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Biomedical subjects

S Sakai

Publications and source records attributed to S Sakai.

At least 73 records · Page 4Linked to original sources
PubMed2001

Oral function and diet quality in a community-based sample.

Overall diet quality indices, such as the Healthy Eating Index (HEI), are preferred for epidemiological studies, yet studies in dentistry have focused on isolated dietary components. This study investigated the influence of socio-demographic and masticatory variables (masticatory performance, bite force, number of posterior functional tooth units, TMJ disorder, and dentition status) on overall diet quality in a community-based sample (n = 731). Cross-sectional data were derived from clinical examinations, bite force recordings, masticatory performance measurements, and two 24-hour dietary recalls. Females, European-Americans, and older subjects had better HEI scores than males, Mexican-Americans, and younger subjects, respectively. Income, education, and the masticatory variables were not related to diet quality. Analyses according to dentition status (good dentition, compromised dentition, partial denture, and complete dentures) showed no inter-group differences for HEI except for the age groups. The results suggest that the chewing-related factors evaluated in this sample are not predictors of overall diet quality across the socio-demographic groups.

Adult↗
PubMed2001

Is use of exogenous estrogen associated with temporomandibular signs and symptoms?

BACKGROUND: Studies of historical data suggest a link between exogenous estrogen use and referral for treatment for temporomandibular disorders, or TMDs. The purpose of the authors' study was to determine the association between exogenous estrogen use and signs and symptoms of TMD assessed by direct physical examination in a randomly selected community sample of primarily postmenopausal women. METHODS: A calibrated clinical examiner examined a stratified random sample of 510 women aged 37 to 82 years using the Craniomandibular Index, or CMI. All medications that subjects were taking at the time of the examination were identified by interview and examination of subjects' medication containers on two occasions. One hundred seventy-four subjects were taking medications containing estrogen, and 336 were taking no such medications. RESULTS: The muscle and joint signs and symptoms of women taking and not taking estrogen were not significantly different after the authors controlled for sociocultural, demographic and health care utilization variables. Estrogen use also failed to distinguish women receiving relatively high and low scores on the CMI. CONCLUSION: Estrogen replacement therapy does not place women at increased risk of developing TMDs. CLINICAL IMPLICATIONS: Clinicians need not be concerned that patients taking oral contraceptives or replacement estrogens are at increased risk of developing TMDs.

Adult↗
PubMed2001

Sink-limitation and the size-number trade-off of organs: production of organs using a fixed amount of reserves.

To analyze the nature of size-number trade-off of organs, we develop models in which the effects of sink-limitation in the growth of organs and the loss of resources by maintenance respiration are taken into consideration. In these models, the resource absorption rate of an organ is proportional to either its absolute size or its surface area and either the initial size of an organ or the total initial size of the organs produced is fixed. In all models, organs are produced using a fixed amount of reserved resources and no additional resources become newly available for their growth. We theoretically show that size-number trade-offs are nonlinear if the resource absorption rate of an organ is proportional to the absolute size of the organ and the initial size of the individual organs is fixed or if the resource absorption rate of an organ is proportional to the surface area of the organ. In these nonlinear size-number trade-offs, the size of individual organs increases less rapidly than in linear trade-offs with a decrease in the number of organs and the total size of organs is an increasing function of the number of organs produced. This implies that increasing the number of organs produced is advantageous in terms of resource-use efficiency. In contrast, size-number trade-off is linear if the resource absorption rate of an organ is proportional to the absolute size of the organ and there is a linear trade-off between the initial size of organs and their number. To exemplify the effects of those size-number trade-offs on the life-history evolution, we calculate the optimal offspring sizes that maximize the number of offspring successfully being established. In the case of nonlinear size-number trade-offs, the optimal offspring sizes are smaller than the optimal offspring size in the case of linear size-number trade-offs, namely, that in the model of Smith and Fretwell (1974). Our optimal offspring size depends on the metabolism of organ development; the optimal offspring size decreases with an increase in maintenance respiration rate relative to the growth coefficient of organs.

Absorption↗
PubMed2001

Gastric proteinase digestion of caseins in newborn pups of the mouse.

