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Y Sekine

Publications and source records attributed to Y Sekine.

At least 55 records · Page 3Linked to original sources
PubMed2001

FK506 facilitates chemical kindling induced by pentylenetetrazole in rats.

To clarify the possible role played by calcineurin in kindling development, we examined the effects of pretreatment with FK506, a selective calcineurin inhibitor, on pentylenetetrazole (PTZ) kindling in rats. FK506 facilitated the speed of kindling induced by repeated administration of 30-mg/kg PTZ, while FK506 did not ameliorate acute seizure manifestations after a single injection of PTZ. Our results suggested that calcineurin might exert an inhibitory effect on PTZ kindling.

Animals↗
PubMed2001

Long-term survival after multiple resections of a fibrosarcoma involving the lung and chest wall.

We report on the case of a 61-year-old male patient who developed a giant fibrosarcoma involving both the lung and chest wall. This patient underwent three extended resections including the chest wall in each case. Radiotherapy was administered after the last resection, when the tumor was obviously not completely removed. The patient lives a normal life with no signs of recurrence 5 years after his last resection. Multiple extended resections of large and aggressive sarcomas can result in long-term survival, with good quality of life, in adequately selected patients.

Fibrosarcoma↗
PubMed2001

The magnitude of variation in temperature within a year has an effect on the seasonal variations of chickenpox incidence in Japan.

We investigated the epidemic pattern of chickenpox incidence among 47 prefectures in Japan. There were two peaks in chickenpox incidence in all prefectures. The first peaks appear at almost the same time in a year, while the second peaks occur at different times with relatively different types of size and shape. The feature of the second peak might characterize the epidemic pattern of chickenpox. We first introduced the second peak index, that is, the ratio of the difference between the incidence at the point of the second peak and the minimum incidence between the first and second peaks to the difference between the incidence at the point of the second peak and the minimum incidence in the year. There was a close correlation between the second peak index and the magnitude of variation in temperature within a year corresponding to the difference between the maximum and the minimum of the monthly mean of the highest daily temperature. This is the first article focusing on the close relationship between the second peak of epidemic pattern of chickenpox incidence and the variation of temperature within a year.

Chickenpox↗
PubMed2001

The effects of dentate granule cell destruction on behavioural activity and Fos protein expression induced by systemic methamphetamine in rats.

1. We destroyed dentate granule cells unilaterally or bilaterally by means of intrahippocampal injection of colchicine in rats. Subsequently, we observed behavioural changes following the intraperitoneal injection of 2 mg kg(-1) methamphetamine or saline, in addition to quantitatively assessing Fos protein expression in several brain regions, including the medial prefrontal cortex, cingulate cortex, piriform cortex, dorsal striatum, and nucleus accumbens. 2. Bilaterally lesioned animals, when administered saline, showed a marked increase in locomotor activity compared with those of non-lesioned animals. With respect to the methamphetamine response, bilateral destruction resulted in a marked enhancement of locomotor activity, while the unilateral destruction led to a marked increase in rotation predominantly contralateral to the lesioned side, with no identifiable change in locomotor activity. 3. Bilaterally lesioned animals, when administered saline and having undergone an immunohistological examination, showed a marked increase in Fos expression in both sides of the nucleus accumbens. Bilaterally lesioned animals administered methamphetamine showed a marked increase in Fos expression in the right and left sides of all regions tested. Unilaterally lesioned animals administered methamphetamine showed a significant and bilateral enhancement in Fos expression in the medial prefrontal and cingulate cortices, and a marked and unilateral (ipsilateral to the lesioned side) enhancement of Fos protein in the piriform cortex, dorsal striatum, and nucleus accumbens. 4. The present findings suggest that dentate granule cells regulate methamphetamine-associated behavioural changes through the function of widespread areas of the brain, mostly the nucleus accumbens.

Animals↗
PubMed2001

Malignant fibrous histiocytoma of the right spermatic cord: a case report.

The patient was a 47-year-old male, who visited Hidaka Hospital with a chief complaint of swelling in the right inguinal region and the scrotum. With a diagnosis of a right spermatic cord tumor, right high orchiectomy was performed. Since an inflammatory type of malignant fibrous histiocytoma (MFH) was diagnosed from histopathological findings, chemotherapy and radiation therapy were performed as postoperative treatment. Malignant fibrous histiocytoma with the primary focus of the spermatic cords is a rare disease. To our knowledge, this is the 20th case of MFH of the spermatic cord in Japan (the 42nd in the world) and it is the second case of inflammatory type of MFH in Japan.

