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Biomedical subjects

T Yoshikawa

Publications and source records attributed to T Yoshikawa.

At least 145 records · Page 8Linked to original sources

The 5-HT2C/2B receptor agonist m-chlorophenylpiperazine (mCPP) inhibits 2-deoxy-D-glucose (2-DG)-induced hyperphagia in rats.

Effects of the 5-HT2C2/2B receptor agonist m-chlorophenylpiperazine (mCPP) on hyperphagia elicited by 2-deoxy-D-glucose (2-DG) were investigated in rats. mCPP apparently reduced 2-DG-induced hyperphagia. Suppressive effects of mCPP on hyperphagia induced by 2-DG were inhibited by the 5-HT2A/2B/2C receptor antagonist, ritanserin, although the 5-HT2, receptor antagonist ketanserin was without effect. Thus, inhibitory effects of mCPP on 2-DG-induced hyperphagia are mediated by the 5-HT2C/2B receptor. Our results demonstrate that mCPP can inhibit the bulimia model, 2-DG-induced hyperphagia.

Animals↗

Critical pathway improves arrival-in-cath-lab interval for patients with acute myocardial infarction in the emergency department.

A newly developed critical pathway has been applied to emergency medical care of patients with acute myocardial infarction (AMI) in the emergency department. The arrival-in-cath-lab interval (ACI) was selected as a clinical indicator of quality assurance, according to American Heart Association and American College of Cardiology guidelines. This report describes the first experience of applying the critical pathway to patients with AMI in an emergency department in Japan. The ACI of 35 AMI patients who underwent primary percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty during a 24-month period following application of the pathway were compared with those of 50 AMI patients during the 48 months before application of the pathway. The median ACI value was significantly reduced from 65.5 min to 50.0 min. Also, the proportion of patients with acceptably short ACI (<60 min) significantly improved from 42.0% to 68.6%.

Adolescent↗

Randomized trial of phosphodiesterase inhibitors versus catecholamines in patients with acutely decompensated heart failure.

Increased neurohormone and cytokine concentrations are associated with adverse outcome in patients with congestive heart failure, so minimizing these increases may improve outcome, even in the acute phase of decompensated heart failure. The present study was designed to test the hypothesis that phosphodiesterase inhibitors, but not catecholamines, could favorably affect neurohormone and cytokine profiles in patients with acutely decompensated heart failure. Twenty-nine patients underwent monitoring using a Swan-Ganz catheter and were randomly allocated to receive phosphodiesterase inhibitors (PDEI group, n=19) or catecholamines (CA group, n=10). Pulmonary capillary wedge pressure decreased significantly in both groups and cardiac output showed a slight, but not statistically significant increase, in both groups. There was a significant decrease in plasma brain natriuretic peptide concentration in the PDEI group, but not in the CA group, whereas plasma interleukin-6 concentration increased in the CA group, but not in the PDEI group. Phosphodiesterase inhibitors favorably affect neurohormone and cytokine concentrations in patients with acutely decompensated heart failure.

Acute Disease↗

Characterization of anti-myocardial autoantibodies in Japanese patients with dilated cardiomyopathy.

Few previous reports have comprehensively screened all the anti-myocardial autoantibodies (AMCA) in relation to other clinical profiles in patients with idiopathic dilated cardiomyopathy (IDC), so the present study used both immunohistochemistry (FITC) and immunoblotting (IB) for screening patients with IDC in order to characterize the clinical significance of AMCA. Sera were collected from 100 patients with IDC and age-matched 100 healthy control subjects (CTL). For FITC, an unfixed frozen section of human myocardium was used for the standard indirect immunofluorescence; for IB, total cardiac homogenates of the same myocardium were blotted to serum at 2 sets of dilution (1:200 and 1:10,000). The positive rates of AMCA detection for each method were as follows (IDC vs CTL); 39% vs 6% for FITC, 38% vs 4% for IB (1:200), and 10% vs 0% for IB (1:10,000). Fifty-nine patients with IDC and 8 CTL were positive for AMCA by either method, and 18 patients with IDC and 2 CTL were positive for AMCA by both methods. IB-positivity at 1:200 was an independent predictor by multiple logistic regression analysis of non-sustained ventricular tachycardias as well as left ventricular end-diastolic diameter and plasma norepinephrine concentration.

Adult↗

Ultrastructure of aortic elastic fibers in copper-deficient Sika deer (Cervus nippon Temminck).

