Biomedical subjects
Publications and source records attributed to H Nishikawa.
A sensate, fasciocutaneous flap for cover of posterior elbow defects is described. The flap is innervated by the lower lateral cutaneous nerve of the arm. The flap is simple to raise and can be rotated and advanced over the posterior elbow region with direct closure of the proximal donor site. A case is presented.
To investigate the effect of bile acids or dietary lipid on the expression of intestinal apolipoproteins, the mRNA levels of apolipoprotein A-I and A-IV in the intestine from rats fed a diet containing cholestyramine or a fat-free diet were compared with those from rats fed a control diet containing 25% casein and 5% corn oil. Plasma total cholesterol concentration was lower after 16 h in rats fed a diet containing cholestyramine or a fat-free diet than in rats fed a control diet. In rats fed the fat-free diet, HDL cholesterol concentration also was lower than in those fed the control diet. The pool of bile acid in intestinal contents was significantly lower in rats fed cholestyramine than in both other groups. The relative abundance of jejunal apolipoprotein A-I mRNA did not differ between groups. Jejunal apolipoprotein A-IV mRNA abundance was significantly lower than in controls in rats fed the fat-free and cholestyramine-containing diets. Abundance of apolipoprotein A-I mRNA in ileal mucosa was comparable to controls in rats fed a fat-free diet but was significantly lower in rats fed cholestyramine. Ileal apolipoprotein A-IV mRNA tended to be lower in rats fed cholestyramine and a fat-free diet than in controls. We propose that decreased absorption of dietary lipid may modulate changes in jejunal apolipoprotein A-IV mRNA level and low levels of bile acids in the lumen may modulate changes in ileal apolipoprotein A-I mRNA level.
The relation between obesity and adenomatous polyps of the sigmoid colon was investigated in male self-defense officials who received a retirement health examination at three hospitals of the Self-Defense Forces in Japan between January 1991 and December 1992. Body mass index (BMI) and waist-hip circumference ratio (WHR) were used as indices of obesity. A total of 228 adenoma cases and 1484 controls with normal sigmoidoscopy were identified in 2228 men: cases having small adenomas (< 5 mm in diameter) and those with large adenomas (5 mm or greater) numbered 115 and 102, respectively. Smoking, alcohol use, physical activity, rank, and hospital were controlled for by multiple logistic regression analysis. BMI and WHR were classified into four levels using the 30th, 60th, and 90th percentiles of each distribution in the control as cut-off points. There was a significant two-fold elevation in the overall adenoma risk among men at the highest BMI level (> or = 26.95) compared with those at the lowest level (< 22.48), but the risk did not linearly increase: a similar increase was also noted for large adenomas. While WHR was only weakly related to the overall adenoma risk, the risk of large adenomas progressively increased with increasing levels of WHR; odds ratio (OR) 2.9 (95% confidence interval (CI) 1.4-5.9) for the highest (> or = 0.958) versus lowest (< 0.878) levels. BMI was not materially associated with adenoma risk after additional adjustment for WHR, but a positive association between WHR and large adenomas was independent of BMI: OR 3.4 (95% CI 1.5-7.6) for the highest versus lowest levels. These findings suggest that obesity is associated with an increased risk of colon adenomas, probably with adenoma growth.
