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Biomedical subjects

T Uehara

Publications and source records attributed to T Uehara.

At least 127 records · Page 7Linked to original sources

Evaluation of left ventricular ejection fraction from radial long-axis tomography: a new reconstruction algorithm for ECG-gated technetium-99m sestamibi SPECT.

UNLABELLED: Radial long-axis tomography can provide views similar to contrast left ventriculography (LVG) including the basal and apical areas of the left ventricle, not possible in routine short-axis tomography. We applied this method to ECG-gated Tc-99m Sestamibi (MIBI) myocardial SPECT images to estimate the left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF). METHODS: ECG-gated Tc-99m MIBI SPECT was performed with a temporal resolution of 10 frames per R-R interval. LVEF was calculated on the basis of left ventricular volume estimates at end diastole (ED) and end systole (ES) with using an ellipsoid body model. To validate this method, LVEF's derived from ECG-gated Tc-99m MIBI SPECT were compared with those from LVG in 11 patients with coronary artery disease. RESULTS: There was a close linear correlation between LVEF values calculated from Tc-99m MIBI SPECT and those from LVG (r = 0.89, p < 0.001), although the gated SPECT underestimated LVEF compared to LVG. The technique showed excellent reproducibility (intra-observer variability, r = 0.96, p < 0.001; inter-observer variability, r = 0.71, p < 0.005). CONCLUSION: The radial long-axis tomography technique gives a good estimate of LVEF, in agreement with estimates based on LVG. ECG-gated Tc-99m MIBI SPECT can, therefore, be applicable to assess myocardial perfusion and ventricular function at the same time.

Adult↗

Evaluating the diagnostic specificity of the Munich Personality Test dimensions in major depression.

This study explored the diagnostic specificity of the Munich Personality Test (MPT) in major depression, comparing its scores between patients with major depression, patients with panic disorder and control subjects. One of the 6 dimensions of the MPT, Rigidity, had been developed based on Tellenbach's description of depressive personality, and it was expected that especially this personality dimension would demonstrate a good facility for describing a specific personality feature of major depression. Comparisons were made in 2 ways: ignoring the effects of current depression and anxiety on the personality scorings; and partialling out these effects. Results of the 2 analyses differed radically. Scores on Rigidity and isolation Tendency were significantly different between groups, even after the effects of current depression and anxiety were partialled out. The multiple comparison procedure revealed that the depressive patients were differentiated from both the panic patients and the controls only in the dimension of Rigidity. The results of this study suggest that the Rigidity dimension of MPT may have a strong capability for describing the specific personality feature of depressive patients, and that the MPT may be quite useful for studies, particularly prospective ones, investigating premorbid personality of depression.

Adult↗

Electrophysiological study of myoclonic seizures in children.

To investigate the neurophysiological mechanisms underlying myoclonic seizures in childhood, we measured the latency between the onset of electromyogram (EMG) potentials and that of corresponding spikes obtained by the back-averaging method. The subjects were nine patients, with various epileptic syndromes, ranging in age from 2 months to 15 years, 11 months. The numbers of seizure events obtained by averaging ranged from five to 51 with a mean of 25. The latencies between averaged spike-and-wave complexes and deltoid EMG potentials ranged from 21 to 80, with a mean of 38 ms. Comparing these results with reported age-matched physiological conduction times, these latencies appeared to be slightly prolonged in all of our patients. Our results support the hypothesis that myoclonic seizures are produced through either a cortical or a subcortical generator, via a polysynaptic mechanism acting on muscles, rather than a monosynaptic corticospinal pathway.

Adolescent↗

The response of mouse oocytes injected with sea urchin spermatozoa.

Sea urchin spermatozoa were injected into mature mouse oocytes to determine whether they can activate mouse oocytes and, if so, how they behave within the oocyte cytoplasm of such a distant species. While injection of a single spermatozoon into each oocyte did not activate any of the oocytes, injection of 10 spermatozoa activated about 20%. Within the cytoplasm of unactivated oocytes, sperm heads commonly transformed into chromosome-like structures. When a single spermatozoon was injected, and oocytes were then activated by Sr2+, about 30% of the activated oocytes had both female (mouse) and male (sea urchin) pronuclei when examined 8 h after sperm injection. These results indicated that sperm-borne oocyte activating factor(s) and the cytoplasmic factors controlling the development of the sperm pronucleus are not strictly species-specific.