Light microscopic and transmission and scanning electron microscopic observations were performed on the aortas of two 4- and 6-year-old deer affected with cervine ataxia and two 6-month- and 4-year-old healthy deer. Examination of the aortas from affected deer by transmission electron microscopy revealed the absence of distinct elastic laminae in the internal elastic lamina and tunica media, but discontinuous and irregular clumps of elastin were present. Scanning electron microscopy disclosed immature architecture of elastic fibers in the aortas from the copper-deficient deer, and the architecture was similar to that of a 6-month-old healthy deer.

Animals↗

Insulinoma with subsequent association of Zollinger-Ellison syndrome.

We report a patient with insulinoma associated with Zollinger-Ellison syndrome. A 67-year-old woman was first admitted to our hospital for an abdominal mass. Abdominal computed tomography (CT) revealed a large pancreatic tumor, which was then diagnosed as an unresectable pancreatic adenocarcinoma. At the age of 71, she presented symptoms of hypoglycemia. Fasting blood glucose was 21 mg/dl and plasma immunoreactive insulin level was 846 microU/ ml. Plasma gastrin, glucagon, vasoactive intestinal polypeptide and somatostatin levels were all normal. At the age of 73, hypoglycemic attacks occurred more frequently and she was admitted to our hospital. Abdominal CT scan showed multiple liver metastases. Chemotherapy with 5-fluorouracil and doxorubicin was performed. Three months later, she had an emergency laparotomy because of a perforated duodenal ulcer. Plasma gastrin level was 1,960 pg/ml at that time. Gastric hypersecretion was well controlled with a proton pump inhibitor (lansoprazole) but she died of widespread cancer dissemination 8 years after her first admission. On autopsy, histologic examination revealed a mixed acinar-endocrine carcinoma of the pancreas. Immunohistochemical stains were positive for insulin, gastrin, and alpha1-antitrypsin.

Aged↗

Age-related changes in the testes of horses.

Atrophy of seminiferous tubules and interstitial fibrosis are frequently observed in aged horses. Samples from 8 male Thoroughbreds, age 4-24 years, were subjected to histological, electron microscopical and immunohistochemical examination and statistical analysis. There were statistically significant increases in collagen fibres in the lamina propria of seminiferous tubules and testicular interstitium in 3 horses age 23 and 24 years compared with 5 horses age 4-20 years (P<0.001). Lamina propria surrounding atrophic tubules was thickened by an increase in collagen type IV and elastic fibres and by proliferation of bizarre myoid cells. Basal lamina was also thickened but had decreased reactivity for collagen type IV. Some myoid cells changed morphologically to a swollen and irregular shape and contained abundant cytoplasmic organelles. Laser scanning microscopy revealed that cytoplasmic actin filaments were decreased; the remaining filaments were positive for alpha-smooth muscle actin and vimentin, and matrix metalloproteinase-2 was secreted. These myoid cells transformed into myofibroblasts. The changes are interpreted as evidence of injured structure and function of the lamina propria and basal lamina and may explain the functional decline of the blood-testis barrier. Myoid cells may play an important role in the progression of testicular fibrosis.

Actins↗

Conjugation with L-Glutamate for in vivo brain drug delivery.

In vitro studies have shown that conjugation of a model compound [p-di(hydroxyethyl)-amino-D-phenylalanine (D-MOD)] with L-Glu can improve D-MOD permeation through the bovine brain microvessel endothelial cell monolayers (Sakaeda et al., 2000). The transport of this D-MOD-L-Glu conjugate is facilitated by the L-Glu transport system. In this paper, we evaluate the in vivo brain delivery of model compounds (i.e. D-MOD, p-nitro-D-phenylalanine (p-nitro-D-Phe), 5,7-dichlorokynurenic acid (DCKA) and D-kyotorphin) and their L-Glu conjugates. DCKA was also conjugated with L-Asp and L-Gln amino acids. The analgesic activities of D-kyotorphin and its L-Glu conjugate were also evaluated. The results showed that the brain-to-plasma concentration ratio of D-MOD-L-Glu was higher than the D-MOD alone; however, the plasma concentration of both compounds were the same. The plasma concentration of p-nitro-D-Phe-L-Glu conjugate was higher than the parent p-nitro-D-Phe; however, the brain-to-plasma concentration ratio of p-nitro-D-Phe was higher than its conjugate. On the other hand, both DCKA and DCKA conjugates have a low brain-to-plasma concentration ratio due to their inability to cross the blood-brain barrier (BBB). The L-Asp and L-Glu conjugates of DCKA have elevated plasma concentrations relative to DCKA; however, the DCKA-L-Gln conjugate has the same plasma concentration as DCKA. For D-kyotorphin, both the parent and the L-Glu conjugate showed similar analgesic activity. In conclusion, conjugation of a non-permeable drug with L-Glu may improve the drug's brain delivery; however, this improvement may depend on the physicochemical and receptor binding properties of the conjugate.

