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Biomedical subjects

T Mizuuchi

Publications and source records attributed to T Mizuuchi.

14 recordsLinked to original sources

Extensive involvement of the myocardium and the cardiac conduction system in a case of Wegener's granulomatosis.

A 61-year-old female who had shown Raynaud's phenomenon and articular swelling for 10 years, was admitted to hospital because of fever of unknown origin (FUO) and dry cough. She was diagnosed by skin biopsy to have a collagen disease or overlap syndrome. Anemia developed rapidly and FUO persisted, but blood culture was negative. Although indomethacin and prednisolone were administered for the progression of clinical signs and symptoms, severe dyspnea developed, resulting in bradycardia, followed by recurrent episodes of ventricular tachycardia. In spite of extensive treatment for her arrhythmia she died on the 9th hospital day. An autopsy revealed generalized Wegener's granulomatosis with extensive cardiac involvement. Necrotizing angitis and severe granulomatous inflammatory foci affected characteristically the common bundle of His and right bundle branch in addition to the ordinary myocardium.

Electrocardiography↗

[A surviving case of disseminated tuberculosis complicated with severe respiratory failure, pancytopenia, DIC, drug induced fever and pneumothorax in an elderly patient].

We reported a survival case of a 78-year-old female with disseminated tuberculosis complicated with severe respiratory failure, pancytopenia, DIC, drug induced fever and pneumothorax. Atypical symptoms and presence of chronic illness make the early diagnosis of disseminated tuberculosis in the elderly difficult. In this report, we emphasized that both a high awareness of possible clinical diagnoses and the performance of some clinical procedures including bronchoalveolar lavage were useful. Disseminated tuberculosis in the elderly with multiple complications which is rare condition, was discussed.

Aged↗

Changes in the activities of DNA polymerases in growing rat lungs.

We hypothesized that cellular proliferation and the capacity to repair DNA damage in the lung might differ during the pre- and postnatal periods, because the lung is exposed to higher oxygen concentrations and/or various mutagens after birth. In order to test this hypothesis, changes in DNA content and the activities of DNA polymerase alpha and beta were studied in the lungs of 1-day prenatal to 42-day postnatal rats. Total DNA polymerase activity reached its highest level at 1 day prenatal and 1 day after birth. The activity decreased exponentially by 28% up to 14 days of age, a change inversely related to the change in DNA content. The change in total DNA polymerase activity agreed closely with the change in DNA polymerase alpha activity, but not the activity of the beta form, although small elevations in both DNA polymerase alpha and beta were observed on day 3, possibly reflecting the mechanical effect of delivery. The activity of DNA polymerase beta remained relatively constant from 1 day before birth to 21 days after birth, varying by only about 5%. From these results, it is concluded that: (1) cellular proliferation in the lung is most active during the first 2 weeks after birth as supported by the increases in DNA polymerase alpha activity and DNA content, and (2) anticipating the oxygen enriched atmosphere after birth, the level of DNA polymerase beta, involved in the DNA repair system, is already elevated during the prenatal period and remains constant throughout the postnatal period.

Animals↗

Serum secretory leukoprotease inhibitor levels to diagnose pneumonia in the elderly.

In pneumonia in the elderly, one occasionally encounters difficulties in evaluation with respect to both clinical observation and treatment. Thus a simple serum indicator is indicated. We measured secretory leukoprotease inhibitor (SLPI) concentrations in sera to see whether this can provide a useful indicator for pneumonia, especially in the elderly. Serum samples from patients over 65 yr of age, with (n = 54) or without (n = 87) pneumonia, and from healthy, young (n = 16) and aged (n = 188) control subjects were assayed using ELISA for human SLPI. Comparisons were made between groups with clinical diagnoses of either definite or probable pneumonia and among cases with various other respiratory diseases, including bronchial asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and lung cancer. The mean SLPI concentration in patients with pneumonia was significantly higher than in patients without pneumonia or in healthy controls. The data suggest that the measurement of SLPI can provide a useful indicator for pneumonia to be used in clinical evaluation.

Aged↗

DNA synthesis and related enzymes altered in compensatory lung growth in rats.

Left pneumonectomy was performed on 4 week-old male Fischer-344 rats. Changes in DNA biosynthesis and the activities of related enzymes were studied in the contralateral lungs of the pneumonectomized animals (n = 55) and compared with sham-operated (n = 55) and untreated control animals (n = 40) The wet weight of the contralateral lung of the pneumonectomized rats reached that of both lungs of the untreated and sham-operated rats 14 days after the operation. The activities of thymidine kinase and DNA polymerase from the regenerating lungs were elevated on Days 1 and 7. To determine the molecular forms of DNA polymerase in the crude extract, phosphocellulose column chromatography was performed. The type of DNA polymerase with the highest activity was alpha in regenerating lung on Days 1, 3, and 7. These results suggest that DNA replication for cellular proliferation was elevated in the remaining lung after pneumonectomy. In addition, an interlobar difference in DNA biosynthesis was observed in the remaining lung. The increase was especially marked in the cardiac lobe, followed by increases in the DNA content of the remaining lobes on Day 7. From these observations we conclude (1) that increased activity of DNA polymerase alpha is likely to be an initial change in compensatory lung growth, and may be caused by some unknown stimulator in lung tissue, and (2) that DNA biosynthesis may differ among the lobes of the lung, at least until 3 days post-pneumonectomy.

Animals↗

[A case of primary hypothyroidism with repeated episodes of respiratory failure].

