Biomedical subjects

Y Horii

Publications and source records attributed to Y Horii.

At least 91 records · Page 5Linked to original sources

PubMed1994

Microsurgical epididymovasostomy for obstructive azoospermia: factors affecting postoperative fertility.

Azoospermia due to epididymal obstruction can be treated by microsurgical epididymovasostomy with high patency rates. Twenty-four azoospermic patients with epididymal obstruction due to a variety of causes underwent 26 microsurgical epididymovasostomies. The overall patency rate following surgery was 80.8% and impregnation was achieved by 10 patients (41.7%). Factors affecting the postoperative impregnation rate were etiology and duration of obstruction. Patients with an obstruction for < or = 15 years, caused by epididymitis or post-vasectomy epididymal blow-out, achieved a higher impregnation rate than the others (8 of 9 vs. 2 of 11, p = 0.0019). The motility of epididymal sperm or the presence of serum antisperm antibodies had no apparent effect on postoperative fertility. Microsurgical epididymovasostomy is particularly effective in patients with epididymitis or vasectomy patients with a short-term obstruction.

Adult↗

PubMed1994

Quantitation of erythrocyte-bound IgG by competitive solid-phase enzyme immunoassay.

A competitive solid-phase enzyme immunoassay technique for the quantitation of erythrocyte (RBC)-bound IgG was devised. This method is highly sensitive, reproducible and can be performed more simply. Anemic dogs with a positive Coombs' test result were observed to have higher RBC-bound IgG values (IgG concentration, ng/ml) than healthy dogs.

Anemia↗

PubMed1994

Elevated erythrocyte-bound IgG value in dogs with clinical Babesia gibsoni infection.

Erythrocyte (RBC)-bound IgG values (IgG concentration, ng/ml) were examined in 8 Babesia gibsoni-infected and 10 healthy dogs by a competitive enzyme immunoassay. Five dogs with clinical B. gibsoni infection, manifesting severe anemia, were observed to have increased RBC-bound IgG values compared to dogs with subclinical B. gibsoni infection and healthy controls, this suggesting that anemia in B. gibsoni infection may be explained in part on the basis of a humoral immunologic mechanism.

Anemia↗

PubMed1994

Protective immunity against multiple challenges of Brugia pahangi in Mongolian gerbils induced by drug-abbreviated infection.

Protective immunity against multiple challenge infections was examined in Mongolian gerbils after a drug-abbreviated infection with Brugia pahangi. The gerbils treated with mebendazole (MBZ) during the late prepatent period (7-9 weeks of postinfection) were challenged with 5 inoculations of 50 infective larvae of B. pahangi at 4-week intervals. The worm burden was significantly reduced 68.6% (19.0 in average number) to that of controls (60.6) and was accompanied with enhanced eosinophil responses 1 week after each challenge. MBZ-treated gerbils suppressed microfilaremia almost completely after the challenge infections.

Animals↗

PubMed1994

Methemoglobin formation and reduction in canine erythrocytes characterized by inherited high Na+, K(+)-ATPase activity with normal and high glutathione concentrations.

The methemoglobin formation and methemoglobin reduction in canine erythrocytes characterized by inherited high potassium (K+) and normal reduced glutathione concentrations (HK-low GSH cells) were compared with those in canine erythrocytes with inherited high K+ and high GSH concentrations (HK-high GSH cells) and normal canine erythrocytes with low K+ and low (= normal) GSH concentrations (LK-low GSH cells). The rate of methemoglobin formation induced by sodium nitrite (NaNO2) was in the order; LK-low GSH > HK-low GSH > HK-high GSH cells, and the difference among groups was significant at 7 and 15 min. Methemoglobin reduction in a medium containing glucose occurred rapidly in both HK-high GSH and HK-low GSH cells, and the rate of reduction was 1.7-fold higher than in LK-low GSH cells. Accumulation of pyruvate equivalent to the amount of methemoglobin reduced indicated that methemoglobin was predominantly reduced by NADH-methemoglobin reductase coupled to glycolysis. HK-low GSH cells showed an increased glycolytic rate and high pyruvate kinase activity similar to the levels in HK-high GSH cells. It is therefore evident that HK-low GSH cells offer greater protection against oxidation of hemoglobin to methemoglobin than LK-low GSH cells because of the increased glycolytic rate in HK-low GSH cells attributable to high pyruvate kinase activity in these cells.

