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Biomedical subjects

T Nagamine

Publications and source records attributed to T Nagamine.

At least 253 records · Page 14Linked to original sources

Effectiveness of cholera toxin B subunit as an adjuvant for nasal influenza vaccination despite pre-existing immunity to CTB.

In a previous paper, it was shown that cholera toxin B subunit (CTB) augments the production of protective antibodies to influenza virus when CTB is inoculated intranasally into Balb/c mice together with influenza HA vaccine. The present study was designed to determine whether the effectiveness of CTB as a potent adjuvant for nasal vaccination could be limited by pre-existing immunity to CTB. Mice were sensitized by intranasal inoculation of either 1 or 0.05 microgram of CTB 2, 4 and/or 6 weeks before nasal vaccination. They were then vaccinated by either a single inoculation of vaccine together with 1 microgram of CTB or a two-dose regimen, composed of a primary inoculation of vaccine together with 0.05 microgram of CTB and a subsequent inoculation of vaccine alone. Levels of nasal IgA antibodies to CTB increased with the increase of the dose of CTB and the frequency of CTB-inoculation. Pre-existing immunity to CTB, however, did not significantly reduce the levels of both nasal IgA and serum haemagglutination-inhibiting (HI) antibodies to influenza virus and did not change the ability of the vaccinated mice to resist viral challenge. These results suggest that a relatively low dose of CTB could be inoculated repeatedly into animals as an adjuvant for nasal vaccination.

Adjuvants, Immunologic↗

Impairment of the inferior alveolar nerve after sagittal split osteotomy.

The incidence and degree of neurosensory disturbance of the inferior alveolar nerve, as well as its recovery course, were studied on 46 sides in 23 patients who had undergone bilateral sagittal split osteotomies, by means of subjective symptoms, light touch, anaesthesiometer and two-point discrimination. The degree of disturbance was classified into mild, moderate and severe grades by the threshold pressure shown in tests with the anaesthesiometer. The disturbance, which was almost exclusively limited to mild (37%) and severe (28%) grades, was observed in 67% of the sample at one week. The disturbance disappeared completely within one to three months postoperatively in most sites with mild disturbance, and within three months to one year in half of the severely affected sites. Although the recovery was delayed in the other half of the severely disturbed sites, the disturbance was of mild grade at one and a half years. The overall incidence of disturbance at one year was 15%. Computed tomographic examination of the ascending ramus showed that the narrowest width between the mandibular canal and the buccal cortical plate ranged from 0 mm to 3.2 mm with a mean of 1.6 +/- 0.9 mm (SD) and it was less than 1.2 mm in 91% of sites with a severe grade disturbance, whereas it was distributed in a range of 0.9 mm to 3.2 mm in sites with no disturbance or with mild or moderate disturbance. The importance of preoperative computed tomography to indicate the location of the mandibular canal and the use of a thin cement spatula for the osteotomy was stressed, to avoid or reduce postoperative development of neurosensory impairment.

Adolescent↗

[Carpal tunnel syndrome associated with long-term hemodialysis: case report].

Since Warren and Otieno reported carpal tunnel syndrome in patients on intermittent hemodialysis in 1975, a number of related reports have been published. However, there are few reports associated with neurosurgery about carpal tunnel syndrome in patients on long term hemodialysis. We reviewed this disease and reported our case. We treated a patient who complained of bilateral hand numbness and atrophy of the right thenar muscle. He had been suffering from chronic renal failure and had been treated with hemodialysis for ten years. We diagnosed carpal tunnel syndrome based on the findings concerning Tinel's sign, Phalen test, and the conduction velocity of the median nerve. We performed decompression surgery of the median nerve. However, although there was no recovery from thenar muscle atrophy, there was improvement of hand numbness. Histologically, amyloid deposits within the hypertrophic transverse carpal ligament on the right side, could be found but on the left side where the internal shunt had been made amyloid deposits were absent. The reason why patients receiving long term hemodialysis develop carpal tunnel syndrome is controversial, but it seems that beta 2 microglobulin may play an important role in developing carpal tunnel syndrome in hemodialysis patients. This was reported by Gejyo in 1985. There may be uremic and/or diabetic neuropathy in these patients, and these neuropathies may be responsible for the more rapid deterioration and poorer surgical results in carpal tunnel syndrome associated with hemodialysis than in idiopathic cases. It is most important that carpal tunnel syndrome has to be diagnosed early and that surgical decompression is performed while the disease is in its early stage.

