Biomedical subjects

Masayoshi Kobayashi

Publications and source records attributed to Masayoshi Kobayashi.

26 records · Page 2Linked to original sources

PubMed2004

[A case of cT0N2M0 small cell lung cancer with Lambert-Eaton myasthenic syndrome].

We encountered a very rare case of cT0N2M0 small cell lung cancer (SCLC) with Lambert-Eaton myasthenic syndrome (LEMS). A 69-year-old man with a complaint of muscle weakness was admitted to our hospital. Although his chest radiograph on admission showed no abnormal findings, CT scanning detected a mediastinal lymphadenopathy. Also, 2-[18F]-2-fluorodeoxy-D-glucose position emission tomography (FDG-PET) revealed increased accumulation in the same portion in the mediastinum. A diagnosis of LEMS was made from the distinctive electromyogram (EMG) findings (waning and waxing phenomenon in response to low-and high-frequency repetitive stimulation, respectively) in combination with the increased serum level of a P/Q-type anti-voltage-gated calcium channel (VGCC) antibody. Subsequent histopathological diagnosis by mediastinoscopic resection of a paraaortic lymph node was small cell carcinoma. No distant metastasis was detected by MRI of the brain, abdominal CT scan or an FDG-PET. Eight courses of chemotherapy (carboplatin + etoposide) with radiotherapy of the mediastinum (for a total dose of 45 Gy) was performed. A decreased serum level of P/Q-type anti-VGCC antibody titers followed by marked improvement of neurological dysfunction (muscle weakness, gait disturbance and scanning speech) and of an EMG finding (a loss of waning phenomenon) was observed. A close relationship between reduction of the antibody titers and improvement of neurological symptoms after the therapy was noticed. It was suggested that monitoring the level of a P/Q-type anti-VGCC antibody titer in the serum is important for evaluating the efficacy of chemotherapy for LEMS associated with SCLC.

Aged↗

PubMed2003

Arithmetic calculation, deep inspiration or handgrip exercise-mediated pre-operational active palmar sweating responses in humans.

We examined the effects of repetitive mental stimulation such as arithmetic calculations with sequential subtraction or physical tasks such as handgrip exercise and deep breathing on active palmar sweating responses in humans. Thirty-three healthy, male and female volunteer students (20.4+/-2.1 years) participated in the present study. The responses of active palmar sweating were evaluated by using the newly developed ratemeter. The galvanic skin response (GSR) was also recorded in 10 out of 33 subjects. The oral explanation of the stimulation or tasks caused a rapid and wavy active palmar sweating response. The pre-operational responses of active palmar sweating to the stimulation or tasks were also observed by the GSR recording. The mental stimulation- and physical tasks-mediated pre-operational responses were significantly reduced by the trials. The mental stimulation or physical tasks also caused a rapid and oscillatory response of active palmar sweating during operation of the stimulation or tasks. The operation-mediated responses to physical tasks were observed ipsilaterally and contralaterally. The physical task-mediated responses were also reproducible, resulting in no habituation. In contrast, the operation-mediated responses to mental stimulation were reduced significantly by the trials, resulting in a marked habituation. The findings suggest that the mental stimulation- and physical tasks-mediated pre-operational responses of active palmar sweating obtained by using the newly developed ratemeter will make useful tests for evaluating neuronal activity of limbic system including amygdala, sympathetic sudomotor activity in the palmar skin and functional properties of the palmar sweat glands.

Adult↗

PubMed2003

Ischemic intestinal involvement in a patient with Buerger disease: case report and literature review.

A 42-year-old Japanese man who had undergone amputation of the left leg below the knee because of Buerger disease required emergency thrombectomy 7 months later. He complained of acute abdominal pain after thrombectomy. At aortography the distal superior mesenteric artery and its branches were not well visualized. Emergency laparotomy was performed because of suspected intestinal ischemia, and the terminal ileum and cecum and part of the ascending colon were resected. In total, the patient underwent laparotomy four times. Histopathologic findings revealed that the arteries and veins of the resected small intestine were occluded with organized thrombi. Inflammatory cell infiltration was recognized mainly in the intima. These findings are compatible with Buerger disease.

Adult↗

PubMed2003

Buerger's disease in a 19-year-old woman.

A 19-year-old female college student had numbness and the sensation of coldness of her left toes. She had a 3-year smoking history. Gangrene of the left foot developed rapidly. Angiography revealed peripheral arterial occlusion of both legs and arms. Detailed laboratory examination excluded collagen disease, a hypercoagulable state, and juvenile atherosclerosis. Below-knee amputation of the left leg was performed. Typical histologic findings of Buerger's disease were observed in the crural arteries and saphenous veins. The clinical course was uneventful after the patient stopped smoking. This is the second case report of Buerger's disease in a woman in the second decade of life. It is important that a correct diagnosis of Buerger's disease be established, because the disease process is benign, compared with collagen disease, if the patient stops smoking.