Animals↗

PubMed1994

Reactivity of serum anti-erythrocyte membrane antibody in Babesia gibsoni-infected dogs.

Reactivity of anti-erythrocyte membrane (RBCm) antibody in sera of B. gibosni-infected dogs on native RBCm and erythrocyte surface (RBCs) was examined using an enzyme linked immunosorbent assay. Anti-RBCm antibody attached to native RBCm and the surface of erythrocytes (RBC) treated with phenylhydrazine or neuraminidase, but not to the surface of non-treated RBC. Based on these results, anti-cytoskeletal protein antibody in sera of B. gibsoni-infected dogs is considered to attach to native RBCm, and furthermore free radical-induced oxidative stress imposed on RBC and sialic acid removal from glycoproteins of RBC are considered necessary for anti-transmembrane protein antibody in sera of B. gibsoni-infected dogs to be bound to RBCs. These are important to elucidating the mechanism of the marked increase in RBCs-bound IgG value and anemia in B. gibsoni infection.

Animals↗

PubMed1994

A case report of serologically diagnosed pulmonary anisakiasis with pleural effusion and multiple lesions.

The second known human case of pulmonary anisakiasis is reported. A 22-years-old man living in Hyuga City, Miyazaki Prefecture, Japan, developed high fever, respiratory distress, and pleural effusion after consumption of raw fish. Although his total white blood cell count increased to approximately 10,000-20,000/mm3, eosinophilia was not observed. The total IgE level in his serum markedly increased up to 3,599 IU/ml. Since the patient was suspected to have a parasitic disease, immunoserologic tests were carried out. Screening tests using a multiple dot-enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and an Ouchterlony double-diffusion test showed that his serum and pleural effusion had the strongest reactivity against crude antigen of Anisakis type I larvae, together with weak cross-reactivity against several other nematode antigens. Since extragastrointestinal anisakiasis was strongly suspected, this diagnosis was confirmed by a microplate-ELISA and Western blot analysis using a monoclonal antibody.

Adult↗

PubMed1994

Depressed specific and nonspecific immune responses in secondary Brugia pahangi infection in jirds.

The immune responsiveness to specific antigens or mitogens was examined in jirds after primary and secondary infections with Brugia pahangi. When spleen cells were obtained from secondarily infected jirds, their proliferative responses to mitogens such as Con A or LPS, or to specific antigens prepared from infective larvae or adult worms were significantly lower than those of spleen cells obtained from primarily infected jirds. The proliferative responses of the peripheral blood mononuclear cells obtained from animals undergoing primary and secondary infections also showed a similar tendency. The depressed proliferative responses of the secondary infected spleen cells to Con A or LPS was partially restored by removing adherent/phagocytic cells from the original cell populations. After deletion of the adherent cells, however, antigen-specific proliferative responses were not altered and remained at low level. These results suggest that at least two different mechanisms of depression, namely adherent cell-mediated antigen-nonspecific suppression and unresponsiveness of lymphocytes to filarial antigens, are induced in jirds in the secondary infection.

Animals↗

PubMed1994

[Prune belly syndrome with atresia ani and urethral stricture: a case report].

A case of prune belly syndrome associated with urethral stricture and atresia ani is reported. Cystostomy and colostomy were performed on his birthday. Cutaneous vesicostomy, bilateral ureterocystoneoplasty and proctoplasty were performed when the patient was one year old, and urethrotomy was performed when he was four years old. He was closely followed for six years and six months, and had developed without any serious episodes. We collected 128 cases of prune belly syndrome from the Japanese literature including this, and made a brief discussion of this syndrome with urethral stricture and atresia ani.

