Further lowering of work function by oxygen adsorption on the K/Si(001) surface.
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Journal Article↗
Biomedical subjects
Y Morikawa
Publications and source records attributed to Y Morikawa.
The use of an ileostomy connector to diminish the frequency of defecation prior to ileostomy closure in patients with a pelvic pouch.
A new method for allowing stool passage into the pelvic pouch before ileostomy closure to verify the defecation state and diminish stool frequency is reported herein. This was accomplished by fitting an ileostomy connector connecting the proximal and distal openings of the diverting loop stoma. The ileostomy connector was initially in place for 6 h a day, the length of time being gradually increased until it was able to be left in for 24 h a day over a 3-month period. The calculated daily frequency of stools decreased from 24 to 6 or 7 times, and the mean daily frequency immediately after ileostomy closure was 6.5 times. Physiological study also showed an improvement, with squeeze pressure increasing from 35 cmH2O to 116 cmH2O and the maximum tolerated volume increasing from 35 ml before, to 90 ml 3 months following the use of an ileostomy connector. Thus, we conclude that an ileostomy connector may be useful to predict postoperative functional outcome and its complications, and to diminish the frequency of defecation before ileostomy closure in patients with a covering loop stoma.
Adult↗
Malignant schwannoma of the liver.
Malignant schwannoma is the most common soft tissue sarcoma in adults, but primary schwannoma of the liver is extremely rare. We report an autopsy case of malignant schwannoma of the liver in a 63-year-old man. The tumor involved almost the entire right lobe of the liver. Microscopically, it was composed of moderately pleomorphic spindle cells with hyperchromatic nuclei with mitotic figures. The spindle cells were stained positively with antibodies to both S-100 protein and vimentin. Necrosis was found in the primary tumor. Only four other cases of malignant schwannoma of the liver were found in a review of the literature. Pertinent features of these tumors are discussed.
Fatal Outcome↗
Effects of Bordetella bronchiseptica dermonecrotizing toxin on bone formation in calvaria of neonatal rats.
The effects of Bordetella bronchiseptica dermonecrotizing toxin on bone formation were investigated using a purified toxin preparation. Single injection of 4.3 ng of the toxin into the subcutaneous tissue overlying the calvariae of neonatal rats necrotized periosteum of parietal bone and degenerated osteoblasts within two days. Nine days after the injection, the lesion of the bone tissue became severe; the bone matrix became thin and fragmented. These observations indicate that dermonecrotizing toxin without other factors produced by the organisms impairs bone formation.
Animals↗
A molecular determinant of human immunodeficiency virus particle assembly located in matrix antigen p17.
We report single-point mutations that are located in the matrix protein domain of the gag gene of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 and that prevent Gag particle formation. We show that mutations of p17 that abolish human immunodeficiency virus particle assembly also prevent the dimerization of p17 protein, as measured directly by a protein-protein binding assay. In the three-dimensional structure of p17, mutations that abolish dimerization are located in a single alpha helix that forms part of a fingerlike projection from one side of the molecule. Peptides derived from this region of p17 also reduce the level of p17 dimer when they are added to p17-expressing cells and compete for p17 self-association when present in protein-protein binding assays. We propose that the dimerization of the Gag precursor that occurs by the interdigitation of alpha helices on adjacent matrix molecules is a key stage in virion assembly and that the prevention of such an interaction is the molecular basis of particle misassembly.
Base Sequence↗
Mortality of inhabitants in an area polluted by cadmium: 15 year follow up.
OBJECTIVE: To assess the influence of environmental exposure to cadmium (Cd) on long term outcome of inhabitants living in an area polluted by Cd. METHODS: A follow up study for 15 years (from 1974-5 to 1991) was carried out on 2408 inhabitants (amounting to 95% of the target population, 1079 men and 1329 women) of the Kakehashi River basin in Ishikawa Prefecture, Japan. These inhabitants had been the subjects of the health impact survey in 1974-5 to evaluate (by measurement of urinary retinol binding protein (RBP)) renal dysfunction induced by Cd. Analysis of mortality was performed by dividing subjects into a urinary RBP positive (> or = 4 mg/l) group and RBP negative (< 4 mg/l) group. RESULTS: After adjustment for age with Cox's proportional hazard model, RBP > or = 4 mg/l showed a significant relation to mortality in both sexes. At this time, the mortality risk ratio of the RBP positive to negative group was 1.71 in the men and 1.42 in the women. When the SMRs according to causes of deaths in the RBP positive group were compared with those of the RBP negative group or the overall Japanese population increases of SMR for cardiovascular diseases, especially heart failure, and renal diseases were found in both sexes. CONCLUSION: These results suggest that the prognosis of the exposed inhabitants with renal tubular dysfunction is unfavourable, and these increases of mortality are due to heart failure and renal diseases.
