Autologous transplantation of fascia into the vocal fold.
Explore the source record for details and available documents.
Aged↗
Biomedical subjects
S Niimi
Publications and source records attributed to S Niimi.
The larynx during exercise.
OBJECTIVES: To develop a system capable of observing the larynx during various body movements and to investigate the relation between upper limb movements and laryngeal closure, often referred as "airtrapping." STUDY DESIGN: An endoscope capable of observing the larynx during various body movements was developed and the laryngeal state was monitored during these movements in three subjects. The output of 12 subjects' forearms was recorded with and without laryngeal closure. RESULTS: The larynx was observable even during extreme exercises such as horizontal bar exercises and vault exercises. Laryngeal closure was almost always seen during the beginning of maximum effort of the upper limbs. During constant effort, the state of the larynx varied. When the output of the upper limbs was compared with and without laryngeal closure, there was an average of 20% power loss. CONCLUSIONS: This study suggests four possible uses for this system. 1) The system could be useful to evaluate laryngeal disorders during exercise such as exercise-induced laryngomalacia. 2) The results could be used to improve the pushing exercise, a voice therapy technique. 3) The status of patients with incomplete laryngeal closure in connection with the upper limbs could be evaluated more thoroughly. 4) The technique and equipment could be used to observe the larynges during normal vocal processes that require body movement.
Adult↗
Expression of inhibin betaA, betaB and follistatin mRNAs in the carbon tetrachloride induced rat liver regeneration model.
Follistatin (FS, an activin-binding protein) and activin A (homodimer of inhibin betaA chain) promote and inhibit cell proliferation in rat liver, respectively. The roles of activin AB (heterodimer of inhibin betaA and betaB) and activin B (homodimer of inhibin betaB) in rat liver have not been elucidated yet. In this study, we examined, by reverse-transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) analysis, whether the levels of FS, inhibin betaA and betaB mRNAs change in the carbon tetrachloride induced rat liver regeneration model. The analysis was made in an hour-by-hour manner during the early stage of liver injury. There are 2 types of FS mRNA, FS-288 and FS-315, and the levels of both had begun to increase at 3 h, were maximal at 6 h, remained constant up to 12 h, and thereafter gradually decreased. The inhibin betaA mRNA had started to decline at 3 h, reached its lowest level at 6 h, partly returned at 12 h, and remained constant up to 48 h. The inhibin betaB mRNA level had begun to increase at 1 h, was maximal at 3 h, remained constant up to 24 h, and returned to the original level at 48 h. These results indicate that FS and activin A may act reciprocally in liver regeneration, and also suggest that activin AB and B may play roles in liver regeneration that differ from that of activin A.
Animals↗
Hoarse voice resulting from premature ageing in Werner's syndrome.
Werner's syndrome is characterized by clinical signs of premature ageing. A 42-year-old man presented with three-year history of hoarseness. Also noted were skin atrophy of the face and hands, ulcerations around the ankles, and a history of cataracts. A clinical diagnosis of Werner's syndrome was made. Laryngoscopy revealed bowed vocal folds resulting in a spindle-shaped defect with glottal incompetence during phonation. Examination also revealed decreased maximum phonation time and vocal fatigue. At surgery, atrophy of the vocalis muscle was noted. Furthermore, degeneration of muscle fibres was noted in the temporalis muscle. The atrophic changes in the vocal folds that occur with ageing and result in an increased fundamental frequency were seen in this patient. The characteristic hoarseness of Werner's syndrome appears to be the result of premature ageing of the vocal-folds.
Adult↗
Design of a novel membrane-destabilizing peptide selectively acting on acidic liposomes.
The design of amphipathic peptides resulted in a novel peptide with a selective ability to destabilize lipid bilayers of acidic liposomes. The newly synthesized peptide, termed mast 21, is a 21-residue long amino acid chain and can only act effectively on acidic liposomes lacking cholesterol. Moreover, mast 21 killed gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria, and it had no hemolytic activity. The antimicrobial and hemolytic activities paralleled the results of membrane destabilizing activity using liposomes. Circular dichroism and Trp-fluorescence emission spectra showed changes in the peptide conformation and circumstances around the peptide during interaction with liposomes. These changes were consistent with an increased alpha-helical content and a less polar environment for the tryptophan residue of the peptide. Mast 21 was observed under dark-field microscopy in real time attacking liposomes. Acidic liposomes were attacked, which resulted in peeling of the lipid bilayer with its subsequent destruction.
