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Biomedical subjects

T Fukushima

Publications and source records attributed to T Fukushima.

At least 127 records · Page 7Linked to original sources
PubMed2000

Effect of temperature on fatty acid composition in each lipid fraction of Spirometra erinaceieuropaei plerocercoids.

The effects of temperature and host fatty acids on the fatty acid contents of Spirometra erinaceieuropaei plerocercoids were investigated to clarify their role in sparganosis. After 24 hr incubation at 18 C in host snake serum, omega6 series fatty acids, especially arachidonic acid in the phospholipid fraction of the plerocercoids, increased compared with those of plerocercoids incubated at 37 C. The changes in the ratio of polyunsaturated to saturated fatty acids in the phospholipid fraction of plerocercoids incubated in physiological saline for 6 hr at 10 C were almost the same as the changes at 37 C. The ratio of polyunsaturated to saturated fatty acids of the triglyceride fraction showed almost opposite change versus the phospholipid fraction. The percentage of arachidonic acid in the phospholipid fraction of plerocercoids increased during the first 3 hr of incubation and then decreased, regardless of temperature. At 37 C, the percentage of arachidonic acid in the free fatty acid fraction fell for the first 3 hr of incubation and was significantly elevated at the end of the 6-hr incubation. At 10 C, however, arachidonic acid in the free fatty acid fraction decreased for the first hour of incubation, increased at 3 hr of incubation, then decreased again. These results suggest that fatty acids of the plerocercoids are frequently exchanged between fractions. Plerocercoids can mobilize arachidonic acid to the free fatty acid fraction more quickly at lower temperature than at higher temperature. They may utilize mobilized arachidonic acid early in the infection stage to produce prostaglandins. Alternatively, they can incorporate arachidonic acid into the phospholipid fraction again when arachidonic acid is readily available in the environment.

Animals↗
PubMed2000

Treatment of bacterial brain abscess by repeated aspiration--follow up by serial computed tomography.

Bacterial brain abscess often requires repeated aspiration before the abscess finally resolves. However, there are no guidelines for treatment by aspiration; for example, when should the abscess be tapped again, or when can an abscess be treated by antibiotics alone without further aspiration. Eleven patients with bacterial brain abscess treated by aspiration were evaluated to establish treatment guidelines for brain abscess, in particular the abscess size on serial computed tomography (CT) after aspiration. CT was performed about 24 hours after aspiration to evaluate the size of the abscess, and almost weekly during follow up. The diameter of the brain abscess before and after the initial and last aspirations were reviewed. In eight of the 11 patients, abscesses were aspirated repeatedly: two to three times in most patients. The diameter of the abscesses was 2.5-4.5 cm (mean 3.5 cm) before the last aspiration, and 1.4-3.4 cm (mean 2.3 cm) after the last aspiration, or when continuous drainage was discontinued. Perifocal edema was moderately decreased within 3 weeks after the last aspiration by medical treatment alone, with a concomitant decrease in the volume of the abscess. There were no deaths, and most patients had a favorable outcome. These results suggest that after the diameter of the abscess becomes less than 2 to 3 cm and does not increase anymore on serial CT, medical treatment alone can be anticipated to give satisfactory results without further aspiration.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2000

Green tea consumption and chronic atrophic gastritis: a cross-sectional study in a green tea production village.

Chronic atrophic gastritis (CAG) is well known as a precancerous lesion of the stomach, and Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) infection increases the risk of CAG. While recent studies have reported that green tea consumption decreases the risk of gastric cancer, there has been no study analyzing the relationship between green tea consumption and the both risks H. pylori infection and CAG. We conducted a cross-sectional study on 636 subjects living in a farming village in Japan to examine the relationship among green tea consumption, H. pylori infection, and CAG. Smoking, alcohol drinking, consumption of four beverages, including green tea, and of five foods were investigated as lifestyle factors that may affect H. pylori infection and CAG. The measurement of H. pylori-IgG antibodies was used to define H. pylori infection, and serum pepsinogens were used to define of CAG. The unconditional logistic regression model was used for analyzing each odds ratio (OR). H. pylori infection was positively associated with the risk of CAG (OR = 3.73; 95% confidence interval [CI], 2.59-5.36). High green tea consumption (more than 10 cups per day) was negatively associated with the risk of CAG, even after adjustment for H. pylori infection and lifestyle factors associated with green tea consumption (OR = 0.63; 95% CI, 0.43-0.93). These results support the hypothesis that high green tea consumption prevents CAG.

