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Biomedical subjects

K Sekiba

Publications and source records attributed to K Sekiba.

At least 73 records · Page 4Linked to original sources

Taurine concentrations in fetal, neonatal and pregnant rats.

The concentrations of taurine in the fetal and neonatal organs, and the maternal organs, plasma and urine of rats between the 15th day of gestation and the 21st day after birth were determined using an automatic amino acid analyzer. In the fetal liver and brain and in the placenta, the taurine concentration was the highest of all ninhydrin positive compounds. In the fetal liver and placenta, the concentrations of taurine increased significantly with the gestational days. Concentrations of taurine in the brain were much higher in the fetus and neonate than that in the adult. Moreover, the total amount of taurine per fetus increased markedly after the 15th day of gestation, and near term, reached almost the same amount as in the adult rat liver. In contrast to this, a significant decrease was observed in the taurine concentration in the maternal liver and muscle near term. The concentration of taurine in the urine of pregnant rats decreased near term, but in the plasma of pregnant rats the concentration of taurine did not change during pregnancy.

Amino Acids↗

[5-FU, FT-207 and uracil concentrations in the serum and tissues of patients with cervical cancer after UFT oral administration].

The concentrations of 5-FU, FT-207 and uracil were estimated in blood serum, cancer tissue and normal tissue of patients with uterine cervical cancer. A daily dose of 600 mg of UFT was administrated for 7 days to cervical cancer patients, and they received radical hysterectomy and pelvic lymphadenectomy. After single administration of UFT, the serum concentration of 5-FU was highest at 60 minutes (0.094 micrograms/ml) and became reduced with time. On the other hand, when UFT was administered for 7 consecutive days, the serum concentration of 5-FU was found to reach a plateau between 60 minutes (0.215 micrograms/ml) and 120 minutes (0.222 micrograms/ml) with gradual decline thereafter. Significantly higher levels of 5-FU were achieved at 60 min. and 120 min. and apparent accumulation of 5-FU in serum was observed following continuous administration of UFT. Similar results were observed regarding the change of serum concentration of uracil, while FT-207 was observed to remain in serum for a longer time than 5-FU. In the uterine cervix, the concentration of 5-FU cancer tissue was 0.087 micrograms/ml, approximately 3 times that of normal tissue, and approximately 5.1 times that of the preoperative serum concentration of 5-FU, indicating a tendency to accumulate in cancer tissue. Although a higher concentration of 5-FU was detected in pelvic lymph nodes and ovaries, no significant differences were recognized between metastatic nodes and metastasis-free nodes.

Administration, Oral↗

Radical hysterectomy for cancer of the uterine cervix.

A recent modification of radical hysterectomy for cancer of the uterine cervix is described in detail. This modification of the Okabayashi operation has shown improved reliability and safety. Because of the extensive resection of supporting ligaments and loose connective tissue, bleeding may be induced and a wide operation field is necessary to prevent injury to the pelvic viscera.

Female↗

Recurrent carcinoma of the vagina following Okabayashi's radical hysterectomy for cervical carcinoma.

Between 1962 and 1976, 1847 cases of cervical cancer were treated by Okabayashi's radical hysterectomy. Of these, 42 cases developed vaginal invasive carcinoma and 5 developed vaginal intraepithelial carcinoma thereafter, giving a recurrence rate of 2.5%. The vaginal recurrence rate declined annually during the period 1962-1976, and was thought to be due to the efficacy of routinization of postoperative vaginal cuff irradiation. Of the 47 recurrent cases 33 were discovered within 2 years following the operation. Seventy-two percent of the recurrent cases were asymptomatic. The importance of close follow-up of the patients during the first 2 postoperative years was denoted. The incidence of developing a secondary vaginal cancer in the cases of cervical adenocarcinoma was 10.0%, higher than the 2.2% for squamous cell carcinoma. All the recurrent cases were treated with vaginal cuff irradiation, either alone or with external irradiation and/or chemotherapy. The 3-year survival rate of the patients who had vaginal recurrence alone was 40.0%, better than that of the cases accompanied with recurrence at the other sites.

Adenocarcinoma↗

Concentrations of polyamines in umbilical blood.

