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Biomedical subjects

Yusuke Suzuki

Publications and source records attributed to Yusuke Suzuki.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources
PubMed2005

The pleasurable recreational activities among community-dwelling older adults.

This study aimed to clarify what pleasurable recreational activities older adults like to participate in, and to investigate the relationship between those activities and quality of life (QOL). Questionnaires were delivered to older residents (65 years and above) in a Japanese rural area. The residents' background information, the amount of pleasure for various activities, and the QOL were surveyed. The QOL was evaluated by the revised Philadelphia Geriatric Center (PGC) morale scale. The amount of pleasure taken in a majority of the activities, such as conversation with family or neighbors showed a significant association with the happiness score, but only a few activities showed significant association between the revised PGC morale scale and the amount of pleasure. The multiple regression analyses indicated that the amount of pleasure in exercise, the difficulty in managing finances, and amount of pleasure taken in watching TV were significant variables for predicting the happiness score. The results indicated that the amount of pleasure older adults experienced when engaging in activities such as conversation with family or neighbors showed significant association with the older adults' happiness. These results may be helpful in understanding contributions of various activities to the perception of pleasure in older adults.

Activities of Daily Living↗
PubMed2005

Dopamine D2 receptor plays a role in memory function: implications of dopamine-acetylcholine interaction in the ventral hippocampus.

RATIONALE: The role of the hippocampal dopaminergic system in mnemonic function has not been clarified yet. OBJECTIVE: We previously reported that the dopamine D2 receptor (D2R) is involved in the regulation of acethylcholin (ACh) release in the hippocampus. In this study, we further investigated ACh-dopamine (DA) interaction in the hippocampus and its involvement in mnemonic function. METHODS: For experiment 1, rats fed with Cholin (Ch)-deficient chow were used. We examined the effects of D2R antagonist, raclopride, on cognitive performance using a passive avoidance task. We further carried out in vivo microdialysis to assess the effect of infusion of D2R agonist, quinpirole, into the ventral hippocampus on its capacity to release ACh. For experiment 2, rats fed with normal chow were used. The performance of a radial arm maze task was assessed to examine the effects of hippocampal injection of D2R agonist, quinpirole, on memory impairment induced by scopolamine, a muscarinic ACh antagonist. RESULTS: In experiment 1, rats fed with Ch-deficient chow showed impaired performances indicated by prolonged latency on retention trials of a passive avoidance task following the hippocampal injection of D2R antagonist, and showed reduced capacity to release ACh following the injection of D2R agonist compared with rats fed with normal chow. In experiment 2, memory impairment induced by the intraperitoneal injection of scopolamine was ameliorated by the injection of D2R agonist into the ventral hippocampus. CONCLUSION: These results indicate the possible involvement of hippocampal ACh-DA interaction in mnemonic processing.

Acetylcholine↗
PubMed2005

Chemical synthesis of 23 kDa glycoprotein by repetitive segment condensation: a synthesis of MUC2 basal motif carrying multiple O-GalNAc moieties.

Peptide thioester corresponding to a MUC2 tandem repeat unit, which retains seven GalNAc moieties, was prepared by the Fmoc method followed by the low TfOH treatment to remove benzyl groups at the carbohydrate portions. The glycosylated peptide thioester was then consecutively joined by the activation of a thioester group by silver ions to obtain a MUC2 tandem repeat model composed of 141 amino acids with 42 GalNAc moieties.

Acetylgalactosamine↗
PubMed2005

Effect of etidronate on aortic calcification and bone metabolism in calcitriol-treated rats with subtotal nephrectomy.

The present study was undertaken to determine the effects of etidronate (ED) on calcitriol-induced aortic calcification and bone metabolism in rats with renal failure. Severe aortic calcification was induced by treatment with calcitriol for 3 weeks in rats in which 5/6 of the kidneys were removed (SNx group). Treatment of ED (10 mg/kg) together with calcitriol after subtotal nephrectomy (SNx) significantly inhibited thoracic and abdominal aortic calcification 3 weeks after the operation; however, ED (2 mg/kg) was ineffective. The serum levels of osteocalcin and pyridinoline decreased in ED (10 mg/kg) treated-renal failure rats compared with SNx rats. Total bone mineral density (BMD) in the SNx group was lower than that in the sham group, in which animals were treated with calcitriol after a sham operation. The total BMD value in the ED (10 mg/kg)-treated group was similar to that in the SNx group, whereas the levels of cancellous BMD were low in the ED (10 mg/kg)-treated rats. Our data show that ED at a dosage that suppresses bone metabolism markedly inhibits vascular calcification in rats with renal failure.