Amino Acid Sequence↗
Antitumor activity of 13,14-dihydro-15-deoxy-delta7-prostaglandin-A1-methyl ester integrated into lipid microspheres against human ovarian carcinoma cells resistant to cisplatin in vivo.
One of the delta7-prostaglandin A1 derivatives with unique antitumor activities, 13,14-dihydro-15-deoxy-delta7-prostaglandin-A1-methyl ester, was integrated into lipid microspheres (Lipo-TEI9826) and examined for its antitumor effect in vitro and in vivo. The in vitro relative resistance of human ovarian cancer, A2780CP, to cisplatin (CDDP) and Lipo-TEI9826 was 27.3 and 2.0, respectively, compared with A2780, the parent cell line of A2780CP. In in vivo experiments, when A2780CP and the parent cell line A2780 were inoculated into nude mice, A2780CP grew two times more rapidly than did A2780. The growth of A2780CP tumor was not suppressed by CDDP, whereas that of the A2780 tumor was significantly suppressed. Nevertheless, the growth of both the A2780 and the A2780CP inoculated tumors was significantly inhibited by treatment with Lipo-TEI9826 at any time after the initial treatment, compared with the lipid microspheres only. These results show that Lipo-TEI9826 may be an effective antitumor agent and capable of overcoming CDDP resistance.
Animals↗
Autologous transplantation of fascia into the vocal fold: a new phonosurgical technique for glottal incompetence.
Explore the source record for details and available documents.
Endoscopy↗
[Relation between voice quality and pathological vibratory patterns using high-speed digital imaging].
We analysed the vocal fold vibrations of 22 pathological larynges using a computer-assisted high-speed digital imaging technique. The parameters observed included symmetry, regularity, phase difference, glottal closure, amplitude, mucosal wave and periodicity difference. Voice quality was evaluated by a GRBAS system, and we examined the relation between vocal fold vibration patterns and voice quality. The intraexaminer correlation coefficient was high for the G, R and B scales. Vibratory patterns were classified according to the location of the lesion, severity of the disease, expiratory pressure and laryngeal modulation. Although there were no matches between a vocal fold vibratory pattern for one psychoacoustic impression of hoarseness, the characteristic vibratory patterns of these cases of R > or = 2.5 or diplophonia exhibited irregular glottal closure and periodicity differences. The characteristic vibratory pattern of vocal fry is a double or triple opening/closing phase, followed by a long closed phase.
Adult↗
["Direct" indirect training approach to rehabilitation of dysphagia patients--a new method for rehabilitation with a feeding-tube].
The rehabilitation approaches for training patients with dysphagia consist of both direct approaches (eating training) and indirect approaches (basic training for dysphagia patients without food). On the other side, some recent reports revealed that some patients who had had severe dysphagia were improved while the feeding approach was with a naso-gastic tube and an oral-esophago feeding tube. So we thought that stimulation of these feeding tubes for the pharynx and the larynx would produce some useful reactions for dysphagia patients. We developed a new method for the rehabilitation of such patients. The technique is the repeated insertion of the naso-gastric tube at the time of the swallowing motion, which we called the "direct" indirect training approach. Sometimes, other basic training procedures for dysphagia patients are admissible. We treated 26 patients by this method. The patients included those with disorders of the corticobulbar tract (n = 11), a disorder of the medulla (n = 5), a disorder of the peripheral nerve (n = 7), and a long-lasting disused state (n = 3). Twenty-four patients were improved and could eat orally without major problems. Laryngeal elevation curves of this approach in the pre- and post-therapeutic states revealed that the threshold of the swallowing reflux was lower, and the swallowing actions were changed dynamically, and became more useful.
Adult↗
Development changes in juvenile hormone and juvenile hormone acid titers in the hemolymph and in-vitro juvenile hormone synthesis by corpora allata of the silkworm, Bombyx mori.