Red blood cell and plasma polyamines in umbilical and maternal blood at delivery were measured using high performance liquid chromatography. The concentration of each polyamine in red blood cells and plasma of umbilical blood was significantly higher than in maternal blood. Spermidine and spermine concentrations in fetal red blood cells decreased markedly with the progress of pregnancy. In addition, younger red blood cells contained more polyamines than older cells. Red blood cell polyamines are closely associated with the cell membrane. Plasma polyamine in umbilical blood reflect active fetal metabolism, whereas red blood cell polyamines mainly reflect alterations in erythropoiesis in bone marrow and may indicate the proliferation of the bone marrow.

Embryonic and Fetal Development↗

Hormonal regulation of ornithine decarboxylase and polyamines in primary cultured rat hepatocytes--differences in hormonal response between adult and fetal hepatocytes.

Polyamines are polycationic substances which are widely distributed in living organisms and have a close relation to rapid growth phenomena. We examined ornithine decarboxylase (ODC), which is the rate limiting enzyme of polyamine biosynthesis, and polyamine induction in primary cultured rat hepatocytes by various hormones which increase during pregnancy, and revealed differences in hormonal responses between adult and fetal rat hepatocytes. Thirteen hormones, including estrone, estradiol, progesterone, testosterone, human chorionic gonadotropin (HCG), cortisol, dexamethasone, insulin, glucagon, epinephrine and epidermal growth factor (EGF), were tested. Among these hormones, only insulin, dexamethasone and EGF induced ODC activity and polyamine biosynthesis, especially that of putrescine, in both adult and fetal hepatocytes. The effects of EGF were the most significant. The combined effect of insulin and dexamethasone was additive, while that of insulin and EGF was synergistic. The rate of ODC induction was higher in adult hepatocytes than in fetal hepatocytes, however, the reaction was earlier in fetal hepatocytes. These observations suggest that ODC and polyamines in the fetal stage of development are regulated by a mechanism different from that in the adult liver.

Animals↗

Rapid and simultaneous measurement of estrone, estradiol, estriol and estetrol in serum by high performance liquid chromatography with electrochemical detection.

A high performance liquid chromatographic (HPLC) method with electrochemical detection (ECD) was developed for the simultaneous measurement of estrone, estradiol, estriol and estetrol in serum. These hormones were extracted with diethylether, chromatographed on an silica-octadecyl silane (ODS) column with an eluent of phosphate buffer solution-acetonitrile-methanol (volume ratio 152:85:40), and detected by ECD at +1.0V vs. Ag/AgCl. In comparisons between the values measured by this method and radioimmunoassay, significant correlations were noted for estrone (r = 0.759, p less than 0.01), estradiol (r = 0.816, p less than 0.001) and estriol (r = 0.830, p less than 0.001). In clinical applications of this method, differences between cases of the normal and the anencephalic pregnancy in the thirty-eighth week of gestation were distinct not only in the individual estrogen, but also in the profile analysis of estrogens. With this method, all 4 serum estrogens above approximately 500 pg/ml could be measured within 2 h, and the method seemed to be clinically applicable.

Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid↗

Alterations in polyamine levels in amniotic fluid, plasma and urine during normal pregnancy.

Polyamines have a close relationship with rapid cell proliferation. We measured polyamine levels in amniotic fluid, maternal plasma and urine during normal pregnancy. Plasma putrescine, spermidine and spermine gradually increased in the third trimester and reached the highest concentration at the end of pregnancy. There was a significant correlation between the level of these polyamines and the level of plasma estradiol and progesterone. In urine, putrescine and spermine increased with the progress of gestation and reached the highest level during the 8th to 10th months of gestation. In amniotic fluid, putrescine and spermidine concentrations were significantly high in the first trimester and decreased in the other trimesters, whereas spermine showed no significant change. Polyamine concentrations in maternal plasma and urine appear to reflect not only fetal metabolic changes but also the metabolic changes of the pregnant women, and to be influenced by several hormones which increase during pregnancy. Polyamines in amniotic fluid mainly reflect activated fetal metabolism and may be useful as biochemical indicators of fetal growth.

Amniotic Fluid↗

Application of rapid and simultaneous measurement of sex steroid hormones to the monitoring of gonadotropin therapy.

