The Tohoku Journal of Experimental Medicine
Online ISSN : 1349-3329
Print ISSN : 0040-8727
ISSN-L : 0040-8727
Volume 172, Issue 2
Displaying 1-8 of 8 articles from this issue
  • MASANORI MURAYAMA, KEIGO YASUDA, YOSHIAKI MINAMORI, LEILANI B. MERCADO ...
    1994 Volume 172 Issue 2 Pages 97-109
    Published: 1994
    Released on J-STAGE: August 31, 2006
    JOURNAL FREE ACCESS
    MURAYAMA, M., YASUDA, K., MINAMORI, Y., MERCADO-ASIS, L.B., YAMAKITA, N., MORITA, H. and MIURA, K. Long Term Follow-up of Cushing's Disease Treated with Reserpine and Pituitary Irradiation Followed by Subtotal Adrenalectomy. Tohoku J. Exp. Med., 1994, 172 (2), 97-109-Subtotal adrenalectomy was given to 10 adult patients with Cushing's disease, concurrently with or following therapeutic regimen by long term reserpine administration and pituitary irradiation. In the present study, we describe long term follow-up results. Two patients died after the operation due to acute adrenal crisis and pneumonia, respectively. The other 8 patients achieved clinical and biochemical remissions and were followed for long term. Three patients relapsed 9, 14 or 17 years after achieving remission, two patients developed hypopituitarism 12 or 20 years after and one died of cerebral vascular accident at 64 years, 5 years after the remission. The remaining 2 patients maintained remission for 10 or 18 years, respectively. During the remission periods of 0.5 to 20 years with a mean of 10.1± 6.7 years, 6 of 7 patients examined by 1mg overnight dexamethasone test showed normal suppressibility of plasma cortisol. Provocative tests of plasma GH by 1-arginine infusion and/or insulin-induced hypoglycemia were performed in 6 patients in the early remission period. All of 5 patients in the arginine infusion test and 3 of 5 in the insulin-induced hypoglycemia test showed normal responses. Furthermore, to facilitate prediction of long term response or failure to our therapeutic regimen, long term reserpine administration and pituitary irradiation, pretreatment clinical and biochemical characteristics were analyzed retrospectively in 3 divided groups; the present 10 patients treated with reserpine and pituitary irradiation followed by subtotal adrenalectomy, 11 patients achieving long term remission treated by our regimen alone, and 7 patients failed with our regimen alone. There were no significant factors predictive of response to our regimen. These findings suggest that subtotal adrenalectomy does not lead favorable outcome, however, reserpine administration shows usefulness to improve pituitary functions in treating Cushing's disease.
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  • HIDESHI TOMITA, KAZUO IKEDA, SHUNZO CHIBA
    1994 Volume 172 Issue 2 Pages 111-121
    Published: 1994
    Released on J-STAGE: August 31, 2006
    JOURNAL FREE ACCESS
    TOMITA, H., IKEDA, K. and CHIBA, S. Denopamine Augments the Left Ventricular Pump Function in Infants with Ventricular Septal Defect and Pulmonary Hypertension: Doppler Echocardiographic Analysis. Tohoku J. Exp. Med., 1994, 172 (2), 111-121-The purpose of this study is to evaluate hemodynamic effects and clinical benefit of oral denopamine in infants with left to right shunt disease. We measured heart rates, left ventricular end-diastolic and end-systolic dimensions, shortening fractions, peak and mean flow velocities of the main pulmonary artery and ascending aorta at 30, 60 and 90min after oral denopamine using Doppler echocardiography. Seventeen infants with ventricular septal defect and pulmonary hypertension (mean pulmonary artery pressures higher than 25 mmHg) were divided into two groups depending upon the doses of denopamine; group 1 received 1mg/kg, and group 2 was given 0.5mg/kg. Serum concentrations of denopamine were measured with high performance liquid chromatography after completion of these evaluations. In both groups, heart rates and left ventricular shortening fractions increased, and left ventricular end-systolic dimensions decreased significantly. Although peak and mean velocities of aortic and pulmonary flows increased significantly, there were no significant alter ations in peak and mean velocity ratios of pulmonary to aortic flow. There was no significant difference in the serum concentration of denopamine between the two groups. However, percentage changes of some indices, such as heart rates, left ventricular end-systolic dimensions, peak aortic and pulmonary flow velocities, and mean aortic flow velocities exponentially correlated to serum concentrations of denopamine. In conclusion, denopamine is supposed to have beneficial actions to augment the systemic output by enhancing the left ventricular pump function in patients of ventricular septal defect. However, we should be careful for denopamine not to produce excessive increases in heart rate and pulmonary blood flow.