Anal Canal↗

PubMed1994

Distribution of thrombomodulin in patients with focal and segmental glomerulosclerosis (FSGS).

Thrombomodulin (TM), an endothelial cell surface glycoprotein, is a regulatory factor in the intravascular anticoagulant system. Furthermore, its plasma level is believed to reflect injury to the endothelial cell. In searching for changes in intraglomerular coagulation and endothelial cell injury during the clinical course of 14 patients with focal and segmental glomerulosclerosis (FSGS), we evaluated the distribution of thrombomodulin (TM) in the kidney by immunohistochemical methods. In the nephrotic stage, intraglomerular staining for TM was weak and segmental and occurred in 6 out of 9 patients (67%), but the incidence of TM expression was not different significantly from that in the normal kidney. Sclerotic lesion was negative for TM. In all patients with incomplete remission and with complete remission, strong and diffuse staining was seen in intra- and extraglomerular endothelial cells. Moreover, TM was scattered in sclerotic lesions. The present study suggest that the over-expression of TM in remission may be linked to recovery from endothelial cell damage and that TM may be closely involved in the repair of FSGS.

Adolescent↗

PubMed1994

Rapid measurement of urinary IL-6 by ELISA: urinary IL-6 as a marker of mesangial proliferation.

To determine whether the urinary level of interleukin 6 (IL-6) measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) can be used as a marker of mesangial proliferation, we studied urinary levels of IL-6 in 124 patients with primary and secondary glomerulonephritis, using ELISA. Although urinary levels of IL-6 were correlated with the degree of mesangial proliferation, there was no correlation between urinary levels of IL-6 and urinary protein excretion or renal function. Urinary levels of low-molecular-weight proteins, which are parameters of tubular dysfunction, were not correlated with the urinary excretion of IL-6. These results suggest that the urinary level of IL-6 may be a useful marker for mesangial proliferation.

Adolescent↗

PubMed1994

Goblet cell mucins as the selective barrier for the intestinal helminths: T-cell-independent alteration of goblet cell mucins by immunologically 'damaged' Nippostrongylus brasiliensis worms and its significance on the challenge infection with homologous and heterologous parasites.

The aim of this study was to examine the role of T cells on the alteration of terminal sugars of goblet cell mucins in the small intestinal mucosa of parasitized rats and to clarify the biological significance of the altered mucins in the mucosal defence against intestinal helminths. For this purpose, Nippostrongylus brasiliensis adult worms obtained from donor rats at 7 ('normal' worms) or 13 days ('damaged' worms) post-infection were implanted intraduodenally into euthymic and hypothymic (rnu/rnu) rats. Expulsion of implanted normal worms and associated goblet cell changes were extremely delayed in hypothymic recipients compared with euthymic recipients. In contrast, intraduodenally implanted damaged worms were expelled by day 5 regardless of the strains. Around the time of expulsion of implanted damaged worms, euthymic recipients showed both goblet cell hyperplasia and alteration of mucins, whereas hypothymic rats showed only the latter. Dexamethasone treatment completely abolished goblet cell changes of both strains of recipients. To clarify the importance of the constitutional changes of goblet cell mucins in mucosal defence, euthymic rats were primed by implantation of damaged worms to induce goblet cell changes, and then 3 or 5 days later they were challenged by implantation with normal worms. The results show that when goblet cell changes were induced by priming with damaged worms, recipient rats could completely prevent the establishment of normal worms. When hypothymic rats were primed and challenged in the same manner, a similar but slightly less preventive effect was observed. Such a protective effect of altered mucins seems to be selective because priming of euthymic rats with damaged N. brasiliensis did not affect the establishment of Strongyloides venezuelensis. These results suggest that: (1) once N. brasiliensis adult worms are 'damaged' by the host's T-cell-dependent immune mechanisms, they can induce alteration of sugar residues of goblet cell mucins via host-mediated, T-cell-independent processes; (2) the expression of such altered mucins is highly effective not only in causing expulsion of established damaged worms but also in preventing establishment of normal worms; and (3) the preventive effect of altered mucins is selective against parasite species.

