Isodunnianin: a new sesquiterpene enhancing neurite outgrowth in primary culture of fetal rat cerebral hemisphere from Illicium tashiroi.
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Animals↗
Biomedical subjects
Y Fukuyama
Publications and source records attributed to Y Fukuyama.
Naturally occurring 5-lipoxygenase inhibitor. II. Structures and syntheses of ardisianones A and B, and maesanin, alkenyl-1,4-benzoquinones from the rhizome of Ardisia japonica.
New alkenyl-1,4-benzoquinones, ardisianones A (1) and B (2), and the known maesanin (3) as 5-lipoxygenase inhibitors have been isolated from the rhizome of Ardisia japonica. Their structures have been elucidated as 2-methoxy-6-[(Z)-10'-pentadecenyl]-1,4-benzoquinone and 5-hydroxy-2-methoxy-6-[(Z)-8'-tridecenyl]-1,4-benzoquinone, respectively, on the basis of spectroscopic data and chemical degradation. Ardisianone A (1), maesanin (3) and belamcandol A (7) have been synthesized starting from belamcandol B (6), readily prepared by Wittig reaction between 9-(2-tetrahydropyranyloxy)nonanal and 3,5-dimethoxybenzyltriphenylphsophonium bromide followed by selective demethylation with sodium thioethoxide.
Anisoles↗
[Body composition (densitometry-hydrostatics), skinfold thickness, BMI and their relationships in junior high school girls].
A study was conducted to evaluate body composition (Hydrostatics = Under-Water Weighing), skinfold thickness, and BMI in 97 junior high school girls, aged 12 to 15, in Nagasaki City. Body density was measured by under-water weighing, and the two compartments--fat weight (Fat) and lean body mass (LBM, or fat free weight: FFW)--were calculated using the formulas of Brozek et al. The results were as follows; 1. Mean values of body density were 1.0501 in first grade girls, 1.0476 in the second grade, and 1.0466 in the third grade. 2. Mean values of percentage body fat (% Fat) were 21.1% in the first grade, 22.1% in the second and 22.5% in the third. 3. Lean body mass (LBM) and LBM/Height increased significantly with advance from the first to the third grade. 4. The correlation coefficient between percent body fat and the sum of two skinfold thicknesses, the sum of three skinfold thicknesses, or the sum of seven skinfold thicknesses were 0.81, 0.80, and 0.82 respectively and all statistically significant (p < 0.001). 5. The correlation coefficient between BMI and the sum of two skinfold thicknesses, the sum of three skinfold thicknesses (r = 0.841) or the sum of seven skinfold thicknesses were 0.85, 0.84, and 0.84 respectively, and all statistically significant (p < 0.001). 6. Mean values of BMI, WSR, ASR, and WHR in all subjects (n = 97) were 19.6, 0.72, 0.39 and 0.43 respectively.
Adolescent↗
[UFTPM (UFT + CDDP + MMC) therapy for progressive stomach cancer. Research Association of Progressive Stomach Cancer].
We organized a cooperative research group consisting of 10 institutions and UFTPM therapy was given patients with unresectable and postoperatively relapsed stomach cancer. As the result, 20 cases were registered and the ratio of PR according to the criteria of stomach cancer chemotherapy was 4 out of 17 complete cases (23.5%), excluding 3 incomplete cases. The efficacy for the cases treated with more than 2 courses was 36.4% (4/11) and that for cases with 3 courses was 75% (3/4). One case with 3 courses was resectable and the cancer cells disappeared. Adverse effects of grade 3 or more according to the WHO criteria were observed in 20% of the cases.
Aged↗
[Clinical significance of dystrophin test for patients with various neuromuscular diseases--immunofluorescence and immunoblot analyses of dystrophin abnormalities].
