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Biomedical subjects

Y Kotani

Publications and source records attributed to Y Kotani.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

Somatic mosaicism of CAG repeat in dentatorubral-pallidoluysian atrophy (DRPLA).

An unstable expansion of CAG repeat in the coding region of the DRPLA gene on chromosome 12p is the mutation specific for hereditary dentatorubral-pallidoluysian atrophy (DRPLA). We studied the CAG expansion in brain and other tissues from six unrelated DRPLA patients. The CAG repeat lengths showed distinct differences between tissues. The sizes of the CAG expansion in various regions of the brain except the cerebellum were generally larger by several repeats than in other peripheral tissues. Brain samples showed greater variation of the expansion compared with other tissues, but neither the size of the CAG expansion nor the degree of CAG repeat variation parallels the detailed findings of neuropathological involvement. We conclude that somatic instabilities of the CAG repeat cause tissue variability of the CAG repeat size in DRPLA but other region or cell type-specific factors would be involved to explain the selectivity of cell damage in DRPLA.

Adult

The 3'-untranslated region of mouse myelin basic protein gene increases the amount of mRNA in immortalized mouse oligodendrocytes.

The 3'-untranslated region (UTR) of the myelin basic protein (MBP) mRNA has been found previously to enhance the translational efficiency of the coding region by two-fold in cell-free translational systems. In this study, we transfected eukaryotic expression vectors containing the reporter cDNA for chloramphenicol acetyltransferase (CAT) with or without the mouse MBP cDNA 3'-UTR into cultured cells. CAT activity in the mouse oligodendrocyte cell line, N20.1, transfected with a CAT cDNA containing the MBP 3'-UTR [CAT-MBP 3'-UTR], was twice as high as that of the CAT cDNA without the 3'-UTR; CAT activities for the two constructs were the same in the mouse fibroblast cell line, NIH 3T3. Using reverse transcriptase PCR quantitative analysis, the expression of mRNA was determined. The level of the [CAT-MBP 3'-UTR] mRNA was about ten times higher than CAT mRNA in N20.1 cells but they were the same in NIH 3T3 cells. We conclude that the 3'-UTR of MBP gene increases gene expression at both the mRNA and protein levels in oligodrocyte cell lines, probably through a post-transcriptional mechanism such a message stabilization.

3T3 Cells

Biomechanical analysis of cervical stabilization systems. An assessment of transpedicular screw fixation in the cervical spine.

STUDY DESIGN: The biomechanical stability of seven cervical reconstruction methods including the transpedicular screw fixation was evaluated under four instability patterns. These four modalities, based on the range and grade of instability, allowed a reproducible biomechanical assessment to establish the in vitro role of internal fixation in the cervical spine. OBJECTIVES: This study biomechanically investigated the stability of seven reconstruction methods in the cervical spine as influenced by four instability patterns and assessed whether three-column fixation for the cervical spine using transpedicular screw fixation would provide increased stability over that of conventional cervical fixation systems. METHODS: A total of 24 calf cervical spine specimens were divided into four experimental groups. The spinal constructs including seven reconstruction techniques--the posterior AO titanium reconstruction plate, Bohlman's posterior triple-wiring, transpedicular screw fixation, anterior iliac bone graft, anterior AcroMed plate, anterior AO titanium locking plate, and combined fixation with the AO anterior plate and posterior triple-wiring--were tested under four loading modes. RESULTS: Anterior plating methods provided less stability than that of posterior constructs under axial, torsional, and flexural loading conditions. Exclusive posterior procedures provided increased stability compared with the intact spine in one level fixation, however, did not sustain the torsional stability when the anterior and middle column was eliminated in two-level fixation. The stabilizing capabilities of both the combined fixation and transpedicular screw fixation were clearly demonstrated in all loading modes, however, those of the latter were superior in multilevel fixation. CONCLUSION: Front and back approaches, employing the anterior plate and posterior triple-wiring, and transpedicular screw fixation demonstrated clear biomechanical advantages when the extent of instability increased to three-column or multilevel. Three-column fixation for the cervical spine using transpedicular screw fixation offers increased stability over that of conventional cervical fixation systems, particularly in multiple level constructs.

