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Biomedical subjects

T Ushijima

Publications and source records attributed to T Ushijima.

At least 145 records · Page 8Linked to original sources

Hypotensive and hemodynamic effects of the new non-sulfhydryl angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitor N-[8-amino-1(S)-carboxyoctyl]-L-alanyl-L-proline.

The hypotensive effects of N-[8-amino-1(S)-carboxyoctyl] -L-alanyl-L-proline (AB-47, CAS 120008-53-9) were examined in normotensive rats and various hypertensive rat models. The hemodynamic effect of AB-47 was also examined in anesthetized spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR). In 2-kidney, 1-clip renal hypertensive rats (2K, 1C-RHR) and SHR, the single administration of AB-47 (10 mg/kg, p.o.) induced potent and long-lasting hypotensive effects. The repeated administration of AB-47 (1 to 10 mg/kg, p.o.) to SHR for 29 days produced a dose-dependently and sustained hypotensive effect of 20 to 70 mmHg. AB-47 (10 mg/kg, p.o.) had a weak hypotensive effect in DOCA-salt hypertensive rats but no effects in normotensive and 1-kidney, 1-clip renal hypertensive rats (1K, 1C-RHR). AB-47 (3 mg/kg, p.o.) reduced blood pressure in intact SHR but not in bilateral nephrectomized SHR. The single intravenous injection of AB-47 (10 to 100 micrograms/kg) dose-dependently lowered systemic blood pressure, left ventricular systolic pressure (LVSP) and dp/dtmax without affecting heart rate (HR) and these effects of AB-47 were more potent than those of captopril and enalaprilat. These results suggest that AB-47 is a potent and long-lasting hypotensive agent and may be useful for the therapy of both hypertension and congestive heart failure.

Administration, Oral↗

[Atypical infiltration of megakaryocytes into the liver and spleen in a case of refractory anemia].

A 72-year-old man was admitted to our hospital because of general malaise. The peripheral blood showed pancytopenia (WBC 800/microliters, RBC 970,000/microliters, Plt 95,000/microliters). The bone marrow smear revealed morphological abnormalities in three lineage without increase in blasts. He was diagnosed as having myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS). He was treated with recombinant human granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (rhG-CSF) for leukopenia, and with washed RBC transfusions for anemia. Eight months after diagnosis of MDS, blastic cells increased in peripheral blood and bone marrow showing overt leukemic state. He died of pneumonia. An autopsy revealed that atypical megakaryocytes increased in bone marrow and infiltrated into the spleen and liver. This case suggests that not only blasts but also megakaryocytes infiltrate into extramedullary organs in some cases of MDS.

Aged↗

[Low-dose etoposide in the treatment of chronic myelomonocytic leukemia].

Two cases of chronic myelomonocytic leukemia (CMML) which were successfully treated with low dose etoposide are reported. One case was treated with oral etoposide in daily dose of 25 mg for 3d a week, another case in dose of 50 mg/day. Their white blood cell counts became normal and monocytes decreased after the treatment with etoposide. In the second case, blasts in peripheral blood disappeared and thrombocytopenia was improved. The experience of these cases suggests that low dose etoposide is an useful treatment for CMML.

Aged↗

[T4 carcinoma of the oral cavity responsive to bilateral 5-FU intra-arterial infusion and simultaneous irradiation].

5-FU intra-arterial infusion and simultaneous irradiation can cure head and neck cancer without leaving any functional disturbance. Catheters were inserted into the bilateral superficial temporal arteries in a case of T4 carcinoma of the oral cavity, and this treatment was performed. The patient was a 54-year-old male with squamous cell carcinoma involving the right tonsil, right and left sides of the soft palate, the uvula, right gingiva, right lingual margin, and right buccal mucous membrane. The right soft palate was partially defective. The total dose of intra-arterial 5-FU was 4,000 mg on the right side and 2,600 mg on the left side, and the total dose of irradiation was 40 Gy. After this treatment, residual cancer was found on the right margin of the uvula only. Due to the defect in the soft palate, the effect of intra-arterial infusion was considered to be insufficient for this region, and it was excised together with the surrounding tissue. Rhinolalia aperta remains, but there is no dysphagia, and the course has been good with no evidence of recurrence so far. When it is found that a catheter cannot be readily inserted, it can usually be inserted properly by using a guide wire. For fixing the catheter, a satisfactory result is obtained by cutting the protruding end to 15-20 cm, attaching a connector, and suturing it to the skin of the temporal region.

