Kazuyuki Kida

Histochemical localization of copper in various organs of brindled mice after copper therapy

Copper (Cu) distribution in various organs of brindled mice (BM), an animal model of Menkes disease, was studied histochemically and by atomic‐absorption‐spectrophotometry 7 months after Cu injections. The results were compared with those of untreated BM. In the treated BM brain, a diffuse reduction in Cu‐related staining of neurons and astroglia was still evident, though it had improved to some extent. The reduction was noticeable in the thalamus, brain stem and cerebellum, although intensely stained capillaries were noted occasionally in the retrosplenial and mediobasal temporal areas, including the hippocampus. In the treated BM liver, near normalization of Cu distribution was observed. In the treated BM intestine, the main localization of Cu accumulation was in histiocytes/macrophages in the lamina propria, while in the untreated BM it was in the absorptive and secretory epithelial cells. In the treated BM kidney, there was no clear improvement in Cu distribution. These histochemical results were consistent with the data obtained by the spectrophotometric assay. Electron microscopic histochemistry of affected renal tubular epithelial cells revealed numerous silver grains, which represent Cu++ localization, distributed only within the cytoplasm outside organella and nucleus. This suggests impaired intracellular Cu transport from cytosol to organella, which in the kidney is refractory to the Cu therapy adopted.

ChronologicaI Observations of HistologicaI Changes, Cytochrome Oxidase Activity and Copper Level in the Brain of the Postnatal Brindled Mouse

Neuropathological and enzyme‐histochemical studies were performed on brindled mouse hemizygotes (BMs) and normal littermates at the age of 2 days, 7 days, 11 days and 14 days, together with an investigation of their tissue cop per levels. A greatly increased copper concentration was confirmed in the kidney and intestine and a greatly reduced concentration in the liver and brain of BMs. The copper concentration in the brain increased gradually with age in the normal littermates, whereas this did not occur in BMs. There was no significant difference in the tissue copper concentration between the cerebrum and the cerebellum brainstem in BMs or in normal littermates. Light and electron microscopy of the BM brain revealed progressive neuronal degeneration in association with increased mito‐chondrial changes (ballooning and crista disintegration). Enzyme histochemical examinations demonstrated a progressive comparative decrease (i.e., an increased difference from normal) of cytochrome oxidase activity in the BM brain. These data suggest that progressive degeneration of the brain in Menkes’disease is attributable to mitochon‐drial degeneration caused by a comparative decrease of both copper concentration and cytochrome oxidase activity in the brain.

Active life expectancy for people over 65 years old in a local city in the northern part of Tohoku district

Life expectancy does not necessarily match quality of life (QOL). A cohort study involving a population of 10,107 in a certain city of Japan was conducted to evaluate active life expectancy (ALE), which has a direct relationship with QOL. The ALE that took functional recovery rates into account was 17.20 and 19.08 years for males and females respectively, at the age of 65. These values increased by 2.98 and 3.87 years for men and women, respectively, compared with when functional recovery rates were not considered. ALE may serve as an indicator for the objective evaluation of various public health services provided by local governments.

Estimation of body composition by bioelectrical impedance and anthropometric technique in Japanese children

Both skinfold anthropometry and bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA) are indirect, simple, and non-invasive compared with other techniques to estimate body composition. It is not clear, however, whether the results of both techniques are comparable. In this study, percentage of body fat (%Fat) was determined in 437 school children (229 boys and 208 girls) by skinfold anthropometry and BIA and after 1 year similarly determined in the same subjects. Median %Fat was 18.6 % and 20.7 % in boys and girls by skinfold anthropometry and also 17.6 % and 18.5 % by BIA and after one year 17.9 % and 19.9 %, 16.0 % and 17.0 % respectively. There were significant correlations (p<0.001) for boys and girls between %Fat and the difference of Fat mass between the first and the second year with these techniques. However, there were significant differences between the two methods for boys and girls (p<0.001). Currently available equations for converting impedance-based estimates of total body water to fat mass are not fully developed for use in children, but BIA method is useful in community surveys.

A Study of Atopic Dermatitis in Elementary School Children in Hirosaki City, Aomori Prefecture, Japan

The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between residential environments and atopic dermatitis (AD). Subjects were 1378 elementary school children from 4 elementary schools in Hirosaki City, Aomori Prefecture located in die northeastern of Japan. Physical examinations, which adhered to the diagnostic criteria set by die Japanese Dermatological Association, were given by dermatological specialists in October 1994 (first series) and April 1995 (second series). Half of die children with AD showed symptoms in only one of two seasons, either the autumn or spring, so the drifting of symptoms of AD occurred largely by seasons. The data on residential environments was gathered by questionnaire. Multiple logistic regression analysis showed that more children who were diagnosed positive as AD twice (AD(+,+)), lived in damp and moldy homes than did children who were diagnosed negative as AD twice (AD(-,-)). Moreover AD(+,+) were more likely to live in homes built between 1984 and 1989 than did AD(-,-). In addition, most AD(+,+) children frequently lived in homes in which the bedrooms were vacuumed 3-5 times or more in a week. Then damp and moldy houses or houses built between 1984 and 1989 may be risk factors for the outbreak of AD.

