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Biomedical subjects

N Kikuchi

Publications and source records attributed to N Kikuchi.

At least 127 records · Page 7Linked to original sources

Prolonged survival of rat hepatic allografts after total-body irradiation of the donors.

The effect of total-body irradiation of the donor on hepatic allograft survival was studied in the rat, with ACI(RT1a) as the donor and LEW(RT1(1)) as the recipient. LEW recipients of ACI liver transplants experienced severe acute rejection, with a mean survival of only 10.2 +/- 0.3 days. The doses of irradiation were 450, 750, and 1000 rads administered 24 hr prior to harvesting or subsequent transplantation. TBI with a dose of 750 rads significantly prolonged the survival of the hepatic allograft to 30.3 +/- 1.7 days, without concomitant immunosuppression. However, neither 450 rads nor 1000 rads of TBI resulted in successful suppression of graft rejection. TBI appeared to have a beneficial effect on hepatic allograft survival and to have no deleterious effect on isograft survival, suggesting a possible modulation of the immunogenicity of the donor organ. Although the cause of this beneficial effect is not clear, TBI with a dose of 750 rads 24 hr prior to organ harvest seems to be optimal to eliminate-antigen presenting cells in the donor organs.

Animals↗

The time course of cell-mediated lympholysis in rat hepatic allograft recipients pretreated with a single donor-specific blood transfusion.

A single intravenous injection of 1 ml freshly heparinized donor blood seven days before transplantation significantly prolonged the survival of subsequent donor-specific hepatic allografts in the fully allogeneic ACI(RT1a-to-LEW(RT1l)) rat combination. The time course of cell-mediated lympholysis was studied in this animal model. The activity of CML in lymphocytes infiltrating into the hepatic allograft (CML-G) and in the spleen (CML-S) was determined by measuring % lysis of donor Con A blast cervical lymph node cells. Preoperative DST resulted in an increased activity of CML-S with a peak (31.6%, E/T = 150) on day 7. This increased CML-S activity after DST rapidly declined during the first days following hepatic transplantation. The activities of both CML-S and CML-G then increased after transplantation and reached peaks on days 15 (48%, E/T = 150) and 20 (2.57%, E/T = 75), respectively. These were much higher than the peak values of CML-S (11.2%, E/T = 150) on day 7 and CML-G (19.5%, E/T = 75) on day 6 in untreated controls and were followed by a subsequent gradual decrease in those activities to preoperative levels by day 113 posttransplant. Phenotypic analysis of lymphocytes infiltrating grafts in DST-treated hosts demonstrated that the CD4/CD8 ratio remained relatively constant (less than 1.0). While the ratio in control grafts increased and reached a peak (2.17) on day 9. Histological examination revealed that mononuclear cell infiltration of grafts reached a peak on day 9 in both DST-treated hosts and controls. This mononuclear cell accumulation gradually subsided in DST-enhanced grafts. The mitotic index of graft hepatocytes reached a peak on day 15 in DST-treated hosts and on day 7 in control. The evidence of prolonged survival of hepatic grafts in recipients pretreated with DST, despite the presence of cytotoxic T cells with increased CML activity in vitro, suggests that effector cytotoxic cell activity may not be necessary for rat liver allograft rejection and that there may be limitations in measuring host cytotoxic activity simply by CML assays.

Animals↗

[A study to clarify the mechanism of the usefulness of the macrolides--the influence of clarithromycin to biofilm with P. aeruginosa].

Clarithromycin (CAM) was administered long-term to patients with diffuse panbronchiolitis (DPB) to clarify the mechanism of the usefulness of the macrolides (MLs). 1. A tendency for clinical improvement was observed in 17 patients with DPB. Bacteria were eradicated in 7 of 9 patients with P. aeruginosa found in sputum. 2. A biofilm experimental model with P. aeruginosa was found to be destructed through constant contact with CAM and formed into a single cell with a smooth surface. 3. It was believed that the new lesion forming capability of P. aeruginosa that had been in contact with CAM was reduced due to a significant decrease in adherence to tissue. P. aeruginosa was principally eradicated by the host factors. These results suggested that the improvement in the prognosis of DPB with P. aeruginosa in the sputum after adding MLs was closely related to the destructive effect of the MLs on the biofilm.

