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Biomedical subjects

T Hori

Publications and source records attributed to T Hori.

At least 163 records · Page 9Linked to original sources

The safety and usefulness of cool head-warm body perfusion in aortic surgery.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the safety and usefulness of antegrade hypothermic cerebral perfusion in conjunction with mild hypothermic (tepid) visceral perfusion (so-called cool head-warm body perfusion; CHWB) in aortic surgery; the clinical outcomes and perioperative data on this new technique were retrospectively analyzed. METHODS: From January 1990 to March 1999, 59 patients underwent ascending aorta or aortic arch surgery using antegrade selective cerebral perfusion (SCP). Three perfusion techniques, differentiated by perfusion temperature, were used, those being deep hypothermia (DH; nasopharyngeal temperature of 20 degrees C, n=14), moderate hypothermia (MH; nasopharyngeal temperature of 28 degrees C, n=17) and CHWB (nasopharyngeal temperature of 25 degrees C and bladder temperature of 32 degrees C, n=28). Selection of the technique largely followed a chronological pattern, in this order: DH, MH and, more recently, CHWB. The three groups were retrospectively compared in terms of operative outcome, duration of cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) and operation, and intraoperative blood loss. RESULTS: The early (within 30 days after surgery) mortality/hospital mortality (including operative mortality) was 7.1/21.4, 5.9/11.8 and 3.6/7.1% in the DH, MH and CHWB groups, respectively. The rate of stroke was 7.1, 6.3 and 3.6% in the DH, MH and CHWB groups, respectively. No statistical difference was found in early or hospital mortality, or in the rate of stroke among the three groups. The CPB time, especially the time for rewarming, was significantly shorter in the CHWB than in the DH group. Likewise, the operation time, especially the time after CPB, was significantly shorter in the CHWB than in the DH and MH groups. Blood loss was significantly less in the CHWB than in the DH group. CONCLUSION: Our data suggest that CHWB perfusion in aortic surgery is a safe and useful technique in shortening the operation time and reducing blood loss, but further prospective study is necessary.

Aged↗

Topographical characteristics of slow wave activities during the transition from wakefulness to sleep.

OBJECTIVES: This study examined the topographical characteristics of slow wave(delta and theta) activities during the transition from wakefulness to sleep, using topographic mapping of EEG power and coherence. METHODS: Sonography of nocturnal sleep was recorded on 10 male subjects. Each recording, from 'lights-off' to 5 min after the appearance of the first sleep spindles, was analyzed. Typical EEG patterns during the transition from wakefulness to sleep were classified into 9 stages (EEG stages). RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS: Topographic maps of coherence in delta-and theta-band activities demonstrated that the synchronous component at the anterior-central areas of the scalp appeared corresponding with increasing power. The populations of high coherence pairs among total pairs were computed for each band and each EEG stage to examine the regional differences of EEG. The populations of the delta-band activity increased clearly from EEG stage 6 in the anterior-central areas. The populations of the theta-band activity increased clearly from EEG stage 7 in the anterior-central areas. These results suggest that the dominant synchronous component of slow wave activities during the transition from wakefulness to sleep increased as a function of EEG stages in the anterior-central areas and increased clearly after the appearance of vertex sharp waves.

Adult↗

Preliminary individual adjuvant therapy for gliomas based on the results of molecular biological analyses for drug-resistance genes.

