Search PubMed⌕ Search

Biomedical subjects

T Ueno

Publications and source records attributed to T Ueno.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources
PubMed2004

Vomiting and gastric electrical dysrhythmia in dogs.

BACKGROUND: The correlation between gastric myoelectrical activity (GMA) and gastrointestinal symptoms such as nausea and vomiting is poorly understood. The aim of this study was to assess the association of GMA with vomiting induced by retrograde gastric electrical stimulation or duodenal balloon distention. METHODS: Ten dogs were involved in this study. Vomiting was induced by retrograde gastric electrical stimulation in 6 dogs and by duodenal balloon distention in 4 dogs. Computerized spectral analysis and visual analysis were applied to detect the GMA change during various periods before and after vomiting. RESULTS: Gastric dysrhythmia preceded vomiting but was of brief duration. The major pattern of dysrhythmia immediately before vomiting was tachyarrhythmia and gastric slow wave was completely uncoupled before vomiting. Gastric dysrhythmia and slow wave uncoupling were also noticed immediately after vomiting but the dogs recovered quickly. The major pattern of dysrhythmia after vomiting was arrhythmia. GMA was normal during the periods other than 5 min before and during vomiting and 5 min after vomiting. CONCLUSIONS: Gastric dysrhythmia seems to be the cause of vomiting induced by retrograde gastric electrical stimulation or duodenal balloon distention. It is brief and characterized with tachyarrhythmia and uncoupling.

Animals↗
PubMed2004

Mechanical stretch induces TGF-beta synthesis in hepatic stellate cells.

BACKGROUND: It is known that mechanical stress induces extracellular matrix via transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-beta) synthesis in vascular smooth muscle cells. Activated hepatic stellate cells (HSCs) are an important source of TGF-beta in the liver. However, it remains unclear whether mechanical stress induces TGF-beta in HSCs. The Rho small GTP-binding protein (Rho) has recently emerged as an important regulator of actin and cytoskeleton. We examined whether TGF-beta is expressed in stretched HSCs and whether Rho is involved in stretch-induced TGF-beta synthesis. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A cultured human HSC cell line, LI90, was used for this study. Hepatic stellate cells were cyclically stretched using the Flexercell(R) strain unit. Concentration of TGF-beta in the conditioned medium was estimated by a bioassay using mink lung epithelial cells transfected with a plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 promoter-luciferase construct. Transforming growth factor-beta mRNA expression of HSCs was estimated by a reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction. Replication-defective adenoviral vectors expressing a dominant negative type of Rho was utilized to suppress its effect on HSCs. RESULTS: Transforming growth factor-beta concentration of the conditioned media of stretched HSCs showed time-dependent increases as compared to nonstretched HSCs from 2 h to 24 h. Transforming growth factor-beta mRNA expression in stretched HSCs was increased compared with that in nonstretched HSCs. Transfection of dominant negative Rho inhibited the stretch-induced TGF-beta synthesis. CONCLUSIONS: Mechanical stretch enhanced TGF-beta expression on mRNA and protein level in HSCs. Rho was closely related to stretch-induced TGF-beta synthesis in HSCs.

Adenoviridae↗
PubMed2004

Operative treatment of hip fracture in haemodialysed patients.

PURPOSE: To study operative treatment and postoperative clinical outcomes of hip fracture in haemodialysed patients. METHODS: In 12 patients (8 men and 4 women) undergoing haemodialysis, 14 hip fractures were treated. Of these, 8 hips were treated with bipolar hip arthroplasty, one hip with total hip arthroplasty, 4 hips with a compression hip screw, and one hip with a gamma nail. The mean duration of dialysis treatment until fracture was 7 years. During a mean postoperative follow-up period of 17 months (range, 1-44 months), the patients' renal condition, type of fracture, and level of activities of daily living before and after surgery were assessed. RESULTS: Of the 7 patients who died during a mean follow-up period of 17 months, 2 died from myocardial infarction, 2 from sepsis, and one each from gastric cancer, pulmonary oedema, and liver failure. Five of the 8 patients with diabetic nephropathy died, whereas 6 of the 8 patients who underwent bipolar hip arthroplasty or total hip arthroplasty died. Most of the patients had declined level of activities of daily living postoperatively. CONCLUSION: For haemodialysed patients with fractures, it is essential to select the most suitable operating method and to conduct vigilant management before and after the operation.