Animals↗

Scanning electron microscopic study on the lingual papillae in the Manchurian chipmunk, Tamias sibiricus asiaticus.

The superfacial structures of the tongues in the Manchurian Chipmunk, Tamias sibiricus asiaticus, were observed by scanning electron microscope. The tongues were long, tapering, narrow and thick with a long apical free portion and a small lingual prominence in the posterior half. In this animal, three circumvallate papillae were present in an inverted triangle, a minority of conical papillae on the pharyngeal part and parallel large conical papillae on the lateral border. The fungiform papillae were scanty on the dorsal surface. These characters suggested this animal was more primitive than the others in rodents.

Animals↗

[Diagnosis of pulmonary tuberculosis in general hospital "a study of 114 cases"].

We conducted a study on the diagnosis of pulmonary tuberculosis at Chiba Kaihin Municipal Hospital. Examinations were performed to determine the presence of active Mycobacterium tuberculosis in sputum and gastric aspirate. For the sputum smear-negative cases, fiberoptic bronchoscopy was further used as a means for detecting the tuberculosis. The results obtained were as follows: 1. A total of 114 cases in the past six years diagnosed as active pulmonary tuberculosis (including 88 primary treatment cases) were analysed. 2. The 114 cases consisted of 74 males and 40 females, the mean age was 49.3 years old. Categorically, the main age groups were: 60s, 24 cases; 30s, 21 cases; and 40s, 20 cases. 3. Chest X-ray findings: Cavitary cases were 28.9% GAKKAI classification of the sizes of the affected areas being Type 1 (mostly limited cases), 58.9% of all total cases, and 68.4% in the cases under the age of 50 years old. The number of cases having infection in a solitary nodule was 19, and the ages of 15 out of the 19 patients were under 50 years old. 4. Sputum or gastric aspirate smear-positive cases totalled 37 (32.5%), and culture-positive cases totalled 77 (67.5%). Sputum or gastric aspirate cultures were positive in 52 out of 56 cases (92.9%) with extended shadows, GAKKAI classification Types 2 and 3, but were positive in 25 out of 58 cases (43.1%) with Type 1. 5. Fiberoptic bronchoscopy was performed on 49 out of the 77 smear-negative cases. 6. Definite diagnosis was obtained in 90 (78.8%) out of total 114 cases. The results of this study suggest that examination for active mycobacterium in sputum and gastric aspirate are very useful for the diagnosis of active pulmonary tuberculosis, especially in extended cases.

Adolescent↗

[Clinical evaluation of combined therapy of ceftazidime and tobramycin for intractable pulmonary infection mainly caused by Pseudomonas aeruginosa].

In an open, multicenter trial, we investigated the clinical efficacy of a combination therapy of ceftazidime (CAZ) and tobramycin (TOB) for intractable pulmonary infections mainly caused by Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Evaluated for the utility of the combination therapy were 33 cases with pneumonia (Group I: pneumonia caused by P. aeruginosa 15, Group II: pneumonia caused by other Gram-negative bacilli 4 and pneumonia which causative organism was not determined 14) and 23 cases with chronic respiratory tract infection caused by P. aeruginosa. The results obtained are summarized as follows. 1. In Group I pneumonia, included 11 severe cases and 4 moderate cases, with a mean age of 69.3 years. Significant underlying diseases were present in 14 out of the 15 (93.3%): they included 10 cases of pulmonary diseases and 4 cerebrovascular diseases. The overall efficacy rate in these cases was 60.0%: but the efficacy rate in moderate cases was 100% and that in severe cases was 45.5%. 2. In Group II pneumonia included 16 severe cases and 2 moderate cases with a mean age of 68.2 years. Significant underlying diseases were present in 15 out of 18 (83.3%, all of the underlying diseases were pulmonary diseases) and the overall efficacy rate was 72.2% with 100% efficacy rate among moderate cases and 68.8% among severe cases. 3. In the cases with chronic respiratory tract infections caused by P. aeruginosa, the efficacy rate was 82.6% and the eradication rate was 65.2%. We consider the combination therapy of CAZ and TOB is useful for intractable pulmonary infections caused by P. aeruginosa.

Aged↗

[Acute subdural hematoma caused by mild head trauma in the aged].

