Biomedical subjects
Publications and source records attributed to M Machida.
Retroperitoneal bronchogenic cysts are extremely rare congenital anomalies that represent malformations of the embryonic foregut and are morphologically expressed as maldevelopments of the respiratory system. Because of the low prevalence of these tumors, their imaging features have seldom been described. We present the computed tomographic and magnetic resonance imaging findings of a case of retroperitoneal bronchogenic cyst.
We studied somatosensory evoked potentials (SEPs) in 20 chickens with experimentally induced scoliosis after pinealectomy and in 100 patients with idiopathic scoliosis. We also studied 20 chickens without scoliosis and 20 healthy youngsters. In the chickens, SEPs after leg stimulation was significantly delayed in the scoliosis group compared to the controls. In patients, the latency of cortical potential (N37) after stimulation of tibial nerve was longer in the scoliosis group than in the controls. Our findings in both experimental and clinical studies strongly support the hypothesis that idiopathic scoliosis results from dysfunction in the central nervous system. The type of SEPs abnormalities described in idiopathic scoliosis suggest a pathology from the midbrain to the cortex.
We evaluated the effect of 12 months of 300-mg oral sarpogrelate hydrochloride (SH) once daily on the symptoms of Raynaud's phenomenon, respiratory failure and cardiac function in seven patients with systemic sclerosis. Arterial blood gases, pulmonary function, mean pulmonary arterial pressure, left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF), right ventricular ejection fraction (RVEF), white blood cell count, C-reactive protein and the plasma concentrations of fibrinopeptide A, beta-thromboglobulin, platelet factor 4 and thrombomodulin were evaluated before and 2 and 12 months after SH administration. After 2 and 12 months of SH administration, a significant decrease was found in the frequency and duration of Raynaud's phenomenon, as well as the coldness, numbness and pain of Raynaud's phenomenon. Respiratory failure, as estimated by Hugh-Jones classification, was significantly decreased, whereas the percentage carbon monoxide diffusion capacity was significantly increased. The mean pulmonary arterial pressure decreased significantly, as did plasma fibrinopeptide A, beta-thromboglobulin and platelet factor 4. There was no significant change in LVEF after 2 or 12 months, but after 12 months of SH administration, RVEF increased significantly. In conclusion, use of SH may prevent Raynaud's phenomenon, respiratory failure and right ventricular failure in patients with systemic sclerosis.
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BACKGROUND/AIMS: Our goal was to demonstrate the role of bacteria in altered bile acid metabolism, which overgrow in the upper small intestine of patients with progressive systemic sclerosis. We identified the bacterial species, isolated from the jejunal fluid obtained from patients with progressive systemic sclerosis, who had previously shown an increase in 14CO2, specific activity on breath test, and normal controls. After which, we investigated the deconjugation ability of the isolated bacteria and the relationship between 14CO2, specific activity and gastric pH. METHODOLOGY: Bile acid breath tests were performed on 12 patients, and 19 normal controls using 5 microCi of oral glycine-1-(14)C-labeled glycocholate. Jejunal fluid was aspirated through a double lumen-tube with a rubber cover on the tip. Deconjugation ability was examined by thin-layer chromatography using conjugated bile acids in ox gall. RESULTS: The following species were identified in jejunal fluid samples obtained from patients: Bacteroides vulgatus, Eubacterium lentum, enterococcus, Lactobacillus bifidus, Escherichia (E) coli, Aerobacter (A) aerogenes. Except for E. coli and A. aerogenes, these species were capable of hydrolyzing conjugated bile acids in ox gall. The administration of chloramphenicol (1 g orally per day for 14 days in divided doses) significantly reduced the 14CO2, specific activity (p<0.05) in the patients with progressive systemic sclerosis. On the other hand, nineteen healthy control subjects demonstrated no increase in CO2 excretion, and 16 of the 19 had no bacteria isolated from jejunal fluid. The remaining healthy man showed an overgrowth of E. coli and Pseudomonas (P) aeruginosa, but the E. coli and P. aeruginosa did not have the ability of deconjugation. CO2 specific activity of expired breath samples in the patients with progressive systemic sclerosis was correlated with gastric pH (n=12, r=0.588, p<0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Our results demonstrated that some of the bacterial species that overgrow in the upper small intestine of patients with progressive systemic sclerosis can deconjugate bile acids, and that a shift to neutral pH in gastric juice, may promote the bacterial overgrowth related to their impaired peristaltic activity.