A high performance liquid chromatographic (HPLC) method with both electrochemical detection (ECD) and ultraviolet spectrometric detection (UVD) was developed for the rapid and simultaneous measurement of estradiol (E2), estrone (E1), testosterone (T), 17 alpha-hydroxyprogesterone (17-OHP) and progesterone (P) in serum. These hormones were extracted with diethylether, and chromatographed on an octadecyl silane-silica (ODS) column with an eluent of a phosphate buffer solution - acetonitrile mixture (volume ratio 49:51). Estrogens were detected by ECD at +1.0 V vs. Ag/AgCl, and other hormones by UVD at 242 nm. With this method, the simultaneous determination of sex steroid hormones could be performed within approximately two hours with high precision. The hormones of 34 patients (39 menstrual cycles) undergoing human menopausal gonadotropin (HMG)-human chorionic gonadotropin (HCG) therapy were measured. It was concluded that the switch from HMG to HCG should be performed when the E2 level reaches 400 pg/ml for ovulation and 800 pg/ml for pregnancy. The occurrence of ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome (OHSS) can be predicted when the P level rises above 30 ng/ml on the 7th day after the switch. Moreover, conception may be indicated when the P level does not increase from the 7th to 14th day after the switch. In this way, this method proved to be useful for the monitoring of HMG-HCG therapy.

Chorionic Gonadotropin↗

Polyamine levels in gynecologic malignancies.

Polyamines are closely related to many aspects of cell growth. Since increased amounts of polyamines in the urine of human cancer patients were reported in 1971, polyamines have been studied from the standpoint of tumor markers. In this study, polyamines in erythrocytes, plasma and urine were determined in 42 controls and 105 patients with gynecologic malignant tumors. The changes in polyamine levels were investigated before and after treatment. With advances in the stage of uterine cervical cancer, the frequency of abnormal levels of polyamines (concentrations greater than two standard deviations above the mean control level) became greater, and reached nearly 80% in recurrent and ovarian cancer. In the early stage of cancer, the diagnostic value was low. Comparison with carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) was also performed. The polyamines lack specificity for malignant diseases, but they can be used to some extent as a tumor marker in the gynecologic field.

Adult↗

[Phase II study of UFT in cancer of the uterine cervix].

UFT Phase II study was undertaken as a joint research project at 6 institutions on 36 patients with cancer of the uterine cervix. Results showed that, in the 25 of 36 cases in whom results and conclusions were feasible, there was an effectiveness of 16% (CR 3 cases, PR 1 case, NC 17 cases, PD 4 cases). Histologically, there was 25% effectiveness with large-cell, non-keratinizing, epidermoid carcinoma, against 16.7% with small-cell type. Considerable effect was noted as to metastasis effect in terms of location: Virchow 50%, and lungs 33.3%. CR effectiveness was noted in one case of local recurrence following irradiation. In 10 (37%) of the 27 evaluable cases some side effects were observed. Virtually all involved the digestive organs, and serious bone-marrow problems, hepatic or renal impairment were not evident. The findings suggested that UFT is an effective chemotherapeutic agent against carcinoma of the uterine cervix.

Adenocarcinoma↗

[Fundamental and clinical studies of cefpimizole in obstetrics and gynecology].

The findings from recent fundamental and clinical studies of the efficacy of cefpimizole (AC-1370) in obstetrics and gynecology are reported in this paper. The AC-1370 concentrations in genital tissues sampled 30 to 56 minutes (a mean of 41.4 minutes) after intravenous injection of 1 g of the drug were 14 to 76 micrograms/g (a mean of 32.4 micrograms/g). The mean transfer ratios of the drug into the genital tissues to the concentration in the uterine arterial blood were such that the transfer ratio into the portio vaginalis was the highest, followed by the uterine cervix and the myometrium, and that into the oviduct was the lowest with about 1/2 that into the portio vaginalis. The concentration in the antecubital venous blood and that in the uterine arterial blood remained similar for all patients. The transfer of AC-1370 into the pelvic dead space exudate reached a peak (49.5 micrograms/ml) 1 hour, and also a peak (49.8 micrograms/ml) 2 hours after the intravenous injection. It then decreased gradually, but remained high, being higher than that in the antecubital venous blood about 50 minutes after the intravenous injection. Ten patients with infections in gynecology were treated with 1.0 to 4.0 g daily of AC-1370, to a total dose of 6 to 52 g, over a period of 3 to 13 days. One of them showed excellent response, 8 showed moderate response, and another showed poor response to the treatment: in other words, a response rate of 90% was achieved. Bacteriologically, pathogens were eradicated from 3 and decreased in 3, and microbial substitution occurred in another patient. No side effects of the drug were observed except for eruption in 1 patient. None of the 10 patients showed any abnormalities in laboratory findings. From the present fundamental and clinical studies of AC-1370, we have drawn the conclusion that the drug is one of extremely useful antibiotics in the treatment of infections in obstetrics and gynecology.

Adult↗