Biomedical subjects
Publications and source records attributed to T Kasai.
A roselle (Hibiscus sabdariffa Linn.) tea extract was found to have high inhibitory activity against porcine pancreatic alpha-amylase. Hibiscus acid and its 6-methyl ester were respectively isolated as active principles from the 50% methanol and acetone extracts of roselle tea. The activity of each isolate was compared to that of structurally related citric acid, a previously known inhibitor of fungal alpha-amylase.
An intravenous infusion of hexamethonium, a ganglionic blocker, did not affect the increase in the apolipoprotein A-IV mRNA level in the residual ileum following a massive small bowel resection in unrestrained conscious rats. The result suggests that upregulation of the apolipoprotein A-IV gene in the residual ileum is not mediated by a neural pathway, including the nicotinic synapse route.
The effect of a phosphorylated guar gum hydrolysate (P-GGH) on calcium solubilization and its influence on calcium absorption were studied in vitro and in vivo. P-GGH was prepared by chemically modifying a guar gum hydrolysate (GGH) with sodium metaphosphate. P-GGH inhibited the precipitation of calcium phosphate in vitro. The apparent calcium absorption and the amount of femur calcium were significantly higher in rats fed on the P-GGH diet (50 g/kg of diet) than in rats fed on the GGH diet (50 g/kg of diet) or the control diet. Moreover, the amount of soluble calcium in the ileal contents was significantly higher in the P-GGH-fed rats than in the GGH-fed rats. These results indicate that P-GGH may inhibit calcium phosphate formation in the lower part of the small intestine, and thus increase calcium absorption.
The ellagitannins, casuarictin and eugeniin, were isolated as rat intestinal maltase inhibitors from methanol extracts of clove (Syzgium aromaticum). Eugeniin showed inhibitory activity with an IC50 value of 10(-3) M. A structure-activity relationship study among the isolates and their related compound, penta-O-galloyl-beta-D-glucose, indicates that an increasing number of galloyl units in the molecule might lead to an increase in the inhibitory activity. Eugeniin also inhibited maltase activity toward the human intestinal epithelial cell line, Caco-2.
The Apparent calcium absorption was increased in rats fed on P-GGH and GGH. However, this increase in calcium absorption from GGH feeding was cancelled by a cecectomy, whereas the corresponding increase from P-GGH feeding was not. The change in femoral calcium content was similar to that in calcium absorption. The calcium solubility in the ileum was increased in those rats fed on P-GGH. We conclude that cecal fermentation did not contribute to the increased calcium absorption by the rats fed on P-GGH.
Gamma radiation induces diarrhea as an acute injury. We have studied whether ingestion of sugar beet fiber influences radiation-induced diarrhea. Abdominal irradiation with gamma rays induced diarrhea in male Wistar/ST rats from 2 to 7 days after a single sublethal dose. The body weight of the irradiated rats was decreased temporarily at 4 days after irradiation regardless of the ingestion of sugar beet fiber. At day 8, it returned to almost the same level as that of unirradiated rats. A change in daily food intake resulted in a pattern similar to that for body weight. Dietary sugar beet fiber had little significant effect on the changes in body weight and daily food intake, and its ingestion significantly decreased gamma-ray-induced diarrhea. Changes in biochemical and histological parameters in intestinal mucosa (small intestine, cecum and colon) were not greatly influenced by the ingestion of sugar beet fiber through the periods of diarrhea. It was concluded that dietary sugar beet fiber ameliorated the diarrhea induced by abdominal irradiation. We suggest that the inhibitory effect of the ingestion of sugar beet fiber is due to its effects on the luminal environment, such as support for bacterial function in the luminal contents in the colon of animals that ingest sugar beet fiber.