Aged↗
PubMed2004

Pathological change of articular cartilage in the mandibular head treated with immunosuppressant FK 506.

While several reports have documented immunosuppressant-induced osteoporosis, the exact mechanism of the pathological change of the joint remains to be clarified. In the present study, we have demonstrated the pathological change of the articular cartilage in the mandibular head of five Sprague-Dawley rats administered with the immunosuppressant FK 506 for 28 days. Three-dimensional micro-computed tomography of the mandibular heads in treated rats showed a significant decrease in trabecular bone volume compared to control rats. Histological observation revealed atrophic change of the articular cartilage. Immunohistological observation using anti-proliferative cell nuclear antibody (PCNA), type I, II, and type X collagen antibodies showed significantly decreased proliferation and differentiation of chondrocytes in the articular cartilage compared with the control group (p<0.05). Tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase (TRAP) staining revealed no significant difference in the numbers of osteoclasts at the chondro-osseous junction. Thus, FK 506 administration inhibited chondrogenic cell proliferation and differentiation and might cause osteoporotic change of subcartilage trabecular bone that subsequently forms in the mandibular head.

Animals↗
PubMed2004

Prevalence of superficial digital flexor tendonitis and suspensory desmitis in Japanese Thoroughbred flat racehorses in 1999.

REASONS FOR PERFORMING STUDY: Overstrain injuries to the superficial digital flexor tendon (SDFT) and suspensory ligament (SI) are among the most common musculoskeletal injuries which contribute to the considerable wastage of racing Thoroughbreds. Many epidemiological studies have demonstrated the prevalence of and risk factors for tendon injury when racing but have not included those injuries sustained during training. However, since tendon injury during training is seen commonly in clinical practice, it is appropriate to determine the overall prevalence of tendon injury sustained during both training and racing. OBJECTIVE: To determine the prevalence of overstrain injury to the SDFT and SL during training and racing among Thoroughbred flat racehorses in Japan in 1999. METHODS: A retrospective study was performed using a sample population of 10,262 Thoroughbred racehorses. The medical information database of Thoroughbred racehorses registered by the Japan Racing Association (JRA) in 1999 was analysed for SDFT and SL overstrain injury diagnosed by a veterinarian employed by JRA during training and racing. Jump racehorses were excluded from this study. RESULTS: The prevalence of forelimb SDFT tendonitis and SL desmitis was 11.1% (1130 cases) and 3.61% (370 cases) of the population, respectively. In the hindlimb, there were 0.06% (6 cases) and 0.14% (14 cases), respectively. Risks of SDF tendonitis in the forelimb in 3-year-olds or older horses were significantly higher than in 2-year-olds. In contrast, the risk of SL desmitis in the forelimb at age 3 and 4 years was 2.23 and 2.11 times higher, respectively, than in 2-year-olds, but this increased to 5.07 times in those age > or = 5 years. Entire males were at greater risk in comparison to females and geldings. CONCLUSIONS: The results suggest that the prevalence of SDF tendonitis and SL desmitis in the forelimb was associated with the horse's age and sex. The prevalence of SL desmitis increased further with age compared with SDF tendonitis, possibly reflecting a more rapid accumulation of degeneration in this structure. POTENTIAL RELEVANCE: The age-related risk demonstrated in this study provides further support that overstrain injuries are associated with accumulated degeneration. These data provide a valuable resource for further research into the aetiology of tendon injury in the racehorse.

Age Factors↗
PubMed2003

O6-methylguanine-DNA-methyltransferase expression and gene polymorphisms in relation to chemotherapeutic response in metastatic melanoma.

In a retrospective study, O(6)-methylguanine-DNA-methyltransferase (MGMT) expression was analysed by immunohistochemistry using monoclonal human anti-MGMT antibody in melanoma metastases in patients receiving dacarbazine (DTIC) as single-drug therapy or as part of combination chemotherapy with DTIC-vindesine or DTIC-vindesine-cisplatin. The correlation of MGMT expression levels with clinical response to chemotherapy was investigated in 79 patients with metastatic melanoma. There was an inverse relationship between MGMT expression and clinical response to DTIC-based chemotherapy (P=0.05). Polymorphisms in the coding region of the MGMT gene were also investigated in tumours from 52 melanoma patients by PCR/SSCP and nucleotide sequence analyses. Single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in exon 3 (L53L and L84F) and in exon 5 (I143V/K178R) were identified. There were no differences in the frequencies of these polymorphisms between these melanoma patients and patients with familial melanoma or healthy Swedish individuals. Functional analysis of variants MGMT-I143V and -I143V/K178R was performed by in vitro mutagenesis in Escherichia coli. There was no evidence that these variants decreased the MGMT DNA repair activity compared to the wild-type protein. All melanoma patients with the MGMT 53/84 polymorphism except one had tumours with high MGMT expression. There was no significant correlation between any of the MGMT polymorphisms and clinical response to chemotherapy, although an indication of a lower response rate in patients with SNPs in exon 5 was obtained. Thus, MGMT expression appears to be more related to response to chemotherapy than MGMT polymorphisms in patients with metastatic melanoma.

