PubMed Health⌕ Search

Biomedical subjects

T Takasu

Publications and source records attributed to T Takasu.

At least 109 records · Page 6Linked to original sources
PubMed1989

Effects of antidepressants on serotonin-evoked current in Xenopus oocytes injected with rat brain mRNA.

Serotonin (5-HT, 1 microM) induced an inward current in Xenopus oocytes injected with rat brain mRNA under steady voltage clamp conditions of -60 mV. The 5-HT response was blocked by 0.1 microM mianserin, but neither buspirone, 8-hydroxy-dipropylaminotetralin (8-OH-DPAT), trifluoromethylphenyl piperazine (TFMPP), pindolol, propranolol, spiperone, ketanserin nor ICS 205-930 exerted effects, suggesting that the 5-HTIC subtype of 5-HT receptors is involved in the current. The 5-HT-induced current was inhibited by imipramine or desipramine with IC50 values of 60 nM or 20 microM, respectively. The response was also inhibited by setiptilline, maprotiline or amoxapine at a dose of 10 microM. Imipramine at 10 microM had no effect on the acetylcholine (ACh, 1 mM)-induced current response. It has been reported that inositol triphosphate (IP3) formation and intracellular Ca2+ are involved in the 5-HT- as well as ACh-induced current and that intracellular injection of either 50 pmol IP3 or 50 pmol Ca2+ mimics the 5-HT-induced current. The response induced by intracellular injection of either 50 pmol IP3 or 50 pmol Ca2+ was not affected by 10 microM imipramine. It is suggested that imipramine, and perhaps other antidepressant drugs tested, blocks 5-HTIC receptors, subsequently inhibiting the 5-HT-evoked current.

Acetylcholine↗
PubMed1989

Alteration in autonomic function and cardiovascular regulation in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.

Autonomic function mediating cardiovascular regulation was evaluated in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) in comparison with Shy-Drager syndrome. The subjects were 14 normal controls and 9 patients each with ALS and Shy-Drager syndrome. To evaluate the autonomic function in detail, a new series of quantitative autonomic function tests was conducted, in conjunction with conventional tests. In patients with ALS, the data indicated subclinical sympathetic hyperfunction and parasympathetic (vagal) hypofunction, probably resulting in cardiovascular dysfunction.

Aged↗
PubMed1989

Quantitative evaluation of pontine atrophy using computer tomography.

Pontine volume was measured and evaluated by computer tomography (CT) in 37 healthy adults and in 29 adult autopsied brains which did not have chronic neurologic diseases. The pons was cut serially into 5 mm slices in the autopsied brains. In the CT examinations both 5 mm and 2 mm slices were studied. Pontine areas in horizontal planes were measured using an image analyzer, then pontine volume was calculated by accumulation of the mean value of the areas and cranio-caudal length. Pontine volume was approximately 19 cm3 and pontine atrophy could be defined as less than 12 cm3 (i.e. the mean - 2 SD) in both methods, which heretofore have not been reported.

Adult↗
PubMed1989

[Cerebrospinal fluid findings in 108 Japanese cases of herpes simplex encephalitis].

Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) findings were evaluated in 108 Japanese cases of herpes simplex encephalitis (HSE). The diagnosis was based on clinical, neurodiagnostic and serological examinations. The maximum abnormal values for opening pressure, red blood cell number, total protein concentration, white blood cell number and percentage of polymorphonuclear cell recorded in each case throughout the course of the illness were distributed widely in the range of 80 to 450 mm CSF, 0 to 20,700/cu mm, 15 to 1,390 mg/dl, 0 to 1,089/cu mm and 0 to 85%, respectively. Xanthochromia was revealed in CSF in 30 out of 101 HSE cases (30%), in 21 of which the xanthochromia was independent of traumatic bleeding during the punctures. The frequency of high density lesion in brain computed X-ray tomography was 43% (9 out of 21) in patients with xanthochromia. On the other hand, it was only 7% (7 out of 71) in patients without xanthochromia. This difference was statistically significant (p less than 0.01). The main cause for xanthochromia was considered to be an escape of red blood cell from the hemorrhagic necrotizing lesion to CSF in 14% of cases, the elevation of protein in CSF in 9% and both in 29%. Red blood cell was revealed in CSF in 24 out of 61 HSE cases (40%). The number of cases with more than 51 red blood cells/cu mm was 5 out of 10 patients with xanthochromia compared with only 8 out of 50 without xanthochromia. This difference was statistically significant (p less than 0.05).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Cerebrospinal Fluid↗
PubMed1988

Somatosensory evoked potentials in chronic alcoholics with spasticity.

