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Biomedical subjects

N Nishida

Publications and source records attributed to N Nishida.

At least 127 records · Page 7Linked to original sources

Dacron-covered stent therapy for portal vein tumor thrombus in hepatocellular carcinoma.

A tumor thrombus of the portal vein is refractory to therapy and constitutes a serious prognostic factor in hepatocellular carcinoma. For the purpose of treating portal vein tumor thrombus by restoring the blood flow and preventing recurrent ingrowth of tumor, we devised a metallic stent partially covered with a Dacron mesh sheet, and a coaxial percutaneous delivery system. One half of the wall of a Gianturco Z-stent was covered with a sheet of 0.25-mm-thick Dacron mesh, fixed to the stent wall with nylon threads. The covered stent was implanted in a patient with severe main portal vein stenosis due to tumor thrombus protruding from the left portal vein branch. Immediately after stent placement the tumor stenosis was effectively dilated, the portal blood flow restored, and the portal hypertension relieved. CT and angiography after 8 months still showed complete portal vein patency. Intrahepatic tumor dissemination or other complications were not observed. Intraportal placement of a covered metallic stent appears to be an efficacious therapy of major portal tumor thrombi.

Carcinoma, Hepatocellular↗

[Expandable metallic stent therapy for SVC syndrome--effects on local venous pressure, vascular diameter, symptoms, and these correlations].

To evaluate the efficacy of Z-stent therapy for SVC syndrome, we studied changes in the pressure, the diameter of stenotic lumen and the symptoms in the cases of SVC syndrome with higher pressure than 30 cmH2O at distal to the stenosis. The symptoms were classified and graded to be scored up. Immediately after the Z-stent placement into the stenotic lesions, the venous pressure distal to the stenosis decreased from 36.0 +/- 3.4 cmH2O to 12.0 +/- 12.0 cmH2O (p < 0.001), the diameter of stenotic lumen increased from 3.3 +/- 3.4 mm to 14.0 +/- 3.4 mm (p < 0.01). According to the remarkable symptomatic improvements the averaged score decreased from 6.7 to 1.3 (p < 0.01). The pressure, the diameter and the symptom scores were highly correlated each other (magnitude of gamma not equal to 0.9). Among two cases with the right atrial pressure increase by 2 cmH2O after the placement one suffered transient cardiac in compensation due to overload by reperfusion. Conclusively, the Z-stent therapy was very effective on the SVC syndrome in reducing abnormally elevated venous pressure due to the stenosis, and relieving the symptoms, while the pressure monitor was necessary.

Aged↗

[A stent therapy for portal tumor thrombi. Use of Dacron sheet covered self expandable metallic stent].

We developed a method of intraportal placement of a covered stent against portal tumor thrombi. Half around a z-stent was covered with a Dacron mesh sheet. In one case with portal tumor thrombi protruding into the main portal branch, the stent was placed percutaneously-transhepatically, through a coaxial introducer. Immediately after the placement, portal vein was dilated and, which was still patent after six months. No complication has been observed.

Carcinoma, Hepatocellular↗

Accumulation of allelic loss on arms of chromosomes 13q, 16q and 17p in the advanced stages of human hepatocellular carcinoma.

We examined loss of heterozygosity at 13 loci on 5 chromosomes in hepatocellular carcinomas (HCCs) from 56 patients. In 42 of these cases, regenerative nodules of liver cirrhosis were also analyzed. High frequencies of allelic losses were detected on chromosomes 13q (47%), 16q (40%) and 17p (64%), whereas losses on chromosome 4p and 11p were observed in less than 22% of cases in HCCs. In contrast, LOH was not detected on any loci in cirrhotic nodules. On chromosome 13q, the common region of allelic loss was mapped to the region including the retinoblastoma (RB) locus, by using 8 polymorphic probes. Furthermore, one case with 13q loss had an interstitial deletion of the RB gene, indicating the involvement of inactivation of the RB gene in hepatotumorigenesis. Losses were associated with portal-vein thrombosis or intrahepatic metastasis, increased tumor size, a poorly differentiated phenotype and clinical stage. Losses occurring together on 13q, 16q and 17p were significantly higher in patients in clinical stage IV or histologically poorly differentiated tumors, suggesting that the accumulation of allelic loss occurs in advanced tumors and that patients with multiple allelic losses may have a worse prognosis than those with a single loss.