Adult↗
PubMed2003

Aspartic proteinase napsin is a useful marker for diagnosis of primary lung adenocarcinoma.

Napsin A is an aspartic proteinase expressed in lung and kidney. We have reported that napsin A is expressed in type II pneumocytes and in adenocarcinomas of the lung. The expression of napsin was examined in 118 lung tissues including 16 metastases by in situ hybridisation. Napsin was expressed in the tumour cell compartment in 33 of 39 adenocarcinomas (84.6%), in two of 11 large cell carcinomas and in one lung metastasis of a renal cell carcinoma. Expression of napsin was found to be associated with a high degree of differentiation in adenocarcinoma. Immunohistochemistry was performed for three proteins currently used as markers for lung adenocarcinoma : surfactant protein-A, surfactant protein-B and thyroid transcription factor-1. Thyroid transcription factor-1 showed the same sensitivity (84.6%) as napsin for adenocarcinoma, whereas surfactant protein-A and surfactant protein-B showed lower sensitivities. Among these markers, napsin showed the highest specificity (94.3%) for adenocarcinoma in nonsmall cell lung carcinoma. We conclude that napsin is a promising marker for the diagnosis of primary lung adenocarcinoma.

Adenocarcinoma↗
PubMed2003

Critical casimir effect and wetting by helium mixtures.

We have measured the contact angle of the interface of phase-separated 3He-4He mixtures against a sapphire window. We have found that this angle is finite and does not tend to zero when the temperature approaches T(t), the temperature of the tricritical point. On the contrary, it increases with temperature. This behavior is a remarkable exception to what is generally observed near critical points, i.e., "critical point wetting." We propose that it is a consequence of the "critical Casimir effect" which leads to an effective attraction of the 3He-4He interface by the sapphire near T(t).

Journal Article↗
PubMed2003

Video-assisted anatomic mediobasal segmentectomy of lung.

Although video-assisted thoracic surgery (VATS) is now widely accepted, pulmonary segmentectomy is rarely performed. We present a case series of patients undergoing this procedure. The first patient had multiple arteriovenous malformations of the right mediobasal segment and a leiomyoma in the bronchus of the mediobasal segment. The second patient had multiple pulmonary metastases from colon cancer, including one in the right mediobasal segment. The third patient had metastases in the right ventrobasal and mediobasal segments from a solitary fibrous tumor that originated in the contralateral diaphragm. In the first two patients, a solitary mediobasal segmentectomy was done. In the third patient, a combined ventrobasal and mediobasal bisegmentectomy was performed. There were no complications, and visualization was excellent. Because VATS provides such excellent exposure, mediobasal segmentectomy of the lung is feasible, even though this operation is not done as an open procedure.

Aged↗
PubMed2003

Urachal anomalies: ultrasonography and management.

BACKGROUND: Fifty-six children with anomalies of the urachus remnant identified by ultrasound scan have been encountered in the authors' hospital over the last 4 years. METHODS: Twenty of these 56 cases were symptomatic urachal remnants, whereas the urachus remnants were seen incidentally by ultrasound scanning in the other 36 patients. Symptomatic cases were treated with antibiotics or observation. Then, symptomatic cases were divided into 2 groups. One group, surgical group, was treated with surgical resection of the urachal remnant. The other group, observation group, was followed up without its surgical resection. Forty-four patients, 11 cases of symptomatic urachal remnant and 33 asymptomatic cases, were followed up, excluding patients who had surgical treatment and who were lost to follow-up. RESULTS: Thirty patients underwent periodical ultrasonographic examination during follow-up. In 9 cases, including 2 symptomatic cases, urachal remnants have disappeared during the follow-up period spontaneously. No symptom had developed during follow-up from asymptomatic cases. CONCLUSIONS: The patients with asymptomatic urachal remnants do not require follow-up, and urachal remnants, especially those under 1 year of age, do not require surgical resection unless the patient has multiple episodes.

