Biomedical subjects
Publications and source records attributed to N Fujimoto.
We report two cases of unilateral renal angiomyolipoma. In both cases, our preoperative diagnosis was renal cell carcinoma because no low density area compatible with a fatty tissue was noted in the tumors. Histological examination revealed both tumors to be angiomyolipoma mainly composed of myomatous cells and immature fat cells.
A 58-year-old man was admitted to our hospital because of tetraparesis of fairly sudden onset. He had had difficulty in miction since 6 months earlier. MRI study showed a high intensity area in front of the medulla and a low intensity "vessel-like" shadow in front of the upper cervical region on T1-weighted image. The dorsal part of the medulla and cervical spinal cord showed diffuse low intensity signals in T1-weighted image. The intra-axial lesion appeared as high intensity signals in T2-weighted image. Angiography revealed a huge dilated vascular malformation fed by a third part of the right vertebral artery. The lesion in front of the medulla was not opacified. His neurological status progressively deteriorated, resulting in combined respiratory distress. Emergency surgery was performed only for posterior decompression. Although postoperative balloon catheterization was scheduled, he died of gastric perforation and pancreas necrosis one month after the operation. At the autopsy, it was found that the feeding artery of the AVM was branched from the junction of V3 and V4 of the right vertebral artery, where the artery penetrates the dura mater. The meningeal artery was engorged, and the radicular vein of C1 was markedly dilated due to the retrograde filling. The premedullary vessel was thrombosed, but the cervical part of the AVM showed eccentric hypertrophy of the wall and a partially organized thrombus. Intra-axially, the posterior funiculus was markedly destroyed and the spinal cord was edematous and subnecrotic.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
We compared the visual field in 46 eyes of 34 cases with optic neuritis, which included 17 cases with multiple sclerosis (MS) and 17 cases with unknown causes. The visual field examination was measured by program 31 of the Octopus automated perimeter, which tests the central 30 degree field in a 6-degree grid. All eyes had visual acuity of 0.2 or better. The mean visual acuity was 0.97 in MS and 0.83 in the unknown etiology cases. There were no differences in the rate of abnormalities in the 30 degree-field between MS and unknown cases. The mean sensitivity loss of the abnormal visual field with MS was significantly greater than that of the unknown cases. The 30 degree field was divided into 3 sections. MS had almost the same mean sensitivity loss in each section. The cases of unknown etiology had a greater mean loss in 0-10 degrees than that in the other sections. We could conclude therefore that diffuse visual field loss was caused by MS and central depression of 0-10 degrees in the 30 degree field was secondary to an unknown cause. In comparison to the affected eyes seventeen eyes with normal visual acuity and no history of optic neuritis were tested by program 31. Results showed that 3 eyes had abnormal points in 10-30 degree sections.
We compared the visual field within 10 degrees with the latency and amplitude of the P100 component of pattern visually evoked cortical potentials (PVECPs) in optic neuritis. Twenty five eyes of 17 cases with optic neuritis suffered from multiple sclerosis (MS) and in 21 eyes of 17 cases optic neuritis was caused by unknown etiology. The visual field was tested by program 31 of the automated perimeter Octopus. PVECPs were recorded with a television system. The visual field was considered to be abnormal for when at least one abnormal point was found within a 10-degree field. P100 peak latency of PVECPs with above normal mean latency plus 2SD was defined as abnormally prolonged. The abnormalities found by 10-degree visual field and PVECPs latency correlated significantly both in cases of MS and unknown cause. The eyes with mean loss of over 4dB within a 10-degree visual field invariably had a delayed latency. Those with an abnormal central point or abnormal points in the lower part within 10-degree visual field had a delayed latency. The latency was estimated in relation to causes, age, visual acuity and visual field. The cases with worse vision or worse field showed a tendency to have a prolonged latency. In unilateral cases the ratio of PVECPs amplitude between affected eyes and healthy fellow eyes was studied. The eyes which had abnormal visual field within 10 degrees and a delayed latency showed reduced amplitude of at most 61% compared with that of the healthy fellow eyes(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
A rat transplantable pituitary tumor, MtT/F84, grows much faster in E2 treated rats than in normal females, but is much retarded in thyroidectomized rats. Triiodothyronine (T3) administration in a drinking water increased the tumor growth by the dose dependent manner. The tumor contained both estrogen receptor (ER) and T3 receptor. ER levels both in the nuclei and cytosols elevated 2 to 3 times by the T3 administration compared to those of control. E2 administration promotes the growth of MtT/F84 through elevation of nuclear ER level. T3 may directly elevate cellular ER level and thus it may enhance estrogenic actions including the tumor growth.
