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Biomedical subjects

N Wada

Publications and source records attributed to N Wada.

250 records · Page 14Linked to original sources

Relationship between hepatic hemodynamics and biliary pressure in dogs: its significance in clinical shock following biliary decompression.

The changes in the hepatic hemodynamics were promptly reflected in the biliary pressure in dogs. Both wedged hepatic venous pressure and portal venous pressure increased in response to the elevated biliary pressure, and conversely decreased following rapid biliary decompression, suggesting that the changes in the biliary pressure might affect the hepatic hemodynamics post-sinusoidally. It was supposed that too rapid biliary decompression might trigger the following consequences; 1) decrease in sinusoidal pressure, 2) increase in sinusoidal inflow, and 3) extravasation of intravascular fluid in the perivascular space. When these were not sufficiently compensated, they could trigger shock in the jaundiced patients.

Adult↗

Superoxide anion reacts with enzyme intermediate in the bacterial luciferase reaction competitive with intramolecular electron transfer.

Addition of KO2 in dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) to the in vitro bacterial luciferase reaction subsequent to its initiation resulted in a biphasic decay of light emission. The first and more rapid phase is attributed to quenching by DMSO. With DMSO alone the continuing decay is kinetically the same as in a control reaction. With KO2 added the second decay phase is more rapid and dependent on the KO2 concentration. The enhanced decay is attributed to superoxide anion generated from KO2 reacting without light emission with an enzyme peroxy intermediate, breaking down of the peroxide bond through intermolecular electron transfer from the superoxide anion, in competition with an intramolecular electron transfer from the N(5) position of the flavin ring, which normally leads to the production of the excited luciferase-dihydroflavin-4a-hydroxide.

Catalase↗

Early recurrence of hyperthyroidism in patients with Graves' disease treated by subtotal thyroidectomy.

Prerequisites for surgical treatment of Graves' disease are that it can be done safely and that it is associated with a low incidence of recurrent hyperthyroidism. Early recurrence is especially undesirable. We studied 728 patients with Graves' disease treated by subtotal thyroidectomy using multivariate analysis in order to determine the factors related to early recurrence. The following factors were analyzed: age, sex, duration of medical treatment, weight of resected thyroid tissue, thyroid remnant size, preoperative level of thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) binding inhibitory immunoglobulin (TBII), and antimicrosomal hemagglutination antibody (MCHA). "Early recurrence" was defined as TSH suppression observed within the first year after surgery and continuing for at least 6 months. A total of 106 patients (14.6%) had early recurrence. Statistical analyses were performed by the chi-square test for univariate analysis and a logistic model for multivariate analysis. Significant factors were thyroid remnant size, MCHA, and TBII. These results indicated that TBII and MCHA are related to early recurrence of hyperthyroidism, and smaller remnant size is recommended for patients with a high MCHA titer or a high TBII level (or both) in order to avoid early recurrence.

Adolescent↗

Neuronal pathways from low-threshold muscle and cutaneous afferents innervating tail to trunk muscle motoneurons in the cat.

We studied neuronal pathways from low-threshold muscle (group I, II) and cutaneous afferents (group A(alpha)beta) innervating the tail to motoneurons innervating trunk muscles (m. iliocostalis lumborum and m. obliquus externus abdominus) in 18 spinalized cats. Stimulation of group I muscle afferents produced excitatory postsynaptic potentials or excitatory postsynaptic potentials followed by inhibitory postsynaptic potentials in all motoneurons innervating the m. iliocostalis lumborum which showed effects (32%), and predominantly inhibitory postsynaptic potentials in motoneurons innervating the m. obliquus externus abdominus (47%). Stimulation of group I+II afferents produced significant increases of the incidence of motoneurons showing postsynaptic potentials (the notoneurons innervating the m. iliocostalis lumborum, 87%; the motoneurons innervating the m. obliquus externus abdominus, 82%). The effects of low threshold cutaneous afferents were bilateral, predominantly producing inhibitory postsynaptic potentials in motoneurons innervating both muscles. These results suggest that neuronal pathways from muscle afferents to back muscle motoneurons mainly increase the stiffness of the trunk to maintain its stability, while those to abdominal muscles help to extend the dorsal column by decreasing their activities. The results also indicate that neuronal pathways from cutaneous afferents to trunk motoneurons functionallY disconnect the tail from the trunk.

Action Potentials↗

Gastrectomy enhances vulnerability to the development of alcoholism.

