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Biomedical subjects

K Otani

Publications and source records attributed to K Otani.

At least 181 records · Page 10Linked to original sources

Induced microseizures in West syndrome.

Induced microseizures (IMS) were observed in a 5-month-old girl with symptomatic West syndrome. The seizures occurred following the suppression of infantile spasms with adrenocorticotropic hormone therapy and disappeared following the cessation of clonazepam administration. The ictal manifestations consisted of periods of irregular respiration, and respiratory arrest lasting for several seconds which often involved opening of the eyes and mild extension of the neck corresponding with the diffuse fast wave bursts in EEG activity observed during sleep. These seizures were thought to be equivalent to the IMS in Lennox-Gastaut syndrome, which have never been reported before in patients with West syndrome.

Adrenocorticotropic Hormone↗

Teratogenicity of antiepileptic drugs: is the prevention possible?

To assess the relative contribution of antiepileptic drugs (AEDs) toward the occurrence of congenital malformation, two prospective studies (previous and present) were compared. In the present subjects of 145 cases, the total daily dose of AEDs (drug score) in each case was decreased as much as possible, and polypharmacy was changed to monopharmacy before conception where it was possible. The incidence of malformations significantly decreased from 13.5% to 6.2% (p = 0.031) by the change in drug regimen. The drug score, number of AEDs, maternal age at delivery, seizure type, and etiology of epilepsy were statistically different between the two study groups. Even after the correction of the data by the last three factors, the difference in the incidence of malformation did not disappear, while it disappeared if data were corrected either by the drug score or number of AEDs. These results suggest that the possibility of prevention of AED related malformations is possible by an improvement in AED therapy.

Abnormalities, Drug-Induced↗

Studies on active transport of (E)-10-hydroxynortriptyline in the kidney and brain of rats: effects of propranolol and quinidine.

Studies in humans have given strong support of an active transport of (E)-10-hydroxynortriptyline [E)-10-OH-NT) in the kidney and from the cerebrospinal fluid. After 3 days of intraperitoneal injections of (E)-10-OH-NT (10 mg/kg t.i.d.) in a rat model, we investigated the effect of propranolol and quinidine (25 and 2.5 mg/kg injected 6 times during day 3) on the concentrations of (E)-10-OH-NT in urine, plasma (total and unbound) and brain. In a group of control rats the renal clearance of (E)-10-OH-NT varied 10-fold between rats, but was reproducible from Day 2 to Day 3 (r = 0.83; n = 8; p less than 0.05). Quinidine markedly decreased the renal clearance of both total and unbound (E)-10-OH-NT from plasma, while the effect of propranolol was less pronounced. There was no difference in the ratio of (E)-10-OH-NT concentrations in brain and plasma (unbound) between treated and control rats. We conclude that (E)-10-OH-NT is actively secreted in the rat proximal tubule and that the activity of this system varies between rats, but is constant in the individual rat. Quinidine, and to a less extent propranolol, inhibits this renal secretion. By the present methodology we could not demonstrate an active transport of (E)-10-OH-NT from brain to blood in the rat. Studies using other methods are needed to further elucidate this.

Animals↗

Stereoselective efflux of (E)-10-hydroxynortriptyline enantiomers from the cerebrospinal fluid of depressed patients.

In 5 patients treated with nortriptyline or amitriptyline for at least 9 months, the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF)/plasma ratio for 10-hydroxynortriptyline (10-OH-NT) ranged from 0.085 to 0.172, which is similar to the ratio previously measured in patients treated for 3 weeks. In 4 other patients treated with racemic (E)-10-OH-NT, the mean concentration ratio between (-)- and (+)-(E)-10-OH-NT was 3.56 in plasma, 2.39 in plasma ultrafiltrate and 1.42 in CSF (one-way ANOVA; P less than 0.001). The mean free fraction in plasma determined by ultrafiltration for (-)-(E)-10-OH-NT was 28.9 +/- S.D.1.1% and for the (+)-enantiomer 43.7 +/- 0.8% (P less than 0.001) confirming the difference in protein binding shown previously in healthy subjects. There was a correlation between the concentration of 10-OH-NT (sum of enantiomers) in CSF and plasma ultrafiltrate (r = 0.96; n = 7; P less than 0.001). The concentration in CSF was, however, only about 50% of that in the plasma ultrafiltrate and this seems to be due to a stereoselective transport of (E)-10-OH-NT out from the CSF. The secretion from the CSF is more pronounced for the (-)-compared to the (+)-enantiomer, which is consistent with the stereoselectivity of the renal secretion of these compounds.