Adult↗
PubMed2000

[Value of upper gastrointestinal endoscopic examination of head and neck cancer patients].

Between January 1995 and March 1999, we performed the upper gastrointestinal endoscopic examinations on 287 patients with head and neck cancers and detected 23 cases (8%) of esophageal cancer and 8 cases (2.8%) of gastric cancer, showing how frequently esophageal cancer occurs in head and neck cancer. The esophageal cancer involved the oral cavity in 8 cases (9.5%), the oropharynx in 3 cases (8.6%), the hypopharynx in 10 cases (19.6%), and the larynx in 2 cases (2%). Esophageal cancer occurred most frequently in hypopharyngeal cancer, particularly the pyriform sinus type and the postcricoid type. We conclude that upper gastrointestinal endoscopic examination, including Lugol staining, is necessary in head and neck cancer patients.

Adenocarcinoma↗
PubMed2000

[Automated infant auditory screening using the Natus-ALGO 2e in the NICU].

Natus-ALGO 2e, an automated ABR screener(Natus Medical, Foster City, CA, USA), compares the V wave of ABR evoked by 35-dB-nHL click stimuli by using a template-matching detection algorithm that provides only a pass-refer outcome. The aim of this study was to compare Natus-ALGO 2e with conventional ABR, and to evaluate its usefulness. The Natus-ALGO 2e screener was used to screen 202 ears of 101 neonates in our neonatal intensive care unit. The mean conceptional age at the time of screening was 40.4 +/- 3.0 weeks. 60 ears of 30 infants at high-risk of hearing impairment, including "refer" infants, were tested by the Natus-ALGO 2e and conventional ABR methods, and the results were compared. All neonates were tested with the Natus-ALGO 2e screener in a state of natural sleep, and screening time averaged 2 minutes 58 seconds. There were 97 cases in which both ears were passed, 3 cases in which both ears were referred, and one case in which one ear was referred. In comparison with conventional ABR, 53 of the 60 ears of 30 high-risk infants passed by the Natus-ALGO 2e method, whereas 14 of the 53 ears initially failed the conventional ABR screening. Of these 14 ears disagreements (the results of the Natus-ALGO 2e method passed, but the results of the conventional ABR failed), the results of the ABR screening changed to normal in 11 ears, and ABR showed improved threshold and latency in the other 3 ears after 5 weeks to 12 months. Among those that passed the Natus-ALGO 2e screening, the number of sweeps that failed the ABR screen was significantly greater than with normal ABR. Of the 7 ears of 4 patients that were referred on the basis of the Natus-ALGO 2e screening and failed by the conventional ABR method, 3 ears screened by the ABR method were normal when retested, and one ear passed by the Natus-ALGO 2e screening 12 weeks to 11 months later. In conclusion, Natus-ALGO 2e is useful for screening infant hearing because it can be performed quickly while the patient is sleeping naturally. In infants at high-risk for hearing impairment, the results of Natus-ALGO 2e and conventional ABR screening conflicted in numerous sweeps. Therefore, when there are many sweeps in high-risk infants, a retest should be performed that includes conventional ABR, even if they passed with Natus-ALGO 2e.

Audiometry, Evoked Response↗
PubMed2000

[Clinical evaluation of granisetron hydrochloride for nausea and vomiting induced by oral anticancer drugs].

We investigated the antiemetic effect, safety and usefulness of granisetron hydrochloride tablets on nausea and vomiting induced by oral anticancer drugs used in chemotherapy for gastric cancer and colorectal cancer. In the present trial, oral administration of granisetron hydrochloride was performed during 5 days after nausea or vomiting. 1) Clinically, the effective rate of granisetron hydrochloride (the percentage of cases in which the drug was assessed as "Remarkably effective" or "Effective") was more than 75% on each day of administration. There were no adverse events or abnormal laboratory tests. 2) In terms of usefulness, granisetron hydrochloride was rated "Extremely useful" or "Useful" in 17 out of 23 cases (78.2%). The above results have shown that granisetron hydrochloride tablets, administrated orally once daily at a dose of 2 mg, have an excellent antiemetic effect, and that this is a safe and useful drug.

