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Biomedical subjects

I Sugimoto

Publications and source records attributed to I Sugimoto.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2005

Heparin-induced thrombocytopenia complicated with massive thrombosis of the inferior vena cava after filter placement.

A 45-year-old man presented with deep vein thrombosis of the right leg and bilateral pulmonary embolism. Heparin was administered on the initial one and a half days. On the 3rd day, an inferior vena cava (IVC) filter was placed with a heparin flush, after which massive IVC thrombosis developed. The platelet count was 221000/mm3, decreased 42% from the initial level, but remained within the normal range. Heparin was replaced by argatroban on the 13th day. The platelet count increased to 355000/mm3 on the 15th day. The patient was positive for antibody against complexes of heparin and platelet factor 4, and was diagnosed as heparin-induced thrombocytopenia with thrombosis syndrome (HITTS). When thrombosis develops during heparin treatment, it is important to suspect HITTs and to assay for the associated antibodies, regardless of the actual platelet count.

Anticoagulants↗
PubMed2004

Gluteal compartment syndrome after abdominal aortic aneurysm repair.

A 66-year-old man underwent emergency surgery for a ruptured abdominal aortic aneurysm associated with right common and internal iliac aneurysms. Postoperatively, his right buttock was distended and tender to compression. A CT scan revealed an extremely swollen right gluteus maximus with decreased density. Macromyoglobinuria was noted, and creatine kinase and myoglobin were elevated: 87,800 IU/l and 144,300 ng/ml, respectively. Renal function had deteriorated and he was treated with hemodialysis until the 15th postoperative day. The patient recovered without any discomfort to the buttock or intermittent claudication. To our knowledge this is the first documented case of gluteal compartment syndrome after the repair of an abdominal aortic aneurysm.

Aged↗
PubMed2002

Indications for and limitations of exercise training in patients with intermittent claudication.

BACKGROUND: The selection of candidates for exercise training among patients with intermittent claudication is still a matter of debate. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Forty-nine patients with intermittent claudication due to arteriosclerosis obliterans were tested. Forty-six patients were men and 3 were women, with an average age of 65 years (range, 46 to 76 years). The patients walked on a treadmill at 2.4 km/h on a 12% upgrade followed by an appropriate period of rest for 30 minutes twice a day during a 3-week hospitalization. Programs were individualized for each patient. Four parameters were assessed after exercise training: (1) Ankle-brachial index (ABI) at rest, (2) Fall in ABI after 40 m of treadmill walking (ABI Fall 40), (3) the recovery time (RT 40) required for the ABI to return to resting levels after 40 m of walking, and (4) the maximal walking distance (MWD) on the treadmill. RESULTS: The average ABI at rest before the 3-week training period was 0.60 +/- 0.02 (mean +/- SE), and after training it was 0.62 +/- 0.02. There was a small although not statistically significant increase in the ABI after training. This increase in the ABI did not exceed 0.21. The average ABI Fall 40 before training was 0.36 +/- 0.01, and after training it was 0.30 +/- 0.02. The average RT 40 before training was 9.9 +/- 0.8 min, and after training it was 6.2 +/- 0.6 min. There were significant decreases in the ABI Fall 40 and RT 40 after training (p < 0.01 and p < 0.001, respectively). The MWD increased after training in 48 of the 49 patients. The average MWD increased from 134 +/- 13 m to 226 +/- 32 m after training (p < 0.001). The occlusion levels did not influence the results as training effects and hemodynamic parameters. Fourteen of 49 patients desired arterial reconstruction after exercise training. CONCLUSIONS: Patients with shorter RT 40's before training achieved greater increases in the MWD after training. In patients with an RT 40 under 12 min, exercise training is indicated. However, there is some discrepancy between the increase in MWD and the degree of satisfaction in individual patients.

Aged↗
PubMed2002

Disappearance of M(r) 25,000 protein, a new protein kinase substrate, in parallel with a kind of serpin during embryogenesis.

M(r) 25,000 protein (pp25) is a protein kinase substrate detected recently in Xenopus laevis oocytes [Hashimoto, E. et al. (1995) J. Biochem. 118, 453-460], but the physiological role of this protein remains to be determined. In order to elucidate some characteristics of pp25, a polyclonal antibody was raised against it and the distribution and quantitative changes of this protein were examined using various tissues and biological systems. In Western blot analysis, pp25 was detected only in Xenopus oocytes and not in other frog tissues when the heat-stable cytosolic fraction from each tissue was examined. Although the amount of pp25 apparently did not change during oocyte maturation induced by progesterone, pp25 disappeared in embryos around Nieuwkoop/Faber stages 45-48 in parallel with the change of pNiXa (a kind of serpin). These results suggest that pp25 plays some specific role(s) in Xenopus oocytes and that the level of pp25 changes dramatically during embryonic development.

