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Biomedical subjects

S Sawada

Publications and source records attributed to S Sawada.

At least 199 records · Page 11Linked to original sources
PubMed1995

Water jet angioplasty--an experimental study.

The usefulness and safety of water jet angioplasty was studied in vitro, using agar phantom and autopsied aorta, and in vivo in acute and chronic arterial occlusions in mongrel dogs. At an injection rate of 1.0 ml/s, the water jet produced erosion of the agar surface when the distance between the catheter and the agar was 1 mm. With an injection rate of 1.5 ml/s, erosion was produced at a distance of 15 mm from the catheter tip. When the water jet was directed at an arterial wall, intimal ablation and ruptured elastic fibers were found histopathologically. A smaller angle between the vascular wall and the catheter was associated with less vascular damage. In vivo, water jet angioplasty was effective against acute obstructions, but not against chronic obstructions. These results suggest that water jet angioplasty may be effective against arterial obstruction due to acute thrombus.

Agar↗
PubMed1995

[Physical properties of Strecker stents].

Strecker stent is a balloon-expandable metallic stent that is made of knitted tantalum wire mesh in order to Maintain flexibility. Therefore, the prosthesis is well suited to irregular and tortuous tube organs. We performed several physical experiments using 8 mm and 6 mm diameter stents made of 0.1 mm diameter wire filament. The bearing power of the 8 mm diameter stent against the circumferential compression pressure was divided into two groups, that is, 77-100% and under 66% of expansile rate. The capacity bearing the circumferential compression pressure of the latter group was greater than that of the former. Further, the bearing power of the 6 mm diameter stent was greater than that of the 56% expansile rate of the 8 mm diameter stent. The smaller the expansile rate of the stent, the smaller the minimum radius of curvature within the limits of the stent's plastic. To evaluate the suitability of the stent in clinical use, we made two projections on the inner surface of rubber tubes, and the stents were placed into the rubber tubes at different expansile rates. We evaluated the degree of contact of the stents against the rubber wall by taking soft X-ray photographs. The stents showed good suitability under the condition of incomplete expansion. For the above reasons, we concluded that, from the view-point of bearing power, the stent should be placed in the full expansile state. From the viewpoint of contact against the vessel wall, the stent should be placed in the incomplete expansile state.

Physical Phenomena↗
PubMed1995

[A case of Evans's syndrome in which thrombocytopenia and hemolysis was improved by Sairei-to].

A 51-year-old male diagnosed as having Evans's syndrome in 1991 was treated with 25 mg of prednisolone, but his anemia and thrombocytopenia progressed. Thus, in November 1993, treatment was begun with Sairei-to, a Chinese herbal medicine consisting of several water-soluble plant extracts. Following administration of 9.0 g/day of Sairei-to granules along with prednisolone, the platelet count increased from 6.1 x 10(4)/microliters to 12.3 x 10(4)/microliters after one week, while hemoglobin levels rose from 9.5 g/dl to 12.0 g/dl after three weeks. The patient maintained a good physical condition after the prednisolone dose was reduced, although Coomb's test and PAIgG levels remained positive. Sairei-to-seems to be a promising therapeutic agent for steroid-resistant ITP and AIHA, and seems to have no side effects.

Anemia, Hemolytic, Autoimmune↗
PubMed1995

[Percutaneous placement of intraluminal stent-graft for aortic dissection: experimental study].

Highly porous fabric vascular grafts fabricated of ultrafine polyester fibers (UFPF-graft; porosity, 7,000 ml, 9,000 ml, 11,000 ml at 120 mmHg) were attached between two Gianturco stents connected with two stainless steel struts. UFPF-grafts with two Gianturco stents were placed into the aortas of six adult mongrel dogs without firm contact with the luminal surface. From two days to four months after placement, all the UFPF-grafts were completely sealed with fresh thrombus or neointima. Within two months, complete endothelialization was observed on both surfaces of the neointima. In three dogs, aortic dissections were created experimentally. Then an UFPF-graft (porosity, 9,000 ml) with two Gianturco stents was placed at the site of entry of the dissection, followed by additional Gianturco stents to expand the UFPF-graft. X-ray angiography showed that the entries were closed immediately after placement, and false lumens disappeared within one hour after placement. These results indicated that the method has the possibility of treating aortic dissection with complete sealing of the fabric by the neointima.

Aortic Dissection↗
PubMed1995

Effects of clonidine on intravenous sedation with midazolam.