New adjuvant therapy individualized by the results of reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) for drug-resistance genes has been used to treat malignant gliomas. Protocol studies for malignant gliomas were not so encouraging in their therapeutic results because of heterogeneity and the various drug-sensitivities of the tumors. Individualization of glioma therapy is recommended. Drug-resistance genes messenger ribonucleic acid (mRNA) expressions were investigated in drug-resistant human glioma cell lines derived from U87MG and 46 frozen samples of retrospectively examined neuroepithelial tumors (12 low grade neuroepithelial tumors, 16 Grade III gliomas, 11 glioblastomas, and 7 other malignant neuroepithelial tumors such as medulloblastomas and primitive neuroectodermal tumors) by RT-PCR with the specific primers for O6-methylguanine DNA methyltransferase (MGMT), multidrug-resistance gene 1 (MDR1), multidrug-resistance-associated protein (MRP), and glutathione-S-transferase-pi (GST-pi). Thirty-seven preliminary individual adjuvant therapies (IAT) based on RT-PCR results, mainly in MGMT expression, were performed on 30 consecutive patients with neuroepithelial tumors. In the retrospectively examined series, the initial response to 1-(4-amino-2-methyl-5-pyrimidynyl) methyl-3-(2-chloroethyl)-3-nitrosourea hydrochloride (ACNU) was correlated most significantly to the MGMT mRNA expression among 11 independent prognostic factors (p = 0.0037) in multivariate logistic regression analysis. In the preliminary IAT, 17 of 32 evaluable therapies had a partial or complete response (53.1% response rate). Our IAT based on RT-PCR seemed to be more effective than conventional therapies for malignant gliomas.

ATP Binding Cassette Transporter, Subfamily B, Mem↗

Comparison of the water-holding capacity of wheat bran products prepared by wet and dry smashing methods in vitro and effect on the gastrointestinal retention time in rats in vivo.

Microfibril wheat bran (MFW) prepared by wet smashing of wheat bran using a colloidal mill has the advantages of being more palatable than other wheat bran and easier to apply to various foods. In this study, we investigated water-holding capacity (WHC) and physiological effects of a novel food material, MFW, focusing on shortening of the retention time of the gastrointestinal contents compared to those of dry smashing of wheat bran (DWB) prepared by conventional method, and wheat bran (WB), which is the raw materials. The mean particle size of MFW was 35 microns, and WHC was 5.1 g/g. In contrast, those of DWB were 61 microns and 3.0 g/g, respectively. Those of WB were 420 microns and 5.0 g/g, respectively. The WHC of MFW was 1.7 times greater than that of DWB and comparable to that of WB. The dietary fiber content in MFW, DWB, and WB were 73.5, 66.9 and 70.2%, respectively. Six-week-old Fisher rats were divided into three groups, and fed for 20 days with AIN-76 chow supplemented with MFW, DWB, or WB to a dietary fiber content of 10%. On days 14-16 of the experimental period, the mean retention time (MRT) of gastrointestinal content and fecal weight were measured using solid phase and liquid phase markers. On day 20 of the experimental period, animals were killed, and the water content, pH, composition of short chain fatty acids (SCFAs) in the cecal content and total amounts of SCFAs in the cecum were investigated. MRT in the MFW group was 15.2 +/- 0.8 h in the solid phase, which was significantly shorter than that in the DWB group (18.0 +/- 0.9 h) (p < 0.05), and comparable to that in the WB (15.5 +/- 2.4 h). MRT in the liquid phase was almost the same as that in the solid phase: 14.7 +/- 1.0, 18.4 +/- 0.8, and 16.0 +/- 2.5 h in the MFW, DWB, and WB groups, respectively. The fecal weight, pH, the concentration of SCFA in the cecal content and total amounts of SCFAs in the cecum did not differ among the groups, but the cecal water content was in the order of MFW > WB > DWB, showing a significant difference between each group (p < 0.05). The above finding suggested that MFW is a novel food material with a greater WHC and the ability of shortening the retention time of the gastrointestinal contents compared to DWB.

Animals↗

Estimation of generator sources of human sleep spindles by dipole tracing method.

Equivalent dipole sources of two types of human sleep spindles (14 and 12 Hz) were investigated on five normal subjects. The present study showed that a sleep spindle can be represented by a single equivalent dipole. For both 14 and 12 Hz sleep spindles, the equivalent dipole sources were estimated near the thalamus. The orientation of the equivalent dipole of a 14 Hz sleep spindle was in the centro-parietal direction, while that of a 12 Hz sleep spindle was in the frontal direction. These results suggest that both types of sleep spindle activities are generated in the thalamus, and cortical de-arousal plays a modificatory role on their different topographical distributions.

Adult↗

Effects of daytime activity on nocturnal sleep in the elderly.

