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Biomedical subjects

Satoru Ebihara

Publications and source records attributed to Satoru Ebihara.

47 records · Page 3Linked to original sources
PubMed2004

C-reactive protein and peripheral artery disease among Japanese elderly: the Tsurugaya Project.

We investigated the cross-sectional relationship between ankle brachial index and cardiovascular disease risk factors, including C-reactive protein (CRP), among Japanese elderly, a topic which has had little prior epidemiologic study. Our study population comprised 946 subjects aged at least 70 years in whom both CRP and ankle brachial index were measured. The participants were classified into a low (ankle brachial index<0.9) and normal ankle brachial index group. We found that current smoking, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol <40 mg/dl, a low body mass index (continuous variable), hypertension, diabetes and statin use were all significantly related to a lower ankle brachial index. Higher log-transformed CRP level was significantly related to a lower ankle brachial index after adjustment for the cardiovascular risk factors mentioned above (p <0.01). The odds ratios for low ankle brachial index compared to 0-1 risk factors were 5.79 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 2.99-11.20) for 2 risk factors and 17.45 (95% CI: 6.78-49.91) for 3 or more risk factors; independently of other risk factors, the odds ratio for CRP>1.0 mg/l was 2.10 (95% CI: 1.13-3.88) compared to lower CRP values. Thus, a high level of CRP is related to a low ankle brachial index among Japanese elderly as well as Western subjects. This is the first study to report the relationship between CRP and low ankle brachial index among Japanese elderly.

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PubMed2004

Increased arteriovenous carboxyhemoglobin differences in patients with inflammatory pulmonary diseases.

PURPOSE: Exhaled carbon monoxide and arterial blood carboxyhemoglobin concentrations increase in inflammatory pulmonary diseases. The present study was undertaken to elucidate whether arteriovenous carboxyhemoglobin (a-vHb-CO) concentration differences are also useful to define the site of inflammation, either in the lung or organs other than the lung. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We examined concentrations of carboxyhemoglobin in both arterial and peripheral venous blood and exhaled carbon monoxide in patients with acute pulmonary inflammation including bronchial asthma (n = 18) and pneumonia (n = 33), and those in patients with extrapulmonary inflammatory diseases, including acute pyelonephritis (n = 28) and active rheumatoid arthritis (n = 16). RESULTS: The values of carboxyhemoglobin in both arterial and peripheral venous blood were significantly higher in patients with pulmonary and extrapulmonary inflammation compared with those in control subjects (n = 22). Furthermore, a-vHb-CO differences in patients with inflammatory pulmonary diseases were higher than those in patients with acute pyelonephritis and patients with rheumatoid arthritis, and than those in control subjects. The a-vHb-CO differences correlated with the WBC count of peripheral venous blood in patients with pneumonia. In patients with bronchial asthma, the a-vHb-CO differences inversely correlated with FEV(1), although they did not correlate with WBC count of peripheral venous blood. The a-vHb-CO differences in patients with acute pyelonephritis were higher than those in patients with active rheumatoid arthritis. CONCLUSION: The present study suggests that a-vHb-CO differences may be a useful means to define the site of inflammation, either in the lung or organs other than the lung, in patients with a fever of unknown origin. The large a-vHb-CO differences may be caused by carbon monoxide production in pulmonary inflammation.

Arteries↗
PubMed2004

Daily oral care and cough reflex sensitivity in elderly nursing home patients.

BACKGROUND: Intensive oral care can reduce the incidence of pneumonia in elderly nursing home patients, but the mechanism is unknown. OBJECTIVE: To explore the effects of intensive oral care on impaired cough reflex sensitivity, which is a known risk factor of aspiration pneumonia. METHODS: Cough reflex sensitivity to citric acid was measured in elderly nursing home patients, who were randomly assigned to the intervention group (n = 30) and the control group (n = 29). The patients in the intervention group had their teeth and gingiva cleaned by caregivers after every meal for 1 month. The patients in the control group performed their own oral care during the same period. Serum substance P (SP) concentration, cognitive function, and activities of daily living (ADL) were also assessed. RESULTS: In the intervention group, cough reflex sensitivity at 30 days showed significantly higher sensitivity than baseline (p < 0.01). At 30 days, the cough reflex sensitivities in the intervention group were significantly higher than that of the control group (p < 0.05). Compared with the control group, the odds ratio of improvement of cough reflex sensitivity was 5.3 (95% confidence interval, 1.7 to 16.0; p < 0.005) for the intervention group. One month of intensive oral care did not have a significant effect on serum SP concentration, cognitive function, and ADL. CONCLUSION: Intensive oral care may reduce the incidence of pneumonia by improving cough reflex sensitivity in elderly nursing home patients.

Activities of Daily Living↗
PubMed2004

[Association between social support and depression in the elderly Japanese population].

