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Biomedical subjects

T Kawashima

Publications and source records attributed to T Kawashima.

At least 163 records · Page 9Linked to original sources

[Surgical treatment and long-term results of congenital heart disease in adults: early and late follow-up studies in 231 cases].

In a past one decade from January 1981 to August 1991, 231 patients over 18 years old with congenital heart disease (CHD) including 65 patients with cyanotic (C) and 166 with acyanotic (AC) diseases, were surgically treated. There were one operative death (0.6 percent mortality) and three late deaths (1.9%) in 166 patients with AC diseases, whereas there were four operative (6.1%), and four late deaths (6.1%) in 65 patients with C. These patients were followed for 3 to 124 months (the mean of 46.4 +/- 11.9) after the operation. Compared with group AC, group C showed a high rate of early postoperative deaths or late deaths. Group AC comprised patients in their forties (95 patients with ASD and 15 with PDA) and those in their thirties (26 with VSD and 13 with ECD) at the operation. On the contrary, except 5 patients with Ebstein disease, a mean age of patients of group C at the operation lay in their twenties. Surgical outcomes for adult patients of group C still pose much problems compared with AC group in terms of decreased heart function, development of collateral circulatory pathway, and impaired hepatic and renal functions by long lasting hypoxemia. In group C decreased heart function or association of abscess of the brain might be the main cause of postoperative LOS. These findings indicate that early diagnosis, recent advanced operative procedure and appropriate postoperative care can provide symptomatic remission for even adult patients with severe CHD with a low mortality.

Adolescent↗

Age-dependent survival-promoting activity of vitamin K on cultured CNS neurons.

Neurons from the central nervous system (CNS) of rat embryos die within several days when seeded at a low density of 10(4) cells/cm2 and cultured in a serum-free defined medium. Using these culture systems, we searched for agents to promote the survival of these neurons. As a consequence, a fat-soluble vitamin, vitamin K1, was found to possess such kind of activity: more than 50% of the cortical neurons from 19-day-old rat embryos could survive for 4 days in the presence of vitamin K1, whereas almost all neurons died in its absence. The survival-promoting effect of vitamin K1 was found on neurons from not only cortex, but also hippocampus, striatum, and septum. In addition to vitamin K1, vitamin K2 and K3 also showed the same effect on cortical neurons. The effect of vitamins K1 and K2 was observed at concentrations from 10(-8) to 10(-6) M, and that of vitamin K3 was slightly detected at 10(-6) M. Furthermore, we examined the effect on the neurons from 16- and 21-day-old embryos, too. The activity of vitamin K1 was weaker toward the neurons from 21-day-old embryos compared with that toward 19-day-old ones, and was not recognized toward 16-day-old ones. These results suggest the potential role of the K vitamins on the maintenance of the survival of CNS neurons during the later stages of embryogenesis in vivo.

Animals↗

Neuronal responses to vestibular and callosal stimulation in the anterior suprasylvian gyrus of the cat.

Neuronal responses to electrical stimulation at the horizontal ampulla (HA), vestibular nerve (at the windows) and corpus callosum (CC) were investigated in neurons in the anterior suprasylvian gyrus of the cat. The field potentials to HA stimulation had short latency: 2.9 +/- 0.3 (mean +/- SD) ms from the stimulus to the onset and 5.6 +/- 1.9 ms to the peak. The focus of the evoked potentials was located in the anterior suprasylvian (ASS) gyrus or near the ASS sulcus. HA stimulation activated 6 neurons out of 674 examined, with the mean latency of 4.3 +/- 1.1 ms. Of these 6, four neurons also responded to window stimulation. Fifty-six neurons responded to window stimulation with the mean latency of 6.1 +/- 2.4 ms. The mean latency for CC stimulation was 1.9 +/- 0.9 ms (n = 76). Four neurons responded to CC stimulation antidromically (mean = 0.9 +/- 0.3 ms) and one of them also responded orthodromically. The convergence of CC inputs in relation to HA or window stimulation was examined. One (17%) of the 6 HA-activated cells responded to CC stimulation, compared with 8 (14%) of the 56 neurons activated by window stimulation. The other 612 neurons did not respond to either HA or window stimulation, and 80 (13%) of the 612 responded to CC stimulation. Therefore, it is concluded that neurons in the ASS gyrus received callosal input equally irrespective of the presence or absence of responses to ampulla or window stimulation. WGA-HRP was injected in the ASS gyrus to identify the passing callosal fibers in the CC. Fibers from the ASS area passed at the rostral third of the CC. The present results indicate that the ASS area received vestibular projection with short latency, but responses of this projection did not seem to be very strong, at least from the present unit study, to HA stimulation. Discussion was made on the poor neuronal responses to electrical HA stimulation in comparison with previous studies. Also consideration was made on neuronal activity to CC stimulation.