Combined Modality Therapy↗
PubMed2001

Total enteroscopy with a nonsurgical steerable double-balloon method.

BACKGROUND: Deep insertion of an enteroscope by use of a push technique is difficult. A new method of enteroscopy was developed, a double-balloon method, to improve the access to the small intestine. METHODS: The new method uses 2 balloons, one attached to the tip of the endoscope and another at the distal end of an overtube. By using these balloons to grip the intestinal wall, the endoscope can be inserted further without forming redundant loops in the small intestine. This method was tried with a standard upper endoscope in 3 patients and with a longer enteroscope in 1 patient. RESULTS: Despite its short length the upper endoscope was successfully inserted as far as 30 to 50 cm beyond the ligament of Treitz in the 3 patients. In the fourth patient the longer enteroscope was successfully inserted beyond the ileo-cecal valve. CONCLUSIONS: The double-balloon method facilitates endoscopic access to the small intestine.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2001

Successful en bloc resection of a large superficial gastric cancer by using sodium hyaluronate and electrocautery incision forceps.

BACKGROUND: The advisability of endoscopic mucosal resection (EMR) for treatment of large superficial gastric cancers has been challenged. For more reliable en bloc resection, a new method of EMR was developed that uses a viscous substance, sodium hyaluronate, and two newly designed devices. METHODS: A large superficial gastric cancer was treated with this new EMR technique. Sodium hyaluronate was injected into the submucosa and mucosal incisions were made with a needle-knife. The newly developed incision forceps and flat-ended transparent hood were used for submucosal incisions. RESULTS: The large cancer was successfully resected endoscopically as a single piece of mucosa 6 cm in diameter without complication. Histopathologic evaluation of the specimen confirmed that the resection was curative. CONCLUSIONS: EMR with sodium hyaluronate along with two new devices may be a reliable method for en bloc resection of large superficial gastric lesions.

Aged↗
PubMed2001

Involvement of H-NS in transpositional recombination mediated by IS1.

IS1, the smallest active transposable element in bacteria, encodes a transposase that promotes inter- and intramolecular transposition. Host-encoded factors, e.g., histone-like proteins HU and integration host factor (IHF), are involved in the transposition reactions of some bacterial transposable elements. Host factors involved in the IS1 transposition reaction, however, are not known. We show that a plasmid with an IS1 derivative that efficiently produces transposase did not generate miniplasmids, the products of intramolecular transposition, in mutants deficient in a nucleoid-associated DNA-binding protein, H-NS, but did generate them in mutants deficient in histone-like proteins HU, IHF, Fis, and StpA. Nor did IS1 transpose intermolecularly to the target plasmid in the H-NS-deficient mutant. The hns mutation did not affect transcription from the indigenous promoter of IS1 for the expression of the transposase gene. These findings show that transpositional recombination mediated by IS1 requires H-NS but does not require the HU, IHF, Fis, or StpA protein in vivo. Gel retardation assays of restriction fragments of IS1-carrying plasmid DNA showed that no sites were bound preferentially by H-NS within the IS1 sequence. The central domain of H-NS, which is involved in dimerization and/or oligomerization of the H-NS protein, was important for the intramolecular transposition of IS1, but the N- and C-terminal domains, which are involved in the repression of certain genes and DNA binding, respectively, were not. The SOS response induced by the IS1 transposase was absent in the H-NS-deficient mutant strain but was present in the wild-type strain. We discuss the possibility that H-NS promotes the formation of an active IS1 DNA-transposase complex in which the IS1 ends are cleaved to initiate transpositional recombination through interaction with IS1 transposase.

Bacterial Proteins↗
PubMed2001

Methamphetamine-related psychiatric symptoms and reduced brain dopamine transporters studied with PET.

