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Biomedical subjects

Sumiko Yamamoto

Publications and source records attributed to Sumiko Yamamoto.

8 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2006

Immediate effect of Shakuyaku-kanzo-to on muscle cramp in hemodialysis patients.

We administered 2.5 g of Shakuyaku-kanzo-to granule to 61 patients who had muscle cramp during hemodialysis (HD) sessions and examined its immediate effects. We selected 10 patients who wanted to take the drug at home, out of cases, for whom the drug was effective on the study described above and had them take the drug in the same way at the beginning of muscle cramp at home examined the effects. In the study during HD sessions, muscle cramp and its associated pain disappeared in 5.3 +/- 3.9 min on average in 54 out of 61 cases. In the study of patients who took the drug at home, muscle cramp disappeared within 10 min in all cases. Shakuyaku-kanzo-to is thought to be very useful for muscle cramp during HD sessions of hemodialized patients because it has immediate effects by its oral administration on the occasion of cramp. With regard to the muscle cramp, which appears at home after HD sessions, the patients can cope with it by taking the drug by themselves. This is an epoch-making therapy, for it was impossible to cope with muscle cramp except in hospitals because the therapy of muscle cramp was limited to intravenous infusion of hypertonic solutions of dextrose, mannitol, and saline during HD sessions.

Administration, Oral↗
PubMed2005

FD, a bZIP protein mediating signals from the floral pathway integrator FT at the shoot apex.

FLOWERING LOCUS T (FT) is a conserved promoter of flowering that acts downstream of various regulatory pathways, including one that mediates photoperiodic induction through CONSTANS (CO), and is expressed in the vasculature of cotyledons and leaves. A bZIP transcription factor, FD, preferentially expressed in the shoot apex is required for FT to promote flowering. FD and FT are interdependent partners through protein interaction and act at the shoot apex to promote floral transition and to initiate floral development through transcriptional activation of a floral meristem identity gene, APETALA1 (AP1). FT may represent a long-distance signal in flowering.

Arabidopsis↗
PubMed2005

Kinematic effects on gait of a newly designed ankle-foot orthosis with oil damper resistance: a case series of 2 patients with hemiplegia.

The ankle joint of ankle-foot orthoses (AFOs) should restrict plantarflexion to prevent foot drop during the swing phase. However, excessive plantarflexion resistance causes excessive knee flexion during the stance phase. Plantarflexion resistive moment should be easily adjustable according to the gait ability of patients with hemiplegia. Because it is difficult to adjust plantarflexion resistive moment exactly, we developed an AFO with an oil damper. It is a small shock absorber that utilizes hydraulic resistance. The oil damper generates a resistive moment to the plantarflexion rotation of the ankle joint at the initial stance phase. The magnitude of the plantarflexion resistive moment at the heel strike can be easily adjusted to accommodate each patient's condition by simply turning an adjustment screw. We used a gait analysis system to compare the gait of 2 hemiplegic patients while they were wearing either the AFO with the oil damper or the AFO with the plantarflexion stop. The AFO with the oil damper achieved sufficient plantarflexion of the ankle and mild flexion of the knee by adjusting a proper plantarflexion resistive moment during initial stance phase, and provided a more comfortable gait than did the AFOs with a plantarflexion stop.

Ankle↗
PubMed2005

[Sevelamer:hydrochloride].

The recent global breakthrough in the field of renal osteodystrophy is the inhibitory effect of sevelamer hydrochloride on the progression of coronary artery calcification, which was revealed with EBCT (Electron beam computed tomography) 1) approximately 3). It has been found that the degree of coronary artery calcification assessed with EBCT is proportional to the mortality risk by the coronary artery stenosis and by myocardial infarction in non-hemodialysis patients 4) approximately 10). In 2004 in Japan Matsuoka and Iseki et al showed for the first time in the world that coronary artery calcification assessed by EBCT was correlated with mortality 11). In Japan, however, it is difficult to administer sevelamer hydrochloride to many patients because of constipation as its side effect. Its prescription rate is 26.8% and its single administration rate is only 15.4% 12). We explained fully to the patients that sevelamer hydrochloride seldom caused coronary artery calcification. And we used sorbitol, an osmotic purgatives, with sevelamer hydrochloride. Moreover, we gradually replaced calcium carbonate with sevelamer hydrochloride in supper at first. With protocol above, we succeeded in having 86.7% of the patients take sevelamer hydrochloride 12). We think that it is important to increase the intake rate of sevelamer hydrochloride in order to prevent coronary artery calcification and to aim at the long survival of the patients.

