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Volume 202 (2004)
- Issue 4 Pages 245-
- Issue 3 Pages 155-
- Issue 2 Pages 69-
- Issue 1 Pages 1-
Volume 202, Issue 2
February
Displaying 1-9 of 9 articles from this issue
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Regular Contributions
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Mika Kumagai, Tadaatsu Imaizumi, Katsuhiko Suzuki, Hidemi Yoshida, Shi ...2004 Volume 202 Issue 2 Pages 69-76
Published: 2004
Released on J-STAGE: June 02, 2004
JOURNAL FREE ACCESS15-Deoxy-Δ12,14-prostaglandin J2 (15d-PGJ2) is an agonist for peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-γ (PPAR-γ), which plays an important role in various biological processes including inflammatory responses. We have addressed the effect of 15d-PGJ2 on the expression of granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF) in a cell line derived from human bronchial epithelial cells (BEAS-2B). Besides being a hematopoietic growth factor, GM-CSF activates mature leukocytes and is involved in regulation of inflammatory responses. Cultures of BEAS-2B were stimulated with interleukin-1β (IL-1β), and the expressions of GM-CSF mRNA and protein were analyzed by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, respectively. IL-1β stimulated the expression of GM-CSF in BEAS-2B cells in concentration- and time-dependent manners. When the cells were pretreated with 15d-PGJ2 for 1 hour, the IL-1β-induced GM-CSF expression was inhibited in a concentration-dependent manner (2-50 μM). Ciglitazone, another agonist of PPAR-γ, did not affect the IL-1β-induced GM-CSF expression in BEAS-2B cells. A PPAR-γ antagonist, bisphenol A diglycide ether (BADGE), did not reverse the inhibitory effects of 15d-PGJ2 on GM-CSF expression. 15d-PGJ2 regulates GM-CSF expression in the bronchial epithelium, which may be mediated through a mechanism unrelated to PPAR-γ.View full abstractDownload PDF (388K) -
Coronary Flow Velocity and Coronary Flow Velocity Reserve in Children with Ventricular Septal DefectKenji Harada, Mieko Aoki, Manatomo Toyono, Masamichi Tamura2004 Volume 202 Issue 2 Pages 77-85
Published: 2004
Released on J-STAGE: June 02, 2004
JOURNAL FREE ACCESSTo assess coronary flow characteristics in congenital heart defect with left ventricular (LV) volume overload, we examined 24 children (mean 12.1±7.1 months) with ventricular septal defect. The pulmonary to systemic flow ratio ranged from 1.1 to 3.0. Control group consisted of 10 age-matched children who had a history of Kawasaki disease with angiographically normal coronary artery in the acute phase. LV end-diastolic volume and LV mass were measured by left ventriculogram. With Doppler flow guide wire (0.014-inch), average peak flow velocity (APV) in left anterior descending coronary artery was recorded at rest and during hyperemia (0.16 mg/kg/min adenosine infusion intravenously). Coronary flow velocity reserve (CFVR) was calculated as the ratio of hyperemic/baseline APV. Seven patients were also studied 5-7 months after surgery. Compared with control subjects, CFVR was significantly reduced in patients with LVvolume overload (1.78±0.24 vs. 2.66±0.42, p<0.0001) because baseline APV was significantly greater (30±8 vs. 23±5 cm/sec, p=0.0027). Significant correlations were observed between CFVR and Qp/Qs, baseline APV, LV end-diastolic volume, or LVmass. Stepwise regression analysis showed that baseline APV and Qp/Qs were important determinants of CFVR (CFVR=2.64−0.202 [Qp/Qs]−0.015 [APV] r=0.83, p<0.0001). In 7 patients with LVvolume overload, CFVR improved significantly after surgery because of reduction of baseline APV. CFVR is limited in patients with LV volume overload because of the elevation of baseline resting APV. LAD flow pattern is dependent on LV volume overload level and its changes after surgery.View full abstractDownload PDF (412K) -
Hatice Pasaoglu, Gülsen Bulduk, Elmas Ögüs, Aysel Pasao ...2004 Volume 202 Issue 2 Pages 87-92
Published: 2004
Released on J-STAGE: June 02, 2004
JOURNAL FREE ACCESSThe aim was to study the role of nitric oxide (NO), lipid peroxides (LPX), and uric acid in pre-eclampsia and eclampsia. Plasma levels of NO metabolites (nitrite+nitrate), malonyldialdehyde (MDA), and uric acid and erythrocyte MDA levels were compared between normal pregnant, pre-eclamptic, and eclamptic pregnant women in third trimester. Student's t-test was used for statistical evaluation. Plasma NO metabolites levels were higher in eclamptic group (35.7±16.5 μmol/liter, p<0.05) but not in pre-eclamptic group (22.1±10.8 μmol/liter) than control group (18.8±6.9 μmol/liter). Plasma MDA and uric acid concentrations were higher in preeclamptic (4.4±1.7 nmol/ ml, p<0.05; 0.45±0.11 mmol/liter, p<0.05, respectively) and eclamptic (5.8±1.9 nmol/ ml, p<0.05; 0.47±0.12 mmol/liter, p<0.05) groups compared with control group (3.0±1.3 nmol/ml; 0.35±0.06 mmol/liter). Erythrocytes MDA concentrations were higher only in eclamptic group (174.4±62 nmol/gHb, p<0.05) than control group (139.2±49.5 nmol/gHb). These results suggest that NO, LPX, and uric acid are important factors in the pathogenesis of pre-eclampsia and eclampsia, and that NO production and LPX are directly related to the severity of disease.View full abstractDownload PDF (262K) -
