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Biomedical subjects

A Nishimura

Publications and source records attributed to A Nishimura.

At least 163 records · Page 9Linked to original sources
PubMed1994

Extended central bisegmentectomy--an en bloc resection of hepatic segments 4, 5, 8 and 7: report of a case.

We herein present an example of an extended central bisegmentectomy in a patient with a large hepatocellular carcinoma. According to a magnetic resonance imaging study, the right hepatic vein was displaced and narrowed at its origin and a large inferior right hepatic vein was revealed. In this case, owing to the only slightly functional remaining hepatic reserve, an extended central bisegmentectomy was selected as the optimum treatment. The postoperative course was uneventful except for some bile leakage. Twelve months after operation, the patient is still alive and no sign of recurrence has been detected. The extended central bisegmentectomy is an en bloc resection of hepatic segments 4, 5, 7, and 8. When the large inferior right hepatic vein is present, segment 6 can be preserved even when the right hepatic vein is sacrificed at its origin.

Carcinoma, Hepatocellular↗
PubMed1994

Identification of four metabolites of 3-(phenylamino)alanine, a constituent in L-tryptophan products implicated in eosinophilia-myalgia syndrome, in rats.

3-(Phenylamino)alanine (PAA), a contaminant found in L-tryptophan tablets, has been discussed as a possible cause of eosinophilia-myalgia syndrome (EMS). We administered PAA (100 mg/kg) by gastric gavage to Wistar rats to determine its distribution and metabolism. We developed a purification procedure, using Bond Elut SCX cartridges followed by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) in order to determine levels of PAA. The level of PAA in blood was 4.22 micrograms/ml at 5 h and urinary excretion was 21.7 micrograms for 5 h and 84.6 micrograms between 5 and 24 h. The amount of PAA in the contents of the large intestine at 5 h was 0.76 microgram, indicating poor transfer of PAA to the large intestine. However, the highest concentration of PAA was 12.3 micrograms/g in the brain, indicating the passage of PAA through the blood-brain barrier. In addition to detecting PAA in the blood and organs, we also detected four metabolites of PAA in urine. We used gas chromatography mass spectrometry to identify PAA in rat liver, as well as N-(hydroxyphenyl)glycine, N-phenylglycine, 3-(pheylamino)lactic acid, and 3-(hydroxyphenylamino)-lactic acid in rat urine. These results suggest that the degradation pathway of PAA is similar to that of phenylalanine.

Administration, Oral↗
PubMed1994

Geographical distribution of persistent organochlorines in air, water and sediments from Asia and Oceania, and their implications for global redistribution from lower latitudes.

Persistent organochlorines in air, river water and sediment samples were analysed from eastern and southern Asia (India, Thailand, Vietnam, Malaysia, Indonesia) and Oceania (Papua New Guinea and Solomon Islands) to elucidate their geographical distribution in tropical environment. The concentrations of organochlorines in these abiotic samples collected from Taiwan, Japan and Australia were also monitored for comparison. Atmospheric and hydrospheric concentrations of HCHs (hexachlorocyclohexanes) and DDTs (DDT and its metabolites) in the tropical developing countries were apparently higher than those observed in the developed nations, suggesting extensive usage of these chemicals in the lower latitudes. CHLs (chlordane compounds) and PCBs (polychlorinated biphenyls) were also occasionally observed at higher levels in the tropics, implying that their usage area is also expanding southward. Distribution patterns of organochlorines in sediments showed smaller spatial variations on global terms, indicating that the chemicals released in the tropical environment are dispersed rapidly through air and water and retained less in sediments. The ratios of organochlorine concentrations in sediment and water phases were positively correlated with the latitude of sampling, suggesting that persistent and semivolatile compounds discharged in the tropics tend to be redistributed on a global scale.

Journal Article↗
PubMed1994

Serial MRI in infantile bilateral striatal necrosis.

A 3-year-old girl with left hemiparesis suffered from bilateral paresis, motor rigidity, gait disturbance, axial hypotonia, dysarthria, apathy, and incontinence. After steroid therapy, mild improvement occurred, but muscle weakness, gait disturbance, and rigidity remained. Leigh encephalopathy was excluded on the basis of muscle biopsy and laboratory findings. Computed tomography and serial magnetic resonance imaging at an early stage revealed right-sided dominant lesions in the putamen and caudate nucleus and later bilateral striatal lesions, appearing as hyperintense signals on T2-weighted images and mixtures of hypo- and hyperintense signals on T1-weighted images. This is the first demonstration of serial magnetic resonance imaging findings in infantile bilateral striatal necrosis.

