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Biomedical subjects

T Murakami

Publications and source records attributed to T Murakami.

At least 559 records · Page 31Linked to original sources
PubMed1998

Typology of abdominal arteries, with special reference to inferior phrenic arteries and their esophageal branches.

Origins and distribution of the human inferior phrenic arteries were studied by dissecting 68 Japanese adult cadavers. The inferior phrenic arteries were usually observed as paired (left and right) vessels. Their origins were summarized as follows: a) the aorta itself (85/138 cases, 61.6%), b) the ventro-visceral arteries (celiaco-mesenteric system of the aorta) including the celiac trunk (39/138 cases, 28.2%) and the left gastric artery (4/138 cases, 2.9%), and c) the latero-visceral arteries (adreno-renal system of the aorta) including the middle adrenal artery (4/138 cases, 2.9%) and the renal artery (6/138 cases, 4.3%). The left and right arteries occasionally originated in common trunk from the aorta, celiaco-mesenteric system or adreno-renal system (22/138 cases, 15.9%). A typological diagram explaining these variations is given. The inferior phrenic arteries, especially the left ones, sometimes issued visceral or esophageal branches. This fact indicates that the inferior phrenic arteries are homologous with the celiac trunk and mesenteric arteries. It is further discussed that the celiac trunk and mesenteric arteries are originally paired vessels, through introduction of our previous typological diagram of the abdominal arteries.

Abdomen↗
PubMed1998

Embedding of laboratory wastes in clay or concrete blocks, with special reference to baking osmic acid and cacodylic acid wastes with clay.

Liquid laboratory waste containing osmic acid and cacodylic acid was mixed with potter's clay or hydraulic cement. The clay-waste product was kneaded into blocks and baked in a klin (1,200-1,400 degrees C). The cement-waste product was allowed to harden into concrete blocks. Some of the baked clay blocks and concrete blocks were ground, and immersed in 1 N NaOH or 10% HCI solutions for 3-6 months. X-ray microanalysis of the dried samples of these solutions showed that no leakage of osmium and arsenic occurred in the baked clay embedding, and that some leakage of these agents occurred in the concrete embedding. The present study indicates that the baked clay embedding method is useful for safe storage of dangerous laboratory wastes. Additional experiments suggested that glass embedding is also useful for safe storage of laboratory wastes or harmful metals.

Aluminum Silicates↗
PubMed1998

Coexistence of rare arteries in the human celiaco-mesenteric system.

Some rare anomalies of the celiaco-mesenteric system were observed postmortem in a Japanese adult male: a) The left gastric, common hepatic, splenic and superior mesenteric arteries arose independently from the abdominal aorta. b) The anterior inferior pancreaticoduodenal artery of the superior mesenteric artery issued a hepatic artery which ascended along the anterior surface of the pancreas and gave off the right gastroepiploic, right gastric and cystic arteries. c) The common hepatic artery gave off an anastomosing branch to the superior mesenteric artery. d) The left gastric artery gave off the left accessory hepatic artery. e) The splenic artery issued the accessory middle colic artery. f) The left inferior phrenic artery gave off the esophageal branch. These anomalies are discussed in light of a typological system which we proposed in a previous paper for the celiaco-mesenteric system.

Abdomen↗
PubMed1998

Mast cells in osteoarthritic and rheumatoid arthritic synovial tissues of the human knee.

The distribution and density of mast cells in the normal and diseased synovial membranes were investigated. The mast cell count (MCC) in the osteoarthritic (OA) synovium (36.9 +/- 26.9 cells/mm2) was significantly higher than that in the rheumatoid arthritic (RA) synovium (18 +/- 12.3 cells/mm2). There was a marked positive correlation between the MCC and the volume of joint fluid in OA (r = 0.544). There was a marked negative correlation between the MCC and the volume of joint fluid in RA (r = -0.478). The synovial inflammatory score had a poor correlation with the MCC in OA (r = 0.377) and RA (r = 0.305). No correlation was noted between MCC and age, sex, roentgenographic grades, disease duration, C-reactive protein or leucocyte number in synovial fluid. Our data suggests, thus, that mast cells could be involved in the pathogenesis of inflammatory diseases of the synovium, especially in the mechanism of hydroarthrosis.

