Search PubMed⌕ Search

Biomedical subjects

O Yamaguchi

Publications and source records attributed to O Yamaguchi.

At least 127 records · Page 7Linked to original sources

A method to register a dynamic balance of the upper urinary tract.

Using a specially designed circuit with an UP-DOWN counter, a new method is briefly described for investigation of the upper urinary tract. It allows sequential measurements of the balance level between input and output of the pelviureteral system in animal experiments.

Animals↗

Continuous ECG monitoring on civil air crews during flight operations.

Cardiovascular disease is one of the disorders resulting in sudden incapacitation and is the most common malady leading to medical retirement. It is very important for us to control this disease among pilots. Generally, pilots undergo medical checkups at health control service on the ground, but they do not undergo these checkups during flight operations. We obtained a continuous ECG recording on four pilots to assess cardiac reserve capacity for mental load during flight operation. Results show that no significant ischemic changes of ST-segment and T-wave during flight were noticed except in one case of atrial fibrillation in which significant depression of ST-segment occurred while walking up a stairway after flight. An increased number of ectopic beats was found in another normal case. In general, it was suspected that mental load is greater at landing than takeoff.

Accidents, Aviation↗

Spontaneous chromosome mutation and screening of mutator factors in Drosophila melanogaster.

(1) The marked inversion technique was used, and 38 major autosome sets of Drosophila melanogaster were extracted from populations of Jugoslavia, Taiwan and Japan. Spontaneous mutations were allowed to accumulate on the major chromosomes for 25 generations. Then the second chromosomes were tested to determine whether or not they were associated with such known mutator factors as the male crossing-over factor, SD, and the extrachromosomal element delta. Chromosome mutations were examined by salivary gland chromosome analysis, and viability mutations were done by the marked autosomal translocation method. (2) In 8 out of 38 major autosome lines, 5 inversions occurred in the second chromosomes, 4 inversions in the third chromosomes, and 1 reciprocal translocation between the second and the third chromosomes. Chromosome mutation rates were, therefore, 0.0063 per second chromosome per generation and 0.0053 per third chromosome per generation. Since there was no signficant difference in the rates, chromosome mutations seem to be occurring approximately equally in both major autosomes. (3) Lethal mutation rates were estimated to be 0.0097 per major autosome per generation. (4) Twenty-four second chromosome lines out of 37 demonstrated male crossing-over among the cinnabar and brown interval; the average frequencies were 0.0031 for all lines and 0.0034 when non-recombination lines were excluded. (5) One second chromosome exhibited delta retaining ability (ID), but no second chromosome carried SD.

Animals↗

The genetic variability of third chromosomes in a local population of Drosophila melanogaster.

Five hundred and two third chromosomes were extracted from a large cage population of Drosophila melanogaster initiated two months after collection of the progenitors near Raleigh, North Carolina in 1970.---Salivary gland chromosomes of 489 chromosome lines were examined and 54 chromosomes were found to carry inversions. The inversions were classified into three polymorphic types [In (3L)P, In (3R)P, and In (3R)C] and two unique types. The polymorphic inversions were found in frequencies of 0.012, 0.88, and 0.010, respectively.--Viabilities of homozygotes and heterozygotes were examined. Chromosomes with lethals occurred with a frequency of 0.495: 0.537 in the group of inversion-carrying chromosomes and 0.490 in the group of inversion-free chromosomes. The average homozygote viability computed on the basis of an average heterozygote viability of 1.0000 was 0.3235 if lethal lines were included and 0.6290 if they were excluded. The detrimental load to lethal load ratio (D:L ratio) was 0.70 (=0.4636-0.6650). The average viability of lethal heterozygotes was significantly larger than that of lethal-free heterozygotes. It appears, however, that lethal genes in heterozygotes have deleterious effects on fitness as a whole.--The average degree of dominance for viability polygenes was estimated to be about 0.3-0.4 in lethal-free individuals and nearly zero in lethal heterozygotes. Overdominance or some form of balancing selection was suggested at some loci. The difference between the values obtained for average degree of dominance due to genetic backgrounds and superior vibaility of lethal heterozygotes (but not fitness as a whole) suggest that some epistasis or coadaptation occurs.--The results described above are similar to those obtained for the second chromosomes.