Calcinosis↗
PubMed2004

Elicitor-induced activation of transcription via W box-related cis-acting elements from a basic chitinase gene by WRKY transcription factors in tobacco.

A putative elicitor responsive element with two W boxes (CTGACC/T) has been identified in the region between -125 and -69 of a tobacco class I basic chitinase gene CHN48. We generated transgenic tobacco calli that contained the -125/-69 region fused to a luciferase reporter gene. The expression of the reporter gene was induced upon treatment with an elicitor, xylanase from Trichoderma viride (TvX). This induction required protein kinase activity. We isolated three cDNA clones encoding DNA-binding proteins, designated as NtWRKY1, NtWRKY2, and NtWRKY4, from tobacco cultured cells. Gel mobility shift assays showed that in vitro translation products of NtWRKY1, NtWRKY2 and NtWRKY4 bound to W box of CHN48 gene. These NtWRKY proteins stimulated W box-mediated transcription of a luciferase reporter gene in the transient assay. In addition, the transactivation of W box-mediated transcription by NtWRKY1 and NtWRKY4 was enhanced in response to elicitor treatment, suggesting elicitor-induced posttranscriptional activation of these NtWRKYs. Northern blot analyses showed that mRNAs for NtWRKY1 and NtWRKY2 increased after treatment with the elicitor, whereas mRNAs for NtWRKY4 were expressed constitutively at a low level. These results suggested possible involvement of NtWRKYs in elicitor-responsive transcription of defense genes in tobacco.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed2004

Kidney disease quality of life of Japanese dialysis patients who desire administration of sildenafil and the treatment of erectile dysfunction using sildenafil.

Erectile dysfunction (ED) is common among patients on dialysis therapy. In the present study, we attempted administration of sildenafil to Japanese patients undergoing dialysis. In order to diagnose ED before prescribing sildenafil, we assessed the hemodialysis patients who desired sildenafil by using the five items version of the International Index of Erectile Function (IIEF-5). In addition, the characteristics of the quality of life in Japanese hemodialysis patients who desired sildenafil were assessed using the kidney disease quality of life (KDQOL). To all 37 male subjects (mean age of 53.8 +/- 10.4 years) attending the Outpatient Hemodialysis Unit at Atsugi Clinic (Atsugi City, Japan), it was explained by their primary doctor that the treatment of ED with sildenafil was possible. As a result, 10 patients (27.0%) desired the treatment. For eight patients, ED was diagnosed by IIEF-5 prior to prescription of sildenafil. The mean IIEF-5 scores were 6.13 +/- 4.67 points. Sildenafil was prescribed to five patients (three diabetic, two non-diabetic) and sexual function was improved in three cases. The main adverse effect was found to be ventricular arrhythmia in one case. As for KDQOL, the group desiring sildenafil showed significantly high values in Dialysis Staff Encouragement and Patient Satisfaction. Among the other nine dialysis patients (five diabetic, four non-diabetic; mean age of 58.1 +/- 8.9 years) who visited the ED department of Ishida Hospital (Asahikawa City, Japan), sildenafil was effective for all non-diabetic patients (100%) and for only one diabetic patient (20%). Among all 14 patients at Atsugi Clinic and Ishida Hospital, sildenafil efficacy rates were 83.3% for non-diabetic patients and 37.5% for diabetic patients. Non-diabetic patients without the side-effects were all responders for the sildenafil treatment. The patients who relied on the dialysis staff and were more satisfied with the general treatment in the dialysis institute desired the administration of sildenafil under the present circumstances wherein the dialysis population had few experiences of sildenafil treatment. Diabetic status is thought to be a negative factor for the response of sildenafil treatment in dialysis patients.

Aged↗