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S Wada

Publications and source records attributed to S Wada.

536 records · Page 30Linked to original sources

Spinal intramedullary recording of human somatosensory evoked potentials.

We here report the first description of the intramedullary spatial distribution of evoked dorsal horn potentials in a human spinal cord. Somatosensory evoked potentials (SEPs) to median nerve stimulation were recorded within the cervical spinal cord of a patient with syringomyelia. Spinal intramedullary recording demonstrated a negative slow wave of the same polarity as the dorsal spinal surface response and a complex wave interpreted as the summation of its negativity and phase-reversed positivity. These two wave forms may depend on the locations at which the recording electrodes are attached to the dorsal horn.

Adult↗

Amplitude abnormalities in the scalp far-field N18 of SSEPs to median nerve stimulation in patients with midbrain-pontine lesion.

Various amplitude ratios were measured in 20 normal controls and 36 patients with midbrain-pontine, thalamic or putaminal lesions in order to evaluate the amplitude abnormalities in scalp far-field N18 following median nerve stimulation. A study of normal controls showed that the distributions of P9/N18, P14/N18 and N18/P14 + N18 resembled a gaussian distribution and could be used as criteria for determining the decrease in N18 amplitude in each patient. There was a decrease in N18 amplitude, or the absence of N18, in patients with midbrain-pontine lesions, but not in those with thalamic or putaminal lesions. Nine amplitude ratios (P11/P9, P14/P9, N18/P9, P9/P11, P9/P14, P9/N18, N18/P14, P14/N18 and N18/P14 + N18) were compared statistically for normal controls and 3 groups of patients based on non-parametric, Wilcoxon's non-pairs and signed-rank tests. A decrease in N18 amplitude in midbrain-pontine lesion was shown by significant changes in N18/P9, P9/N18, N18/P14, P14/N18 and N18/P14 + N18, no amplitude decreases in P11 and P14 being found from the amplitude ratios of P11/P9, P9/P11, P14/P9 and P9/P14. No significant changes were seen in any of the 9 amplitude ratios when the normal controls and patients with thalamic and putaminal lesions were compared. The amplitude ratios of N18 can be used to detect a decrease in N18 amplitude in patients with midbrain-pontine lesions. The data obtained support the hypothesis that N18 originates in the midbrain-pontine region and that neither the thalamus nor thalamocortical radiation make major contributions to the formation of the N18 peak.

Adult↗

P30 and N33 of posterior tibial nerve SSEPs are analogous to P14 and N18 of median nerve SSEPs.

Generator sources of far-field P30 and N33 components produced by posterior tibial nerve stimulation were compared with those of the P14 and N18 components of median nerve stimulated somatosensory evoked potentials. Intracranial spatio-temporal distributions of P30 and N33 were similar to those of the P14 and N18 obtained by median nerve stimulation. In clinical cases, the changes in P30 and N33 were correlated with those in P14 and N18, indicative that P30 and N33 are derived from activities similar to those that produce P14 and N18.

Adult↗

Immunohistochemical study of leukocyte infiltration and expression of hsp70 in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma.

It is reported that macrophages and CD4+ or CD8+ cytotoxic T cells have an important role in the suppression of cancer progression. The aim of this study was to clarify these immune responses in patients with esophageal cancer. We enrolled 28 patients with pT2 esophageal cancer that had been resected without preoperative adjuvant therapy. The correlations between the numbers of infiltrating CD4+, CD8+ and CD68+ cells, the expression of heat shock protein 70 (hsp70) and a variety of clinicopathologic factors were analyzed. The numbers of CD8+ T cells and CD68+ macrophages showed a significant positive correlation with tumor diameter (p = 0.01, p = 0.037) and the expression of hsp70 (p = 0.01, p = 0.02) and a negative correlation with lymph node metastasis (p = 0.0079, p < 0.0001). The expression of hsp70 exhibited a negative correlation with lymph node metastasis (p = 0.023). CD8+ T cells and CD68+ macrophages might have a suppressive function against esophageal cancer progression. Our results suggested that hsp70 might play an important role in the presentation of tumor specific antigens.

Aged↗

TNF alpha, IL-1 beta and IL-6 production by peripheral blood monocytes in patients with renal cell carcinoma.

Renal cell carcinoma (RCC) has been shown to be immunologically more labile than other types of cancer. In this study, we examined tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF alpha), interleukin-1 beta (IL-1 beta) and interleukin-6 (IL-6) production of peripheral blood monocytes in 38 RCC patients. Monocytes were isolated from peripheral blood mononuclear cells by adherence to a plastic dish and cultured with lipopolysaccharide for 24 hours. The culture supernatant was obtained, and the production of TNF alpha, IL-1 beta and IL-6 was measured by ELISA. As a result, TNF alpha and IL-1 beta production was significantly higher in the high stage patients compared to the control subjects and low stage patients. When the patients were divided according to serum C-reactive protein (CRP), TNF alpha, IL-1 beta and IL-6 production was significantly higher in the CRP-positive patients compared to the control subjects and the CRP-negative patients. Overexpression of these cytokines may therefore induce a hypermetabolic status that may be a cause of malnutrition and cancer cachexia.

Blood Cell Count↗

Hepatectomy of cavernous hemangioma with constitutional indocyanine green excretory defect.