We encountered 8 cases of acute subdural hematoma caused by mild head trauma in the aged. In this report, these cases were analyzed, taking into consideration clinical symptoms, CT scan, operative findings and outcome. The age ranged from 70 to 92 years (mean age of 79.7 years). 4 patients were male and 4 female. Head trauma was caused by falls in 4 patients, but in the other 4 patients the causes were unknown. Initial symptoms were headache, nausea and vomiting in 5 patients and mild disturbance of consciousness with lucid intervals in 3 patients. Seven patients had more than 100 on JCS and less than 9 on GCS on admission. Small craniotomy (HITT) was performed in 4 patients. Large craniotomy was performed in 2 patients, and decompressive craniectomy was carried out in 2 patients. The bleeding focus came from the cortical artery of the middle cerebral artery in 4 patients, cerebral contusion in 2 patients, and was unknown in 2 patients for HITT. CT scan on admission showed mixed density area of acute subdural hematoma in all of the patients, and intraventricular hemorrhage, intracerebral hemorrhage and subarachnoid hemorrhage in 3 patients. CT scan after operation revealed a new area of cerebral contusion in 3 patients, delayed traumatic intracerebral hematoma (DTICH) in 2 patients, and hypertensive intracerebral hemorrhage in 1 patient. Two patients recovered to good and fair without general complication. But the outcome in 5 patients with general complication was poor for 3 patients and fatal for 2 patients. In conclusion, large craniotomy is recommended because of bleeding from the cortical artery of the middle cerebral artery.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Acute Disease↗

[Measurement of functional residual capacity by sulfur hexafluoride washout].

An open circuit tracer gas washout method for measurement of functional residual capacity (FRC) during mechanical ventilation is described and tested. The system employed a piezo-valve for dispensing sulfur hexafluoride (SF6) gas, a fast response infrared SF6 analyzer, Servo 900-C ventilator and a computer. The piezo-valve unit delivers SF6 into the airway in proportion to instantaneous inspiratory flow so that inspiratory SF6 concentration was held constant regardless of the inspiratory flow pattern. The washin concentration was approximately 0.6% which was so low that the supply of other gases was hardly influenced. The amount of SF6 at the end of a washin was calculated during washout by signals of expired SF6 concentration and expired flow. The results obtained in model lungs were accurate and reproducible; mean difference (limits of agreements) was 14 +/- 48ml (M +/- 2SD) in the range between 0.5 and 3.0 liters. Comparison with helium dilution methods in 24 healthy subjects gave a regression equation: y = 0.98x + 56, r = 0.98. The mean difference of the values between the two methods was 21 +/- 142 ml (M +/- 2SD). The authors conclude that the system is quite useful in determining FRC of the patients under mechanical ventilation.

Functional Residual Capacity↗

rig encodes ribosomal protein S15. The primary structure of mammalian ribosomal protein S15.

rig, a gene originally isolated from a rat insulinoma cDNA library, codes for a basic 145 amino acid protein [( 1986) Diabetes 35, 1178-1180]. Here we show that the immunoreactivity to a monoclonal antibody against the deduced rig protein and the translation product of rig mRNA comigrated with ribosomal protein S15. The amino acid sequence of ribosomal protein S15 purified from rat liver coincided with that deduced from the nucleotide sequence of rig mRNA, but there were indications that the initiator methionine was removed and the succeeding alanyl residue was monoacetylated. From these results, we conclude that the product of rig is ribosomal protein S15.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

Amino-terminal amino acid sequence and heterogeneity in glycosylation of rat renal renin.

We isolated 7.4 mg of pure renin from 2 kg of rat kidneys using affinity chromatography on pepstatin-aminohexyl-Sepharose and an octapeptide renin inhibitor, H-77-Sepharose. Sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis showed that renin consists of two polypeptide chains linked by a disulfide bond, one of Mr = 36,000 (heavy chain) and the other of Mr = 3,000 (light chain). The amino-terminal 10-amino acid sequences of the heavy and the light chains were identical to the sequences beginning at Ser72 and Asp355, respectively, of the amino acid sequence of preprorenin deduced from the renin cDNA sequence. Amino acid sequencing of the carboxyl-terminal peptide of the heavy chain, generated by digestion with lysyl endopeptidase, showed that the carboxyl-terminal residue of the heavy chain is Phe. Thus, the propeptide of prorenin is cleaved after Thr71, followed by removal of two amino acids, Arg353 and Asn354, the result being formation of the heavy and light chains. Thus, the site of cleavage of rat prorenin is after a nonbasic amino acid, in contrast to the cleavage of the propeptide after a pair of basic amino acids in mouse submaxillary renin, human renal renin, and many secretory proteins. Treatment of renin with neuraminidase or glycopeptidase F had no apparent effect on the charge heterogeneity of renin. Glycosylation probably does not contribute to charge heterogeneity.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