Alleles↗

[Direct injection chemotherapy combined with arterial embolization in the treatment of liver cancers].

Direct injection chemotherapy in combination with transcatheter arterial embolization (TAE) was carried out in primary and secondary liver cancers. In this treatment, the anticancer agents dissolved in contrast media were directly injected into the tumor tissue with the echo-guided puncture needle after TAE. The dynamics of the injected drugs marked with non-ionic and water-soluble contrast media was followed up by the sequential CT studies, on which the contrast media was observed only in the tumor area in 18 out of 30 nodules from 2 to 8 weeks after the injection. The procedure is considered an effective drug delivery system to achieve a targeting chemotherapy in the liver cancers.

Antineoplastic Agents↗

Abnormal metabolism of carnitine and valproate in a case of acute encephalopathy during chronic valproate therapy.

We analyzed the urinary metabolic profiles of valproate (VPA) and carnitine metabolism in an epileptic patient who died of acute encephalopathy during VPA therapy. On admission, the serum free carnitine level was greatly decreased and gas chromatographic mass spectrometric analysis of organic acids in urine showed a complete lack of beta-oxidation metabolites of VPA, while omega-oxidation was markedly increased. After administration of L-carnitine, the levels of acylcarnitine in both serum and urine, and of serum free carnitine increased, and the metabolites of beta-oxidation appeared in urine, while there was no improvement in the liver and renal functions. This is not a typical case of VPA-induced hepatotoxicity and the main cause of the disease is not clear. But the results show that the mitochondrial beta-oxidation of VPA was greatly disturbed in this patient, which may be related to the carnitine deficiency induced by the chronic VPA-therapy.

Brain Diseases↗

Alterations of urinary acetylcarnitine in valproate-treated rats: the effect of L-carnitine supplementation.

Urinary excretion of acetylcarnitine was measured by high-performance liquid chromatography in two experimental groups of valproate-treated rats. In the urine of mature rats weighing 180 to 200 g treated with valproate (500 mg/kg/day), acetylcarnitine levels were higher than those in controls on days 4 and 7, while L-carnitine-supplemented rats showed lower levels than the valproate group. The valproate-treated rats showed an increased acetylcarnitine/acylcarnitine ratio on and after day 4, while the L-carnitine-supplemented rats showed no significant change compared to the controls on any days. In the urine of immature rats weighing 80 to 90 g treated with valproate (50 mg/kg/day), acetylcarnitine levels were increased after the 14th day of treatment. These results suggest that an increase in urinary acetylcarnitine occurs when small doses of valproate are administered for a longer time. We speculate that increased acetylcarnitine is not a product of beta-oxidation in mitochondria, because L-carnitine supplementation decreases the acetylcarnitine levels. Although the mechanism of acetylcarnitine excretion during valproate administration is not clear, L-carnitine supplementation is effective in decreasing the level of urinary acetylcarnitine and keeping the acetylcarnitine/acylcarnitine ratio normal.

Acetylcarnitine↗

[A study of new retrievable expandable metallic stent].

The authors improved retrievable expandable metallic stent (REMS), instead of the nylon suture, the REMS was connected with the stainless steel thread. Under fluoroscopy the stainless steel thread of the shrinking body could be observed and was strong enough to retract the placed stent, then the stent could be removed by the stainless steel hook. We placed the REMS in the I.V.C. of canine, and removed them after one week placement, we could not remove them after two weeks placement. This study suggested that the REMS was considered to be useful and safe for clinical application.

Animals↗

Quantitative immunohistochemical distribution of choline acetyltransferase in the rostral forebrain of the rat.

The immunohistochemical distribution of choline acetyltransferase (CAT) in the rat rostral forebrain was analyzed quantitatively and minutely by means of a microphotometry system. The CAT concentrations varied greatly depending on the brain region. Within the neostriatum, CAT tended to be distributed with a lateral (high) to medial (low) gradient of approximately 1.2:1 and a caudal (high) to rostral (low) gradient of approximately 1.4:1, with the highest level in the medius lateralis. In the cortex cerebri, the CAT concentration in the area cinguli was high, while those in the area frontalis, area parietalis and area pyriformis were relatively low. High levels of CAT were also localized in other regions: e.g., hippocampus pars posterior, nucleus preopticus, nucleus anterior hypothalami, nucleus interstitialis striae terminalis, nucleus suprachiasmaticus and nucleus accumbens septi. The quantitative data obtained from the present microphotometric examination can be useful for analysis of a dynamic aspect of neurochemical substances under physiological as well as pathological conditions of the brain.

