Allergic contact dermatitis due to mercury in a wedding ring and a cosmetic.
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Adult↗
Biomedical subjects
T Okada
Publications and source records attributed to T Okada.
ETA and ETB receptors on single smooth muscle cells cooperate in mediating guinea pig tracheal contraction.
We investigated the distribution of endothelin A (ETA) and ETB receptors in single smooth muscle cells and their contribution to ET-induced contractions of guinea pig trachea. ETA and ETB receptors were detected in smooth muscle membranes (maximum binding capacities of 810 and 360 fmol/mg protein and dissociation constants of 38 and 5.1 pM for 125I-labeled ET-1 and 125I-ET-3, respectively) and visualized autoradiographically in primary cultured cells. ET-1 and ET-3 evoked concentration-dependent increases in intracellular Ca2+ concentration and smooth muscle tension. The half-maximally effective concentrations of ET-1 and ET-3 at inducing contractions were 1.9 and 2.7 nM, respectively. The Ca2+ responses showed tachyphylaxis to both ETs after stimulation with ET-1, but only to ET-3 after stimulation with ET-3. Consecutive applications of ET-3 and ET-1 (10 nM each) classified the cells into ETA dominant (approximately 30%) responding to only ET-1, ETB dominant (approximately 20%) responding to only ET-3, and ETA- and ETB-possessing (approximately 50%) cells responding to both. The ETA antagonist, 10 microM BQ-123, attenuated ET-1-induced contractions but did not affect the ET-3-induced contractions. The results indicate that both receptors coexist in a major population of smooth muscle cells and cooperate in mediating ET-1-induced contractions.
Animals↗
Growth-factor-like substance in amniotic fluid in the rat: effect on the development of fetal colonic goblet cells.
Extra- and intrauterine fetuses were studied to explore the effect of amniotic fluid on the development of colonic goblet cells. Significant differences in the density of goblet cells in developing colon were observed during fetal days 19-22 between these two groups, suggesting that amniotic fluid affects the development of the colonic goblet cells, especially during the period between days 19 and 21 when rat fetuses began to swallow amniotic fluid, as demonstrated by injecting India ink into the amniotic cavity. By immunological dot blot analysis, the amniotic fluid and gastric juice from intrauterine fetuses were positive for epidermal growth factor (EGF), whereas maternal abdominal serous fluid and gastric juice from extrauterine fetus were negative for EGF. The present results indicate that the amniotic fluid during late gestation greatly affects the development of the colonic goblet cells in rat fetuses and that the trophic factors for the cells seems to be EGF or an EGF-like substance in the amniotic fluid.
Abdomen↗
Auditory event-related potentials in benign childhood epilepsy with centrotemporal spike: the effects of carbamazepine.
To clarify the relationship between cognitive function and CBZ therapy, auditory event-related potentials (P300) were examined in 23 patients with Benign Childhood Epilepsy with Centrotemporal Spike (BCECT) compared with 54 normal controls. The results were 1) the mean P300 latency in BCECT (368 +/- 29 msec) was significantly prolonged compared with that in normal controls (349 +/- 30 msec), but most individual patients showed normal values. 2) The prolongation of P300 latency was greatest during the course of therapy. 3) On repeated examination of P300, P300 latency was found to gradually become shorter with age in spite of continuous CBZ therapy. At initiation of CBZ therapy, the P300 latency became shorter; on the other hand, P300 latency became shorter with the discontinuation of CBZ. 4) The age-corrected P300 latency showed a significant positive correlation with the serum concentration of CBZ. Our results suggest that CBZ therapy has both an undesirable effect (chronic impairment) and a desirable effect (improvement of underlying dysfunction caused by epileptogenesis) on cognitive function.
Acoustic Stimulation↗
Effects of ginseng in nephrectomized rats.
Ginseng extract and its active component, saponin, were administered orally to nephrectomized rats for 90 d, and changes in blood and urine parameters and renal tissue lesions were assessed. Rats given saponin showed a significant decrease in the concentrations of blood urea nitrogen, creatinine and methylguanidine and a significant increase in total protein and albumin in the blood, with reduce urinary excretion of protein. There was also slight amelioration of the degree of mesangial proliferation, the severity of extratubular lesions and glomerular sclerotic lesions, and the extent of tubular interstitial lesions. However, these histological changes were inconspicuous in nephrectomized rats given ginseng extract.