This study investigates the relationship between the level of daytime activities and nocturnal sleep in the elderly using the wrist actigraph and ambulatory polysomnograph system. Five male and five female subjects (mean age = 73.8+/-3.05 years; range 69-77 years) participated in this study. The level of daytime activity was positively correlated with the sleep efficiency of the subsequent night only for male subjects, who were shown to be less active during the daytime. The results imply that increments in the time spent on physical activities may improve the quality of nocturnal sleep in elderly male subjects.

Aged↗

Case of a non-24 h sleep-wake syndrome patient improved by phototherapy.

Polysomnography (PSG) and body temperature were examined in a patient with non-24 h sleep-wake syndrome who responded to phototherapy. The patient was a 17-year-old male who had been suffering from a free-running sleep-wake rhythm for 2 months. Phototherapy was administered to the patient while he was admitted to our hospital. This treatment immediately changed the free-running sleep-wake and body temperature rhythm of the patient to the environmental 24-h rhythm. On a polysomnography, total sleep time and stages 1 and 2 and REM sleep were decreased, and percentage stage 3+4 was increased by phototherapy. The time of minimum body temperature (mBT) was located at the latter half of the sleep phase through the clinical course of the patient.

Adolescent↗

Effects of phototherapy on the phase relationship between sleep and body temperature rhythm in a delayed sleep phase syndrome case.

We examined polysomnography (PSG) and body temperature of a patient with delayed sleep phase syndrome (DSPS) who was successfully treated with only phototherapy. This case showed a possible improvement of the phase relationship between sleep and body temperature rhythm given that the time of minimum body temperature (mBT) shifted to the latter portion of the sleep phase after constant phototherapy.

Adult↗

Tardive dystonia provoked by concomitantly administered risperidone.

Two cases of tardive dystonia are reported. The first case was an 18-year-old schizophrenic woman suffering from parkinsonism and hypotension induced by antipsychotic drugs. Risperidone (4 mg/day) was added to her drug regimen and after increasing the dosage to 6 mg/day, she began to exhibit retrocollis. The second case was a 61-year-old woman who had schizophrenia and tardive dyskinesia. After replacing chlorpromazine (75 mg/day) with risperidone (4 mg/day), she began to exhibit retrocollis. The retrocollis in both cases was considered to be tardive dystonia provoked by risperidone administered concomitantly with other antipsychotics. Risperidone is reported to produce few extrapyramidal symptoms, but these cases suggested that changing from other drugs to risperidone, or rapidly increasing risperidone dosage, may provoke tardive syndrome.

Adolescent↗

Presynaptic inhibition by muscimol through GABAB receptors.

The gamma-aminobutyric acid type A (GABAA) receptor agonist muscimol is widely used as a tool for reducing neuronal activities particularly in experiments in vivo. At the synapse formed by the calyx of Held in the rat brainstem slice, the GABAA receptor agonist muscimol (> 10 microM) attenuated the amplitude of excitatory post synaptic currents (EPSCs) accompanied by an increase in the coefficient of variation of EPSCs, suggesting its presynaptic inhibitory effect. This muscimol effect was not affected by bicuculline but occluded the presynaptic inhibitory effect of the GABAB receptor agonist baclofen and was abolished by the type B GABA (GABAB) receptor-specific antagonist (+)-5, 5-dimethyl-2-morpholineacetic acid (SCH 50911; 20 microM). We conclude that muscimol activates presynaptic GABAB receptors thereby attenuating synaptic transmission.

Animals↗

Molecular cloning of a novel brain-type Na(+)-dependent inorganic phosphate cotransporter.

We have isolated a human cDNA encoding a protein, designated DNPI, that shows 82% amino acid identity and 92% similarity to the human brain-specific Na(+)-dependent inorganic phosphate (Na(+)/P(i)) cotransporter (BNPI), which is localized exclusively to neuron-rich regions. Expression of DNPI mRNA in Xenopus oocytes resulted in a significant increase in Na(+)-dependent P(i) transport, indicating that DNPI is a novel Na(+)/P(i) cotransporter. Northern blot analysis shows that DNPI mRNA is expressed predominantly in brain, where the highest levels are observed in medulla, substantia nigra, subthalamic nucleus, and thalamus, all of which express BNPI mRNA at low levels. In contrast, DNPI mRNA is expressed at low levels in cerebellum and hippocampus, where BNPI mRNA is expressed at high levels. No hybridizing signal for DNPI mRNA is observed in the glia-rich region of corpus callosum. In other regions examined, both mRNAs are moderately or highly expressed. These results indicate that BNPI and DNPI, which coordinate Na(+)-dependent P(i) transport in the neuron-rich regions of the brain, may form a new class within the Na(+)/P(i) cotransporter family.

