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Biomedical subjects

R Nakamura

Publications and source records attributed to R Nakamura.

At least 343 records · Page 19Linked to original sources
PubMed1988

The effect on the blood-brain barrier of intracarotid contrast media--iopamidol and diatrizoate.

The effect on the blood-brain barrier (BBB) was assessed following intracarotid injection of iopamidol (300 mgI/ml.), meglumine diatrizoate (305 mgI/ml.) and isotonic saline. Four ml/kg of 2% Evans blue solution and 0.1 mCi 99m Technetium-DTPA (Tc-DTPA) were used as tracers. No blue staining was observed in the saline group. Three out of 10 animals showed blue staining in the iopamidol group. All ten animals showed blue staining in the diatrizoate group. There were statistical differences between the diatrizoate and the other two groups. Tc-DTPA extravasation was 0.37 +/- 0.13 (mean +/- SD) in the saline group, 1.29 +/- 0.77 in the iopamidol group and 3.88 +/- 1.67 in the diatrizoate group. Statistical differences were observed among three groups. These observations suggest that Tc-DTPA is very sensitive in detecting a subtle BBB injury and that iopamidol had a significantly smaller effect on the BBB than did meglumine diatrizoate.

Animals↗
PubMed1988

Vaginal fluid zinc concentration as a marker for intercourse.

Zinc is present in high concentration in semen, but in low concentration in vaginal fluid. We evaluated vaginal zinc levels as a marker for intercourse by measuring precoital (greater than 11 h after intercourse) or postcoital (less than 5 h after intercourse) zinc and acid phosphatase levels in 26 specimens of vaginal fluid from 18 women. The approximate 95% reference range for zinc in precoital vaginal fluid was 1.2 to 15 micrograms/mL (mean 4.5), and in postcoital vaginal fluid 4.0 to 135 micrograms/mL (mean 24). There is an overlap between the precoital and postcoital reference ranges. Provided that the vaginal fluid zinc level is less than approximately 4.0 micrograms/mL or greater than approximately 15 micrograms/mL, vaginal fluid zinc concentration may be useful as an indicator of intercourse.

Acid Phosphatase↗
PubMed1988

Reversible panhypopituitarism due to Cushing's syndrome.

A patient developed reversible panhypopituitarism due to an adrenal adenoma causing Cushing's syndrome. After removal of the adrenal adenoma, thyroid-stimulating hormone, corticotropin, growth hormone, follicle-stimulating hormone, luteinizing hormone, and prolactin responses to various stimuli recovered completely. The reversible panhypopituitarism of this patient may have occurred at the level of the pituitary gland as a result of hypercortisolemia.

Adenoma↗
PubMed1987

Heavy chain of human high molecular weight and low molecular weight kininogens binds calcium ion.

An antibody subpopulation, anti high molecular weight (anti-HMW) kininogen-Ca2+ antibody able to bind specifically to the HMW kininogen-Ca2+ complex, was isolated from anti-HMW kininogen antiserum. Partially purified anti-HMW kininogen antibody was applied to a HMW kininogen-Sepharose column equilibrated with 40 mM tris(hydroxymethyl)aminomethane hydrochloride buffer, pH 7.5, containing 1.0 M NaCl and 1 mM CaCl2, and anti-HMW kininogen-Ca2+ antibody was eluted with 5 mM ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid. As a result of characterization by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, this antibody specifically recognized the cyanogen bromide cleaved fragment 1 (CB-1) region (1-160 amino acid sequence) of the heavy chain of kininogen molecules in the presence of Ca2+ or Mg2+. Furthermore, circular dichroism (CD) experiments showed that the conformational changes of HMW kininogen and heavy chain were induced by metal ions such as Ca2+ and Mg2+ and that these changes were due to the conformational change of the CB-1 region of the heavy chain. The dissociation constant (Kd) for the heavy chain-Ca2+ measured by CD analysis at 214 nm was found to be 0.33 +/- 0.09 mM (mean +/- SD). The number of Ca2+-binding sites of heavy chain calculated from the Hill plot was 1.15 +/- 0.04 (mean +/- SD). Then, a possible Ca2+-binding site was found in the amino-terminal portion of the heavy chain of kininogen molecules.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1987

Fundic patch operation in the treatment of esophageal stricture with Barrett's esophagus--a case report.

A 66-year-old woman, who had a stricture of the distal esophagus with Barrett's epithelium caused by gastroesophageal reflux, was operated upon by means of the fundic patch method. Preoperative manometric and pH studies revealed that the patient had a cardiac incompetence and a delayed acid clearance of the esophagus. Endoscopic biopsies between 33-35 cm from the incisors, above the gastroesophageal junction, showed columnar metaplasia with a villiform surface, mucous glands, intestinal goblet cells, moderate inflammatory changes and focal mild dysplasia. After the operation, relief of the dysphagia and reflux symptoms were obtained successfully, and an endoscopy done 7 months later demonstrated that the esophageal lumen was adequate enough for passage, and that there was improvement of the esophagitis, though persistent Barrett's esophagus without malignancy still existed. These results indicate that the fundic patch operation with the formation of a mucosal valve and 270 degrees fundoplication is a useful method of choice for benign strictures of the lower esophagus.

Aged↗
PubMed1987

Degradation of human secretory immunoglobulin A by protease isolated from the anaerobic periodontopathogenic bacterium, Bacteroides gingivalis.