It has been reported that activation of autonomic effectors during mental simulation of voluntary motor actions (motor imagery: MI) may be explained by two different factors, i.e., functions of preparation or anticipation of actual exercise (motor anticipation) and the central motor programming/planning which acts during actual motor action (motor programming). This study was designed to clarify how these factors participate during MI, utilizing two mental tasks with high mental stress, i.e., MI and mental arithmetic (MA). Several autonomic effectors' responses were compared between MI of a 500 m speed skating sprint and MA. Subjects were eight 18 to 25 year old young male speed skate athletes, all of them could easily and vividly imagine a 500 m speed skating sprint. Duration of the MI ranged from 35 to 38 sec and these were very close to each subject's actual best record (means of absolute differences were less than 0.6 sec, i.e., less than 1.7% relatively). A significant decrease of skin resistance (SR), increases of heart rate (HR) and respiration rate were observed in both MI and MA when compared to each control resting level (excluding one subject for respiration rate during MI). SR decreased during MI (mean and SD of 8 subjects: 45.9 +/- 17.7%) and MA (39.7 +/- 16.8%), with no significant differences between MI and MA (t = 1.29, by paired t-test). HR increased significantly above control values in MA (10.3 +/- 4.3%) and MI (44.3 +/- 18.8%). However, the increase during MA was significantly smaller (t = 4.99, p < 0.001) than in MI. Respiratory rate increased significantly in both MI (46.5 +/- 30.9%) and MA (27.7 +/- 14.6%), with no significant difference between MI and MA (t = 1.82) due to the large individual variation in MI. The frequency of respiration was fairly regular during MA, but quite irregular during MI (similar to those during actual motor actions). The central nervous system which acts in MI may possess the function of activation of target effectors which play an important role in actual exercise, on the basis of incremental vigilance level induced by the function of motor anticipation.
OBJECTIVE: This study was performed to evaluate the evolution of peripheral lung adenocarcinomas using CT findings and histologic classification related to tumor doubling time. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The subjects were 34 patients, each with an adenocarcinoma smaller than 3 cm. All patients underwent chest radiography and 10 of them had previously undergone CT more than 6 months before surgery. Tumor doubling time was estimated by examining sequential radiographs using the method originally described by Schwartz. Tumor growth was also observed by studying the changes on CT in the 10 patients who had previously undergone CT. The histologic classification (types A-F) was evaluated according to the criteria of Noguchi et al. RESULTS: Five (83%) of the six adenocarcinomas with tumor types A or B showed localized ground-glass opacity on high-resolution CT. All six tumors had a tumor doubling time of more than 1 year. Fifteen (71%) of the 21 tumors with type C showed partial ground-glass opacity mixed with localized solid attenuation on high-resolution CT. Ten (48%) of these 21 type C tumors had a tumor doubling time of more than 1 year. In types B and C, the solid component or the development of pleural indentation and vascular convergence increased during observation before surgery. All seven tumors with types D, E, and F showed mostly solid attenuation, and the tumor doubling time was less than 1 year in six (87%) of the seven tumors. CONCLUSION: Two main types of peripheral lung adenocarcinoma exist. The first type appears on CT as a localized ground-glass opacity with slow growth, and the other appears as a solid attenuation with rapid growth.
The supraspinal control of reciprocal inhibitory interneurones preceding cocontraction of antagonistic muscles in the human wrist was investigated in 5 subjects. The method combined a reaction time task paradigm and a technique for conditioning the H-reflex. Unconditioned H-reflexes were elicited from flexor carpi radialis (FCR) and extensor carpi radialis (ECR) muscles by using electrical stimulation to median and radial nerves. The conditioned H-reflex of the FCR muscle was obtained by simultaneous electrical stimulation to the median and the radial nerves. While subjects performed the bilateral isometric cocontraction task, excitabilities of the alpha motoneurone pools and that of the reciprocal inhibitory interneurones were assessed by the unconditioned and conditioned H-reflex, respectively. Alpha mononeuron pools of FCR and ECR muscles were facilitated starting from approximately 50 msec. preceeding EMG activities. Reciprocal inhibitory interneurones which suppressed FCR alpha motoneurones were disinhibited at almost same time. The present results suggested that supraspinal control of the reciprocal inhibitory interneurones preceding antagonist cocontraction is different from that of preceding agonist contraction.