A simple method was developed to quantify hemolymph juvenile hormone (JH) and JH acid in hemolymph extracts from Bombyx mori with an established radioimmunoassay (RIA) for JH I. When various organic solvent extracts of hemolymph were assayed by RIA, levels of non-specific binding of the labeled ligand in the assay were determined to be greater than 50% of the maximum amount of the label bound by the antiserum. When hemolymph was diluted with methanol:water:8.4N ammonium hydroxide (10:9:1) and extracted with isooctane, non-specific binding was only 50% higher than control levels obtained with the assay buffer alone. The organic phase contained only JH and aqueous phase, JH acid. Consequently, this extraction method was used to prepare samples for RIA and enabled the separate measurement of JH and JH acid in hemolymph. With this method, changes in the hemolymph titers of JH and JH acid were determined from the third instar through early pupal stage of Bombyx mori. Changes in the in vitro secretory activity of corpora allata and brain-corpora cardiaca-corpora allata complexes from fifth instar larvae were also determined by using JH I RIA of the incubation medium.
Journal Article↗
Regulation of glucocorticoid receptor by the tyrosine kinase inhibitor herbimycin A in the cytosolic fraction of primary cultured rat hepatocytes.
The participation of tyrosine kinase in the regulation of the glucocorticoid receptor (GR) was studied in primary cultured rat hepatocytes using the tyrosine kinase inhibitor herbimycin A. Herbimycin A decreased the number of high-affinity binding sites of glucocorticoids in the cytosolic fraction and increased the equilibrium dissociation constant (Kd). Western blot analysis revealed that it also decreased the amount of GR protein. On the other hand, cycloheximide did not affect the GR protein level. Although herbimycin A slightly increased the amount of GR protein in the nuclear fraction, the increase was much lower than that of its decrease in the cytosolic fraction. Therefore, the decrease of GR protein in the cytosolic fraction was not caused by the inhibition of GR protein synthesis nor the translocation of GR from cytosol to nuclei. As herbimycin A also suppressed the dexamethasone (Dex)-dependent induction of tyrosine aminotransferase (TAT) activity, the decrease of GR protein was followed by the suppression of the GR-mediated biological response. These findings indicate that tyrosine kinase is necessary for the maintenance of the level of GR protein and its affinity of binding sites in the cytosolic fraction. Our results also suggested that the increase of GR protein stability is the most probable explanation for the maintenance of its level.
Animals↗
Laryngeal adjustment in whispering magnetic resonance imaging study.
Previous studies confirmed that during whispering the glottis is kept open to prevent vocal fold vibration and the supraglottal structures are constricted. However, there has been no study exploring the exact contour of the laryngeal lumen in the frontal dimension during the production of whispering. In order to further elucidate the nature of the laryngeal adjustments regarding the contour of the laryngeal lumen in whispering, and the role of supraglottal constriction in particular, we conducted a physiological study using magnetic resonance imaging. According to the results, the supraglottal structures were not only constricted but also shifted downward, attaching to the vocal fold to prevent vocal fold vibration completely during whispering. The results suggested the underlying mechanism of suppression of vocal fold vibration during the production of whispering.
Humans↗
Stroboscopic observation of the larynx after radiation in patients with T1 glottic carcinoma.
We studied laryngeal video stroboscopy (LVS) system for evaluation of patients with glottic carcinoma (T1N0M0) before and after radiotherapy. There were 10 patients with T1 glottic squamous cell carcinoma (9 men and 1 woman) who received radiotherapy at the Hitachi General Hospital. We performed LVS before and after radiotherapy. The presence or absence of mucosal waves (MW) was particularly noted. No MW were present before radiotherapy but at 1-6 months after, MW gradually appeared. One year after radiotherapy all patients showed MW on LVS. In patients with glottic carcinoma MW recovered after radiation therapy. LVS may be useful for the clinical follow-up of post-radiation patients for early detection of recurrence of glottic carcinoma.
Carcinoma, Squamous Cell↗
[Clinical effect of two azasetron treatment methods against nausea and vomiting induced by anticancer drugs including CDDP].
Azasetron, a selective 5-HT3 receptor antagonist, has been previously shown to be highly effective in the prophylaxis of nausea and vomiting induced by anticancer drugs, and is widely used in the clinical setting in Japan. In order to improve the antiemetic effect of azasetron, we designed two treatment methods using this drug and compared the antiemetic effect of this method with that of standard bolus intravenous injection on nausea and vomiting associated with anticancer drug including 75 mg/m cisplatin (CDDP). The two-treatment group received an intravenous bolus injection of 5 mg azasetron before and 8 hours after the start of chemotherapy, and a standard group was given an intravenous bolus injection of 10 mg azasetron only once a day. The inhibitory effect on vomiting in the two-treatment group was significantly greater than those of the standard group on day 1 and 2 (p = 0.0458, p = 0.0273), and the inhibitory effect on nausea of the two-treatment group tended to be superior those of the bolus group on day 2 (p = 0.0533). No adverse effects were observed in either group of this study. From these data, the two-treatment approach was considered to be highly effective in prophylaxis of nausea and vomiting induced by anticancer drug.