Basal Ganglia Diseases↗
PubMed1994

Compressed air injury of the colon complicated by rhabdomyolysis: case report.

We present a case of traumatic injury of the colon by compressed air. Elevated levels of urinary myoglobin, creatinine phosphokinase, lactate dehydrogenase, and glutamic oxaloacetic transaminase indicating rhabdomyolysis were noted. In this type of injury, rhabdomyolysis related to acute peripheral circulatory failure may occur because of obstruction of venous return to the heart following a great increase in intraperitoneal pressure.

Adult↗
PubMed1994

Experimental arthritis induced by continuous infusion of IL-8 into rabbit knee joints.

To determine the roles of IL-8 in inflammatory synovitis, examination was made of the results of continuously injecting human recombinant IL-8 into the knee joints of New Zealand while rabbits. Recombinant human IL-8 was infused continuously into the joint cavity at 75 ng/h for 14 days by a polypropylene catheter connected to a mini-osmotic pump implanted in each rabbit. Infiltration of inflammatory cells into joint cavity and histopathological changes in synovial tissue were examined at 7 and 14 days following the start of infusion. The continuous infusion of IL-8 for 14 days led to severe arthritis characterized by apparent erythema and joint pain, the accumulation of leucocytes, infiltration of mononuclear cells in synovial tissue, and marked hypervascularization in the synovial lining layer. IL-8 may be a factor which can contribute to the inflammatory process of chronic arthritis by mediating leucocyte recruitment and hypervascularization in inflamed joints.

Animals↗
PubMed1994

Aberrant distribution of tyrosine hydroxylase and substance P in infants with brain-stem infarction.

The distribution of tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) and substance P (SP) was examined in the brain-stem of 4 infants with respiratory abnormalities associated with remote brain-stem or cerebellar infarction utilizing immunohistochemical methods. TH-immunoreactive cells and SP-immunoreactive fibers were found in and around the area of the infarction in the tegmentum, in amounts and sites different from that seen in controls. The aberrant localization of SP and TH may represent an altered repair process associated with resolution of the infarction and may be related to abnormal respiratory control or sudden death.

Brain Stem↗
PubMed1994

Efficacy of thyrotropin-releasing hormone in the treatment of spinal muscular atrophy.

Children with spinal muscular atrophy were treated by the administration of thyrotropin-releasing hormone. In three infants with spinal muscular atrophy type I, thyrotropin-releasing hormone showed little efficacy, but in children with types II and III, there was improvement in motor function and electromyographic findings after the thyrotropin-releasing hormone therapy. Thyrotropin-releasing hormone has a neurotrophic effect on the spinal anterior motor neurons of spinal muscular atrophy patients and thus may be warranted for the management of spinal muscular atrophy.

Age of Onset↗
PubMed1994

Regulation of messenger ribonucleic acid expression of 1 alpha,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3-24-hydroxylase in rat osteoblasts.

We have reported that PTH inhibits 25-hydroxyvitamin D3-24-hydroxylase messenger RNA (mRNA) expression induced by 1 alpha,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 [1 alpha, 25-(OH)2D3] in rat kidney but not intestine. In the present study, we examined whether the suppression of 24-hydroxylase mRNA expression by PTH occurs commonly in tissues and cells which have PTH receptors. Administration of 1 alpha, 25-(OH)2D3 into rats fed a synthetic vitamin D-repleted diet containing adequate calcium greatly increased serum levels of calcium and 1 alpha, 25-(OH)2D3. Also, there was a 4-fold increase in bone 24-hydroxylase activity in response to 1 alpha, 25-(OH)2D3 administration. In rats fed a low calcium diet, renal 24-hydroxylase activity was suppressed probably due to secondary hyperparathyroidism. In contrast, the low calcium feeding did not suppress bone 24-hydroxylase activity. The expression of 24-hydroxylase mRNA in rat osteoblastic C-26 and C-11 cells was similar and attained maximal levels 24 h after cells were incubated with 10(-8) M 1 alpha, 25-(OH)2D3. Induction of 24-hydroxylase mRNA expression by 1 alpha, 25-(OH)2D3 was much greater and earlier in immature C-26 cells than mature C-11 cells. Simultaneous addition of PTH, prostaglandin E2, or cAMP together with 1 alpha, 25-(OH)2D3 did not down-regulate mRNA expression of 24-hydroxylase induced by the vitamin in both C-26 and C-11 cells. Of the three osteoblastic cells (C-26, C-20, and C-11) examined, C-26 cells showed the least mRNA expression of vitamin D receptors, in spite of the highest expression of 24-hydroxylase mRNA. These results suggest that unlike in the kidney, bone 24-hydroxylase mRNA expression is not down-regulated by PTH despite of the presence of PTH receptors. They also suggest that the degree of the induction of 24-hydroxylase mRNA by 1 alpha, 25-(OH)2D3 is not explained simply by the vitamin D receptors content.

