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Biomedical subjects

N Kubota

Publications and source records attributed to N Kubota.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources
PubMed2001

[Music therapy induced alternations in natural killer cell count and function].

The effects of music therapy on natural killer (NK) cell count and activity (NKCA) were studied in 19 persons. Alzheimer's disease, cerebrovessel disease and Parkinson's disease subjects were assigned to a music therapy. Blood samples were drawn at rest and after completion of music therapy. Music therapy did not change the number of circulating lymphocytes. The percentage of NK cells increased during music therapy, along with an increase in the NK cell activity. The proportion of T cells, CD4 and CD8 did not change significantly during music therapy. One hour after the music therapy session, plasma adrenaline increased but cortisol and noradrenalin did not change. The results indicate that music therapy can significantly increase NK cell count and activity. The change in NK cell and function were independent of neuro-degenerative diseases.

Aged↗
PubMed2001

Outcome of surgery in 124 cases of Duane's Retraction Syndrome (DRS) treated by intraoperatively graduated recession of the medial rectus for esotropic DRS, and of the lateral rectus for exotropic DRS.

PURPOSE: To determine the outcome and effectiveness of simple horizontal muscle recession surgery in Duane's Retraction Syndrome (DRS). CASES & METHODS: A total of 194 cases of DRS were operated on by us during the past 25 years. Surgery was aimed at improving the binocular alignment and eye position at the primary position as well as any abnormal head posture. Sufficient data were available in 124 cases. Recession of the medial rectus muscle was performed on 76 cases with esotropia and of the lateral rectus on 48 cases with exotropia. Recession dosage was determined during surgery based on three factors: size of the preoperative strabismus in primary position; forced ductions/resistance to traction, and the appearance of the rectus muscle at surgery. RESULTS: Both the primary eye position and the abnormal head posture were satisfactorily improved in 119 cases (89%) after surgery with a result rated "excellent" or "good" by a residual deviation of 7 degrees or less and a definitely improved abnormal head posture, for all types of DRS deviations. CONCLUSION: Recession of the appropriate horizontal rectus muscle is a safe and effective primary procedure for both the primary deviation and abnormal head posture in all types of DRS.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2001

Outcome of surgery for congenital fibrosis of the inferior rectus muscle.

PURPOSE: To report clinical findings and surgical outcome in a large series of patients with fibrosis of the inferior rectus muscle. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Subject Cases: A total of 17 cases were diagnosed with unilateral fibrosis of the inferior rectus muscle during the past 27 years at our institution. They were aged from 5 months to 17 years, with 15 cases under 10 years of age. No differences were present regarding the laterality or gender. FINDINGS: All the cases showed hypotropia with restricted eye elevation. Forced duction test showed resistance to upward eye movement. A horizontal deviation in primary eye position was also present in 10 cases (59%). The affected eye was amblyopic in the majority of cases. Binocular vision was absent in 15 of the 17 cases. RESULTS: Surgical Outcome: All the cases received either recession or free tenotomy of the inferior rectus muscle. Resection of the ipsilateral superior rectus muscle was additionally performed to correct residual hypotropia. Fibrosis of the inferior rectus was present as intraoperative finding in all the 17 cases. Hypotropia disappeared in 10 cases and decreased in 7 cases. Restoration of satisfactory binocular alignment was obtained in all the 17 cases. CONCLUSION: Recession of the inferior rectus muscle was effective treatment for fibrosis of the inferior rectus. Additional resection of the ipsilateral superior rectus muscle was useful to correct residual hypotropia. Free tenotomy is not recommended.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2001

[A clear cell type meningioma in the upper eyelid ascertained by immunohistochemical examination].