OBJECTIVE: A positron emission tomography (PET) study has suggested that dopamine transporter density of the caudate/putamen is reduced in methamphetamine users. The authors measured nucleus accumbens and prefrontal cortex density, in addition to caudate/putamen density, in methamphetamine users and assessed the relation of these measures to the subjects' clinical characteristics. METHOD: PET and 2-beta-carbomethoxy-3beta-(4-[(11)C] fluorophenyl)tropane, a dopamine transporter ligand, were used to measure dopamine transporter density in 11 male methamphetamine users and nine male comparison subjects who did not use methamphetamine. Psychiatric symptoms in methamphetamine users were evaluated by using the Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale and applying a craving score. RESULTS: The dopamine transporter density in all three of the regions observed was significantly lower in the methamphetamine users than the comparison subjects. The severity of psychiatric symptoms was significantly correlated with the duration of methamphetamine use. The dopamine transporter reduction in the caudate/putamen and nucleus accumbens was significantly associated with the duration of methamphetamine use and closely related to the severity of persistent psychiatric symptoms. CONCLUSIONS: These findings suggest that longer use of methamphetamine may cause more severe psychiatric symptoms and greater reduction of dopamine transporter density in the brain. They also show that the dopamine transporter reduction may be long-lasting, even if methamphetamine use ceases. Further, persistent psychiatric symptoms in methamphetamine users, including psychotic symptoms, may be attributable to the reduction of dopamine transporter density.

Adult↗
PubMed2001

[Establishment of an optimum bowel preparation method before gynecologic laparoscopic surgery].

OBJECTIVE: To establish a new method for preoperative bowel preparation that facilitates nursing care and minimizes the patient's discomfort during the clinical pathway of laparoscopic surgery. METHOD: A randomized controlled trial was conducted for the following two preparation methods. Twenty cases were assessed with Method 1 and 18 cases with Method 2. Method 1 (the conventional procedure): oral magnesium citrate is given in the afternoon of the day before surgery, followed by a glycerin enema in the night of the day before surgery and in the morning of the day of surgery. Method 2 (a new procedure): oral magnesium citrate is given in the afternoon of the day before surgery, followed by oral picosulfate in the night before the day of surgery and a bisacodyl suppository in the morning of the day of surgery. To evaluate the two methods we sent questionnaires to the surgeons (blinded to the method used), nurses, and patients. RESULTS: No statistical difference existed between the two methods in their effectiveness as a preoperative treatment. Facilitation of nursing care was significantly better in Method 2, and patients had considerably reduced discomfort with Method 2. DISCUSSION: Patients who received oral picosulfate and a bisacodyl suppository experienced much less discomfort and nursing care was easier when compared with the conventional method of administering a glycerin enema. Since an enema is disliked by young women and an effect comes out with discomfort very shortly after the administration, the degree of discomfort of patients would have become high. Picosulfate is an oral medicine and thereby the effect comes out mildly. That would be the reason why the degree of discomfort of patients was low. In the nursing care, an enema requires time for preparation and administration, while picosulfate is easy to administer, making the nursing care easier. Therefore, Method 2 was chosen as a preoperative bowel treatment for the clinical pathway. Thus, we could establish a new evidence-based method useful for the preoperative bowel preparation in the clinical pathway of laparoscopic surgery.

Adult↗
PubMed2001

The participation of pharmacists in a team to introduce a clinical pathway to laparoscopic cystectomy in obstetrics and gynecology.

In the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at our hospital, a team of doctors, pharmacists, nurses, and other medical staff was established to prepare a clinical pathway for laparoscopic cystectomy. Various data on clinical charts including the use of drugs were collected from 57 patients by pharmacists and nurses. Based on the analysis of these data, hospitalization period, method of preoperative bowel preparation, time to initiation of food intake, duration of antibiotic administration, and time and content of pharmaceutical instructions to patients of dosage and administration were determined. Criteria for variances requiring the doctor's directions were determined for fever, wound pain, and vomiting. The clinical pathway established here allows of not only the efficient and uniform care of patients, but also the active exchange of opinions among members of the medical team. Moreover, most patients who replied to a questionnaire said that they were at ease during hospitalization because they had received detailed information about the clinical pathway including the use of drugs before surgery. Thus, the participation of pharmacists on a medical team that is introducing a clinical pathway is particularly important because the use of drugs and pharmaceutical care are an important part of good patient care.

Adult↗
PubMed2001

Leisure-time physical activity and other factors in relation to blood pressure in Japanese-Americans in Hawaii, USA.