Adenylyl Cyclases↗
PubMed1994

[A case of liver metastasis from bile duct cancer effectively treated with hepatic artery infusion chemotherapy].

We performed hepatic artery infusion chemotherapy (HAI) combined with 5-FU-MMC-EPIR for bile duct cancer metastasized to the liver. We report a case for which we obtained PR. The case was a 59-year-old woman, who was diagnosed to have multiple liver metastases with an increase of CEA and LDH after 6 months from absolute curative resection for middle bile duct cancer. The patient was catheterized into the proper hepatic artery through the right femoral artery, and 5-FU 500 mg qw, MMC 4 mg q2w, and EPIR 30 mg q4w were infused via a reservoir. Two months after the treatment was begun, CEA and LDH values became normal. At the same time, PR was obtained and was shown upon CT, which continued for 5 months. After an 8-month period during which the patient was an outpatient at PS-0, multiple bone metastases appeared, and the radiotherapy was combinedly utilized for each lesion. The side effect of this method was decrease of leukocytes and blood platelets, but it disappeared by discontinuing medication. The patient died two years after the first operation, a year and four months from the time HAI was begun. It was possible to continue this treatment with PS 1-2 on an outpatient basis until one month before the patient's death. We concluded that hepatic artery infusion chemotherapy is an effective therapeutic method.

Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols↗
PubMed1994

[2 cases of the tension pneumopericardium following blunt chest trauma resulting in the cardiac tamponade].

A 63-year-old man (case 1) was brought to our emergency unit following a high speed collision. He developed fatal cardiopulmonary arrest shortly after arrival despite resuscitation efforts. Tension pneumopericardium was revealed by chest X-ray and CT examination. An 18-year-old man (case 2) was admitted after a motorcycle accident. Pneumopericardium was noted on admission chest X-ray and CT examination. He developed cardiac tamponade after the examination. He was intubated and mechanically ventilated after the subxiphoid pericardial drainage. Pneumopericardium following blunt chest trauma is realized with tracheobronchial, pulmonary or esophageal injury. The clinical significance of pneumopericardium is the development of tension pneumopericardium resulting into cardiac tamponade. In a patient with traumatic pneumopericardium who requires mechanical ventilatory support, continuous pericardial drainage should be considered. In addition, tension pneumopericardium may occur in patients with breathing spontaneously as in our cases. In these cases, careful observation and immediate subxiphoid pericardial drainage are required.

Accidents, Traffic↗
PubMed1993

Rapid determination of hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) by latex agglutination using an integrating sphere turbidimetric assay.

A method for determining levels of serum HBs antigen has been developed, applying the principles of the integrating sphere turbidimetric assay (ISTA). Using this method, the minimum detectable level of HBs antigen is 15 ng/ml, i.e., it is three times more sensitive than the reversed passive hemagglutination (RPHA) method. Reproducibility and specificity are also excellent with ISTA. With a cut-off level of 20 ng/ml, the highest reading possible with this method is 1000 ng/ml. Serum HBs antigen can readily be measured by this method if a fully automated EL-1000 analyzer is used. This rapid and simple method of measurement should be clinically useful.

Alanine Transaminase↗
PubMed1993

Cancer of the gallbladder associated with anomalous junction of the pancreatobiliary duct system without bile duct dilatation.

The aim of this study was to delineate clinical features and prognosis of cancer of the gallbladder associated with anomalous junction of the pancreatobiliary duct system without bile duct dilatation, and to determine methods for managing the disease. A retrospective study of seven patients is presented. A further 27 cases from the Japanese literature were reviewed retrospectively with regard to method of treatment and prognosis. In 11 of 18 patients in whom staging was known the tumour was stage V, representing advanced disease. In seven of 34 cases curative operation was performed; only two patients survived for > 3 years. This poor outcome was due largely to delayed diagnosis of cancer of the gallbladder. Prophylactic cholecystectomy is recommended in patients with this anomalous junction without bile duct dilatation or a malignant lesion in the gallbladder, because of the high incidence of cancer of the biliary tract.

