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Biomedical subjects

A Goto

Publications and source records attributed to A Goto.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1992

Pertussis in adults.

A survey was conducted of 89 households in each of which at least one patient with culture-confirmed pertussis had been detected. The source of infection was found to be an adult in 10 (11.2%) of the 89 households, and the rate of secondary attack was 19 (10.3%) of 185. Furthermore, a laboratory study disclosed 17 adults with subclinical pertussis; the subclinical infection rate was 17 (25.0%) of 68. When compared with pertussis in young children, the adult illness was generally less severe and had different clinical features. Adult pertussis showed neither leukocytosis nor lymphocytosis, but it produced anti-pertussis toxin antibody more quickly and higher levels of anti-filamentous hemagglutinin and agglutinin antibodies, and showed stronger growth inhibition of Bordetella pertussis. Although adult pertussis is usually unrecognized because of its different clinical and laboratory features, it is a significant health threat that requires some measures for disease control.

Adult↗
PubMed1992

Two cases of eosinophilic cystitis induced by tranilast.

We report 2 cases of eosinophilic cystitis induced by Tranilast, which was used for the treatment of bronchial asthma. In case 2 Tranilast itself and its metabolic derivative proved to be inciting agents by a drug-induced lymphocyte stimulation test. The literature on this association is reviewed.

Aged↗
PubMed1992

Effects of the Fab fragment of digoxin antibody on the natriuresis and increase in blood pressure induced by intracerebroventricular infusion of hypertonic saline solution in rats.

1. The effects of intravenous injection of Fab fragments of anti-digoxin IgG (Digibind) on the changes in blood pressure, urine volume and urinary sodium excretion after intracerebroventricular infusion of artificial cerebrospinal fluid with normal or high sodium concentration were examined in anaesthetized rats. 2. The biological efficacy of Digibind was confirmed by experiments in vitro and in vivo, which showed that pretreatment with Digibind completely abolished or significantly attenuated the aortic contractile response or pressor response to digoxin in guinea-pigs. 3. Infusion of high-sodium cerebrospinal fluid, but not normal-sodium cerebrospinal fluid, into the lateral brain ventricle of rats caused marked increases in blood pressure, urine volume and urinary sodium excretion. 4. Digibind did not significantly affect the increases in blood pressure, urine volume and urinary sodium excretion caused by intracerebroventricular infusion of high-sodium cerebrospinal fluid. 5. Digoxin-like immunoreactive factor may play a minor role, if any, in central nervous system-induced natriuresis in rats.

Animals↗
PubMed1992

Plasma adenosine concentrations are elevated in conscious spontaneously hypertensive rats.

1. Plasma levels of adenosine were measured in unrestrained, conscious spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR) to examine the potential role of adenosine, a naturally occurring substance with profound cardiovascular actions, in cardiovascular regulation in these genetically hypertensive rats. 2. We employed a specific and sensitive assay for adenosine based on fluorescent determination of adenine compounds by high performance liquid chromatography. 3. Plasma adenosine concentrations were significantly higher in 13 week old SHR with hypertension than in Wistar-Kyoto rats (0.165 +/- 0.022 vs 0.096 +/- 0.008 mumol/L; P less than 0.05). 4. These observations indicate that plasma adenosine levels are increased in conscious SHR with established hypertension, and also suggest that adenosine may be at least partly involved in the pathophysiology of high blood pressure in SHR.

Adenosine↗
PubMed1992

Epidemiology of neonatal chronic lung disease in Japan.

A nationwide survey on the epidemiology of chronic lung disease (CLD) of the newborn was conducted. Questionnaires were sent to 391 level II and III neonatal centers in Japan and the registration of infants born in 1990 with chronic lung disease was requested. CLD was defined as an oxygen requirement greater than that obtainable in room air at 28 days after birth, with symptoms of persistent respiratory distress and a hazy or emphysematous and fibrous appearance on chest X-ray. A total of 301 neonatal centers (77.0%) responded and 50,290 infants at these centers were registered. Of these, 97% survived the first month and 1,135 of 48,762 neonatal survivors developed CLD. The mortality of infants with CLD was 6.2%. Survival rates at 28 days of age increased consistently with birthweight. Survival at 28 days of age in infants below 1,000 g at birth was 73.7%, but the rate was 93.9% in infants weighing 1,000-1,499 g. The incidence of CLD was inversely proportional to birthweight. Approximately one quarter of neonatal survivors with a birthweight below 1,500 g and approximately half of extremely small infants ( < 1,000 g) developed CLD. The analysis of CLD infants showed that 28.2% of them had a history of respiratory distress syndrome (RDS) and a typical fibrous appearance on chest X-ray (Type I), while 29.3% also had a history of RDS but had an atypical X-ray appearance (Type II).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Chronic Disease↗
PubMed1992

Alterations of calcium channels in vascular smooth muscle cells from spontaneously hypertensive rats.

