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Biomedical subjects

N Sakuma

Publications and source records attributed to N Sakuma.

At least 73 records · Page 4Linked to original sources

Pharmacological properties of tiropramide, an antispasmodic drug.

1. The pharmacological properties of an antispasmodic drug, tiropramide, were studied in isolated smooth muscle preparations. 2. Tiropramide at concentrations of 10(-6) to 10(-4) M relaxed various smooth muscles contracted spontaneously and by smooth muscle stimulants or electrical stimulation. Tiropramide did not interact with all drug-receptors examined, suggesting a pure musculotropic smooth muscle relaxant activity. 3. Tiropramide was found to inhibit both Ca uptake and Ca release in the guinea pig urinary bladder. 4. Tiropramide is considered to be useful to inhibit the contractile response of the urinary bladder, as this organ is mainly innervated by noncholinergic excitatory neurons.

Animals↗

[Recognition units of kanji words: priming effects on kanji recognition].

We investigated the recognition units of single-kanji and two-kanji-compound words in lexical access. In Experiment 1, we examined if the word recognition is facilitated in two conditions: (1) when the prime and the target words are identical and (2) when the prime and the target words contain an identical kanji. The priming effect was found only when the compound targets were identical to the prime. In Re-experiment 1, facilitation among kanji word was re-examined. The priming effect was obtained in the identical targets in both single and compound words. In Experiment 2, facilitation of word recognition among single kanji words was investigated. The results showed that facilitation was observed when the target was identical to the prime. Taken together, these results indicated that the kanji word recognition in lexical access is accomplished by word-sized units rather than by character-sized units. The findings were discussed with reference to the logogen model (Morton, 1977).

Adult↗

Changes of HDL subfraction concentration and particle size by intralipid in vivo.

The effects of the artificial triglyceride-phospholipid emulsion (10% intralipid) on HDL subfraction were studied in vivo. After a 14-h fast, subjects received intralipid via a 4-h infusion. Serum lipoproteins were analyzed before and at 4 and 6 h after the start of the infusion. At 4-h the following acute changes by infusion were observed. Triglyceride, phospholipid, free cholesterol, and esterified cholesterol in chylomicrons and VLDL increased. HDL2 as well as triglyceride, phospholipid, free cholesterol and protein within the HDL2 increased, while HDL3 decreased. An increase in HDL3 triglyceride was observed. The masses of apo A-I and A-II in the HDL2 density interval rose while these parameters fell in HDL3. There were decreases of apo C-II and C-III in the HDL subfractions and elevations in chylomicrons and VLDL. The particle size of the HDL subfractions increased. However, most of these acute changes at 4 h tended to disappear by 6 h. These results suggest that there is exchange of lipids and reversible transfer of apo C-II and C-III between HDL subfractions and intralipid, and conversion of HDL3 to HDL2 followed by the reverse conversion of HDL2 to HDL3 as the synthetic emulsion is cleared from the plasma.

Adult↗

Selectivity and contribution of lecithin: cholesterol acyltransferase to plasma cholesterol ester formation.

Selectivity factors (Vm/Km) for human and rat lecithin: cholesterol acyltransferases (LCAT) for the transfer of various acyl groups from the 2-position of phosphatidylcholine were determined. By multiplying these values by the proportions of acyl groups at the 2-position of phosphatidylcholine, one can predict the proportions of molecular species of cholesterol ester which will be synthesized by LCAT. In human subjects fasted overnight, the molecular composition of plasma cholesterol ester was found to reflect the LCAT selectivity relatively accurately. This result supports the concepts that hepatic acyl-CoA:cholesterol acyltransferase (ACAT) does not contribute significantly to the synthesis of plasma cholesterol ester and that removal of cholesterol ester from plasma is not selective with respect to molecular species under these conditions. In contrast to the results with humans, the molecular composition of plasma cholesterol ester formed in spontaneously hypertensive rats fed a high-cholesterol diet and then fasted overnight differs from that which is predicted from LCAT selectivity and the proportion of various fatty acids at the 2-position of phosphatidylcholine: these results suggest that cholesterol ester is formed mainly via the ACAT reaction.

Adult↗

Clonazepam monotherapy for epilepsy in childhood.

Sixty patients (age-range one month to 14 years) with other types of epilepsy than infantile spasms were treated with clonazepam. Disappearance of seizures and normalization of abnormal EEG with disappearance of seizures were recognized in 77% and 50%, respectively. Seizures disappeared in 71% of the patients with generalized seizures and 89% of partial seizures. Improvement of abnormal EEG was noticed in 76% of diffuse paroxysms and in 67% of focal paroxysms. In excellent cases, mean effective dosages were 0.086 +/- 0.021 mg/kg/day in infants and 0.057 +/- 0.022 mg/kg/day in schoolchildren, this difference was statistically significant (p less than 0.005). The incidence of side effects such as drowsiness and ataxia was only 5%.