Adenocarcinoma↗
PubMed1993

Quick assay of serum HBs antibody levels using latex agglutination-integrating sphere turbidimetric assay (ISTA).

A method for determining serum HBs antibody applying the principle of integrating sphere turbidimetric assay (ISTA) by latex agglutination was developed. The minimum detectable level of HBs antibody by this method is 12.5 IU/L, indicating that this method is 3 times or more sensitive with better reproducibility and specificity than the passive hemagglutination (PHA) method. With a cut-off level of 25 IU/L, the possible highest simultaneous reading by this method was 1,000 IU/L. Serum HBs antibody can be readily measured in 10 or so minutes by this method if a fully automated EL-1000 analyzer is used. This rapid and simple method for determining serum HBs antibody will be useful not only clinically, but also in preventive medicine.

Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay↗
PubMed1993

Isolation of temperature-sensitive aminoacyl-tRNA synthetase mutants from an Escherichia coli strain harboring the pemK plasmid.

The pem locus, which is responsible for the stable maintenance of the low copy number plasmid R100, contains the pemK gene, whose product has been shown to be a growth inhibitor. Here, we attempted to isolate mutants which became tolerant to transient induction of the PemK protein. We obtained 20 mutants (here called pkt for PemK tolerance), of which 9 were temperature sensitive for growth. We analyzed the nine mutants genetically and found that they could be classified into three complementation groups, pktA, pktB and pktC, which corresponded to three genes, ileS, gltX and asnS, encoding isoleucyl-, glutamyl- and asparaginyl-tRNA synthetases, respectively. Since these amino-acyl-tRNA synthetase mutants did not produce the PemK protein upon induction at the restrictive temperature, these mutants could be isolated because they behaved as if they were tolerant to the PemK protein. The procedure is therefore useful for isolating temperature-sensitive mutants of aminoacyl-tRNA synthetases.

Amino Acyl-tRNA Synthetases↗
PubMed1993

A new animal model for split liver transplantation using an infrahepatic IVC graft.

An animal model of split liver transplantation using pigs is described herein. The donor liver was divided into two grafts, the right graft consisting of the right medial and lateral segments with the caudate lobe, and the left graft consisting of the left lateral and medial segments. To make implantation easier, a distal part of the donor's inferior vena cava (IVC) was isolated and attached to the left graft with an anastomosis between the orifice of the renal vein and the graft's hepatic vein. The left graft thereby contained a newly constructed retrohepatic IVC for anastomosis to the recipient. During the anhepatic phase, no conventional bypass procedure was used, but an abdominal aortic clamp in combination with general hypothermia was employed. Ten pigs were used as donors and a total 20 liver transplantations performed. No immunosuppressive drugs were given in this series. Ten of the 20 recipients survived for more than 2 days, the mean survival time being 4.7 days, with a range of 2-14 days. The mean survival time of the left grafts was much longer than that of the right grafts, although no technical problems such as kinking of the graft or occlusion of the hepatic vein were encountered in either. This model is the first report of split liver transplantation in animals. The advantages of using the infrahepatic IVC graft include stability of the graft and safe hepatectomy. This model will therefore be useful for the experimental study of split liver transplantation and may also be employed for clinical use in the future.

Animals↗
PubMed1993

In vitro production of interleukin-1, interleukin-6, and tumor necrosis factor-alpha in insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus.

The in vitro production of interleukin-1 (IL-1), interleukin-6 (IL-6), and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) by monocytes was examined in patients with insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (IDDM), in those with noninsulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM), and in healthy volunteers. The production of IL-1 and IL-6 by monocytes was significantly lower in IDDM patients than in NIDDM patients and normal subjects whereas the TNF-alpha production by monocytes did not differ between IDDM patients and normal subjects. On the other hand, the TNF-alpha production was significantly higher in NIDDM patients than in IDDM patients and normal subjects. There was a significant correlation between IL-1 and IL-6 concentrations in culture supernatants of monocytes for IDDM patients but not for NIDDM patients and normal subjects. Neither glucose nor insulin showed any stimulatory effect on in vitro production of these monokines. In the serial observation lasting 3-18 months, the monocyte production of IL-1 was found to be consistently reduced in IDDM patients unrelated to the control state of diabetes, suggesting that the reduction of the IL-1 and IL-6 production by monocytes in IDDM patients may be intrinsically affected by immunological defects.

Adult↗