Animals↗
PubMed2002

Detecting odorous materials in water using quartz crystal microbalance sensors.

Water drawn from rivers into purification plants must be checked for the presence of odorous materials because oil or organic-solvent contamination of the water may occur. If the detection of odorous materials in water is untimely or fails, the consequences can be serious. Therefore, the water must be checked continuously. We have developed a water-monitoring system that uses a highly sensitive electronic nose consisting of quartz crystal microbalance sensors to detect odorous materials in water. The nose is sensitive enough to detect petroleum hydrocarbons without water vapor at a low-ppb level. However, the nose is very sensitive to humidity and temperature. We have thus developed a method for accurately maintaining the humidity and temperature in the sensor cell. Experimental results show that the developed system can quickly detect contaminated water that was mixed with gasoline, kerosene, or benzene (concentration: several hundred ppb level), and we should be able to classify the pollutant by using pattern recognition of the dynamic sensor response.

Fresh Water↗
PubMed2001

Treatment for aortic graft infection.

Nine patients with an aortic graft infection presented after undergoing aortic grafting. Seven of 9 patients underwent an initial aortic reconstruction in our hospital. The incidence of aortic graft infection was 1.5% (7/456). There were 6 cases of paraprosthetic infection and 3 cases of aortointestinal fistulas. The treatments consisted of a complete graft excision and an axillofemoral bypass in 6 patients, a complete graft excision alone, a partial graft excision and a femorofemoral bypass, and the preservation of the graft with omental wrapping and irrigation in 1 each. Broad-spectrum antibiotics were intravenously administered to all patients and were then replaced by selective antibiotics for the responsible organisms. All surviving patients received antibiotics orally for 3-6 months. The early postoperative mortality rate was 11.1%. Aortoduodenal fistula occurred in 1 patient with graft excision alone. Graft thrombosis occurred in 2 patients with an axillofemoral bypass. No late graft infection or stump blowout occurred in any patient. We believe that a complete excision of the infected graft as well as the maintenance of distal tissue perfusion is necessary. However, based on the condition of the patient, the appearance of the operating field, and the difficulty of a repeat operation, we would like to stress the importance of selecting the best and safest treatment plan for each case.

Administration, Oral↗
PubMed2001

A serpin with M(r) 43,000 is a binding protein of M(r) 25,000 protein, a substrate for protein ser/thr kinase detected in Xenopus laevis oocytes.

In an attempt to get some clue as to the function of M(r) 25,000 protein, a protein Ser/Thr kinase substrate detected in Xenopus laevis oocytes [Hashimoto, E. et al. (1995) J. Biochem. 118, 453-460], the binding protein was surveyed using the (32)P-labeled protein by casein kinase II as a screening probe. When the cytosolic proteins from oocytes were transferred to a polyvinylidene fluoride membrane and incubated with the labeled protein, only one protein with M(r) 43,000 was visualized on autoradiography. This protein was purified to a nearly homogeneous state through several column chromatography steps. The amino acid sequence of the amino-terminal region of this protein identified it as a kind of serine protease inhibitor (serpin) [Holland, L.J. et al. (1992) J. Biol. Chem. 267, 7053-7059]. However, the M(r) 25,000 protein did not have any effect on the inhibitory action of this serpin on alpha-chymotrypsin. In addition, several binding proteins were also detected in the particulate fraction of oocytes, although the exact identity of these proteins is not clear at this time. These results suggest that the M(r) 25,000 protein may play some role(s) by interacting with these binding proteins in Xenopus oocytes.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed2000

Synthesis of pyrimidine 2'-deoxy ribonucleosides branched at the 2'-position via radical atom-transfer cyclization reaction with a vinylsilyl group as a radical-acceptor tether.

