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Biomedical subjects

Y Okazaki

Publications and source records attributed to Y Okazaki.

346 records · Page 20Linked to original sources
PubMedDate not supplied

Characteristics of gastric mucus in elderly patients with gastric ulcers.

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Studies of the most important defensive factor, gastric mucus, in the treatment of gastric ulcers in elderly patients have been lacking. Therefore we focused on the changes in gastric mucus during the ulcer-healing process in elderly patients. METHODOLOGY: Twenty elderly patients (> or = 65 years old), and 20 younger patients (< 65 years old) with gastric ulcers were administered antisecretory agents for 24 weeks. Biopsies were taken from the antrum and body of the stomach, and the levels of gastric mucosal hexosamine and periodic acid-Schiff-positive gastric mucus were measured. RESULTS: In both groups, the hexosamine levels in the specimens from the body of the stomach declined during the healing process. The decrease was more marked in the elderly, and the recovery of this level was also slower than in the younger group. The periodic acid-Schiff-positive mucosal index was also lower in the elderly. A decrease in body periodic acid-Schiff-positive mucus was seen with treatment in both groups, but recovery was slower in the elderly group. CONCLUSIONS: A decrease in gastric mucus, as a gastric mucosal defensive factor, was seen in gastric ulcers in elderly patients. The potential usefulness of the administration of mucosal protective agents for elderly patients with gastric ulcers was suggested.

Adolescent↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Heat from an implanted power source is mainly dissipated by blood perfusion.

Heat dissipation and its effects on tissue and blood interfaces are common problems associated with the development and increased use of artificial hearts, because all of the implantable actuators for artificial hearts generate waste heat due to inefficiencies of energy conversion. To determine the mechanisms of heat dissipation from artificial hearts, heated disks producing constant heat fluxes of 0.08 watts/cm2 were implanted adjacent to the left lung and the latissimus dorsi muscle in calves for 2 weeks, 4 weeks, and 7 weeks. At the end of each experiment, a series of acute studies was performed in which blood perfusion to the heated tissue was decreased or stopped to observe the contribution of blood perfusion to heat dissipation. The cooling effect of ventilation was also examined to determine its relative contribution to heat dissipation in lung tissue by decreasing the minute ventilation volume. The importance of blood perfusion for heat dissipation was demonstrated by the temperature rise after cessation of blood perfusion to the heated tissue. The contribution of ventilation to heat dissipation in the heated lung tissue was minimal. Contribution of total blood perfusion to heat dissipation was increased with time in the muscle tissue, which has relatively low resting blood perfusion, but not in the lung tissue, which has relatively high blood perfusion. In the heated muscle tissue, the in vivo adaptive response to chronic heat was functionally shown by the increased perfusion. In conclusion, blood perfusion was the main mechanism of heat dissipation from tissues that were adjacent to an implanted power source.

Adaptation, Physiological↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Carcinoembryonic antigen and intra-arterial chemotherapy response of liver metastases.

BACKGROUND/AIMS: We investigated the relationship between serum carcinoembryonic antigen and response to hepatic artery chemotherapy for unresectable colorectal liver metastases. METHODOLOGY: The study included 14 patients with unresectable colorectal liver metastases receiving hepatic arterial chemotherapy weekly. Patients were evaluated monthly including liver function tests and carcinoembryonic antigen. Ten patients received high dose 5-fluorouracil (1000 mg/m2) and 4 patients received other regimens. One patient underwent hepatectomy for cure after 5-fluorouracil. RESULTS: Thirteen patients (93%) had normal quality of life without toxicity during hepatic artery infusion. Response rate in the high dose 5-fluorouracil group was 50%, while the response rate of other regimens was 25%. Mean survival time differed between responding (n = 6) and non-responding patients (n = 8) (527 vs 289 days), and the high dose 5-fluorouracil (n = 10) and other regimens (n = 4) (462 vs 213 days). In responding patients, peak serum carcinoembryonic antigen levels before hepatic artery infusion decreased within 6 months. In the non-responding patients, serum carcinoembryonic antigen levels increased rapidly despite hepatic artery infusion. CONCLUSIONS: Serum carcinoembryonic antigen levels correlated well with response. Hepatic artery infusional chemotherapy with high dose 5-fluorouracil may be recommended as effective treatment for unresectable liver metastasis from colorectal cancer if serum carcinoembryonic antigen levels decrease within 6 months.

Antimetabolites, Antineoplastic↗