We examined the possible alterations in calcium handling through the calcium channels of spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR) using 45Ca2+ uptake measurements in cultured aortic cells. Primary cultures of vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMC) were obtained by enzymatic dissociation of the thoracic aortas from 8-week-old SHR and age-matched Wistar-Kyoto rats (WKY). The functions of voltage sensitive calcium channels (VSCC) and receptor operated calcium channels (ROCC) were estimated from the activated 45Ca2+ uptake in VSMC with high K+ depolarization and arginine vasopressin (AVP), respectively. Compared to basal conditions, depolarization with 55 mM KCl increased 45Ca2+ uptake at 20 min by 94 +/- 17 (SE) % in SHR and 38 +/- 6% in WKY. The activated 45Ca2+ uptake was significantly greater in SHR than in WKY (p < 0.01). There was no significant difference in 45Ca2+ uptake at 20 min in the presence of 5 x 10(-8)M AVP between SHR and WKY. These results suggest that calcium uptake, at least through VSCC, is increased in VSMC of SHR. This enhanced activity may be implicated in the hypertensive mechanisms in this model of hypertension.

Animals↗
PubMed1992

[Effects of eye tracking stimulation on movement of body's center of gravity and head in elderly subjects].

This study was designed to investigate the effects of eye tracking stimulation on the movement of the body's center of gravity (CG) and the head in aged persons 60 years old and above. Twenty-three healthy aged subjects ranging from 60 to 79 years old and 10 healthy young subjects were asked to pursue a pendulously moving horizontal target when standing with the feet together. The frequencies of target movement were 0, 0.1, 0.25, 0.5, 0.75, 1.0 and 1.5 Hz. The results were as follows: 1) The body sway locus patterns increased significantly up to around 0.5 Hz of target movement. 2) The total lengths of the locus traced by CG movement and the head movement were larger than that of control subjects throughout the test runs. The aged subjects were also affected by eye tracking stimulation, and showed individual variations. 3) The ratio of the anteroposterior component to the lateral component of CG movement was higher in the elderly subjects than in the control subjects, while head movement was characteristically different. 4) The averaged divisional frequencies were calculated in the range between 0.0195 and 1 Hz. In the anteroposterior component, the averaged divisional frequencies of CG movement and head movement were significantly larger while watching the moving target than when watching a stationary target.

Adult↗
PubMed1992

[General pharmacology of cefepime].

General pharmacological properties of cefepime (CFPM), a new injectable semisynthetic cephalosporin and its metabolite N-methylpyrrolidine-N-oxide (NMP-N-oxide) were studied in laboratory animals. The results obtained are summarized as follows: 1. CFPM reduced spontaneous locomotor activity but potentiate the anesthesia at the highest dose in mice. Furthermore, significant hypothermia and analgesia were observed at the same dose in mice. No effects were found on the other CNS function in mice and rats or on EEG activities in rabbits. 2. Muscle relaxant activity was not observed in mice treated with CFPM even at the highest dose. 3. CFPM had no effect on the intestinal smooth muscle and did not show any antagonism against some smooth muscle contracting drugs. 4. The respiration, blood pressure, heart rate and ECG were affected by CFPM. Those changes, however, might have been principally caused by L-arginine blended with CFPM product. 5. No effect of CFPM on the intestinal movement or gastric secretion was found even at the highest dose of CFPM. 6. The pH neutralizer L-arginine caused alterations in the renal function and electrolyte metabolism but CFPM did not. 7. Whole blood clotting time tended to be lengthened by CFPM at the highest concentration but this effect seemed to have been caused by L-arginine. Other parameters of the coagulation system or red blood cell resistance were not affected by CFPM. 8. NMP-N-oxide, a metabolite of CFPM, had almost no effect on any of the tested parameters except for its slight effect on the circulatory system. These findings indicate that CFPM has scarcely any pharmacological properties which might be leading to severe adverse reactions in clinical use.

Animals↗
PubMed1992

[Survey of MRSA infection in Ibaraki-ken--Ibaraki Association for infectious diseases].

