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Biomedical subjects

T Yanagihara

Publications and source records attributed to T Yanagihara.

316 records · Page 18Linked to original sources
PubMedDate not supplied

Pergolide mesilate may improve fatigue in patients with Parkinson's disease.

OBJECTIVES: Fatigue is a complaint frequently encountered among patients with Parkinson's disease (PD). Considering the possible relationship between fatigue and dopaminergic dysfuncion, we investigated the effect of pergolide mesilate (a D2 and D1 dopamine receptor agonist) and bromocriptine (a D2 selective dopamine receptor) in patients with PD. METHODS: We evaluated 41 patients with PD and controls. We assessed the degree of fatigue by using a fatigue scale. The severity of PD was evaluated by the Hoehn and Yahr Scale and the unified Parkinson's disease rating scale (UPDRS). RESULTS: After five weeks from prescription, patients taking pergolide mesilate showed significant improvement in the fatigue scale (from 5.1 +/- 0.7 to 4.4 +/- 0.55, p < 0.05, ) but patients taking bromocriptine did not (from 4.8 +/- 0.9 to 4.7 +/- 0.8). CONCLUSIONS: Our study suggested the possibility of functional correlation between fatigue and D1 receptor in patients with PD.

Aged↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Influence of prolonged corticosteroid therapy on the outcome of steroid-responsive nephrotic syndrome.

Eighty-six patients (59 males and 27 females) diagnosed with steroid-responsive nephrotic syndrome during childhood were identified. The patients were 20-40 years of age (mean 27.0 +/- 5.0) with a mean follow-up period of 19.5 +/- 5.9 years. All patients had been treated with a long-term tapering corticosteroid therapy. Thirty patients had also received a course of cyclophosphamide (2 mg/kg/day for 12 weeks). Sixty-six had achieved sustained remission off corticosteroids, while 20 were still receiving corticosteroids to maintain remission. None of the 86 patients had proteinuria or renal insufficiency at the time of the study. Mean final heights in males and females were similar (-0.51 +/- 1.21 and -0.23 +/- 1.16 standard deviation score). Mean final height of 20 steroid-dependent patients was significantly less than that of 66 in remission off corticosteroids (p < 0.005). Ten cyclophosphamide-treated patients got married and 9 had at least 1 healthy child. In children with steroid-responsive nephrotic syndrome, the need for corticosteroid therapy to maintain remission may be associated with decreased adult height. Patients who received a 12-week course of cyclophosphamide are likely to be normally fertile as adults.

Adult↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Cerebral ischemia in gerbils: polyribosomal function during progression and recovery.

Cerebral ischemia was produced by clipping the right common carotid artery in Mongolian gerbils. Polyribosomal function in cerebral ischemia during progression and recovery was studied by investigation of morphology (electronmicroscopy), physical property (size distribution profiles) and biochemical property (polypeptide synthesis). Polyribosomes and their function were relatively well preserved during progression of ischemia. The most striking finding was an extensive disaggregation of polyribosomes and suppression of polypeptide synthesis immediately after re-establishment of cerebral circulation. These phenomena occurred not only with irreversible ischemia at 3 h but also with reversible ischemia at 30 min. In the latter, disaggregation of polyribosomes gradually recovered, but no tendency for recovery was observed after an ischemic period of 3 h. The disaggregation and delay in reaggregation of ribosomes after re-establishment of cerebral circulation may be a significant factor in the irreversibility of cerebral ischemia. The observed deterioration of cellular function during the recovery process may have an important implication not only for medical management of stroke but also for surgical recirculation during acute stroke.

Animals↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Cerebral blood flow measurement in cerebrovascular occlusive diseases.

In order to evaluate cerebral blood flow (CBF) patterns among individual patients with increased statistical confidence, CBF measurements were carried out using the 133Xe-inhalation method and external head detectors. F1 values representing gray matter flow from 3 to 6 head detectors were averaged to form 16 different regions for each cerebral hemisphere. Normative values were obtained from 46 healthy volunteers, and data from individual regions were analyzed for absolute blood flow rates (ml/100g/min), for concordance between right and left hemispheres and as percent of mean hemispheric flow. CBF measurements were then carried out among 37 patients with cerebrovascular occlusive diseases, and results were compared with normative values. A high incidence of abnormal flows were detected among symptomatic patients with intracranial arterial stenosis or occlusion and those with extracranial internal carotid artery occlusion. By using the above method for data analysis, it was possible to delineate hypoperfused areas among these patients. Even though the 133Xe-inhalation method has inherent limitations, this is a practical and safe method for measurement of CBF which can provide reliable information useful for management of patients with cerebrovascular occlusive diseases, particularly when the results are presented with statistical confidence.

Adult↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Experimental stroke in gerbils: correlation of clinical, pathological and electroencephalographic findings and protein synthesis.

Cerebral ischemia was produced in gerbils by ligation of the right common carotid artery and the resulting clinical manifestations and pathological alterations, along with electroencephalographic findings, were followed from 30 minutes to 24 hours. Protein synthesis was evaluated with brain slices in vitro and subsequent cellular and subcellular fractionations. One group of animals developed clinical signs of cerebral ischemia and stroke very rapidly and often died within 12 hours. In these animals cerebral infarction was diffuse in the right side of brain within a few hours post-operatively and there was persistent suppression in the electroencephalographic recordings. Amino acid incorporation into protein of subcellular fractions was decreased to 50% of the opposite side at 30 minutes and further declined to less than 10% in 8 to 10 hours. Another group of animals survived to 24 hours in spite of severe neurological manifestations, and protein synthesis was about 15% of the control side at 24 hours. The suppression of protein synthesis was observed both in the neuronal and neurologlial fractions indicating similar vulnerability of these cellular elements toward cerebral ischemia as shown with cerebral anoxia in the past. It was emphasized that the correlation of clinical manifestations and biochemical data is very important to extract meaningful information from biochemical investigations in this model.

Animals↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Dementia with ALS features and diffuse Pick body-like inclusions (atypical Pick's disease?).

An autopsy case of dementia beginning with right hand muscle atrophy was reported. A 42-year-old woman with no family history of neurologic disease developed weakness of the right hand at age 30, and was diagnosed as having amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). The weakness and atrophy spread to the four extremities subsequently. At age 36, she could not walk without assistance. At age 38, she was first noted as having dementia with forced crying, and she also showed generalized muscle weakness and atrophy. She rapidly developed akinetic mutism, and died of respiratory failure at age 42, 12 years after the onset of the symptoms. Macroscopically, the brain showed fronto-temporal atrophy. Microscopic examination revealed numerous intracytoplasmic inclusions throughout the central nervous system (CNS) including anterior horn of the spinal cord. The inclusions were stained moderate to dark brown with silver stain. Electron microscopically, they consisted of fibrils covered along most of the length with granular and fuzzy materials. This case was thought to be difficult to categorize in any known neuro-degenerative diseases. We proposed the case to be "atypical Pick's disease" with ALS features. This case might be a new entity of neuro-degenerative disease.

Adult↗