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Biomedical subjects

M Harada

Publications and source records attributed to M Harada.

At least 523 records · Page 29Linked to original sources
PubMed1996

Effects of chicken extract on the recovery from fatigue caused by mental workload.

Folk wisdom suggests that chicken extract is useful for recovery from physical and mental fatigue. To explore this question, the physiological effect of Brand's Essence of Chicken (BEC), a popular chicken extract used as a traditional remedy, was assessed during recovering from mental stress. We quantitated the blood levels of stress-related substances, and examined the task performance and subjects' mood states during mental workloads. Subjects were 20, healthy male students who have never tasted BEC. They took two bottles of BEC or a placebo (70 ml/bottle) daily in the morning for 7 days. On the final experimental day, two mental workload tests were performed: (A) a mental arithmetic test (MAT; 1600 trials of two or three figure-addition or subtraction for 40 min). (B) a short-term memory test (SMT; 20 trials of memorizing 9 digit numbers). Blood was collected before and after each workload task. After the mental workload, the recovery of mean cortisol level of subjects who consumed BEC was significantly faster than that for those consuming the placebo. The task performance of subjects performing the MAT and SMT was also improved with BEC consumption compared with placebo. According to the profile of mood state questionnaire, subjects felt more active and less fatigued during the workload when they took BEC regularly. We conclude that the extract of chicken has the potential to metabolize stress-related substance in blood and to promote recovery from mental fatigue.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1996

Effectiveness of revascularization surgery evaluated by proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy and single photon emission computed tomography.

Proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) and single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) were used to evaluate chronic ischemic regions in 26 stroke patients before and 1, 3, and 6 months after revascularization surgery. The volume of interest for proton MRS was placed in an area including part of the frontal and temporal opercula, insular cortex, and basal ganglia. Twenty healthy volunteers served as controls for proton MRS. Patients were divided into three groups according to the preoperative proton MRS. Group A (n = 12) had significantly lower N-acetylaspartate/choline (NAA/Cho) and N-acetylaspartate/creatine (NAA/Cr) ratios on the operative side compared to those on the contralateral side, and also lower than those in normal subjects. In seven patients in Group A, postoperative serial proton MRS demonstrated no recovery of these ratios on the operative side. However, proton MRS of the other five patients indicated gradual improvement in these ratios on the operative side at 3 to 6 months after surgery, and SPECT indicated an increase in cerebral blood flow on the operative side in four of these five patients. In Group B (n = 9), proton MRS and SPECT showed no laterality before revascularization and no remarkable change during the postoperative course. In Group C (n = 5), NAA/Cho or NAA/Cr decreased on the contralateral side preoperatively. Two patients showed fluctuating values of NAA/Cho or NAA/Cr during the postoperative period. Serial proton MRS and SPECT studies may be useful for the evaluation of revascularization surgery on ischemic regions. The efficacy of revascularization surgery on the metabolism may appear gradually within 3-6 months.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1996

Metabolism of diethyl 4-[(4-bromo-2-cyanophenyl)-carbamoyl]benzylphosphonate in the rat.

1. The metabolism of diethyl 4-[(4-bromo-2-cyanophenyl)carbamoyl]benzylphosphonate (NO-1886), an antilipidaemic agent, was evaluated in the rat. 2. 14C-NO-1886 was dosed orally to rats (3 mg/kg) and within 24 h after dosing, 27.9 +/- 2.1 and 63.5 +/- 4.2% of the administered radioactivity was recovered from urine and faeces respectively. 3. The metabolite M-2 was isolated from the urine and faeces, and two other metabolites, M-3 and M-5, were isolated from the urine. Two of them were identified as ethyl 4-[(4-bromo-2-cyanophenyl)carbamoyl]benzylphosphonate (M-2) and 4-[(diethoxy-phosphoryl)methyl)]benzoic acid (M-3), and the other one was considered to be 2-amino-5-bromo-3-cyanobenzene sulphate (M-5) by ms and nmr spectrometry. 4. The major metabolic pathway of NO-1886 was found to be mono-hydrolysis of the diethyl phosphonate. It was also considered that M-5 may have been formed in vivo via 2-amino-5-bromo-benzonitrile (M-1) and 2-amino-5-bromo-3-hydroxybenzonitrile (M-4).

