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Biomedical subjects

Y Sawa

Publications and source records attributed to Y Sawa.

At least 253 records · Page 14Linked to original sources
PubMed1983

Comparison of efficacy of timiperone, a new butyrophenone derivative, and clocapramine in schizophrenia: a multiclinic double-blind study.

The clinical efficacy and safety of timiperone, a new butyrophenone derivative, on chronic schizophrenia was compared with clocapramine by the double-blind method using a total of eighty-eight patients, consisting of forty-four patients in each group. In the final global improvement rating, the global improvement rating in each week and the general usefulness rating, there were no statistically significant differences between the two groups. However, in the global improvement rating in each symptom, timiperone was significantly superior to clocapramine in delusion and showed a superior tendency to clocapramine in contact. Timiperone showed a higher improvement rate than clocapramine in hallucination and disturbance of self-consciousness. In the over-all safety rating, there were no significant differences between the two groups, but in accompanying symptoms and side-effects, timiperone showed significantly less tendency than clocapramine in dyskinesia, insomnia, constipation and nausea. From these results, including the analysis by stratification, it was considered that timiperone was a superior or equivalent neuroleptic in comparison with clocapramine against the negative symptoms as well as the positive ones of chronic schizophrenia, and was equally safe or safer than clocapramine.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1982

The effects of antidepressants on the autonomic nervous system--a current investigation.

Tricyclic antidepressants influence the autonomic nervous system, as is well known; and endogenous depression shows autonomic nervous symptoms besides the readily observable emotional changes. This is a report on a current investigation of the effects of antidepressants on the function of the autonomic nervous system. In a preliminary study 2 kinds of antidepressants, amitriptyline (tricyclic) and nomifensine (non-tricyclic) were administered to 20 healthy volunteers. The palmar skin potential reflex (SPR), heart rate and respiratory rate were recorded and serum dopamine-beta-hydroxylase (DBH) activity was assayed both before and after the administration of antidepressant. The results were as follows: 1. In the amitriptyline group, the spontaneous SPR and serum DBH activity decreased, and heart rate increased; and the degree of change before and after administration of the drug was statistically significant. Thus amitriptyline seems to suppress the activity of sympathetic nervous system, in addition to suppressing the functioning of the parasympathetic nervous system. 2. In the nomifensine group, spontaneous SPR and serum DBH activity tended to increase. This seems to indicate that nomifensine suppresses neither the parasympathetic nor the sympathetic nervous functions. 3. Amitriptyline and nomifensine has different effects on the sympathetic nervous system, suggesting correspondingly divergent pharmacological mechanisms for the depressive modality.

Adult↗
PubMed1982

A new staining method for hepatitis B surface antigen by horseradish peroxidase.

An affinity of horseradish peroxidase for hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg), irrespective of antigen-antibody conjugation, was disclosed incidentally, and a new staining method of HBsAg was established. The new technique is simple, inexpensive and available for formalin-fixed, paraffin embedded sections, and does not require fresh liver tissue. Compared with three other methods, involving Shikata's orcein staining, the conventional immunoperoxidase method, and the peroxidase-anti-peroxidase method, it showed high specificity and sensitivity, which were not lower than the other three methods. Conjugation of horseradish peroxidase with HBsAg was confirmed by affinity chromatography. Attention should be paid to the fact that there is a possibility of obtaining false positive results by immunoperoxidase methods, staining antigens other than HBsAg in HBsAg positive liver tissue because of antigen-antibody independent affinity of peroxidase for HBsAg.

Hepatitis B Surface Antigens↗
PubMed1982

[Psychobiological study of habituation to stress--observation of behavioral and neurochemical changes].

The effect of acute and chronic stress on escape behavior, brain norepinephrine (NE) concentration and beta-receptor binding was examined, and the mechanism of adaptation to chronic stress was discussed in terms of both behavioral and neurochemical standpoint. The rats were divided into an acute stress group (AS), chronic stress group (CS) and control group (C). The rats of AS experienced a single stress session. The rats of CS received 5 separate sessions. The rats of each group were examined by escape test, or killed for the purpose of measurement of beta-receptor binding and NE concentration 30 min after the final shock. The latency of escape test of AS was significantly greater than that of C. On the other hand, the latency of CS, and cortex beta-receptor binding of CS was significantly lower than that of C. However, beta-receptor binding of hypothalamus of AS and CS was not different from that of C. These results indicate that adaptation to chronic stress occurs with respect to escape behavior, and its neurochemical background relates with the acceleration of NE turnover and down regulation of beta-receptor sensitivity of cerebral cortex.

Animals↗
PubMed1981

Palmar skin potential reflex and serum dopamine-beta-hydroxylase activity of the aged.

In order to investigate the sympathetic nervous function of the aged, the skin potential reflex (SPR) and serum dopamine-beta-hydroxylase activity (SDBH) were examined in 25 healthy aged and 25 healthy young subjects. In the case of SPR, the reflex to sound stimuli was analyzed and the following results were obtained: (1) the aged group habituated more rapidly than the young group, (2) the amplitude of the SPR in the aged group was lower than that of the young, and (3) the negative wave of the SPR appeared more dominantly in the aged than in the young group. These results indicated that the sympathetic activation level of the aged decreased in comparison with that of the young. On the other hand, SDBH showed no difference between the aged and young. This discrepancy between the SPR and SDBH is discussed.

Adult↗
PubMed1980

"Living electrode" as a long-lived photoconverter for biophotolysis of water.

Living blue-green algae (Mastigocladus laminosus), immobilized on an SnO(2) optically transparent electrode with calcium alginate, functioned as an anodic photoelectrode on continuous illumination for periods of time adequate for use in a conventional electrochemical cell. This "living electrode" shows promise of use as a long-lived photoconverter of solar radiant energy to electric energy and as a suitable replacement for unstable chloroplast systems.

Journal Article↗
PubMed1980

Combined effects of polychlorinated biphenyls and methylmercury on hepatic microsomal monooxygenases and the hepatotoxic action of bromobenzene.

The combined effects of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCB) and methylmercury were investigated by assaying the activities of hepatic enzymes and by measuring the binding of bromobenzene to microsomal protein. Rats were fed normal or PCB-diet (KC-400-KC-500, 1:1, 50 ppm) for 14 days and methylmercuric chloride (10 mg Hg/kg, s.c.) was given once daily for the last 2 days. The inducing effects of PCB on microsomal cytochrome P-450, cytochrome b5, aminopyrine N-demethylase, aniline hydroxylase, and p-nitroanisole O-demethylase were counteracted by methylmercury. Glucose 6-phosphatase activity was additively decreased by the combination of PCB and methylmercury. The activity of glucose 6-phosphate dehydrogenase in soluble fraction was increased by PCB but reduced by methylmercury. The toxicity of bromobenzene was enhanced by PCB but the effect of PCB was counteracted by methylmercury. The depletion of liver glutathione and the elevation of serum transaminases by bromobenzene were remarkably potentiated by PCB. Methylmercury counteracted the effect of PCB on serum transaminases but not that on liver glutathione. The amount of bromine covalently bound with liver microsomal protein after an injection of bromobenzene and the radioactivity bound with microsomal protein after in vitro incubation of 14C-bromobenzene with microsomes were fortified by PCB pretreatment but depressed by the combining administration of methylmercury.

Animals↗