Recommended Dietary Allowances (RDAs) are allocated to each food article as published in the Denmark Budget Methods in the Codex Alimentalius of the WHO/FAO Joint Committee when standards of pollutants in food are needed. When daily intakes of Food Additives and Contaminants need to be calculated, the Theoretical Maximum Daily Intake. (TMDI) and the Estimated Maximum Daily Intake (EMDI) have been generally used. TMDI and EMDI are calculated using the formulae shown below: [formula: see text] i: food article (i = 1, ....., n) A: standard value for food additives and contaminants X: mean weight of food article consumed daily l: rate of residue after cooking Exposure assessment should be more exact in order to meet social health needs and to help avoid unnecessarily strict regulations. The U. S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is continually improving its estimates of the dietary intakes of pesticides and essential minerals, and comparing these intakes with established safe or recommended dietary intake levels. Dietary survey methods have also improved in parallel, with examples being the USDA's Household Food Consumption Survey (1955 and 1965) and National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey II (1976-1980). In Japan, TMDI and EMDI have received more attention as methods of estimating the daily intakes of food additives and contaminants than has the Total Diet Study, even though the former are not as exact as the latter. The Japanese National Nutrition Survey is one of the most respected nutrition surveys in the world, because it has continued nationwide yearly since 1946. Nevertheless, it is very unfortunate that no one utilizes the Household Food Consumption Survey data for the estimation of intakes of food additives and contaminants, because that is not the primary purpose of the Japanese National Nutrition Survey. Practically, there are neither foods which have an uniform of food additives and contaminants nor individuals who consume uniform amounts of each food item. In this report the authors propose a revised estimation method for the daily intake of food contaminants and additives, based on food consumption data of 159 female volunteers, without using the National Nutrition Survey data. The results obtained are as follows: 1) This method succeeded in making clear the intakes of food additives and contaminants. Mean, maximum and minimum values and distribution curves for the target population were obtained. 2) The suggested name for this method is "Estimated Ecological Daily Intake (EEDI)", which is processed in terms of the food consumption structure for calculation, and methodologically estimated by food ecology.
We used an insulated acupuncture needle to deliver a 20 kHz alternative current to detect the changes on the electromyogram (EMG) and deep muscle impedance. We found that impedance increased (with a duration of 224.1 +/- 75.3 msec) and then decreased (with a duration of 293.4 +/- 97.3 msec) after motor unit action potential (MUAP) firing during isometric voluntary contraction (VC) of the tibialis anterior muscle (TAM). We divided the positive peak into pattern I (with a latency range of > or = 30 msec and < or = 75 msec) and pattern II (with a latency range of > 75 msec and < or = 140 msec). These patterns of change corresponded to the contraction times of tension caused by the electrical stimulation and VC. These impedance changes may be caused by a change in the extracellular and intracellular fractions, and may reflect the variance of tension intensity in the muscle tissue.
We recently reported that cholestyramine (a bile acid sequestrant) lowered ileal apolipoprotein A-I mRNA level in rats. To obtain further information about this phenomenon, in this study, we investigated whether bile diversion lowers apolipoprotein A-I mRNA level in the ileum of rats. Bile-diverted rats were fed a diet with no added Na taurocholate (control diet) or with 0.4% Na taurocholate for 7 days. Sham-operated rats were also fed the control diet for the same period. Northern blot analysis revealed that the relative concentrations of jejunal apolipoprotein A-I and A-IV mRNA at the end of experimental period did not differ between groups while ileal apolipoprotein A-I and A-IV mRNA concentrations were significantly lower in bile-diverted rats fed the control and Na taurocholate-containing diets than in sham-operated rats. Plasma total and HDL cholesterol concentrations were the same in all groups. Relative concentration of apolipoprotein A-I in plasma also did not change. These results suggest that the bile plays an important role in ileal apolipoprotein gene expression at the pretranslational stage, but it is still unclear whether the effector is the bile acid or not. The unchanged concentration of plasma apolipoprotein A-I may have resulted from the constant secretion independent of synthesis in the intestine or the larger contribution from the liver which is another principal site for apolipoprotein A-I expression.
In clinical flap transplantation, ischaemia may alter reinnervation patterns either directly or by affecting angiogenesis. This study presents the effects of ischaemia on innervation in totally denervated, transiently (30 minutes) or prolongedly ischaemic skin flaps studied immunohistochemically with antisera to PGP 9.5, CGRP and VWF. Following transient ischaemia, an increase in PGP-immunoreactive (PGP-IR) and CGRP-IR nerve fibres in distant skin by day 12 was followed by increased innervation in immediately adjacent skin. The latter increase was maintained up to 24 days which allowed near normal innervation at the suture margin and in adjacent flap tissue, 0.5 cm from the margin. There was concomitant reinnervation from the pedicle by day 24. In prolongedly ischaemic flaps, an earlier and more prolonged increase in innervation was seen in the entire surrounding skin, with innervation around the suture line at 24 days resembling that in the transiently ischaemic flaps despite initial complete nerve fibre depletion in this area. Hypertrophic nerve fibre clusters were seen in fibrotic areas overlying the pedicle. Vascular changes were similar in both groups with vascularization preceding reinnervation. There were no significant differences in reinnervation between the transiently and prolongedly ischaemic flaps at 24 days, despite considerable initial variations. Ischaemia, CGRP, mediators of chronic inflammation and epidermal factors appeared to stimulate angiogenesis and reinnervation.