Animals↗
PubMed1996

The antitumor effect induced by local injections with interleukin-2 is diminished by combing with a local injection with mitomycin C.

We investigated the antitumor effect of local injections with interleukin (IL)-2 in combination with an injection with mitomycin C (MMC). In BALB/c mice inoculated intraperitoneally (i.p.) with syngeneic Meth A fibrosarcoma on day 0, the i.p. injections with IL-2 at a dose of 20000U twice daily from day 7 to day 10 significantly prolonged survival of the treated mice and such treatment augmented a concomitant immunity specific for the tumor i.p. inoculated. On the other hand, the i.p. injections with IL-2 at a dose of either 5000U or 50000U resulted in no prolonged survival of the treated mice. In addition, neither intravenous nor subcutaneous injections with IL-2 at a dose of 20000U showed the prolonged survival of the treated mice. We further investigated a modulatory effect of a local injection with MMC on the IL-2-induced antitumor effect. The in vivo antitumor effect of local injections with IL-2 was not detected when combined with a local administration of MMC, whereas a systemic administration of MMC showed no such inhibitory effect on the IL-2-induced antitumor effect. Moreover, a delayed-type hypersensitivity response against Meth A, which was augmented by the local injections with IL-2, was significantly diminished by the local administration of MMC. Collectively, our results indicate that local injections with IL-2 could elicit the antitumor effect in vivo only when given at an optimal dose and that this effect could be rather diminished by combing with a local administration of MMC.

Animals↗
PubMed1996

Chicken extract stimulates haemoglobin restoration in iron deficient rats.

Chicken essence is widely used as a traditional remedy for several ailments including anaemia. To test this claim for objective evidence, a series of experiments was carried out in anaemic rats by supplementing iron deficient diets with either liquid or lyophilised essence, which contains mainly protein and peptides (83 mg/ml) and free amino acids (3.1 mg/ml), very little iron (1 microgram/ml), and no fat. Haemoglobin returned to normal significantly more rapidly in rats supplemented with ad libitum liquid BEC over a period of up to 27 days compared with controls fed only water in addition to the ad libitum iron deficient diet. Haemoglobin was also significantly increased after 1 week in animals fed ad libitum diets supplemented with lyophilised chicken essence than with controls fed the unsupplemented diet. The effect was greater with supplementation at the level of 0.2% than at 1% lyophilised essence. The results indicate that the effects were mediated by increased appetite and by enhanced availability of food iron. These studies provide objective evidence for the traditional belief that chicken essence remedies anaemia.

Anemia, Iron-Deficiency↗
PubMed1996

Fas antigen (CD95) and hematopoietic progenitor cells.

We investigated the expression of an apoptosis associated antigen (Fas) (CD95) on hematopoietic progenitor cells. Freshly isolated CD34+ cells from bone marrow did not express Fas. However, interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma) and/or tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) induced dose-dependent expression of both Fas mRNA and Fas protein on the surface of CD34+ cells after 48 hours of serum-free culture. TNF-alpha-induced Fas expression was mediated by p55-TNF-alpha receptor. Induced Fas was functional as it could transduce apoptotic signals in response to anti-Fas monoclonal antibody (MoAb). The Fas-defective 1pr mice are reported to have abnormally radio-resistant hematopoietic stem cells. Consequently, we also investigated the relation between Fas and ionizing radiation. Human CD34+ cells expressed Fas following low-dose ionizing radiation in a dose-dependent fashion. Fas induced on CD34+ cells mediated apoptosis in response to anti-Fas MoAb. We evaluated the expression of Fas and Bel-2 on CD34+ hematopoietic progenitor cells expanded in vitro. CD34+ cells isolated from bone marrow were cultured with hematopoietic growth factors for 7 days. Approximately half of the freshly isolated CD34+ cells expressed Bel-2. CD34+ cells cultured with hematopoietic growth factors gradually became positive for Fas and rapidly lost Bel-2 expression. Furthermore apoptosis was induced in the cultured CD34+ population in response to anti-Fas MoAb. Thus, functional Fas can be induced on hematopoietic progenitor cells in vitro by negative hematopoietic regulators, ionizing radiation, as well as positive hematopoietic regulators. The Fas system is thought to play an important role at the level of hematopoietic progenitor cells in both physiologic and pathologic conditions.