A history of gastrectomy was more frequently encountered in Japanese male alcoholics (9.7%, 47/486) than in male employee populations of two large companies (0.8%, 36/4,381, p < 0.001, and 0.6%, 6/950, p < 0.001). Gastrectomized men are known to achieve a higher blood ethanol level after the ingestion of the equal amount of ethanol than nongastrectomized men. To examine whether or not gastrectomy was responsible for the subsequent development of alcohol dependence, 47 gastrectomized alcoholics were compared with 47 age-matched nongastrectomized alcoholics. The mean lifetime duration of heavy drinking (> 120 g ethanol/day) was shorter in the former than in the latter (11 +/- 10 years vs. 16 +/- 9, p < 0.05), and the mean lifetime cumulative ethanol consumption level also smaller (834 +/- 497 kg vs. 1047 +/- 508, p < 0.05). The majority of gastrectomized patients (30/47) had no history of problem drinking before gastrectomy. The daily consumption was rapidly increased within 5 years after gastrectomy in 18 of 38 habitual drinkers (47%). Seven of the remaining nine nonhabitual drinkers (78%) became habitual drinkers and alcoholics within a short period of time (7 +/- 4 years), though with low lifetime cumulative consumption (< 400 kg). The incidence of disorders of the central and peripheral nervous systems observed did not differ between the two groups, except for frequent alcoholic blackouts reported in the gastrectomized patients. In conclusion, the majority of the gastrectomized patients changed their drinking habits after gastrectomy and developed alcohol dependence. They did not require as much lifetime cumulative ethanol as nongastrectomized patients to become ethanol dependent.

Adult↗

Pattern formation in dissociated limb bud mesenchyme in vitro and in vivo.

A fundamental process in limb bud development is the formation of position-dependent cartilage pattern. Cells of the distal mesenchyme maintain positional values as the expression pattern of transcription factors, for example, hox genes, which induce position-related cell differentiation and cell surface differences. Cultured, dissociated limb bud mesenchymal cells segregate from each other, and eventually form cartilage nodules. This sorting out is position-dependent, not cell-type dependent, suggesting that the positional values may be involved. Positional valves were found to be retained in limb bud recombinants. In the chick system, the expression of HoxA13 and HoxD12 was present in the distal half of stage 20 recombinants, whereas these markers were expressed throughout the stages 25 recombinants. In the Xenopus system, multiple digit formation was introduced in limb recombinants, and a position-related relationship between regeneration potency and the multiple digit formation could be established. This determination of multiple digit formation with different stages of limb mesenchyme may be useful in understanding mechanisms of the loss of vertebrate limb regeneration potency.

Animals↗

Alanyl-glutamine-supplemented total parenteral nutrition improves survival and protein metabolism in rat protracted bacterial peritonitis model.

BACKGROUND: The effects of glutamine-enriched total parenteral nutrition (TPN) solution on survival, and protein turnover in the whole body and in individual organs were investigated in a rat protracted peritonitis model. METHODS: Twenty-three rats underwent venous catheter insertion. Osmotic pumps were implanted in the peritoneal cavity to allow continuous delivery of Escherichia coli (4 x 10(8) CFU/d). The conventional TPN group received a conventional amino acid solution. The Ala-Gln TPN group received an alanyl-glutamine-enriched TPN solution. The two TPN solutions were isocaloric and isonitrogenous. RESULTS: Over the 5 days of TPN treatment, the survival rate of the Ala-Gln group was significantly higher than that of the conventional group. The Ala-Gln group tended to have increased whole-body protein turnover compared with the conventional group. Fractional protein synthetic rates (FSR) in the liver and gastrocnemius muscle of the Ala-Gln group were significantly higher than those of the conventional group. The serum glutamine concentration correlated positively with the FSR of both liver and muscle. The Ala-Gln group showed significantly greater mucosal height and mitoses per crypt, in the small intestine, than did the conventional group. CONCLUSIONS: Our results suggested that, in comparison with standard glutamine-free TPN, Ala-Gln-supplemented TPN increases protein synthesis in the liver and skeletal muscle, protects the morphology of the intestinal mucosa, and improves survival in protracted bacterial peritonitis. Ala-Gln supplementation may be useful in septic patients.

Alanine↗

Serum tartrate resistant acid phosphatase as a potential marker of bone metastasis from breast cancer.

BACKGROUND: Tartrate resistant acid phosphatase (TRACP) is exclusively localized in osteoclasts and has been suggested to be a unique marker of bone metastasis. PATIENTS AND METHODS: TRACP activity using an improved spectrophotometric assay was measured in 56 healthy volunteers and 113 breast cancer patients, including 35 with bone metastases (BM). RESULTS: TRACP activities (IU/l, mean +/- SD) of normal subjects in pre- and post-menopausal women were 5.7 +/- 1.3 and 6.6 +/- 1.2, respectively (p < 0.02). The specificity, sensitivity, and accuracy of TRACP in patients, were 91.0%, 65.7%, and 83.2%, respectively. TRACP was significantly higher in patients with BM than in patients without BM (p < 0.01). In patients with BM, TRACP increased in proportion to the number of BM. Regarding clinical assessment of treatment of BM, TRACP was significantly higher in patients with progressive disease. CONCLUSION: TRACP is a useful marker of metastatic bone disease and response to treatment in breast cancer patients.

Acid Phosphatase↗

Pancreatic trauma in patients with pancreatobiliary anomaly.

One patient with a choledochal cyst and anomalous pancreaticobiliary junction had pancreatic transection causing bile peritonitis. Intraoperative cholangiopancreatography revealed this anomaly. In another patient with pancreas divisum, cannulation of the minor papilla (ERCP) demonstrated focal stenosis of the dorsal pancreatic duct, corresponding to the site of the minor laceration. The possibility of a coexisting pancreatobiliary anomaly should be considered in the diagnosis of pancreatic trauma, particularly in terms of the interpretation of pancreatograms.

Adult↗