Recently, we developed a regio- and stereoselective method for introducing a vinyl group at the position beta to a hydroxyl group in halohydrins or alpha-phenylselenoalkanols via a radical atom-transfer cyclization reaction with a vinylsilyl group as a temporary connecting radical-acceptor tether. The synthesis of 2'-deoxy-2'-C-vinyl- and 2'-deoxy-2'-C-hydroxymethyluridines (7 and 8, respectively) and the corresponding 2'-deoxycytidine congeners (10 and 11, respectively), which were designed as potential antitumor and/or antiviral agents, was achieved using this radical atom-transfer cyclization as the key step. When the 2'-deoxy-2'-iodo-5'-O-monomethoxytrityl (MMTr) uridine derivative 19a, bearing a vinylsilyl group at the 3'-hydroxyl group, was heated with (Me(3)Sn)(2) and AIBN in benzene, the corresponding radical atom-transfer product was generated, which in turn was successively treated with tetrabutylammonium fluoride and TBSCl/imidazole to give the desired 2'-deoxy-5'-O-MMTr-3'-O-TBS-2'-C-vinyluridine (25). Compound 25 was successfully converted into the target 2'-deoxy-2'-branched pyrimidine ribonucleosides 7, 8, 10, and 11.

Antineoplastic Agents↗
PubMed2000

Algal-lytic activities encoded by Chlorella virus CVK2.

Using a halo assay with E. coli lysates expressing Chlorella virus CVK2 genes on a cosmid contig, two different algal-lytic activities against Chlorella strain NC64A cells were found to be encoded on the CVK2 genome. The gene for vAL-1, one of the two activities, encoded a 349-aa ORF, which was homologous to PBCV-1 A215L and CVN1 CL-2. The vAL-1 gene was expressed at relatively early stages of the virus life cycle; transcripts and translation products appeared at 60 and 90 min postinfection, respectively. The vAL-1 protein was not incorporated into the viral particles but remained in the cell lysate, suggesting a role in the digestion of the cell wall before viral release at the final stage of infection. Cell wall materials isolated from Chlorella strain NC64A cells were digested by vAL-1 and degradation products were detected on TLC. In addition to Chlorella strain NC64A, vAL-1 lysed cells of four C. vulgaris strains as well as Chlorella sp. SAG-241-80.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed2000

Usefulness of HMG-CoA reductase inhibitor in Japanese hyperlipidemic women within seven years of menopause.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the therapeutic value of treatment with an HMG-CoA reductase inhibitor in women with hypoestrogenic hyperlipidemia caused by menopause. DESIGN: Fifty-six women with total cholesterol (TC) levels of 220 mg/dl or more who were within 7 years of menopause were randomly assigned to receive an HMG-CoA reductase inhibitor (pravastatin 10 mg/day; treated group, 26 patients) or no medical treatment (nontreated group, 30 patients) in this 6-month nonblinded prospective trial. RESULTS: In the treated group, the mean (SD) TC levels decreased significantly from 254.5+/-22.3 mg/dl at baseline to 204.7+/-22.2 mg/dl (19.6%), and the mean low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) level decreased significantly from 146.7+/-30.5 to 104.3+/-22.5 mg/dl (28.9%); the mean arteriosclerotic index decreased significantly from 2.98 to 2.08 (30.2%). There were no significant changes in either triglyceride levels or high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) levels. In the nontreated group, there were no significant changes in the TC, HDL-C, LDL-C, or triglyceride levels; there was also no change in the arteriosclerotic index. After 6 months, the TC level, LDL-C level, and arteriosclerotic index were significantly lower in the treated group compared with the nontreated group (p<0.01). CONCLUSIONS: The results indicate that the HMG-CoA reductase inhibitor lowered TC and LDL-C levels and was useful in the treatment of hypoestrogenic hyperlipidemia for periods of at least 6 months.

Arteriosclerosis↗
PubMed2000

[Surgical treatment for infective endocarditis with multiple embolic complications].

A 59-year-old man was transferred to our hospital because of severe right leg pain, dyspnea and anuria. Due to severe cyanosis of the legs below the knees and severe hyperkalemia, he had undergone embolectomy of the right femoral artery and hemodialysis. Medical treatment for infective endocarditis was started after the first operation, because transesophageal echo cardiography revealed severe aortic regurgitation and massive vegetation of the aortic valve. Amputation of the right leg below the knee and of the left leg below the Lisfranc joint was performed after 19 days and aortic valve replacement with patch closure of a perivalvular abscess was performed one month after the first operation. The post-operative course was uneventful. He was weaned from hemodialysis and the follow-up echocardiographic study revealed no vegetation.