The dystrophin test was performed on skeletal muscle specimens from 81 cases with various neuromuscular diseases by using two new monoclonal antibodies. The results were compared with those obtained by using four polyclonal antibodies. These monoclonal and polyclonal antibodies were raised against various portions of the dystrophin molecule. On immunohistochemical analysis, the two new monoclonal antibodies showed the same staining pattern as the four polyclonal antibodies. Non-specific immunostaining of the cytoplasm, often seen with polyclonal antibodies, was not observed with monoclonal antibodies. With the application of monoclonal antibodies, the connective tissue sometimes showed non-specific immunostaining which originated from the second fluorescent antibody. On immunoblot analysis, one of the two monoclonal antibodies, antibody 4-4 C 5, showed weak immunoreactivity, and the 400 kDa dystrophin band was not detected. Three cases out of 15 with Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD), and one case out of 3 with limb-girdle type muscular dystrophy which had previously been diagnosed on the basis of clinical data, were found to have non-dystrophin-related muscular dystrophy, and Becker muscular dystrophy (BMD), respectively. Three and two of five cases were diagnosed as DMD and BMD, respectively, though clinical diagnosis had not been possible because they were too young. Clinical diagnosis of congenital muscular dystrophy was confirmed in 9 patients by the dystrophin test. Only one of three certain DMD carriers had a so-called mosaic staining pattern. We conclude that all six antibodies are useful tools for the diagnosis of neuromuscular diseases, because of their high specificity for dystrophin.
Adolescent↗
[Chronic hypothermia and a disordered thermoregulation in a child with severe brain damage and malnutrition].
Patients with brain damage, especially under malnutrition, sometimes show a disordered thermoregulation. Our case was an 11 year-3-month-old boy with severe brain damage probably of prenatal origin, who was physically extremely small in size for age and showed difficulty of taking food. Low body temperature ranging from 34.0 degrees C to 36.0 degrees C became outstanding since 9 years of age. Continuous rectum temperature monitoring was starged, when he was admitted in our department of pediatrics in Tokyo Women's Medical College Hospital for the therapy of acute infection. Before hospitalization, he took orally only 150 to 200 kcal/day. After the recovery from the infection, a higher calorie diet appropriate for his body weight was given through a nasal tube. Dramatic improvement was observed in terms of sleep pattern, body temperature and thermoregulation after the administration of higher calorie nutrients. It is suggested that the circadian rhythm of the body temperature would be disturbed by chronic malnutrition in children with brain damage.
Body Temperature Regulation↗
[Diurnal secretion profile of melatonin in epileptic children with or without photosensitivity and an observation of altered circadian rhythm in a case of completely under dark living condition].
Diurnal secretion profile of melatonin was studied by measuring multiple serum melatonin levels in three photosensitive epileptic children (group P) and eleven epileptic children without photosensitivity (group E). In the group E patients a normal fluctuation pattern of serum melatonin levels was observed; low and stable during daytime and rapidly elevating and high in the night. Five out of eleven patients took midday naps, which did not cause any change of serum melatonin level, remaining at the low baseline level. In 2 out of 3 patients in group P, nocturnal peak levels were far lower than those in group E. The third case with severe photosensitive epilepsy was kept in a dark room with the aim of avoiding slightest light stimuli that may provoke seizures. During the period of the dark room therapy extending over 105 days, her circadian rhythm of sleep-wakefulness was prolonged from 24.00 hours to 24.27 hours. Nocturnal increment of melatonin was observed in this case. It was concluded that an endogenous circadian rhythm is operating in the melatonin secretion and that this mechanism is intact in epileptic children irrespective to the presence or absence of photosensitivity.
Child↗
[A case of optic neuritis following rubella encephalitis].
A 5-year-old boy with left side optic neuritis, which manifested itself 21 days after the onset of rubella eruption, is reported. Seven days after the onset of rash which persisted for 3 days, he was found to be excessively somnolent and disoriented, and a diagnosis of rubella encephalitis was made at our clinic. Clinical symptoms spontaneously subsided 3 days later. Twenty-one days after the appearance of rash (16 days after the onset of encephalitis) he complained of left frontal headache and blurred vision of left eye. The funduscopic examination revealed the left papillitis. Pattern reversal VEP (PVEPs) evoked by stimuli of left eye showed absence of N75 wave, and a prolonged conduction time and low amplitude of P100 wave. Corticosteroid therapy improved his complaints, funduscopic and PVEPs findings. When the treatment was stopped, the funduscopic findings were exacerbated but were improved soon again by the additional corticosteroid therapy. A delayed onset of optic neuritis after the initial infection and a prompt response to corticosteroid therapy may suggest an involvement of some autoimmune process in the pathogenesis of postinfectious optic neuritis in our case.
Child, Preschool↗
[Molecular genetics of Duchenne/Becker muscular dystrophy].