Animals↗

Haemorrhagic complication after total extirpation of huge arteriovenous malformations.

Two cases with huge arteriovenous malformations (AVMs) who developed haemorrhagic complications after surgery are described. The cause of the postoperative haemorrhage was considered to be the normal perfusion pressure breakthrough phenomenon and/or occlusive hyperaemia. These two haemodynamic insults possibly occur simultaneously and induce life-threatening haemorrhage. It was concluded that a huge high-flow AVM with a large venous ampulla in its deep drainers has a high risk of a postoperative intravenous thrombosis, resulting in haemorrhage together with normal perfusion pressure breakthrough phenomenon.

Adult↗

A comparative study of MIB-1 staining indices of gliomas measured by NIH Image analysis program and conventional manual cell counting method.

To evaluate the NIH Image measured MIB-1 staining index (SI) as a useful tool for the determination of proliferative activity of gliomas, MIB-1 immunohistochemistry was performed on paraffin sections to estimate the proliferative activity of 50 gliomas. Five to eight RGB images at 200 magnifications were acquired per sample in a Macintosh computer using a RD-175 digital camera and Adope Photoshop program, followed by conversion of the RGB image to B (blue subtracted) and R (red subtracted) images and finally automatic cell counting of more than 1000 cells per sample by the NIH Image analysis program. The mean MIB-1 staining indices by both NIH count and visually assessed (manual) count respectively were 12.7% +/- 9.9% (mean +/- standard deviation) and 12.6% +/- 9.9% in all gliomas (n = 50), 2.9% +/- 0.6% and 2.3% +/- 0.6% in grade I and II astrocytomas (n = 9), 10.7% +/- 8.9% and 11.1% +/- 9.0% in grade III gliomas (n = 17), 16.1% +/- 9.1% and 16.3% +/- 9.1% in glioblastoma multiformes (n = 20), 26.0% +/- 4.9% and 24.5% +/- 2.6% in other glial tumors (n = 4). These paired values were assumed to be identical, since the p value obtained by paired t-test in all gliomas was 0.905. We conclude that the MIB-1 staining index measured by NIH Image is reliable and universal.

Antigens, Nuclear↗

Prevention of cerebral vasospasm by nicardipine prolonged-release implants in dogs.

The purpose of this study was to determine the efficacy of nicardipine prolonged-release implants for preventing vasospasm in a canine SAH model in a dose-escalating placebo-controlled blind fashion. Drug-release kinetics of copoly(lactic/glycolic acid) pellet containing nicardipine were evaluated in vitro. In vivo, 18 dogs were randomly assigned to one of three groups, i.e. placebo, low-dose (0.8 mg), or high-dose (8 mg) nicardipine. Angiography was performed, followed by right craniectomy, the induction of subarachnoid hemorrhage, and the placement of the pellets in the Sylvian fissure. On Day 7 and Day 14, the angiography was repeated. In the first four days, 61.9% of the actual nicardipine loaded was released and within 10 days, 96%. The average percent reductions of vessel diameters in the middle cerebral artery on Day 7 were 43%, 14% and 7% in the placebo, low-dose, and high-dose groups, respectively (p = 0.0319). The mean concentration of nicardipine in the clots on Day 14 was 9.7 x 10(-7) mol-1 l-1 and 5.1 x 10(-6) mol-1 l-1 in the low-dose and high-dose group, respectively. This drug delivery system prevented vasospasm in dogs significantly even at low dose, while maintaining an appropriate concentration of nicardipine in the clot adjacent to the arteries.

Animals↗

Wpkci, encoding an altered form of PKCI, is conserved widely on the avian W chromosome and expressed in early female embryos: implication of its role in female sex determination.