Administration, Oral↗
PubMed2000

Combination chemotherapy with risk factor-adjusted dose attenuation for high-risk myelodysplastic syndrome and resulting leukemia in the multicenter study of the Japan Adult Leukemia Study Group (JALSG): results of an interim analysis.

Forty-nine adult patients with high-risk myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) or acute myeloid leukemia that progressed from MDS were registered for the multicenter study of the Japan Adult Leukemia Study Group. Forty-three patients were evaluable for the analysis. Idarubicin 12 mg/m2 per day for 3 days and continuous cytosine arabinoside 100 mg/m2 per day for 7 days were given as induction therapy, followed by postremission chemotherapy after complete remission (CR). Because elderly patients and those with hypoplastic marrow usually have complications after intensive chemotherapy, often causing early death, the treatment dose was reduced to 60% or 80% according to the presence of 3 risk factors: age 60 years or older, performance status 2 or more, or presence of hypoplastic bone marrow. Of the 43 evaluable patients (median age, 58 years), 26 (60%) achieved CR. Two patients (5%) died within 2 months of completion of induction therapy. The CR rates for patients treated with 100%, 80%, and 60% of the chemotherapy dose were 55% (12 of 22), 63% (10 of 16), and 80% (4 of 5), respectively, indicating that the risk factor-adjusted dose attenuation was appropriately applied to those who might have had problems with the original dose, thus reducing regimen-related mortality rate. The median overall survival of the 43 patients was 8 months.

Acute Disease↗
PubMed2000

[Optimal dosage of UFT in a weekday-on/weekend-off schedule as a postoperative adjuvant chemotherapy for colorectal cancer].

In evaluations of adjuvant chemotherapy with oral anticancer agents, compliance in taking the drug as prescribed (compliance), adverse reactions, and feasibility are important factors in setting the dose. A weekday-on/weekend-off schedule, in which 600 mg/day of UFT was taken for 5 consecutive days and not taken on the following 2 days, was carried out as a postoperative adjuvant chemotherapy for one year in 87 patients with colorectal cancer who had undergone potentially curative resection. The prescribed dose and the dose of ingestion confirmed by physician interview were both highly consistent with the dose of ingestion according to the patients' self reports, with consistency rates of more than 94% for both. Relative performance (RP) yielded a value of 0.72, and individual dose intensity (IDI) yielded 0.8 on average. Female gender, low body weight, and low body surface area were factors that negatively affected feasibility. None of the adverse reactions was serious. Based on the feasibility and adverse reactions, the dosage of UFT should be set according to the body surface area at 375-425 mg/m2/day. When this schedule is used as one arm of a controlled study, it is suggested that the dose should be decided with 400 mg/m2 as a guideline.

Adult↗
PubMed2000

[Unexpected difficult intubation caused by a laryngeal web].

We report a case of unexpected difficult intubation in an adult caused by a laryngeal web. A 43-year-old woman with uterine myoma was scheduled for abdominal hysterectomy. After induction of anesthesia, the vocal cords were seen clearly under laryngoscopy. Although intubation was attempted several times, a 6.5 mm internal diameter tracheal tube could not be passed below the level of the vocal cords because of resistance, and we used a laryngeal mask during anesthesia. Next morning after the operation, she developed dyspnea. Bronchoscopy revealed a very narrow airway below the level of vocal cords caused by a laryngeal web. Tracheostomy was performed. Two weeks later, tracheostomy was closed without any sequela.

Adult↗
PubMed2000

Bond strength of brackets cemented with light-cured glass-ionomer cements to contaminated enamel.