This study which was undertaken at several major hospitals in Ibaraki-ken revealed that, 1) the proportion of Staphylococcus aureus in all the isolates ranged from 5% to 17% and the prevalence of MRSA in isolates of Staphylococcus aureus varied from 51% to 82% depending upon each individual hospital. 2) the clinical response to FOM and CMZ combination therapy was 88.9% and, to FOM and CZON was 57.1% showing no statistical differences between the two regimens. 3) in vitro analyses assessed by the FIC index of 251 isolates revealed that FOM had an additive or synergistic effect with CMZ in 53.8%, with CZON in 66.9%, with minocycline (MINO) in 43.8%, with cefamandole (CMD) in 61.8%, with cefazolin (CEZ) in 62.9% and with imipenem/cliastatin sodium (IPM/CS) in 68.9% at all isolates. 4) the cumulative curve of susceptibility to single CMZ and the combination of CMZ and FOM revealed that the blood levels of CMZ at 3 hours after intravenous administration covered 57% of isolates when used alone and 82% of isolates when in combination with FOM. The blood levels of CZON at 3 hours covered 5% of isolates when used alone and 41% when in combination with FOM. The extent of the therapeutic effect increased from 6% to 42% by CMD, from 12% to 54% by CEZ, from 20% to 58% by IPM/CS and from 78% to 84% by MINO. The combination of CMZ and FOM was found to be the most effective for enhanced effects on MRSA in vitro.

Anti-Bacterial Agents↗
PubMed1992

[Two cases of renal oncocytoma].

Two cases of renal oncocytoma are reviewed. A 67-year-old man and a 21-year-old man with a right renal mass were incidentally revealed by echography. Selective renal angiogram showed no spoke-wheel configuration of vessels in either case. Both cases were pathologically diagnosed as oncocytomas, constructed of large eosinophilic cells with granular cytoplasm and small regular nuclei. The electron micrograph showed cytoplasm packed abundantly with mitochondria. The two patients are in good condition 2.5 and 1.5 years after diagnosis.

Adenoma↗
PubMed1991

Immunoreactivity of endogenous digitalis-like factors.

Highly specific antisera produced against cardenolide (digoxin) and bufodienolide (bufalin) may bind the endogenous ouabain-displacing compounds from human urine. However, it should be borne in mind that the degree of recognition by the antisera significantly differ between two ouabain-displacing compounds.

Antigen-Antibody Reactions↗
PubMed1991

Monoclonal antibodies that inhibit binding of propolypeptide of von Willebrand factor to collagen. Localization of epitopes.

We reported previously that bovine propolypeptide of von Willebrand factor (pp-vWF) binds to type I collagen. To determine the collagen-binding sites of pp-vWF we generated monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) against bovine pp-vWF. One mAb, designated TC8, very strongly inhibited the binding of pp-vWF to type I collagen; three other mAbs, designated TC2, TC6 and TC7, exhibited moderate inhibition. Competition between the mAbs for binding to intact pp-vWF revealed that the epitope for TC8 was structurally independent of that for TC6 and TC7. To determine directly the location of the epitope for each mAb on the bovine pp-vWF molecule, we tested the reactivity of mAbs by immunoblotting toward peptide fragments obtained by digestion with lysylendopeptidase. TC2 and TC8 recognized a fragment of mass 21 kDa, while TC6 and TC7 recognized a distinct fragment of 18 kDa. These two fragments were purified to homogeneity and their N-terminal amino acid sequences were determined. Comparing these sequences with the sequence of human pp-vWF, the locations of these fragments in the primary structure were estimated to be Phe570--Lys682 for the 21-kDa fragment and Glu281--Lys375 for the 18-kDa fragment. These data suggest that pp-vWF contains at least two collagen-binding sites which lie within or close to the regions between Phe570--Lys682 and Glu281--Lys375.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1991

Endogenous digitalis: reality or myth?

Endogenous digitalis is defined as a natural ligand for the digitalis-binding site of the Na+, K(+)-ATPase and is a specific, high-affinity reversible inhibitor of the enzyme activity. Such endogenous digitalis is thought to be involved in sodium homeostasis and blood pressure regulation as a vasoactive and natriuretic substance. The search for endogenous digitalis goes back to the early 1960s. Since then large efforts have been exerted by numerous laboratories worldwide, but little advance has been made until recently except for the identification of nonspecific Na+, K(+)-ATPase inhibitors. Some researchers even doubt the existence of endogenous digitalis. The recognition that assay methodology is associated with many pitfalls and problems has accelerated the rate of recent progress. Chemical identification of endogenous digitalis will be forthcoming in the very near future. In this article, important issues surrounding endogenous digitalis are critically reviewed.

Animals↗