BACKGROUND: We encountered a rare case of clear cell meningioma in the upper eyelid. CASE: A 66-year-old man presented with a slow by progressive, well-defined, soft globelar tumor in the left upper eyelid. The tumor showed homogeneous isodensity and was contrasty in a computed tomograph. Histologically, oval-shaped cells with clear cytoplasm had both streamed and whorl configurations, but showed neither psammomas nor calcification. Immunohistochemically, vimentin, epithelial membrane antigen, and protein S-100 were expressed by the tumor cells. CONCLUSIONS: Eyelid meningioma may originate from embryonal remains of the arachnoid in the sheath around the trigeminal nerve, and may vary histologically. Immunohistochemical examination helps to define cases of uncommon subtypes of meningioma.

Aged↗
PubMed2001

[Secondary eosinophilia in a patient with hypereosinophilic syndrome after allogeneic bone marrow transplantation from a sibling donor].

A 23-year-old man first visited a local hospital in 1998 because of exertional dyspnea. Peripheral blood examination revealed mild leukocytosis with 82% eosinophils, and he was treated with prednisolone. As the eosinophilia did not improve, he was referred to Tokai University Hospital in March 1999 for further diagnosis and treatment. The patient was diagnosed as having hypereosinophilic syndrome (HES) because of unexplained hypereosinophilia persisting for more than 6 months, resulting in cardiac dysfunction. His disease was progressive in spite of immunosuppressive therapy, interferon-alpha and cytotoxic chemotherapy. Since he had an HLA-identical brother, allogeneic bone marrow transplantation (BMT) was performed in October 1999. After completion of the immunosuppressive therapy on day 79 after BMT, the number of eosinophils gradually increased again. Although we suspected recurrence of the disease, DNA fingerprinting revealed that the peripheral granulocytes were 100% donor type. An increase of interleukin-5 (IL-5) produced by peripheral lymphocytes and a decrease of the Th1/2 ratio suggested that the eosinophilia was related to GVHD. The eosinophilia was eventually controlled by cyclosporin. We conclude that DNA fingerprinting and examination of the IL-5 level and Th1/2 ratio are useful for differentiating between relapse and GVHD in cases of eosinophilia occurring after BMT for HES.

Adult↗
PubMed2001

[Bilateral progressive supra-fixing eyes with congenital misinsertion of inferior rectus muscles--a case report].

BACKGROUND: We report on a rare case with misinsertion of the inferior rectus muscles, that showed bilateral progressive supra-fixing eyes. CASE: A 68-year-old woman showed bilateral progressive supra-fixing eyes with low vision that was caused by microcorneas and retionochoroidal atrophy. Passive infraduction was restricted bilaterally, but the right inferior rectus muscle was innervated normally. Magnytic resonance imaging(MRI) demonstrated nasal misposition of bilateral inferior rectus muscles. The patient's eye position was improved after combined transposition of the inferior rectus muscles that were misinserted nasally to the inferior poles of the eyes and superior rectus muscle recession, without any complications. CONCLUSION: A dysfunction of bilateral depressor muscles and low vision may cause this condition. Accurate diagnosis with MRI and correction of the affected muscles to the normal anatomical position produces satisfying results in such cases.

Aged↗
PubMed2001

Intermittent exotropia surgery in children: long term outcome regarding changes in binocular alignment. A study of 666 cases.

PURPOSE: To review and determine the long term outcome of surgery for intermittent exotropia in children. CASES: A total of 666 cases were reviewed. They were 15 years old or younger and underwent surgery for intermittent exotropia during the preceding 22 years. Bilateral recession of the lateral rectus muscles was performed in 349 cases. Unilateral recession of the lateral rectus and resection of the medial rectus muscles was performed in 298 cases. One and four muscle procedures were performed in 19 cases. The outcome was evaluated at 1 month and 4 years after surgery. RESULTS: Orthotropia or mini-microtropia was achieved in 401 patients (60.2%) one month after surgery. Bilateral recession of the lateral rectus muscles was more effective than unilateral recession- resection. Out of these 401 patients, half, 199 patients (49.6%) showed orthotropia or mini-microtropia 4 years after surgery while the other half, 202 (50.4%), became exotropic. Bilateral recession of the lateral rectus muscles was also more effective in producing orthotropia or mini-microtropia on a long term basis than unilateral recession-resection. The rate of orthotropia or mini- microtropia was higher when the patients were operated before 3 years and after 11 years of age. CONCLUSIONS: There was a strong tendency for intermittent exotropia to recurr and drift into permanent exotropia during 4 or more years following surgery. It is advocated to aim at orthotropia during the immediate post- surgical period and to avoid overcorrection. Early surgery is not necessary when the patient is over 4 years of age. Bilateral lateral rectus recession is the preferred surgical procedure.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2000

Wortmannin sensitizes human glioblastoma cell lines carrying mutant and wild type TP53 gene to radiation.