Animals↗

Hypertension and plasma renin activity in experimentally induced chronic pyelonephritis.

The present authors conducted a series of experiments with mongrel dogs, in which unilateral chronic pyelonephritis was induced and postoperative changes in blood pressure and plasma renin activity were observed over a period of 3 months. The pyelonephritis infection was brought about by a method involving vesicoureteral reflux and ureteral dysfunction, as described in a previous paper. Pre- and postoperative levels of systolic pressure were compared, but no definite trends were found for the first 3 weeks after operation. At 30, 60 and 90 days the pressures were found to have risen by 21.2 +/- 14.6 and 17.1 +/- 16.7 mm Hg, respectively. No appreciable change in the plasma renin activity was found, however, at any stage. From these results it was concluded that experimentally induced chronic pyelonephritis in dogs caused a rise in blood pressure. No connection between the pyelonephritis and the renin angiotensin system was found.

Animals↗

Application of ultrasonic shift Doppler technique to record velocity changes of intrauretral urine flow.

Velocity Changes of intraluminal urine flow were recorded using the ultrasonic shift Doppler principle on exposed ureters of five adult mongrel dogs. This method has been used for further understanding of the speed of urine transport within the ureter when it is affected by ureteral peristalsis and the level of diuresis. Simultaneous recording of urine velocity curves and electroureterograms were performed. The results indicate that there is a direct relationship between intraluminal urine flow and peristaltic contraction. The results also show that the velocity of a urine bolus is highest during olguric conditions (urine flow1 ml/min), and, at polyuric conditions (urine flow 3 ml/min) the flow through the ureter is continuous.

Animals↗

Effects of rapid round trips against time displacement on adrenal cortical-medullary circadian rhythms.

The effects of rapid round trips against time displacement on circadian rhythms was investigated. The study was carried out on three occasions using one volunteer healthy physician on east-west trips (Tokyo-San Francisco-Tokyo) of short and prolonged stays. The control study was performed on a north-south trip (Tokyo-Sydney-Tokyo) which had practically no time displacement. The circadian rhythms of urinary 17-OHCS, 17-KS, and noradrenaline excretions and plasma cortisol in short-stay trips were disrupted and not synchronized; however, the recovery was rapid with the circadian rhythms returning to normal within 1 to 2 d. On the other hand, the circadian rhythms of these variables in the control study were not disrupted. These results suggest that a short, overnight stay during the trip minimizes the ill effects due to time displacement.

17-Ketosteroids↗

The relation between experimentally induced pyelonephritis and hypertension.

Hypertension resulting from chronic pyelonephritis has been shown in clinical as well as experimental cases, although some authors deny that there is a pathogenic relationship between the two. To throw light on this problem the present authors conducted a series of experiments with mongrel dogs, in which chronic pyelonephritis was induced and postoperative changes in blood pressure and plasma renin activity were observed over a period of 3 months. The pyelonephritis infection was brought about by a method involving vesicoureteral reflux and ureteral dysfunction, as described in a previous paper. Preoperative and postoperative levels of systolic pressure wer compared, but no definit trends were found for the first 3 weeks after operation. At 30, 60 and 90 days the pressures were found to have risen by 21.2 plus or minus 11.2 mmHg, 21.7 plus or minus 14.6 mmHg and 17.1 plus or minus 16.7 mmHg, respectively. Thus there was a significant elevation (p smaller than 0.01). No appreciable change in the plasma renin activity was found, however, at any stage. From these results it was concluded that experimentally induced chronic pyelonephritis in dogs caused a rise in blood pressure. No connection between the pyelonephritis and the renin angiotensin system was found.

Animals↗

Pyelonephritis and hypertension.

Blood pressure changes were followed up for 1-12 years (average; 3.8 years) in 46 cases of confirmed postoperative chronic pyelonephritis which had undergone ureterocutaneostomy, nephrostomy or other urologic operations. Diastolic blood pressure levels averaged 82 mmHg before operation, and 89 mmHg in the chronic stage after the operation. The incidence of hypertension (over 100 mmHg diastolic pressure) was 7% before the operation, but rose to 30% in the chronic stage. Application of an "age- and sex-adjusted score" also served to confirm a mean increase in blood pressure through the development of chronic pyelonephritis. No correlation was found between renal function and blood pressure. Nor was there any definite relationship between family history of hypertension and high blood pressure. In the 14 cases observed for plasma renin activity, values were found to be in the normal range.