Adolescent↗

[Changes of neurotransmitter, lipid peroxide and their metabolic related enzyme activities in the brain of rats exposed to noise and vitamin E].

Effects of noise on locomotor activities were analysed in rat. In addition, changes in lipid peroxide (LPX), their metabolic related enzyme activities, and neurotransmitter in the rat brain due to noise exposure and the effects of vitamin E on the rats were studied. The results obtained were as follows: After white noise exposure of 95 dB (A), the locomotor activities of rat increased. But 3 weeks after noise exposure, the activities began to decrease. LPX and glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) activities in hypothalamus and cortex increased at the 14th day after noise exposure or at the 21st day after noise exposure. Superoxide dismutase (SOD) activities increased in hippocampus at the 4th day after noise exposure, and decreased in midbrain and thalamus at the 14th day and the 21th day after noise exposure. Norepinephrine (NE) increased in hypothalamus at the 1st day, the 2nd day and the 7th day after noise exposure, and increased in striatum at the 7th day after noise exposure, in cortex at the 4th day and the 7th day after exposure. At the 14th day after noise exposure, NE decreased in cerebellum, in medulla and pons, in midbrain and thalamus, and in cortex. In cortex NE also decreased at the 21st day after noise exposure. Serotonin increased in hypothalamus and in midbrain and thalamus at the 1st and 4th day after noise exposure, and increased in striatum at the 7th day after noise exposure. Decrease in serotonin was observed in cerebellum at the 14th day after noise exposure. Vitamin E decreased LPX in rat brain and the liver.

Animals↗

[Mass screening for breast cancer in Miyagi prefecture--a 5-year review].

During the past 5 years, 55839 individuals mass screening for breast cancer in Miyagi Prefecture. Breast cancer was detected in 51 of 49114 (0.1%) women examined at the local site and in 14 of 6725 (0.2%) women examined at the vocational site. At the Cancer Detection Center (CDC) breast cancer was detected in 75 of 3055 (2.4%) screened individuals. Of the 51 breast cancer patients identified at the local site, 35 had noted a breast lump before screening, 6 of 14 patients identified at the vocational site had noted a lump. All patients in whom cancer was detected at the CDC had noticed a breast lump before undergoing the examination. Tumors were detected at a relatively early stage at the vocational site. Classification of tumor size was not significantly different between the local and the CDC examination.

Adult↗

Subacute sclerosing panencephalitis: atypical absence attacks as first symptom.

Subacute sclerosing panencephalitis was diagnosed in a 10-year-old girl who had suffered from atypical absence attacks for 3 months; diagnosis was made after 5 months of these attacks. Characteristic EEG findings included diffuse spike and wave complexes of about 2.5 Hz associated with desynchronization during the absence attacks, and recruiting rhythm during the tonic seizure. As the lesion responsible for these EEG patterns originated in the brainstem, subcortical structures were probably affected early in the disease. The SSPE complexes may have originated chiefly in the brainstem since, in this case, they were recognized even during the period of absence attacks.

Brain Stem↗

Status epilepticus in childhood: a retrospective study of initial convulsive status and subsequent epilepsies.

A retrospective study was carried out on 261 patients with various epilepsies who had undergone convulsive status epilepticus prior to the subsequent onset of epileptic seizures. 1. Convulsive status epilepticus was found more in partial epilepsy and secondary generalized epilepsy at about the same rate, and evidently less in primary generalized epilepsy. On the average, three-fourths commenced their convulsive disorders with initial status epilepticus. 2. There were free intervals of years following initial status and preceding subsequent epilepsy. The interval was evidently shorter, less than two years, in a majority of patients with secondary generalized epilepsy, whereas the interval was mostly longer, more than six years, in patients with partial epilepsy. 3. The permanent deficient sequelae resulting from initial status were most closely associated with secondary generalized epilepsy. This was also exemplified by the higher rate of atrophic change on CCT. On the contrary, such permanent sequelae were less marked in partial epilepsy especially of complex seizure. 4. It was concluded that secondary generalized epilepsy resulted in cases with more severe brain damage within a relatively shorter interval, whereas complex partial seizure resulted from less severe damage with an obviously longer interval following convulsive status epilepticus.

Adolescent↗