Adult↗
PubMed1998

Hyponatremia in a patient with chronic inflammatory disease.

A 66-year-old man was admitted with destructive arthropathy, and calcium pyrophosphate dihydrate was demonstrated in the synovial fluid specimen. He was found to have a hyponatremia. The serum sodium concentration was 121 mmol/l, plasma arginine vasopressin (AVP) 6.6 pmol/l, and serum interleukin (IL)-6 96 pg/l. The clinical findings suggest the diagnosis of syndrome of inappropriate secretion of antidiuretic hormone (SIADH). However, destructive arthropathy with increased values of C-reactive protein and IL-6 is the only background of SIADH in this patient. We suggest the possibility that IL-6 produced at inflammatory lesions may have stimulated an excessive release of AVP resulting in the hyponatremia and hypochloremia of SIADH.

Aged↗
PubMed1998

Pilocytic astrocytoma of the velum interpositum.

A 72-year-old male presented with a pilocytic astrocytoma in the velum interpositum manifesting as a 5-day history of dizziness attacks and unstable gait. Computed tomography and T1-weighted magnetic resonance imaging with gadolinium enhancement demonstrated a small, homogeneously enhanced mass in the velum interpositum. The tumor was removed subtotally, and the structure of the splenium was intact. The histological diagnosis was pilocytic astrocytoma. The MIB-1 growth fraction was 5%. The tumor may have originated from the splenium or the thalamus. The aggressive histology indicates the need for close neuroimaging follow-up.

Aged↗
PubMed1998

Effects of injection rates of contrast material on arterial phase hepatic CT.

OBJECTIVE: Our goal was to assess the effects of the i.v. injection rate of contrast material on arterial phase hepatic CT. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: One hundred patients were randomly divided into four groups of 25 with different injection rates of 90 ml of contrast material: 2, 3, 4, or 5 ml/sec. Single-level serial CT was performed at the level of the middle section of the main portal vein before injection and every 2 sec from 12 sec to 60 sec after injection of contrast material. The enhancement value was calculated as the difference in attenuation value between the unenhanced and contrast-enhanced images for the aorta and liver parenchyma. The duration of the arterial phase was defined as the interval beginning when the enhancement value for the aorta reached 100 H and ending when the value for the liver parenchyma reached 20 H. RESULTS: Faster injection rates increased the maximum enhancement of the aorta. Although faster injection rates decreased the time from injection to the beginning and the end of the arterial phase, faster injection rates did not decrease the duration of the arterial phase itself. CONCLUSION: A faster injection rate increases arterial enhancement of the liver, and the duration of the arterial phase remains the same as that occurring with a slower injection rate. We hypothesize that faster injection rates can provide better results using CT to reveal hypervascular liver tumors.

Adult↗
PubMed1998

The recovering effect of betaine on carbon tetrachloride-induced liver injury.

The recovering effect of betaine (derivative of choline) on carbon tetrachloride (CCl4)-injured liver was investigated by oral and intraperitoneal administration of betaine at 24 h after acute CCl4 intoxication. The effect of betaine was estimated by the activity of alanine aminotransferase (ALT) released into the serum, histological score, and the incorporation of S-phase indicator (5-bromo-2-deoxyuridine/5-fluoro-2'-deoxyuridine; BrdU/FdU). A significant decrease in the activity of serum ALT was observed by the intraperitoneal (3 mg/kg body) or oral (15 mg/kg body) administration of betaine. Furthermore, an increase in the uptake of BrdU into the hepatocyte nuclear DNA and a reduction in liver necrosis after the oral treatment of betaine (15 mg/kg body) was observed. From these results, the administration of betaine showed a significant effect in recovering CCl4-injured liver.

Alanine Transaminase↗
PubMed1998

Analysis of clonality in human endometriotic cysts based on evaluation of X chromosome inactivation in archival formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded tissue.