The effect of clonidine, an alpha 2-adrenoceptor agonist, on intravenous (IV) sedation with midazolam was studied. Subjects were eight healthy adults; IV sedation was performed twice on each subject. In the control (CO) group, midazolam alone was administered. In the clonidine (CL) group, the subjects were given about 5 micrograms/kg of clonidine orally 2 hr before the initiation of sedation with midazolam. The following parameters were determined: dose of midazolam, changes in vital signs, recovery time, amnesia, and side effects. The average sedating dose of midazolam was 0.078 and 0.043 mg/kg in the CO and CL groups, respectively. Recovery times determined by stabilometry were 150 and 120 min in the CO and CL groups, respectively. Based on these results, the combined use of clonidine can reduce the dose of midazolam and shorten the recovery time. It is suggested that clonidine may be useful in IV sedation with midazolam.

Adrenergic alpha-Agonists↗
PubMed1994

Contributions of multiple calcium channel types to GABAergic transmission in rat cultured hippocampal neurons.

Effects of Ca2+ channel blockers on GABAergic transmission were examined with rat cultured hippocampal neurons. The GABAergic synaptic currents (IPSCs) evoked by electrical stimulation of single presynaptic neurons were recorded from voltage-clamped postsynaptic neurons. The amplitude of IPSCs was not changed by 10 microM nifedipine (L-type Ca2+ channel blocker), but was decreased irreversibly to 37% of control by 1 microM omega-conotoxin GVIA (N-type blocker, CgTX), to 67% by 0.1 microM omega-agatoxin IVA (P-type blocker, AGTX), and to 1% by both toxins. From these data and the Ca(2+)-dependence of IPSCs, the contributions of CgTX-sensitive and AGTX-sensitive Ca2+ channels to the transmission were estimated at 59% and 36%, respectively.

Animals↗
PubMed1994

A lineage-specific transcriptional silencer regulates CD4 gene expression during T lymphocyte development.

During development of T lymphocytes, differential regulation of expression of the CD4 and CD8 glycoproteins is coupled to the choice of one of two pathways of differentiation. Thymocytes that express both of these coreceptors commit to either the helper lineage, shutting off CD8, or the cytotoxic lineage, shutting off CD4. We have used transgenic mice to identify an intronic regulatory region that controls CD4 gene expression during development. This region selectively extinguishes transgene expression in CD4-CD8+, but not CD4+CD8- nor CD4+CD8+ T cells. It also represses gene expression in CD4-CD8- immature thymocytes, indicating that the CD4 gene is derepressed during differentiation from the CD4-CD8- to the CD4+CD8+ stage. The negative element(s) is both orientation and position independent and acts also on heterologous regulatory sequences. Its properties are functionally similar to those of silencers described in yeast and in Drosophila, suggesting that we have identified a developmentally regulated vertebrate transcriptional silencer.

Animals↗
PubMed1994

[Percutaneous radiofrequency coagulation therapy for liver tumor: experimental study].

We invented a newly devised local thermal therapy using radiofrequency energy for treating liver tumors. This method was investigated for evaluating its safety and effectiveness. In vitro study, the maximum size of coagulated albumen was 5.5 to 6.2mm in diameter, and 9.8 to 11.3mm in length. In vivo study using rabbit's liver, the range of coagulated tissue by radiofrequency energy was localized around the tip of the needle. Percutaneous radiofrequency coagulation therapy will be the effective therapy for liver tumor regardless of tumor vascularity.

Animals↗
PubMed1994

Suppression of hippocampal synaptic transmission by the spider toxin omega-agatoxin-IV-A.

Effects of omega-agatoxin-IV-A (AGTX) on synaptic transmissions were examined in thin transverse sections of the guinea pig hippocampus. AGTX suppressed, in a dose-dependent manner, field potentials elicited by mossy fiber stimulation in CA3 pyramidal cell layer. AGTX also suppressed field potentials elicited by perforant fiber stimulation in granular layer without marked changes in antidromic responses. These results suggest that Ca2+ entry into presynaptic terminals via P-like calcium channels is at least partly responsible for release of glutamate.

Animals↗
PubMed1994

Soluble CD4/CD8 molecules in rheumatic disorders.

