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Biomedical subjects

R Fujii

Publications and source records attributed to R Fujii.

At least 235 records · Page 13Linked to original sources

Receptor mechanisms in fish chromatophores--VIII. Mediated by beta adrenoceptors, catecholamines always act to disperse pigment in siluroid melanophores.

The sympathomimetic amines tested, including those of alpha and beta type, were all ineffective in arousing melanosome aggregation within dermal and epidermal melanophores of the siluroid catfish, Parasilurus asotus. Conversely, these amines unfailingly gave rise to a dispersion of the pigment. While alpha-adrenergic blocking agents had only a little influence, beta agents exhibited a strong inhibitory effect on the pigment-dispersing action of the amines. Electrical nervous stimulation failed to bring about a melanosome dispersion. It was concluded that the adrenoceptors possessed by dermal and epidermal melanophores of this species seemed to be solely of the beta-adrenergic type, mediating the pigment dispersion, and that the endogenous amines involved in the darkening reaction of animals may originate in adrenal chromaffin cells, and thus are not derived from the peripheral nervous elements.

Animals↗

Control of chromatophore movements in dermal chromatic units of blue damselfish--I. The melanophore.

Mechanisms controlling pigment movements in the melanophore of the blue damselfish, Chrysiptera cyanea, were studied. Histological observations revealed that the melanophore had three-dimensionally developed processes to envelop overlying small iridophores, and thus participated in the construction of a simple dermal chromatophore unit. Nervous stimulation, catecholamines and melatonin brought about melanosome aggregation in the melanophore. The actions of the nervous stimulation and catecholamines were antagonized by alpha adrenolytic agents. A beta adrenergic agonist, metaproterenol, adenosine and adenine nucleotides, and alpha-MSH acted as pigment-dispersing agents. These results indicate that the melanophore of the present material is controlled quite orthodoxly by adrenergic nerves and endocrines, notwithstanding the fact that it has quite a unique morphology among fish species, and that its motile rate is remarkably high.

Animals↗

[Clinical and pharmacokinetic evaluations of ceftizoxime suppositories in children].

Ceftizoxime suppository (CZX-S) was evaluated for its safety, clinical efficacy and pharmacokinetics in pediatric patients. The Cmax, 4.8 to 9.5 micrograms/ml, was obtained 15 to 30 minutes after administration of CZX-S, and the serum half-life was 0.93 hour. Cross-over comparison with intramuscular CZX in a child showed approximately one-third bioavailability of the suppository against intramuscular injection. CZX-S was effective in all the 26 bacterial infections including acute pharyngitis, pneumonia, soft tissue infection, and urinary tract infections. The causative organisms were eradicated in 95%. Mild diarrhea (17%) was the only side effect observed in the study. The data suggest that CZX-S is an excellent alternative to oral and injectable antibiotics for the treatment of mild to moderate bacterial infections due to the susceptible organisms.

Bacteria↗

[Clinical evaluation of cefminox, a new cephamycin antibiotic, in the pediatric infections].

Cefminox (CMNX, MT-141) was evaluated for its safety and efficacy in children. Fifteen cases of bacterial infections were treated with intravenous bolus injections of 30 to 100 mg/kg/day of CMNX. Each 5 cases of acute respiratory tract, urinary tract, and gastrointestinal infections were included. All the cases were cured after the CMNX therapy. No adverse reactions were encountered with the therapy. The serum half-life was approximately 1.5 to 2 hours after intravenous bolus injection in children. The data suggest that CMNX is a safe and effective antibiotic when used in children with susceptible bacterial infections.

Anti-Bacterial Agents↗

[Experimental and clinical evaluation of the BRL 25000 (clavulanic acid-amoxicillin) granules in the pediatric field].

BRL 25000 granules containing 2 parts amoxicillin and 1 part potassium clavulanate were administered to children suffering from acute infections at a daily dose of 50 mg/kg in 3 or 4 divided doses for at least 3 days. Infections included acute airway infections (81), scarlet fever and suspected scarlet fever (4), urinary tract infections (4), impetigo contagiosa (1) and acute colitis (1). Bacteria were eradicated in 91.3% (63/69) of cases treated with the BRL 25000 granules, with only 2 strains of Staphylococcus aureus, 2 of Escherichia coli, 1 of Haemophilus influenzae and 1 of Streptococcus pneumoniae remaining. Eight beta-lactamase producing strains were detected amongst the 49 clinical isolates studied and of these, 6 were eradicated after administration of the BRL 25000 granules. Good clinical efficacy was obtained in 97.8% of cases (89/91), with 1 case of acute tonsillitis and 1 of acute colitis showing no improvement. Adverse reactions were limited to 1 case of vomiting and 3 of diarrhea, and no abnormal laboratory findings were detected.

Administration, Oral↗

[Clinical evaluation of a new parenteral penicillin, aspoxicillin, in children].