A case of repeated episodes of hypoventilatory respiratory failure accompanied with primary hypothyroidism was reported. A 76-year-old woman was admitted to our hospital due to both disturbance of consciousness and respiratory failure. A diagnosis of primary hypothyroidism complicated with hypoventilatory respiratory failure deterioration due to respiratory infection was made. Supplemental therapy of thyroid hormones improved her general condition, but respiratory failure recurred after interruption of a replacement drug. Cases of unexplained respiratory failure should be differentiated from respiratory failure induced by hypothyroidism.

Aged↗

[Early changes of postpneumonectomy lung growth in premature rats].

Following pneumonectomy in animals, the contralateral lung increases in volume, weight, collagen content, protein, and cell number, reaching levels approximate to those of both lungs of control animals. The volume and weight response in quicker and more complete in young animals compared to old animals. The increase in the amount of DNA was found to be greater in young rats compared to old ones. However, little is known about the effects of pneumonectomy in immature animals, in which combined effects of normal and the compensatory lung growth may be expected. The present studies were aimed at elucidating early changes in terms of morphology and biochemistry in the contralateral lung following pneumonectomy in premature rats. Male Sprague-Dawley rats (2 week-old) were subdivided into 3 groups. Group P, underwent left pneumonectomy, group S was sham operated, which group C was matched by age, sex, and weight with group P. Morphological studies consisted of light microscopic morphometry and immunohistochemistry using anti-bromodeoxyuridine (BrdU) were performed. Biochemical studies included measurement of DNA polymerase activity, DNA and RNA content, collagen and elastin content. The wet lung weight in group P after one week reached approximately the same as that of bilateral lungs of groups S and C. The fixed lung volume of group P reached that of group S or group C at three weeks. The activity of DNA polymerase and BrdU positive alveoli were increased only during the early period following pneumonectomy. DNA content in group P reached the same range as group S and C at 4 weeks, suggesting the occurrence of cellular hyperplasia.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Animals↗

[Pulmonary complications subsequent to fractured neck of the femur in the elderly].

Fracture of the neck of the femur (FNF) is a common disorder in the elderly. A total of 618 cases consisting of 117 males and 501 females, whose age was 65 years or more, were enrolled in a prospective study. A total of 45 cases among them revealed pulmonary complications. These were divided into the following three groups: Group 1 (4.7%) who had respiratory disease(s) or symptoms prior to the fracture; Group 2 (1.9%), diagnosed as having pulmonary thromboembolism (PTE). In Group 3 (0.6%), PTE was a possible diagnosis but it was not distinguished from pneumonia in precise. In the patients of group 2 and 3, respectively, the following respiratory symptoms were observed: dyspnea (31.3%), productive cough (25%), syncope (12.6%), chest pain (6.3%), tachycardia (46.7%), and tachypnea (50%). An abnormal chest roentgenogram was found 56.4% in both group 2 and 3. Seven patients in group 2 showed remarkable reduction of PaO2 on admission, however these all recovered within 7 days without any thrombolytic treatment. The prevalence of PTE caused by FNF in the elderly was close to that in younger cases, but the clinical symptoms were less in the former.

Aged↗

[Standardization by arm span of lung function tests in the elderly].

Kypho(scolio)sis in the elderly is known to cause body height reduction, and this may result in inaccurate estimation in the calculation of various predicted values based on body height in lung function test. A total of 91 patients without any known cardiopulmonary diseases were studied for the relationship between body height, arm span and predicted values of lung function tests. In addition, the kyphotic angle was evaluated for the quantitative assessment of the kyphosis. Our results showed that kyphoscoliosis in the elderly resulted in under- or overstimulation of an average of 1.2-3.9% when the arm span was used instead of the body height to obtain the predicted value of vital capacity. Furthermore, there was no significant correlation among the following parameters: the severity of kyphosis, body height or arm span and age. The arm span showed a good correlation with the body height. From these observations, it was concluded that instead of the body height the arm span could be used for calculating the predicted value on lung function tests as a more convenient methods in bed-ridden patients.

Aged↗

[A study of refractory pneumonia complicated by multiple organ failure in the elderly].

A retrospective study of refractory pneumonia (n = 54), who were randomly selected from total of 657 cases of pneumonia in the elderly, was performed. These were divided into the following two groups in terms of complications. The group with multiple organ failure (MOF group; n = 30), complicated by multiple organ failure during their clinical course of refractory pneumonia, was compared with refractory pneumonia without multiple organ failure (non-MOF group; n = 24). Among 57% of cases of the MOF group, respiratory failure developed prior to MOF and among 37% of the cases respiratory failure occurred simultaneously with MOF. The respiratory failure in the MOF group was closely related to coagulopathy. Histopathological studies of the MOF group revealed remarkable congestion and edema. From these observations, respiratory management is considered the most important to avoid concomitant multiple organ failure.

Aged↗

Morphological studies of growth and aging in the lungs of Fischer 344 male rats.

Observations by light microscopic morphometry and scanning electron microscopy were performed on the lungs from 86 specific pathogen-free Fischer 344 male rats between 1 day and 32 months of age. The distribution curve of the mean chord length of the gas exchanging area appeared as a single peak (approximately 70 microns) at day 1, and two peaks (approximately 50 and 90 microns) were seen at day 7 when the first alveoli appeared. At 3 months of age, the distribution curve peaks began to decrease gradually, becoming more flattened with a wide base to a maximum 200 microns. Between 27 and 32 months of age, ductectasia occurred and the alveolar surface appeared more irregular and rough, but no destruction of the alveolar wall was observed. From these observations, it was concluded that the first alveoli appear by 7 days of age in male Fischer 344 rats, that the alveolar size gradually increases after 3 months of age, and that ductectasia appears after 27 months of age. These changes might reflect changes in the matrix of the alveolar walls due to nutritional deterioration in old age, concomitant with cellular atrophy of this zone.

Aging↗