Animals

[A successful treatment of coronary arteriovenous fistula with Symbas procedure].

A successful treatment of coronary arteriovenous fistula with intraoperative echocardiogram and Symbas procedure is presented. The patient, a 2-year-old male, had been suffering from concealed congestive heart failure from his birth. The cardiac catheterization and angiogram revealed coronary arteriovenous fistula from LAD to right ventricle with large coronary aneurysm. In the operation, no fistula vessels were noted on the cardiac surface. Then, the intraoperative echocardiography was performed, and the fistula pour into right ventricle with aneurysm was found in the myocardium. The fistula was closed with Symbas procedure, and excellent closure could be checked with the intraoperative echocardiogram, too. After this operation, he got well under anticoagulant treatment with "ticlopidine".

Arteriovenous Malformations

Human gnathostomiasis.

Two patients became infested with Gnathostoma nipponicum after eating raw loach-fish they had caught in a rice field in central Japan. A fragment of Gnathostoma was found in a biopsy from one of them. The sera of both patients reacted with Gnathostoma antigen using indirect immunofluorescence. Scanning electron microscopy was performed on blocks of the paraffin-embedded parasite sample and the viscera of a fish from the same rice field. The risk of eating raw freshwater fish is discussed.

Animals

[Simultaneous coronary artery bypass grafting and cholecystectomy: a report of three cases].

The frequency of patients requiring non-cardiac surgery complicates ischemic heart disease (IHD) is increasing, however, there have been few reports of combined coronary revascularization and abdominal surgery. In this paper, we describe three patients with IHD and cholecystolithiasis in whom simultaneous coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) and cholecystectomy was successfully performed. Initially, CABG was performed employing standard extracorporeal circulation through median sternotomy. After closure of chest, cholecystectomy was carried out through right pararectal laparotomy. Their postoperative course was uneventful. Relief of angina and freedom from epigastralgia were obtained in all patients. Combined CABG and cholecystectomy is beneficial for the selected patients.

Aged

[Early diagnosis of acute myocardial infarction by an immunoinhibition method for analysis of creatine kinase isoforms].

Conventional isoenzyme and enzyme values in serum usually are normal during the first few hours of acute myocardial infarction (AMI). Thus definitive diagnosis may be delayed. Measurement of serum creatine kinase (CK) isoform has begun to attract attention. In this study, we measured CK isoform with an immunoinhibition method in the first available samples from patients with AMI and from healthy subjects. In the 394 healthy subjects, the mean ratio of MM3 to MM1 of CK isoform was 0.494 +/- 0.1495 (SD). The upper limit of the reference values for this ratio was considered to be 0.793 (mean + 2 SD). In 40 of 48 patients, this ratio in the first available samples from patients with AMI was greater than 0.793. In 15 of 20 patients whose total CK activity was less than 260 IU/l, this ratio was greater than 0.793, while CK-MB activity measured with the immunoinhibition method was well within the reference range in all of these patients. Our results show that in the first available samples from patients with AMI, measurement of the ratio of MM3 to MM1 of CK isoform has the highest diagnostic efficiency. Thus, measurement of CK isoform with the immunoinhibition method can be applied for early diagnosis of AMI.

Creatine Kinase

Change in tracheal blood flow during endotracheal intubation.