Animals↗

Comparison of body temperature rhythms between healthy elderly and healthy young adults.

The fact that the elderly are usually aware of early sleep onset and early morning awakening shows that the phase of sleep-wake rhythms in the elderly is more advanced than that in young adults. Since it has been suggested that human sleep onset, morning awakening, sleep period and depth of sleep are highly influenced by body temperature rhythms, rectal temperature rhythms were analyzed in 7 healthy elderly and 7 healthy young adults under the condition with time cue. Although a significant 24-hour period was found in the rhythms for all subjects, the phase of the rhythms in the elderly was more advanced than in the young adults. Moreover, a significant inverse correlation was observed between age and acrophase time in the elderly.

Adolescent↗

Caroli's disease: scintigraphic and radiographic findings.

Caroli's disease is a rare congenital anomaly of the liver. Since new diagnostic techniques for the evaluation of hepatic disease have been introduced, the number of reported cases of Caroli's disease has been gradually increasing. This report describes the case of a 13 year old girl with nausea, vomiting, fever and hepatomegaly. The diagnosis of Caroli's disease was established by ultrasonography and CT scan. The complications and management are discussed. The important points in management are to relieve symptoms and to conduct regular examinations by ultrasonography for the early detection of hepatobiliary carcinoma.

Adolescent↗

[Evaluation of the discriminative stimulus effect of an enkephalin analog, EK-399, in the rat].

Four groups of rats were trained to discriminate between the no-drug conditions (saline, s.c.) and the effect of s.c. injection of the novel enkephalin analog Tyr-D-Met (O)-Gly-EtPhe-NHNHCOCH3.AcOH (EK-399, 1 mg/kg), morphine (3 mg/kg), ethylketocyclazocine (EKC, 0.3 mg/kg) or N-allylnormetazocine (NANM, 3 mg/kg) in a two-lever choice, water reinforced procedure. All groups of animals acquired the ability to discriminate EK-399, morphine, EKC or NANM from saline. Naloxone (0.03-0.3 mg/kg, s.c.) completely antagonized the discriminative stimulus effects of EK-399, morphine and EKC, but not that of NANM. In stimulus generalization tests, morphine (10 mg/kg) and buprenorphine (0.03 mg/kg), mu-opioid receptor agonists, completely substituted for EK-399 in groups trained with EK-399, whereas EK-399 (0.1-3 mg/kg) only partially substituted for morphine in rats trained with morphine. EKC (0.01-0.1 mg/kg), a kappa-opioid receptor agonist, partially substituted for EK-399, and EK-399 (0.1-3 mg/kg) partially substituted for EKC. NANM (0.3-10 mg/kg), a sigma-receptor agonist, partially substituted for EK-399, but EK-399 (0.1-3 mg/kg) did not substitute for NANM. These results suggest that the discriminative stimulus effect of EK-399 in rats mainly involves mu-opioid receptor-mediating action and also involves, to a lesser extent, other receptor (probably delta-opioid receptor)-mediating actions.

Animals↗

Intravenous self-administration of an enkephalin analog, EK-399, by rats.

The novel enkephalin analog Tyr-D-Met (O)-Gly-EtPhe-NHNHCOCH3 . AcOH (EK-399) was examined for psychic dependence potential by a self-administration test in rats. Five groups of experimentally naive rats were given an intravenous dose of EK-399 (0.032, 0.064 or 0.125 mg/kg), morphine HCl (0.5 mg/kg) or cocaine HCl (0.5 mg/kg) via a cannula implanted in the jugular vein when they pressed a lever. No animals initiated self-administration of EK-399 in the first 3 or 4 weeks of the experimental period. In contrast, almost all of the animals receiving morphine or cocaine initiated a high rate of self-administration within 1 or 2 weeks. However, when the doses of EK-399 were subsequently decreased, 4 of the 10 animals increased their rate of self-administration slightly. Furthermore, an increase in the rate of EK-399 self-administration was observed in 1 of 4 rats made physically dependent on EK-399. These results suggest that EK-399 has a very weak reinforcing effect on drug-taking behavior, which is slightly enhanced by the development of physical dependence on the compound, and it may possess a low psychic dependence potential.