Typing of Rhodococcus equi isolated from submaxillary lymph nodes of pigs in Japan.

Isolation of Rhodococcus equi from the submaxillary lymph nodes of pigs, with or without caseous lymphadenitis, and typing of the isolates by two serological methods were carried out. The rate of isolation of the organisms from the lymph nodes of pigs was 5 times higher in the lymph nodes with caseous lymphadenitis than in those without the lesion. Of 219 isolates, 146 (66.7%) were typable by the method of Prescott, while all the 219 isolates (100%) were typable by the method of Nakazawa et al. The most frequently isolated were serotype 2 of Prescott (identical to serogroup 16 of Nakazawa et al.), and serogroup 3 of Nakazawa et al., which did not correspond with any serotypes of Prescott. Serotypes/serogroups of R. equi from pigs were thus first clarified in Japan.

Actinomycetales Infections↗

Phase variation of pili of Corynebacterium pilosum.

Whether or not (?) phase variation occurs in the pili of Corynebacterium pilosum was biologically examined using the colony enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) blot test with anti-pili immune serum. From the densely piliated clone (35P+) of C. pilosum 35, non-piliated variants were isolated at a frequency of 2.45 x 10(-3). From one of the non-piliated variants (designated as P(-11)/35P+), a piliated variant was isolated at a frequency of 4.68 x 10(-4), one log less frequently than the non-piliated variant. From this piliated variant as designated (P+4/P(-11)/35P+), a non-piliated variant was isolated at a frequency of 3.86 x 10(-3). C. pilosum was thus alternated between piliated and non-piliated at a fairly high frequency, suggesting that the pili may undergo phase variation. This is the first finding of phase variation of the pili of Gram-positive bacteria.

Corynebacterium↗

Selective medium containing fosfomycin, nalidixic acid, and culture supernatant of Rhodococcus equi for isolation of Corynebacterium pseudotuberculosis.

FNR medium containing fosfomycin, nalidixic acid, bovine blood and culture supernatant of Rhodococcus equi was prepared by the present authors, and the medium did not inhibit growth of Corynebacterium pseudotuberculosis but completely hampered the growth of Bacillus subtilis, Staphylococcus aureus, and Escherichia coli. The culture supernatant of R. equi facilitated detection of suspected colonies of C. pseudotuberculosis due to synergistic hemolysis. Rate of isolation of the organisms (from the trachea, larynx and nasal cavity of 16 slaughtered sheep with caseous abscess in the lung) was higher with FNR, the selective medium, than with nonselective medium. The selective medium was thus found to be useful for isolation of C. pseudotuberculosis from sheep.

Animals↗

Diffuse axonal injury and early intracranial sequelae in severe head injury.

The importance of diffuse axonal injury (DAI) and early intracranial sequelae was studied in 107 patients with diffuse and focal brain injuries. Comprehensive neuropathological study was also undertaken in 24 fatal patients. The mortality rate was clearly the highest in traumatic subarachnoid hemorrhage, followed by acute subdural hematoma, cerebral contusion with delayed hematoma formation, traumatic intracerebral hematoma, diffuse cerebral swelling, DAI with classical features, and finally nearly normal on computed tomographic scans. The mean flow velocities in the middle cerebral artery recorded by transcranial Doppler ultrasound were variable in diffuse brain injury, but commonly decreased on the hematoma side depending on increased intracranial pressure and decreased cerebral perfusion pressure in focal brain injury. Deep-seated hemorrhagic lesions did not expand in diffuse brain injury, but sizable hematoma developed within 24 hours in focal brain injury. The platelet count was significantly lower in patients with poor outcomes in focal brain injury. Histological evidence of classical DAI was found in eight (50%) of 16 cases with focal brain injury. DAI of varying severity is the common subjacent lesion in patients with severe head injury, but the final outcome varies greatly with different lesion types.