Carpal Tunnel Syndrome↗

[The effects of biotin on the metabolism of ammonia and amino acids in urease-induced hyperammonemic rats].

The effects of oral and intraperitoneal administration of biotin in urease-induced hyperammonemic rats, as well as the influence of biotin deficiency, have been studied. Biotin deficiency was produced by feeding standard diet MF (Oriental Yeast Co.) supplemented with dry egg-white (egg-white group). Egg-white + biotin group had free access to 0.0014% of biotin solution at all time. Following an intraperitoneal injection of urease, 25 U/kg (B.W.), plasma ammonia levels in egg-white + biotin group were lower than in egg-white group, especially there was significance (p less than 0.05) at 8 hours after the urease injection. Similarly, plasma ammonia levels in biotin-injected rats, in which 1 mg of biotin had been injected intraperitoneally prior to the experiment, were significantly low compared with saline-injected controls at 4 and 6 hours after urease administration. Results of plasma amino acid analysis, 9 hours after the urease injection indicated that Fischer's molar ratio (Leu + Ileu + Val/Tyr + Phe) was significantly higher in the biotin-injected rats than the saline-injected control. It suggests that biotin might decrease blood ammonia by facilitating the detoxification mechanism as follow: L-glutamate + NH3----L-glutamine.

Amino Acids↗

Protection against influenza virus infection by vaccine inoculated intranasally with cholera toxin B subunit.

Secretory IgA antibodies in mucosa are known to play an essential role in protection against various infectious agents. To enhance the induction of protective mucosal antibodies, influenza HA vaccine was inoculated intranasally into mice with the B subunit of cholera toxin (CTB), which is known to be an excellent mucosal self-adjuvanting molecule. This combination resulted in high levels of antiviral IgA antibodies in nasal secretions and enhanced serum haemagglutinin-inhibiting (HI) antibodies 4 weeks after inoculation, compared with the inoculation of vaccine alone which induced only a low level of HI serum antibodies and no local IgA antibodies. (Subcutaneous or intraperitoneal inoculation of the vaccine with CTB failed to induce detectable nasal antiviral IgA antibodies). Levels of nasal IgA and serum HI antibodies increased in a dose-dependent fashion with increasing nasal doses of both vaccine and CTB, and correlated with the degree of protection against viral challenge. A greater protective effect was seen with cholera toxin than with its B subunit. Moreover, a second administration of vaccine alone, 4 weeks after the inoculation of the vaccine with CTB, elevated the level of the antiviral IgA nasal antibodies to 10-100 times higher than that of the primary response. These results suggest that either CT or CTB could be used as a potent adjuvant to induce protective secretory antibodies by nasal vaccination against pathogens impinging on respiratory mucosa.

Adjuvants, Immunologic↗

Attitudes toward death in rural areas of Japan.

Attitudes toward death in rural areas of Japan were investigated by means of a questionnaire. One hundred and sixty out of the 319 families residing on a small island were randomly chosen and 94 percent of them (average age 48 years, male 57 percent; living with parents 41 percent) responded. The respondents did not clearly distinguish the dead from the living in their life-styles. They seemed to recognize a continuity between living and death. They reported having confronted death as members of a family or small local community rather than individually. Community or family is seen as playing a more important role in determining respondents' attitudes toward death than their personal feelings.

Attitude to Death↗

[Effect of combination therapy with an adriamycin-lipiodol emulsion and a mitomycin C microcapsule in hepatocellular carcinoma complicated by portal thrombosis].

An intra-arterial injection of an Adriamycin-Lipiodol emulsion and a Mitomycin C microcapsule has been given to two patients of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) complicated with a tumor thrombosis of the portal trunk. One patient showed a partial response, while the other evidenced no change, alpha-Fetoprotein decreasing from 4510 to 419 ng/ml in the partial response case, and from 328 to 283 ng/ml in the no change case. In each instance the hepatic injury treated by this combination therapy was mild and reversible. Bone marrow suppression by this therapy was not demonstrated. Thus, this therapy is thought to be applicable to cases of hepatocellular carcinoma complicated with a tumor thrombosis of the portal trunk who should not be indicated for transcatheter arterial embolization.