Casein micelles of mouse milk consist of alpha-, beta-, gamma-, and kappa-caseins. By digestion with alkaline phosphatase, they were separated as an independent band by sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS)-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (PAGE). The compositions of alpha-, beta-, gamma-, and kappa-caseins were 24.3, 25.1, 9.4, and 41.2% in colostrum, and 36.8, 15.6, 11.9, and 35.7% in mature milk, respectively. Zero-day-old pups were allowed to access either colostrum or mature milk, and the aggregated milk in the stomach was analyzed by SDS-PAGE. Caseins in colostrum were digested more rapidly and efficiently than those in mature milk. Among the seven peptides present in the aggregated caseins, four peptides were colostrum-specific and derived from alpha- and gamma-caseins. It was expected that colostrum-specific and soluble peptides were generated from alpha- and gamma-caseins through gastric proteinase digestion. Amino acid sequence analysis and the pH of the aggregated milk suggested that caseins in the stomach were digested by a chymotrypsin-like proteinase. Caseins in colostrum were different from those in mature milk, with respects to the casein composition as well as the gastric proteinase sensitivity. It is concluded that the lactating mice on the day of parturition supply particular caseins to their young.

Animals↗
PubMed2001

[Two cases of alimentary tract perforation owing to ingested foreign bodies: diagnosis by CT].

We report the CT diagnosis of two cases of alimentary tract perforation caused by the ingestion of foreign bodies. The first case was a common fish bone perforation of the ileum with postoperative scar. The second case was a rare perforation caused by the impact of an uncooked rice cake on sigmoid colon diverticula. Helical CT scan clearly revealed the fish bone as a linear high-density area in the soft tissue between the right abdominal oblique muscles and ileum, and demonstrated the rice cake as high-density material in the bowel.

Colon, Sigmoid↗
PubMed2001

[A nutritional investigation of homeless patients with tuberculosis].

A retrospective case-control study was performed with TB patients who were admitted to our hospital over the two years from Jan. 1997 to Dec. 1998 and healthy men who underwent a health screening in April 2000 in the same hospital. Thirty-two non-homeless TB patients (the first control group) and 32 healthy men (the second control group) were matched with 32 homeless TB patients according to age. All 3 groups were male. Total protein, albumin, cholesterol, cholinesterase, hemoglobin level and lymphocyte count on admission were significantly lower in the homeless patients than in the non-homeless patients and healthy men. Albumin, cholesterol, cholinesterase, hemoglobin level, white blood cell count and lymphocyte count on admission were significantly lower in non-homeless patients than healthy men. Height, weight and body mass index were significantly lower in the homeless patients than in the healthy men. However, there were no significant differences in these body characteristics between the homeless and non-homeless patients. Twenty-five percent of homeless patients died during hospitalization, compared with 6.3 percent of non-homeless patients. Lymphocyte counts among homeless patients who died during hospitalization were significantly lower than among those who survived during hospitalization. Total protein, albumin, cholesterol, cholinesterase, hemoglobin level and weight were lower in patients who died than in those who survived, although the differences were statistically not significant.

Adult↗
PubMed2001

[Primary squamous cell carcinoma of the prostate forming a rectourethral fistula: a case report].

Eleven cases of squamous cell carcinoma of the prostate have been previously reported in the Japanese medical literature. Patients with this type of carcinoma have dismal prognoses. Herein, we report a case in a 61-year-old man who was admitted to our hospital and whose chief complaints were dysuria and high fever. Pyuria, bacteriuria, and the results of a digital rectal examination suggested acute prostatitis. Despite the administration of antibiotics, the dysuria did not improve. A transrectal needle biopsy was performed, and histology of the tissue showed squamous cell carcinoma. After chemotherapy using methotrexate, pirarubicin, and cisplatin, total pelvic excentration was performed. At 12 months after the operation, the patient is alive with no evidence of the disease.

Antigens, Neoplasm↗
PubMed2001

[A case of ileal conduit stenosis 13 years after construction].

A 63-year-old male was admitted to our hospital with the complaint of bilateral hydronephroses. Total cystectomy and ileal conduit construction were performed because of bladder tumor (TCC, G2, pT2N0M0) in 1985. The patient remained asymptomatic, but bilateral hydronephroses was observed by ultrasonography in 1997. DTPA renogram showed the delayed excretion. Conduitgraphy and antegrade pyelography revealed that the conduit was narrow like a pinhole at 2 cm distal region from the anastomotic site of the urinary duct. The stenotic region was inflated by a 24 Fr inflation-balloon-catheter. Chronic inflammation, which was thought to be caused by infection, was detected at the stenotic conduit by biopsy. Hydronephroses disappeared after the operation and the postoperative course was uneventful.

Catheterization↗
PubMed2001

[Hyperdense renal cyst associated with papillary adenoma: a case report].