Animals↗

Antiviral effect of TNF-alpha and IFN-gamma secreted from a CD8+ influenza virus-specific CTL clone.

We observed that an influenza-specific cytotoxic T lymphocyte (CTL) clone (B7B7) stimulated with peptide-antigen could produce TNF-alpha and IFN-gamma simultaneously. The culture supernatant containing both TNF-alpha and IFN-gamma of antigen-stimulated CTL clone B7B7 significantly enhanced the lysis of influenza A/PR/8 virus-infected L-M2d6 cells or Meth A cells. Enhanced lysis of influenza virus-infected cells by the supernatants was inhibited by pretreatment of the supernatant with antimurine TNF-alpha antibody and antimurine IFN-gamma antibody. In addition to a single CTL clone, we observed that bulk-cultured CTLs were able to produce TNF and IFN when incubated with target cells. These results suggest that the protective mechanism mediated by TNF-alpha and IFN-gamma secreted from CTL may be possible in the course of an influenza infection.

Animals↗

Failure characteristics of osteoporotic vertebral bodies monitored by acoustic emission.

The third lumbar vertebrae of nine elderly subjects (average age, 81.4 +/- 6.7 years) graded osteoporotic and the second to fifth lumbar vertebrae of a 37-year-old man graded as normal were used to investigate microdamage accumulation during quasi-static compression loading with an acoustic emission detection system. Mechanical parameters (apparent elastic modulus, stress, and strain) and acoustic emission event count rates were measured simultaneously. The normalized mean value of any mechanical parameters of normal group was significantly high with respect to that of osteoporotic group. The normalized mean value of cumulative acoustic emission event counts to maximum stress of the normal vertebrae was substantially small with respect to that of the osteoporotic vertebrae (p < 0.0005, z-test). Postloading microradiographs displayed fracture lines adjacent to the end plates in six vertebrae of osteoporotic group. These results are consistent with the hypotheses that microdamages of osteoporotic vertebral bodies are generated and accumulate at lower strains than those of normal vertebrae at a specific site.

Adult↗

Pathological analysis of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy simulating dilated cardiomyopathy.

The pathomorphologic features of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy simulating dilated cardiomyopathy in the late stage (HCM-DCM) were compared with those of ordinary hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM). Seven autopsied hearts with HCM-DCM and 11 with HCM were assessed quantitatively using an image analyzer. Unlike HCM, significant left ventricular enlargement and wall thinning were observed in HCM-DCM, and the percentage areas of massive fibrosis and disarray were significantly greater. In HCM-DCM, the disarray was distributed diffusely, whereas massive fibrosis was distributed more intensively in the ventricular septum and anterior wall than in the lateral and posterior wall. Narrowing of intramyocardial small arteries was observed more frequently in HCM-DCM, especially in the ventricular septum and anterior wall, than in HCM. These results suggest that the enlargement and wall thinning of the left ventricle in HCM-DCM are attributable to non-uniform progression of massive fibrosis, which is closely related to small-arterial lesions.

Adult↗

An improved solid-phase bioassay for evaluation of neurotrophic factors.