Abdominal Pain↗
PubMed2003

Measurement of an apoptotic product in the sera of breast cancer patients.

During apoptosis, a number of intracellular proteins are cleaved by caspases. The intermediate filament protein cytokeratin 18 (CK18) is cleaved at Asp238 and Asp396. A monoclonal antibody, M30, specifically recognises a fragment of CK18 cleaved at Asp396 (M30-antigen). We used an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) to measure M30-antigen levels in the sera of 82 healthy subjects and 201 patients with breast cancer. Patients with primary cancer had higher M30-antigen levels than healthy subjects (P=0.0001). Patients with recurrent cancer showed higher M30-antigen levels than healthy controls and patients with primary cancer (P<0.0001 and P=0.008, respectively). In patients with primary cancer, M30-antigen levels were higher in the oestrogen receptor (ER)-negative subgroup than the ER-positive subgroup. In patients with recurrent cancer, M30-antigen levels correlated with the number of involved organs and performance status (P=0.041 and P=0.014, respectively). There was no association between serum M30-antigen levels and patient prognosis. We conclude that the levels of circulating M30-antigen are increased in patients with breast cancer.

Adult↗
PubMed2003

A novel assay for discovery and characterization of pro-apoptotic drugs and for monitoring apoptosis in patient sera.

We have developed an apoptosis assay based on measurement of a neoepitope of cytokeratin-18 (CK18-Asp396) exposed after caspase-cleavage and detected by the monoclonal antibody M30. The total amount of caspase-cleaved CK18 which has accumulated in cells and tissue culture media during apoptosis is measured by ELISA. The sensitivity is sufficient for use in the 96-well format to allow high-through-put screening of drug libraries. We here describe strategies allowing classification of pro-apoptotic compounds according to their profiles of induction of apoptosis in the presence of pharmacological inhibitors. The time course of induction of CK18 cleavage can furthermore be used to distinguish structurally similar compounds. We propose that compounds that induce rapid CK18 cleavage have mechanisms of actions distinct from conventional genotoxic and microtubuli-targeting agents, and we present one example of an agent that induces almost immediate mitochondrial depolarization and cytochrome c release. Finally, CK18-Asp396 cleavage products are released from cells in tissue culture, and presumably from tumor cells in vivo. These products can be measured in sera from cancer patients. We present evidence suggesting that it will be possible to use the M30-ELISA assay for measuring chemotherapy-induced apoptosis in patient sera, opening possibilities for monitoring therapy.

Antibodies, Monoclonal↗
PubMed2003

[Aortic root replacement using cryopreserved allograft for an infected aorta patient associated with mediastinitis].

We herein report a case of aortic root replacement using cryopreserved allograft. A 52-year-old man received aortic valve replacement using a mechanical prosthesis for aortic stenosis. He was complicated by postoperative methicillin-resistant staphylococcus aureus mediastinitis involving the ascending aorta. Surgical therapy including debridement, omental transposition, patch closure using pericardium had not achieved satisfied result. Aortic root replacement using cryopreserved allograft was mandatory for refractory aortic infection. He had an uneventful postoperative course. The cryopreserved allograft was effective for a patient with refractory aortic root infection due to postoperative mediastinitis.

Aorta↗
PubMed2003

[Surgical treatment of pulmonary aspergillosis].

We studied clinically upon 10 surgical cases of pulmonary aspergillosis. There were 7 male and 3 female cases, and the median age was 59 years. Seven cases had underlying bronchopulmonary diseases, and 9 cases had underlying diseases including systemic diseases, such as diabetes mellitus. There were 3 wedge resections, and 6 lobectomies, and 1 two-staged surgery (cavernostomy + muscle transposition). Eight cases whose lesion extended beyond neither chest wall nor mediastinal pleura were treated successfully by pulmonary resections almost within one lobectomy. One case, who had a cavitary lesion and multiple patchy infiltrates in the other lobes, cured by lobectomy including a main cavitary lesion and postoperative treatment with an antifungal agent. All cases returned home almost uneventfully, but 1 case of two-staged surgery died at home suddenly of massive hemoptysis. Surgical treatments of pulmonary aspergillosis are recommended when the lesions can be resected completely, that is, when patients are relatively well, lesions extend beyond neither chest wall nor hilar bronchus or vessels, and when the lungs other than the lesions are not extensively destroyed.