Abscess↗
PubMed1999

(-)-Epigallocatechin gallate inhibits mos activation-mediated xenopus oocyte maturation induced by progesterone.

(-)-Epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG), one of the constituents of green tea known to have a tumor preventing effect, inhibited maturation of Xenopus laevis oocytes induced by progesterone when this polyphenol was microinjected into oocytes at a final concentration of about 1 mM. Western blot and activity measurement analyses showed that Mos translation and the subsequent activations of mitogen-activated protein kinase and p90(rsk), probably by protein phosphorylation, seemed to have been inhibited by the microinjection of EGCG. These results suggest that EGCG may have the ability to control Xenopus oocyte maturation at least during the stage of Mos activation.

Animals↗
PubMed1999

Odorant detection capability of QCR sensors coated with plasma deposited organic films.

Odorant-detection experiments were conducted on major single-odor substances in various types of botanical species. The sensing devices we used were quartz-crystal resonators (QCRs), radio-frequency (RF) sputtered with amino acids or polymers. The odorants were generated at very low concentrations (ppb level) by using the diffusion-tube method. The tested odorants were detected at concentrations between 0.3 and 940 ppb. These deposited films had high partition coefficients for the odorants, confirming their high sensitivity to organic vapors, especially to terpenoids. This indicates that the odorant solvation is due to odorant-film interaction related to Gibbs free energy.

Biosensing Techniques↗
PubMed1999

Protective effect of a vasopressin-1 selective antagonist, OPC-21268, against ethanol-induced damage of the rat gastric wall.

Since endogenous vasopressin has been reported to be an aggressor in the gastric mucosa and a vasoconstrictor in the gastric circulation, we investigated the gastric cytoprotective effects of OPC-21268, a newly developed, nonpeptide, orally active vasopressin-1 receptor antagonist, on ethanol-induced gastric injury in rats. The rats were treated with OPC-21268 or placebo 2 hr before ethanol administration, and the gastric mucosa was evaluated macroscopically for ulcer damage, and histologically for gastric mucosal injury. Gastric mucosal blood flow, erythrocyte volume, and erythrocyte velocity were also measured in groups given saline, ethanol alone, and ethanol after OPC-21268. To investigate the role of systemic or locally secreted vasopressin, we measured plasma and tissue (gastric mucosa) vasopressin concentrations after ethanol or vehicle administration. Prophylactic OPC-21268 treatment improved the gastric ulcer score in a dose-dependent manner, and histological examination demonstrated that the drug significantly ameliorated the gastric injury induced by ethanol. The hemodynamic values obtained in the OPC-21268-treated and ethanol-treated group were similar to those in the saline control group, but values were significantly (P < 0.05) higher for gastric mucosal blood flow and erythrocyte velocity and lower for erythrocyte volume compared to the group given ethanol alone. Plasma vasopressin concentrations were not significantly different in the control group and at 15, 30, and 60 min after administration of ethanol. However, ethanol administration caused a threefold increase in gastric tissue vasopressin level (P < 0.05) compared to the control group. These results suggested that OPC-21268 relieved congestive hyperemia in the gastric mucosa and ameliorated the mucosal injury caused by ethanol, probably as a result of inhibition of vasopressin-mediated actions on the stomach. The vasopressin involved was probably generated locally in the gastric mucosa after ethanol administration.

Animals↗
PubMed1999

Detection of petroleum hydrocarbons at low ppb levels using quartz resonator sensors and instrumentation of a smart environmental monitoring system.

Petroleum hydrocarbon vapors at low ppb levels can be detected using a thickness shear mode resonator (TSMR) coated with a chemical-sensing overlayer, prepared by radiofrequency sputtering of porous sintered-polyethylene (PS-PE). The sensing capabilities of PS-PE sensors were profoundly affected by the sputtering methods; they were enhanced by the photo-excitation effect, and were reduced by carbonization and water treatment. The photo-assisted PS-PE sensor was extremely sensitive and could detect linear hydrocarbon (> C12) vapors below the ppb level. The time constant of the sorption curve, however, was large, indicating a slow sensing speed. Toward creating instrumentation for a smart environmental monitoring system, the TSMR sensors were arrayed on a circuit board equipped with a serial interface and signal processing chips of the oscillation drive and frequency counter. Co-sorption with water vapor at a relative humidity of about 10% has almost no effect on the sensing ability of PS-PE sensors for 1,2,4-trimethylbenzene. Conversely, it enhances the sensitivity of the TSMR sensor coated with a D-phenylalanine film. Upward shifts in the baseline are evident with elapsed time. However, a rigorous ten-cycle iteration test for 100 ppm toluene vapor demonstrated good reproducibility of the sensor's signals.