Aged↗
Morphometry on proximal tubule of the kidney in rat pups from uninephrectomized mothers.
Effects of maternal uninephrectomy in rats, which was performed on day 5 of gestation, on development of proximal renal tubule of the pups were morphometrically investigated. One day after birth, both the proximal tubular length per unit volume (1 mm3) of whole kidney and total proximal tubular volume in the neonates from uninephrectomized mothers were significantly larger than those in the neonates from sham-operated mothers. Six weeks after birth, no significant differences in parameters of the kidney were observed between the pups from uninephrectomized and sham-operated mothers. These results suggest that maternal uninephrectomy in the rat accelerates the development of proximal renal tubule in the fetus and that the renotropic activity is not lasting during postnatal development of the kidney.
Aging↗
Different migration patterns of antigen-presenting cells correlate with Th1/Th2-type responses in mice.
Antibodies are produced when antigen-presenting cells (APC) pulsed with an antigen are injected intravenously (i.v.) into BALB/c mice, but subcutaneous (s.c.) injection of such APC causes delayed-type hypersensitivity (DTH). To identify the anatomic sites where T and B cells are activated, we labelled splenic dendritic cells (DC) with a fluorochrome, PKH 26, injected them i.v. or s.c., and used the label to locate them. When the DC were injected i.v., germinal centres in the spleen were hyperplastic on day 1. Most DC moved to T-dependent areas of the white and red pulp on day 1 and remained there at least until day 5, but no DC migrated into the lymph nodes. When the DC were injected s.c., they were in the sinus on day 1 and had entered T-dependent area of draining lymph nodes only by day 3; hyperplasia of germinal centres in the spleen and migration of DC into the spleen were not found. We used the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) to study which mice had spleen cells and lymph node cells that produced the cytokines interleukin (IL)-2, IL-4, IL-10, and interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma). In the sensitization phase, day 1 after DC injection i.v., almost all IL-10 transcript was found in spleen cells, but after DC injection s.c., IL-2 message was most abundant in lymph node cells. The expression of mRNA for IL-4 and IFN-gamma in mice that received DC i.v. was not different from that in mice that received DC s.c. in this phase. Immunohistochemical staining showed that cells stained for IL-10 were in the T-dependent area of the spleen from mice that received DC i.v. 1 day after the injection. Three days after the injection of DC i.v., cells stained for IL-10 were in the germinal centres as well. The number of such cells in the spleen of mice that received DC i.v. was significantly more than that in mice that received DC s.c. IL-10 may be important in development of TH2 response.
Animals↗
Plasma insulin and blood pressure in normotensive Japanese men with normal glucose tolerance.
OBJECTIVE: To determine whether blood pressure within the normal range is associated with plasma insulin concentration in a Japanese population with normal glucose tolerance. METHODS: We studied 491 normotensive Japanese men with normal glucose tolerance, who had never been treated with antihypertensive medications. Plasma glucose and insulin response during a 75-g oral glucose-tolerance test, blood pressure, body mass index, serum lipids, alcohol consumption and smoking status were obtained. The subjects were divided into quartiles according to mean blood pressure level (< 79, 79-84, 85-91 and > or = 92 mmHg). To eliminate possible confounding factors, analysis of covariance was also performed. RESULTS: In univariate analyses the plasma insulin response after an oral glucose load, especially after 60 min, was significantly related to blood pressure level. Plasma glucose was related to blood pressure level only at fasting. When adjusted for age, body mass index, plasma glucose response and alcohol consumption, plasma insulin concentrations after 30 and 60 min in the highest quartile were significantly higher than those in the lowest quartile. CONCLUSIONS: Blood pressure was significantly and independently related to plasma insulin level after an oral glucose load in normotensive Japanese men with normal glucose tolerance. The results suggest that the relationship between blood pressure and insulin resistance already exists in a prehypertensive state even in a lean Asian population.
Adult↗
Cis and trans reactions of hairpin ribozymes derived from the negative strand of arabis mosaic virus satellite RNA.