Animals↗

PubMed1993

Advanced glycosylation endproduct-specific receptors on human and rat T-lymphocytes mediate synthesis of interferon gamma: role in tissue remodeling.

During normal aging and in chronic diabetes the excessive accumulation of reactive glucose-protein or glucose-lipid adducts known as advanced glycosylation endproducts (AGEs) has been shown to induce tissue dysfunction, in part through interaction with AGE-specific receptors on monocyte/macrophages and other cells. Recognizing that circulating lymphocytes trafficking through tissues interact with tissue AGEs, we searched for the expression of AGE-binding sites on peripheral blood T lymphocytes. Resting rat and human T cells bound 125I-AGE-albumin with an affinity of 7.8 x 10(7) M-1, whereas, after stimulation with phytohemagglutinin (PHA) for 48 h, binding affinity increased to 5.8 x 10(8) M-1. Flow cytometric analysis of resting rat T cells using polyclonal antibodies raised against rat liver AGE-binding proteins (p60 and p90) revealed the constitutive expression of both immunoreactivities. The number of resting CD4+ and CD8+ T cells positive for anti-p60 antibody binding (34.2 and 58.5%, respectively) increased to 92 and 90% of cells after 48-h stimulation with PHA. Exposure of PHA-activated T lymphocytes to AGE-albumin enhanced expression of interferon gamma (IFN-gamma) mRNA 10-fold and induced greater elaboration of the mature protein than did exposure to unmodified protein or PHA treatment alone. These data indicate that T cells contain an inducible system of surface receptors for AGE-modified proteins, and that receptor occupancy is linked to lymphokine production. This T cell AGE-receptor system might serve to target lymphocytes to AGE-rich tissues and involve them in the regulation of tissue homeostasis either by assisting in macrophage-dependent clearance of AGE-proteins, or by exerting direct antiproliferative action on mesenchymal cells. Under conditions of excessive AGE-protein and AGE lipid accumulation (e.g., aging and diabetes), enhanced production of AGE-induced IFN-gamma may accelerate immune responses that contribute to tissue injury.

Animals↗

PubMed1993

Mucosal mast cells and the expulsive mechanisms of mice against Strongyloides venezuelensis.

The possible importance of mucosal mast cells in the expulsive mechanisms of mice against Strongyloides venezuelensis was examined. After a primary infection by subcutaneous inoculation with various doses into C57BL/6 mice, about 50% of the initial dose of infective larvae (L3) became adult worms and, regardless of the dose of infection, they were completely expelled by Day 12 with similar kinetics. Intestinal mastocytosis at the time of expulsion was comparable among groups given different doses of infection. A kinetic study after infection with 2000 L3 in C57BL/6 mice revealed that mastocytosis started from Day 8, rapidly reached a peak on Day 12, and then gradually decreased. The strongest mastocytosis was observed in the upper one sixth of the small intestine where the majority of adult worms parasitized. Over 80% of mast cells induced by the infection were located in the intestinal epithelial layer. When mast cell-deficient W/Wv and their normal littermate +/+ mice were infected with 1000 L3, expulsion was significantly delayed in W/Wv mice, though adult worms were eventually expelled by Day 18 in W/Wv mice. Delayed expulsion as well as defective mast cell responses of W/Wv mice were completely restored by bone marrow grafting 10 weeks prior to infection. These results show that, like S. ratti infection, intestinal mucosal mast cells are important in causing expulsion of S. venezuelensis.

Animals↗

PubMed1993

Molecular cloning and characterization of a novel neutrophil chemotactic factor from a filarial parasite.