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the effect of wortmannin, a specific inhibitor of phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K), on TP53 (formerly known as p53) signal transduction initiated by ionizing radiation and radiosensitization in isogenic derivatives of human glioblastoma cells differing in TP53 status. Wortmannin inhibited the accumulation of TP53 and CDKN1A (formerly known as WAF1) after 6 Gy irradiation in A-172/neo cells bearing wild-type TP53. In A-172/Trp248 cells carrying mutant TP53, X-rays induced no significant accumulation of TP53 and slight increase of CDKN1A. There were, consequently, little differences in the expression of TP53 and CDKN1A between A-172/Trp248 cells exposed to 6 Gy alone and wortmannin plus 6 Gy. However, wortmannin sensitized both A-172/neo and A-172/Trp248 cells to radiation. These studies indicate that wortmannin inhibits TP53 upregulation, but this suppression does not account for the radiosensitization by this drug. These results indicate that inhibitors of PI3K-related kinases may present a new class of radiosensitizers, regardless of the TP53 status of tumor cells.

Androstadienes↗
PubMed2000

A simple preparation of half N-acetylated chitosan highly soluble in water and aqueous organic solvents.

A simple and improved method of preparing highly soluble chitosan (half N-acetylated chitosan) was developed using a series of chitosan samples of low molecular weights, and the solubility of the half N-acetylated chitosan in water and organic solvents was investigated in detail. To reduce the molecular weight, chitosan was treated with NaBO3 under the condition that chitosan was homogeneously dissolved in aqueous acetic acid. Weight-average molecular weights of the obtained chitosan samples were determined using a size-exclusion chromatography system equipped with a low-angle laser light-scattering photometer. Each chitosan sample was then N-acetylated with acetic anhydride under the condition that chitosan was homogeneously dissolved in aqueous acetic acid again. The water solubility of the half N-acetylated chitosan thus prepared increased with decreasing molecular weight. From 1H NMR spectroscopy, it was suggested that the sequence of N-acetylglucosamine and glucosamine residues was random. The solubility of the half N-acetylated chitosan of low molecular weight was rather high even in aqueous dimethylacetamide and dimethylsulfoxide.

Acetylation↗
PubMed2000

Involvement of nuclear receptor coactivator SRC-1 in estrogen-dependent cell growth of MCF-7 cells.

Steroid hormones regulate cell growth and function through the transcriptional control of target genes by their cognate nuclear receptors. These receptors bind to ligands and associate with transcriptional cofactors to stimulate transcription. SRC-1, one of the nuclear receptor coactivators, is known to interact with nuclear receptors and enhance transactivation function in a ligand-dependent manner. In this study, to assess the function of SRC-1 in cell growth regulated by nuclear receptor ligands, we established a stable transformant cell line overexpressing human SRC-1 and studied the action of 17beta-estradiol (E(2)) on cell growth as well as the expression of E(2)-responsive genes in MCF-7 cells. We found that SRC-1 overexpression potentiates cell growth stimulated by E(2) in accordance with enhancement of transcriptional activation of exogenous and endogenous E(2)-responsive genes. These findings clearly indicate the importance of nuclear receptor coactivators for the activities of steroid/lipophilic vitamins in cell growth and gene expression.

Adenocarcinoma↗
PubMed2000

Proteomic approach to the identification of cell membrane proteins.