Eating patterns, weight status and egogram characteristics among Japanese pupils

The purpose of this study was to investigate the actual conditions of eating patterns and the relationships among eating patterns, degree of overweightness and egogram characteristics among pupils. The subjects were 871 boys and girls whose grades ranged from 4th to 6th. They were selected from five elementary schools in Hirosaki and its suburbs, Japan. They were classified into the following 5 groups by the degree of overweightness: lean group, standard group, slightly obese group, moderately obese group, and extremely obese group. Eating patterns were measured by questionnaries, and AN-egogram was used for the measurement of egogram characteristics.The results were as follows:1.The ego state of pupils who eat their favorite dish even with a full stomach showed significantly lower A (adult) qualities and higher FC (free child) qualities than those who would not eat in this situation. The egogram pattern of the former pupils exhibited the NP (nurturing parent)-low type.2.The egogram pattern of pupils who engage in substitutive food intake exhibited the NP-low type.3.Significant differences existed among the ego states CP (critical parent), NP, A, and FC as to reasons given for eating between meals.4.The egogram pattern of the person who eats between meals at the time of “an empty stomach” showed a flat type of ego state with relatively low NP. The person who eats “just at meal time” showed an A-dominant type. The person who eats “when food is present” showed an NP - low type with relatively low CP.5.The ego state A was significandy less common in the extremely obese group than in the lean group.6.The egogram pattern of the lean, standard, and slightly obese groups showed an A - dominant type of ego state, and that of moderately and extremely obese groups showed an AC-dominant type with CP slightly high.

A longitudinal study of the relationship between osteo sono-assessment index and lifestyle in elderly female in nursing homes

The aim of this study was to investigate the longitudinal effect of mobility and daily activity, in the form of exercise and everyday activities, on the bones of 102 elderly female nursing home residents who had physical disabilities as well as marked postmenopausal bone loss, using calcaneal ultrasound apparatus for bone evaluation.Of the 102 subjects initially measured, 74 (mean age, 83.5±6.55 years; range, 64–99 years) could be measured again approximately one year later. The osteo sono-assessment index (OSI) in this study was determined using an ultrasound bone evaluation device. This device measures the speed of sound (SOS) and transmission index (TI) as ultrasound passes through the calcaneus. The OSI is calculated by computer analysis (OSI=TI×SOS2). For mobility, the OSI decreased significantly by an average of 1.8% after 11.8 months in all of the residents who were using a wheelchair (n=41, p<0.01). In contrast, the OSI rose significantly by a mean of 1.9% in the ambulatory group (n=33, p<0.01).The OSI increased significantly in residents who exercised every day, were out of bed for at least seven hours per day, and walked on a regular basis, suggesting that exercise, mainly in the form of walking, may increase the calcaneal OSI.

A study on the daily physical activity of junior high school students in Japan

The purpose of this study was to estimate daily energy expenditure (EE) and daily activity factor (DAF: EE/basal metabolism - 1) of junior high school students in Japan using heart rate (HR) monitoring method. Daily activity recording and 24 hour HR monitoring were measured in all the subjects. The relational formulas between HR and oxygen consumption were obtained from bicycle ergometer test. Subjects were 112 junior high school students (68 male and 44 female) from the 1st to the 3rd year. The averages of EE (kcal/kg) of the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd year students were 54.3, 46.7, and 44.5 (kcal/kg) for males and 50.1, 44.4, and 40.5 (kcal/kg) for females respectively. In the same way DAF were 0.80, 0.61, and 0.59 for males and 0.77, 0.65, and 0.51 for females. It was shown that EE (kcal/kg) and DAF have a tendency to decrease as school year increases in both male and female students.

One-year increment of fat mass and lean body mass of Japanese school children using bioelectrical impedance

Bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA) and skinfold thickness (SF) (triceps and subscapular) methods were applied to 436 Japanese school children (228 boys and 208 girls) aged from 9 to 11 years with a one-year follow-up to determine changes in body composition. By BIA oneyear increment (Δ) of lean body mass (LBM) for boys increased significantly (p<0.01) and Δ LBM was almost equivalent to that for Δ weight (Wt). Δ Wt and Δ fat mass (FM) between the age 10 (from ages 10 to 11) and age 11 (from ages 11 to 12) groups in girls achieved statistical significance (p<0.01 and p<0.001, respectively) and Δ Wt was almost completely comprised of the Δ FM in these age groups. Δ FM in die age 11 group for girls was statistically higher than that in the age 10 group, and this obvious increase of FM in the age 11 group was presumed to be die effect of menses in consideration of die maximum oneyear increment of Ht (Δ Ht) in die age 10 group.These results of the assessment of body composition by BIA supported those of previous reports, and therefore BIA can be considered as a useful mediod to estimate changes in body composition of school children because it is simple and non-invasive and can be performed rapidly.

Urinary Stones in Aomori and Metal Concentration.

青森県住民に発生した950個の尿路結石につき, 成分による分類を行ない血中および尿中の各種成分の測定値との関係を検討した。さらにこのうちの310個の結石についてICP発光分析器を用いて20種類の金属の分析を行ない, 結石中の金属の役割について検討を試みた。得られた結果は次の如くであった。1. 青森県の尿路結石の疫学としての傾向は, カルシウム塩結石が全体の83%を占め, 尿酸結石は3.4%と少なかった。またリン酸マグネシウムアンモニウム結石の比率は11.4%と全国平均よりもかなり高かった。2. 尿酸結石保持者の血清尿酸, 血清クレアチニン値が高く, 尿酸結石と腎機能低下には関係があるように思われた。カルシウム塩結石保持者の尿中CaおよびP値は有意に高値であった。3. 同じ成分の結石でも金属濃度はかなり広範囲にわたって分布しており, カルシウム塩結石, リン酸マグネシウムアンモニウム結石に比べて尿酸結石, シスチン結石では各種金属含有量が少ない傾向があった。また, リン酸カルシウム結石中の多くの金属濃度はシュウ酸カルシウム結石の1.5倍以上の濃度であった。4. リン酸マグネシウムアンモニウム結石のCa含有量は数%から30%弱まで広範囲にわたり, X線透過性が異なる原因と考えられた。5. ほとんどの金属は, 結石中濃度が尿中濃度の数百から数千倍であったがMgは80倍と低くMgの結石形成における重要性が示唆された。