This bacterium is implicated in periodontal diseases of human adult type. Secretory immunoglobulin A (IgA) purified from human colostrum (HC-IgA) was incubated with Bacteroides gingivalis cells or protease isolated from the culture supernatant of B. gingivalis; the digestion of IgA was determined by immunoelectrophoresis and sodium dodecyl sulphate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. B. gingivalis cells almost completely degraded HC-IgA; protease isolated from the culture supernatant cleaved both HC-IgA and secretory IgA in human parotid saliva. Thus by degradation of IgA, the protease may mediate in part the periodontopathogenic role of B. gingivalis by decreasing the oral defence mechanism.

Bacteroides↗
PubMed1987

Antibody response to haptenic sugar antigen: immunodominancy of protein-bound lactose formed by amino-carbonyl reaction.

Several reducing sugars with structural analogy (glucose, galactose, lactose, melibiose, maltose and cellobiose) were bound to a carrier protein ovalbumin by amino-carbonyl reaction, and the non-enzymatically glycosylated proteins were injected into mice (BALB/c, C57BL/6, DBA/2 and C3H/He strains) with Freund's adjuvant. Antibody responses to the haptenic sugar antigens were analyzed quantitatively by enzyme-linked immunosorbent-assay using each sugar-bovine serum albumin complex. The haptenic sugar antigen from lactose induced a markedly higher response of specific antibody as compared with the haptenic sugar antigens from the other sugars. The antibody raised against the lactose adduct reacted well with lactulose (4-o-beta-D-galactopyranosyl-D-fructose) or alpha-N-acetyl-epsilon-N-deoxylactulosyl-L-lysine. The results suggested that immunogenicity of haptenic sugar antigens was remarkably different in sugar chemical structure, and that the lactose adduct formed by lactose-protein amino-carbonyl reaction could be an immunodominant antigenic determinant.

Amino Acids↗
PubMed1987

Polydactyly of the hands and feet.

Polydactyly of the hand, of the foot, and of the hand combined with the foot were studied. As noted in previous reports of polydactyly, inherited cases represent about 10% of polydactyly of the hand or foot, and unilateral involvement is more common than bilateral. In 495 cases of polydactyly 27 patients had polydactyly of the hands and feet. The extra digits in 21 of those 27 were in the same digital rays of the hand and foot. There were 14 inherited cases (51.9%) and most were an autosomal dominant, but some were an autosomal recessive. Both hand and/or feet were involved in 22 cases. Most cases of preaxial polydactyly of the hand combined with central polydactyly of the foot were sporadic and unilateral. All cases of both preaxial and postaxial (polyaxial) polydactyly were inherited and bilateral. Two pairs of sisters had the same clinical features. The parent (mother or father) also had the same deformities in the inherited cases.

Female↗
PubMed1987

Reduction of the scaphoid fracture with DISI alignment.

Eight cases of symptomatic malunion and nonunion of scaphoid fractures with dorsiflexed intercalated segment instability (DISI) alignment were treated by open reduction, anterior wedge-shaped bone grafting, and internal fixation using Herbert's screw. In four malunited fractures, osteotomy at the fracture line was done before the reduction. The DISI alignment was reduced by insertion of the Kirschner wire into the lunate and flexing it anteriorly. After the bone grafting to the anterior bony defect of the scaphoid, which was created by the Kirschner wire reduction, internal fixation was accomplished by the use of Herbert's screw. In all cases fusion was obtained within 4 months. Radiographic assessment indicated that the DISI alignment and the angulated scaphoid were corrected to achieve a nearly normal pattern. Pain, restricted motion of the wrist, and the grip strength were improved.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1987

Nonoperative treatment of camptodactyly.

Twenty-four patients with camptodactyly of their small fingers were treated with a dynamic splint. Most of the patients could extend the proximal interphalangeal (PIP) joints within a few months by using the dynamic splint 24 hours a day. After almost full extension of the proximal interphalangeal joint was achieved, splinting for 8 hours a day produced good final results. However, after the splint was removed, contracture tended to recur. Although further studies are needed to determine the optimum termination of treatment, in our opinion it should be when the growth plate is closed, and longitudinal growth of the finger no longer occurs.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1987

Degradations of 4-cholesten-3-one and 1,4-androstadiene-3,17-dione by cholesterol-degrading bacteria.

Degradations of 4-cholesten-3-one and 1,4-androstadiene-3,17-dione, which are intermediates of microbial conversion of cholesterol, by cholesterol-degrading bacteria (12 strains of the genus Rhodococcus isolated from food of animal origin and 12 culture collection strains) were examined. All strains had the ability to degrade 4-cholesten-3-one without necessarily being able to degrade cholesterol. On the other hand, the bacteria were divided into three groups with little or no (0-10%), intermediate (10-70%) and high (70-100%) degradation abilities for 1,4-androstadiene-3,17-dione.

Androstadienes↗
PubMed1987

The altered time course of tension development during the initiation of fast movement in hemiplegic patients.

The time course of tension development produced by fast isometric contraction of the quadriceps femoris muscle for knee extension was examined on eight normal subjects and 14 patients with spastic hemiparesis due to stroke. Tension lag time (TLT), the latency from the onset of EMG activities to the rise of tension, and contraction time (FTmax), the period from the rise of tension to its maximum, were longer in the patients than in the normal subjects. The prolongation of FTmax correlated with the decreased rate of tension development. The results indicated that the temporal characteristics of tension development altered in the spastic paresis, reflecting functional changes in the muscle and motor neurons.

Adult↗