Catheterization↗

[5-FU intra-arterial infusion and simultaneous irradiation in the treatment of esophageal cancer and metastatic lung cancer].

Precise 5-FU intra-arterial infusion and simultaneous irradiation are considered to reduce most tumors, with no functional disturbance occurring as a rule. We performed this therapy in 2 patients. One patient had lower esophageal cancer (T2N0M0) and the other had metastatic cancer of both lungs. We inserted a catheter into the lower periphery of the aortic arch via the left superficial temporal artery in the former patient, and into the upper thoracic aorta via the thyrocervical trunk in the latter patient, before infusing 5-FU together with simultaneous irradiation. Dysphagia disappeared and there was significant improvement of the esophagram, X-ray appearance, and endoscopic appearance in the former patient, who remains under observation. The latter patient showed remarkable regression of the tumor but died after a recurrence. Good efficacy is observed with the use of radiotherapy for the treatment of esophageal cancer at first. However, recurrences occur which carry a bad prognosis. The temporary favorable effect of radiotherapy suggests a promising future for this new therapy, since 5-FU is a strong radiosensitizer. We have a favorable impression of this mode of therapy in comparison with radiotherapy alone, though we have experience with only one patient. There was also a better response than expected when we used it for the treatment of metastatic lung cancer.

Adult↗

Changes in hepatic superoxide dismutase and xanthine oxidase activity in mice infected with Salmonella typhimurium and Pseudomonas aeruginosa.

Liver xanthine oxidase (XOD) and superoxide dismutase (SOD) activities were compared in mice during Salmonella typhimurium and Pseudomonas aeruginosa infections. We observed that XOD activity rose but SOD activity fell for the first 11 days after infection with smooth type S. typhimurium, coinciding with the period of bacterial growth in the liver. Rough type S. typhimurium did not establish an infection and mice inoculated with this strain showed no variation in enzyme activities. P. aeruginosa infection was mild but stimulated both XOD and SOD activities.

Animals↗

Factors influencing potent antagonistic effects of Escherichia coli and Bacteroides ovatus on Staphylococcus aureus in anaerobic continuous flow cultures.

We examined factors related to the potent antagonistic effect of Escherichia coli and Bacteroides ovatus on Staphylococcus aureus in anaerobic continuous flow cultures. In the presence of sugars fermentable by E. coli alone or both E. coli and S. aureus, motile E. coli strains exerted a potent antagonistic effect and S. aureus was expelled from the culture vessel within a few days. Conversely, in the presence of a sugar fermentable by S. aureus alone, the antagonistic effect of E. coli was diminished and S. aureus persisted at ca. 5 x 10(5) cfu/mL. B. ovatus alone exerted only a weak antagonistic effect on S. aureus in any culture conditions; however, when B. ovatus was cocultivated with E. coli and S. aureus, even in the presence of a sugar fermentable by S. aureus but not by E. coli, the potent antagonistic effect was restored. Escherichia coli showed the same level of antagonistic effect either in the presence of acetic acid (ca. 32 mM), propionic acid (4 mM), butyric acid (17 mM) and hydrogen sulfide (5 x 10(-1) mM) or when these metabolic products, except for a small amount of acetic acid (1.2 mM) were not present. In these culture conditions, S. aureus populations were lost at rates much higher than theoretical wash out rates of resting cells. These results indicate the presence of some bactericidal factors other than the volatile fatty acids and hydrogen sulfide. The bactericidal factors were not found in cultures of E. coli heated in boiling water for 10 min and in cell-free culture filtrates. Thus, the bactericidal factors seem to be associated with live E. coli cells. The nature of the bactericidal factors is not clear at present.

Amino Acids↗

[The effect of S-adenosyl-L-methionine sulfate tosylate (FO-1561) on survival time in various brain damage models].

