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Biomedical subjects

Y Okada

Publications and source records attributed to Y Okada.

At least 415 records · Page 23Linked to original sources
PubMed1999

Increase of the cellular growth of old human diploid fibroblasts by radical scavenger: methanolic extract of broad beans.

The methanolic extract from broad beans (MEBB), which is comprised of phenolic compounds, has free-radical scavenging activity. The effects of MEBB on cytosolic antioxidant enzymes and cell proliferation were examined in cultures of old (78-84% life-span completed) WI-38 human diploid fibroblasts. Because catechin is polyphenol and has radical scavenging activity, it was used as the control in experiments. We observed that MEBB increased cellular growth when added to the cell culture. In MEBB at 40 and 120 micrograms/mL, the cell proliferation increased by 14 and 27%, respectively, as compared to the control. In catechin, cell proliferation increased as well. Regarding cytosolic glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) activity, treatment of old cells with MEBB at 40 and 120 micrograms/mL resulted in decreases as compared to the control. In contrast, catechin showed no similarities to the modification of GSH-Px activity. Cytosolic SOD activity was increased by treatment with 40 micrograms/mL MEBB, and the activity showed a gradual decrease with increased MEBB concentrations. A similar trend occurred in the cells treated with catechin (4-20 microM). These results suggest that cytosolic antioxidant enzyme activities in old cells may be modulated by MEBB treatment. We conclude that there may be a relation between the optimum MEBB concentration for the increase of cellular growth and the MEBB concentration required to exhibit a decrease in GSH-Px activity.

Antioxidants↗
PubMed1999

[Bilateral synchronous multilocular epididymal cysts: a case report].

A rare case of bilateral synchronous multilocular epididymal cysts is reported. A fifty-six year old man visited to our hospital with a chief complaint of swelling of bilateral intrascrotal contents. Ultrasonographic findings demonstrated multilocular lesions of the bilateral intrascrotal contents. Preoperative diagnosis was bilateral multilocular hydrocele testes. Operative procedure revealed bilateral cysts originating from the head, body and tail of the epididymis without the cysts of the tunica vaginalis. Operative sight was bilateral synchronous multilocular epididymal cysts, and bilateral epididymal cystectomy were performed. The specimen size was right diameter 12 x 6 cm and left its 8 x 5.5 cm. The puncture of the cystic fluid revealed many spermatozoa in both sides. The acquired cysts of the epididymis generally are the result of tubular obstruction with dilation of tubules adjacent to the obstruction. The dilated tubules are filled variably with viable and degenerating spermatozoa. The cysts originate most commonly from the head of the epididymis, and are unilateral, unilocular or multilocular and are usually within 1 cm in diameter. In our case, bilateral synchronous epididymal cysts originating from not only the head, but also the body and the tail is a rare case.

Cysts↗
PubMed1999

[New practical sizer for ATS medical open pivot valve].

The sewing cuff of the ATS Medical valve is made from double velour polyester, making the sewing cuff diameter larger than the tissue anulus diameter of this prosthetic heart valve. The ATS valve sizer, with the diameter marked in millimeters, has a ring which allows for an easy measurement of the patient's tissue anulus. However, the diameters of this ring and the prosthetic valve (tissue anulus diameter) are made to equal in size. Therefore, if the valve size is determined by using this sizer, the sewing cuff diameter will be considerably larger than the patient's tissue anulus diameter. In order to also take into account the diameter of the sewing cuff, we added a flange around the sizer in the shape of the sewing cuff. The new and more practical sizer allows us to avoid sizing trouble in valve replacement surgery.

Heart Valve Prosthesis↗
PubMed1999

Adherence of Fusobacterium necrophorum subspecies necrophorum to different animal cells.

The adherence of Fusobacterium necrophorum subsp. necrophorum to the surfaces of animal cells was studied in order to elucidate the differences between the bacterial appearance in clinical specimens from various animals. The bacterial cells had a strong affinity for murine and rabbit cheek cell surfaces. The bacterium showed a moderate affinity for goat cells, whereas it adhered not so well to canine, feline, human or porcine cells. Treatment of the bacterial cells with haemagglutinin antiserum prior to the binding assay reduced the degree of attachment to murine and rabbit cells. Scanning electron microscopy revealed that the adherent fusobacteria often penetrated into murine and rabbit cell membranes. These observations indicate that the bacterial attachment contributes to the establishment of the infection in mice and rabbits. It is suggested that the weak binding ability resulted in a low incidence of the bacterium in canine, feline and porcine lesions.