Adult↗

Is the predisposition to neuroleptic malignant syndrome genetically transmitted?

A Japanese family consisting of a mother and her two daughters, all experienced NMS on therapeutic or subtherapeutic doses of neuroleptics. The mother and the elder daughter had past histories of severe neuroleptic-induced extrapyramidal symptoms. The predisposition to this syndrome may be genetically transmitted. We suggest that neuroleptic treatment should be introduced with extreme caution to a patient with a family history of NMS.

Adult↗

Differential sensitivity to physical dependence on morphine and codeine in three inbred strains of mice.

The purpose of this experiment is to investigate genetic differences in the development of physical dependence on morphine and codeine in inbred strains of mice, C57BL/6, C3H/He and DBA/2. Mice were treated with morphine- or codeine-admixed food (1, 2 and 3 mg/g of food) for 3 to 9 days. After the termination of drug treatment, the mice were given naloxone (5 mg/kg, s.c.). The incidences of jumping and teeth chattering by naloxone challenge in morphine- and codeine-treated C57BL/6 mice were much greater than those in C3H/He and DBA/2 mice. However, the incidences of other naloxone-precipitated withdrawal signs, such as ptosis and diarrhea, were not different among the three inbred strains of mice. These results indicate that genotype is an important determinant of the degree of most naloxone-precipitated withdrawal signs in morphine- and codeine-treated mice.

Animals↗

[[A hazard analysis of birth timing in Japan since the 1960s]].

"This paper carried out a multivariate hazard analysis of the first, second and third birth timings by applying [a] log-logistic model. The results are as follows: (1) When wives are employed, the first, second and third birth hazards are all smaller than others....(2) Coresiding with couple's parents is likely to raise the first, second and third birth hazards irrespective of wife's employment status; (3) Wives with tertiary level education are accompanied by a smaller first birth hazard compared with others, while wife's educational attainment does not show any effect on the second and third birth hazards; (4) White-collar husbands are associated with a smaller first birth hazard when their wife is employed; (5) Even after controlling for several background variables, the first, second and third birth timings were accelerated in the cohorts of the late 1960s. This result suggests that the birth timing change in the late 1960s was caused by some heterogeneity which is not considered in this study." An English summary is available from the author.

Asia↗

[[The tempo and quantum components in trends in period fertility measures in present-day Japan: a Butz-Ward-type model and its application]].

"This paper examined the validity of a Butz-Ward-type model by applying it to trends in Japan's fertility rates from 1968 to 1986. Most of the existing studies on the Butz-Ward model used total fertility rates as the dependent variable. As the Butz-Ward model is concerned with couples' fertility behaviors, [the author uses]...total marital fertility rates. We first calculated total marital fertility rates (TMFR) from 1968 to 1986 by using data of Japan's National Fertility Surveys.... As a result of the auto-regression analysis of TMFR, we found a statistically significant negative effect of a rise in employed wife's wage rate as was expected. As for the timing indices, the third birth timing index was significantly positively affected by an increase in husband's income when his wife was employed, while the third birth was likely to be delayed by a rise in employed wife's wage rate." An English summary is available from the author.

Asia↗

[Facilitation and recovery of the H-reflex in children].

Facilitation and recovery of the H-reflex were studied in 63 children with cerebral palsy, and the results were compared with those obtained for 60 normal children. H waves were recorded from the gastrocnemius with surface electrodes, after applying paired stimulations to the tibial nerve in the midpopliteal crease. In normal children, both the facilitation and the recovery showed a tendency to decrease with their development, while those for children with cerebral palsy were more marked than normal children in all age groups. The present study indicated that the excitability of spinal alpha motoneurons and the subliminal fringe in the motoneuron pool might change due to the maturation of and the damage to the central nervous system in children. We consider that H-reflex examination provides useful information for the supraspinal control to the spinal mechanism to regulate muscle contraction in children as well as in adults.