The effect of S-adenosyl-L-methionine sulfate tosylate (FO-1561) on survival time in various brain damage models (cerebral anoxia or ischemia) was studied. 1) In KCN-induced or normobaric anoxia of ddY mice, FO-1561 (30-100 mg/kg as amount of S-adenosyl-L-methionine) administered intravenously 15-30 min prior to the treatment showed significant increase of survival time dose-dependently. 2) In asphyxic anoxia of Wistar rats, FO-1561 (100 mg/kg) administered intravenously 15 min prior to the treatment (cessation of artificial respiration) delayed the time until the disappearance of electrocorticogram. 3) In cerebral ischemia of Mongolian gerbils, FO-1561 (50 mg/kg) injected five times at 1 hr interval intraperitoneally 3 hr after the unilateral ligation of common carotid arteries showed significant increase of survival time. These results suggested that FO-1561 may be effective in ameliorating cerebral anoxic or ischemic damage, without observing any side effects like sedation and motor depression which pentobarbital showed with the effective doses in these damage models.

Animals↗

Continuous recording of cerebral blood flow by means of a thermal diffusion method using a Peltier stack.

The thermal diffusion method is known to be effective for making quantitative measurements of blood flow, but cannot be easily applied to problems concerning quantitative changes in blood flow. Carter et al. found that the thermal diffusion technique using a Peltier stack as the probe produced extremely stable recordings and was suitable for quantitative work. We made a more stable probe containing an air space and having a stainless cap that added weight. A stable recording of blood flow was then possible. For calibration of the probe, we used blood flow values measured by means of an electrolytic technique and the equation proposed by Carter et al. In the present study, we have shown that it is theoretically possible to perform the calibration even without obtaining data on blood flow after cardiac arrest. Experimentally, the validity of such calibration was confirmed. This technique for measuring blood flow should be applicable in various fields and its use in a clinical setting, particularly in the monitoring of blood flow during neurosurgical operations, can be expected.

Animals↗

Effects of nicorandil on the conductive coronary artery of the dog.

The effects of nicorandil (2-nicotinamidoethyl nitrate, SG-75) on the conductive coronary artery were studied and compared with the effects of nitroglycerin and nifedipine. In isolated perfused canine heart preparations with a support dog, nicorandil produced a decrease in the resistance of the conductive coronary artery at reduced perfusion pressures, whereas nitroglycerin had similar effects even at normal perfusion pressures. In anesthetized closed-chest dogs, nicorandil and nitroglycerin produced an increase in the diameter of the conductive coronary artery (nicorandil less than nitroglycerin). Nifedipine failed to produce dilatation of the conductive coronary artery in both preparations. In isolated ring preparations of conductive coronary artery, all three compounds produced relaxation of the potassium-induced contracture, but only nicorandil and nitroglycerin reversed the lanthanum-induced contracture.

Animals↗

Potent antagonism of Escherichia coli, Bacteroides ovatus, Fusobacterium varium, and Enterococcus faecalis, alone or in combination, for enteropathogens in anaerobic continuous flow cultures.

Interactions between representative strains of four predominant resident bacteria of the human colon, Escherichia coli, Enterococcus faecalis, Bacteroides ovatus, and Fusobacterium varium, and strains of seven enteropathogens, Yersinia enterocolitica, Shigella flexneri, Salmonella typhimurium, Vibrio parahaemolyticus, V. cholerae serogroup non O1, Staphylococcus aureus, and Clostridium perfringens, were examined in studies with an anaerobic continuous flow culture system and medium resembling the content of the mouse caecum (MCM). Potent unilateral antagonism attributable to synergic activities of the resident bacteria against the enteropathogens was evident. The four resident bacteria persisted at levels of c. 10(6) cfu/ml or more in single and in any mixed cultures of the resident species. The seven enteropathogens also persisted in single cultures. In contrast, Y. enterocolitica was excluded in several days in mixed cultures with each of the four resident bacteria. Sh. Flexneri and Staph. aureus were excluded in the presence of E. coli alone. C. perfringens, V. parahaemolyticus and V. cholerae serogroup non O1 were excluded in the presence of E. coli with B. ovatus and, in some cases, with additional species. S. typhimurium was the most resistant; only c. 10(2)-fold reduction of the population level was observed in mixed culture with all four of the resident species. When the amounts of some components in the medium, such as peptone and yeast extract, were increased, C. perfringens grew and persisted even in the presence of the four resident bacteria. Sh. flexneri, in contrast decreased steadily, even in enriched media.

Anaerobiosis↗