Animals↗

Koningic acid (a potent glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase inhibitor)-induced fragmentation and condensation of DNA in NG108-15 cells.

We examined nitric oxide (NO)-induced cell death in NG108-15 cells using NO donors. Both sodium nitroprusside (SNP) and S-nitroso-N-acetylpenicillamine caused lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) leakage from NG108-15 cells. NO is known to increase the amount of radioisotopic labeled glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GAPDH) in the presence of [32P]NAD and to inhibit the enzyme activity. To clarify the relationship between the NO-induced inhibition of GAPDH activity and cell death, we studied the effect of koningic acid (KA), a potent selective inhibitor of GAPDH. Both SNP and KA elicited LDH leakage, chromosomal condensation, and fragmentation of nuclei in NG108-15 cells. Gel electrophoretic analysis of cellular DNA extracted from SNP- and KA-treated cells revealed the internucleosomal DNA fragmentation typical of apoptosis in these cultures. The results suggested that in NG108-15 cells, (a) the inhibition of GAPDH activity results in apoptosis and (b) SNP-induced cell death is partly due to the NO-induced inhibition of GAPDH, perhaps by stimulating the binding of NAD to GAPDH.

Animals↗

Test-retest reliability of the Personality Diagnostic Questionnaire: Revised.

We describe the test-retest reliability of the Personality Diagnostic Questionnaire: Revised (PDQ-R), which was developed to assess DSM-III-R personality disorders (PD). Thirty patients, diagnosed clinically with PD, filled out the PDQ-R twice at 1 month intervals after having undergone 8 weeks of treatment leading to moderate resolution of their acute axis-I symptomatology. The chance-corrected agreement was almost perfect for all DSM-III-R PD (kappa coefficients: 0.76-1.00). Dimensional scores for individual PD and the total PDQ-Q score were highly correlated (Pearson's correlation coefficients: 0.62-0.99) and the mean of scores did not significantly differ between test and retest. Based on these results, we propose that highly reliable PD diagnoses are possible, even using a self-report questionnaire, if the axis-I symptomatology of depression and anxiety have moderately subsided. These results clarify controversy over how and when reliable PD diagnoses may be obtained via a self-report questionnaire in a clinical sample.

Adolescent↗

Atonic epileptic drop attacks associated with generalized spike-and-slow wave complexes: video-polygraphic study in two patients.

PURPOSE: We studied falling manifestations of atonic epileptic drop attacks (AEDA) in 2 patients with cryptogenic epilepsy with myoclonic-astatic seizures. METHODS: Using video-polygraphic examinations. For analysis, we recorded 51 seizures in 1 patient and 18 seizures in the other. The extent of AEDA ranged from collapsing and landing on the buttocks to head nodding only without falling. RESULTS: Detailed video analysis of the drop attacks, with the patient in standing position, demonstrated the first manifestations to be flexion at the waist and knees, followed by further knee flexion, leading to falling straight down and landing on the buttocks. Ictal polygraphs demonstrated diffuse interruptions of ongoing EMG discharges corresponding to the falls, indicating that these attacks are true atonic seizures. CONCLUSIONS: The falling manifestations of AEDA appeared to be characteristic and different from those of tonic drop seizures, which have been described as falling forward with tonic flexion of the hips, upper trunk, and head, as well as abduction or elevation of the arms.

Cerebral Cortex↗

Personality disorder diagnoses using DSM-III-R in a Japanese clinical sample with major depression.