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  • FAZEL SHAMSA, TAKESHI IWASA, HITOSHI SAITO, NOBUYUKI NAGATA, KENZO OHT ...
    1994 Volume 172 Issue 2 Pages 123-132
    Published: 1994
    Released on J-STAGE: August 31, 2006
    JOURNAL FREE ACCESS
    SHAMSA, F., IWASA, T., SAITO, H., NAGATA, N. and OHTSUKI, K. The Biological Significance of Glycyrrhizin- and Glycyrrhetinic Acid Derivative-Induced Selective Phosphorylation of Histones H2A and H2B by A-kinase In Vitro. Tohoku J. Exp. Med., 1994, 172 (2), 123-132 - Histones H2A and H2B were found to be glycyrrhizin (GL)-binding proteins, because (i) the two histones H2A-H2B pairs were isolated selectively from the crude histone preparations of calf thymus by means of GL-affinity column chromatography (HPLC); (ii) phosphorylation of these two histones by A-kinase was remarkably stimulated by native GL or oGA (a derivative of glycyrrhetinic acid) at 20μM; and (iii) in the crude histone preparations of calf thymus, these two histones were selectively phosphorylated by A-kinase in the presence of both dsDNA and 20μM oGA or 20μM GL. The provided data suggest that the GL-induced selective phosphorylation of histones H2A and H2B by A-kinase may be implicated in the transcriptional activation involved in the biological activities of the drug.
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  • KOZO ITO
    1994 Volume 172 Issue 2 Pages 133-138
    Published: 1994
    Released on J-STAGE: August 31, 2006
    JOURNAL FREE ACCESS
    ITO, K. CA19-9 in Mature Cystic Teratoma. Tohoku J. Exp. Med., 1994, 172 (2), 133-138 - I investigated 250 patients with mature cystic teratoma (MCT) of ovary, using an enzyme immunoassay to determine the tissue source of their high serum levels of CA19-9. The mean preoperative serum CA19-9 level was 79.4U/ml, and the mean postoperative level was far lower (27.4U/ml). There were 41 patients positive for CA19-9. In the 31 with serum CA19-9 levels over 101U/ml, CA19-9 was immunohistochemically demonstrated in the bronchial glands (14 cases) and bronchial mucosa (8 cases) of the MCTs. Six cases of bronchial glands and bronchial mucosa showed positive for CA19-9 by immunohistochemical stainings. CA19-9 levels were higher in the cyst fluid of MCTs than in the serum. These findings suggested two routes for the transfer of tumor-produced CA19-9 into the bloodstream: 1) direct secretion from MCT bronchial tissue, and 2) leakage from MCT cysts into the surrounding capillaries through the interstitium.
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  • HIROSHI HOSHIAI, MOTOHARU ISHIKAWA, KIICHIRO NODA, Kazuhiro TAKAHAMA, ...
    1994 Volume 172 Issue 2 Pages 139-146
    Published: 1994
    Released on J-STAGE: August 31, 2006
    JOURNAL FREE ACCESS
    HOSHIAI, H., ISHIKAWA, M., NODA, K., TAKAHAMA, K., FUKAYA, T. and YAJIMA, A. Influence of HLA Antigens on Reproduction among Japanese Population: Study of Haplotypes in 247 Families. Tohoku J. Exp. Med., 1994, 172 (2), 139-146 - Although an increased incidence of shared HLA antigens among couples experiencing recurrent spontaneous abortion or infertility has been observed, antigenic effects remain to be clarified. These effects, which are suspected to exist among fertile couples, were examined in this study. A group of 247 healthy Japanese families and their 682 children, whose HLA antigen haplotypes could be determined, were studied. Haplotypes of the fathers were compared with those of the mothers, and the combination of HLA antigens in the A, B, C and DR loci was determined as antigenic patterns against the mother. Patterns inherited by children were examined and deviations of the patterns were studied according to the natural rule that either of the haplotypes should be inherited at equal rates. Lower rates of children with antigens common with those of the mother, which may show a result of reproductive selection, were observed among only the first born children in the A (p<0.05) and DR loci (p<0.01), but rates similar to those expected were observed among the second born and later children. Lower rates were also observed in the B and C loci among all children with no significant difference between groups of the children. The necessity of differing antigenic factors in order to achieve pregnancy in the population was shown. Important effects of HLA antigenicity in reproductive failure are suggested.