The constitutional ICG excretory defect with marked ICG retention in spite of other normal hepatic functions has not been so rare in Japan. However, there is no previous report of hepatectomy in a patient with this disease. We describe a successful case of hepatectomy for cavernous hemangioma with this disease and use of technetium-99m diethylenetriaminepentaacetic acidgalactosyl-human serum albumin (99mTC-GSA) liver scintigraphy as the preoperative assessment of the liver functional reserve. In our case, ICGR15 was more than 55%, however, a modified receptor index obtained from 99mTC-GSA liver scintigraphy was normal. Left lateral segmentectomy of the liver was performed without any perioperative complications. Hepatectomy of patients with the constitutional ICG excretory defect is possible if modified receptor index value obtained from 99mTC-GSA scintigraphy is within the normal range.

Coloring Agents↗

Testicular secretion of inhibin in the male golden hamster (Mesocricetus auratus).

To identify the cellular source of inhibin in the male golden hamster, we have used complementary approaches, immunohistochemistry and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Strong positive staining of the inhibin alpha subunit was observed in both the Sertoli and Leydig cells of the testes. No specific staining was observed for the inhibin betaA subunit, whereas specific staining for the inhibin betaB subunit was strongly positive in the Leydig cells. Inhibin pro-alphaC and inhibin B were detected in peripheral plasma, and testicular homogenate also contained large amounts of inhibin pro-alphaC and inhibin B. However, inhibin A was not detected either in peripheral plasma or in testicular homogenate. Plasma concentrations of inhibin pro-alphaC and inhibin B were significantly (P < .001) decreased 24 hours after orchidectomy. These results strongly suggest that the Leydig cells are the main source of dimeric inhibin B in the male golden hamster.

3-Hydroxysteroid Dehydrogenases↗

Identification of whale species by thin-layer isoelectric focusing of sarcoplasmic proteins.

Thin-layer isoelectric focusing was applied to the identification of whale (Cetacea) species by using water-soluble sarcoplasmic proteins of skeletal muscles. Twenty-eight samples consisting of 4 species (10 samples) of baleen whales (Mysticeti) and 8 species (18 samples) of toothed whales (Odontoceti) were analyzed. Each sample (approximately 1 g) was electrophoresed with Ampholine PAGplate, pH 3.5-9.5. The electrophoretic profiles were species-specific on the 4 toothed whale species that did not have a marked intra-species difference, and all 4 baleen whale species. However, the profiles were not specific on the 4 other dolphin species, even though they were discriminable from the other 4 toothed whale species. Numerical values of pIs and relative peak heights were obtained by densitometric analysis of the isoelectro-focused protein bands. The bands were also species-specific for the 8 toothed whale species mentioned. The values may be applicable to species identification without the need for a standard sample, which may not be readily obtainable. Experiments on test samples of minke and sel whales showed that bloodletting with ice water made the densities of isoelectro-focused bands thinner, although species identification was still possible by using the inside part of muscles. Heat treatment at below 60 degrees C for 10 min caused little denaturation; at higher temperatures the protein bands were diminished in a temperature-dependent fashion. Therefore, the present isoelectric focusing analysis should be applicable to small samples of whale meat, excluding several species of dolphins.

Animals↗

Micro ELISA for measurement of parathymosin alpha utilizing a monoclonal antibody.

A monoclonal antibody to the non-thymosin alpha 1 overlapping sequence of parathymosin alpha was used to develop a micro ELISA to measure parathymosin alpha. Parathymosin alpha levels were measurable in both mouse tissue extracts and in human adult and cord serum. To measure parathymosin alpha, a 40% ammonium sulfate precipitated monoclonal antibody specific for the parathymosin alpha fragment was preincubated with the parathymosin alpha fragment or samples for 4 hours at 4 degrees C, incubated an additional 24 hours in microtiter plates coated with the parathymosin alpha fragment and then assayed by the biotin-avidin-alkaline phosphatase method. Using the assay, parathymosin alpha could be measured over a range of 5 to 630 ng/ml and cross-reactivity with thymosin alpha 1 was not observed. The parathymosin alpha level was 400 +/- 140 (mean +/- SD) ng/ml in normal human sera (n = 12) and 150 +/- 80 ng/ml in cord sera (n = 12). The concentration of parathymosin alpha was highest in tissue extracts of mouse liver (153 +/- 40 micrograms parathymosin alpha per g of tissue), kidney (125 +/- 33), and lung (105 +/- 38). Levels were lowest in thymus (81 +/- 20), spleen (83 +/- 23), and brain (71 +/- 23).

Animals↗

Effects of FC43 emulsion against hyperacute rejection in rodent discordant xenotransplantation.

BACKGROUND: FC43 emulsion is one of several perfluorochemical-based artificial blood compounds developed as a red blood cell substitute. However, these compounds are not promising as red blood cell substitutes because of their immunosuppressive effects. Therefore we used FC43 emulsion as an immunosuppressive agent and not as a red blood cell substitute. METHODS: We assessed the effect of FC43 emulsion treatment on the survival of the grafted hearts in guinea pig-to-rat discordant transplantations. RESULTS: In rats treated with FC43 emulsion (5 microliters/gm body weight), rhythmic beating of the heart was maintained for 433.3 +/- 40.0 minutes, whereas the untreated heartbeat lasted for only 15.3 +/- 5.1 minutes. In the xenografted hearts treated with FC43 emulsion, no pathologic changes such as multiple coronary thromboses caused by hyperacute rejection had occurred by 300 minutes after reperfusion. CONCLUSIONS: FC43 emulsion can prolong the survival time of guinea pig heart xenografts by inhibiting thrombus formation in the xenografted heart.

Animals↗