To investigate the availability of DSM-III-R Axis-II diagnoses in Japan, DSM-III-R personality disorders (PDs) were diagnosed in a large sample of Japanese out-patients with major depression. The SCID-II was administered to 118 consecutive out-patients with major depression. In general, the frequency of PD according to DSM-III-R criteria in this study was within the range of frequencies reported in North American and European studies. However, schizoid and narcissistic PDs were more frequent in this study. DSM-III-R diagnoses of PD would also be potentially useful for assessing personality disturbance in Japan. The DSM-III-R criteria for schizoid and narcissistic PDs may not be suitable for Japanese samples.

Adult↗

Expressed emotion from the five-minute speech sample and relapse of out-patients with schizophrenia.

We investigated the relationship between 9-month relapse of 40 outpatients with schizophrenia and expressed emotion (EE) evaluated by the Five-Minute Speech Sample (FMSS). The results of this study suggest that the FMSS is suitable for use as a convenient instrument to measure EE, although it shows more false-positive results. Therefore borderline EE of the FMSS might have to be regarded as high EE.

Adult↗

Dysfunctional parenting and a lifetime history of depression in a volunteer sample of Japanese workers.

This study explored whether dysfunctional parenting, as measured by the Parental Bonding Instrument, is linked to a lifetime diagnosis of major depressive disorder (MDD) provided by the Inventory to Diagnose Depression, Lifetime Version, in a non-clinical sample from a non-Western culture. Of a total of 239 Japanese volunteer workers, 22 subjects were diagnosed as having had lifetime MDD. Subjects with lifetime MDD reported a significantly lower 'maternal care' score than did those without lifetime MDD. Logistic regression analysis revealed that subjects who reported a lower 'maternal care' score were at a significantly higher risk for lifetime MDD. The results suggest that the link between dysfunctional parenting and MDD may be independent of cultural differences, lending some support to the hypothesis that dysfunctional parenting in childhood may cause adult depression.

Adolescent↗

Stimulatory roles of muscarinic acetylcholine receptors on T cell antigen receptor/CD3 complex-mediated interleukin-2 production in human peripheral blood lymphocytes.

It is known that there are some bidirectional interactions between the nervous and the immune systems via neurotransmitters and cytokines. To clarify whether any neurotransmitters modulate lymphocyte functions, we examined the effects of oxotremorine-M (Oxo-M) on interleukin-2 (IL-2) production in human peripheral blood lymphocytes by using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays, Northern blot analyses, reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction, and fluorescence-activated cell sorter. Pretreatment of cells with Oxo-M (10 nM to 10 microM) for 4-24 hr enhanced phytohemagglutinin (PHA)-induced IL-2 mRNA expression and markedly increased IL-2 production compared with those induced by PHA alone. Oxo-M alone did not affect IL-2 mRNA expression and IL-2 production. In CD3-positive T cells, pretreatment with Oxo-M for 24 hr enhanced PHA-induced IL-2 production. Furthermore, pretreatment with Oxo-M enhanced PHA-induced mRNA expression of the alpha and beta subunits of IL-2 receptors and DNA synthesis. Cytometric analysis showed Oxo-M treatment did not up-regulate expression of cell surface molecules such as CD3, CD2, CD4, CD8, and IL-2 receptors. These results suggest that activation of muscarinic receptors enhances T cell antigen receptor/CD3-induced IL-2 production.

Antigens, CD↗

Perceived parental styles in a Japanese sample of depressive disorders. A replication outside Western culture.

BACKGROUND: Dysfunctional parental styles, as measured by the Parental Bonding Instrument (PBI), have been associated with adult depression in Western cultures. This study sought to determine whether such parental styles are also associated with adult depression in a non-Western society. METHOD: PBI scores and parental styles assessed by PBI quadrants were explored in 51 Japanese depressive patients and controls in a matched, case-control design. RESULTS: Low care and high protection scores were associated not with melancholic but with non-melancholic depression. Subjects exposed to dysfunctional parental styles demonstrated a high risk for non-melancholic depression. CONCLUSIONS: These data suggest that the association between dysfunctional parental styles on PBI and non-melancholic depression may be independent of cultural differences.

Adult↗

A case of hemangiopericytoma of the buccal mucosa.