Amino Acids↗
PubMed2005

Suppressors of cytokine signaling regulate angiotensin II-activated Janus kinase-signal transducers and activators of transcription pathway in renal cells.

Suppressors of cytokine signaling (SOCS) family is constituted by cytokine-inducible proteins that modulate receptor signal transduction via tyrosine kinases, mainly the Janus kinase-signal transducers and activators of transcription (JAK-STAT) pathway. Differential SOCS expression was noted in renal cells that were incubated with inflammatory stimuli, but the role of SOCS in the pathogenesis of renal diseases is not yet well defined. Because angiotensin II (Ang II) plays a key role in renal disease, SOCS proteins were studied as a novel mechanism involved in the negative regulation of Ang II-mediated processes. Systemic Ang II infusion for 3 d increased the renal mRNA expression of SOCS-3 and SOCS-1. SOCS protein synthesis was found in glomerular mesangial area and tubules. In cultured mesangial cells and tubular epithelial cells, Ang II induced a rapid and transient SOCS-3 and SOCS-1 expression in parallel with JAK2 and STAT1 activation. In both cell types, overexpression of SOCS proteins prevented the STAT activation in response to Ang II. SOCS expression observed in Ang II-infused rats and in Ang II-stimulated cells was significantly inhibited by treatment with AT(1) but not AT(2) receptor antagonist and was attenuated in mesangial cells from AT(1a)-deficient mice, demonstrating the implication of AT(1) in those responses. In SOCS-3 knockdown studies, antisense oligonucleotides inhibited the expression of SOCS-3 and increased the Ang II-induced STAT activation and c-Fos/c-Jun expression, then resulting in a more severe renal damage. These results suggest that SOCS proteins may act as negative regulators of Ang II signaling in renal cells and implicate SOCS as important modulators of renal damage.

Angiotensin II↗
PubMed2005

Influence of behavioral and psychological symptoms of dementia (BPSD) and environment of care on caregivers' burden.

With increasing population of older adults in need of care, caregiver's burden is becoming a major concern. We investigated the relative contributions of BPSD of care recipients, caregiver's background and the care environment to caregiver's burden assessed by using Zarit burden interview (ZBI). Among BPSD, inability of finding the way home, inability of managing money and fecal incontinence were the most difficult symptoms to cope with. A path analysis, by which we constructed a network model to clarify the contributions of the factors examined to the caregiver's burden, indicated that the severity of dementia, the feeling of "would rather die than be in the same condition" and the physical pain of the caregivers showed great direct influences on the score of the ZBI. In conclusion, we clarified kinetic and dynamic interactions of factors affecting caregiver's burden by using a path analysis. The model indicates that the caregiver's burden can be affected not merely by the illness of the care recipients but by the caregiver's background and the care environment.

Activities of Daily Living↗
PubMed2005

Genome-wide scan in a novel IgA nephropathy model identifies a susceptibility locus on murine chromosome 10, in a region syntenic to human IGAN1 on chromosome 6q22-23.

Genetic factors are considered to be involved in the initiation and progression of IgA nephropathy (IgAN) on the basis of racial differences in the prevalence and familial aggregation. The ddY mouse is a spontaneous animal model of human IgAN, with a highly variable incidence and extent of glomerular injury as a result of the heterogeneous background, resembling the human situation. It was hypothesized that susceptibility genes for IgAN can be detected by a genome-wide scan using this model. First, serial renal biopsies were performed at 20, 40, and 60 wk of age in 361 ddY mice. The ddY mice were classified into three groups on the basis of the onset of glomerular injury: Early onset at 20 wk (31.9%), late onset at 40 wk (37.9%), and quiescent even at 60 wk (30.2%). The severity of glomerular lesions in both onset groups correlated with the intensity of glomerular IgA deposition but not with serum IgA level. The genome-wide scan with 270 microsatellite markers identified three chromosomal regions on chromosomes 1, 9, and 10, which were significantly associated with the glomerular injuries. Surprisingly, the peak marker D10MIT86 on chromosome 10 is located on the region syntenic to human 6q22-23 with IGAN1, which is the responsible candidate of familial IgAN. In addition, D1MIT16 on chromosome 1 was very closely located at the locus of selectin gene, which is a known candidate of human IgAN. In conclusion, the three-group ddY mouse model can be a useful tool for identifying the susceptibility genes and also to examine their roles in the pathogenesis of IgAN.

Animals↗
PubMed2005

Convenient and rapid analysis of linkage isomers of fucose-containing oligosaccharides by matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization quadrupole ion trap time-of-flight mass spectrometry.

Matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization quadrupole ion trap time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-QIT-TOF MS) was used to analyze three pyridylamino (PA)-fucosyloligosaccharides isolated from human milk: lacto-N-fucopentaose (LNFP) I [Fucalpha1-2Galbeta1-3GlcNAcbeta1-3Galbeta1-4Glc-PA], LNFP II [Galbeta1-3(Fucalpha1-4)GlcNAcbeta1-3Galbeta1-4Glc-PA], and LNFP III [Galbeta1-4(Fucalpha1-3)GlcNAcbeta1-3Galbeta1-4Glc-PA]. These oligosaccharides are linkage isomers. MALDI-QIT-TOF MS provides MS(n) spectra, which we used to characterize these PA-oligosaccharides. MS/MS/MS analysis of the non-reducing end tri-saccharide ions generated by MS/MS was able to distinguish these oligosaccharide isomers. The MALDI-QIT-TOF MS is a very convenient and rapid method, therefore, it would be useful for high throughput structural analyses of various types of pyridylaminated oligosaccharide isomers.

Carbohydrate Sequence↗
PubMed2005

Lack of correlation between total lymphocyte count and nutritional status in the elderly.

BACKGROUND & AIMS: Malnutrition is a widespread but largely unrecognized problem in aged people. Although absolute total lymphocyte count (TLC) has been proposed as a useful indicator of nutritional status, there is little evidence that low TLC levels reflect malnutrition in the elderly. To examine whether TLC is a suitable marker of malnutrition in the elderly. METHODS: A total of 161 elderly subjects (44 males and 117 females, mean age+/-SD: 77.9+/-7.4; range: 65-95 years) were enrolled from geriatric clinical settings. The participants were categorized according to severely low, low, or normal TLC. Anthropometry measurements, serum albumin, total cholesterol levels, and total score on the mini-nutritional assessment (MNA) were determined. RESULTS: There were no significant differences among the three TLC groups with regard to anthropometry measurements, serum albumin, total cholesterol levels, or MNA score. There was a significant negative correlation of TLC with age, but not with other nutritional markers. The clinical nutritional screening tool, MNA score, was well correlated with all of the nutritional parameters used in the present study except for TLC. CONCLUSION: TLC is not a suitable marker of malnutrition in the elderly.

Aged↗
PubMed2005

Evaluation of Mini-Nutritional Assessment for Japanese frail elderly.

OBJECTIVE: We evaluated the Mini-Nutritional Assessment (MNA) test and the short-form MNA as screening tools for malnutrition in the Japanese elderly population. METHODS: A cross-sectional study of 226 elderly Japanese patients (78.6 +/- 0.5 y of age, mean +/- standard deviation; 67 men and 159 women) in various settings was carried out. Nutritional assessment included MNA, anthropometric measurements, and biochemical markers. RESULTS: According to the original cutoff point of the full MNA, 19.9% of those assessed were malnourished, 58.0% were at risk of malnutrition, and 22.1% were well nourished. Significant correlations were found between full MNA scores and age (r = -0.14), body mass index (r = 0.59), serum albumin (r = 0.60), total cholesterol (r = 0.36), midarm circumference (r = 0.50), and triceps skinfold (r = 0.37). The sensitivity and specificity of the full MNA score (< 17) for hypoalbuminemia were 0.810 and 0.860, respectively. With a cutoff point lower than 18, sensitivity and specificity hypoalbuminemia were 0.857 and 0.815, respectively. Using a short-form MNA score 12 and higher as normal, its sensitivity and specificity for predicting undernutrition were 0.859 and 0.840, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: The full and short forms of the MNA were useful tools to identify elderly Japanese patients with malnutrition or risk of malnutrition. However, the full MNA cutoff point for malnutrition should be modulated for this population.

Aged↗
PubMed2005

A case of renal sarcoidosis with complement activation via the lectin pathway.