An abnormal shadow in the chest of a 57-year-old male was detected during a medical checkup and careful investigation revealed a left posterior mediastinal tumor (neurinoma) and a clearly demarcated homogenous mass with dimensions of 16 x 12 mm and computed tomographic (CT) value of 79 H.U. in the superior pole of the right kidney. The content solution was sticky and blackish-green. Neoplastic degenerations of 8 x 4 and 5 x 5 mm were seen in the cyst. Partial nephrectomy, which included the cystic section, was conducted and papillary adenoma was pathologically diagnosed. Nine years after the operation, the patient is alive and neither relapse nor other abnormalities were detected.

Adenoma↗
PubMed2001

Masticatory performance is not associated with diet quality in Class II orthognathic surgery patients.

This study evaluated the association between masticatory function, diet, and digestive system problems in 59 Class II patients 5 years after bilateral sagittal split osteotomy. Dietary intake data were recorded in 4-day diet diaries and analyzed for overall diet quality (Healthy Eating Index) and selected dietary components. Masticatory function was assessed through measurements of masticatory performance, maximum bilateral bite force, and chewing time and number of chewing strokes until the subject felt that the bolus was ready to swallow. Self-reported frequency of digestive system problems was recorded with a 7-point Likert scale questionnaire. Masticatory function was not associated with diet quality or gastrointestinal problems. There was a weak association between intake of foods that require chewing (eg, fiber, protein, meat, and vegetables) and masticatory variables. Fourteen subjects (24%) had a poor diet and 45 subjects (76%) had a diet that needed improvement according to the Healthy Eating Index. Self-reported constipation was the only digestive system problem that was significantly associated with masticatory performance.

Abdominal Pain↗
PubMed2000

Chronic treatment with probucol effectively inhibits progression of pulmonary hypertension in rats.

It has been reported that probucol is a lipid-lowering agent having a strong antioxidative effect and inhibitory action on vascular smooth muscle cell proliferation. In this work, we studied the effect of treatment with a 1% probucol diet on pulmonary hypertension induced by monocrotaline (MCT) in rats. Rats were fed a control or 1% probucol-supplemented diet for 7 days, then given a single subcutaneous injection of 60 mg/kg MCT or saline, and continuously fed the same diet for 20 days, respectively. MCT caused an increase in right ventricular systolic pressure (RVSP), an indicator of pulmonary hypertension, and central venous pressure (CVP) on day 20. In rats receiving a diet containing 1% probucol, RVSP was significantly lower than that in rats treated with control diet, and CVP remained essentially at the basal level. On day 20, MCT also caused an increase in the ratio of right ventricular (RV) to body weight (BW), compared to the control value, indicating the development of RV hypertrophy in MCT rats. RV hypertrophy was significantly inhibited in 1% probucol-treated rats. These findings suggest that chronic treatment with probucol effectively inhibits the progression of pulmonary hypertension in rats.

Animals↗
PubMed2000

Long-term endothelin receptor antagonist administration improves alterations in expression of various cardiac genes in failing myocardium of rats with heart failure.

BACKGROUND: We reported that long-term (3-month) treatment with the endothelin (ET) type A (ET(A)) receptor antagonist BQ-123 markedly improved survival in rats with chronic heart failure (CHF). However, it is not known whether long-term treatment with an ET receptor antagonist improves alterations in the expression of cardiac genes in failing hearts. METHODS AND RESULTS: CHF rats and control sham-operated rats were treated with BQ-123, SB209670 (ET(A/B) dual receptor antagonist), or saline (vehicle) for 3 months. The survival of CHF rats was markedly higher in the BQ-123 or SB209670 treatment group than in the saline treatment group. The changes in the gene expression of classic molecular markers for failing hearts (mRNA levels of atrial natriuretic peptide and beta-myosin heavy chain) were greatly inhibited by BQ-123 or SB209670 treatment in CHF rats. Long-term BQ-123 treatment also normalized the alterations in the expression of functional molecular markers in failing hearts (eg, mRNA levels of ryanodine receptor, sarcoplasmic reticulum Ca(2+)-ATPase, angiotensin-converting enzyme, angiotensin II type 1 receptor, and prepro-ET-1). CONCLUSIONS: We demonstrated for the first time that long-term (3-month) treatment with an ET receptor antagonist improves the alterations in the expression of various cardiac genes of classic molecular markers (eg, mRNA in atrial natriuretic peptide and beta-myosin heavy chain) and of functional molecular markers (eg, mRNA levels of ryanodine receptor, sarcoplasmic reticulum Ca(2+)-ATPase, angiotensin-converting enzyme, angiotensin II type 1 receptor, and prepro-ET-1) in the failing hearts of CHF rats, suggesting that the great improvement of survival in CHF rats by an ET blocker is partly attributed to the prevention of molecular changes in failing hearts.