Adult↗
PubMed1999

Status and perspective of hospital information systems in Japan.

Questionnaire surveys were sent to hospital managers, designed to shape the policy for future hospital information systems in Japan. The answers show that many hospitals use dedicated management systems, especially for patient registration and accounting, and personnel, food control, pharmacy and financial departments. In many hospitals, order-entry systems for laboratory tests and prescriptions are well developed. Half of the hospitals have patient databases used for inquiries of basic patient information, history of outpatient care and hospital care. The most obvious benefit is the reduction of office work, due to effective hospital information system. Many hospital managers want to use the following sub systems in the future for automatic payment, waiting time display, patient records search, automatic prescription verification, drug side-effect monitoring, and graphical display of patient record data.

Forecasting↗
PubMed1999

Glutamate-induced currents in acutely dissociated guinea pig locus coeruleus neurons.

To investigate the properties of L-glutamate (Glu) receptors in single locus coeruleus (LC) neurons at mature stage, we recorded the Glu-induced currents in the LC neurons acutely dissociated from adult guinea pigs, using the whole-cell patch-clamp technique. The concentration-current relationships show that Glu-induced currents in LC neurons might be predominantly mediated by non-NMDA receptors rather than NMDA receptors. The current-voltage relationship of NMDA or non-NMDA receptor-mediated currents indicated that both subtypes of the Glu-receptors operate non-selective cation channels, and that the NMDA receptor-operated channels but not the non-NMDA receptor-operated channels are permeable to Ca2+. These results suggest that in LC neurons, the normal excitatory neurotransmission may be mediated through non-NMDA receptors, and that NMDA receptors may be involved in intracellular signal transduction by their Ca2+ permeability.

Animals↗
PubMed1999

[Three cases of gastric cancer (Borrmann type IV) presenting with right back pain caused by right hydronephrosis as the first symptom].

We experienced three cases of right hydronephrosis, which were later diagnosed to have been caused by gastric cancer (Borrmann type IV). The patients were 25-, 38-, and 50-year-old women who complained of right back pain. Ultrasound sonography revealed right hydronephrosis in all three cases. We conducted drip infusion pyelography, computed tomographic scan and retrograde pyelography, but there were no signs of urinary stones or tumors, except for the presence of right ureteral stenosis. Since the patients had upper abdominal discomfort, they underwent gastrofiberscopy, which revealed scirrhous gastric cancer. We suspected that the right ureteral stenosis was caused by metastasis of gastric cancer. After a double J catheter was indwelt at the right ureter, combination chemotherapy of methetrexate + 5-fluorouracil was conducted. The right hydronephrosis diminished and all three patients became catheter-free.

Adult↗
PubMed1999

Actin degradation concomitant with Fusobacterium necrophorum subsp. necrophorum adhesion to bovine portal cells.

The effects of Fusobacterium necrophorum subsp. necrophorum on cellular actin were investigated using tissue-cultured bovine portal cells. Fluorescence studies revealed the appearance of intense fluorescent spots on the cellular actin and the spots increased in a time dependent manner. Sodium dodecyl sulphate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis profiles manifested partial or complete degradation of actin preparation after treatment with the bacterial cells. These findings suggest that the bacterial cell wall may contribute to the degradation of the cellular actin during the initial stage of the infection caused by F. necrophorum subsp. necrophorum.

Actins↗
PubMed1999

[Cerebral ischemia in patients with orthostatic syncope--the significance of orthostatic hypotension and large vessel disease in the cervical and intracranial region].

We performed 90 degrees head-up tilting test for 10 minutes in 100 patients (66 men and 34 women) aged 50 years or more suffering from transient orthostatic syncope and measured their systolic blood pressure. Orthostatic hypotension (OH) was found in 51 patients, predominantly in men (38 cases). OH was complicated by large vessel disease (LV) as shown by MR angiography or carotid artery ultrasonography in 19 cases (37.3%). Progressive cerebral ischemia was found more frequently in patients with both OH and LV than in those with OH alone. Within the patients with OH alone, the drop in orthostatic blood pressure was greater in cases where progressive cerebral ischemia was present. In patients with both OH and LV, the minimum orthostatic systolic blood pressure was lower in those with progressive cerebral ischemia. These facts show that the marked drop in orthostatic blood pressure may be related to cerebral ischemic lesions and that the combination of OH and LV may develop cerebral ischemia in older patients with transient orthostatic syncope.