Aged↗

Effects of acetylcholine on internal intercostal muscle activity in the rabbit.

In pentobarbitone-anesthetized rabbits, intracarotid injections of acetylcholine (ACh, 3-30 micrograms) during inspiration led to an inhibition of internal intercostal muscle activity (IIMA). After the section of the carotid sinus nerve (CSN), ACh-induced inhibitory responses in IIMA were abolished. In addition, changes of the rabbit carotid chemoreceptor activity were studied by ACh (3-30 micrograms) given into the carotid body region during inspiration. Spontaneous chemoreceptor activity was inhibited in a dose-dependent manner by ACh. These results suggest that the inhibitory responses of IIMA to ACh are probably mediated through the carotid chemoreceptor reflexes.

Acetylcholine↗

Secondary reconstruction of the mandible with an aluminum oxide prosthesis.

A case is presented where secondary mandibular reconstruction with an aluminum oxide ceramic prosthesis was performed for a patient who had had an earlier hemimandibulectomy and primary bone graft for management of an ameloblastoma. Various factors that were considered in the construction of the prosthesis and problems encountered during operation are discussed. Although the prosthesis was found to be quite useful for the restoration of facial contour, the results of a long-term follow-up are needed to obtain a final evaluation of the reconstruction.

Adult↗

Hepatocellular carcinoma growing in the pulmonary arteries, complicated with venous thrombosis.

A case of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) complicated with vascular invasion of the portal vein, hepatic vein, and pulmonary artery, accompanied by inferior vena caval and renal vein thrombosis, is reported. The patient was a 38-year-old female, positive in serum HBsAg and anti-HBe. Because portal trunk thrombosis was pointed out at the first diagnosis, incomplete transcatheter hepatic arterial embolization was carried out three times and one-shot therapy of anti-cancer agent given once. Four months after the first therapy, the patient died of oliguria and hypotension of sudden onset. The autopsy revealed not only intrahepatic vascular invasion but also tumor growth in the bilateral pulmonary arteries and thrombosis from the inferior vena cava to both renal veins unaccompanied by right atrial growth. Because the renal vein was thrombosed and HCC was accompanied by vascular invasion, especially pulmonary arterial invasion, the patient was thought to have become oliguric and hypotensive before severe hepatic failure. The metastatic tumor had grown in the pulmonary trunk without intra-atrial expansion because of the histological tight junction between the tumor and the wall of that vessel.

Adult↗

Alteration of chemoreflex phrenic responses by oligomycin in the rabbit.

The effects of carotid chemoreceptor stimulation by intracarotid injections of sodium cyanide (NaCN, 30 micrograms), antimycin A (AMC, 10 micrograms) and dopamine (DA, 10 micrograms) on phrenic nerve activity were studied before and after oligomycin (200 micrograms) in the rabbit. The excitatory responses to NaCN and AMC were abolished after intracarotid administration of oligomycin, whereas the DA-induced phrenic depression was only slightly diminished. In addition, the effects of hypoxia on phrenic nerve activity were also studied before and after oligomycin (200 micrograms) in some animals with denervated one carotid sinus nerve. The hypoxia-induced phrenic excitation was greatly reduced after intracarotid administration of oligomycin. These results indicate that the chemoreflex phrenic responses induced by NaCN, AMC and hypoxia are probably related to the phosphate potential in the carotid body.

Animals↗

Satisfaction of patients following surgical-orthodontic correction of skeletal Class III malocclusions.

To assess whether patients were satisfied with the results of treatment, questionnaires were sent to 65 patients who had undergone either the extraoral curved oblique osteotomy or the sagittal split osteotomy for correction of skeletal Class III malocclusions. Seventy-eight per cent of the patients answered that they were satisfied with the results in regard to their chief problems and 75% had improved masticatory function. A favorable change in appearance was recognized by 33 patients, whereas 30 patients noticed no major changes. Factors affecting satisfaction with the results are discussed.

Adolescent↗