We report a 46-year-old woman who presented with a hemangiopericytoma in the buccal mucosa. At the 2-year postoperative examination, there was no evidence of recurrence or metastasis. The findings in the present case are compared with previous reports in the Japanese literature, with regard to patient age and sex, and lesion size, location, malignancy, local recurrence and metastasis.

Endothelium, Vascular↗

Myocardial iodine-123-metaiodobenzylguanidine images and autonomic nerve activity in normal subjects.

UNLABELLED: We studied the relationship between myocardial [123I]metaiodobenzylguanidine (MIBG) uptake and autonomic nerve activity in normal subjects. METHODS: MIBG scintigraphy and power spectral analysis (PSA) of heart rate variability were performed simultaneously in 15 normal subjects. Anterior planar images and SPECT images were taken at five and two points after the injection of [123I]MIBG, respectively. In 10 of 15 subjects, 201TI myocardial SPECT was performed immediately after MIBG scintigraphy. RESULTS: The heart/upper mediastinum MIBG uptake ratio in the planar image obtained at 240 min (r = 0.64, p < 0.01) and the washout rate of MIBG in the heart between 15 min and 240 min (r = 0.51, p < 0.05) showed significant correlation with the percentage of low frequency component of PSA (percent LF), an index of sympathetic nerve activity. Regional MIBG uptake in the inferior wall normalized by individual maximal uptake among all pixels was significantly correlated with the high frequency component of PSA, an index of parasympathetic nerve activity (r = -0.58, p < 0.05) and with mean R-R interval in a resting ECG (r = -0.82, p < 0.001) but did not correlate with percent LF, percent uptake of 201TI in the inferior wall or the liver/heart uptake ratio. CONCLUSION: These results indicate that myocardial MIBG uptake correlates with sympathetic nerve activity in normal subjects. Our data indicate that heterogeneous MIBG distribution in the left ventricle is a physiologic rather than artifactual phenomenon and may be related to vagal tone rather than sympathetic nerve activity.

3-Iodobenzylguanidine↗

Comparison of iodine-123-iomazenil SPECT and technetium-99m-HMPAO-SPECT in Alzheimer's disease.

UNLABELLED: This study was designed to elucidate a central type of benzodiazepine (Bz) receptor distribution in patients with Alzheimer's disease using SPECT with [123I]iomazenil (IMZ). METHODS: Eight patients with probable Alzheimer's disease were studied. Benzodiazepine receptor imaging was performed 15 min (early) and 180 min (delayed) after intravenous administration of 167 MBq IMZ, sequentially, using hexamethylpropylene amine oxime (HMPAO) SPECT to evaluate regional cerebral perfusion. RESULTS: Early IMZ-SPECT depicted areas of reduced uptake in sites of decreased cerebral blood flow (CBF), but each area of decreased uptake was extended wider than the area of hypoperfusion. Delayed IMZ-SPECT images demonstrated a similar pattern of decreased area of CBF; the affected region in Bz receptor bindings, however, was clearer and broader compared with that in either HMPAO-SPECT or early IMZ-SPECT. In comparison with the uptakes for the normal cerebral hemisphere (ratio to the contralateral cerebellum) in patients with unilateral cerebral infarction as a control group (n = 4), the patients with Alzheimer's disease showed distinctive bilateral frontal or parietal defects (p < 0.05). CONCLUSION: Brain SPECT using IMZ may be more sensitive than CBF images in patients with Alzheimer's disease.

Alzheimer Disease↗

Significance of MTG8 in leukemogenesis.

MTG8 is a counterpart gene of AML1 in acute myeloid leukemia with t(8:21) translocation. Most of the coding region of the MTG8 is fused with AML1 runt domain. In normal tissues, the MTG8 is highly expressed in brain, but not in hematopoietic tissues. MTG8 may be important in leukemogenesis as well as in AML1 truncation. The function of MTG8 is assumed to be as a transcription factor, because it possesses several features common to transcription factors; putative zinc finger motifs, serine/threonine/proline-rich sequences and a region similar to TAF110. In this paper, we report on the protein properties of the MTG8.

Acute Disease↗