Search PubMed⌕ Search

Biomedical subjects

M Fujii

Publications and source records attributed to M Fujii.

At least 451 records · Page 25Linked to original sources
PubMed1994

A case of bacterial meningitis complicated by post-traumatic cerebrospinal fluid rhinorrhea.

This paper reports an 11 year old boy with bacterial meningitis accompanied by post-traumatic cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) rhinorrhea. Streptococcus pneumoniae was cultured from CSF. The clinical course was very rapid before admission and his age relatively high for usual bacterial meningitis. Consequently, we examined the cause in detail. Immunological findings were within normal limits. Although routine graphic examinations, such as cranial X-ray photography, horizontal cranial computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging, could not demonstrate a bone defect, both coronal thin-section cranial CT scanning and radioactive isotope counting by means of cotton packed into the nasal cavity were useful for detecting CSF rhinorrhea. In a case of atypical meningitis, the past history should be examined with caution and coronal thin-section CT should be performed.

Cerebrospinal Fluid Rhinorrhea↗
PubMed1994

Serum response factor has functional roles both in indirect binding to the CArG box and in the transcriptional activation function of human T-cell leukemia virus type I Tax.

We previously reported that Tax1 of human T-cell leukemia virus type I interacts directly with serum response factor (SRF) and that Tax1 activates the transcription of several cellular immediate-early genes through the SRF binding site (CArG box). This activation required the transcriptional activation function of Tax1, identified as an activity of GALTax (a chimeric Tax1 with the yeast transcription factor GAL4) at the GAL4-binding site. In this study, we examined whether SRF plays a role in the transcriptional activation function of Tax1. Expression of Tax1 suppressed the GALTax activity at the GAL4 site as a result of squelching, and the suppressed activity was recovered by the overexpression of SRF, suggesting that SRF is a factor that is required for GALTax activity and that is inhibited by competition with Tax1. The expression of antisense SRF RNA specifically inhibited GALTax activity to less than 20%. Deletion of the Tax1 interaction domain of SRF at its C terminus converted SRF from an activator of GALTax to an inhibitor. These results suggest that SRF is an essential component of the transcriptional activation of Tax1 in addition to a mediator of CArG box binding.

3T3 Cells↗
PubMed1994

No pigment deposition in a patient with advanced retinitis punctata albescens.

A 51-year-old woman had had night blindness since childhood and a progressive visual field defect. She was the product of a consanguineous marriage. The patient also exhibited numerous whitish-yellow punctate spots with no pigment deposition in her fundi, nonrecordable electroretinographic responses after 30 min of dark adaptation, and constricted visual fields bilaterally. We believe that our patient may be a case of retinitis punctata albescens without pigment.

Consanguinity↗
PubMed1994

Preparation and antigenic properties of digitoxin-bovine serum albumin conjugates linked at the digitoxose C-3' and C-3" positions.

In order to obtain specific antisera to digitoxin, four new types of hapten-bovine serum albumin (BSA) conjugates were synthesized from digitoxin. The haptens were linked to the carrier protein through hemisuccinate and hemisuccinylglycine bridges at the C-3' and C-3" positions in the digitoxose chain. The antisera were prepared by immunizing rabbits with each digitoxin-BSA conjugate and the properties of the antisera were investigated by RIA with 3H-labeled digitoxin. Among these antisera, the antiserum raised against digitoxin 3'-hemisuccinate-BSA conjugate possessed high specificity for digitoxin, exhibiting only minor cross-reactions with digitoxigenin bisdigitoxoside (4.0%), dihydrodigitoxin (2.8%), digoxin (2.4%), digitoxigenin monodigitoxoside (0.23%) and digitoxigenin (< 0.05%).

Animals↗
PubMed1994

Stimulatory release of lipoprotein lipase activity with activation of protein tyrosine kinase produced by low molecular weight dextran sulfate in Ehrlich ascites tumor cells.