A 57-year-old woman with pulmonary sarcoidosis was admitted to the hospital because of an elevation of serum creatinine and blood urea nitrogen. On admission, the laboratory data suggested interstitial nephritis without proteinuria and hematuria, whereas a renal biopsy showed granulomatous interstitial nephritis and mild mesangial proliferative glomerulonephritis. Immunoglobulin and C1q deposits were negative, but mannose-binding lectin, C3, C4d, and C5b-9 deposits were marked in the glomerular mesangial areas. The lectin pathway of complement activation may have contributed to the development of glomerular injury in this patient. DNA of Propionibacterium acnes , which is now strongly suspected as the pathogen of sarcoidosis, was detected in the patient's glomerular mesangial cells; tubular epithelial cells, which were involved in granulomatous inflammation; and mononuclear cells in epithelioid granulomas by in situ hybridization. These findings may add new insights to the pathogenesis of renal sarcoidosis, including its relation to infection, because mannose-binding lectin plays a crucial role in the host defense against various pathogens. From this case of renal sarcoidosis, it is hypothesized that P acnes may be involved in pathogenesis of granulomatous interstitial nephritis and that it plays a role in glomerular complement activation via the lectin pathway.

Anti-Inflammatory Agents↗
PubMed2005

FcgammaRIIa-131R allele and FcgammaRIIIa-176V/V genotype are risk factors for progression of IgA nephropathy.

BACKGROUND: Fcgamma receptors (FcgammaRs) may play an important role in positive and negative regulation of immune cell responses and immune complex (IC) clearance. Mesangial IgG deposition and circulating IgG/IgA-IC in sera are observed in patients with IgA nephropathy (IgAN). Therefore, the pathological roles of IgG-IC in IgAN have been discussed. On the other hand, several studies have identified FcgammaR polymorphisms (FcgammaRIIa, FcgammaRIIIa and FcgammaRIIIb) that determine susceptibility to autoimmune diseases such as systemic lupus erythematosus and rheumatoid arthritis. The objective of the present study was to clarify whether FcgammaR polymorphisms influence susceptibility to IgAN, clinical features or severity in patients with IgAN. METHODS: Japanese patients with IgAN (n = 124) and healthy controls (n = 100) were genotyped for FcgammaR polymorphisms (FcgammaRIIa-131H or R, FcgammaRIIIa-176F or V and FcgammaRIIIb-NA1 or -NA2). The genotyping of these polymorphisms was performed using allele-specific polymerase chain reaction (PCR) methods. Associations among FcgammaR polymorphisms and susceptibility, age of onset, levels of serum immunoglobulins, intensity of glomerular IgG deposition and pathological severity were analysed. RESULTS: These three FcgammaR polymorphisms showed no significant differences in genotype and allele frequencies between the IgAN patients and healthy controls. Each FcgammaR polymorphism had no influence on age of onset, serum levels of IgG and glomerular IgG deposition in IgAN. However, FcgammaRIIa-131R (R/R or H/R) or FcgammaRIIIa-176V homozygous carriers (V/V) showed significantly more severe injury than FcgammaRIIa-131H homozygous (H/H) (P < 0.03) or FcgammaRIIIa-176F carriers (F/F or F/V) (P < 0.03), respectively. CONCLUSION: The present study shows that polymorphisms of FcgammaRIIa and FcgammaRIIIa influence the severity of IgAN in Japanese patients but not the incidence, suggesting that IgG-IC may play important roles in the progression and prognosis of this disease via FcgammaRs.

Adult↗
PubMed2005

Predictive model for assessing cognitive impairment by quantitative electroencephalography.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the utility of quantitative electroencephalographic analysis as an indicator of cognitive impairment, we examined the correlation between Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) scores and quantitative electroencephalographic (QEEG) power values in elderly patients and constructed a regression model to predict MMSE scores. BACKGROUND: Because of the growing number of elderly individuals with cognitive deficits, there is an increasing need for simple and objective methods with which to evaluate cognitive function. Although QEEG is reportedly a useful method for this purpose, few researchers have constructed a QEEG-based model for predicting the degree of cognitive impairment in clinical settings. METHOD: We evaluated brain function using QEEG in 44 elderly patients with memory complaints and compared the results with their MMSE scores. RESULTS: In the correlation analysis, no significant correlation was found between MMSE scores and QEEG power values. However, a regression model created using relative QEEG and gender for predicting MMSE scores had an adjusted R2 of 0.471. CONCLUSIONS: This finding suggests that QEEG analysis may be a useful indicator of cognitive decline in patients with memory complaints.

Aged↗
PubMed2005

[Awareness of dementia in older adults attending dementia-prevention programs in community healthcare centers].