Twenty-one eyes of thirteen patients suffering from optic neuritis were examined with the Octopus automated perimeter and pattern visually evoked cortical potentials. All eyes had visual acuity of 0.2 or better. Visual field examination was measured by program 31 or 33, which tests the central 30-degree fields in a 6-degree grid. Pattern evoked potentials were obtained by reverse checkerboard stimulation of 3 rev/sec. A prolonged P100 latency was related to at least one abnormal point in the central nine points of program 31. All seven eyes with one abnormal point in the center had a delayed peak latency. The patients with either the normal central nine points of program 31 or normal peak latency had visual acuity of 0.6 or better. The graphs of visual acuity by Octopus compared with pattern evoked potential were very similar. With program Delta, the sensitivity loss ratio, i.e., the ratio of the mean loss at eccentricity of less than 10 degrees over less than 30 degrees, was related to the peak latency in optic neuritis caused by multiple sclerosis.
The recognition that destructive periodontal diseases may be caused by specific microorganisms has led to an increased interest and usage of antimicrobial agents in periodontal therapy. In this study, the effect of topical application of ofloxacin (OFLX), a synthetic antibiotic, was microbiologically evaluated. The new developed controlled release strips containing OFLX (PT-01), in which there were structurally immediate- and sustained-releasing portions, were applied to the periodontal pockets of 27 adult subjects with periodontitis. Three different sites with a deep probing pocket depth (greater than or equal to 5 mm) were randomly selected in each patient, and were divided into three groups, i.e., PT-01 applied site (T), placebo-applied site (P) and control site (C). Periodontal treatments consisted of oral hygiene instruction and supragingival scaling on day 0 and 7, and subgingival scaling and root planing on day 14. PT-01 was weekly applied on day 0 to 35, and the subgingival plaque samples from each site were collected on day 0, 14, 21 and 42. The dynamics of subgingival microflora was investigated by dark field microscopy for determination of the %s of spirochetes, motile rods and coccoid cells, and anaerobic and aerobic cultivations for the determinations of the total number of subgingival bacteria, black-pigmented Bacteroides (BPB), Fusobacterium species and Actinobacillus actinomycetemcomitans. The results showed that the significant reduction of %s of spirochetes and motile rods and significant increase of % coccoid cells were found in only PT-01 applied sites during first 14 days. In this period, the total number of cultivable bacteria, BPB and Fusobacterium species were also significantly reduced in T sites. While, after subgingival scaling and root planing were performed, significant changes in the proportions and numbers of the subgingival microflora were found in all sites. Especially, PT-01 applied site showed significant improvement in the %s of spirochetes and motile rods as well as the total number of the bacteria. Moreover, the further microbiological determinations of the each isolate revealed that no detectable amounts of A. actinomycetemcomitans could be found from any samples in this study. These results suggested that weekly application of PT-01 in the periodontal pocket could have significant effects on the qualitative and quantitative improvements in the subgingival microflora. It was also suggested that the application of PT-01 might have ameliorating effect as adjuncts of mechanical subgingival plaque control in the periodontal treatment.
Explore the source record for details and available documents.
Explore the source record for details and available documents.