The clonality of epithelial cells in ovarian endometriotic cysts was evaluated on the basis of a polymorphism of the X-linked phosphoglycerate kinase gene (PGK). The problems associated with clonality analysis of DNA samples extracted from archival formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded tissue were addressed with the use of newly designed primers and a modified stepdown program for PCR amplification. The method relies on digestion of DNA with the methylation-sensitive restriction enzyme SnaBI, PCR amplification of PGK, and detection of a BstXI polymorphism. With this approach, only the inactive (methylated) PGK allele is selectively amplified by PCR. A total of 25 epithelial cells in endometriotic cysts and 25 matched normal ovarian stromal tissue specimens were analyzed. All of the control tissue samples yielded PCR products, with 11 of the 25 samples found to be heterozygous for the BstXI polymorphism. Ten of the 25 epithelial cells in endometriosis specimens were informative at this locus, and all of these 10 were shown to be monoclonal on the basis of PGK methylation. The results indicate that this new method of clonal analysis with archival formalin-fixed tissue is reliable and confirm that endometriotic cysts are monoclonal in origin.

Base Sequence↗
PubMed1998

Telomerase activity in rheumatoid synovium correlates with the mononuclear cell infiltration level and disease aggressiveness of rheumatoid arthritis.

OBJECTIVE: To determine whether the presence of telomerase activity in synovial tissues could provide insights into the pathogenesis of rheumatoid arthritis (RA). METHODS: Synovial tissue samples obtained from patients with RA or osteoarthritis (OA) were examined for telomerase activity using the telomeric repeat amplification protocol (TRAP). RESULTS: Telomerase activity was detected in over half the RA synovial tissues (14/25, 56%) but in no OA synovial tissue samples (0/15). Telomerase activity was detected in the mononuclear cells isolated from telomerase-positive RA synovial tissue, but not in cultured adherent cells. In RA synovial tissue with positive telomerase activity mononuclear cell infiltration levels were increased (p < 0.001). In addition, patients with RA with positive telomerase activity had undergone joint operations at an earlier age (p = 0.030) and more often (p = 0.023) compared to those without telomerase activity. CONCLUSION: Telomerase activity in RA synovial tissue is likely derived from infiltrating mononuclear cells and may be involved in the pathogenesis of RA. Clinically, the presence of telomerase activity in RA may be an indicator of a more aggressive phenotype.

Aged↗
PubMed1998

[Three-dimensional gadolinium-enhanced dynamic MRI of whole liver using spectrally selected enhanced fast gradient recall sequence].

Three-dimensional gadolinium-enhanced dynamic MRI of whole liver using the spectrally selected enhanced fast gradient recall sequence (spec IR-efgre3d) was performed in five patients with HCC. Ten HCC nodules were confirmed by CTA, CTAP and Lipiodol CT, and all of them were detected with dynamic MRI. MIP images reconstructed from 3D gadolinium-enhanced dynamic MR studies clearly showed the main portal vein and its branches in all cases. Portal vein thrombosis was also demonstrated with the MIP images.

Carcinoma, Hepatocellular↗
PubMed1998

[Gd-DTPA enhanced multi-shot echo-planar MRI: improvement of contrast between metastatic liver cancer and liver parenchyma].

In six patients with metastatic liver cancer, spin-echo multi-shot echo-planar MR imaging 8/2000/80/1 (shot/TR/TE/excitation) of the liver was performed before and 30, 60, 90 and 120 sec after the intravenous injection of Gd-DTPA. Signal-to-noise ratios (SNR) of the liver tumor and liver parenchyma were measured in each phase. The contrast-to-noise ratios (CNR) between the tumor and liver parenchyma were also calculated. While the SNR of the tumor did not change after the injection of Gd-DTPA, the SNR of the liver parenchyma decreased and the CNR between the tumor and liver parenchyma increased.

Adult↗
PubMed1998

[Clinical application of ischemic microwave coagulation therapy for malignant liver tumor].