A bioassay system originally described by other investigators was improved to evaluate the biological activities of neurotrophic factors (NTFs) and is referred to as a solid-phase bioassay (SPB). The principle and an outline of the SPB are as follows: (a) Test samples containing NTFs are applied to polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (PAGE) of the sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) or two-dimensional type and then transferred onto nitrocellulose membranes, (b) neurons are cultured on the protein-blotted membranes, and (c) the distributions of the surviving neurons are estimated following fixation and clarification of the nitrocellulose membranes. The rationale is that neuron survival will be restricted to the migration positions of the NTF(s). We used nerve growth factor (NGF) as a NTF and sympathetic neurons of 10- to 12-day-old chick embryos as NGF-responsive neurons. Neuronal survival was observed in the areas coinciding with the positions of NGF migration on the membranes in both systems following SDS-PAGE and two-dimensional PAGE. These results indicate that the SPB can identify the positions of NGF-like molecules on nitrocellulose membranes. Using this system, we found active entities, with molecular masses of approximately 100-200 kDa, different from NGF in crude extracts of mouse submaxillary glands. The SPB developed is considered to be a useful tool for obtaining information on the physicochemical and/or biological properties of putative NTFs in crude samples.

Animals↗

[An infection model which was induced in a carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC) pouch on the back of the rat].

The air-pouch model of inflammation in rats is excellent in that it allows quantitative evaluation of inflammation, and it is used for analysis of inflammatory mediators and as an evaluation system for anti-inflammatory drugs. We investigated the possibility of using this system as an experimental infection system. As a result, inflammation was found to be caused by injection of a constant amount of Staphylococcus aureus solution (10(4)-10(8)). The amount of infiltration and the number of infiltrating cells varied with quantity of bacteria. The infiltrating cells consisted mainly of neutrophils. In this experimental model of infectious disease, the severity of inflammation could be quantitatively evaluated as a function of time in terms of bacterial proliferation and the body's response to bacterial proliferation based on the amount of fluid in the air pouch and the number of infiltrating cells, suggesting that the model is useful. In this experimental system, there were no differences between the number of live bacteria, the number of infiltrating cells or the amount of infiltration when S. aureus Smith strain and clinically-isolated methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA) were used, suggesting that there is no difference between the inflammation-induced activity of MRSA and MSSA.

Animals↗

[Clinical effects of granisetron and methylprednisolone against nausea, vomiting and anorexia induced by cisplatin].

We investigated the usefulness of concurrent therapy of granisetron with methylprednisolone sodium for on nausea, vomiting and anorexia induced by chemotherapy, including cisplatin, in patients with oral cancer. Group A: 10 patients who were on concurrent therapy of granisetron (3.0 mg/body) with methylprednisolone sodium (750 mg/body) (19 courses). Group B: 13 patients who were given coktail therapy of methylprednisolone sodium (750 mg/body) as the base drug plus metoclopramide (46.7 mg/body on average) and domperidone (82.9 mg/body on average) (21 courses). Efficacy rates for nausea, vomiting and anorexia were 89.4%, 100% and 100% in group A, and 33.3%, 47.6% and 42.9% in group B, respectively. Statistical significance was found with nausea, vomiting and anorexia (p < 0.01). The results suggest usefulness of concurrent therapy of granisetron with methylpredonisolone sodium for cisplatin-induced nausea, vomiting and anorexia.

Adult↗

[Detection of HPV infection in CIN and invasive cancers by in situ hybridization method--comparison with histopathology].

The causal association of human papilloma virus (HPV) with cervical cancer has been supported by multiple lines of evidence. Therefore, in the case of dysplasia, the presence of HPV-DNA should be detected and its subtypes identified. This is important in the determination of the prognosis for cervical disease. We reported a study in which the localization and types of HPV in cervical diseases was identified by in situ hybridization using biotin-labelled DNA probes. Seven types (3 basic forms) of HPV were used as DNA probes. HPV types used were following: 6/11, 16/18, 31/33/35. In this study, we introduced 7 new types (3 forms) of probes for a total of 14 types (6 forms). The new probes introduced were 42/43/45, 45/56, 51/52. Using these probes, the rate of detection HPV according to types was examined. In addition, localization of HPV infection and its relationship with histopathological findings of cervical disease were evaluated. 1) Types 6/11 and 45/56 were found in the lesions with less important histological findings (CIN I). Types 16/18, 31/33/35, 51/52 were found in the all lesions. Type 42/43/44 were not detected in this study. 2) The addition of 7 new types (3 new forms) of probes resulted in a 17% increase (16 cases) in the rate of detection of HPV compared to our previous study. 3) Localization and distribution pattern of the HPV is not, as has been reported so far, dependent on HPV type but rather on the histological characteristics, such as the degree of dysplasia.