The expression of the two catalytic subunits of protein phosphatase (PP) type 1 PP1 gamma 1 and PP1 delta was examined in 4 cases of osteochondroma and 4 cases of enchondroma as a benign cartilaginous tumor, and 4 cases of chondrosarcoma as a malignant cartilaginous tumor using immunohistochemical analysis. The percentage of tumor cells stained positively with antiserum against PP1 catalytic subunit isoform PP1 gamma 1 were significantly higher in chondrosarcoma than in osteochondroma and enchondroma. Furthermore, chondrosarcoma showed markedly high S-phase fraction in the cell cycle of tumor cells, as compared to osteochondroma and enchondroma. These results suggest that PP1 gamma 1 is involved in the accelerated growth of malignant cells in chondrosarcoma.
The expression of the three catalytic subunits of protein phosphatase (PP) type 1 and 2A, PP1 alpha, PP1 gamma 1, and PP2AC, was examined in 8 cases of lipoma as a benign tumor and 4 cases of liposarcoma as a malignant tumor using immunohistochemical analysis. Both types of of tumor cells stained positively with antisera against PP1 catalytic subunit isoforms PP1 alpha and PP1 gamma 1 were significantly higher in liposarcoma than in lipoma. Furthermore, liposarcoma showed a markedly high S-phase fraction in the cell cycle of tumor cells, as compared with lipoma. These results suggest that PP1 is involved in the accelerated growth of malignant cells in liposarcoma.
Parity has been studied extensively as a risk factor for colorectal cancer but has not been definitively shown to be associated with altered risk. In a few studies, risk of colorectal cancer in childless men has been compared to risk in men with children, but results have not been consistent. We analyzed the association of fatherhood with risk of colorectal adenomas in male self-defense officials (ages 49-55) in Japan. The study participants received a preretirement health examination including flexible sigmoidoscopy at Self-Defense Forces hospitals in Japan from January 1991 through December 1992. The examinations identified 265 cases with rectal or sigmoid adenomas and 1480 controls with normal examinations up to 60 cm from the anus. Data on marital status, number of children, long-term work assignment away from wife and children, and other lifestyle variables were obtained by means of a self-administered questionnaire prior to physical examination. Multiple logistic regression analysis assessed the risk of adenomas in relation to number of children, marital status, long-term work assignment away from family, and military rank, with adjustment for cigarette smoking, alcohol intake, dietary variables, body mass index, and recreational physical activity. In this relatively homogeneous group, more than 98% of both cases and controls were currently married, and more than 93% had children. The adjusted odds ratio for the association of adenomas with fatherhood was 0.4 (95% confidence interval, 0.2-0.8). Marital status and work assignment away from the family were not associated with adenoma risk. These findings suggest that colorectal adenomas and perhaps cancer risk may be associated with childlessness in men.
In this paper, a case of nontraumatic subdural hematoma secondary to dural metastasis of lung cancer was presented and 43 cases in the literature were reviewed. A 75-year-old man who had been affected with lung tuberculosis for the previous 7 years was admitted to our hospital because of right hemiparesis and aphasia. No history of head injury was discovered. On admission, he was fully conscious and no other neurological abnormalities were noticed except for right hemiparesis and motor aphasia. The chest X-ray revealed abnormal shadows on the right lung, which were most suggestive of tuberculosis. Laboratory studies including prothrombin time, platelet count and fibrinogen were normal. The CT scans taken at that time demonstrated a large subdural hematoma over the left hemisphere. Under a diagnosis of chronic subdural hematoma, emergency evacuation through a small burr hole was performed. However, because of its low liquidity, the hematoma was insufficiently removed. Postoperatively, hemiparesis gradually disappeared. On the 20th hospital day, he suddenly became unconscious and CT scans showed recurrence of the subdural hematoma. Temporo-parietal craniotomy was immediately carried out. The dura was thickened and hyperemic. Although the underlying brain was apparently normal, the exploration performed after removal of the hematoma revealed a soft grayish mass extruding into the subdural space from the dura. The bleeding point was not identified. Both the dura and the abnormal tissue were biopsied for histological examination.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