Adolescent↗

PubMed2003

Effective cell harvesting of the halotolerant microalga Dunaliella tertiolecta with pH control.

An effective method for cell harvesting of the halotolerant microalga, Dunaliella tertiolecta ATCC30929, was investigated. By increasing the pH of the culture broth using NaOH solution, suspended D. terfolecta cells rapidly coagulated and settled within a few minutes, which allowed simple harvesting of the concentrated cells from the culture broth. The pHs for successful coagulation were between 8.6 and 10.5 and more than 90% of cells was recovered from the culture broth. Clarified culture broth could be reused for the successive cultivation of D. tertiolecta simply by supplying fresh medium and neutralizing alkali with HCl without the requirement for an additional inoculum.

Journal Article↗

PubMed2003

[Therapeutic results of respiratory disturbance during sleep in children].

We retrospectively analyzed 72 children suffering from respiratory disturbance during sleep at Mie University Hospital for sleep study or surgical treatment from 1992 to 2001. Their clinical symptoms included snoring (100% of 72 inpatients), sleep apnea (60%), mouth breathing (44%), and nasal obstruction (30%). Forty-seven reported sleep apnea and 28 (60% of total) corresponded to criteria for the sleep apnea syndrome (apnea index: AI > or = 5.0). These symptoms were caused by adenoid vegetation and/or hypertrophy of the palatine tonsils. No significant correlation was seen among size of the adenoid, that of the palatine tonsil, body mass index, AI, and blood oxygen saturation (SpO2) during sleep. Surgical treatment with adenotomy and/or tonsillectomy was performed in 66 patients. After treatment, clinical symptoms diminished within a week, and AI and SpO2 during sleep improved significantly. Recurrence of snoring was observed 19, 23, and 21% of patients 1, 3, and 5 years after treatment. Sleep apnea recurred in only 1 patient 7 years after adenotomy. Seventy-five percent of children who had the clinical symptoms 1 month after treatment have shown the same symptoms continuously for a long time. In conclusion, surgical treatment for children's respiratory disturbance during sleep is effective and involves a low rate of symptom recurrence.

Adenoidectomy↗

PubMed2002

Volume loading inhibits baroreflex vagal bradycardia in rats.

Volume loading tends to increase blood pressure. Resultant arterial baroreflexes, especially the heart rate component, would counteract renal compensation of volume expansion. In this study, we investigated effect of volume loading on baroreflex vagal bradycardia (BVB) induced by electrical stimulation of the aortic depressor nerves in chloralose/urethane-anesthetized, succinylcholine-immobilized, artificially ventilated rats. As a result, we confirmed that volume loading inhibits BVB. The inhibition was abolished following spinal cord transection at C2. In contrast, volume loading did not affect the bradycardia induced by electrical stimulation of peripheral cut ends of the cervical vagus. These findings suggest that the inhibition of BVB by volume loading is mediated by afferent input which is conveyed in the sympathetic nerves and ascends in the spinal cord, and produced at a central site.

Adaptation, Physiological↗

PubMed2002

Expression of angiogenesis and angiogenic factors in human aortic vascular disease.

BACKGROUND: This paper presents an investigation into the expression of endothelial cells and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) in the aortic wall in vascular diseases such as atherosclerotic abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAAA), inflammatory abdominal aortic aneurysm (IAAA), and aortic occlusive disease (AOD) to determine whether the differences in both neovascularization and angiogenic factor expression are related to the pathogenesis of aortic vascular disease. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Surgical specimens of aorta (10 IAAA, 13 AAAA, 6 AOD) were studied pathologically and immunohistochemically. Representative sections of aorta were stained with hematoxylin-eosin, elastica von Gieson, CD34, and VEGF antibody. CD34-positive microvessels and VEGF-positive cells in the media and adventitia were counted, respectively. RESULTS: CD34-positive microvessels were detected in IAAA > AAAA > AOD (one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA), P < 0.0001). VEGF expression was widely detected in macrophages, monocytes, and smooth muscle cells of IAAA and AAAA; however, it was hardly recognized in AOD. VEGF-positive cells were detected in IAAA > AAAA > AOD specimens (ANOVA, P < 0.0001). CONCLUSIONS: VEGF is known to be a regulator of angiogenesis and to simultaneously stimulate elastolytic proteinases. The results of this study suggest that an angiogenic factor, such as VEGF, may play an important role in the degeneration of the aortic wall and could be strongly related to the pathogenesis of IAAA, AAAA, and AOD.

Aged↗