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Biomedical subjects

T Hiraga

Publications and source records attributed to T Hiraga.

At least 91 records · Page 5Linked to original sources
PubMed1990

Anomalous caudal vena cava passing through the vertebral canal in a calf.

A 15-day-old female Holstein-Friesian calf with an anomalous caudal vena cava was examined macroscopically, roentgenologically, and histologically. The calf, weighing 43 kg, had severe scoliosis. A common renal vein merged into a single venous trunk formed by the union of the left and right common iliac veins. The trunk entered the vertebral canal through the left intervertebral foramen formed by the last (13th) thoracic and the first lumbar vertebrae. The trunk continued along the ventral side of the narrowing spinal cord inside the canal, and then ran out the left intervertebral foramen formed by the 8th and 9th thoracic vertebrae and emptied via the right azygos vein into the cranial vena cava. In contrast, the hepatic vein passed through the foramen vena cava independently of the trunk and entered the right atrium directly. The pathogenesis of the present anomaly may be explained as follows: The right subcardinal vein, failing to make connection with the liver, shunted directly into the right azygos vein derived from the right supracardinal vein. The body axis began to curve before ossification of the vertebrae occurred. Consequently, the developing right supracardinal vein, located close to the spinal cord, is thought to have become enclosed in the vertebrae with the spinal cord during the early fetal stages.

Animals↗
PubMed1990

Exercise performance and limiting factors in patients with chronic lung diseases.

To demonstrate the clinical usefulness of the treadmill exercise test in patients with chronic lung diseases (CLD), 272 consecutive tests done from Jan. 1986 to Dec. 1988 were analyzed. The subjects mainly consisted of patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and interstitial lung disease (ILD). With the present incremental treadmill protocol the maximal stage attained by a patient or distance walked were closely related to the patient's maximal oxygen uptake. Comparing symptoms and cardio-pulmonary response, and exercise performance between patients with COPD and those with ILD, there was an evident difference in the exercise limiting factor (s): in the former ventilatory limitation was the most important whereas in the latter gas exchange and oxygen transport was critical. Assessment of breathlessness during the exercise test using the Borg scale was useful in evaluating various therapeutic modalities such as oxygen supplementation. In conclusion, the exercise performance in patients with CLD was properly assessed with the present treadmill protocol and the information derived thereby was of great clinical significance.

Exercise Test↗
PubMed1990

[Clinical and pathological characteristics of lung cancer with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease].

Forty-two lung cancer patients with COPD (7.9% of 534 lung cancers), and 84 age- and sex-ratio-matched controls who were randomly selected from lung cancer patients without COPD were examined. Lung cancers with COPD consisted of 25 cases of squamous call carcinoma (59.5%), 11 of adenocarcinoma (26.2%), 2 of small-cell carcinoma (4.8%), and 4 of large-cell carcinoma (9.5%). Squamous cell carcinoma occurred more in patients with COPD than in controls (35.7%) (p less than 0.01). In squamous cell tumors with COPD, 12 cases (48.0%) were centrally located and 13 cases (52.0%) were peripherally located. Squamous cell carcinoma of peripheral origin occurred more in patients with predominant emphysema (76.9%) than controls (36.7%) (p less than 0.05). Our results suggest that the COPD patients with predominant emphysema may be at greater risk for squamous cell tumors of peripheral origin.

Adenocarcinoma↗
PubMed1989

Seven-legged calf--dipygus with an extra foreleg at the pelvic region.

A male Holstein-Friesian calf with seven legs was examined macroscopically and radiographically. External features included two normal forelimbs, two normal hindlimbs (lateral hindlimbs), and two abnormal hindlimbs (medial hindlimbs) which were underdeveloped. Also, a rudimentary forelimb, which was attached to the pelvic region, was observed between both the medial hindlimbs. It consisted of an underdeveloped humerus, a duplicated ulna, several carpal bones, a partially duplicated metacarpal bone and three digits with three hoofs. This leg was connected with two sets of coxae by a irregular-shaped bone considered the vestigial vertebrae and ribs. Two penises and scrotums, three kidneys and testes were also observed. This calf is the first case of dipygus associated with pygopagus parasiticus in cattle. Based on these findings, the pathogenesis of this rare anomaly was briefly discussed from an embryological point of view.

Abnormalities, Multiple↗
PubMed1989

Scanning electron microscopic studies on the red pulp of the mink spleen.

In order to obtain three-dimensional information on the fine architecture of the red pulp of the mink spleen, especially the circulation pattern in the red pulp, perfusion-fixed and freeze-cracked specimens were examined with a scanning electron microscope. A latticework was formed by elongated endothelial cells (rod cells) with side processes and the spongy reticular tissue. The outer surface of the sinus was covered with fine processes of reticular cells. Numerous sheathed arteries were found in the splenic cord. The sheath was composed of a few layers of flat reticular cells. The arterial capillaries of the red pulp opened directly into the cordal space. No evidence could be detected to prove or suggest any direct continuity between arterial capillaries and splenic sinuses. These results strongly support the concept of "open circulation", at least in the red pulp of the mink spleen, with the possibility of a "functionally closed circulation" under some physiological conditions.

Animals↗
PubMed1989

Histochemistry of complex carbohydrates in the horse duodenal gland.

