beta 2-microglobulin, appeared in all patients in the long-term hemodialysis group, but in no patients in the idiopathic group. Although the pathogenesis differed between the two groups, both resulted in nerve compression in the carpal tunnel. Therefore, surgical release is considered beneficial for both groups.

Aged↗

PubMed1997

Expression of osteonectin in articular cartilage of osteoarthritic knees.

The expression of osteonectin (ON) in osteoarthritic articular cartilage was investigated by enzyme immunohistochemistry and colloidal gold immunoelectron microscopy. A total of 96 specimens from 9 knees of 8 patients with osteoarthritis (OA) were examined. In OA cartilage, ON-positive cells varied in distribution and were not seen in all the specimens obtained from the same patient. However, in over half of the specimens (56 of 96), especially in the specimens on Mankin's grades from 4 to 9, which corresponds to relatively early stages of OA, ON was expressed in the cartilage above the calcified layer. On the other hand, ON was detected only in the calcified layer below the tidemark in normal articular cartilage. In addition, colloidal gold immunoelectron microscopy revealed ON in chondrocytes and matrix vesicles (MVs). These findings suggest that ON acts through MVs in the early stages of OA as a significant pathogenetic factor involved in intracartilage calcification, which is known to have a close relationship to the progression of OA.

Aged↗

PubMed1997

Percutaneous release for trigger finger in idiopathic and hemodialysis patients.

Sixty-seven trigger fingers of 58 idiopathic and hemodialysis patients were treated by percutaneous A1-pulley release technique. Severity of triggering was classified into five grades for treatment selection and prediction of possible results. Results were excellent in 41 fingers, good in 9, fair in 7, and poor in 10, requiring additional treatment. The results of the lower grades were better, and those of the higher grades were poor. Excellent or good results appeared to depend on the proper selection of the patients according to the grading system and confirmation of triggering disappearance just after the release. There were neither infections nor neuro-vascular deficits after treatment. Compared to conventional open release, this treatment was found to be more useful from the standpoints of ease and safety of the technique, and the patients' quick return to normal life.

Adult↗