Tetsuya Ono, Yusuke Saito, Jun-ichiro Komura, Hironobu Ikehata, Yoshia ...2004 Volume 202 Issue 2 Pages 93-103
Published: 2004
Released on J-STAGE: June 02, 2004
JOURNAL FREE ACCESSA possible mutagenic effect of 2.45 GHz radiofrequency exposure was examined using lacZ-transgenic MutaTM mice. Pregnant animals were exposed intermittently at a whole-body averaged specific absorption rate of 0.71 W/kg (10 seconds on, 50 seconds off which is 4.3 W/kg during the 10 seconds exposure). Offspring that were exposed in utero for 16 hours a day, from the embryonic age of 0 to 15 days, were examined at 10 weeks of age. To minimize thermal effects, the exposure was given in repeated bursts of 10 seconds of exposure followed by 50 seconds of no exposure. Mutation frequencies at the lacZ gene in spleen, liver, brain, and testis were similar to those observed in non-exposed mice. Quality of mutation assessed by sequencing the nucleotides of mutant DNAs revealed no appreciable difference between exposed and non-exposed samples. The data suggest that the level of radiofrequency exposure studied is not mutagenic when administered in utero in short repeated bursts.View full abstractDownload PDF (479K) -
Naoyuki Oi, Yoshiko Tobimatsu, Tsutomu Iwaya, Yasuhiro Okada, Satoshi ...2004 Volume 202 Issue 2 Pages 105-112
Published: 2004
Released on J-STAGE: June 02, 2004
JOURNAL FREE ACCESSNakada (1988) divided senile postural deformities into four types by visual observation: an extended type, an S-shaped type, a flexed type, and a hand-on-the-lap type. The purpose of this study was to investigate the inter-rater reliability and the discriminant validity of assessing the elderly spinal posture using a posture-measuring device developed by us and dividing postural deformities into the four types of Nakada's classification. Seventy-seven elderly persons (52 women and 25 men) who lived independently participated in the study. The average age of the subjects was 73 years (range, 65 to 84 years). The type of the senile postural deformity was determined by three judges using our posture-measuring device in combination with Nakada's classification. The rate of agreement of the classification was 92.2%. This method had a significantly high rate of inter-rater reliability. The thoracic kyphotic angle was larger in the S-shaped type than in the normal, extended type, and flexed type. The lumbar lordotic angle was also larger in the S-shaped type than in the extended type, flexed type, and hand-on-the-lap type. In the hand-on-the-lap type, the mean of the lumbar lordotic angle was much smaller. The lumbosacral angle was smaller in the extended type than in the normal, S-shaped type, and flexed type. With the analysis of x-ray photographs, this method appeared to have discriminant validity as a measure of senile postural deformity. The combination of our posture-measuring device and Nakada's classification would be useful to classify senile postural deformities in mass examinations.View full abstractDownload PDF (441K) -
Ken Okamoto, Weiyang Wang, Danny O. Jacobs, Chikanori Terai2004 Volume 202 Issue 2 Pages 113-122
Published: 2004
Released on J-STAGE: June 02, 2004
JOURNAL FREE ACCESSSoluble C5b-9 complexes (SC5b-9), hemolytically inactive end-products of complement activation have long been considered to be irrelevant. Recent investigations, however, have demonstrated that SC5b-9 induces numerous biological effects via a series of intracellular signal transduction events. We have previously demonstrated that SC5b-9 enriched sera increased intracellular Na+ in rat skeletal muscles. This study was purposed to determine if the protein kinase C (PKC) or mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) signaling pathway mediates the effects of SC5b-9. Fast-twitch extensor digitorum longus (EDL) muscles isolated from infant rats were incubated at 30°C for 60 minutes with 10% zymosan-activated rat sera (ZARS) as a source of complement. Heat-inactivated rat sera (HIRS) were used as a control. The muscles were also incubated with ZARS or HIRS in the presence of specific inhibitors against PKC (GF109203X) or MAPK (PD98059 and SB202190). Intracellular Na+ and K+ contents were then measured. ZARS significantly increased intracellular Na+ and the Na+/K+ ratio in EDL muscles as compared to HIRS. GF109203X, PD98059 and SB202190 markedly attenuated increase in myocellular Na+ induced by ZARS, respectively. We concluded that SC5b-9 enriched sera alter myocellular Na+ homeostasis, at least in part, via the mechanisms linked to PKC and MAPK signal transduction pathways.View full abstractDownload PDF (438K) -
Maki Ohtani, Shoko Shindo, Naofumi Yoshioka2004 Volume 202 Issue 2 Pages 123-133
Published: 2004
Released on J-STAGE: June 02, 2004