The expression of plasma membrane proteins in human monocyte-derived U937 cells was examined by cell disruption and isolation of microsomal fractions. Two alternative procedures for cell disruption, Dounce homogenization and nitrogen cavitation, were compared. Cell homogenization and sequential centrifugation resulted in an approximately fivefold enrichment of plasma membrane proteins in the microsomal fraction. However, identification of 30 such apparently enriched proteins by two-dimensional (2-D) electrophoresis, proteolytic digestion, and mass spectrometry revealed that only eight were plasma membrane proteins, the remaining 22 being contaminants. In contrast, nitrogen cavitation followed by sequential centrifugation and solubilization of proteins with sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) and 3-[(3-cholamidopropyl)dimethylammonio]-1-propane-sulfonate (CHAPS) detergent yielded subcellular fractions, including microsomes, that showed little overlap in constituent proteins as revealed by 2-D electrophoresis. These results highlight the importance of obtaining pure plasma membranes and complete solubilization of membrane proteins for proteomic analysis.

Electrophoresis, Gel, Two-Dimensional↗
PubMed2000

Intramolecular electron-transfer reaction within a diprotein complex of cytochrome c with ferrylmyoglobin modified with diethylenetriaminepentaacetic acid.

Horse heart metmyoglobins modified with diethylenetriaminepentaacetic acid, metMb(DTPA)n (n=1, 2, 4, and 5), were characterized by a MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry, amino-acid sequence analysis, and UV-Vis and CD spectroscopies. The DTPA-binding sites on metMb were Lys47, Lys50, Lys87, Lys145, and Lys147 for metMb(DTPA)5, Lys47, Lys87, Lys145, and Lys147 for metMb(DTPA)4, Lys87 and Lys145 for metMb(DTPA)2, and Lys87 for metMbDTPA, respectively. The modified metMb(DTPA)n showed cytochrome c peroxidase-like activity more efficiently than native metMb: metMb(DTPA)5>metMb(DTPA)4>metMb(DTPA)2> metMbDTPA approximately equals native metMb. The first-order rate constants for the reactions of ferrylMb(DTPA)n (n=2, 4, and 5) with reduced cytochrome c [cyt c(II)] were saturated with concentrations of cyt c(II), suggesting that the electron transfer (ET) occurs within a diprotein complex. The intramolecular ET rate constants in the diprotein complex increased with increasing the number of DTPA ions. The reactions of native ferrylMb and ferrylMbDTPA with cyt c(II) obeyed a second-order rate law. A possible ET mechanism is proposed; cyt c(II) binds the DTPA-linked anionic patch around Lys87, Lys145, and Lys147 region of ferrylMb(DTPA)n.

Animals↗
PubMed2000

Retrospective analysis of type of hepatic resection for hepatocellular carcinoma.

BACKGROUND: Hepatic resection for hepatocellular carcinoma is now considered a relatively safe procedure, owing to refined surgical techniques and management. METHODS: Three hundred different types of hepatic resection performed in one hospital were reviewed retrospectively. The operative morbidity and mortality rates and long-term survival were assessed. RESULTS: Tumours were extirpated by lobectomy or extended lobectomy in 48 patients, by segmentectomy in 53, by subsegmentectomy in 94 and by partial resection in 105. The overall hospital mortality rate was 4 per cent (13 of 300). No operative death occurred after lobectomy or extended lobectomy. Segmentectomy and subsegmentectomy were associated with high postoperative complication and hospital mortality rates. There was a significant difference in survival rate between patients with and without a cancer-free surgical margin of more than 1.0 cm. The overall 5- and 9-year survival rates were 51 and 9 per cent respectively. Rates were 56 and 24 per cent for lobectomy or extended lobectomy. CONCLUSION: For tumours of 2.1 cm or more in size lobectomy appears to carry the least risk of postoperative complications and death in hospital and best achieves a cancer-free surgical margin.

Carcinoma, Hepatocellular↗
PubMed2000

Pancreaticojejunostomy versus pancreaticogastrostomy in reconstruction following pancreaticoduodenectomy.