To compare the molecular structure of a parasite-derived neutrophil chemotactic factor (NCF) with host-derived NCFs or other NCFs, molecular cloning of cDNA encoding NCF derived from Dirofilaria immitis adult worm (DiNCF) was performed. A D. immitis cDNA library was screened with an antibody to DiNCF, and one DiNCF cDNA clone (pD-4) was isolated. A fusion protein of pD-4 and gene 10 protein showed significant neutrophil chemotactic activity whereas gene 10 protein itself showed marginal neutrophil chemotactic activity. The total nucleotide sequence analysis revealed that pD-4 was 994 bp long with a 432 bp open leading frame encoding a 143 residue protein. The NH2-terminal amino acid sequence of the natural DiNCF and the deduced amino acid sequence from the cDNA showed that the mature functional protein was comprised of 112 amino acids. Although the deduced amino acid sequence of this protein did not show overall homology to host-derived NCFs or other known proteins, it contained a similar sequence (Met-Phe-Lys) to the known chemotactic peptides. The possibility of the functional epitope of DiNCF is discussed.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

PubMed1993

Serum antisperm antibodies in men with vas deferens obstruction caused by childhood inguinal herniorrhaphy.

OBJECTIVE: To study the incidence of serum antisperm antibodies in patients with vas deferens obstruction caused by childhood inguinal herniorrhaphy. DESIGN: Retrospective. SETTING: Kansai Medical University and Kyoto University Hospital. PATIENTS: Thirteen patients with vas deferens obstruction caused by childhood inguinal herniorrhaphy. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Indirect immunobead test for serum antisperm antibodies. RESULTS: Of 13 patients, 7 (54%) and 2 (15%) tested positive for immunoglobulin (Ig)G and IgA class antisperm antibodies, respectively; all patients tested negative for IgM class antibodies. The incidence of antisperm antibodies was not different between the patients with possible epididymal obstruction and those without epididymal obstruction. CONCLUSIONS: A significant percentage of patients with vasal obstruction caused by infant inguinal herniorrhaphy have serum antisperm antibodies despite the absence of sperm granulomas.

Adult↗

PubMed1993

Should the testicular artery be preserved at varicocelectomy?

A surgical method of varicocelectomy, in which the internal spermatic veins together with the testicular artery are ligated as a whole in the retroperitoneal space, has been proposed as a simple and reliable procedure. We evaluated the effects of ligating the testicular artery at varicocelectomy on fertility. A total of 34 subfertile patients with a left varicocele was randomized into an artery-preserved or artery-ligated group at open varicocelectomy and the change in semen quality was prospectively studied. The artery-preserved group showed improvements in sperm density and total sperm count, while the artery-ligated group showed improvements in sperm density, total sperm count and sperm motility. The results indicated identical improvement in semen quality in both groups of patients. Testicular volume, measured by a punched-out orchidometer, did not change in any of the patients in the ligated group, except for 1 with a grade 3 varicocele, although this decrease could not be detected by sonography. The effects of artery-preserving and artery-ligating varicocelectomy on postoperative pregnancy rates were investigated by examining 116 patients retrospectively. The pregnancy rates of 37.8% and 23.8% in the artery-preserved and artery-ligated groups, respectively, were not significantly different. Despite the theoretical advantage of artery preservation, our study did not show any significant difference between artery-preserving varicocelectomy and the artery-ligating operation when improvements in semen quality and postoperative pregnancy rate were evaluated.

Adult↗

PubMed1993

Vocal matching of frequency modulation in synthesized vowels.

Nine male singers attempted to match rates and extents of synthesized vocal vibrato at low, middle, and high pitch levels. The results showed that on average, the singers were able to match rates of 3, 5, and 7 Hz within 13%. It was difficult for the singers, however, to match extents of 0.5, 1.0, and 1.5 semitones. Thus, the results indicated singers' reasonably good ability to match rates but, contrary to prevalent opinions, not extents of vocal vibrato.

Adult↗