Lipoprotein lipase (LPL), which is responsible for the hydrolysis of lipoprotein triacylglyceride, has been examined in Ehrlich ascites tumor cells. Low molecular weight dextran sulfate (DXS, M.W. 3.2 kDa) stimulates the release of the enzyme activity from the tumor cells into the incubation medium in a time-dependent manner. The stimulatory effect of DXS was markedly decreased by incubation with protein tyrosine kinase (TK) inhibitors, such as ST 638, biochanin A and amiloride. The activity of the partially purified TK preparation from the tumor cells was found to be increased following incubation with DXS in a manner which was both time- and dose-dependent. These results suggest that the stimulatory release of LPL activity by DXS is associated with the activation of TK in the tumor cells.

Animals↗
PubMed1994

Application of an oily gel formed by hydrogenated soybean phospholipids as a percutaneous absorption-type ointment base.

We investigated the possibility of developing an oily gel formed by hydrogenated soybean phospholipids (HSL) as a percutaneous absorption-type ointment base. Liquid paraffin (LP) was used as the oil, and indomethacin (IM), ketoprofen (KP), flurbiprofen (FP) and ibuprofen (IP) were used as model drugs. IM did not dissolve in LP, but solubilized when heated with HSL at a concentration of about 1% with 15% HSL at 95 degrees C. IM gel was thus prepared as follows: IM and HSL were mixed, added into LP, capped tightly, heated in a water bath and cooled. The consistency of the gel increased with increasing IM concentration, indicating some kind of interaction between IM and HSL. The release of IM from the IM gel was faster than that from a preparation in which IM was mixed in gel at room temperature (Gel + IM). The release rate of IM from IM gel was proportional to IM concentrations up to 1%, but became constant above that. Permeation of IM through hairless rat abdominal skin from IM gel was higher than that from the Gel + IM. The permeation rate was proportional to IM concentrations in the range of 0.1 to 0.5% in 15% HSL gel. KP and FP also solubilized in gel when subjected to the same procedure as IM, and their release and permeation increased when they were formulated as gels. However, no evident improvement of permeation was observed in the case of IP, which had high LP solubility. It was suggested that HSL showed no enhancing effect, but solubilized IM, KP or FP, leading to high permeation from the gel. After 3 months' storage, the permeation rate did not change for 0.5% IM in 15% HSL gel, but decreased for 1% IM in 15% HSL gel. This indicates that in the case of 1% IM in 15% HSL gel, IM is in a supersaturated state immediately after preparation and then recrystallizes with time.

Animals↗
PubMed1994

Hemimegaloencephaly with periventricular heterotopia--case report.

A 7-year-old girl was admitted with an unusual anomaly of hemimegaloencephaly associated with periventricular heterotopia manifesting as intractable seizures and mental retardation. Magnetic resonance (MR) imaging showed left hemispheric hypertrophy and left ventricular dilatation. Proton density-weighted MR imaging revealed a periventricular lesion isointense with gray matter. MR imaging is an effective method for diagnosing hemimegaloencephaly and heterotopia.

Brain Diseases↗
PubMed1994

Topographical anatomy of the internal mammary lymphatics in the superior mediastinum and anterior mediastinal lymph nodes.

The lymphatics lying along the internal thoracic artery and vein, which are termed the "internal mammary lymphatics" (IML), were minutely dissected in 134 adult cadavers (80 males and 54 females, aged 27-94 years) in order to clarify the configuration of IML in the superior mediastinum. On the right side, IML frequently terminated at the brachiocephalic angle (BA) nodes and often at the nodes situated at an intermediate position between the internal thoracic artery and vein. By way of these nodes, IML communicated with regional lymphatics of the lung and esophagus. Moreover, IML joined the right superficial bronchomediastinal trunks. On the left side, IML consistently terminated at a superficial group of aortic arch nodes, termed the "superior phrenic nodes", lying along the left phrenic nerve and lying medially to the internal thoracic vein and inferiorly to the left brachiocephalic vein. At and around these nodes, IML joined drainage routes from the so-called Botallo's nodes, which received the left lung lymphatics. The efferents of the superior phrenic nodes formed the left superior bronchomediastinal trunks, and passed deeply to the left brachiocephalic vein and on the subclavian artery toward the left venous angle region. Consequently, IML formed common drainage routes with the drainage routes from the lung and esophagus in the superior mediastinum. A transverse communicating route of IMLs via the retromanubrial nodes, lying inferior to or along the left brachiocephalic vein, was often observed. On the right side, the communicating route terminated at the BA nodes or the nodes situated at an intermediate position between the internal thoracic artery and vein. On the left side, the route consistently terminated at the superior phrenic nodes. In addition to the communicating route described above, we identified (1) a direct and superficial transverse communicating route, and (2) a deep transverse communicating route. The former route was composed of fasciculated large collecting vessels directly connecting the BA nodes to the left venous angle region, lying superficial to the left brachiocephalic vein. The latter route was composed of several large collecting vessels, crossing the brachiocephalic and left common carotid arteries superficially, and merging into the left phrenic nodes directly or occasionally via the pretracheal nodes. These results suggested that IMLs of both sides can closely communicate with each other in the superior mediastinum.