Axons↗

[Comparative study on vindesine plus cisplatin treatment of advanced non-small cell lung cancer--three divided doses (35 mg/m2, day 1, 8, 15) and single dose (80 mg/m2, day 1) of cisplatin. Chiba Lung Cancer Study Group].

Sixty-one patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer were randomly allocated to receive vindesine (3 mg/m2, day 1, 8, 15) plus either three cisplatins (35 mg/m2, day 1, 8, 15) or one cisplatin (80 mg/m2, day 1). Among the 61 patients, the number of complete cases treated by the former administration schedule (group A) was 24 and by the latter schedule (group B) was 27. The response rate of group A was 25.0% and that of group B was 22.2%. There was no significant difference between survival curves of group A and B. The median survival times of group A and B were 8.5 months and 7.5, respectively. Regarding the incidence rate of various side effects, no difference was found between the two groups. However, according to the WHO grade of side effects, nausea/vomiting in group A was significantly milder than in group B. The grade of leukopenia in group A showed a tendency to be milder than in group B. In conclusion, in terms of tumor response, vindesine plus three doses of cisplatin was no better than conventional vindesine plus cisplatin chemotherapy, however side effects of the former were slightly less severe.

Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols↗

[Surgical treatment of coexistent aortic, peripheral vascular and coronary disease].

To determine the priority of the surgical treatment of coexistent aortic and coronary disease (CAD), we reviewed 19 cases of aortic aneurysm combined with severe coronary lesions who underwent operation from Jan, 1984 to Aug, 1989. There were 15 cases of abdominal and 4 cases of thoracic aneurysm. All patients had graft replacement for the aneurysm and 12 patients had elective aortocoronary bypass surgery (CABG), one had percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty and 6 received medical treatment for CAD. In 6 cases, CABG preceded abdominal aneurysm operation. In 3 cases of ascending thoracic aneurysm, simultaneous coronary and aortic operation were performed. There were no early and late operative death. In an attempt to reduce perioperative myocardial infarction which is one of the most frequent complications of aneurysmal operation, we performed routine coronary angiogram before operation. In 104 patients considered for elective aortic and peripheral vascular disease, coronary angiogram were performed. The incidence of coexistent coronary artery disease in peripheral vascular and aortic disease were 46.1%. The incidence of multiple vessel CAD in patients with aortic and peripheral disease were high. Our surgical strategy for coexistent aortic, peripheral vascular and coronary disease is basically staged operation and simultaneous operation are performed only in ascending and proximal arch aneurysm.

Aged↗

[The effects of coronary revascularization in patients with severe left ventricular dysfunction].

To evaluate the operative risk of coronary diseased patients who had severe left ventricular dysfunction, we retrospectively reviewed the cases of 798 patients who had received A-C bypass surgery at Juntendo University between Jan. 1984 and Dec. 1989. The patients with severe left ventricular dysfunction (Ejection Fraction less than 30%) (Group-A, n = 9) were compared with the patients with moderately impaired left ventricular function (E.F. 30%-40%) (Group-B, n = 28) and normal left ventricular function (E.F. greater than or equal to 50%) (Group C, n = 34). The mean E.F. were 21.56 +/- 3.72% in Group-A, 34.28 +/- 3.17% in Group-B, 64.19 +/- 12.02% in Group-C. There were no differences between the 3 groups with regard to Cardiac Index, LVEDP, number of diseased vessels, number of grafts, aortic cross clamp time and cardio-pulmonary bypass time. The percentages of patient who needed catecholamines support in postoperatively were 77.8% in Group-A, 46.4% in Group-B and 61.8% in Group-C. There were no operative and hospital deaths in each of the 3 Groups, whereas 2 patients of Group-A died later of noncardiac disease. We propose that patients with severe left ventricular dysfunction (15 less than or equal to EF, less than 30%) benefit from CABG surgery with low risk, and that each left ventricular E.F., Cardiac Index or LVEDP alone were less significant predictors of operative results as measured by preoperative left ventricular function.

Adult↗