PURPOSE: To examine the effect of contamination on the bond strength of orthodontic brackets cemented with either a commercial (Fuji Ortho LC) or an experimental light-cured glass-ionomer cement to enamel, and the effect of etching times on the bond strength. MATERIALS & METHODS: Simulated metal brackets were applied with the cements to bond polished and etched (37% phosphoric acid) bovine enamel with and without contamination by water, human saliva, and blood. After 1-day water immersion, the shear bond strengths were measured. The fractured surfaces were examined using SEM. Additional tests were conducted on: (1) the Knoop hardness of the contaminated cements, (2) the HEMA composition of the cements, (3) the viscosity of the cements, and (4) the intensity of transmitted visible light through the contaminants. The results were compared by ANOVA and Duncan's tests at P=0.05. RESULTS: Water and saliva reduced the bond strength to polished and etched enamel, except for the bond strength of Fuji Ortho LC to polished enamel. The blood contamination produced poor bond strengths to polished and etched enamel. The experimental cement showed higher bond strengths to polished enamel with water and saliva contamination than Fuji Ortho LC. The bond strength of the experimental cement to etched enamel with and without contamination were comparable to those of Fuji Ortho LC. SEM micrographs revealed that the specimens exhibiting high bond strengths to polished and etched enamel mainly had cement-enamel interface failure and cement-metal mesh interface failure, respectively. Fuji Ortho LC had higher HEMA concentration than the experimental cement. The highest viscosity was measured with blood, followed by saliva and water. Blood contamination, showing the highest attenuation of the light intensity, reduced Knoop hardness of the experimental cement and Fuji Ortho LC.

Acid Etching, Dental↗
PubMed1999

Modulation by L- and D-isoforms of amino acids of the L-glutamate response of N-methyl-D-aspartate receptors.

N-Methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptor subtypes epsilon 1 and zeta 1 were coexpressed in Xenopus oocytes for the investigation of the magnitude of augmentation of the L-glutamate response by 20 common L-amino acids and their 19 D-isoforms. Simultaneous application of L- and D-alanine, -cysteine, and -serine, or glycine and L-glutamate potentiated the glutamate-induced current. Other amino acids produced only marginal effects. Analysis of the relationship between the response and amino acid size revealed that the critical threshold size is between those of cysteine and aspartate. No amino acid alone induced a current. The effects of L- and D-alanine, -cysteine, and -serine applied with L-glutamate were concentration-dependent. Molecular modeling of these three amino acids revealed a positive relationship between the charge at an atom of the side chain and the receptor sensitivity, which may explain the efficacies of these amino acids.

Alanine↗
PubMed1999

Low levels of serum cholesterol and systolic blood pressure in Japanese with the apolipoprotein E3/2 genotype.

Apolipoprotein E (apoE) plays an important role in lipoprotein and cholesterol metabolism. An association between serum cholesterol and blood pressure has been suggested by epidemiological and experimental studies. But it is still not clear whether the apoE polymorphism plays a role in regulating blood pressure. The present study was undertaken to determine the association among apoE genotype, serum cholesterol and blood pressure in 303 healthy Japanese workers. Amplified fragments of DNA by the polymerase chain reaction were digested with HhaI and analyzed by 3% agarose-gel electrophoresis. Individuals with the apoE3/2 genotype had significantly lower levels of total cholesterol and systolic blood pressure than either the apoE3/3 individuals or the apoE3/4 + 4/4 individuals (P <0.05). The hypothesis that apoE indirectly influences systolic blood pressure through total serum cholesterol was supported by a covariance analysis of linear structural equations.

Adult↗
PubMed1999

Detection of DBD-carbamoyl amino acids in amino acid sequence and D/L configuration determination of peptides with fluorogenic Edman reagent 7-[(N,N-dimethylamino)sulfonyl]-2,1,3-benzoxadiazol-4-yl isothiocyanate.

A method for amino acid sequence and D/L configuration identification of peptides by using fluorogenic Edman reagent 7-[(N, N-dimethylamino)sulfonyl]-2,1,3-benzoxadiazol-4-yl isothiocyanate (DBD-NCS) has been developed. This method was based on the Edman degradation principle with some modifications. A peptide or protein was coupled with DBD-NCS under basic conditions and then cyclized/cleaved to produce DBD-thiazolinone (TZ) derivative by BF3, a Lewis acid, which could significantly suppress the amino acid racemization. The liberated DBD-TZ amino acid was hydrolyzed to DBD-thiocarbamoyl (TC) amino acid under a weakly acidic condition and then oxidized by NaNO2/H+ to DBD-carbamoyl (CA) amino acid which was a stable and had a strong fluorescence intensity. The individual DBD-CA amino acids were separated on a reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography (RP-HPLC) for amino acid sequencing and their enantiomers were resolved on a chiral stationary-phase HPLC for identifying their D/L configurations. Combination of the two HPLC systems, the amino acid sequence and D/L configuration of peptides could be determined. This method will be useful for searching D-amino-acid-containing peptides in animals.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1999

Enantiomeric determination of D- and L-lactate in rat serum using high-performance liquid chromatography with a cellulose-type chiral stationary phase and fluorescence detection.