Animals↗

Rapid contamination of the environments with varicella-zoster virus DNA from a patient with herpes zoster.

Patients with zoster are considered to be less contagious than varicella patients because their infection is localised. It is not known, however, when and for how long a spread of varicella-zoster virus (VZV) from a zoster patient begins and continues and the extent of virus spread from the patient. The polymerase chain reaction (PCR) was used to detect VZV DNA in samples obtained from the hands and throat of a patient with zoster and from her room environments including surfaces of the back of a chair, the door handle, the table and the air conditioner filter. VZV DNA was detected on the surfaces of the back of the seat and the table and in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) and serum on Day 4 of the illness. VZV DNAemia persisted for 4 days until Day 7 of the illness. It was also detected in samples collected from throat and the air conditioner filter on Days 6 and 7 of the illness respectively. All of the surfaces, that were examined in her home environment, were contaminated with VZV DNA by Day 7 of the illness. The present study showed rapid and wide spread of VZV DNA in the environment even from a patient with zoster.

Adult↗

[Indications for and operative outcome of hepatopancreatoduodenectomy in the treatment of gallbladder carcinoma].

Hepatopacreatoduodenectomy (HPD) was initially performed to resect highly advanced gallbladder carcinoma with direct invasion of the liver and head of the pancreas. High operative morbidity and mortality rates and early recurrence were major problems of this procedure. However, the operative outcome gradually improved with progress in surgical procedures and perioperative management. Recently, HPD has been indicated not only for direct invasion of the liver and pancreas but also for intensive dissection of peripancreatic lymph nodes and resection of occult liver metastasis to subsegments IV and V. Evaluation of all cases in which HPD was performed in our institute suggests that advanced gallbladder carcinoma with lymph node metastasis and without high-grade infiltration of the hepatoduodenal ligament (binf) is the most suitable indication for HPD.

Gallbladder Neoplasms↗

[Mechanisms of cancer-induced anorexia].

Possible mediators of anorexia-cachesia syndrome are hormones, cytokines, and leptin at the peripheral tissues, and neuropeptides, cytokines, and hormones in the hypothalamus. Insulin resistance and relative hyper-glucagonemia might stimulate anorexia. Interleukin(IL)-6, and tumor necrosis factor(TNF)-alpha as well as IL-1 and leukemia inhibitory factor(LIF) are some of those cytokines. Although leptin in the adipose tissue is an attractive addition, changes in the tumor-bearing state does not support its active role in the induction of anorexia. Newer neuropeptides related with anorexia and oxygenia have been found in the hypothalamus. Hypothalamic neuropeptide Y(NPY) and ciliary neurotropic factor(CNTF) are some of those promising mediators. Although current trend has been progestational drugs, newer drugs such as anticytokines, anabolic agents, and neuropeptide agonists/antagonists are now under investigations.

Anorexia↗

Human herpesvirus 6 infection in transplantation.

Human herpesvirus 6 (HHV-6) is ubiquitous in the human population and causes exanthem subitum, a benign disease seen in infancy. The virus remains latent in the body after primary infection, and reactivates in immunocompromised patients. Infection occurs in nearly half of all bone marrow or solid organ transplant recipients 2-3 weeks following the procedure. It has been suggested that the viral infection and activation result in clinical symptoms including fever, skin rash, pneumonia, bone marrow suppression, encephalitis, and rejection. In order to control the viral infection, several studies investigating the route of viral transmission and diagnostic procedures have been carried out.

Bone Marrow Transplantation↗

[Current status of genetic study on affective disorder].

A series of studies have indicated the existence of genetic predisposition and the polygenic-multifactorial mode of transmission for bipolar disorder(BPD). Linkage studies have defined several BPD susceptibility loci. The findings to date suggested the candidate regions on 4p16, 12q23-24, 18p11, 18q22, 21q22, Xq24-27 for BPD, although no genes has yet been definitively identified. There are also many reports on the analyses of candidate genes, using association studies. But none of gene polymorphisms have been established as firm disease alleles with sufficient replications. Novel statistical methods and development of new strategies are necessary to approach the goal of isolating susceptibility genes.

Animals↗