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  • KEI NUMAZAKI, MASAO UMETSU, SHUNZO CHIBA
    1994 Volume 172 Issue 2 Pages 147-153
    Published: 1994
    Released on J-STAGE: August 31, 2006
    JOURNAL FREE ACCESS
    NUMAZAKI, K., UMETSU, M. and CHIBA, S. Effect of Glycyrrhizin in Children with Liver Dysfunction Associated with Cytomegalovirus Infection. Tohoku J. Exp. Med., 1994, 172 (2), 147-153 - Glycyrrhizin (GL) has an inhibitory effect on several viruses including human immunodeficiency virus type 1(HIV-1) and varicella-zoster virus (VZV). In addition, some therapeutic and prophylactic effects on chronic active viral hepatitis have been claimed for GL. In this study, 0.2% GL dissolved in saline (2mg/ml GL), supplemented with 2% glycine and 0.1% cysteine (Stronger Neo-Minophagen C, SNMC) was administered intravenously in a dose of 50ml/day for a period of more than one week to three infants with cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection who exhibited abnormal liver function or hepatomegaly. Liver function had become normal at the end of the course of SNMC. These findings suggest that GL might have therapeutic effects on liver dysfunction associated with CMV infections.
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  • YASUSHI TAKAHASHI, KENJI HARADA, TERUKAZU SHIOTA, MASAMICHI TAMURA, HI ...
    1994 Volume 172 Issue 2 Pages 155-161
    Published: 1994
    Released on J-STAGE: August 31, 2006
    JOURNAL FREE ACCESS
    TAKAHASHI, Y., HARADA, K., SHIOTA, T., TAMURA, M., NOGUCHI, H., ISHIDA, A. and TAKADA, G. Left Ventricular Contractile State of Early Human Neonates with Patent Ductus Arteriosus. Tohoku J. Exp. Med., 1994, 172 (2), 155-161-Using echocardiographic technique, we studied the left ventricular (LV) contractile state in 32 full-term infants within 24hr after birth. They were divided into 2 groups based on the timing of the examinations; the group 1 (n=17), <3hr after birth; the group 2 (n=15), >3 and <24hr after birth, and the additional examinations were performed on day 5. The patency of the ductus arteriosus and its internal diameter were determined by pulsed Doppler and two-dimensional echocardiography. The left atrial to aortic root ratio was obtained from M-mode echocardiography, and the LV contractile state was estimated by the relationship between heart rate-corrected velocity of circumferential fiber shortening (mVcfc) and end-systolic meridional wall stress (ESS). The ductus arteriosus was open in all cases of group 1 and in 83% of the cases of group 2, but the ductal diameter and the left atrial to aortic root ratio significantly decreased in group 2. The relation-ship between mVcfc and ESS showed no significant differences between 2 groups and the control. Afterload, represented as ESS, was significantly lower in group 1 than the control. We suggest that the low afterload condition helps the adequate LV contraction even under the increased preload through the left-to-right ductus arteriosus shunting after birth.
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  • KENSUKE ORITO, KEISUKE SATOH, NORIO TAIRA
    1994 Volume 172 Issue 2 Pages 163-173
    Published: 1994
    Released on J-STAGE: August 31, 2006
    JOURNAL FREE ACCESS
    ORITO, K., SATOH, K. and TAIRA, N. Vasodilator Mechanisms of Action of Amrinone Do Not Involve the Opening of Either ATP-sensitive or Ca2+--Activated K+ Channels. Tohoku J. Exp. Med., 1994, 172 (2), 163-173-Amrinone is more coronary vasodilatory than positive inotropic compared with other newer phosphodiesterase inhibitors. In order to explore possible involvements of ATP-sensitive K+ (KATP) and large-conductance Ca2+-activated K+ (KCa) channels in the vasodilator effect of amrinone, we investigated whether amrinone-induced vasodilation would be antagonized by glibenclamide, a blocker of KATP channels, or by charybdotoxin or tetraethylammonium, blockers of KCa channels. In isolated, blood-perfused canine papillary muscle preparations, the amrinone-induced increase in blood flow was not affected by glibenclamide given to support dogs. In canine large coronary arteries contracted with high (25mM) KCl, amrinone-induced relaxation was not affected by glibenclamide, charybdotoxin and tetraethylammonium. These results suggest that the vasodilator mechanisms of amrinone do not involve the opening of either KATP or KCa channels.
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