To examine physical activity at work and during leisure-time as well as other factors related to blood pressure (BP) in Japanese-Americans living in Hilo, Hawaii, USA, we performed a population-based cross-sectional study with a sample of 238 participants aged 42-64 years old. This survey was carried out between 19 February and 1 March 2000 in Hilo. All participants were invited to Hilo Medical Center for a free physical examination and experimental tests including an examination of blood and urine samples. A self-administered health questionnaire was used that included items related to demographics, smoking, alcohol consumption, and habitual physical activity at work and during leisure-time. A summary score of physical activity (PA) was calculated. BP was measured using an automated BP measurement system (Khi machine, VINE Co., Ltd., Kyoto, Japan). The results showed the following. 1) Mean (SD) PA scores at work (WPA) and during leisure-time (LTPA) were 2.9 (0.5) and 2.5 (0.5) in men, and 3.0 (0.5) and 2.4 (0.3) in women, respectively; 2) Pearson correlation analyses (adjustment for age) indicated that WPA and LTPA in men show significant negative associations with SBP and DBP (p<0.05 and p<0.01), while LTPA shows significant negative associations with SBP and DBP in women (p<0.05 and p<0.01). After further adjustment for education, occupation, smoking, and alcohol consumption status, LTPA continued to show significant and negative associations with both SBP and DBP in men (p<0.01) and with DBP alone in women (p <0.01). 3) Hypertensive subjects had significantly lower mean LTPA scores than normotensive men (2.39 vs. 2.61, p<0.05) and women (2.32 vs. 2.45, p<0.05). 4) Body mass index and the ratio of sodium to potassium excretion showed significant and positive associations with SBP and DBP in multiple linear regression analyses. In conclusion, the results further emphasize that the health benefits of LTPA, control of body weight, and reduction in salt intake should continually receive strong attention in population-based high BP control.

Adult↗
PubMed2001

COPD may increase the incidence of refractory supraventricular arrhythmias following pulmonary resection for non-small cell lung cancer.

PURPOSE: This study investigated the association of COPD and postoperative cardiac arrhythmias, specifically supraventricular tachycardia (SVT), as well as mortality in patients undergoing pulmonary resection for non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). METHODS: A retrospective chart review of 244 patients who had undergone lung resection for NSCLC at Indiana University Hospital between 1992 and 1997 was undertaken. COPD, which was defined as an FEV(1) of < or = 70% predicted and an FEV(1)/FVC ratio of < or = 70% based on the results of a preoperative pulmonary function test (PFT), was diagnosed in 78 of the 244 patients (COPD group). In the remaining 166 patients, the results of preoperative PFTs did not meet these criteria (non-COPD group). Both groups were otherwise well-matched with respect to multiple variables, including age, comorbid conditions, extent of pulmonary resection, and final pathologic stage. The incidence of cardiac arrhythmias and operative mortality were compared between the two groups using univariate and multivariate analysis. RESULTS: Seventy-six patients (31.9%) experienced new onsets of postoperative SVT, with 58 of these patients (76.3%) demonstrating atrial fibrillation. The COPD group had a 58.7% incidence of SVT (n = 44) compared to a 27.0% incidence (n = 44) in the non-COPD group (p < 0.0 0 1). Moreover, following initial digoxin therapy, the COPD group required more second-line antiarrhythmic therapy than did the non-COPD group (66.7% vs 37.8%, respectively; p = 0.0 03). Overall, there were 16 operative deaths (6.6%), and the mortality rate was significantly higher in the COPD group (14.1%) than in the non-COPD group (3.0%; p = 0.0 04). Patients who developed SVT had a significantly longer hospital course than did patients who did not (p < 0.0001). Thirteen of the 16 patients who died experienced SVT; however, SVT was not an independent risk factor for death. Finally, of the 19 variables evaluated, major resection (ie, pneumonectomy and bilobectomy) and COPD were identified as independent risk factors for the development of cardiac arrhythmias (p = 0.0 033 and p = 0.0 009, respectively). CONCLUSION: Patients with COPD, as defined by the results of preoperative PFTs, are at significantly higher risk for SVT, and in particular SVT refractory to digoxin, following pulmonary resection for NSCLC. Although SVT was not an independent risk factor for death, a significantly longer hospitalization was observed.

Aged↗