The CD4 and CD8 glycoproteins which predominantly exist on T-helper and T-suppressor/cytotoxic cells are the physiological ligands for major histocompatibility complex class I or class II molecules on target cells such as B cells and antigen-presenting cells. These CD4 and CD8 molecules occur not only bound to membranes but also in soluble form in the serum. They may deliver regulatory signals to immunocompetent cells in vivo. The recent development of a solid-phase immunosorbent assay for soluble CD4 and CD8 molecules has enabled us to gain insight into the etiopathogenesis of autoimmune diseases on the basis of T-cell functional disability. This paper discusses the pathogenesis of autoimmune rheumatic diseases based on the findings for these molecules.

CD4 Antigens↗
PubMed1994

Repeated arterial infusion chemotherapy for inoperable hepatocellular carcinoma using an implantable drug delivery system.

Arterial infusion chemotherapy has become one of the major treatments for malignant tumors. Since 1988, we have attempted repeated arterial infusion of anticancer drugs using an implantable drug delivery system in 68 patients who had inoperable hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Most of our patients could not undergo transcatheter arterial embolization (TAE) because of extreme tumor extension and/or accompanying advanced liver cirrhosis. In most patients we implanted a 5-F catheter via the femoral artery nonsurgically and connected it to a subcutaneously implanted drug delivery system without any difficulty. The treatment consisted of weekly or biweekly intrahepatic one-shot administration of anticancer drugs. As one therapeutic regimen, epirubicin was given alone. Other regimens consisted of combined chemotherapy using two or more of the following drugs: mitomycin C. Adriamycin, 5-fluorouracil, cisplatin, and epirubicin. In some cases, these drugs mixed with Lipiodol were given for targeting and slow release in the liver. The response rate (CR+PR) of the cases was 25.0%. The median survival period was 389.9 days. The 6-month, 1-year, and 2-year survival rates were 75%, 45%, and 17%, respectively. There was no severe side effect or complication except arterial occlusion that precluded further infusion chemotherapy. We think that the implantable drug delivery system will contribute not only to improved therapeutic efficacy for inoperable HCC but also to an improved quality of life for the patients.

Adult↗
PubMed1994

Extramedullary tumor as presentation of leukemia: establishment of a new human GPIIb- and GPIIIa-positive leukemia cell line.

A 25-year-old man noted swelling of the right cervical lymph nodes in October 1983. Diagnosis of malignant lymphoma was made on the basis of pathological examination of biopsies. Despite both chemotherapy and irradiation treatment, blast cells appeared in the peripheral blood and bone marrow in April 1984. Immunophenotypic analysis demonstrated that the blasts in the patient's peripheral blood expressed CD13, CD33, CD41a, and no markers for T or B lymphocytes, suggesting that he had been suffering from megakaryocytic sarcoma. We established a new cell line derived from the blasts in the peripheral blood, designated KH184. KH184 cells expressed glycoprotein (GP) Ib (CD42b) and GPIIb/IIIa (CD41a), while platelet peroxidase (PPO) activity was negative in an ultrastructural study. Both Northern blot and flow cytometric analysis of surface antigens and DNA content revealed that treatment with 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol 13-acetate (TPA) did not induce the maturation of these cells. Various cytokines such as interleukin 3 (IL-3), interleukin 6 (IL-6), and leukemia inhibitory factor (LIF) had no effect in promoting the growth of KH184 cells. KH184 cells expressing CD41a seem to possess unusual characteristics. KH184 cells, human GPIIb- and GPIIIa-positive leukemia cells, which lack response to TPA-induced differentiation, provide a new and unique model for the characterization of factors that are implicated in the terminal differentiation of megakaryocytes, and should aid in studies of the mechanism underlying the occurrence of megakaryocytic sarcoma.

Adult↗
PubMed1994

Aortic valve replacement after a Bentall procedure.

Porcine valve failure after a Bentall procedure presents a particularly challenging situation for cardiothoracic surgeons. We describe a patient who was initially turned down for operative intervention because of the excessive operative risk involved, but who subsequently underwent successful valve replacement without removal of the aortic conduit.

Aorta↗
PubMed1994

Effects of dietary restriction on induction of unscheduled DNA synthesis (UDS) and replicative DNA synthesis (RDS) in rat liver.