Animals↗
PubMed2000

Determination of genes involved in the process of implantation: application of GeneChip to scan 6500 genes.

Using the high-density arrays of oligonucleotides (GeneChip) technology, the expression of uterine genes was examined before and after conceptus implantation in mice. Of the 6500 genes analyzed, levels of 399 gene expressions changed; 192 genes increased levels of expression while the remaining 207 genes declined. The findings suggest that both gene activation and deactivation (suppression) are required for successful implantation.

Animals↗
PubMed2000

The poly(A) tail length of casein mRNA in the lactating mammary gland changes depending upon the accumulation and removal of milk.

The length of casein mRNA from the lactating mouse mammary gland, as assessed on Northern blots, is shorter after weaning, but is elongated following the removal of milk. In order to investigate this phenomenon, the molecular structures of beta- and gamma-casein mRNAs were analysed. The coding and non-coding regions of the two forms were the same length, but the long form of casein mRNA had a longer poly(A) tail than the short form (P<0.05). In order to examine the stability of casein mRNA under identical conditions, casein mRNAs with the long and short poly(A) tails were incubated in the rabbit reticulocyte lysate (RRL) cell-free translation system. Casein mRNA with the long poly(A) tail had a longer half-life than that with the short tail (P<0.05). The beta- and gamma-casein mRNAs were first degraded into 0.92 and 0.81 kb fragments respectively. With undegraded mRNA, the poly(A) tail shortening by exoribonuclease was not observed until the end of the incubation. Northern blot analysis showed that casein mRNA with the long poly(A) tail was protected efficiently from endoribonucleases. We conclude that the length of the poly(A) tail of casein mRNA in the lactating mammary gland changes depending upon the accumulation and removal of the gland's milk, and we show that the longer poly(A) tail potentially protects the mRNA from degradation by endoribonucleases.

Animals↗
PubMed2000

Has Blending Compromised Cepheid-based Determinations of the Extragalactic Distance Scale?

We examine the suggestion that half of the galaxies observed by the Hubble Space Telescope Key Project and the Type Ia Supernova Calibration Team have had their distances systematically underestimated, by 0.1-0.3 mag in the distance modulus, because of the underappreciated influence of stellar profile blending on the Wide Field Camera chips. The signature of such an effect would be a systematic trend in (1) the Type Ia supernova-corrected peak luminosity and (2) the Tully-Fisher residuals, with increasing calibrator distance, and (3) a differential offset between Planetary Camera and Wide Field Camera distance moduli, within the same galaxy. The absence of a trend would be expected if blending were negligible (as has been inherently assumed in the analyses of the aforementioned teams). We adopt a functional form for the predicted influence of blending that is consistent with the models of Mochejska et al. and Stanek & Udalski, and we demonstrate that the expected correlation with distance predicted by these studies is not supported by the data. We conclude that the Cepheid-based extragalactic distance scale has not been severely compromised by the neglect of blending.

Journal Article↗
PubMed2000

Role of MIP-2 in coxsackievirus B3 myocarditis.

Interleukin-8 (IL-8) is a chemotactic cytokine for neutrophils and lymphocytes. Macrophage inflammatory protein-2 (MIP-2) is a murine counterpart of IL-8. The present study was performed to determine the role of MIP-2 in murine myocarditis. We examined (1) the MIP-2 producing activity of Coxsackievirus B3 (CB3)-infected cultured macrophages, (2) serial plasma MIP-2 levels in CB3-induced mice by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), and (3) the effects of anti-mouse MIP-2 monoclonal antibody (mAb) in vivo upon myocarditis. The production of MIP-2 increased in an infection dose- and time-dependent manner in virus-infected RAW 264.7 macrophages. Three-week-old C(3)H/He mice were inoculated with CB3. Plasma MIP-2 levels were significantly elevated in mice on days 7, 10 and 14 post-infection. Mice were injected subcutaneously with anti-MIP-2 mAb at 10 microg/day (Group 2) or 100 microg/day (Group 3) on days 0-7, and were observed until day 14. Uninfected control mice (Group 1) were injected with saline. Survival rate was higher in the anti-MIP-2-treated group (Group 3), but not in Group 2, than in the control group. Histopathological analysis revealed that cellular infiltration and myocardial necrosis with macrophage and T cell accumulation were less prominent in the anti-MIP-2 mAb-treated groups as compared to the controls. MIP-2 is an important naturally occurring inflammatory cytokine in CB3 myocarditis, and anti-MIP-2 mAb treatment may prevent the inflammatory response.

Animals↗