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Biomedical subjects

Tamiji Tsubokawa

Publications and source records attributed to Tamiji Tsubokawa.

7 recordsLinked to original sources

Cathepsin and calpain inhibitor E64d attenuates matrix metalloproteinase-9 activity after focal cerebral ischemia in rats.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) and cysteine proteases (calpain and cathepsin B) play an important role in cell death and are upregulated after focal cerebral ischemia. Because there is a significant interaction between MMP-9 with calpain and cathepsin B, we investigated the role of E64d (a calpain and cathepsin B inhibitor) on MMP-9 activation in the rat focal ischemia model. METHODS: Male Sprague-Dawley rats were subjected to 2 hours of middle cerebral artery occlusion by using the suture insertion method followed by 22 hours of reperfusion. In the treatment group, a single dose of E64d (5 mg/kg IP) was administrated 30 minutes before the induction of focal ischemia, whereas the nontreatment group received dimethyl sulfoxide only. The neurological deficits, infarct volumes, Evans blue extravasation, brain edema, and MMP-9 activation in the brain were determined. RESULTS: Pretreatment with E64d produced a significant reduction in the cerebral infarction volume (353.1+/-19.8 versus 210.3+/-23.7 mm3) and the neurological deficits. Immunofluorescence studies showed MMP-9, calpain, and cathepsin B activation colocalized to both neurons and the neurovascular endothelial cells after ischemia, which was reduced by E64d. CONCLUSIONS: These results suggest that E64d treatment provides a neuroprotective effect to rats after transient focal cerebral ischemia by inhibiting the upregulation of MMP-9.

Animals↗

Comparison of silicon-coated nylon suture to plain nylon suture in the rat middle cerebral artery occlusion model.

UNLABELLED: A variety of intraluminal sutures have been used in the middle cerebral artery occlusion model (MCAO) of focal ischemia. In the present study we tested commercially available silicon-coated nylon suture in the MCAO model and compared the results to traditional monofilament nylon suture occlusion. Twelve Sprague-Dawley male rats were randomly divided two groups, MCAO with 4-0 nylon suture (Group N, n=6) and MCAO with silicone-coated 4-0 nylon suture (Group S, n=6). Rats were sacrificed 24 h after reperfusion. Assessment included mortality rates, neurological evaluation, and infarct volume. One rat died in each group from subarachanoid hemorrhage. Neurological evaluation demonstrated that Group S tended to have worse neurological outcomes than Group N, although this difference was not statistically significant. On TTC stain Group S had significantly larger infarct volumes than Group N. We conclude that the commercially available silicone-coated occlusion suture provides better occlusion of the middle cerebral artery than the traditional uncoated nylon suture. CLASSIFICATION: Disease-related neuroscience (Section 6).

Animals↗

Neurovascular and neuronal protection by E64d after focal cerebral ischemia in rats.

Calpains and cathepsins are two families of proteases that play an important role in ischemic cell death. In this study, we investigated the effect of E64d, a mu-calpain and cathepsin B inhibitor, in the prevention of neuronal and endothelial apoptotic cell death after focal cerebral ischemia in rats. Rats underwent 2 hr of transient focal ischemia from middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) and were sacrificed 24 hr later. E64d (5 mg/ kg intraperitoneally) was administered 30 min before MCAO. Assessment included neurological function, infarction volume, brain water content, blood-brain barrier permeability, histology, and immunohistochemistry. The E64d-treated rats had significant brain protection against ischemic damage. We observed a reduction of infarction volume, brain edema, and improved neurological scores in E64d-treated rats compared with the nontreated control. Furthermore, there was a remarkable reduction in both proteases and caspase-3 activation and apoptotic changes in both neurons and endothelial cells in E64d-treated rats. These results suggest that E64d protects the brain against ischemic/reperfusion injury by attenuating neuronal and endothelial apoptosis.

Analysis of Variance↗

Inhibition of integrin alphavbeta3 reduces blood-brain barrier breakdown in focal ischemia in rats.