Adult↗
PubMed1994

Efficacy of a new 5-fluorouracil derivative, BOF-A2, in advanced non-small cell lung cancer. A multi-center phase II study.

Oral BOF-A2 (Emitefur), a new derivative of 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) containing both 1-ethoxymethyl-5-FU (EMFU), a masked form of 5-FU, and 3-cyano-2,6-dihydroxypyridine (CNDP), an inhibitor of 5-FU degradation, was administered to 71 non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients in a multi-center phase II study. The patients were scheduled to receive at least 2 courses of treatment, each consisting of 200 mg twice daily for 2 weeks followed by a 2-week rest period. Out of 62 evaluable patients, 11 (18%) responded (8 of 44 adeno- and 3 of 15 squamous cell carcinomas). Thirty-four patients showed no change and 17 progressive disease. The incidences of grade > or = 2 hematologic toxicity were 5-8% for leukopenia, thrombocytopenia, and anemia. The incidences of non-hematologic toxicity of grade > or = 2, such as anorexia, nausea/vomiting, and diarrhea, were close to 20% or lower.

Adenocarcinoma↗
PubMed1994

[Home terminal care for terminal gastric cancer patients--case of epidural morphine injection].

Pain management at home for a terminal gastric cancer patient unable to take medications orally was made possible by a combination of serial morphine drip infusion and epidural anesthesia with morphine on a continuing basis using a disposal syringe. Before the patient was discharged, a conference was held to prepare for home care. Besides the patient and family, it was attended by the primary care doctor, ward nurse, home nurse, pharmacy staff, pain clinic doctor and hospital office personnel. The patient was duly informed of the disease by name and, thanks to fine cooperation from the medical staff, had achieved a good understanding, and spent his remaining time meaningfully. Morphine dosages upon discharge were 80 mg/day by drip infusion and 90 mg/day epidurally. For times of increased pain, the patient was instructed in how to self-administer 0.5% Mepivacaine (5 ml/time) with a syringe using an epidural catheter equipped with a 3-way stopcock. When this proved insufficient to control the pain, the patient was instructed to come for outpatient treatment on an emergency basis. With one visit per week to the hospital and home visits by a nurse once or twice a week, the patient managed at home for 82 days before increased pain resulted in rehospitalization. After the pain was brought under control and the patient was discharged, he was again hospitalized 5 days later. The pain control up until the time of death was by drip infusion of up to 1,200 mg/day morphine.

Adult↗
PubMed1994

Human T-lymphotropic virus type-I influence on hepatotropic virus infections and the subsequent development of hepatocellular carcinoma.

We studied the serologic status, with respect to hepatitis B virus (HBV), hepatitis C virus (HCV), and human T-lymphotropic virus type-I (HTLV-I) of blood donors in an area endemic for adult T-cell leukemia (ATL). Similarly, we studied the serologic status of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) patients from the same district. In the donors, the incidence of serological positivity for these viruses was 0.95, 1.23, and 3.75%, respectively. There was a positive correlation between the presence of anti-HCV and serological HTLV-I positive status in these subjects (1.9 vs. 1.1%) for those with HTLV-I negative status, implying high susceptibility for HCV infection among HTLV-I carriers. Fifty-nine percent of HCC patients were positive for anti-HCV and twenty-six percent of those were simultaneously positive for the antibody to HTLV-I. HCC patients infected with HTLV-I were younger than patients not so infected (61.5 +/- 8.8 vs. 64.8 +/- 8.4 years, p < 0.05). These observations suggest the possibility that HTLV-I could be one of the factors that promote the development of HCC caused by hepatotropic viruses.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1994

[Hemodynamics during hypervolemic hemodilution (HH) technique].