A case of quadrigeminal cistern arachnoid cyst associated with hydrocephalus is reported. A 1-year-old girl was admitted to our service on July 31, 1984, because of mental retardation and an enlarged head. She was born of a full-term pregnancy and normal vaginal delivery without prenatal complications. Progressive increase in her head circumference was noticed at the age of 6 months by her family physician. On admission she was found to be a well-nourished infant with a head circumference of 56 cm, bulging anterior fontanelle and mental retardation. Marked dilatation of the lateral ventricles and a large cyst in the quadrigeminal cistern were demonstrated on plain CT. There were no findings of communication between the ventricular system and the cyst on metrizamide CT ventriculography. The extension of the cyst from the quadrigeminal cistern to the right cerebello-pontine angle was demonstrated on reconstructed coronal CT. Reconstructed sagittal section revealed huge hydrocephalus caused by aqueductal stenosis. A vertebral angiography demonstrated opening of the para-mesencephalic segments of the bilateral posterior cerebral arteries and downward displacement of the right superior cerebellar artery. Accordingly, a large quadrigeminal cistern arachnoid cyst with hydrocephalus caused by aqueductal stenosis was suspected. Following V-P shunt operation for hydrocephalus, right temporo-parietal craniotomy was performed. The inner wall of the lateral ventricle was thin and an expanding cyst was observed through it. A partial resection of the cyst wall with the ventricular wall was performed to obtain communication between the cyst and lateral ventricle. The content of the cyst was watery clear fluid like CSF.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
A case of transverse ectopia of the right testis with left inguinal hernia is reported. A one-year-old-boy was admitted to our hospital with swelling of the left scrotal contents and right undescended testis. At operation, two testes were situated on the left side, one in the left scrotum and another in the left inguinal canal. Right transseptal orchiopexy was performed. Including our case, we discovered 73 cases of transverse ectopia of the testes in the Japanese literature. A brief discussion was made about the disease.
Explore the source record for details and available documents.
Prostaglandin D synthetase (Urade, Y., Fujimoto, N., and Hayaishi, O. (1985) J. Biol. Chem. 260, 12410-12415) in the brain of 2- and 8-week-old rats was biochemically indistinguishable as judged by Mr (26,000), pI values (4.35-4.75), Km for prostaglandin H2 (approximately 20 microM), and requirement of sulfhydryl compounds. Furthermore, the enzyme was immunologically the same at both ages, as judged by immunotitration, Ouchterlony immunodiffusion, and immunoblotting analyses using a polyclonal and two monoclonal antibodies specific for the enzyme. However, the cellular localization of the enzyme was markedly different between the two ages, as examined by immunoperoxidase staining with the specific antibodies. The immunoreactivity was found in many neurons in 2-week-old rats but was not detected in most neurons in 8-week-old rats except for multipolar neurons in layers I-II of the neocortex and several clusters of dendrites in the pyriform cortex. In the adult rat, the immunoreactivity was mainly localized in oligodendrocytes. By immunoelectron microscopy, the immunoreactive deposits were seen in rough-surfaced endoplasmic reticulum and outer nuclear membrane of the glial cells.
The steady-state levels of prostaglandin D2, E2 and F2 alpha in the rat eye were 0.5, 0.1 and 1.0 ng/g, respectively, which increased differently among the prostaglandins after a 40-min incubation of the homogenate at 37 degrees C (to 23, 12 and 14 ng/g, respectively). When the eye was dissected into anterior uveal, scleral, and retinal complexes, prostaglandin D2 was formed in the highest degree in all the complexes, whereas prostaglandin E2 and F2 alpha formation was specific to given ocular regions. Three prostaglandin synthetase activities with similar Km values (20-40 microM) were found in the 10,000 X g supernatant of these tissues, i.e., GSH-independent and soluble D, GSH-dependent and membrane-bound E, and soluble F synthetase activities. These enzyme activities correlated well with the prostaglandin formation in each tissue. D synthetase activity being highest in all the tissues (11-25 nmol/min per g). Three types of prostaglandin-catabolizing enzyme activities were detected in the 100,000 X g supernatant of the tissues, i.e., type II 15-hydroxy dehydrogenase (Km = 10-30 microM), 9-keto (500 microM) and 11-keto reductase (2.5 mM). The activity of the dehydrogenase was low even in the retina, the tissue with the highest levels (0.51, 0.35 and 0.15 nmol/min per g for prostaglandin E2, F2 alpha and D2, respectively).