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We synthesized a series of cyclic antiparallel beta-sheet model peptides with various ring sizes, which were designed on the basis of a cyclic beta-structural antibiotic, gramicidin S (GS); cyclo(Val-Orn-Leu-D-Phe-Pro)2, and investigated in terms of their antimicrobial activity and specificity against Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria and lytic activity for human erythrocytes. In our planning, in order to compare the peptides with GS, D-Phe-Pro sequence forming beta-turn in GS molecule remained unaltered and repeating sequences of alternately hydrophobic (Leu)-hydrophilic (Orn) residue were introduced into the beta-structural parts. CD study in acidic liposomes as well as leakage study of carboxyfluorescein encapsulated in phospholipid vesicles indicated that the peptides strongly interacted with lipid bilayers by taking an amphiphilic beta-structure. Antimicrobial study showed that although GS is active only against Gram-positive bacteria, the antimicrobial spectra of the model peptides transformed gradually to be active against Gram-negative ones and finally only against Gram-negative bacteria whose repeating sequences increased. It should be noted that the designed cyclic model peptides show antibacterial activity but accompany no hemolysis. This indicates that an appropriate hydrophobicity together with a proper orientation of hydrophilic (cationic) and hydrophobic groups in cyclic beta-structural molecules can hold antimicrobial activity against both types of bacteria without damaging eukaryotic cells.
Free radical generation in the neonatal mouse brain subjected to acute hypoxia was measured directly by using electron spin resonance spectroscopy (ESR). Free radical density, an index of free radical content, was investigated during exposure to nitrogen gas (N2 group) or carbon dioxide gas (CO2 group) of high purity, and its subsequent recovery in air. Free radical density in the N2 group declined during hypoxia, increased over the control level at 10 min of recovery, and then returned to the prehypoxic level. In the CO2 group, it increased during hypoxia, reached the maximum level at 20 min of recovery, and then returned to the control level. The main origin of the spectrum in control brain was considered as being the coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10) radical in the mitochondria. The change of free radical density during hypoxia and recovery in the N2 group and that during recovery in the CO2 group was thought to be correlated with changes in CoQ10 radicals indicating mitochondrial function. The increase of free radical density in the CO2 group during hypoxia suggested the generation of free radicals other than the CoQ10 radical. We conclude that the free radicals which appeared during CO2 hypoxia may play a role in producing the differences in brain injury between the two kinds of hypoxia.
The value of endoscopic ultrasonography (EUS) in diagnosing lymph node metastasis in lung cancer was investigated. The endoscope is composed of an ultrasonic linear array transducer (7.5 MHz). EUS findings of 101 lymph nodes in 25 patients with non-small cell lung cancer who underwent thoracotomy and mediastinal lymph node dissection were reviewed. EUS data on the size, shape, boundary and internal echo of the lymph nodes was correlated with the histological findings. From the characteristics of their shape, boundary and internal echo, hyperechoic lymph nodes with unclear boundaries were histologically metastasis negative and lobulative lymph nodes were metastasis positive. Using the criteria of a long-plus-short diameter > or = 17 mm and a ratio of long to short diameter < 1.8, or a lobulative shape, rates of 91% sensitivity, 91% specificity and 91% accuracy were obtained. EUS combined with CT increases the accuracy of preoperative diagnosis of lymph node metastasis.
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We have employed immunohistochemical techniques to study neural and vascular changes in rat skin flaps. Following partial or total denervation, flaps were studied at 4, 7 or 12 days using antisera to PGP 9.5 (panneural marker), the neuropeptides CGRP (sensory nerves) and CPON (adrenergic nerves) and an endothelial marker VWF. In partially denervated flaps, moderate increases in PGP-immunoreactive (PGP-IR) and CGRP-IR nerves and a mild increase in CPON-IR nerves in immediate surrounding skin preceded smaller increases in similar nerves around the pedicle. Following total denervation, mild increases in all nerve types at these locations were accompanied by a marked increase of these nerves in distant surrounding skin, 1-2 cm from the suture line. A gradual increase in endothelial cell staining (VWF) of blood vessels was seen in surrounding skin, flap beds and pedicles. Angiogenesis preceded flap reinnervation which occurred initially from surrounding skin, and later from the base, with sensory fibres appearing first.