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Biomedical subjects

N Adachi

Publications and source records attributed to N Adachi.

At least 181 records · Page 10Linked to original sources
PubMed1991

Antibody response to serotype-specific and cross-reactive neutralization epitopes on VP4 and VP7 after rotavirus infection or vaccination.

By using a competitive solid-phase immunoassay with serotype-specific and cross-reactive neutralizing monoclonal antibodies directed at VP4 and VP7, we tested the antibody responses to some neutralization epitopes on VP4 and VP7 in individuals infected or vaccinated with rotavirus. Antibody responses to VP7 epitopes of the infecting serotype of virus were found at a high frequency in both infants and children. In contrast, antibody responses to VP4 and heterotypic VP7 were observed only when the individuals possessed antibodies to any serotype of rotavirus in their acute-phase or prevaccination sera.

Antibodies, Viral↗
PubMed1991

Beta-2-microglobulin levels in the cerebrospinal fluid: their value as a disease marker. A review of the recent literature.

The usefulness of measuring beta 2-microglobulin levels in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) in neurological diseases is discussed and the relevant literature is reviewed in this article. An elevation of this protein in the CSF is particularly indicative of disease activity in multiple sclerosis, neuro-Behçet's disease, sarcoidosis, acquired immunodeficiency syndrome-dementia complex and meningeal metastasis of malignant tumors, especially the meningeal dissemination of acute leukemia and malignant lymphoma.

Biomarkers↗
PubMed1991

[A case of small cell carcinoma of the lung responding well to oral etoposide therapy].

A case of recurrent small cell carcinoma of the lung, accompanied by intraperitoneal metastasis, was orally treated with etoposide (50 mg/day) for 3 consecutive weeks. Subjective symptoms such as abdominal pain began to improve one week after the start of treatment. After three weeks of treatment, these symptoms disappeared completely, and CT findings also improved. The serum NSE level, which was as high as 89.5 ng/ml before treatment, fell to 8.7 ng/ml after 3 weeks of treatment. The patient is now being followed at the outpatient clinic of our hospital. As adverse reactions to the drug, alopecia and leukopenia were observed. The leukopenia appeared in the third week of treatment, but the white blood cell count returned to normal soon after the drug was discontinued.

Administration, Oral↗
PubMed1991

[One pedigree of "moyamoya" disease].

One familial case of "moyamoya" disease affecting three patients is reported. The patient in Case 1 was a 28-year-old female. She had suffered from motor weakness of the right limbs in her infantile period. She visited our hospital because of sudden headache and left motor weakness associated with nausea and vomiting. On admission, CT scan revealed cerebral hemorrhage in the right caudate nucleus with intraventricular clots and infarction in the left parietal lobe. Angiography showed stenosis of the left ICA terminal portion and occlusion of the right side, with moyamoya vessels in the basal area. The patient in Case 2 was a 54-year-old female, who was the mother of Case 1. After an operation for acute upper intestinal bleeding, she suffered from cerebral infarction. CT scan revealed large low density areas in the territory of the bilateral MCA. Angiography showed stenosis of the bilateral ICA terminal portions, occlusion of the right MCA, stenosis of the left MCA, and moyamoya vessels in the basal area. The patient in Case 3 was a 40-year-old female, who was a younger sister of Case 2. She had a convulsive attack in her infantile period. She visited our hospital because of gradually worsening headache. CT scan revealed multiple infarctions in the left paraventricle, the right parieto-occipital and occipital lobe. Angiography showed occlusion of the bilateral ICA terminals with moyamoya vessels in the basal and the ethmoidal areas. The patient in Case 2 died immediately. Surgery for reconstruction of hemodynamics was performed in Case 1 and 3.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Adult↗
PubMed1991

[Melatonin levels in maternal plasma before and during delivery, and in fetal and neonatal plasma].

UNLABELLED: In the present study, in order to clarify the diurnal changes in pregnant women, fetuses and neonates, pineal hormone (melatonin) was analyzed with a RIA Kit. RESULTS: 1. The venous melatonin concentration at night was higher than during the day in healthy women and full term pregnant women without labor. 2. Melatonin concentrations in maternal venous blood (MV) (67.44 pg/ml) were significantly higher than in umbilical venous blood (UV) (37.78 pg/ml). 3. A distinct midnight peak of melatonin was observed in MV, and UV at delivery. 4. Significant correlations were observed between MV, UV or umbilical arterial blood (UA), but those were non linear. 5. In neonates on the first to fourth day after birth, no midnight peak was able to be clearly observed, but fluctuations were observed. These result indicate that there is a diurnal change in melatonin in full term pregnant women without labor and women in labor. And we suggest that the pineal gland of early neonates secretes melatonin, but no diurnal change in melatonin is established up to 4th day after birth.

Circadian Rhythm↗
PubMed1990

Parathyroid hormone-related protein is a possible autocrine growth inhibitor for lymphocytes.