In order to avoid blood transfusion in patient, we have been carrying out hypervolemic hemodilution (HH) with HES and Ringer's lactate without blood withdrawal. We studied the hemodynamics during hypervolemic hemodilution in adult mongrel dogs. The dogs were divided into two groups; control group (group C) and nitroglycerin group (group N) in which nitroglycerin was administrated at 1 microgram.kg-1.min-1. During HH, CVP, PAP, PCWP increased remarkably, and they were lower in group N than in group C, and CO increased in group N more than in group C. Though by the acute hemodilution Hct decreased to 30%, PaO2/FIO2, pH, and SvO2 remained within normal ranges. We conclude that HH is a very useful technique to avoid blood transfusion. However, during HH the excessive volume loading is associated with significant increase in CVP and PCWP, and the vasodilating therapy is effective to reduce the volume overloading.

Animals↗
PubMed1994

[A pedigree with maternally transmitted diabetes mellitus, deafness and cardiomyopathy].

A pedigree with maternally transmitted diabetes mellitus, deafness, and cardiomyopathy is described. A A-->G mutation at nucleotide pair 3243 in mitochondrial gene was detected by Apa I digestion of PCR amplified genomic DNA from 3 brothers and their mother. The proband, suffering from CHF, showed unique fine granular pattern of hyperechogenic cardiomyopathy as his brother and their mother did. Although he is recently treated with insulin, he was initially NIDDM treated by sulfonylurea. His urinary CPR excretion decreased gradually to as low as less than 10 micrograms/day in these 3 years. The insulin response to oral glucose was decreased in all other family members with the mutation. It is suggested that the defective insulin secretion exists in this family with the mutation and the progressive decrease in insulin secretion might resulted in IDDM in the proband.

Adult↗
PubMed1994

[The optimal period for orally administered fluoropyrimidines as an adjuvant chemotherapy for gastric cancer--a pilot study using 5-FU tablets compared with surgical operation alone].

Long-term oral administration of fluoropyrimidines such as 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) or tegafur is commonly used as an adjuvant chemotherapy for gastric cancer, but the optimal period or optimal total doses of fluoropyrimidines have not been studied. Two hundred cases of macroscopical Stage II and III curatively resected gastric cancer patients were entered in this study, and divided into three groups (6 months group: mitomycin C was given i.v. at day 0 and day 1 and 5-FU tablets were orally administered at a dose of 200 mg/day for 6 months. 12 months group: MMC was given the same as for the 6 months group and 5-FU tablets were administered for 12 months. Surgery alone group: No chemotherapy, operation only). As the result, 185 cases were eligible. There was no significant difference between the 6 months group and the 12 months group among Stage II patients. Although there was also no significant difference between the 2 groups in Stage III patients, the survival curve of 12 months group was always higher than in the 6 months group. When comparing with surgery alone group, 5-year survival of the 12 months group was always higher than in the surgery alone group of Stage III patients; however, the survival rate in the 6 months group was worse than in the surgery alone group at Stage II and III. These results suggest that MMC i.v. and 12 months or over administration of 5-FU tablets is useful for Stage III gastric cancer patients, and that cooperative study is required comparing with surgery alone in Stage II patients.

Administration, Oral↗
PubMed1994

[Carpal tunnel syndrome: clinical experience of 61 cases].

Carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) is the most frequent entrapment neuropathy. Appropriate diagnosis and therapy contribute to obtaining good results. We performed carpal tunnel release in 61 patients including 8 cases with chronic renal failure. They included 18 males and 43 females. Age distribution was from 28 to 76 years of age among the males, and from 29 to 82 years of age among the female patients. Bilateral operations were performed in 13 cases (male 5, female 8). Operations were carried out with local anesthesia in all cases except one. The skin incision was about 5 cm on the palmar skin. Hypertrophy of the transverse carpal ligament was found in all cases, with a thickness of 4 mm on the average. Usually, the ligament was as hard as gum in consistency. There were also hypertrophy of the subcutaneous connective tissue and palmar aponeurosis or aberrant muscle in some cases. In CTS following long-term hemodialysis for chronic renal failure, the ligament was very hard and appeared to be partly calcified. All patients improved clinically after the operation. We should understand the characteristic clinical symptoms and signs of CTS. Clinical worsening was prominent at night and/or early in the morning. Definite diagnosis was performed by electrophysiological means. Operative indications are 1) cases whose daily activities are disturbed due to severe symptoms with progressive aggravation, 2) cases with muscle weakness in the distribution of the median nerve, 3) cases with thenar atrophy, 4) cases which, electrophysiologically, are suspected of demyelination of the median nerve. As there were many unpredictable anomalies and variations among the lesions, correct decompression of the median nerve under direct vision is necessary during surgery.