By means of ischemic coagulation of the hepatic artery and portal vein in a microwave coagulation experiment of in vivo swine [correction of bovine] liver, we confirmed approximate doubling of the coagulation diameter compared to the usual coagulation. Based on this fact, for treatment of patients with metastatic liver tumor, we developed an ischemic percutaneous microwave tumor coagulation method using IVR method and applied it in one case, and performed laparotomy microwave tumor coagulation in three cases. We performed the ischemic percutaneous microwave tumor coagulation method on one of the cases. Coagulation was performed for one minute at a dose of 100 W for treatment of metastatic liver tumor of 2 cm in diameter via laparotomy. The postoperative CT showed an extensive coagulation larger than 3 cm. A 2 cm liver tumor was coagulated under balloon ischemia of the hepatic vein and hepatic artery for 13 minutes at a dose of 60 W. The maximum coagulation diameter was 5 cm. Extensive coagulation was possible with percutaneous microwave tumor coagulation through ischemia.

Animals↗
PubMed1998

Critical aspects in the analysis of apoptosis and necrosis.

Despite that large number of methods to analyze cell death, in particular apoptosis, that have been developed, identification of the mode of cell death and its quantitation is not always simple or straightforward. The difficulties, potential pitfalls and traps in quantitation of dead cells, whether apoptotic or necrotic are reviewed. The following are common flaws in the measurement of cell death, which include incorrect assumptions, erroneous data interpretation and shortcomings of the methodology: 1) Misclassification of apoptotic bodies or chromatin fragments as individual apoptotic cells based on cellular DNA content analysis by flow cytometry; 2) Assumption that the quantity of fragmented DNA extracted from cells represents the frequency of apoptosis; 3) Conjecture that the apoptotic index represents the cell death rate; 4) Assumption that apoptotic cells must exhibit classical features of apoptosis e.g. internucleosomal DNA fragmentation; 5) Inadequacy of methods that presume to discriminate between late apoptotic and necrotic cells; 6) Possibility of a selective enrichment or loss of apoptotic cells during cell separation on density gradients, during trypsinization or other procedures of cell collection; and 7) Inability to distinguish between live, nonapoptotic cells phagocytizing apoptotic bodies and genuine apoptotic cells by flow cytometric methods. Many of the problems stem from the difficulty in identifying apoptotic or necrotic cells. Because apoptosis and necrosis have been originally defined based on morphological criteria it is essential to confirm the mode of cell death by microscopy. Laser scanning cytometry (LSC), which combines the advantages of flow and image cytometry, offers the possibility of morphological examination of apoptotic cells. By virtue of this attribute LSC appears to be the instrument of choice for analysis of apoptosis.

Apoptosis↗
PubMed1998

[Study of cell death in squamous cell carcinoma cell line KM-1 treated by cisplatin].

The mode of cell death (apoptosis or necrosis) in oral squamous cell carcinoma cell line (KM-1) exposed to Cisplatin was studied by various techniques including flow cytometry. All of the cells were killed by 48 hours' treatment with 100 microM CDDP. The proportion of the apoptotic cells was, approximately, only 95%, while the rest was necrosis. These results were demonstrated by observation of cellular morphology, agarose gel electrophoresis of DNA, flow cytometric analysis of propidium iodide (cell membrane integrity)/rhodamine 123 (mitochondrial activity), and flow cytometric measurement of sub-G1 peak population in DNA histogram. Although all the necrotic cells (91%) lost cell membrane integrity without DNA fragmentation, 46.9% cells revealed positive staining by TdT assay which identifies 3'-OH ends of DNA strands. These data suggest the possibility that the cytocidal mechanism of CDDP might involve single-strand breakage of DNA, but not double-strand breakage as occurred in apoptosis.

Antineoplastic Agents↗
PubMed1998

[Microwave hepatic tumor coagulation therapy during stoppage of hepatic blood flow using balloon catheters].

The usefulness of microwave hepatic tumor coagulation therapy (MTC) with stoppage of hepatic blood flow using a balloon catheter was assessed. By placing a 5-French balloon catheter in a hepatic artery and 6-French balloon catheter in a hepatic vein, hepatic arterial and portal venous flow of the liver segment including the tumor was interrupted. The effects of balloon occlusion were evaluated by CT during arterial portography. MTC with stoppage of hepatic flow was performed for two patients with metastatic liver tumor 2 cm in diameter. Enhanced CT obtained after MTC showed no enhancement of the tumor, indicating complete necrosis. There were no complications and the two patients were discharged within 4 days after MTC. MTC with stoppage of hepatic blood flow is effective for treatment of hepatic metastatic tumor.

Catheterization↗