A method is described for the quantitative determination of d- and L-lactate in 10 microl of rat serum, which includes fluorescence derivatization of D- and L-lactate with 4-(N, N-dimethylaminosulfonyl)-7-piperazino-2,1,3- benzoxadiazole (DBD-PZ) followed by O-acetylation. The derivatives are separated by HPLC on an octadecylsilica, and, via column switching, on a cellulose-type chiral column. Levulinic acid was used as the internal standard. The enantiomers of lactate were separated with the separation factor (alpha) of 1.27 and the resolution (Rs) of 2.72, while the linearity for the detection was over the range of 10 nmol/ml to 20 micromol/ml (r = 0.999). Interday precision values for D-lactate in rat serum were 5.8, 5.3, and 4.1% for 10, 100, and 1000 nmol/ml, and accuracy values were 109.6, 98.2, and 103.1%, respectively (n = 5). The reduction of d-lactate concentration in rat serum by fasting was observed with the method.

Acetylation↗
PubMed1999

Breast Cancer in Two Patients with Poland's Syndrome.

Poland fs syndrome is characterized by a congenital defect of the pectoralis major associated with various types of anomalies of the ipsilateral upper extremity. Furthermore, there have been reports of Poland fs syndrome associated with malignancies such as leukemia, malignant lymphoma, and leiomyosarcoma. We describe two cases of Poland fs syndrome associated with breast cancer. The first patient developed right breast cancer associated with ipsilateral breast hypoplasia, defects of the pectoralis major and minor, and syndactyly. She underwent mastectomy and dissection of the axillary nodes. The second patient had left breast cancer associated with ipsilateral breast hypoplasia, defects of the pectoralis major and minor, and syndactyly. She underwent breast-conserving surgery and dissection of the axillary nodes without irradiation of the breast. Both patients are currently alive and free of disease. Although previously there has been no evidence that links Poland fs syndrome and breast cancer, elucidating the molecularmechanism that causes Poland fs syndrome may further clarify the relationship between Poland fs syndrome and malignancies.

Journal Article↗
PubMed1999

Frequency representation in the human hand somatosensory cortex: a reappraisal.

Frequency organization in the human primary somatosensory cortex (SI) was re-examined. Somatosensory evoked magnetic fields (SEFs) were measured with a 37 channel first-order axial gradiometer system. Sensory stimuli comprising a 20ms vibration at frequencies of 50, 100, 200 and 400 Hz were delivered to the volar surface of the tip of the right index finger. Using a single dipole model, the sources of the first main peak (M50) of SEFs were estimated. All of the sources were located in the 3b area. There were no statistically significant differences between the locations of the dipoles evoked by different frequency stimulations. These results support our previous study using a 122 channel whole head planar gradiometer system that systematic frequency organization at the hand area of SI cortex may not be present in humans.

Adult↗
PubMed1999

The role of inositol trisphosphate-induced Ca2+ release from IP3-receptor in the rat suprachiasmatic nucleus on circadian entrainment mechanism.

Synchronization between the environmental lighting cycle and the circadian clock in the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN) is correlated with Ca2+ increase. The mechanism underlying the increase of Ca2+ and its relation to clock resetting are unknown. To address these issues, we examined the possibility whether inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate receptor (IP3-R), which regulate intracellular Ca2+, was involved in the circadian rhythm component of the rat SCN. A novel IP3-induced Ca2+ release modulator, 2-amino-ethoxy diphenylborate (2APB), blocked optic nerve stimulation-induced neuronal field potentials in the SCN. Furthermore, glutamate-induced phase delay of the circadian firing pattern in the SCN was also blocked completely by 2APB in vitro. Together, these data suggest the possibility that IP3-induced Ca2+ release through IP3-R plays a role in the entrainment of the mammalian circadian clock, the SCN.

Animals↗