Two W chromosome-linked cDNA clones, p5fm2 and p5fm3, were obtained from a subtracted (female minus male) cDNA library prepared from a mixture of undifferentiated gonads and mesonephroi of male or female 5-d (stages 26-28) chicken embryos. These two clones were demonstrated to be derived from the mRNA encoding an altered form of PKC inhibitor/interacting protein (PKCI), and its gene was named Wpkci. The Wpkci gene reiterated approximately 40 times tandemly and located at the nonheterochromatic end of the chicken W chromosome. The W linkage and the moderate reiteration of Wpkci were conserved widely in Carinatae birds. The chicken PKCI gene, chPKCI, was shown to be a single-copy gene located near the centromere on the long arm of the Z chromosome. Deduced amino acid sequences of Wpkci and chPKCI showed approximately 65% identity. In the deduced sequence of Wpkci, the HIT motif, which is essential for PKCI function, was absent, but the alpha-helix region, which was conserved among the PKCI family, and a unique Leu- and Arg-rich region, were present. Transcripts from both Wpkci and chPKCI genes were present at significantly higher levels in 3- to 6-d (stages 20-29) embryos. These transcripts were detected in several embryonic tissues, including undifferentiated left and right gonads. When the green fluorescent protein-fused form of Wpkci was expressed in male chicken embryonic fibroblast, it was located almost exclusively in the nucleus. A model is presented suggesting that Wpkci may be involved in triggering the differentiation of ovary by interfering with PKCI function or by exhibiting its unique function in the nuclei of early female embryos.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

NMR analysis of tertiary interactions in HDV ribozymes.

Three variants of minimized hepatitis delta virus (HDV) RNA ribozyme systems designed on the basis of the "pseudoknot" model were synthesized and their tertiary interactions were analyzed by NMR spectroscopy. Rz-1 is a cis-acting ribozyme system (the cleaved form, 56-mer) in which stem IV is deleted from the active domain of genomic HDV RNA. Rz-1 was uniformly labeled with stable isotopes, 13C and 15N. Rz-2 is a trans-acting ribozyme system (substrate: 8-mer, the cytidine residue at the cleavage site is replaced by 2'-O-methylcytidine; enzyme: 16-mer plus 35-mer). Rz-2 was partially labeled with stable isotopes in guanosine residues of enzyme 35mer. Rz-4 is a trans-acting ribozyme system (substrate: 8mer, the cytidine residue at the cleavage site is replaced by 2'-O-methylcytidine; enzyme 53mer) which was designed by Perrotta and Been. Rz-4 has the same sequence and an extra loop closing stem IV. From 2D-NOESY and 2D-HSQC (except for Rz-4) spectra, it was suggested each ribozyme forms "pseudoknot" type structure in solution. Additionally, it was found that G38 of Rz-1, G28 and G29 of Rz-2 and Rz-4 form base-pairs. These novel base-pairs are observed in the crystal structure of a modified genomic HDV RNA. From temperature change experiment of Rz-2, the imino proton signal of G28 disappeared at 50 degrees C earlier than the other corresponding signals. Upon MgCl2 titration of Rz-2, this signal showed the largest shift.

Base Sequence↗

The initial step of the thermal unfolding of 3-isopropylmalate dehydrogenase detected by the temperature-jump Laue method.

A temperature-jump (T-jump) time-resolved X-ray crystallographic technique using the Laue method was developed to detect small, localized structural changes of proteins in crystals exposed to a temperature increase induced by laser irradiation. In a chimeric protein between thermophilic and mesophilic 3-isopropylmalate dehydrogenases (2T2M6T), the initial structural change upon T-jump to a denaturing temperature (approximately 90 degrees C) was found to be localized at a region which includes a beta-turn and a loop located between the two domains of the enzyme. A mutant, 2T2M6T-E110P/S111G/S113E, having amino acid replacements in this beta-turn region with the corresponding residues of the thermophilic enzyme, showed greater stability than the original chimera (increase of T:(m) by approximately 10 degrees C) and no T-jump-induced structural change in this region was detected by our method. These results indicate that thermal unfolding of the original chimeric enzyme, 2T2M6T, is triggered in this beta-turn region.

3-Isopropylmalate Dehydrogenase↗