Aged↗
PubMed1999

[Evaluation of mortality of patients admitted to ICU for the last 12 years].

We evaluated mortality of 2689 patients admitted to the Intensive Care Unit, Osaka University Hospital from January, 1987 to December, 1998. The patients were divided into 3 groups. Group A consisted of 1408 patients who underwent cardiovascular surgery, group B, 1082 patients who underwent other surgical procedures and group C, 199 patients who were transferred from the department of medicine. We studied mortality rate, causes of death, correlation between length of ICU stay and mortality rate, and mortality rate among age groups for 12 years. The main causes of death were cardiac failure and sepsis in group A, and respiratory failure and sepsis in group B and C. Mortality rate in each group showed no significant change for the last 12 years. Those who stayed more than 2 weeks in ICU showed a significantly higher mortality rate (p < 0.0001). Thus, length of ICU stay and mortality rate showed a positive correlation (p < 0.0001). The youngest group (age 0-1) showed a significantly higher mortality rate than other age groups (p < 0.0001). As sepsis was the most important cause of death in all the groups, the prevention and treatment of infection are the most important issue in our ICU to reduce mortality rate.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1999

A review of Japanese telemedicine research and global co-operation.

We can trace 229 telemedicine trials in Japan. Of these, 150 were active in 1998, including 73 in radiology, 24 in home care, 22 in medical imaging, 20 in pathology, 5 in ophthalmology, and 3 in dentistry. Some of them have been reformed into practical daily activities. However, activities using the same method work in some local areas but not in others. Typical successful cases will be presented and discussed. We are constructing Japan-Canada cooperation in numerous areas using several communicative methods: ordinary telephone, ordinary Internet, ISDN (2B/6B), and an offline network using optical memory cards (which patients carry). We have introduced successful domestic cases into global cooperation. Some of them will be useful for exchanging medical information among developing countries.

Humans↗
PubMed1998

Isolation and characterization of di- and tri-mannosyl-cyclomaltoheptaoses (beta-cyclodextrins) produced by reverse action of alpha-mannosidase from jack bean.

Di- and tri-mannosyl-cyclomaltoheptaoses (beta-cyclodextrins, beta CDs), which were synthesized together with monomannosyl-beta CD in a large-scale production by reverse action of alpha-mannosidase from jack bean, were isolated and purified by HPLC. The structures of seven isomers of di-mannosyl-beta CD and six isomers of tri-mannosyl-beta CD were elucidated by FABMS and NMR spectroscopy, and by enzymatic methods.

Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid↗
PubMed1998

Randomization of left-right asymmetry due to loss of nodal cilia generating leftward flow of extraembryonic fluid in mice lacking KIF3B motor protein.

Microtubule-dependent motor, murine KIF3B, was disrupted by gene targeting. The null mutants did not survive beyond midgestation, exhibiting growth retardation, pericardial sac ballooning, and neural tube disorganization. Prominently, the left-right asymmetry was randomized in the heart loop and the direction of embryonic turning. lefty-2 expression was either bilateral or absent. Furthermore, the node lacked monocilia while the basal bodies were present. Immunocytochemistry revealed KIF3B localization in wild-type nodal cilia. Video microscopy showed that these cilia were motile and generated a leftward flow. These data suggest that KIF3B is essential for the left-right determination through intraciliary transportation of materials for ciliogenesis of motile primary cilia that could produce a gradient of putative morphogen along the left-right axis in the node.

Animals↗
PubMed1998

Salty and sour transduction. Multiple mechanisms and strain differences.

The amiloride-sensitive and -insensitive components of salt- and acid-induced responses in C57BL/6 and BALB/c mouse nondissociated taste cells were examined using the whole-cell clamp technique and localized taste stimulation method. Both amiloride-sensitive and -insensitive components were involved in a salt-induced depolarizing response. The taste cells of both mouse strains exhibited an amiloride-insensitive salt-induced response, which consisted of multiple components. In C57BL/6 mice, an amiloride-sensitive strain, more than 60% of salt-induced responses were amiloride-sensitive at the apical membrane, whereas in BALB/c mice, an amiloride-insensitive strain, less than 40% of responses were amiloride-sensitive. All the acid-induced responses in taste cells examined were insensitive to amiloride, and were markedly suppressed by the Cl- channel blocker, 5-nitro-2-(3-phenylpropylamino)-benzoic acid (NPPB). These results suggest that multiple, different transduction mechanisms are involved in, and contribute to salty and sour transductions. In addition, we found that strain differences exist in salty transduction.

Amiloride↗