Adult↗
[Diagnostic imaging and functional test--recurrent laryngeal nerve paralysis].
Explore the source record for details and available documents.
Electromyography↗
Responsiveness of rat nonparenchymal liver cells and spleen cells to the decomposition of erythrocytes exposed to di-n-butyl phthalate and its metabolite.
We have reported that di-n-butyl phthalate (DBP) caused the depletion of circulating iron, characterized by the release of iron from both haemoglobin (Hb) and transferrin (Tf). The present study investigated whether the erythrocytes from DBP-treated rats were destroyed by nonparenchymal liver cells (NPC, including Kupffer cells) or spleen cells (SC). In the in vivo study, there were observed depletions of Hb in the blood and of iron in the hepatic Tf fraction, as well as an accumulation of iron in the hepatic hemosiderin (Hs) and splenic Tf fractions. In the in vitro study, mono-butyl phthalate (MBP), a metabolite of DBP, caused a depletion of iron in the plasma Tf, although a direct release of iron from Tf was not detectable. When erythrocytes from DBP-treated rats and erythrocytes preincubated with MBP both were incubated with NPC, respectively, the Hb was decomposed and the iron also accumulated in the cell debris. However, when the two kinds of erythrocytes were incubated with SC, respectively, no decomposition of Hb was observed at low and medium doses, but the highest dose induced an accumulation of iron to Tf. Therefore, the NPC may contribute in part to the decomposition of DBP- or MBP-affected erythrocytes.
Animals↗
[Study on clinical effect of a continuous intravenous infusion of azasetron against nausea and vomiting induced by anticancer drugs including CDDP].
Azasetron, a selective 5-HT3 receptor antagonist, has been previously shown to be highly effective in the prophylaxis of nausea and vomiting induced by anticancer drugs and is widely used in the clinical setting in Japan. In order to improve the antiemetic effect of azasetron, we designed a continuous intravenous infusion method of this drug and compared the antiemetic effect of this method with that of standard bolus intravenous injection on nausea and vomiting associated with anticancer drugs including 75 mg/m2 cisplatin (CDDP). A continuous group is intravenous bolus injection of 2.5 mg azasetron followed by 7.5 mg continuous intravenous infusion for 24 hrs, and a bolus group is intravenous bolus injection of 10 mg azasetron. The inhibitory effect on nausea of the continuous group was significantly superior to those of the bolus group on day 3 and 4 (p < 0.05) and inhibitory effect on vomiting of the continuous group was significantly superior to those of bolus group on day 2 (p < 0.05). No adverse effects were observed in either group of this study. From these data, continuous intravenous infusion of azasetron was considered to be highly effective in prophylaxis of nausea and vomiting induced by anticancer drugs.
Adult↗
Alterations in DNA and cell membranes in an initiation process of carcinogenesis by N-nitrosourea.
We examined DNA alkylation of rat organs (liver, stomach, kidney, lung, and brain) treated with a tissue specific carcinogen, N-methyl-N'-(beta-naphthyl)-N-nitrosourea (MNaNU) (200 mg/kg wt.). There is no correlation between the level of O6-methylguanine (O6-MeG) and formation of tumors with these organs. Fourier-transform infrared (FT-IR) spectra of the treated tissues were compared with those obtained form the non-treated organs in the region between 1000 and 1350 cm-1. The infrared spectra of the treated stomach which is a target organ for induction of tumors showed the formation of hydrogen bonding in carbohydrates, disturbance of nucleic acid structures, and presence of disordered states in the membranes. Further, the stomachs were divided into the forestomachs (target tissue) and glandular stomachs, and their FT-IR spectra were also examined. Using 1134 cm-1 band due to the C-H plane bending of the naphthyl ring of MNaNU, we estimated approximately 0.82 mg of MNaNU would persist in the forestomach of one rat at 6h after administration. The present results demonstrate importance of pharmacokinetics and receptor sites in cell membrane in addition to DNA alkylation for carcinogenesis by directly acting N-nitroso compounds.
Alkylating Agents↗