We have previously shown that the hairpin ribozyme-like structure of the negative strand of the satellite RNA of arabis mosaic virus [(- )sArMV] has indeed ribozyme activity. However, some mutagenesis analyses revealed surprisingly that the wild type ribozyme was less active than almost all the other mutant ribozymes tested. These results were derived from a trans-acting system. Here we tested this ribozyme activity in a cis-acting system. We show that the (-)s ArMV hairpin ribozyme has different target-site specificities between cis and trans cleavages. The wild type ribozyme has the highest self-cleaving activity among the ribozyme variants tested.
Base Sequence↗
Order-disorder phase transition on the Si(001) surface: Critical role of dimer defects.
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Journal Article↗
Morphometry of the kidney in rat pups from uninephrectomized mothers.
BACKGROUND: The present study was designed to explore whether maternal renal dysfunction affects fetal kidney development and if the effects are lasting during the postnatal development. METHODS: Kidneys of 1-day-old and 6-week-old pups from mothers which were uninephrectomized on day 5 of gestation were studied. RESULTS: One day after birth, both the number of immature glomeruli and average volume of mature glomeruli of the neonates from uninephrectomized mothers were significantly larger than those from sham-operated mothers. Six weeks after birth, no significant differences in parameters of the kidney were observed between the pups from uninephrectomized and those from sham-operated mothers. Furthermore, blood urea nitrogen (BUN) concentration in adult female rats was determined at various days after uninephrectomy. BUN concentration in uninephrectomized rats was significantly higher than that in sham-operated ones. CONCLUSIONS: These results suggest that the fetal kidney development is accelerated by the elevated BUN level following maternal uninephrectomy and that the renotropic activity does not last during the postnatal developmental period.
Animals↗
Prognostic factors of renal dysfunction induced by environmental cadmium pollution.
To assess the influence of environmental cadmium (Cd) exposure on long-term outcome, a follow-up study was conducted from 1981-1982 to March 1991 on 3178 inhabitants living in the Cd-polluted Kakehashi River basin. The standardized mortality ratios of the urinary beta 2-microglobulin (beta 2-MG)-, protein-, and amino acid-positive subjects of both sexes and the urinary glucose-positive female subjects were higher than those of the subjects with urinary-negative findings or the general Japanese population during the observation period. After adjusting for age using Cox's proportional hazards model, significant associations were found between mortality and urinary indices. In multiple comparisons using all of the indices, urinary protein and beta 2-MG in the women and urinary protein in the men were the factors most contributing to the mortality rates. In the urinary protein-negative female group as well, a significant association was found between urinary beta 2-MG and mortality. These results suggest that the prognosis of subjects with Cd-induced renal dysfunction is unfavorable, with the mortality rate increasing even in the early stage of proximal tubular dysfunction. Urinary protein and urinary beta 2-MG are important prognostic factors, with the latter, in particular, considered to be useful as an early index predictive of premature mortality.
Amino Acids↗
A multicenter, randomized, controlled trial of intravenous gamma globulin therapy in children with acute Kawasaki disease.
We studied the effect of intravenous, polyethyleneglycol-treated, human immunoglobulin, administered at 200 mg/kg per day (group A: n = 147; male 86, female 61; age < 1 year, 50) or 400 mg/kg per day (group B: n = 152; male 87, female 65; age < 1 year, 52) for five consecutive days and compared it with freeze-dried, sulfonated human immunoglobulin [group C: n = 152; male 87, female 65; age < 1 year, 51), administered at 200 mg/kg per day for five consecutive days, on the prevention of coronary artery abnormalities in Kawasaki disease. Echocardiograms were interpreted blindly and independently. Proportions of 87.1%, 95.4%, and 82.3% in groups A, B, and C, respectively, had no coronary artery abnormalities. The confidence limits of difference between the proportions of groups A and C, groups B and C, and groups B and A were -4.4% and 10.4%, 7.8% and 15.9%, and 4.0% and 10.8%, respectively. Duration of fever and serum immunoglobulin G (IgG) levels were correlated with the prevalence of coronary artery abnormalities. We concluded that intravenous, polyethyleneglycol-treated, human immunoglobulin and freeze-dried, sulfonated human immunoglobulin had clinically equivalent effects on coronary artery abnormalities, and that five daily doses of 400 mg/kg of intravenous, polyethyleneglycol-treated, human immunoglobulin is more effective than that of 200 mg/kg gamma globulin.
Acute Disease↗
[A case report of infant botulism without a history of honey ingestion].
