Biomedical subjects

K Kunimoto

Publications and source records attributed to K Kunimoto.

29 records · Page 2Linked to original sources

PubMed1984

Role of midbrain raphe in stress-induced renin and prolactin secretion.

Stress-induced changes in renin and prolactin secretion were studied using a conditioned emotional response paradigm. Three minutes after being placed in a chamber, the stressed animals received a brief electric shock (1.0 mA for 10 s through the grid floor), then were returned to their home cage. This procedure was repeated for 3 consecutive days. On the fourth day, the rats were placed in the chamber for 3 min, but instead of receiving shock, they were removed and sacrificed. Control animals were treated in the same manner, except that they never received foot shock. The sham-operated stressed rats evidenced significant elevations in plasma renin activity (270%) and prolactin level (550%). Electrolytic lesions in the dorsal raphe nucleus blocked the stress-induced increase in plasma renin activity but did not affect the stress-induced increase in prolactin secretion. Electrolytic lesions in the median raphe nucleus did not affect prolactin levels in either control or stressed animals. However, median raphe lesions led to a significant increase in plasma renin activity in non-stressed rats and potentiated the stress-induced elevation in plasma renin activity. These results suggest that neurons within the dorsal and median raphe nuclei are involved in the regulation of renin but not prolactin secretion during stress. The results also suggest that median raphe neurons play a role in basal renin secretion.

Animals↗

PubMed1982

Abortifacient effect and uterine cervix-dilating action of 16, 16-dimethyl trans delta 2 PGE1 methyl ester (ONO 802) in the form of a vaginal suppository (a randomized, double-blind, controlled study in the second trimester of pregnancy).

A newly synthesized 16, 16-dimethyl trans delta 2 PGE1 methyl ester (ONO 802) was clinically applied in the form of a vaginal suppository for therapeutic abortion of second trimester pregnancies. Its effects were studied in a double-blind test comparing it with an inactive placebo suppository. The study was conducted at 12 Japanese university hospitals. The number of patients was 125 in total, i.e. 63 receiving ONO 802 vaginal suppository (containing 1.0 mg ONO 802) and 62 receiving inactive placebo suppository. ONO 802 was more effective than placebo with a success rate of 87% (complete (71%) and incomplete (16%) abortions). The onset of uterine contractions was observed in 154.3+/-18.1 min. and the onset of uterine bleeding in 323.6+/-41.0 min. The expulsion of the fetus and placenta was observed in 955.4+/-97.0 and 961.6+/-97.0 min., respectively. The cervix dilating effect of ONO 802 was observed in 63.5% of the patients at 3 hours after the start of administration. Nausea, vomiting, abdominal cramps, diarrhea and pyrexia were noticed. However, all these side effects were transient and mild, requiring no treatment. No abnormality was observed in the puerperal course, duration of uterine bleeding or onset of subsequent menstruation following the therapeutic abortion. Therefore, the present study demonstrated that ONO 802 vaginal suppository was an effective and valuable drug for therapeutic abortion of second trimester pregnancies.

Abortifacient Agents↗

PubMed1981

Nonsteroidal antiinflammatory agents. 2. Synthesis of 4',5-disubstituted 3-biphenylylacetic acids and their derivatives with antiinflammatory and analgesic activities.

A series of 5',5-disubstituted 3-biphenylylacetic acids (5a-n) and several alpha-methyl derivatives (5o-v) were prepared as analogues of a newly developed nonsteroidal antiinflammatory agent, 5'-chloro-5-methoxy-3-biphenylylacetic acid [1 (DKA-9), R = 4-C1Ph; R' = Me], and evaluated for antiinflammatory and analgesic activities using both carrageenan rat paw edema and AcOH writhing assays. Among them, 5-fluoro-3-biphenylylacetic acid (5m) showed the highest antiinflammatory activity, while 2-(3-biphenylyl)propionic acid (5o) showed the highest analgesic activity. However, they were less potent than 1 (R = 4-C1Ph; R' = Me) in these assays.

Analgesics↗

PubMed1981

Nonsteroidal antiinflammatory agents. 3. Synthesis of the positional isomers of 4'-chloro-5-methoxy-3-biphenylylacetic acid and their antiinflammatory and analgesic activities.

The positional isomers 3a-i of 4'-chloro-5-methoxy-3-biphenylylacetic acid [1 (DKA-9), R = 4-ClPh; R' = MeO] which is a newly developed nonsteroidal antiinflammatory agent, have been prepared and evaluated for antiinflammatory and analgesic activities using both the carrageenan-induced rat paw edema and AcOH writhing assays. The 3- and 4-biphenylylacetic acids 3a,d, which closely resemble 1 (R = 4-ClPh, R' = MeO) structurally, showed, by far, excellent activities compared with the other isomers in these assays. However, none of the compounds tested was more active than 1 (R = 4-ClPh; R' = MeO). In this series of compounds, structural requirements for good antiinflammatory activity seemed to be parallel to those for analgesic activity.

Animals↗

PubMed1981

Effect of castration on the appearance of diabetes in NOD mouse.

To examine the influence of sex hormones on the appearance of overt diabetes in NOD mice, oophorectomy and orchiectomy were performed. Castrated males showed a high incidence of diabetes. The time course of onset was similar to that of the intact females. On the other hand, castrated females showed a intact-male pattern of onset with a low incidence. Clinical determinations demonstrated a close similarity between spontaneous and castration-induced diabetes. These data suggest that sex hormones modulate the expression of overt diabetes in NOD mouse, i. e. androgens have at least a suppressive effect.

Age Factors↗

PubMed1980

Breeding of a non-obese, diabetic strain of mice.

A female mouse spontaneously exhibiting polyuria and glucosuria accompanied by rapid weight loss waa found in one of two sublines derived from the CTS mice. Eight mating pairs were made using its offspring and selection was performed for both spontaneous diabetes and reproductive ability. After six generations of the selective breeding the diabetic (nod) and the control (non) lines were established. A marked sex difference was observed in the incidence of diabetic symptoms in the nod mouse. The cumulative incidence of the onset up to 30 weeks of age was 80% in females and less than 20% in males. The onset of diabetes was abrupt in both sexes, and spontaneous remission was not observed. However, daily administration of insulin induced an increase of body weight and a prolongation of life span. Diabetic symptoms are biochemically characterized by polyuria, polydipsia, hyperglycemia, glucosuria and hypercholesteremia. Pathological examination revealed a high frequency of lymphocyte infiltration around and/or into the Langerhans' islet. It was observed even at the prediabetic stage over five weeks of both sexes. The number and size of the islets were markedly reduced in the overt diabetic mice. Although the mechanism of the pathogenesis is not clear yet, the nod mouse may be a useful animal model for investigating the human juvenile type diabetes.

Animals↗

PubMed1980

Inhibition of PG biosynthesis as the maintenance mechanism of pregnancy of hCG.

In general, when the hCG values in the serum and urine reached their first peak, the PGF2 alpha and PGF2 alpha-MUM levels dropped. The hCG fell rapidly in inverse proportion to PGF2 alpha. During late pregnancy, hCG levels increased slightly and PGF2 alpha reached a low level again. From these observations, it can be stated that both PGF2 alpha and hCG played important physiologic roles in the maintenance of pregnancy. Normal pregnancy depends on this special antagonism. This anatagonism seems to be maintained by proper concentration of both hCG and PGF2 alpha. When this antagonism is disturbed during pregnancy as described above, the tendency toward decrease of hCG and increase of PGF2 alpha manifests and hence threatened abortion or actual abortion may result.

Abortion, Spontaneous↗

PubMed1977