Administration, Oral↗
Electrocardiographic diagnosis of left ventricular hypertrophy improved by considering both QRS voltage and ST-T criteria.
We evaluated the usefulness of a combination of QRS voltage and the pattern of ST-T abnormality in the electrocardiographic diagnosis of left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH) in 100 middle-aged men: 32 normals, 59 with hypertension (HT), and 9 with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) with evidence of LVH (RV5 or RV6 > or = 2.6 mV, SV1 + RV5 or SV1 + RV6 > or = 3.5 mV). They The subjects were classified into three groups based on ST-T pattern: normal (group N), early strain (group ES), and strain (group S). Echocardiographic evidence of LVH was present in 52.0% (52/100) of the subjects: 72.8% (43/59) of the patients with HT, all 9 patients with HCM, and none of the 32 normals. Echocardiographic evidence of LVH was present in 31.3% (20/64) of group N, 73.3% (11/15) of group ES, and all 21 subjects of group S. In patients with HT, the incidence of echocardiographic LVH was higher in group S (100%) than in both group ES (78.6%) and group N (60.6%). QRS voltage (RV5, RV6, RV5 + SV1, and RV6 + SV1) was significantly correlated with interventricular spetal thickness (IVST), IVST+LVPWT/2, and LV mass, as determined by echocardiography, in patients with LVH (IVST or left ventricular posterior wall thickness (LVPWT) of > or = 12 mm) (r = 0.55 to r = 0.75, p < 0.05), but not in patients without LVH (IVST and LVPWT < 12 mm). There were significant correlations between QRS voltage indices (RV5, RV6, RV5 + SV1, and RV6 + SV1) and IVST, IVST+LVPWT/2, and LV mass in group S (r = 0.68 to r = 0.86, p < 0.05), but not in group N. Values for IVST and LV mass were significantly greater in group S than in groups ES or N. The combination of QRS criteria and ST-T findings reflected the echocardiographic assessment of LVH, especially in patients with HT.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Adult↗
Murine granulated metrial gland cell population in beige (bg/bg) and SCID (scid/scid) genotypes.
Morphology of granulated metrial gland (GMG) cell, a uterine natural killer (NK) cell, was reported to be normal in pregnant uteri of NK cell-deficient mice and T-cell- and B-cell-deficient mice, but little is known about the number of GMG cells. To determine whether the number of GMG cells is influenced by such mutations, their number in the bg mice (genotype C57BL/6J-bg/bg) and SCID mice (genotype C.B-17/Icr-scid/scid) was compared to that of control mice on day 12 of gestation. GMG cells in these mutant mice were normal in number. Thus, the present results support the previous reports that GMG cells can differentiate normally in bg mice and that the GMG cell differentiation is not affected by functional T- nor B-cells.
Animals↗
Myasthenia gravis associated with Addison's disease.
Idiopathic Addison's disease developed in a 52-year-old female with a 15-year history of myasthenia gravis. The association of myasthenia gravis with other autoimmune diseases is well known, however an association with Addison's disease is rare. It was speculated that the development of Addison's disease in this patient might have been due to common immunological abnormalities underlying these two diseases. We report this case and briefly discuss the pathogenetic mechanism of this association.
Addison Disease↗
Triplex-forming oligonucleotide binding represses transcription of the human c-erbB gene in glioma.
Mixed purine-pyrimidine oligodeoxynucleotides were designed to form collinear DNA triplexes with pyrimidine-rich elements in the EGFR gene promoter. Their effects as mediators of human epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) gene transcription and subsequent gene expression were evaluated using human squamous cell carcinoma (A431) and human glioma cell line (U251MG and U87MG). Gel shift analysis indicated that the oligonucleotide forms a collinear triplex within the duplex Sp-1 binding site. An in vitro assay system revealed a correlation between triplex formation and the repression of EGFR transcription. We postulate that guanine residues are not always optimum in apposition to G-C pairs to form triple helices in the target. Site-specific oligodeoxynucleotides binding to a DNA duplex may serve as the basis for an alternative program of gene control in vitro.