Aspoxicillin (ASPC) was evaluated for its efficacy and safety in 30 infants and children with acute bacterial infections. The disease categories included acute respiratory tract (22), soft tissue (3), urinary tract (3) infections, sepsis with pyothorax (1) and purulent meningitis (1). ASPC was effective in all but 1 case of pneumonia due to beta-lactamase-positive H. influenzae (effective rate; 96.7%). Adverse reactions and abnormalities of the laboratory tests were not associated with the ASPC therapy in any of the cases. The serum half-life of ASPC after an intravenous bolus injection was 0.883 +/- 0.194 hour and excretion into urine was rapid. From the present results, ASPC is a safe and effective antibiotic when used in patients with susceptible bacterial infections.

Adolescent↗

[Clinical and pharmacokinetic evaluations of aztreonam in children].

Aztreonam (AZT) was evaluated for its safety, clinical efficacy and pharmacokinetics in children. AZT was effective in all the 16 children with Gram-negative bacterial infections. The diagnoses included acute bronchitis and pneumonia (11), UTI (2), UTI with bacteremia (1), purulent meningitis (1) and acute mucositis (1). The etiologic agents were H. influenzae (10), B. catarrhalis (1), N. meningitidis group C (1), E. coli (3) and P. aeruginosa (2). The serum half-life was approximately 1.2 hours after intravenous bolus injection. Penetration into the inflamed cerebrospinal fluid was good not only in acute purulent meningitis but also in viral meningitis. From the present study, AZT is a safe and effective antibiotic when used in children with Gram-negative bacterial infections.

Age Factors↗

Isolation of murine rotavirus in cell cultures. Brief report.

Murine rotavirus was isolated in primary monkey kidney cells. Electrophoretic pattern of genome RNA of murine rotavirus was different from that of human rotaviruses. Oral administration of cultured murine rotavirus caused mild diarrhea in newborn BALB/C mice.

Animals↗

Receptor mechanisms in fish chromatophores--VI. Adenosine receptors mediate pigment dispersion in guppy and catfish melanophores.

Using the guppy, Lebistes reticulatus, and the siluroid catfish, Parasilurus asotus , the effects of purine and pyrimidine derivatives on the movement of melanophores were studied. All the substances tested did not aggregate pigment within melanophores. Adenosine and adenine nucleotides were very effective in dispersing melanosomes within the cell, although adenine itself lacked such action. Derivatives of other purines than adenine and of pyrimidines did not disperse melanosomes. The pigment dispersion induced by adenine derivatives was specifically antagonized by methylxanthines. It was concluded that adenosine receptors are present on the melanophore membrane, which take part in the darkening reaction of fishes.

Adrenergic beta-Antagonists↗

Concurrent releases of norepinephrine and purines by potassium from adrenergic melanosome-aggregating nerve in Tilapia.

Elevation of [K+]0 elicited pigment aggregation within melanophores, and, at the same time, release of both norepinephrine (NE) and purines from split fin preparations of the tilapia, Sarotherodon niloticus, doubly labeled with [14C]NE and [3H]adenosine. This concomitant release increased with the increase in [K+]0 up to 50 mM, although a further increase in [K+]0 caused a progressive decrease in the outputs. The release of either NE or purines was significantly reduced by bretylium. It was concluded that, upon stimulation of the nerve, both the true transmitter, NE, and the co-transmitter, adenine nucleotides, are liberated for an exquisite control of chromatophore movements.

Adrenergic Fibers↗

[Clinical evaluation of sulbactam/cefoperazone in the pediatric infections].

Sulbactam/cefoperazone (SBT/CPZ), a fifty-fifty combination of a beta-lactamase inhibitor, SBT, and an already marketed broad spectrum cephalosporin, CPZ, was evaluated for its efficacy and safety in 25 children. The diagnoses included purulent lymphadenitis, pneumonia, acute UTI, bacteremia and purulent meningitis. SBT/CPZ was effective in all the 20 cases with bacterial infections, but strains highly resistant to CPZ were not isolated in this study. The serum and cerebrospinal-fluid levels of SBT were grossly parallel with those of CPZ, and the half-life of the serum SBT was 0.754 hour. Although severe adverse reactions were not encountered with SBT/CPZ therapy, loose stools in 20% and diarrhea in 16% of the cases were observed.

Adolescent↗

[Clinical and pharmacokinetic study of ceftriaxone in pediatric bacterial infections].

Ceftriaxone (Ro 13-9904, CTRX) was evaluated for its safety and efficacy in 33 children with various bacterial infections including 10 cases of bacterial meningitis. CTRX was effective in all but 1 case who had acute mucositis due to a resistant strain of Enterobacter cloacae. The serum half-life (T1/2 beta) was 4.5 +/- 1.6 hours after an intravenous bolus injection in children. Cerebrospinal fluid levels of CTRX in the acute phase of bacterial meningitis were 7.69 +/- 4.75 mcg/ml. The only side effect was mild to moderate diarrhea observed in 10 of the 33 cases, but in no case was it necessary to discontinue the drug.