Adult↗
PubMed1994

[Disorganized eye movements and visuospatial dysfunctions in an early stage of the patients with Alzheimer's disease--the effects of language and visual information processing on constructional performances].

In Alzheimer's disease higher brain function disorders such as geographical disorientation, visual agnosia and constructional disability are frequently observed in addition to the progressive memory loss. Visual information processing was studied through newly developed technology, vision analyzer, since visuospatial functions play an important role in the pathophysiology underlying these neuropsychiatric symptoms and dementia itself. We found characteristic findings as to eye movements of focus indicating visual cognitive disorders. Language or language functions, however, are considered to be essentially involved in visuospatial functions. We examined eye movements of patients suffering from Alzheimer's disease (15 cases), MID (5 cases), Parkinson's disease (5 cases) and 10 control subjects during constructional behavior under various conditions in terms of visual information processing. 1. Alzheimer's disease (n = 15): All patients showed constructional disabilities when copying geometrical figures. 1) Three dimensional drawing was possible following verbal instructions in 7 out of 15 patients. 2) Three dimensional drawing was successful when the model figure to be copied was covered in 4 out of these 7 patients. 3) Three dimensional drawing was possible following verbal instruction in a dark room, although they were not so accurate but better than those when copied in 4 out of 7 patients. 4) The analysis of eye movements revealed that typical eye movements were confirmed during copying geometric figures. The distribution of the gazing points of focus, and the average eye movement velocity distribution were also distinctive. But these disorganized eye movements in description of graphic figures following verbal instruction became more similar to those of healthy controls when compared to those in the copying graphic figures. 2. MID (n = 5), Parkinson disease (n = 5), healthy controls (n = 10): 1) No subject showed constructional disability when copying a graphic figure. They were also capable to describe a graphic figure both in the dark and following verbal instruction. 2) No remarkable change was observed in the distribution of the eye movement, or in the average eye movement velocity on these subjects. 3. These results indicate that in an early stage of the patients with Alzheimer's disease, primary or fundamental disorders seem to lay in the verification process of visual information, which results in the difficulties in categorization process of the visual objects. The categorization process is involved with language function, which was preserved in a certain period at an early stage of the disease.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)

Alzheimer Disease↗
PubMed1994

[Early phase II clinical study of KW-2307 in patients with lung cancer. Lung Cancer Section in KW-2307 Study Group].

A multicenter early Phase II clinical study of KW-2307, a new vinca alkaloid derivative, in patients (pts) with lung cancer was conducted in 15 hospitals. Ninety-seven pts were enrolled, among whom 95 were eligible. Seventy of the eligible pts had non-small cell cancer (NSCLC) and 25 had small cell cancer (SCLC). PR was obtained in 13 (18.6%) of NSCLC pts and 3 (12%) of SCLC pts. Only those who had no previous chemotherapy showed PR in NSCLC pts, and the response rate in these pts was 29.5% (13/44). As to the correlation between dosage and tumor effect, a better effect was exhibited at higher doses, with response rates of 21.7% (5/23) and 38.1% (8/21) at 20 mg/m2 and 25 mg/m2, respectively. The major adverse effect of this drug was leukopenia (neutropenia), which was Grade 3 or 4 in many cases. Recovery from this complication, however, was rapid. Other adverse effects included mild hepatic dysfunction, anorexia, nausea/vomiting, fever, general fatigue, phlebitis and constipation. The incidence of peripheral nervous disorder such as the paresthesia commonly observed with vinca alkaloids, was as low as 10%, and the symptoms, if any, were mild.

Adult↗