Adolescent↗

The genetic structure of natural populations of Drosophila melanogaster. XI. Genetic variability in a local population.

Six hundred and ninety-one second chromosomes were extracted from a Raleigh, North Carolina population, and the following experimental results were obtained: (1) Salivary gland chromosomes of all lines were observed and the number of inversion-carrying chromosomes was 130, among which 76 carried In(2R)NS, 36 carried In(2L)t, 4 carried In(2L)t and In(2R)NS, and 14 carried different kinds of rare inversions. (2) Viabilities of homozygotes and heterozygotes were examined. The frequency of lethal-carrying chromosomes was 275/691 (or 0.398):70/130 (or 0.538) in inversion-carrying chromosomes and 205/561 (or 0.365) in inversion-free chromosomes. The former is significantly higher than the latter. The average homozygote viability was 0.4342 including lethal lines and 0.7163 excluding those, the average heterozygote viability being 1.0000. The detrimental load to lethal load ratio (D:L ratio) was 0.334/0.501 = 0.67. The average viability of lethal heterozygotes was less than that of lethal-free heterozygotes, significantly in inversion-free individuals but not significantly so in inversion-carrying individuals. Inversion heterozygotes seem to have slightly better viability than the inversion-free heterozygotes on the average, but not significantly so. (3) The average degree of dominance of viability polygenes was estimated to be 0.293 +/- 0.071 for all heterozygotes whose component chromosomes had better viabilities than 0.6 of the average heterozygote viability, 0.177 +/- 0.077 for inversion-free heterozygotes and 0.489 +/- 0.082 for inversion heterozygotes. (4) Mutation rates of viability polygenes and lethal genes were estimated on the basis of genetic loads and average degrees of dominance of lethal genes and viability polygenes. Estimates were very close to those obtained by direct estimation. (5) Possible overdominance and epistasis were detected, but the magnitude must be very small. (6) The effective size of the population was estimated to be much greater than 10,000 by using the allelism rate of lethal-carrying chromosomes (0.0040) and their frequency.-On the basis of these findings and the comparison with the predicted result (Mukai and Maruyama 1971), the mechanisms of the maintenance of genetic variability in the population are discussed.

Adaptation, Biological↗

The genetic structure of natural populations of Drosophila melanogaster. XII. Linkage disequilibrium in a large local population.

Seven hundred and three second chromosomes were extracted from a Raleigh, North Carolina population of Drosophila melanogaster in 1970. Additionally, four hundred and eighty-nine third chromosomes were extracted from a large cage population founded from the flies in the 1970 Raleigh collection. The alpha glycerol-3-phosphate dehydrogenase-1, malate dehydrogenase-1, alcohol dehydrogenase, and alpha amylase loci were studied from the second chromosomes, and the esterase-6, esterase-C, and octanol dehydrogenase loci were analyzed from the third chromosomes. Inversions, relative viability and fecundity were studied for both classes of chromosomes. The following significant findings were obtained: (1) All loci examined were polymorphic or had at least two alleles at appreciable frequencies. Analysis of the combined data from this experiment with that of Mukai, Mettler and Chigusa (1971) revealed that the frequencies of the genes in the second chromosomes collected in early August were approximately the same over three years. (2) Linkage disequilibria between and among isozyme genes inter se were not detected except in a few cases which can be considered due to non-random sampling. (3) Linkage disequilibria between isozyme genes and polymorphic inversions were detected when the recombination values between the breakage points of the inversions and the genes in question were small. In only a few cases, were second and third order linkage disequilibria including polymorphic inversions detected. (4) Evidence for either variation among genotypes within loci or cumulative effects of heterozygosity was found for viability and fecundity. As a result of these findings, it was tentatively concluded that although selection might be perceptibly operating on some polymorphic isozyme loci, most of the polymorphic isozyme genes are selectively neutral or near-neutral in the populations studied.

Alcohol Oxidoreductases↗