The effects of dietary restriction on the induction of unscheduled DNA synthesis (UDS) and replicative DNA synthesis (RDS) were studied in the hepatocytes of F344 rats exposed in vivo to dimethylnitrosamine (DMN) or CCl4. The animals were given food ad libitum, a restricted amount of food (4 g/rat/overnight) or no food. Hepatocytes were isolated 2 h after oral administration of DMN at a dose of 5 mg/kg body weight and 48 h after oral administration of CCl4 at a dose of 400 mg/kg body weight, and incubated for 4 h in Williams' medium E supplemented with either [3H]thymidine for UDS or 5-bromodeoxyuridine for RDS. UDS was determined by autoradiography and RDS was determined by the immunoenzymatic staining method. The background levels of UDS (net grains/nucleus) and RDS (cells in S phase) in control were -12.4 and 0.64% for ad libitum feeding, -6.8 and 0.04% for restricted feeding, and -8.1 and 0% for fasting. UDS induced by DMN and RDS induced by CCl4 were 19.4 and 3.3% for ad libitum feeding, 34.5 and 10.4% for restricted feeding, and 47.8 and 15.1% for fasting. DMN demethylase activity in rat liver was also found to increase with dietary restriction. These results indicate that dietary restriction modulates the responses of UDS and RDS in the liver of rats.

Animals↗
PubMed1994

Augmenting action of nicotine on population spikes in the dentate gyrus of the guinea pig.

Effects of nicotinic cholinergic agents on field potentials recorded from the dentate gyrus were studied in thin transverse sections of the hippocampus of the guinea pig. Nicotine augmented the population spike elicited by the second stimulus of a paired stimulation to the molecular layer. The threshold concentration of nicotine to cause this effect was 5-10 microM. The augmentation of the spike was not accompanied by an increase in the rising slope of population excitatory postsynaptic potentials, and was not observed in the presence of bicuculline. Carbamylcholine had a weak and inconsistent effect. D-tubocurarine and mecamylamine also augmented the population spike. The action of nicotine was blocked by hexamethonium. These results suggest that nicotine facilitates the generation of action potentials in granule cells by depressing inhibitory processes, and that properties of nicotinic cholinergic receptors are different in different subfields of the hippocampal formation, presumably reflecting the diversity of the receptors.

Action Potentials↗
PubMed1994

Long-term potentiation and depression in the dentate gyrus, and effects of nicotine.

Effects of a brief high-frequency stimulation or a prolonged low-frequency stimulation in the presence and absence of nicotine were studied in thin transverse slices of the dentate gyrus prepared from the guinea pig. Test and conditioning stimulations were delivered to the middle one-third of the molecular layer, and the slope of the population excitatory postsynaptic potentials (EPSPs) elicited by the test stimulation was taken as an indicator of potentiation or depression. Nicotine was without effects on the N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) component of EPSPs at 50 or 100 microM. A brief high-frequency stimulation induced long-term potentiation (LTP) in the presence of bicuculline. Nicotine (50 microM) almost doubled the magnitude of LTP. In the absence of bicuculline, an identical high-frequency stimulation induced a brief depression, the duration and magnitude of which were increased by nicotine. The increase was not statistically significant, however. In contrast to observations in the region CA1, 720 pulses at 1 Hz delivered after induction of LTP failed to induce long-term depression. Nicotine did not modify the after-effect of the low-frequency stimulation. It was discussed that the facilitation of LTP by nicotine probably resulted from suppression of inhibitory processes.

Animals↗
PubMed1994

A comparison between potencies of external calcium, strontium and barium to support GABAergic synaptic transmission in rat cultured hippocampal neurons.

Relative potencies of external Ca2+, Sr2+ and Ba2+ to trigger GABAergic synaptic transmission were evaluated by applying the patch-clamp technique to both presynaptic and postsynaptic hippocampal neurons prepared from neonatal rats. Action potentials were evoked by application of voltage pulses to presynaptic neurons, and GABAergic synaptic currents were recorded in voltage-clamped postsynaptic neurons. No stimuli were delivered during replacement with test solutions and only five pulses were applied to the presynaptic neuron in each test solution. During the five-pulse application, the amplitude of synaptic currents was constant in Ca(2+)-containing solutions, but decreased successively in Ba(2+)- and Sr(2+)-containing solutions without Ca2+. Thus, the amplitude of synaptic currents induced by the first pulse in each ionic condition was used to evaluate the potency of divalent cations. The lowest external concentration required to trigger the transmission was 0.3 mM for Ca2+, 1 mM for Sr2+ and 2 mM for Ba2+, and the concentration required to achieve the same effect as with 2 mM Ca2+ was 6 mM for Sr2+ and 10 mM for Ba2+. These results strongly suggest that Ba2+ as well as Sr2+ can be substituted for Ca2+ in GABAergic synaptic transmission and the order of potency is Ca2+ > Sr2+ > Ba2+.

Animals↗