JOURNAL FREE ACCESSAkita Prefecture, Japan, has consistently recorded the highest level of suicide rates in all of Japan. In this study, we attempted to determine whether genetic differences between suicide victims and the normal population in Akita exist. We also researched the geographical differences in polymorphisms of the genes between people living in Akita Prefecture and those living in other prefectures with lower suicide rates as recorded in previously-published studies. Specifically, we investigated two serotonin-related genes including three substitutions connected to human emotional states such as despondency and depression: the tryptophan hydroxylase (TPH) gene (A779C and A218C in the intron) and the serotonin1A (5-HT1A) receptor gene (Pro16Leu in the cording region). 134 suicide victims and 325 healthy volunteers were examined. For this process, we used two analytical procedures: (1) polymerase chain reaction (PCR) followed by single-strand conformational polymorphisms analysis for the A779C of TPH and the 5-HT1A receptor genes and (2) PCR followed by restriction fragment length polymorphism analysis for the A218C of TPH gene. No significant differences of the genotypes and the allele frequencies between the suicide samples and those of the healthy controls were discerned. Moreover, the genotype distributions of the TPH and 5-HT1A receptor genes were compared between Akita Prefecture and other prefectures, but no significant differences were found. In conclusion, no significant relation could be established statistically concerning the serotonin related genes between the suicide samples and control samples in Akita.View full abstractDownload PDF (451K) -
Sema Genc, Nilgun Erten, Mehmet Akif Karan, Sevgi Kalayoglu Besisik, B ...2004 Volume 202 Issue 2 Pages 135-142
Published: 2004
Released on J-STAGE: June 02, 2004
JOURNAL FREE ACCESSWe aimed to evaluate the diagnostic values of soluble transferrin receptor (sTfR) concentration, transferrin-ferritin index (soluble transferrin receptor concentration/log ferritin), ferritin levels and other related parameters in geriatric patients with anemia of chronic disease (ACD) and iron deficiency (IDA). Forty-four elderly subjects (median age 73 [63-94]) and twenty healthy subjects (median age 49 [44-56]) were enrolled into this study, divided into four groups: twenty middle aged healthy subjects (group A), fifteen elderly patients with IDA (group B), fourteen elderly patients with ACD (group C) and fifteen non-anemic geriatric subjects (group D). Hemoglobin, mean corpuscular volume, serum iron concentration and transferrin saturation levels of the patients in IDA group were found significantly lower than those in both non-anemic group and healthy subjects. Serum sTfR concentrations of the patients in IDA group were significantly higher than those in non-anemic geriatric group, ACD group and healthy subjects. Transferrin-ferritin index of the patients with IDA was significantly higher than that in non-anemic geriatric and ACD group. Serum ferritin levels of the patients in IDA group did not show any differences when compared with the other groups. Serum ferritin was highly specific for IDA (95%) when compared with ACD, although its sensitivity was low (38%). STfR values were negatively correlated with both transferrin and ferritin levels (p=0.042 r=−0.40; and p=0.034 r=−0.41, respectively). In conclusion, serum soluble transferrin receptor and transferrin-ferritin index may be used together with serum ferritin to distinguish the iron deficiency state in the elderly.View full abstractDownload PDF (376K) -
Ahmet Vural, Aysen Agaçdiken, Dilek Ural, Tayfun Sahin, Guliz K ...2004 Volume 202 Issue 2 Pages 143-153
Published: 2004
Released on J-STAGE: June 02, 2004
JOURNAL FREE ACCESSRecent studies revealed reverse remodeling in left ventricle with cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT). However, effects on left atrial remodeling, left atrial total emptying fraction and left atrial spontaneous echo contrast (SEC) have not been adequately evaluated. The aim of this study was to investigate the long-term changes in SEC, left atrial reverse remodeling, and left atrial total emptying fraction after CRT. Twenty patients with systolic heart failure and complete left bundle-branch block underwent implantation of biventricular pacemaker devices. Transthoracic and transesophageal echocardiography were performed one week before and one and six months after pacemaker implantation. After biventricular pacemaker implantation, significant clinical improvement was observed in all patients. Left atrial maximal and minimal volumes showed a significant progressive decline after CRT (reverse remodeling). Left atrial total emptying ejection fraction (LATEF) was 33±19% at baseline and increased to 37±10% and 41±11% at the 1st and 6th months respectively (p=0.01 and p=0.04). SEC was detected in 18 of 20 patients (90%) at the beginning of the study. After six months SEC disappeared in 5 patients and frequency of SEC reduced to 45%. Decrease in the intensity of the SEC was also statistically significant (at the 1st and 6th months; p=0.001 and p<0.001 respectively). Long-term CRT results in atrial reverse remodeling, increases LATEF, and reduces both frequency and intensity of atrial SEC.View full abstractDownload PDF (961K)
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