Animals↗
PubMed1996

Low-dose melphalan for treatment of high-risk myelodysplastic syndromes.

Twenty-one consecutive patients with high-risk myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) including six with refractory anemia with excess blasts (RAEB) and 15 with RAEB in transformation (RAEBt) were treated with daily oral low-dose melphalan (2 mg/day). Seven patients achieved complete remission (CR), one patient partial response, and four minor response while the remaining eight did not respond. The median age of the patients was 65 (range 56-83 years). The mean total amount of melphalan given was 140+/-19 mg in patients who achieved CR. The median duration of CR was 14.5 months. Serious toxicity was not encountered in any of the cases. Neither marrow suppression nor pancytopenia was observed during the administration of melphalan in patients who achieved CR. The clinical features of CR patients included normal karyotype and hypocellular marrow in biopsied specimen from the lilac bone. These observations suggest that melphalan may exert some differentiation effects on leukemic cells in addition to cytotoxic effects. Our study indicates that daily administration of low-dose melphalan is worth trying in the treatment of elderly patients with high-risk MDS.

Aged↗
PubMed1996

[Combination therapy with estrogen and UFT in newly diagnosed prostatic cancer (poorly differentiated, stage D2)].

To determine whether long-term oral administration of UFT, a combination of 5-fluorouracil and uracil, in addition to conventional estrogen therapy improved the response and survival of the patients with advanced stage D2 prostate adenocarcinoma, a randomized prospective study was performed with either estrogen alone (Honvan 200 mg/day or presexol 1 mg/day: group A) or estrogen plus UFT (400 mg/day:group B). This study comprises 34 newly diagnosed patients with poorly differentiated prostatic adenocarcinoma (18 patients in group A and 16 in group B). Survival from all causes of death or cancer-specific death were compared using Kaplan-Meier actual methods among the patients separated by histological composition of tumors analyzed WHO histologic patterns, score of extent of disease (EOD), and with or without normalization of serum PSA or PAP levels after treatment. Although combination therapy with UFT against overall survival was effective without statistical significance, better survival in this group than the patients treatment with estrogen alone assessed among the patients whose tumor contained more than 70% of medullary and/or column-cord histological components. The survivals among the patients with EOD score 3 and whose serum PSA or PAP levels did not lead to decrease within normal levels after treatment were also better in group B than in group A. These findings suggest the validity of the combination therapy with UFT in addition to estrogen against highly advanced prostatic cancer patients whose tumor composed of abundant non-hormone-refractor histological components.

Adenocarcinoma↗
PubMed1996

Serum concentration of the soluble interleukin-2 receptor for monitoring acute graft-versus-host disease.

Soluble interleukin-2 receptors (sIL-2R) are elevated in various disorders involving the activation of T cells. We measured serial serum concentrations of sIL-2R in 30 patients receiving allogeneic BMT to evaluate the usefulness of sIL-2R as a parameter for acute GVHD. In the 17 patients who developed acute GVHD, the sIL-2R concentration rose significantly on day 3 following transplantation, preceding the occurrence of acute GVHD. This change was not seen in the 13 patients without acute GVHD. The serum concentration of sIL-2R decreased as the acute GVHD subsided. The peak concentration of serum sIL-2R correlated with the severity of the acute GVHD. Simultaneous measurement of tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF alpha) showed a significant rise in patients with acute GVHD, that became evident earlier than the sIL-2R elevation. TNF alpha concentrations also decreased following treatment of the acute GVHD. However, significant rise in TNF alpha were also seen in the early phase of allogeneic BMT in patients who did not develop acute GVHD. Our data suggest that the serum concentrations of sIL-2R as well as TNF alpha might reflect the severity of acute GVHD, and that the serum sIL-2R concentration might be a sensitive and practical indicator for acute GVHD.

Acute Disease↗
PubMed1996

[Comparison of life habits and health examination data between smokers and ex-smokers].