Ischemic stroke is a major cause of morbidity and mortality in industrialized nations. We tested the effect of postischemic treatment of cyclo-RGDfV (cRGDfV), a selective inhibitor of integrin alphavbeta3, in the middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) model of ischemic stroke in rats. Rats were randomly divided into three groups: sham operation (n = 13), MCAO with no treatment (n = 18), and MCAO with cRGDfV treatment (n = 28). Focal ischemia was induced with the suture occlusion method for 2 hr, and treatment was given 1 hr after reperfusion (3 hr after ischemia). All animals were sacrificed 24 hr after reperfusion. Assessment included neurological scores, infarction volumes, brain water content, Evans blue exudation, IgG exudation, histology, immunohistochemistry, and Western blotting. Treatment with cRGDfV ameliorated neurological deficits, reduced brain edema, and reduced exudation of Evans blue dye and IgG, but failed to reduce infarction volumes. Western blotting showed a reduction in phosphorylation of one subset of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) receptors in the cRGDfV treatment group. Western blotting also demonstrated a significant reduction of fibrinogen in the cRGDfV treatment group. We conclude that poststroke treatment with cRGDfV reduces blood-brain barrier breakdown in focal ischemia, possibly through inhibition of VEGF-mediated vascular breakdown.

Analysis of Variance↗

[Our current technique for basic pterional craniotomy].

Pterional cnaniotomy is frequently used in neurosurgical practice, but still poses significant cosmetic and functional drawbacks. Here, we describe our modified technique to overcome such problems as the sterilization of the scalp without brush and razor, preemptive analgesia, preservation of the periostium for reconstruction, retrograde dissection of the temporal muscle, and complete sphenoidotomy using chisel or drills. The tips of our pterional craniotomy offer suitable size and depth of working field around the paraclinoidal regions, maintaining cosmetic satisfaction of the patients.

Anesthesia↗

High plasma concentration of brain natriuretic peptide in patients with ruptured anterior communicating artery aneurysm.

The purpose of this study is to investigate the mechanism of increased atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP) and brain natriuretic peptide (BNP) in patients with subarachnoid hemorrhage due to ruptured aneurysms. ANP and BNP plasma concentrations were measured by immunoradiometoric assay in 53 patients at the day of onset of ruptured aneurysm, the correlation between values of increased ANP or BNP, and sex, age, location of ruptured aneurysm, degree of SAH, and severity of WFNS were statistically studied. The concentration of BNP in ruptured anterior communicating artery aneurysm (A-com) shows a significant elevation compared with other site aneurysms (p = 0.0007). The patients classified as WFNS Grade V, show a significantly higher concentration of BNP, compared with the patients classified as Grade I-IV (p =0.01). It is concluded that the hypersecretion of BNP, but not ANP, is caused by direct mechanical damage at the anterior hypothalamus by ruptured A-com aneurysm and a higher increase of BNP is also observed in cases suffering from severe neurological deficit.

Adult↗

[Clinical significance of natriuretic peptides in patients with aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage].

Hyponatremia and hypovolemia following aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) might be speculated by exaggerated secretion of natriuretic peptides and resulted ischemic sequela caused by cerebral vasospasm. We measured serum concentration of natriuretic peptides and investigated their influence on post-SAH hyponatremia. Among 49 patients of SAH, their plasma concentration of the natriuretic peptides (atrial natriuretic peptide: ANP and brain natriuretic peptide: BNP) were measured at the day of ictus and 7th day of SAH. The correlation between concentration of natriuretic peptides and location of aneurysm, severity of SAH, incidence of hyponatremia and symptomatic vasospasm were elucidated. The plasma concentration of ANP did not alter on admission and 7th day post SAH, whereas that of BNP increased in the patients with moribund SAH and those with ruptured A-com aneurysm. The initial increase of BNP following SAH could be attributed to direct damage of SAH on the hypothalamus. Hyponatremia and symptomatic vasospasm tended to occur in the patients who had persistent increase of plasma BNP concentration during one week post SAH. Therapeutic intervention to maintain normonatremia by fluid-management decreased occurrence of symptomatic vasospasm, even though patients with increased plasma BNP concentration. It might be concluded that increased secretion of BNP following SAH is caused by direct effect to the hypothalamus and prolonged hyper secretion of BNP resulted hyponatremia, hypovolemia and exaggerated symptomatic vasospasm.

Aneurysm, Ruptured↗