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Biomedical subjects

K Sekiba

Publications and source records attributed to K Sekiba.

At least 109 records · Page 6Linked to original sources

Fetal activity determination and neosynephrine test for evaluation of fetal well-being in high risk pregnancies.

At the special outpatient clinic for high risk pregnancies, a total of 197 patients were evaluated with fetal activity acceleration determination (FAD) as a non stress test. FAD was done on 197 patients, of these there were 8 fetal distress (4.7%) and 3 low Apgar scores (1 minute Apgar score less than 6) (1.8%) of 169 positive FAD, on the other hand, 14 fetal distress (50%) and 10 low Apgar scores (35.7%) of 28 negative FAD. Neosynephrine Test was performed in 62 cases as a stress test and the correlation between these two tests was evaluated. In 51 instances FAD was positive and the simultaneous Neosynephrine Test was normal. In 2 cases of negative FAD with positive Neosynephrine Test, there were 2 fetal distress (100%) and 2 low Apgar scores (100%). All the two tests are reliable for fetal evaluation in high risk pregnancies, because FAD and Neosynephrine Test are less time consuming and have fewer contraindications. It is concluded that the combination of these two tests are the most useful screening methods for fetal evaluation in high risk pregnancies.

Evaluation Studies as Topic↗

Changes of lipid peroxidation and superoxide dismutase activity in the human placenta.

The oxygen radical may induce peroxidation of unsaturated fatty acids in vivo. We studied changes in superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity and lipid peroxidation using human placental tissue. Lipid peroxidation was marked in early stages (2 to 4 months) of gestation but decreased with growth and was very small by the end of pregnancy. The SOD activity of placental tissue in early gestation was approximately 250 to 500 U per gram of wet weight. The activity increased with growth of the placenta and reached a level of 400 to 1,500 U per gram of wet weight by the end of gestation. These results for SOD activity suggest that the oxygen requirement in the placenta at early stages of gestation is low compared with that at the end of gestation.

Female↗

Lymphocyte cytotoxicity against allogeneic cultured cells in gynecologic malignancy.

Peripheral blood lymphocytes from patients with gynecologic cancer were tested by micro-cytotoxicity assay against two types of allogeneic cultured cancer cell lines: squamous cell carcinoma and adenocarcinoma. Lymphocytes from cancer patients with squamous cell carcinoma or adenocarcinoma were equally cytotoxic against these target cells. In addition, lymphocytes from healthy controls and myoma patients were also cytotoxic for these cell lines. No significant difference in cytotoxic activities was detected among the cancer patients and controls. However, a good correlation was observed between cytotoxic activity and non-specific lymphocyte responses. It was concluded that this assay sysetm is not suitable for measuring cell-mediated immunity against tumor specific antigens but does estimate non-specific resistance against cancer.

Adenocarcinoma↗

Biosynthetic pathways for corticoids and androgen formation in human fetal adrenal tissue in vitro.

Eleven incubations of minced human fetal adrenal tissue from two fetuses at midtrimester of pregnancy terminated for socio-economic reasons, were performed for different periods of time with labelled pregnenolone, progesterone, 17alpha-hydroxyprogesterone and deoxycorticosterone (DOC). The order of magnitudes of enzyme activity when progesterone was used as a substrate and incubated with midterm fetal adrenals was 17alpha-hydroxylase, 21-hydroxylase and 16alpha-hydroxylase. The activity of 3beta-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase and delta5-4 isomerase was almost negligible as compared to other enzymic activities as mentioned above. Similar biosynthetic pathways for adrenal corticoids formation were observed in human fetal adrenals as reported in human adults and animals; once progesterone was converted into DOC, further 17alpha-hydroxylation did not take place.

Adrenal Cortex Hormones↗

Inhibition of fetal adrenal 21-hydroxylase by naturally occurring steroids.

Inhibitory effects of naturally occurring steroids on 21-hydroxylase activity were determined by measuring the initial conversion rate of 17-hydroxyprogesterone (17alpha-hydroxy-4-pregnene-3, 20-dione) to 11-deoxycortisol (17alpha, 21-dihydroxy-4-pregnene-3, 20-dione) in incubation experiments with the microsomal fraction (10,000--105,000 X g percipitate) of the human fetal adrenal gland. The apparent Michaelis constant (Km) for conversion of 17-hydroxyprogesterone was 13.3 X 10(-6)M. Human fetal adrenal 21-hydroxylase was inhibited by some of the steroids produced in the feto-placental unit. The following steroids acted as competitive inhibitors of the reaction; progesterone (Ki = 20.0 X 10(-6)M), 11-deoxycortisol (Ki = 87.5 X 10(-6)M) and estradiol-17beta (Ki = 87.5 X 10(-6)M). The most potent inhibitor among the estrogens was estradiol-17beta.

Adrenal Glands↗

Superoxide dismutase activity and lipid peroxidation of the rat liver during development.

The present work was an attempt to understand the effects of oxygen toxicity in the early neonatal period and was performed using rat liver homogenate and mitochondria as examples of superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity and lipid peroxidation. SOD activity of the liver was extremely low during the fetal period and approximately the 5th day after birth. However, a rapid increase in the level of activity was observed from about the 10th day after birth. By the 20th day, this had reached 88% of the level in the adult rat. Peroxidated lipids, in an inverse relation to SOD activity, occurred at high levels during the fetal and early neonatal period, but rapidly decreased after the 10th day. It can be considered, therefore, that protection against oxygen toxicity is inadequate in such rat livers during the fetal and early neonatal periods, but that it is well established by the 10th day after birth.

Animals↗