Base Sequence↗
[Surgical treatment of a long-term decubitus ulcer].
A 64-year-old male presented with a large decubitus ulcer of the sacrum which had not healed for thirteen years in spite of various conservative treatments. His primary disease was paraplegia following spondylitis. Although he was not ambulatory, he was able to manage a wheelchair. The decubitus, which had a 8 x 13 cm dead space, was successfully closed with a single operation using two fasciocutaneous flaps. The patient was discharged two months postoperatively. The medical cost of his treatment before and after the surgery was investigated. The expense including the surgery and postoperative care until discharge was five times more than the monthly cost of the preoperative period. These findings suggest that a decubitus ulcer which does not respond to conservative treatments for more than several months should be considered for a surgical management, as long as the patient's general condition permits an operation.
Aged↗
[Brain MRI findings in patients with initial cerebral thrombosis and the relationship between incidental findings, aging and dementia].
To estimate the relationship between aging, dementia and changes observed on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) seen in elderly patients with cerebral thrombosis, MRI findings in 103 patients with an initial stroke event (thrombosis group) were compared with those of 37 patients with hypertension/diabetes (high risk group) and 78 patients without those disorders (low risk group). In addition to the causative lesions in the thrombosis group, periventricular hyperintensities (PVH), spotty lesions (SL), silent infarctions (SI), ventricular dilatation (VD), and cortical atrophy (CA) were analyzed in these groups. Infarctions located in the internal capsule/corona radiata were the most frequent causative lesion. Compared to the low risk group, a high incidence of patchy/diffuse PVH, SI, and severe CA was seen in both the thrombosis group and the high risk group. Widespread PVH and multiple SL increased with age in the thrombosis group, while severe CA was seen in each group. SI and VD tended to increase after age 60, though they were not significant. Dementia, diagnosed in 40 out of 78 patients, increased with age. Multivariate analysis revealed the degree of the effects of MRI findings on dementia to be marked in PVH, brain atrophy, causative lesions, and SL, in that order. These results indicated that diffuse PVH and brain atrophy, developing with age, promoted dementia in the elderly with vascular lesions. Moreover, they suggested that a variety of silent brain lesions recognized on MRI other than infarction can affect symptoms in the elderly.
Aged↗
[Detection of Mycobacterium tuberculosis in transbronchial biopsy specimens by polymerase chain reaction].
Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) for the rapid detection of Mycobacterium tuberculosis was used to test 30 clinical specimens (transbronchial biopsy specimens) from patients in whom tuberculosis was suspected on chest X-ray. In these patients, 15 cases were histologically diagnosed as tuberculosis. Among them, M. tuberculosis was detected in 8 specimens by PCR. Of 8 PCR positive specimens, 7 were also positive by smear and culture; the other was negative by smear and positive by culture. On the other hand, 15 cases were therapeutically diagnosed as the tuberculosis and these specimens showed negative results in neither PCR nor microbiological tests. We conclude that the PCR method is useful for rapid and direct detection of M. tuberculosis in transbronchial biopsy specimens.
Biopsy↗
[A study on glomerular hypertrophy in various renal disease].
We studied the contributions of glomerular hypertrophy in renal disease. The patients were 20 cases of IgA nephropathy with prolonged proteinuria, 13 cases of Alport syndrome and 12 cases of focal glomerular sclerosis (FGS). All patients had a normal creatinine level on renal biopsy. We determined the mean glomerular tuft area in the equatorial region of five glomeruli that showed no sclerotic change in each patient using an image analyzer and compared the value with the mean value in normal controls. Glomerular hypertrophy was defined as a value over the mean glomerular tuft area +1SD of normal controls. Glomerular hypertrophy was found in 14 IgA nephropathy cases (70.0%), 4 Alport syndrome cases (30.7%) and 8 FGS cases (66.7%). The incidence of glomerular hypertrophy was significantly higher in IgA nephropathy than in Alport syndrome and FGS showed a higher tendency compared with Alport syndrome. Of the patients with renal insufficiency, 4 of 6 IgA nephropathy cases (66.6%), 0 of 5 Alport syndrome cases (0%) and 1 of 3 FGS cases (33.3%) showed glomerular hypertrophy, IgA nephropathy patients showed the highest incidence of glomerular hypertrophy. The interval between the final biopsy and renal insufficiency showed no significant difference in this study. In IgA nephropathy, obsolescent glomeruli were significantly increased in the group in which the glomerular tuft area was over the mean +2SD compared with the group with an area less than the mean +2SD. FGS cases showed no relationship between the ratio of obsolescent glomeruli to whole glomeruli and glomerular hypertrophy. This study suggested that glomerular hypertrophy may cause declining renal function in IgA nephropathy, but not in Alport syndrome.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Adolescent↗
[Serum IgA-fibronectin complex in children with various renal diseases].