Adult↗
PubMed2003

Gender-specific genetic determinants of blood pressure and organ weight: pharmacogenetic approach.

A total genome scan and pharmacogenetic study were designed to search for genetic determinants of blood pressure (BP) as well as heart and kidney weights. Genome scanning was carried out in 266 F(2) intercrosses from Prague hypertensive hypertriglyceridemic rats for phenotypes of organ weights, baseline BP, BP after blockade of the renin-angiotensin system (RAS) by losartan, of the sympathetic nervous system (SNS) by pentolinium, and of the nitric oxide (NO) synthase by N(G)-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester. Pharmacogenetic analysis showed that, in males, BP was controlled by two loci on chromosomes 1 and 5 (Chr1, Chr5) through the SNS, and these loci showed a positive contribution for relative kidney weight (KW/BW). On the other hand, baseline BP in females was controlled by two loci on Chr3 and Chr7. The effect of these loci was not mediated by the RAS, SNS or NO system. These loci did not show any effect for KW/BW. Negatively-linked loci for KW/BW and relative heart weight (HW/BW) were identified on Chr2 in both genders. Another negatively-linked locus for KW/BW, located on Chr8 in males, affected BP through the SNS. This locus on Chr8 overlapped with a previously-reported modifier locus for polycystic kidney disease (PKD). In conclusion, this pharmacogenetic study determined two loci for BP and relative organ mass implicating sympathetic overactivity. Concordance of the identified locus for KW/BW and BP through the SNS on Chr8 with the PKD locus revealed the importance of this region for renal complications in various diseases.

Animals↗
PubMed2002

Digital acoustic analysis of five vowels in maxillectomy patients.

The aim of the study was to characterize the acoustics of vowel articulation in maxillectomy patients. Digital acoustic analysis of five vowels, /a/, /e/, /i/, /o/ and /u/, was performed on 12 male maxillectomy patients and 12 normal male individuals. A simple set of acoustic descriptions called the first and second formant frequencies, F1 and F2, were employed and calculated based on linear predictive coding. The maxillectomy patients had a significantly lower F2 for all five vowels and a significantly higher F1 for only /i/ vowel. From the data plotted on an F1-F2 plane in each subject, we determined the F1 range and the F2 range, which are the differences between the minimum and the maximum frequencies among the five vowels. The maxillectomy patients had a significantly narrower F2 range than the normal controls. In contrast, there was no significant difference in the F1 range. These results suggest that the maxillectomy patients had difficulty in controlling F2 properly. In addition, the speech intelligibility (SI) test was performed to verify the results of this new frequency range method. A high correlation between the F2 range and the score of SI test was demonstrated, suggesting that the F2 range is effective in evaluating the speech ability of maxillectomy patients.

Acoustics↗
PubMed2002

Intraduodenal capsaicin inhibits gastric migrating motor complex via an extrinsic neural reflex in conscious dogs.

The aim was to study the effect of intraduodenal capsaicin on interdigestive gastric contractions. Mongrel dogs were equipped with strain-gauge force transducers to measure gastroduodenal motility. The effects of intraduodenal capsaicin with or without pharmacological antagonists on spontaneous and motilin-induced interdigestive gastric contractions and on plasma motilin were studied in dogs with intact stomachs. The effect of intraduodenal capsaicin on gastric contractions was also studied in vagally denervated gastric (Heidenhain) pouch and vagally innervated antral pouch. Intraduodenal capsaicin inhibited spontaneous and motilin-induced gastric contractions. The spontaneous peak in plasma motilin was inhibited by intraduodenal capsaicin. The effect of intraduodenal capsaicin on motilin-induced gastric contractions was not affected by blockade of nitric oxide synthase, or by beta-adrenoceptor antagonist. Administration of alpha-adrenergic blocker inhibited basal interdigestive gastric motility. Intraduodenal capsaicin had no effect on contractions in the Heidenhain pouch but inhibited those in vagally innervated antral pouch. Duodenal afferent fibres stimulated by capsaicin inhibit gastric contractions via a nitric oxide-independent extrinsic neural reflex.

Animals↗