Changes in blood flow in the tracheal mucosa of the dog caused by the pressure exerted by high volume, low-pressure cuffs were measured with the hydrogen clearance method. Before inflating the cuffs, the blood flow of the tracheal mucosa was measured as a control for 12 h in order to confirm that the procedures of the hydrogen clearance method itself had little or no influence on the blood flow in the tracheal mucosa. After inflating the cuffs to create a tracheal wall pressure (TWP) of 1.3 kPa (10 mmHg), 2.6 kPa (20 mmHg), 3.9 kPa (30 mmHg) or 6.0 kPa (45 mmHg), local blood flows of tracheal mucosa (TBF) corresponding to each TWP were measured every hour for 12 h. No significant changes in blood flow were observed in the tracheal mucosa with the hydrogen clearance method before inflating the cuffs. In the groups with TWP of 1.3 and 2.6 kPa, the TBF rose 1 h after inflation of the cuffs, and then returned to the baseline values. In the group with TWP of 6.0 kPa, the TBF decreased markedly already 1 h after inflation of the cuffs, and continued to decrease severely thereafter. In the group with TWP of 3.9 kPa, the TBF followed an intermediate course between the groups with TWP of 2.6 kPa and 6.0 kPa. From the results of the present study, it was found that TBF was significantly impaired by a TWP of more than 3.9 kPa. Therefore, in prolonged intubation, TWP should be kept at or below 2.6 kPa.

Animals

Effects of noxious stimuli and anesthetic agents on substance P content in rat central nervous system.

Effects of noxious electrical tooth stimulations and intraarterial administration of bradykinin or inhalation of volatile anesthetics on substance P content in the diencephalon-mesencephalon, pons-medulla and the spinal cord were examined in the rat. Noxious stimulation by electrical long duration stimulation (type 2) of tooth pulp caused an increase of substance P content in the ponsmedulla. Inhalation of volatile anesthetics such as methoxyflurane and diethylether produced an increase of substance P content in the spinal cord; and in addition, methoxyflurane produced a decrease of substance P content in ponsmedulla. However, halothane did not produce any changes in substance P content in any parts of the central nervous system (CNS). These results suggest that volatile anesthetics such as diethyl-ether and methoxyflurane act on the substance P neuron and may modulate pain transmission through the action of substance P in the pons-medulla or the spinal cord.

Anesthetics

Comparative study of hydrogen and aminopyrine clearance methods for determination of gastric mucosal blood flow in dogs.

Effects of pentagastrin, histamine, PGI2, and vasopressin on gastric mucosal blood flow (GMBF) in innervated stomaches of anesthetized dogs were measured by means of the hydrogen clearance method, using a contact electrode. The results were compared with findings obtained with the aminopyrine (AP) clearance method in Heidenhain pouch preparations. Pentagastrin at 2 and 8 micrograms/kg/hr had no effects on GMBF, as measured by the hydrogen clearance method, but there was a marked increase in GMBF when the AP clearance method was used. Histamine at 40 or 160 micrograms/kg/hr tended to reduce or significantly reduced GMBF when measured with the hydrogen clearance method, but there was a significant increase in GMBF with the AP clearance method. Both PGI2 (3 or 30 micrograms/kg/hr) and vasopressin (0.06 or 0.25 units/kg/hr) reduced GMBF as determined by both methods. These results indicate that the hydrogen clearance method is advantageous for detecting regional GMBF but is disadvantageous when attempting to detect the effects of agents which increase GMBF.

Aminopyrine

[Laboratory and clinical studies on ceftizoxime (author's transl)].