Adult T-cell leukemia (ATL)-related cells have the ability to produce a newly-isolated calcium-regulating protein, parathyroid hormone-related protein (PTHrP). The present study revealed that lectin-stimulated normal lymphocytes produce immunoreactive (IR)-PTHrP. When the T-cell-enriched fraction was purified from normal lymphocytes and then treated with lectin, a similar amount of IR-PTHrP was detected, suggesting that IR-PTHrP is an actual product of T-lymphocytes. A biologically active fragment of PTHrP, PTHrP(1-34), suppressed DNA synthesis in lectin-stimulated lymphocytes at concentrations greater than 50 pg/mL; the same concentration range of IR-PTHrP detected in the cultured media of lectin-stimulated lymphocytes. Therefore, it is reasonable to postulate that PTHrP is a cytokine inhibiting the cellular growth of normal lymphocytes.

Cell Division↗
PubMed1990

Regulation of histamine turnover via muscarinic and nicotinic receptors in the brain.

To clarify the regulation of central histaminergic (HAergic) activity by cholinergic receptors, the effects of drugs that stimulate the cholinergic system on brain histamine (HA) turnover were examined, in vivo, in mice and rats. The HA turnover was estimated from the accumulation of tele-methylhistamine (t-MH) during the 90-min period after administration of pargyline (65 mg/kg, i.p.). In the whole brain of mice, oxotremorine, at doses higher than 0.05 mg/kg, s.c., significantly inhibited the HA turnover, this effect being completely antagonized by atropine but not by methylatropine. A large dose of nicotine (10 mg/kg, s.c.) also significantly inhibited the HA turnover. This inhibitory effect was antagonized by mecamylamine but not by atropine or hexamethonium. A cholinesterase inhibitor, physostigmine, at doses higher than 0.1 mg/kg, s.c., significantly inhibited the HA turnover. This effect was antagonized by atropine but not at all by mecamylamine. None of these cholinergic antagonists used affected the steady-state t-MH level or HA turnover by themselves. In the rat brain, physostigmine (0.1 and 0.3 mg/kg, s.c.) also decreased the HA turnover. This inhibitory effect of physostigmine was especially marked in the striatum and cerebral cortex where muscarinic receptors are present in high density. Oxotremorine (0.2 mg/kg, s.c.) and nicotine (1 mg/kg, s.c.) also decreased the HA turnover in the rat brain. However, these effects showed no marked regional differences. These results suggest that the stimulation of central muscarinic receptors potently inhibits the HAergic activity in the brain and that strong stimulation of central nicotinic receptors can also induce a similar effect.

Animals↗
PubMed1990

[Tryptophan metabolism during the perinatal period].

UNLABELLED: Tryptophan is considered to be an important indicator of nutritional changes during the perinatal period, from fetus to neonate. By means of high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), we determined the concentrations of both free tryptophan (TRP) and its metabolite, kynurenine (KYN), in maternal venous plasma (M.V.) and umbilical arterial and venous plasma (U.A., U.V.) (n = 45) at the time of delivery. TRP and KYN concentrations were also measured in neonatal venous plasma (n = 11) for 3-5 days following delivery. RESULTS: 1) Day and night plasma TRP levels in non-pregnant women (n = 12), in pregnant women at term before labor (n = 12) and in delivering women (M.V.) (n = 45: day, n = 24: night, n = 21) were significantly different. 2) Both TRP and KYN concentrations were significantly higher in U.A. and U.V. than those in M.V., the concentration gradient being approximately 1:2, and a positive maternal-fetal relationship was observed (r = 0.586-0.944, p less than 0.01). 3) A positive relationship was observed between the venous-arterial gradient of umbilical cord tryptophan and the Kaup Index (r = 0.316, p less than 0.05). 4) In order to minimize individual variations, the ratios of TRP and KYN levels in newborn venous plasma to those in the umbilical arteries were calculated (n = 11). These ratios started to increase at 20-50 hours after delivery, which suggested that the first milk feeding may alter the metabolism of tryptophan in neonates.

Adult↗
PubMed1989

Studies of protease inhibitors in the sera of patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.

Serum levels of 4 protease inhibitors, alpha-1-antitrypsin, C1-inactivator, alpha-2-macroglobulin and antithrombin-III were measured in 11 patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (6 males and 5 females) and a control group without neurologic disease. Our results indicated no significant differences in the level of serum alpha-2-macroglobulin between the 2 groups. We found slight but significantly lower levels of serum antithrombin-III in ALS. The possibility of the participation of proteases or protease inhibitors in the pathogenesis of ALS is discussed.

Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis↗
PubMed1989

Multiple meningiomas of the spinal canal and posterior fossa--case report.

The majority of multiple meningiomas are associated with von Recklinghausen's disease, and those that are not, i.e., true multiple meningiomas, particularly with simultaneous development in the posterior fossa and spinal canal, are very rare. We recently encountered a case of true multiple meningiomas in which the lesions were found simultaneously in the left posterior fossa and the upper thoracic spinal canal. The spinal meningioma consisted mainly of meningotheliomatous components, and that in the posterior fossa of fibroblastic components. Both tumors were surgically removed. The cause of the multiplicity in cases of true multiple meningiomas is unknown. Incidental multiplicity is a consideration when the number of tumors is relatively small. Spinal meningiomas are often undetected in the absence of neurological symptoms. However, even if von Recklinghausen's disease is not present, and particularly when more than two meningiomas have been discovered, the patient must be carefully examined for other tumors.

Aged↗