A 66-day-old female with infant botulism is reported. She was admitted to our hospital with respiratory failure. Laboratory examinations detected botulinal toxin type A in her feces. This was the first case with no history of honey ingestion among the 13 cases of infant botulism reported in Japan. It is possible that other cases, in which honey had not been consumed, remain undiagnosed. Further studies may be needed to clarify the factors necessary to cause infant botulism.
Botulism↗
Growth-factor-like substance in amniotic fluid in the rat: effect on the development of fetal colonic goblet cells.
Extra- and intrauterine fetuses were studied to explore the effect of amniotic fluid on the development of colonic goblet cells. Significant differences in the density of goblet cells in developing colon were observed during fetal days 19-22 between these two groups, suggesting that amniotic fluid affects the development of the colonic goblet cells, especially during the period between days 19 and 21 when rat fetuses began to swallow amniotic fluid, as demonstrated by injecting India ink into the amniotic cavity. By immunological dot blot analysis, the amniotic fluid and gastric juice from intrauterine fetuses were positive for epidermal growth factor (EGF), whereas maternal abdominal serous fluid and gastric juice from extrauterine fetus were negative for EGF. The present results indicate that the amniotic fluid during late gestation greatly affects the development of the colonic goblet cells in rat fetuses and that the trophic factors for the cells seems to be EGF or an EGF-like substance in the amniotic fluid.
Abdomen↗
Potassium/energy and phosphorus/calcium ratios reflect the quality of nutrition.
A nutritional survey and questionnaire regarding dietary habits were administered to 649 men ranging in age from 35 to 64 years receiving a one-day health screening examination. First, comparisons of nutrient intake based on the nutrient rate of the Recommended Dietary Allowances for Japanese (RDA), and the total score on the questionnaire regarding dietary habits according to the RDA rates of total energy and calcium (Ca) were investigated. Then, the comparisons of intake of food groups, intake of nutrients and the total score on the questionnaire regarding dietary habits according to potassium/energy (K/E) ratio and phosphorus/calcium (P/Ca) ratio were determined. Last, differences between comparisons with the nutrient rates of RDA and comparisons with K/E ratio and P/Ca ratio were investigated. The following results were obtained: 1. Even in the group with RDA rates of total energy or Ca of > or = 90% and < or = 110% the RDA rates of some other nutrients were out-side the appropriate range. 2. In the group with high K/E ratios, as compared to the group with low ratios, the intake of potatoes, pulses, fruits, green/yellow vegetables, other vegetables, soy sauce, other beverages, fish/shellfish, and milk products showed high values, while cereals and fats/oils showed low values. For this reason, in the former group as compared to the latter, the intake and RDA total energy rate showed low values whereas the intake and RDA rates of nutrients such as Ca, Fe, and vitamin A were low. 3. In the group with high P/Ca ratios, as compared to the group with low ratios, the intake of beer and meats showed high values while that of pulses, green/yellow vegetables, and milk products showed low values. For this reason, in the former group as compared to the other groups, despite the fact that the intake and RDA total energy rate tended to be higher, the intake of nutrients such as Ca, P, K, and vitamin A showed lower values. 4. The RDA rates of all of the nutrients of group with a high K/E ratio and the group with a low P/Ca ratio generally showed largely appropriate values. 5. These results suggest that indices reflecting the balance of minerals such as the K/E and P/Ca ratios more objectively reflect the quality of nutrition than comparisons based on the RDA rates of total energy and specific-nutrient.
Adult↗
[A study of thyroid hormone levels of inhabitants of the cadmium-polluted Kakehashi River basin].
We compared thyroid hormone levels of inhabitants (19 men and 16 women) of the cadmium (Cd)-polluted Kakehashi River basin in Ishikawa Prefecture, with those of subjects (23 men and 47 women) living in a non-polluted area. In addition, we investigated the relationships between the thyroid hormone levels and indices of renal dysfunction induced by Cd exposure. The following results were obtained: 1) The free T4 level of females was significantly lower than that of controls. 2) The T3 level of inhabitants of both sexes was significantly higher than that of controls. 3) The level of free T4 among females became lower with the increases of urinary beta 2-microglobulin (beta 2-MG), urinary protein, urinary sugar, urinary amino acids and serum creatinine (Cr) levels, and with decreases of creatinine-clearance (CCr) and %TRP. 4) We could not find any relationship between the increase of T3 and the indices of renal dysfunction induced by Cd exposure in either sex.
Cadmium↗