Health practice and health examination data were compared between smokers and ex-smokers in 6,076 male subjects, whose ages ranged from 40 to 59 years, who participated in health examinations in 1993 in 17 towns of Gunma Prefecture. A total of 4,629 (76.2%) subjects replied to the interview on health practice and also had health examination data that could be used. The numbers of smokers and ex-smokers were 2,681 and 245, respectively for a total of 2,926 target population. The percentage for those having breakfast daily was significantly higher in ex-smokers than in smokers in the age 40's group (p < 0.01). The percentage for those doing exercise more than one day a week was significantly higher in ex-smokers than in smokers in the age 50's group (p < 0.05). Mean body mass index (BMI) was significantly higher in ex-smokers than in smokers in the age 40's and 50's groups, with p < 0.05 and p < 0.01, respectively. Mean high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDLC) was significantly higher in ex-smokers than in smokers in the age 40's group (p < 0.05). The two way analysis of variance on BMI and HDLC was conducted by smoking and drinking factors. BMI was related to only smoking in the age 40's and 50's groups. Smoking and drinking habit related to HDLC in the age 40's group and the latter habit had a relatively large association to HDLC. From the association between BMI and smoking habit, we speculate that exercise was practiced by ex-smokers due to the obesity potential of the ex-smoking status.

Adult↗
PubMed1996

[Age-dependent changes in metabolites of the normal brain in childhood : observation by proton MR spectroscopy].

We investigated aging-dependent changes in proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy (1H-MRS) of the normal brain in childhood, and observed differences in the four portions of the brain. Measurement by 1H-MRS was carried out on the frontal lobe, parietotemporal lobe, temporal lobe and cerebellum. The NAA/Cho ratio increased rapidly in the period from 0 to 2 years of age in all portions except for the cerebellum, and gradually increased after three years of age. The number of measurements of the cerebellum was not sufficient to reach a conclusion, but no clear aging-related change was found. The Cho/Cr ratio decreased according to the neural development in all portions except the cerebellum. Because the T2 relaxation time of water after four years of age was almost the same as that of young adults, we used the relaxation times specified in the literature to quantify the metabolites observed by 1H-MRS. The subjects used for quantification were aged from 4 to 12 years. The concentration of NAA in the temporal lobe was the lowest of the four portions, and that of Cho and Cr in the cerebellum was the highest in four portions. These results could not be obtained by signal ratios alone, and we considered that the quantification of metabolites is necessary for a better understanding of 1H-MRS. This study showed that the results of 1H-MRS vary depending on age and the portion in the brain. Our results may serve as a normal basis for the detection of pathological changes by 1H-MRS.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1996

[Moderately differentiated adenocarcinoma of the lung presenting as multiple intrapulmonary metastases with thin-walled cavities].

A 63-year-old woman complaining of a non-productive cough was referred to our hospital. A chest X-ray film and computed tomographic scan showed a large mass in the S9 region of the right lung, and many intrapulmonary nodules with thin-walled cavities. A transbronchial biopsy specimen revealed moderately differentiated adenocarcinoma of bronchial gland origin. By the end of four cycles of chemotherapy with vindesine, ifosfamide, and cisplatin, the primary mass had markedly regressed, the many metastases had disappeared, and a few bullous lesions remained. On the second admission, many intrapulmonary metastases and cavities were seen again. Although some of the cavities may have been associated with regrowth of residual cancer cells around the remaining bullae, some nodules showed newly-developed thin-walled cavities, and in others bullous lesions developed again. These observations indicate that a check valve mechanism may operate in the formation of the thin-walled cavities.

Adenocarcinoma↗
PubMed1996

[Problems of living-related partial liver transplantation to adult patients].

Here, we describe the clinical course of an adult patient who had living-related liver transplantation (LRLT) from a donor with Gilbert's syndrome and problems of living-related liver transplantation to adult patients. A 22-year-old woman had been diagnosed as having liver cirrhosis at the age of 5. She had undergone devascularization and transsection of the esophagus, and splenectomy for esophageal varices at the age of 8. Complications such as spontaneous bacterial peritonitis and nonspecific colitis sometimes appeared from 17 years old, and icterus and ascites had appeared on all such occasions. Such complications had frequently occurred from 21 years old. Total bilirubin was 5.5 mg/dl and direct bil. was 4.2 mg/dl. The patient and her family members were informed that LRLT might be possible, and they indicated that the patient's 57-year old father was willing to act as the donor. His liver function was examined. His hepatic function was normal except for hyperbilirubinemia (T. Bil. 2.3 mg/dl, D. Bil. 0.3 mg/dl). He was diagnosed with Gilbert's Syndrome because of an increase of unconjugated bilirubin levels during low caloric intake and nicotinic acid test. The standard liver volume for the patient was calculated to be 900 ml on the basis of body weight. Volumetric analysis with computed tomography revealed that the left lobe volume of the donor's liver was 512 ml, corresponding to 56% of the recipient standard liver volume. This proposal was submitted to the ethical committee of Tokushima University School of Medicine and was accepted. In March 28, 1995, the patient underwent LRLT with the donor's left lobe as the graft. The graft weight was 440 g and the graft corresponded to 49% of the recipient's standard liver volume. Volumetric analysis showed rapid enlargement of graft to 683 ml as early as one week after the operation. The donor has returned to work after discharge from the hospital. The recipient is well 11 months after surgery. Total bilirubin was 1.8 mg/dl and D. Bil 0.5 mg/dl. LRLT may become an option for adult recipients, if graft of more than 30% of the recipient standard liver volume is transplanted even from a donor with Gilbert's syndrome.