The X-linked gene responsible for Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD)/Becker muscular dystrophy (BMD) encodes dystrophin, a high-molecular-weight cytoskeletal protein. The identification of the dystrophin gene through positional cloning, and the subsequent description of its protein product have opened several new fields of research and genetic diagnosis. Studies in our laboratory revealed that 26 out of 47 (55%) cases of DMD and nine out of 12 (75%) cases of BMD exhibited genomic deletion. The DMD phenotype is associated with mutations that shift the reading frame of the message, whereas the BMD phenotype is associated with mutations that maintain the reading frame. Immunofluorescence microscopy has established dystrophin's distribution on the plasma membrane of muscles. DMD patients demonstrate a lack of dystrophin on their muscle cell membrane, whereas BMD patients produce a limited amount of protein or abnormally sized protein. Extensive studies on dystrophin and the gene may lead to an understanding of the cause for this and may allow development of a rational treatment for DMD to be developed.
Animals↗
Molecular genetic and immunological analysis of dystrophin of a young patient with X-linked muscular dystrophy.
We examined the nucleotide sequence of deleted part of dystrophin mRNA and its translational product with immunoblot and immunohistochemical methods in a 6-year-old boy with a deleted DMD/BMD gene. On Southern blot analysis of his genomic DNA, we found a deletion of exons 10 to 37 in the DMD/BMD gene, which was expected to preserve the translational open reading frame (ORF). Dystrophin mRNA from his biopsy sample was amplified by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and sequenced. The mRNA lacked the sequence corresponding to the gene from exons 10-37, and the translational ORF was preserved. The transcript was expected to code a 260 kDa protein. Dystrophin expressed in this patient was investigated with immunological methods. A 260 kDa protein was detected by immunoblot analysis with antidystrophin antiserum against nondeleted regions. These observations confirmed the preservation of the reading frame and the 260 kDa protein was produced as a mutant dystrophin. All these are compatible with the diagnosis of BMD. However, the immunohistochemical pattern of his muscle cells was peculiar. With deleted-region-directed antiserum, the membrane was not stained at all as in DMD patients. In contrast, with nondeleted-region-directed antiserum, all the muscle cell membrane was stained continuously as in non-DMD/BMD individuals. These are quite different from the staining pattern in most BMD patients where muscles are stained patchily or discontinuously.
Amino Acid Sequence↗
A comparative clinical and pharmacokinetic study of a new slow-release versus conventional preparations of valproic acid in children with intractable epilepsy.
Thirteen children with intractable epilepsy were treated by means of three-times-daily administration of a conventional preparation of valproic acid (C-VPA) and twice-daily administration of a new slow-release preparation of VPA (SR-VPA) with the cross-over technique. The frequency of seizures, side effect and steady-state pharmacokinetics of VPA were evaluated. With the change from C-VPA tid to SR-VPA bid, four patients exhibited a significant reduction in seizure frequency. The steady-state minimum concentration (Cmin) was higher, the maximum concentration (Cmax) lower and there were less diurnal fluctuations with SR-VPA, than with the respective values obtained in the C-VPA group, all the differences being statistically significant. Furthermore, a significant difference was unexpectedly found in the area under the curve (AUC) from 0 to 24 hours, the mean AUC in the period of SR-VPA being 9% higher than that with C-VPA. Five of the nine patients under 6 years of age showed more than 10% increase, and all four patients over 6 years of age less than 10% increase or a decrease in AUC. It was concluded that with SR-VPA bid, the pharmacokinetic features were more stable, the age-related AUC value was larger and the clinical effect was better than in comparison to C-VPA tid in children with intractable epilepsy.
Adolescent↗
Moyamoya disease (syndrome) and the Down syndrome.
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Down Syndrome↗
A case with nocturnal paroxysmal unilateral dystonia and interictal right frontal epileptic EEG focus: a lateralized variant of nocturnal paroxysmal dystonia?
We report here a patient with frequent nocturnal attacks, characterized by paroxysmal dystonic posturing of the left arm and contraction of the lower face, lasting 20-30 seconds. The attacks occurred in clusters of up to 20 spasms during the NREM stage of sleep. Interictal EEG showed clear-cut epileptic discharges in the right frontal region. Repeated ictal video-EEG recordings revealed only arousal pattern immediately before and during seizures except in those which evolved to left sided clonic hemiconvulsions. The dystonic attacks here described share many features of nocturnal paroxysmal dystonia (NPD) of Lugaresi and Cirignotta in common, including nocturnal periodic occurrence, absence of ictal EEG changes during attacks, and favorable response to CBZ, except for their unilateral nature. It was assumed that our case may be a lateralized variant of NPD and would further support the hypothesis that NPD is one particular form of frontal lobe epilepsy.