Adolescent↗

[Surgical treatment of aortic arch aneurysm associated with coronary artery disease].

Graft replacement of the aortic arch aneurysms and concomitant coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) were performed in the consecutive seven patients for the past five years between 1987 and January 1992, including three (43%) emergency operations. The etiology of aneurysms was atherosclerosis in 4, and aortic dissection in 3. There were one early death (14%) due to MRSA pneumonia, and one late death due to rupture of the abdominal aortic aneurysm 8 months postoperatively. Respiratory failure was frequently complicated immediately after the surgery. Vein grafts were anastomosed to coronary artery during the initial core cooling, and sequential cardioplegia was given through the bypass grafts. Selective cerebral perfusion was carried-out during the reconstruction of the transverse aortic arch and arch vessels in all cases. To achieve sufficient myocardial protection, and to get good postoperative hemodynamics and long-term survivors, it was important to perform the simultaneous CABG at the time of the repair for the aortic arch aneurysm in cases complicated with coronary artery disease.

Adult↗

[Surgical treatment of double-outlet right ventricle with left ventricular outflow tract obstruction].

Three patients with double-outlet right ventricle (DORV) and left ventricular outflow tract obstruction (LVOTO) were described. In each patient, LVOTO was produced by restrictive VSD which resulted from malalignment of the conal musculature and a discrete subaortic membrane. All patients underwent surgical repair with enlargement of the ventricular septal defect and rerouting of the outflow tract from the left ventricle to the aorta. One patient died of congestive heart failure three months postoperatively. Causes of LVOTO and surgical management of DORV with LVOTO were discussed.

Cardiac Surgical Procedures↗

[Two cases of mediastinitis as a complication of odontogenic infection and tonsillitis].

We experienced two cases of descending necrotizing mediastinitis with different etiology. Case 1: A 59-year-old woman presented with chief complaints of dyspnea and swallowing disturbance. She had been diagnosed as having tonsillitis one week before. She was very pyrexic, and laboratory examination indicated acute inflammation. Chest X-ray and CT-scan showed enlargement of the mediastinum and pleural effusion. We diagnosed the mediastinitis to be a complication of tonsillitis. Case 2: A 54-year-old man had a tooth extracted 3 weeks prior to admission. His chief complaints were craniomandibular disturbance and neck swelling. Laboratory examination disclosed multiple organ failure and DIC. Chest X-ray and CT-scan showed enlargement of the mediastinum and pleural effusion. We diagnosed the mediastinitis in this case to be a consequence of an odontogenic infection following tooth extraction. Both patients received continuous drainage and irrigation of the abscesses and recovered in about 2 months. Case 1 showed an impaired glucose tolerance after recovery from mediastinitis. Although the main causes of mediastinitis are cardiac surgery and esophageal perforation, our cases demonstrate that mediastinitis may occur as a complication of deep neck infection.

Female↗

[Composite valve graft replacement for aortic root aneurysm or dissection].

Fifty four patients who had aneurysms (n = 35) or dissections (n = 19) associated with aortic regurgitation underwent the replacement of the ascending aorta and aortic valve by composite valve graft during 15-year period between September 1976 and December 1991. Of these, 49 (90.7%) patients had an annuloaortic ectasia and 26 (48.1%) had the Marfan syndrome. The methods of coronary artery reattachment to the graft were as follows: direct reattachment (original Bentall's technique) in 45 patients, aortic button technique (Carrel's patch technique) in 6, Cabrol's technique in 2 and Piehler's technique in 1 patients. Seven patients with a DeBakey type I dissection had concomitant replacement of the aortic arch with an aid of selective cerebral perfusion. The overall hospital mortality rate was 12.9%, and it has significantly decreased to 6.7% since we adopted a cold cardioplegia, preclotting the graft with albumin autoclave technique and coronary artery reattachment using conventional over-and-over and interrupted mattress sutures with pledgets during the last 10-years. The mean duration of follow-up period was 58.6 months. The actuarial survival rate at 10 years for all patients was 76.4%; for those with dissection, 78.4%; and for patients with Marfan syndrome, 70.4%. Reoperation for the prosthesis-related complications was necessary in only one patient, although operations on the remainder of aorta were required in 5 patients. Actuarial freedom from these operations at 10 years was 74.1%, but it was 69.3% for the subgroup with Marfan syndrome. The present data indicates that composite valve graft technique is an useful method for patients with aortic root aneurysms or dissections.