Adult↗
PubMed1996

[Magnetic resonance studies of dentato-rubro-pallido-luysian atrophy--correlation with clinical severity and age of onset].

Dentato-rubro-pallido-luysian atrophy (DRP-LA) is a rare autosomal dominant neurodegenerative disorder. Recently the genetic abnormality has become clear. We encountered four patients with DRPLA (including a 14-year-old boy and his father) in whom the final diagnosis was made by DNA analysis. In addition to performing conventional MRI, we quantified brain metabolites by proton MR spectroscopy. We also compared the expanded repeat size of CAG trinucleotide in a gene on the short arm of chromosome 12 to the MR findings which consisted of the findings of clinical severity and age of onset. The method reported by Nagafuchi et al. was used to determine the size of the CAG repeat on the focus chromosome. Repeat size was closely correlated with age at onset and disease severity. The MR studies were performed with a Magnetum H-15SP (Siemens, 1.5 Tesla) equipped with a C-P type head coil. Axial T2-WIs (TR = 2000 ms, TE = 90 ms) and T1-WIs (TR = 200 ms, TE = 15 ms) were measured. Atrophy of the brainstem, the tegmentum, and the cerebellum, and periventricular hyperintensity could be seen. The sequence for 1H-MRS was PRESS, voxel size was 8 ml, and regions of interest were placed on right basal ganglia and right parietal white matter. After compensating the observed signals, we obtained metabolite concentrations by using compensated water intensity as an internal standard. Despite the absence of abnormalities of the basal ganglia on MRI, NAA concentrations differed from patient to patient and were low in severe clinical cases. We propose that the CAG repeat size of the focus chromosome and NAA concentration quantified by 1H-MRS are closely correlated with clinical severity and age of onset. In conclusion, DNA analysis may be useful in early diagnosis and 1H-MRS can detect metabolic abnormalities non-invasively even when no markedly abnormal findings can be detected with other clinical modalities.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1996

[A case of valve thrombosis of CarboMedics prosthesis four years after mitral valve replacement: relationship of anticoagulant therapy to coagulation and fibrinolysis activating factors].

A 50-year-old man experienced acute heart failure four years after initial mitral valve replacement (MVR) for left atrial thrombosis using a CarboMedics prosthesis, despite satisfactory coagulation control with warfarin. After initial MVR, late cardiac tamponade occurred twice and left circumflex branch stenosis was treated with percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty (PTCA). Re-MVR with an Edwards-TEKNA valve was performed after echocardiography and cineradiography showed mitral valve thrombosis, with thrombi on both mitral valve leaflets and covering most of the left atrial wall. Post-surgery progress was favorable with warfarin and dipyridamole therapy. After six weeks cardiac catheter revealed complete right external iliac artery occlusion. Cardiac dysfunction and atrial flutter apparently accelerated thrombosis after a common cold activated coagulation. Cardiac tamponade, circumflex branch stenosis, and right external iliac artery occlusion occurred despite satisfactory coagulation control by warfarin. Warfarin suppresses some coagulation factors but cannot always correct hypercoagulability. Two months after re-MVR, coagulation tests showed normal TT, F1 + 2, and D-Dimer but an increase in TAT, suggesting involvement of additional coagulation factors. After artificial valve replacement, therapy should achieve a PT-INR level of 3.0-4.5, with close follow-up using other indices of fibrinolysis and coagulation activity in addition to TT.

Acute Disease↗