IgA-Fibronectin complex (IgA-FN) has been found in the circulation of patients with IgA nephropathy (IgAN). It has been suggested that circulating IgA-FN is related to IgA deposits in the mesangial area following mesangial matrix expansion in IgAN. We investigated serum IgA-FN in patients with various renal diseases, and examined the relationship between IgA-FN and the clinico-pathological findings. Serum IgA-FN level was measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) in 35 patients with IgAN, 20 patients with Henoch-Schönlein purpura nephritis (HSPN), and other various renal diseases in children. IgA-FN in patients with IgAN was significantly higher than in healthy subjects and patients with minimal change nephrotic syndrome. However some patients with membranoproliferative glomerulonephritis and lupus nephritis had a high level of IgA-FN. The increase in IgA-FN was correlated with macroscopic hematuria and the degree of proteinuria and mesangial matrix expansion in IgAN. Thus, we concluded that the level of IgA-FN is associated with mesangial matrix expansion.
Adolescent↗
[Early cytomegalovirus retinitis].
We report the clinical course of cytomegalovirus (CMV) retinitis associated with acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) from the initial onset. The patient was a 40-year-old human immunodeficiency virus antibody-positive male with hemophilia A. He was diagnosed as having AIDS on the basis of pneumocystis carinii pneumonia. Ophthalmoscopic examination disclosed a small white punctate lesion at the macular area in his right eye. Because the lesion enlarged gradually with hemorrhages, it was suspected to be CMV retinitis. However, further examination was impossible due to his severe general condition. He died five months later and the autopsy disclosed disseminated CMV infection. Ocular histopathological examination revealed CMV retinitis. The earliest sign of CMV retinitis is supposed to be a white punctate retinal lesion, which becomes a small white patchy lesion resembling a cotton-wool spot. It may gradually progress to diffuse retinal involvement, frequently associated with hemorrhages.
Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome↗
[A case of thoracic empyema extended into the abdominal cavity].
A case of thoracic empyema after artificial pneumothorax for lung tuberculosis was presented, which extended into the abdominal cavity. 65 years old man, who was operated on for lung tuberculosis about 30 years ago, took the routine physical examination and the abdominal mass was picked up on examination. Echogram and CT showed huge homogeneous mass in the right thorax and the right upper abdominal cavity. The operative finding showed that thoracic empyema extended into the abdominal cavity and formed a huge mass. Decortication and extirpation of thoracic empyema and abdominal mass was performed with a combined partial resection of the lung, diaphragma, and thoracic wall. The histopathology of the abdominal mass showed chronic empyema and hematoma.
Abdomen↗
Ultrastructural and immunocytochemical study of the leptomeres in the mouse cardiac muscle fibre.
The three-dimensional configuration and chemical composition of leptomeres in the mouse ventricular cardiac muscle fibre were electron microscopically and immunocytochemically investigated using semithin sections and specific antibodies against actin, the intermediate filament proteins desmin and vimentin, and the actin-binding proteins alpha-actinin, filamin and vinculin. The leptomeres appeared columnar in shape and periodically segmented by electron-dense disc-like septa. The electron-lucent areas between these septa were composed of fine interlinked filaments running obliquely to the major axis of the leptomere. Actin was localized in the electron-dense lines of the leptomeres but not in the fine filaments. No reaction was, however, detected for desmin, vimentin, vinculin, filamin and alpha-actinin. The present results suggest, therefore, that the leptomeres may not have a contractile function.
Actins↗
[Searching for key which motivates children's recognition using 'learning' in scientific nursing theory].
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Child↗