Complex carbohydrates were examined in glandular cells of the horse duodenal gland by using lectin histochemical techniques. In the horse, the duodenal gland was distributed in the area from the uppermost part of the small intestine to a point about 6m caudal to the pylorus. It consisted of two types of cells, mucous and serous cells. The former was found in glands distributed almost all over this part, but the latter was present in glands distributed restrictedly to the uppermost part of the small intestine at a point about 10 cm caudal to the pylorus. The cytoplasm of the mucous cell contained neutral glycoproteins with different saccharide residues as alpha-D-mannose, N-acetyl-beta (1----4)-D-glucosamine, galactose, alpha-galactose, alpha-N-acetylglucosamine, beta-D-Gal (1----3)-D-GalNAc, alpha-L-fucose and sialic acid. On the other hand, the serous cell contained neutral and acid glycoproteins with different residues such as alpha-D-mannose, alpha-D-glucose, beta-D-galactose(1----3)-D-N-acetylgalactose, alpha-L-fucose, N-acetyl-alpha-D-galactosamine, N-acetyl-beta (1----4)-D-glucosamine, galactose, alpha-galactose, alpha-N-acetylglucosamine and sialic acid. It is also elucidated in the present study that lipase, an enzyme for digestion, is contained in the serous cell of the equine duodenal gland.

Animals↗
PubMed1989

[A case of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease associated with central alveolar hypoventilation diagnosed by exercise test].

We report a case of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease associated with central alveolar hypoventilation diagnosed by exercise test. A 61-year-old man with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease was admitted to our hospital because of respiratory failure caused by bacterial pneumonia. After recovery from pneumonia, we examined his functional ventilatory response to incremental exercise. Exercise was discontinued because of his maximal target heart rate, and there was no complaint of dyspnea throughout the exercise test. Although the patient had enough ventilatory reserve during exercise (VEmax/MVV = 50%), there was a marked progressive retention of carbon dioxide disproportionate to the extent of his air flow obstruction. Moreover the patient was able to reduce the carbon dioxide tension to a subnormal level by voluntary hyperventilation, and his ventilatory response to carbon dioxide and mouth occlusion pressure at rest was significantly diminished as compared with normal subjects. These findings suggest that this patient has several features compatible with central alveolar hypoventilation. Exercise test was useful for the diagnosis as well as exercise prescription because the patient could develop dangerous hypoxemia without alarming symptoms like dyspnea.

Exercise Test↗
PubMed1988

[Subrenal capsule assay (SRCA) using human lung cancer].

SRCA was performed using surgically removed fresh tissues in 26 cases of lung cancer. The histological examination of day 6 xenograft showed that only a few xenografts contained tumor cells because of the host cell infiltration and stroma. For the assay considered as evaluable, we defined that control mice needed to show delta tumor size larger than -0.5 OMU and histological presence of tumor cell more than 50% in the day 6 xenograft. The evaluable assay rate (EAR) was no more than 25% (4/16). By the pretreatment with X-ray irradiation of 3 Gy, host cell infiltration was significantly suppressed. With this procedure however, only 40% (4/10) of EAR was gained. The reason for this low EAR was due to the difficulty to obtain the specimens enriched with tumor cells because of stroma and necrotic tissue. Then we used specimen obtained from the human lung cancer line xenografted in nude mice, which resulted in a high EAR of 84% (16/19). We concluded that SRCA for fresh surgical materials was still difficult. However SRCA for lung cancer line was feasible, especially for in vivo preclinical chemosensitivity test for new agents and decision for new drug combination. SRCA as a disease oriented chemosensitivity test is expected to develop in the future.

Animals↗
PubMed1987

Histopathologic studies of the conduction system in marked left-axis deviation.

The histopathologic changes of the left ventricular (LV) conduction system were studied in 11 autopsy cases with marked left-axis deviation (LAD). In all cases the LV conduction system was fanlike and spread broadly over the left septal surface. However, the sizes and sites of the histopathologic lesions varied. In 2 cases the lesions were small and localized at the initial portion of the LV conduction system, whereas in 9 cases the lesions were located more peripherally and were more extensive, especially in 2 cases in which the lesions were mainly localized in the apical third of the LV conduction system. These differences in the sizes of lesions were believed to be due to the anatomic structure of the conduction system. At the initial portion of the LV conduction system, cells were oriented longitudinally with collagen partitions, which presumably resulted in functionally longitudinal dissociation. The variability in the lesions in these patients may explain why prognosis in terms of development of complete heart block is not always poor in patients with LAD and right bundle branch block.

Adult↗
PubMed1987

Anatomical observation of six calves affected with segmental aplasia of the spinal cord.

Four male and two female Holstein-Friesian calves with segmental aplasia of the spinal cord were examined macroscopically and radiographically, and in some cases also histologically. External symptoms included inability to stand, deep depression of the body near the middle of the back but without any blemish in the skin, and slight reduction of the body length. Both hind limbs were almost normal. In every case segmental aplasia of the spinal cord was observed between the caudal thoracic and the cranial lumbar region. Owing to this defect, the vertebrae of that limited area consisted only of the body and the ribs fused on both sides. The sternum showed abnormal ossification at its caudal part. Other defects were observed such as kyphoscoliosis (six cases), polycystic kidney (one case), cryptorchidism (one case), and XX/XY chimerism (one case). From these findings it was apparent that this anomaly was uniquely different from the other two main spinal cord anomalies, spina bifida and perosomus elumbis. One conceivable pathogenesis of this rare anomaly, it was conjectured, is as follows: This anomaly results primarily from a segmental disorder of the neural tube, probably due to vascular problems, whereby a part of the spinal cord fails to develop properly from its normal genesis. Anomalous shapes of the vertebral column and ribs are perhaps secondary defects caused by aplasia of the spinal cord.

Animals↗