Child↗
A long-term follow-up study of first episodes of idiopathic status convulsivus in childhood: in relation to subsequent epilepsy (second report).
Fifty-four idiopathic status convulsivus (SC) cases were followed prospectively for a period between 5 and 21 years, the average being 13 years. Three-fourths of the cases had no residuals. There were two patterns of subsequent epilepsy; 1) complex partial seizures (CPS) with or without secondarily generalization (GTS) developed 4.3 +/- 3.5 years after febrile SC, 2) unilateral seizures or CPS +/- GTS developed 1.2 +/- 1.0 years after afebrile SC. The seizure prognosis of these cases was good except for some cases in the former group. There have been two kinds of theories regarding SC and epilepsy until now. One was derived from retrospective studies: SC and/or complex febrile convulsion (FC) were considered the main causes of temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE) producing mesial temporal sclerosis (MTS). Another was derived from prospective studies, in which the relation between FC and TLE was considered weak. Our results revealed that 6 cases (15%) out of 30 febrile SC developed epilepsy, and that five of those six cases were diagnosed as CPS. Three of 5 CPS cases were diagnosed as TLE. Recently the seizure prognosis of operative therapy for TLE--especially the MTS type--has been very favorable. Furthermore, it has become easy to find MTS by Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI). So, we emphasize that a precise follow-up study of SC using MRI, EEG, etc., is important in deciding the appropriate therapy for TLE, as well as in the study of the pathogenesis of TLE.
Child↗
Partial imitation and partial sensory agnosia in mentally normal children with convulsive disorders.
Mentally normal 6-9 year old children with or without convulsive disorders were examined using the procedures of the five soft signs (SS) selected from conventional soft neurological signs and Bergès' gesture imitation tasks. In comparisons of SS between the 60 children with convulsive disorders (CD group) and the 38 without (N group), the average number of SS detected in each case and the incidence ratio of the two signs--partial imitation (PI) and partial sensory agnosia (PSA)--were higher in the CD group than the N group. Examinations of relationships between age, IQ, error index (EI; an index taken from the Continuous Performance Test) and SS, and of correlations among the SS, found two kinds of SS: age-related and El-related signs. The former included right-left confusion, clumsiness and PI, which correlated with each other, while the latter included unstableness of lateral gazing and PSA, which did not correlate with each other. Even though several factors belonging to characteristics of convulsive disorders were evaluated concerning the presence or absence of PI and PSA, there was only one relationship: PSA was more common in children with febrile convulsions than in those with epilepsy. We speculated that PSA reflected an immaturity of the brain in children with febrile convulsions.
Agnosia↗
Structures of americanol A and isoamericanol A having a neurotrophic property from the seeds of Phytolacca americana.
The structures of new neo-lignans, isoamericanol A (1) and americanol A (2) isolated from the seeds of Phytolacca americana have been elucidated on the basis of spectroscopic data and then confirmed by chemical correlation with the previously known isoamericanin A (3) and americanin A (4). Isoamericanol A, americanol A, and americanin A have been found to enhance choline acetyltransferase activity at 10(-5) M in a cultured neuronal cell system derived from fetal rat hemisphere.
Animals↗
[Death education for the healthy elderly].
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Aged↗
[Progressive cerebellar ataxia with diencephalic symptoms (Toyokura)--a case report].
We reported a 16-year-old boy suffering from dwarfism, diabetes insipidus and progressive cerebellar ataxia. The disease entity here reported was originally reported by Toyokura et al. in 1967, under the title of "progressive cerebellar ataxia with diencephalic symptoms". Ten similar cases have been reported in literature so far, all of which were Japanese except for two sibling cases reported by Robinson et al. The topographic distribution of the lesion in this disorder, however, had been conjectured to be at spinocerebellar tract and diencephalon only on a clinical ground. By applying the modern techniques of neuroimaging, electrophysiological and endocrinological test in our patient, the authors were able to demonstrate the lesion of the disorder more precisely. CT and MRI of the head revealed degenerative changes in deeper structures of the bilateral cerebellar hemispheres. ABR abnormality suggested the presence of a wide lesion in the brain stem. Pituitary hormones (GH and ACTH) sufficiently responded to the loading of hypothalamic hormones such as growth hormone releasing factor and corticotropin releasing factor, in spite of poor responses of GH under the insulin stimulation or sleep. These clinical and laboratory findings suggested that the patient has a systemic degenerative disease which preferentially involves hypothalamus, brain stem and cerebellum.
Adolescent↗