To determine the association between social support and depression in elderly Japanese, we conducted a Comprehensive Geriatric Assessment among residents aged 70 years or over. Out of 2,730 eligible subjects, 1,179 participated in the survey and 1,146 (480 men and 666 women) were analyzed. The Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS) was used to estimate depression status. The subjects were divided into two groups: depressive (GDS>11 or taking antidepressant drugs) and non-depressive (GDS<11). Various levels of social support were assessed by the following questions: Do you have someone (1) whom you can consult when you are in trouble ? (2) whom you can consult when your physical condition is not good ? (3) who can help you in daily housework ? (4) who can take you to a hospital when you don't feel well ? (5) who can take care of you when you are ill in bed? In multivariate logistic regression analysis, the calculated odds ratios (95% CIs) for the lack of each type of social support for depression status were: (1) 2.5 (1.5-4.1),(2) 1.9 (1.1-3.2),(3) 2.7 (1.7-4.4),(4) 1.9 (1.1-3.2),(5) 2.8 (1.6-4.9) in men, and (1) 1.2 (0.8-1.8),(2) 1.2 (0.8-1.8),(3) 1.4 (1.0-2.0),(4) 1.6 (1.1-2.3),(5) 2.0 (1.4-2.9) in women. A significant association was found between social support and depression in this elderly population. We also found that this association was stronger in men.

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PubMed2003

Loxoprofen sodium suppresses mouse tumor growth by inhibiting vascular endothelial growth factor.

There is increasing evidence to suggest the anti-tumor effects of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs). In this study it was shown that the most popular NSAID in Japan, loxoprofen sodium (LOX), inhibited in vivo growth of implanted Lewis lung carcinoma (LLC), whereas LOX did not affect the proliferation and viability of LLC cells in vitro. Intratumoral vessel density in LOX-treated mice was significantly lower than that of mice without treatment. Intratumoral expressions of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) mRNA were attenuated by the LOX treatment. LOX suppressed both intratumoral and systemic VEGF protein in LLC-implanted mice. LOX also inhibited tubular formation of primary cultured human umbilical vein endothelial cells, presumably due to the inhibition of VEGF. In patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer, LOX medication (120 mg/day) for a week significantly decreased the plasma VEGF level. These results suggest that LOX may have potent anti-cancer effects in patients with advanced NSCLC.

Animals↗
PubMed2003

Impaired efficacy of cough in patients with Parkinson disease.

STUDY OBJECTIVES: Aspiration pneumonia, a leading cause of death in patients with Parkinson disease (PD), usually occurs at the advanced stages of the disease. We investigated both motor and sensory components of cough and induced-sputum substance P (SP) concentrations in patients with early and advanced stages of PD to assess whether cough efficacy is impaired in PD. SUBJECTS: Fifteen female patients with early stages of PD (Hoehn and Yahr stage II-III), 10 patients with advanced stages of PD (Hoehn and Yahr stage IV), and 15 age-matched female control subjects were investigated. MEASUREMENTS: The motor component of cough efficacy was assessed by monitoring voluntary maximal cough peak flow. The sensory component of cough efficacy was assessed by measuring cough reflex sensitivity to citric acid inhalation. Sputum SP concentrations were measured in sputum induced by hypertonic saline solution inhalation. RESULTS: The mean (+/- SD) cough peak flow rates in patients with both early PD (230 +/- 74 L/min; p < 0.005) and advanced PD (186 +/- 60 L/min; p < 0.0001) were significantly weaker than that in control subjects (316 +/- 70 L/min). Cough reflex sensitivity in patients with advanced PD (46.7 +/- 49.3 g/L) was significantly lower compared to control subjects (14.5 +/- 16.6 g/L; p < 0.01) and patients with early PD (11.2 +/- 14.8 g/L; p < 0.005). The sputum SP concentration was significantly lower in patients with advanced PD (11.2 +/- 8.4 pg/mL) compared to that in control subjects (35.6 +/- 15.4 pg/mL) and patients with early PD (28.5 +/- 16.4 pg/mL). CONCLUSION: In the early stages of the disease, mainly the motor component of cough was impaired. In advanced stages of the disease, both the motor and sensory components of cough were impaired. Sputum SP concentration significantly declined in patients with advanced PD. The results suggest that the combination of impaired motor and sensory components of cough may play an important role in the development of aspiration pneumonia in PD.

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PubMed2002

Mechanical ventilation protects against diaphragm injury in sepsis: interaction of oxidative and mechanical stresses.

Overproduction of nitric oxide (NO) with attendant oxidative and nitrosative stress has been implicated in sepsis-induced diaphragm dysfunction. Here we determined the impact of controlled mechanical ventilation (MV) on rat diaphragm sarcolemmal injury, inducible NO synthase (iNOS) expression, and oxidative stress during endotoxemia. At 4 h after injection of endotoxin, impaired sarcolemmal integrity and decreased force production by the diaphragm were observed in spontaneously breathing rats. The use of MV during endotoxemia largely eliminated sarcolemmal damage and significantly improved diaphragm force production. These benefits were not associated with alterations in either iNOS expression or protein carbonyls (marker of oxidation), which remained abnormally elevated in septic diaphragms despite MV. Therefore, we hypothesized that the protection afforded by MV was due to its ability to decrease the level of mechanical stress placed on the sarcolemma, because the latter could be hyperfragile in the setting of increased oxidative stress. Using an in vitro system to independently modulate oxidative and mechanical stresses, we confirmed that these two factors act together in a synergistic fashion to favor sarcolemmal injury. Accordingly, our data suggest that MV protects the diaphragm during sepsis by abrogating an injurious interaction between oxidative and biomechanical stresses imposed on the sarcolemma.

Animals↗