Analgesics↗

Function of the conserved triad residues in the class C beta-lactamase from Citrobacter freundii GN346.

The conserved KTG triad in the class C beta-lactamase from Citrobacter freundii GN346 was examined as to its function by means of site-directed mutagenesis. The following conversions were performed; Lys-315 to arginine, alanine or glutamic acid, Thr-316 to valine, and Gly-317 to alanine, proline or isoleucine. The resultant mutant enzymes revealed that a basic amino acid at position 315 and a small uncharged residue at position 317 are essential for the enzyme activity, but a hydroxyl group at residue 316 is not required for the enzymatic catalysis. The kinetic properties of the purified Arg-315 and Val-316 enzymes provided information on the function of these residues.

Amino Acids↗

Electrocorticographic characterization of chronic iron-induced epilepsy in rats.

Electrocorticograms were recorded from rats which were unilaterally injected with ferrous chloride solution into the sensorimotor cortex to induce chronic epileptic activity. All of the iron-injected rats showed isolated spikes near the injection site and in the contralateral cortex immediately after the injection. The injection produced 3 kinds of responses in the rats according to the frequency of the isolated spikes. Spike and wave complexes appeared bilaterally approximately 30 days or more after the injection in the rats in which the frequency of the isolated spikes was dominant on the side ipsilateral to the injection site or nearly equal on the two sides. These results suggest that there are at least 2 stages in the development of chronic iron-induced epilepsy.

Animals↗

Role of lysine-67 in the active site of class C beta-lactamase from Citrobacter freundii GN346.

Citrobacter freundii GN346 produces a class C beta-lactamase exhibiting the substrate profile of a typical cephalosporinase. The structural and promoter regions of the cephalosporinase gene, comprising 1408 nucleotides, were completely sequenced. The amino acid sequence of the mature enzyme, comprising 361 amino acids, and its molecular mass, 39,878 Da, were determined. The active site was confirmed to be Ser-64. The amino acid sequence of the enzyme differs from that of the cephalosporinase of C. freundii OS60 by nine residues. The nucleotide sequence of the promoter region suggests a possible attenuator structure. Lys-67, one of the most conserved residues found in class A and C beta-lactamases and penicillin-binding proteins, was converted into arginine, threonine or glutamic acid through site-directed mutagenesis. The Glu-67 enzyme had lost the catalytic activity and the Thr-67 enzyme only showed a trace of activity. The Arg-67 enzyme, which retained a significant amount of the activity, was purified. The Km values of the Arg-67 enzyme for cephalothin, cephaloridine and benzylpenicillin are 13-19 times those of the wild-type enzyme; the kcat values for the three substrates are 37%, 3%, and 36% those of the wild-type enzyme, respectively.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

The effect of L-carnitine supplementation in 4 pentenoic acid treated rats.

The effects of prolonged administration (7 days) of 4 pentenoic acid (4PA, 20 mg/kg/day) or 4PA (20 mg/kg/day) with L-carnitine (200 mg/kg/day) on carnitine metabolism and morphological changes of liver mitochondria were assessed in rats. 4PA-treated rats showed hyperammonemia, decreased levels of blood glucose, free fatty acids and beta-OH-butyrate, and of free carnitine in serum, muscle and liver, increased excretion of acylcarnitine in urine, and enlarged mitochondria with microvesicular steatosis, when compared to saline-injected control rats, respectively. 4PA plus L-carnitine rats showed decreased levels of blood ammonia and increased levels of beta-OH-butyrate, compared to the 4PA group. On the other hand, the levels of free carnitine in serum and liver in rats treated with both 4PA and L-carnitine were increased, when compared to controls. The ratio of acylcarnitine to free carnitine excreted in urine in 4PA-treated rats was higher than that in either the control or 4PA plus L-carnitine group. The liver mitochondria in the 4PA plus L-carnitine group were the same as in the controls. The results suggested that the abnormal biochemical and morphological findings due to only 4PA may be relieved with L-carnitine supplementation.

Ammonia↗