Air Pollution↗
PubMed1998

Role of endogenous endothelin in the development of graft arteriosclerosis in rat cardiac allografts: antiproliferative effects of bosentan, a nonselective endothelin receptor antagonist.

BACKGROUND: The purpose of this study was to determine whether endothelin-1 (ET-1) contributes to the development of graft arteriosclerosis and whether the orally active nonpeptide endothelin receptor antagonist bosentan, which blocks both ETA and ETB receptors, can protect against this pathologic damage. METHODS AND RESULTS: Recipient male Lewis rats were divided into three groups; group 1 received heterotopic heart transplantations from Lewis donors and groups 2 and 3 received transplantations from Brown-Norway donors; group 3 recipients also received bosentan orally at the dose of 20 mg/kg per day for 120 days. All recipients were given cyclosporine and were euthanized at examination 120 days after transplantation. Plasma ET-1 levels were significantly higher in group 2 than in group 1 (6.99+/-0.91 and 4.15+/-.83 pg/mL, respectively). Strong ET-1 immunoreactivity was seen in both the thickened neointima and the media of the coronary arteries in group 2 but not in group 1. The mean ratio of the coronary luminal area to the total vascular area in group 2 (19.0+/-11.7%) was significantly lower than that in group 1 (34.2+/-9.9%) and was significantly increased in group 3 (33.2+/-9.2%). CONCLUSIONS: These results show that local upregulation of ET-1, mainly in the thickened neointima and the media of the coronary arteries, may play an important role in the pathogenesis of graft arteriosclerosis by stimulating ETA receptors, ETB receptors, or both. Orally active bosentan might be a useful agent for the clinical prevention of graft arteriosclerosis.

Actins↗
PubMed1998

Effect of a HMG-CoA reductase inhibitor combined with hormone replacement therapy on lipid metabolism in Japanese women with hypoestrogenic lipidemia: a multicenter double-blind controlled prospective study.

OBJECTIVES: Menopause is associated with a rise in serum lipid concentrations. We compared a regimen of pravastatin alone with pravastatin and hormone therapy in postmenopausal women with hyperlipidemia. METHODS: We performed a double-blind, randomized, multicenter controlled study in postmenopausal women with hyperlipidemia. The women were randomly assigned to receive pravastatin alone (M group; n = 25) or pravastatin and hormone replacement therapy (HRT) (MC group; n = 32) for 12 weeks. Serum lipid and estrogen concentrations were measured at baseline and after 4 weeks and 12 weeks of treatment. RESULTS: The two groups were similar with respect to baseline demographic characteristics such as age, height, and body weight. As compared with baseline, the total cholesterol (TC) concentration was 15.0% lower at 4 weeks and 17.7% lower at 12 weeks in the M group and 15.1% lower at 4 weeks and 18.3% lower at 12 weeks in the MC group. The low-density-lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) concentration decreased by 25.0% at both 4 weeks and 12 weeks in the M group and by 26.8% at 4 weeks and 30.0% at 12 weeks in the MC group. Serum TC and LDL-C concentrations were significantly lower in the MC group than in the M group after 4 weeks of treatment, but there was no significant difference between the groups in serum lipid concentrations after 12 weeks. Pravastatin combined with HRT was therefore suggested to lower serum lipid concentrations earlier than pravastatin alone. There were no significant differences between the treatment groups in serum high-density-lipoprotein cholesterol concentrations or triglyceride concentrations after the initiation of therapy. In the MC group, there was a significant positive correlation between the percentage change in serum lipid concentrations and that in estrogen concentrations, suggesting that the HRT-induced rise in estrone (E1) as well as that in estradiol (E2) contributed an improved serum lipid profile. TC and E2, and LDL-C and serum E1 had significant negative correlation at 12 weeks and 4 weeks, respectively. Pravastatin had no apparent effect on endogenous estrogen levels and was not associated with any side effects, which confirmed that pravastatin is safe, either alone or in combination with HRT. CONCLUSIONS: The combination of pravastatin and HRT in the management of hyperlipidemia in postmenopausal women is very useful therapeutically, because it additionally provides the broad benefits of HRT, without compromising the lipid lowering effects of either treatment.

Cholesterol↗