Alumina form and a porous apatite, apaceram, were implanted in rat tibiae bone defects for up to 12 weeks and the tissue response was studied histologically as an initial evaluation of whether or not this ceramic form had potential as a reconstructive material for bone defects. We observed no bone formation inside the pores of porous apatite, even after 12 weeks, if the pores were deeper than 1.0 mm from the surface. In contrast, we observed bone tissue deep inside the alumina form as early as 2 weeks after implantation. However, the bone that formed around the alumina form did not directly contact with the frame of the alumina form, even though bone directly contacted with porous apatite. We concluded, therefore, that the ceramic form has potential value as a reconstructive material for bone defects. This potential value would be further increased if the ceramic form could be prepared with calcium phosphate-related materials.
A 72-year-old man was referred to our department with the chief complaint of painless swelling of the left scrotum in May 1997. Left high orchiectomy was performed under the diagnosis of primary testicular tumor. Histological findings revealed non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL) of diffuse, mixed type, B cells. No evidence of tumors in any other site was detected by further examinations. About 3 years and a month earlier, he had undergone right high orchiectomy and postoperative radiotherapy (inverted Y irradiation) and chemotherapy (CHOP 5 cycles) for a right testicular tumor whose histological findings were NHL of diffuse, large cell type, B cells. Metachronous bilateral primary malignant lymphoma of the testis is very rare and we discussed each tumor origin by using IgH gene (IgJHDNA) rearrangement as a tumor specific marker of B cell lineage malignant lymphoma. We discussed the clonality of IgJHDNA rearrangement using polymerase chain reaction (PCR) in each paraffin fragment diagnosed pathologically as NHL of B cell origin.
A 76-year-old female patient underwent papillary muscle reconstruction, and d-CABGs a month after the onset of myocardial infarction. Posterior papillary muscle (PPM) was recognized to be ruptured partially, its stump was sewn to original PPM. An ePTFE suture (CV 5) was placed from anterior mitral leaflet to anterior papillary muscle in attempt to reinforce PPM-repair. Carpentier-Edwards ring was inserted and d-CABGs (LITA to LAD and GEA to RCA) were performed, simultaneously. Postoperative examination revealed no regurgitation and no stenosis of bypass grafts during follow-up period of 5 months after the procedure. Papillary muscle reconstruction was effective procedure for MR due to the ruptured papillary muscle.
An epidemiological investigation on dermatophytoses in Japan for the year 1996 was carried out with the following results. The number of dermatomycoses patients visiting the fifteen cooperating institutes that year was 8,402. New outpatients with this condition accounted for 13.1% of all new outpatients in these institutes. Dermatophytoses patients numbered 7,395 and were composed of: tinea pedis 4,764 (64.4%), tinea unguium 1,487 (20.1%), tinea corporis 558 (7.5%), tinea cruris 369 (5.0%), tinea manuum 195 (2.6%), tinea capitis 11, kerion Celsi 7, tinea barbae 1 and other forms 3. Of these, 113 were children under 15 years of age. Species and incidences of the 2,615 strains isolated from the patients with dermatophytoses were as follows: Trichophyton (T.) rubrum 1,828 (69. 9%), T. mentagrophytes 743 (28.4%) Epidermophyton floccosum 20 (0. 8%), Microsporum (M.) canis 13 (0.5%), M. gypseum 5, T. violaceum 2, and 4 undetermined strains. Candidiasis was found in 722 individuals: intertrigo 299, erosio interdigitalis 95, erythema infantum 89, oral candidiasis 63, paronychia et onychia 56, genital candidiasis 56, onychomycosis 24, chronic mucocutaneous candidiasis 1 and other atypical forms of candidiasis 39. Patients with tinea versicolor numbered 265 and those with Malassezia folliculitis 15. There were five cases of deep dermal mycoses: three of sporotrichosis, one of chromomycosis and one of aspergillosis. The results of superficial dermatophytoses for the year 1996 differed from those of 1991-92 in the following points: Tinea corporis and tinea cruris were lower in number, while tinea unguium had increased in ratio and number. M. canis infection tended to decrease gradually. In the age-distribution of tinea, in every clinical form the peak of distribution curve shifted to a more elderly age group.
Influenza has a typical seasonal outbreak pattern during the winter in Japan. During this period, a number of information on influenza is available through many institutions including the Ministry of Health and Welfare(MHW). The information is collected through different systems for different purposes. Therefore the information required different interpretation. Using the information systems of the MHW as an example, the point for interpretation and the limitation for these data sets are analysed.