BACKGROUND: Pancreaticogastrostomy (PG) after pancreaticoduodenectomy has been reported to have a lower incidence of pancreatic fistula than pancreaticojejunostomy (PJ) but this was not confirmed in a recent prospective randomized study. METHODS: Different methods of reconstruction after pancreaticoduodenectomy were used between January 1994 and January 1999 in two university-affiliated hospitals, PJ (n = 69) in one hospital and PG (n = 73) in the other. Operations at both hospitals were performed by the same surgical team. All pancreatic anastomoses were carried out in two layers with pancreatic duct stents. Pancreatic fistula was identified by the presence of more than 1000 units/l of amylase-rich fluid in the drains 7 days or more after operation, by radiography from the pancreatic duct stent and by water-soluble contrast upper gastrointestinal studies. RESULTS: The two groups of patients were similar in terms of age, sex, findings at preoperative assessment, disease status, operative time, intraoperative blood loss and nature of non-tumorous pancreatic tissue. The amylase level in ascites at 7 days after operation was significantly lower after PG than PJ (P = 0.032). The incidence of pancreatic fistula in the PG group (zero) was significantly less than that after PJ (13 per cent) (P = 0.014). Intra-abdominal haemorrhage and intra-abdominal abscess occurred in three (4 per cent) and four patients (6 per cent) respectively, with two hospital deaths (3 per cent) in the PJ group, but these complications did not occur after PG. CONCLUSION: This controlled clinical study supports the hypothesis that PG is safer than PJ, particularly with regard to the incidence of pancreatic fistula.

Aged↗
PubMed2000

Case of a mentally retarded child with non-24 hour sleep-wake syndrome caused by deficiency of melatonin secretion.

A case of a 5-year-old boy with non-24 hour sleep-wake syndrome and mental retardation is reported. His free-running sleep-wake rhythm was remarkably improved by the oral administration of melatonin. The circadian variation in melatonin secretion was extremely low, and circadian rhythm of cortisol secretion was noted. It was speculated that his non-24 hour sleep-wake syndrome was due to a congenital deficiency of melatonin secretion, and supplemental melatonin therapy proved effective for treating his condition.

Administration, Oral↗
PubMed2000

Multimodality treatment for patients with hepatocellular carcinoma: a single institution retrospective series.

BACKGROUND: The main therapeutic options for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) are hepatic resection, transcatheter arterial embolization (TAE), percutaneous ethanol injection therapy (PEIT) and regional chemotherapy (RC). METHODS: This study retrospectively examined the results of primary treatment of 600 patients with hepatocellular carcinoma selected according to the treatment guidelines of our facility and the results of various combination therapies for recurrent cases. The selection criteria of therapeutic options included the number and size of tumours and hepatic function. RESULTS: The selected primary treatment was hepatic resection for 53.7% of the cases, TAE for 31.5%, PEIT for 8.2% and RC for 6.6%,. The treatment for post-resection recurrence was TAE alone for 62.4% of the cases, TAE + RC for 4.0%, PEIT for 15.2%, TAE + PEIT alone for 4.8%, RC for 8.0% and hepatic resection for 5.6%. The treatment for post-TAE recurrence was TAE alone for 83% of the cases, TAE + PEIT for 9%, TAE + RC for 3%, RC alone for 3% and PEIT alone for 2%. For post-PEIT, therapy was PEIT alone for 71.4% of the cases and PEIT + TAE for 28.6%. For post-RC, RC alone was used for 92.5% and RC + PEIT for 7.5%. The cumulative 3 and 5-year survival rates were 84.4% and 70.6%, respectively for stage I; 61.5% and 48.6% for stage II; 52.7% and 20.5% for stage III; and 22.8% and 17.1% for stage IVA. The cumulative 5 and 7-year survival rates after the primary treatments were 52.% and 40.1%, respectively, for hepatic resection; 46.5% and 38.7%, for TAE; 49.6% and 33.1% for PEIT; and 16.7% and 8.3% for RC. CONCLUSIONS: To improve the treatment results for HCC, early detection is essential and various modalities of treatments in combination should be used for recurrence after primary treatment.

Adult↗