The authors have carried out the laboratory and clinical studies of ceftizoxime (CZX), and obtained the following results. 1. The antibacterial activities of CZX were measured by plate dilution method against clinical isolates of S. aureus, E. coli, K. pneumoniae and P. aeruginosa. CZX inhibited the growth of S. aureus at concentrations less than 12.5 micrograms/ml, and the peak of sensitivity distribution was obtained at 3.13 micrograms/ml with an inoculum size of 10(6) cells/ml. And the peak sensitivity distribution of E. coli and K. pneumoniae were obtained at less than 0.1 microgram/ml and that of P. aeruginosa was obtained at 6.25 micrograms/ml. 2. Phagocytosis was determined by Quie's method. Phagocytosis of E. coli and K. pneumoniae by human polymorphonuclear neutrophil was more enhanced in the presence of 1 MIC and 1/2 MIC of CZX than of CEZ at 4 and 6 hours after incubation. 3. As for pharmacokinetic study, CZX was given by intravenous injection and drip infusion for 1 hour at a single dose of 10 mg/kg and 30 mg/kg. After intravenous injection of 10 mg/kg and 30 mg/kg of CZX, the mean peak serum levels were 19.1 +/- 3.4 micrograms/ml and 69.1 micrograms/ml at 30 minutes, and half-life times were 1.20 hours and 1.35 hours, respectively. After 1 hour drip infusion of 10 mg/kg and 30 mg/kg of CZX, the mean peak serum levels were 28.8 +/- 3.6 micrograms/ml and 60.9 +/- 5.9 micrograms/ml at the end of infusion, and half-life times were 1.40 hours and 1.77 hours, respectively. The mean urinary excretion rates were between 75.3% and 101% up to 6 hours after intravenous injection and drip infusion. 4. CZX was given to 4 cases with tonsillitis, 3 with pneumonia, 1 with enteritis, 4 with U.T.I., totaling 21 cases. A daily dose of CZX between 350 mg and 2,000 mg was given for 3 to 5 days. Clinical results obtained were good in all cases. No side effects and abnormal laboratory findings were observed.

Adolescent

Algesiogenic and analgesic activities of synthetic substance P.

The objective of our study was to determine whether the pure synthetic substance P(SP) is algesiogenic or analgesic when administered centrally or peripherally. The relationships between SP-induced analgesia and the content of morphine-like factor (MLF) in the brain were also studied. Intracarotid arterial administration of SP (20-200 microgram) produced no pseudoaffective responses to pain in six out of nine rats, but in the remaining three, there was an exhibition of these responses. Chlorpheniramine pretreatment antagonized these responses. On cantharidin blister base experiments in humans, SP (10(-3) g/ml) produced slight pain and an itchy sensation. SP given intracerebroventricularly produced an analgesia in mice in a dose of 5 ng/mouse, as determined by the acetic acid-induced writhing and hot plate methods. These SP-induced analgesia were antagonized by naloxone pretreatment. SP did not alter the content of MLF in the mouse whole brain. However, SP5-11 not only produced an analgesia but also increased the content of MLF. These results suggest that SP has a slight algesiogenic activity which might be mediated by histamine and a slight analgesic activity which might be mediated by MLF.

Analgesics

[Basic and clinical studies of cefotiam in pediatric field (author's transl)].

The basic and clinical studies of cefotiam (CTM) in pediatric infections were carried out, and the following results were obtained: 1. The antibacterial activity of CTM against S. aureus was equal or slightly less than that of cefazolin (CEZ). Those of CTM against E. coli and K. pneumoniae were eight times more active than those of CEZ. 2. CTM 20 mg/kg was administered wither by 30 minutes or 1 hour intravenous drip infusion. The peak serum levels were obtained at the end of each drip infusion, with the mean peak levels being 44.8 and 41.4 mcg/ml respectively. The serum levels at 1.5 and 2 hours after drip infusion were 2.8 and 2.2 mcg/ml respectively, and at 3.5 and 4 hours after drip and 4 hours after drip infusion were 0.3 and 0.7 mcg/ml respectively. The half lives were 0.62 and 1.15 hours, respectively. The mean urinary excretion over 6 hours were 52.8% in ;the 30 minutes drip infusion group and 42.6% in the 1 hour drip infusion group. 3. Clinical efficacy was evaluated in sixteen cases suffering from tonsillitis (4 cases), pneumonia (4), bronchitis (2), cervical lymphadenitis (2), purulent meningitis (2), suppurative arthritis (1) and suspected sepsis (1). Good and excellent responses were obtained in 15 of 16 cases (93.8%). Bacteriological response in the form of eradication was noted in 4 of 6 cases. Side effect observed was rash in 1 case, and laboratory abnormalities were elevation of BUN in 1 case and elevation of GPT in 2 cases.