Recently, the dementia-prevention program hosted by the Ministry of Health, Welfare and Labor has been widely implemented. We administered a questionnaire to 347 elderly adults (mean age: 71, mean MMSE score: 27.2) who attended programs in community healthcare centers. The questionnaire consisted of questions concerning: (1) belongings (2) knowledge about dementia (3) opinions about revealing the diagnosis of dementia to patients (4) anxiety for own onset of dementia. Regarding the knowledge about dementia, 17% of the participants knew about drug therapy, and 13% of them knew about legal guardianship. The results indicated a limited knowledge about facilities where demented people can be placed (home: 39%, hospital: 43%, nursing home: 62%, group-home: 25%). As for revealing the diagnosis, 68% of the participants hoped they would be informed of the diagnosis if they become demented, while 66% of them felt anxiety about having dementia in the future. In terms of difference by age (> or = 70 v.s. < or = 69), while the older group had low knowledge about the facilities and felt more anxiety about their own onset of dementia (chi2 test p < 0.05, Mann-Whitney U test p < 0.05), there were no intergroup difference regarding their expectations of being told about the diagnosis of dementia. Overall, the results of the questionnaire suggest that appropriate education of dementia to older adults may contribute to early diagnosis of the community level, thereby may maximize the effect of therapeutic interventions.

Aged↗
PubMed2005

[Better control of blood sugar with treatment using half-solid nutrients: a case report].

We report on a 60-year old man who became bedridden after a cerebral infarction and was put on a regimen of percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy (PEG) feedings. He developed such problems as intractable and prolonged diarrhea and leaking of nutrients from his gastric fistula, and also required frequent aspiration of his sputum. We then began treatment using half-solid nutrients. As a result, the diarrhea and leakage disappeared and the number of aspirations performed decreased. This patient has diabetes mellitus, with a high blood sugar level after feeding. After using half-solid nutrients, the peak became lower and appeared later, which is the same pattern seen with immuno-reactive insulin (IRI). This suggests that half-solid nutrients are useful in terms of blood sugar control.

Blood Glucose↗
PubMed2005

[A case of misinsertion of the PEG tube into the abdominal cavity recovered on a referral to the outpatient by using simple endoscopy techniques].

We report a case of a 53-year-old man, who had been bed-ridden due to the progression of spinocerebellar degeneration and had been relying on percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy (PEG) feeding for long-term nutritional support at home. The patient was referred to our clinic from his local GP because of suspected misinsertion of the PEG tube into the abdominal cavity on regular exchange of the tube. We performed emergent gastric endoscopy. First we induced the biopsy forceps through an endoscopic fiber, and pulled the forceps out through the injured fistula to the surface. Then the loop wire used for PEG placement was inserted through the fistula to the stomach using the forceps. The PEG tube was then inserted per oral and replacement was completed according to the usual pull-method. This procedure enabled the replaced PEG tube to cover the perforated site as well as to reduce intragastric pressure, thereby prevented the occurrence of panperitonitis, a common severe complication expected in case of perforated fistula, caused by the leakage of intragastric contents. The patient showed no signs of complications, and could continue to receive in-home care without being admitted to the hospital for acute care.

Abdominal Cavity↗
PubMed2005

[Survey of hemodialysis inpatients in long-term care facilities].

OBJECTIVE: In Japan, the number of elderly patients on hemodialysis has markedly increased in recent years. We conducted a survey to confirm the current status of inpatient hemodialysis patients and dialysis facilities with the aim of providing better care. MATERIAL AND METHODS: The subjects were 57 dialysis patients admitted to the Jishu Hospital for three consecutive months or longer as of February 2004. The survey was conducted by obtaining informed-consent from the patients and their families. The patients were interviewed and a questionnaire was sent to their families. The survey items were as follows; 1) patient characteristics, 2) domestic status, 3) physical and mental condition and 4) awareness concerning the hospital. RESULTS: The survey showed that dementia is present in almost all elderly hemodialysis patients and they require some degree of assistance for the activities of daily living. In addition, 57.9% patients had already been admitted to or had visited two or more hospitals. The current status of inpatients had improved slightly. Although the period of hospitalization was longer than one year in 64.9% of respondents, it had decreased by around 13% in comparison with that in the previous survey at 1997. These results were considered to be caused by increases in inpatient dialysis facilities, aging-related deaths, and by patients switching to home care after discharge because of the higher economic burden. In the interview, some patients were satisfied with inpatient life, but about one half of the patients said they wanted home care. Key caregivers for patients are mainly middle-aged or older family members (> 50 years old), indicating that caregivers are aging. On the other hand, the present study showed that hospitalization provides advantages for family life, such as improvements in peace of mind, life rhythm, leisure time and physical condition. CONCLUSION: Since the aging of dialysis patients results in a decrease in physical activity and progression of dementia, long-term hospitalization has a high potential to induce bedridden patients. In addition to the requirement for more long-term facilities, efforts should be made to improve physical activities and inhibit the progression of dementia.

Activities of Daily Living↗