Somatosensory evoked potentials to median and bilateral tibial nerve stimulation were investigated in eight chronic alcoholics with spasticity, 12 patients with alcoholic polyneuropathy, and 11 normal subjects. Central conduction velocities from the third lumbar vertebra to the fifth cervical vertebra and from the 12th thoracic vertebra to the fifth cervical vertebra were significantly lower in the chronic alcoholics with spasticity than in the alcoholic polyneuropathy group and in the healthy nonalcoholic group. The result indicates that chronic alcoholics with spasticity have conduction disturbance in the posterior column and/or the medial lemniscus, which is considered to be due to alcoholic myelopathy and/or a brainstem lesion.

Alcoholism↗
PubMed1988

Seroepidemiological study of infection with West Nile virus in Karachi, Pakistan, in 1983 and 1985.

The prevalence of West Nile (WN) virus infection in Karachi, Pakistan, was unknown until 1982. It had been noticed that there were more than a few patients with encephalitides in Karachi, and it was supposed that Japanese encephalitis (JE) cases would be found among them. Therefore, a seroepidemiological study was conducted to define the prevalence of WN virus infection and the possible occurrence of JE virus infection in the Karachi area. Prevalences of haemagglutination inhibition (HI) and neutralization (NT) antibodies against WN virus were studied among 81 serum samples (in July, 33 samples; in September, 48) during 1983, and among 156 paired serum samples that were collected twice, in July and October of 1985. Nearly the same antibody-positive rates were obtained in July of both years (1983: HI 55%; 1985: HI 53%; NT 50%); the rates increased slightly during September/October (1983: HI 65%; 1985: HI 59%, NT 54%). Among 156 paired samples in 1985, 20 (13%) and 12 (8%) showed positive- or negative-antibody conversion between July and October. Two serum samples from each of 156 residents obtained in July had a significantly higher NT antibody titre against JE virus than against WN virus (in case 1, JE 1:80, WN less than 1:10; in case 2, JE 1:40, WN less than 1:10). This is the first report to show the prevalence of WN virus infection in Karachi, Pakistan.

Antibodies, Viral↗
PubMed1988

Neurological diseases in Karachi, Pakistan--elevated occurrence of subacute sclerosing panencephalitis.

Neurological diseases, especially subacute sclerosing panencephalitis (SSPE), were surveyed in Karachi, Pakistan disclosing following major results. (1) Indirectly estimated prevalence rates of selected neurological disease entities were comparable with the rates from western countries and Japan in heredodegenerative diseases, but grossly elevated in infectious diseases. (2) Estimated mortality statistics for the Karachi community revealed highly elevated rates for infectious, parasitic and perinatal causes of death. (3) SSPE represented about 10% of inflammatory afflictions of the cerebral parenchyma, its incidence rate being about 100% times more than that observed in developed countries. A case-control study preliminarily showed that infants who later contract SSPE have unhealthy mothers, are born small, and have various occurrences of ill health from birth to the onset of SSPE. (4) Age at the onset of measles was very young in the cases as well as in controls, unlike the average young age at onset of cases only in developed countries. Measles contracted at young age is a well known risk factor to SSPE. Whereas few children in developed countries acquire measles at such an early age, many Karachi children do. Elevated occurrence of SSPE is probably conditioned by such age patterns of measles infection, together with other risk factors more common in Karachi due to poorer health standards. A proper immunization programme is urgently needed to control measles and SSPE.

Adolescent↗