Adolescent

[Laboratory and clinical studies of cefadroxil (author's transl)].

The authors have carried out the laboratory and clinical studies of cefadroxil (CDX). The results were as follows; The sensitivity was measured by plate dilution method on 27 strains of S. aureus and E. coli, 26 strains of K. pneumoniae isolated from patients. The distribution of sensitivity of S. aureus was 3.13-12.5 microgram/ml and the peak of distribution was 3.13 microgram/ml and 6.25 microgram/ml, of E. coli was 6.25 microgram/ml by 10(8) cells/ml. And the distribution of sensitivity of K. pneumoniae was 6.25-25 microgram/ml and its peak was 6.25 microgram/ml by 10(8) cells/ml. CDX were given orally at dose of 10 mg/kg to 3 children. The serum levels of CDX were 10.5 +/- 1.78 microgram/ml, 15.8 +/- 3.25 microgram/ml, 12.0 +/- 0.41 microgram/ml and 3.9 +/- 0.9 microgram/ml at 0.5, 1, 2, 4 hours after administration respectively, and was 2.3 +/- 0.48 microgram/ml at 6 hours. The urinary excretion rate was 55.6% up to 8 hours after administration. CDX were administered to 39 cases of pediatric infectious disease (26 cases with tonsillitis, 5 cases with enterocolitis, 3 cases with UTI, 2 cases with impetigo, each one case with bronchitis, cervical lymphadenitis and epididymitis). And CDX were given 25.0-65.2 mg/kg daily. Clinical results obtained were above good in all cases. No side effects were observed in any cases, except for one case, with diarrhea, 6 cases with the elevation of serum transaminase and 1 case with eosinophilia.

Bacterial Infections

[Laboratory and clinical studies of cefroxadine (author's transl)].

The authors have carried out the laboratory and clinical studies of cefroxadine (CXD), and obtained the following results. The antibacterial activities of CXD were measured by plate dilution method on 26 clinical isolates of S. aureus, E. coli and K. pneumoniae. CXD inhibited the growth of all strains of S. aureus at concentrations less than 6.25 microgram/ml, the peak of activity distribution was obtained at 3.13 microgram/ml with an inoculum size of 10(6) cells/ml. And the p eak sensitivity distribution of E. coli was obtained at 6.25 microgram/ml. The growth of all strains of K. pneumoniae was inhibited at concentrations of less than 25 microgram/ml. Phagocytosis was determined by QUIE'S method. In the presence of CXD, phagocytosis of human PMNs was not enhanced to E. coli and K. pneumoniae. For pharmacokinetic study, CXD was given orally at a single dose of 10 mg/kg to 3 children before and after meals. The serum levels of CXD on fasting were 14.2 microgram/ml, 11.0 microgram/ml, 4.0 microgram/ml and 0.57 microgram/ml at 0.5, 1, 2. 4 hours after administration respectively, and the level at 6 hours was not detectable. Half-life was 0.65 hours. The serum levels of CXD after meals were 3.9 microgram/ml, 5.3 microgram/ml, 5.3 microgram/ml, 2.4 microgram/ml and 0.42 microgram/ml at 0.5, 1, 2, 4, 6 hours after administration respectively, but at 8 hours it was not detectable. Half-life was 0.95 hours. The 8-hour urinary excretion rates on fasting and non fasting were 89.4%, 89.0% respectively. CXD was given to 31 cases with tonsillitis, 4 with bronchitis, 1 with impetigo, 3 with cervical lymphadenitis, 7 with U.T.I, totalling 46. A daily dose of CXD 400 approximately 1,500 mg was given for 4 approximately 14 days. Clinical results obtained were good and excellent responses in 43/46 (93.5%) cases. No side effects were observed except for 1 case with elevation of GOT, 2 cases with elevation of GOT and GPT and 1 case with eosinophilia.

Adolescent