Adult↗

Biological activity of a proteoglycan form of macrophage colony-stimulating factor and its binding to type V collagen.

Two different types of macrophage colony-stimulating factors (M-CSF) were found, one with an apparent molecular mass of 85 kDa and the other greater than 200 kDa. The high molecular mass M-CSF was identified as a proteoglycan carrying chondroitin sulfate glycosaminoglycan and was designated as the proteoglycan form of M-CSF (PG-M-CSF). In this study, we compared the biological activity of the 85-kDa M-CSF and PG-M-CSF and examined the binding properties of these two M-CSF to certain extracellular matrix proteins, i.e. types I-V collagen and fibronectin, using a modified enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. PG-M-CSF was capable of supporting the formation of murine macrophage colonies, and pretreatment of PG-M-CSF with chondroitinase AC, which degrades chondroitin sulfate, did not alter its colony-stimulating activity. The specific activity of PG-M-CSF was similar to that of the 85-kDa M-CSF. The 85-kDa M-CSF had no apparent affinity for the extracellular matrix proteins examined, whereas PG-M-CSF had an appreciable binding capacity to type V collagen, but did not bind to types I, II, III, and IV collagen or to fibronectin. Pretreatment of PG-M-CSF with chondroitinase AC completely abolished the binding of the species to type V collagen. Addition of exogenous chondroitin sulfate inhibited the binding of PG-M-CSF to type V collagen in a dose-dependent manner. These data indicated that the interaction between PG-M-CSF and type V collagen was mediated by the chondroitin sulfate chain of PG-M-CSF. PG-M-CSF bound to type V collagen could stimulate the proliferation of bone marrow macrophages, indicating that the matrix protein-bound PG-M-CSF retained its biological activity. This interaction between PG-M-CSF and type V collagen implies that the role of PG-M-CSF may be distinct from that of 85-kDa M-CSF.

Animals↗

Identification of a high molecular weight macrophage colony-stimulating factor as a glycosaminoglycan-containing species.

Chinese hamster ovary cells transfected with a 4.0-kilobase macrophage colony-stimulating factor (M-CSF) cDNA express two different M-CSF species; one has an apparent molecular weight of 85,000 and is identified as a homodimer of a 43-kDa subunit, and the other has an indeterminate structure greater than 200 kDa. In this study, we investigated the structure of the high molecular weight M-CSF by immunochemical procedures. The high molecular weight M-CSF was easily purified, since it bound tightly to DEAE-Sephacel and eluted at a characteristically high salt concentration. The high molecular weight M-CSF migrated as a diffuse band of over than 200,000 on nonreducing sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gels. Analysis of the same samples under reducing conditions revealed that the larger species consisted of a heteromer of the 43- and 150-200-kDa M-CSF subunits. Digestion of the 150-200-kDa M-CSF subunit with chondroitinase, which degrades the chondroitin sulfate glycosaminoglycan chain, yielded a 100 kDa band. This species was secreted instead of 150-200-kDa species when the cells were cultured in the presence of beta-D-xyloside, which inhibits the elongation of the chondroitin sulfate glycosaminoglycan chain in proteoglycans, providing additional evidence for the existence of a chondroitin sulfate chain in the 150-200-kDa M-CSF subunit. Removal of O- and N-linked carbohydrate from the 150-200-kDa subunit yielded a polypeptide chain with a larger molecular mass (approximately 45 kDa) than that of the 43-kDa subunit (approximately 25 kDa). Collectively, these results indicate that the 150-200-kDa M-CSF subunit is a proteoglycan with a core protein that may be an alternatively processed form of M-CSF.

Animals↗