We investigated a functional hemispheric asymmetry of the human motor system between right- and left-handed subjects using motor evoked potentials (MEPs) in first dorsal interosseous (FDI) produced by transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS). TMS was applied while the subject imaged flexing the index finger, the mechanical action that maximally potentiates MEPs in the FDI. In right-handers, MEP amplitudes induced by motor imagery of right (dominant hand) finger movement were significantly larger than those induced by mental imagery of left (non-dominant hand) finger movement. In left-handed individuals, however, these right-left differences in MEP amplitude were not observed. Thus, these differences in the degree of hemispheric asymmetry in right- and left-handed individuals might reflect corresponding differences in their cerebral organization.
BACKGROUND: Spindle and giant cell carcinomas of the lung are rare subtypes and are regarded as one type of lung carcinoma, termed pleomorphic carcinoma in the Armed Forces Institute of Pathology classification. This classification is different from the World Health Organization classification. METHODS: Thirty-seven cases of sarcomatoid (spindle and/or giant cell) carcinoma of the lung were studied by light microscopy, conventional histochemistry, and immunohistochemistry to establish their clinical and histologic characteristics. RESULTS: The patient population was comprised of 29 men and 8 women ages 33-81 years. Seventeen patients died of their disease and there was no statistically significant difference in patient prognosis between sarcomatoid carcinoma and nonsarcomatoid carcinoma of the lung. Using light microscopy, 5 cases (13.5%) comprised entirely of sarcomatoid components without carcinomatous elements were classified as Group A. In the remaining 32 cases (86. 5%), classified as Group B, carcinomatous components were present (adenocarcinoma [18 cases; 48.7%], squamous cell carcinoma [8 cases; 21.6%], and large cell carcinoma [6 cases; 16.2%]). Sarcomatoid components were divided further into three categories: spindle cell type, giant cell type, and mixed spindle and giant cell type. Immunohistochemically, the sarcomatoid components of all 37 cases were positive for cytokeratins. Statistically, there was no significant prognostic difference between the 37 cases of sarcomatoid carcinoma and 647 cases of nonsarcomatoid, nonsmall cell carcinoma of the lung (P = 0.8537). CONCLUSIONS: The sarcomatoid portions in all sarcomatoid carcinomas in the current study showed an epithelial differentiation, and there was no apparent difference in biologic behavior between sarcomatoid carcinoma and ordinary lung carcinoma.
This study have investigated the changes in soleus (Sol) H-reflexes by arm movement during freely standing (FS) and back-supported standing (BS) in healthy subjects. Before the arm movement, there is an anticipatory phase, which includes increased electromyographic (EMG) activity in the biceps femoris (BF) and decreased EMG activity of the Sol muscle. The Sol H-reflex appeared to be inhibited during the anticipatory phase as well as during the time of arm movement. However, the inhibition appeared to be larger in FS than in BS conditions. Vibration applied to the tendon of the BF muscle depressed the Sol H-reflex. This inhibition was attributed to presynaptic inhibition and was reduced during the anticipatory phase, and was not very much changed during arm movements. It is suggested that the depression of the Sol H-reflex induced by voluntary arm movement has two inhibitory components of different origins. Descending motor commands generate the early inhibitory component, while the late component is produced by the presynaptic inhibition that results from peripheral inputs. The inhibition related to anticipatory postural adjustment (APA) indicates that a new-setting of the spinal mechanisms is required and responsible in order to stabilize body equilibrium which is dependent upon different postural conditions.
Coinjection of unfertilized mouse oocytes with sperm heads and exogenous DNA encoding either a green fluorescent protein (GFP) or beta-galactosidase reporter produced 64 to 94 percent transgene-expressing embryos, reflecting DNA-sperm head association before coinjection. Nonselective transfer to surrogate mothers of embryos in the GFP series generated about 20 percent offspring expressing the integrated transgene. These data indicate that exogenous DNA can reproducibly be delivered into an oocyte by microinjected spermatozoa and suggest an adaptable method of transgenesis.