Rat spleen prostaglandin D synthetase (Christ-Hazelhof, E., and Nugteren, D. H. (1979) Biochim. Biophys. Acta 572, 43-51) is very similar to rat brain prostaglandin D synthetase (Urade, Y., Fujimoto, N., and Hayaishi O. (1985) J. Biol. Chem. 260, 12410-12415) as judged by their pI (4.7-5.2), Mr (26,000-27,000), and self-inactivation during the isomerase reaction from prostaglandin H2 to prostaglandin D2. However, the amino acid compositions of these two enzymes were quite different. Furthermore, the spleen enzyme was associated with the glutathione S-transferase activity, differing from the brain enzyme. The synthetase and transferase activities of the spleen enzyme showed almost identical pH and glutathione dependencies, the optimum pH = 8.0 and Km for glutathione = 300 microM. The Km values for prostaglandin H2 and 1-chloro-2,4-dinitrobenzene (a substrate for the transferase) were about 200 microM and 5 mM, respectively. The synthetase activity was dose-dependently inhibited by 1-chloro-2,4-dinitrobenzene (IC50: approximately 5 mM) and more strongly by nonsubstrate ligands, such as bilirubin and indocyanine green (IC50: 150 and 2 microM, respectively). Both the synthetase and transferase activities of the purified enzyme dose-dependently decreased and showed identical immunotitration curves by incubation with antibody against this enzyme, but remained unchanged when treated with antibody against the brain enzyme. The antibody specific for the spleen enzyme absorbed almost all of the synthetase activity and about 10% of the transferase activity in the spleen, but not the transferase activity in the liver, heart, and testis. These results show that the two types of prostaglandin D synthetase are similar but different enzymes and that the spleen enzyme is a unique glutathione S-transferase differing from other isozymes and their subunits reported previously.
Serum lipid and apolipoprotein concentrations were measured in 37 male survivors of cerebral infarction (CI) and in 30 healthy controls. Both groups had similar total cholesterol levels, but the HDL-cholesterol level was significantly lower and the serum triglyceride level was significantly higher in the CI patients than in the controls. The ApoB level was significantly higher in the CI patients but there was no significant difference between the 2 groups in the levels of the other apolipoproteins (ApoA-I, A-II, C-II, C-III, and E). The HDL-cholesterol/ApoA-I ratio was significantly lower in the CI patients. Both the VLDL-triglyceride and VLDL-cholesterol levels were higher in the CI patients but the VLDL-cholesterol especially its cholesterol ester level was conspicuously high. A population of VLDL particles that bound to heparin on heparin-Sepharose columns was increased in the CI patients. We suggest that cholesterol ester is excessively transferred from HDL to VLDL during the disturbed catabolism of VLDL in CI patients.
Explore the source record for details and available documents.
A case of renal angiomyolipoma originating from polycystic kidney with horseshoe kidney is reported. A 32-year-old woman visited our hospital with the complaint of proteinuria. with computerized tomographic scan and further examinations the patient was diagnosed as having renal angiomyolipoma with tuberous sclerosis. The tumor originated from a polycystic horseshoe kidney. Three weeks later, she complained of right flank pain and was diagnosed with spontaneous rupture of the angiomyolipoma. Right heminephrectomy was performed and histological examination confirmed the preoperative diagnosis. Some discussion is made on the characteristics and treatment of renal angiomyolipoma, and the statistics on renal diseases with tuberous sclerosis in Japan are presented.