Adolescent↗

Morphology of central terminations of low-threshold trigeminal primary afferents from facial skin in the cat--intra-axonal staining with HRP.

Intra-axonal recording and horseradish peroxidase (HRP) injection techniques were employed to examine the response properties of low-threshold mechanoreceptive afferents and the morphological characteristics of their axon arbors in the main sensory nucleus (Vp) and oral nucleus (Vo). Thirteen afferents were characterized and recovered. One gave fast or rapidly adapting (FA) and 3 slowly adapting (SA) responses to mystacial vibrissa deflection, 5 were sensitive to deflection of non-vibrissae hairs or hair (4 were guard hair afferents and the other responded to deflection of a long hair in slowly adapting fashion) and two were responsive to indentation of the hairy skin. The remainder were responsive to indentation of the glabrous skin on the lower lip: one was of FA type and the other of SA type. All of the axons had bifurcating fibers that ascended in the ascending tract (ascending fiber) and descended in the trigeminal spinal tract (descending fiber). The main collaterals given off from the ascending fiber and rostral segment of the descending fiber terminated in the Vp, and the other collaterals from the descending fiber projected to the Vo. Terminal arbors produced by the main collaterals formed a rostrocaudally continuous column, but generally the adjacent arbors did not overlap except when pairs of collaterals arose near each other on the ascending and descending fibers. Projections of collaterals to Vp and Vo were organized topographically. The head was represented in an inverted fashion with its anteroposterior axis in a mediolateral sequence, but the lower glabrous lip was represented more dorsally than the other mandibular facial regions. Vibrissa afferents formed a rostrocaudally continuous, densely packed terminal column throughout the length of Vp and Vo. SA vibrissa afferents gave rise to more dense and roundish arbors in Vp than the FA afferent, while the Vo.c arbors were more compact and smaller than those of the FA afferent. Guard hair afferents had arbors that were highly variable throughout the nuclei and were characterized by less developed arbors in Vp than in Vo. Unlike vibrissa afferents, hairy skin afferents gave rise to sparse and widespread arbors characterized by a string-like appearance, while the Vo collaterals were more stringy. Facial lip afferents were characterized by a great difference in collateral morphology between FA and SA type.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)

Animals↗

The effects of phenytoin and carbamazepine on serum concentrations of mono-unsaturated metabolites of valproic acid.

Serum concentrations of valproic acid (VPA) and its mono-unsaturated metabolites, 2-propyl-2-pentenoic acid (2-en), 2-propyl-3-pentenoic acid (3-en) and 2-propyl-4-pentenoic acid (4-en), were measured in 36 epileptic patients. The subjects were divided into three subgroups, i.e., receiving VPA alone (n = 20: VPA group), VPA with phenytoin (n = 9: VPA + DPH group), and VPA with carbamazepine (n = 7: VPA + CBZ group). In the VPA group, the correlations between the serum concentration of VPA and those of the metabolites were significantly positive (r = 0.693, P less than 0.01 for 2-en; r = 0.584, P less than 0.01 for 3-en; and r = 0.868, P less than 0.001 for 4-en). The concentration/dose ratio of VPA was significantly lower, and the 4-en/VPA ratio was significantly higher in the VPA + CBZ group than in the VPA group (P less than 0.05). However, DPH had less effect on the concentration/dose ratio of VPA and the 4-en/VPA ratio than CBZ. This may be due partly to the relatively smaller therapeutic dose of DPH. These results suggest a correlation between the serum concentration of VPA and that of 4-en, and an increased metabolic conversion of VPA to 4-en by coadministration of CBZ. High serum concentrations of VPA and concomitant use of CBZ resulted in an elevation of the serum concentration of 4-en, which has been reported to be the most toxic metabolite of VPA.

Adult↗