Bacteria↗

[Bacteriological, pharmacokinetic and clinical studies on sulbactam/cefoperazone in the pediatric field].

Bacteriological and clinical effect of a newly developed SBT/CPZ in the treatment for pediatric patients was assessed by a study group consisting of 15 institutions. The results were as follows. Antibacterial effect Susceptibility studies were performed with 93 clinical isolates. The MIC of SBT/CPZ was one-tube inferior or almost similar to that of CPZ in susceptible organisms. In CPZ-resistant organisms at the inoculum of 10(8) cells/ml, however, SBT/CPZ was much superior to CPZ on the basis of the MIC. When the MIC of SBT/CPZ was compared to that of CPZ in 27 strains which have high beta-lactamase-producing activity, it was found that many of CPZ-resistant organisms were susceptible to SBT/CPZ. Serum concentration and urinary excretion The serum concentrations of SBT and CPZ were 33.2 micrograms/ml, respectively at 15 minutes after 20 mg/kg SBT/CPZ was administered by intravenous bolus injection, and those of SBT and CPZ, 51.0 micrograms/ml and 108.3 micrograms/ml, respectively following 40 mg/kg SBT/CPZ therapy. The serum concentrations of CPZ were 2.1-2.4 times as high as those of SBT. The concentrations were dose-related. The half-lives of SBT and CPZ following 20 mg/kg SBT/CPZ administration were 0.94 hour and 1.50 hours, respectively, and those following 40 mg/kg SBT/CPZ were 0.95 hour and 1.53 hours, respectively. There was no significant difference between 20 mg/kg and 40 mg/kg administrations. When compared between SBT and CPZ, CPZ had slightly longer half-lives. At the termination of 1 hour drip infusion of 20 mg/kg SBT/CPZ, the serum concentrations of SBT and CPZ were 16.7 micrograms/ml and 40.1 micrograms/ml, respectively. In the case of 40 mg/kg, the levels of SBT and CPZ were 38.6 micrograms/ml and 94.9 micrograms/ml, respectively. The concentrations were found to be dose-related as were following intravenous bolus injections. The SBT half-lives obtained after 20 mg/kg and 40 mg/kg SBT/CPZ administrations were 1.39 hours and 0.89 hour, respectively; those of CPZ, 2.00 hours and 1.44 hours, respectively. The highest urinary concentration occurred 0-2 hours after intravenous bolus injections of 20 mg/kg or 40 mg/kg SBT/CPZ. Urinary excretion of SBT over 6 hours was 60.0% and 67.7%, and that of CPZ, 21.2% and 25.0%, indicating higher urinary excretion for SBT. When 20 mg/kg SBT/CPZ or 40 mg/kg was administered over 1 hour by drip infusion, urinary excretion became the highest at 1-3 hours after administration. Urinary excretion of SBT over 7 hours following 20 mg/kg and 40 mg/kg SBT/CPZ was 68.8% and 80.3%, respectively, and that of CPZ, 24.4% and 27.3%. The results were similar to those observed following intravenous bolus injections.

Adolescent↗

Release of ATP from adrenergic nerves controlling pigment aggregation in tilapia melanophores.

Using split fin preparations of a tilapia, Sarotherodon niloticus, release of ATP from the adrenergic melanosome-aggregating nerve was studied. Associated with the melanosome aggregation, an apparent release of ATP was detected following electrical nervous stimulation. ATP-release increased with increases in stimulus intensity. Spontaneous release of a small amount of ATP was also detected. It was concluded that ATP may be liberated as a co-transmitter along with the true one, norepinephrine, and it may function to help melanophores recover from the effect of the latter, thus enabling fish to change their hue very rapidly.

Adenosine Triphosphate↗

[Clinical evaluation of ceftazidime in the treatment of pediatric infections].

Ceftazidime (CAZ) was evaluated for its safety and efficacy in 31 children. Of the 25 confirmed bacterial infections, 23 were cured by the CAZ therapy (efficacy rate, 92%). CAZ was assessed as effective in acute pharyngitis with vomiting (4), acute laryngitis (1), pneumonia (8), urinary tract infections (5), acute gastroenteritis (1), infection accompanying acute leukemia (septicemia suspected) (1), acute purulent meningitis (2) and abscess of the lateral cervical cyst (1). The main pathogens which responded to CAZ were H. influenzae, S. pyogenes, E. coli and P. aeruginosa. As adverse events, mild melena with prolonged prothrombin time (1) was found to be associated with the CAZ therapy. Half-life of the CAZ serum level was 0.97 +/- 0.10 hours, and urinary excretion was high. Penetration into the CSF in 2 cases of acute purulent meningitis was satisfactory. The data suggest that CAZ is a safe and effective injectable antibiotic when used in children with infections of CAZ-susceptible bacteria including P. aeruginosa.

Adolescent↗