Keiko Koga

Cilostazol reduces brain lesion induced by focal cerebral ischemia in rats--an MRI study.

To investigate the effects of cilostazol on the hemispheric ischemic lesion, we monitored the apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) and T2 images by MRI techniques in comparison with histology at the terminal of and after 24-h reperfusion following 2-h occlusion of middle cerebral artery (MCA). The ADC values of tissue water and T2-weighted images were quantified by high field magnetic resonance. No significant difference was observed by ADC image among vehicle and cilostazol treatment groups when measured during MCA occlusion. Oral treatment with cilostazol 30 mg/kg two times at 5 min and 4 h significantly suppressed the hemispheric lesion area and volumes when detected by ADC, T2 images and histology, but 3 and 10 mg/kg cilostazol were without effect. Cilostazol (30 mg/kg) significantly reduced the increased cerebral water content at the ischemic hemisphere compared with vehicle group. In line with these results, the neurological deteriorations were much improved in the cilostazol-treated group. Taken together, it is concluded that post-treatment with cilostazol exerts a potent protective effect against cerebral infarct size by reducing the cytotoxic edema.

1H MRS identifies lactate rise in the striatum of MPTP-treated C57BL/6 mice

Mitochondrial dysfunction has been implicated in the death of nigrostriatal dopaminergic neurons in 1‐methyl‐4‐phenyl‐1,2,3,6‐tetrahydropyridine (MPTP)‐treated experimental models of Parkinsons disease (PD). Here we utilized proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy (1H MRS) to identify changes in energy metabolism in the striatum of MPTP‐treated C57BL/6 mice. Remarkable increases in lactate/creatine (Lac/Cr) ratio were observed at 2 h and then quickly returned to about the basal level by 7 h after injection of MPTP. Neurochemical and Western blot analyses revealed that dopamine contents and protein levels of tyrosine hydroxylase and dopamine transporter in the striatum were profoundly decreased at 3 days after MPTP treatment. Pretreatment with deprenyl, a monoamine oxidase B inhibitor, or GBR‐12909, a dopamine uptake inhibitor, almost completely attenuated both the increases in striatal Lac/Cr ratio and the subsequent loss of dopaminergic nerve terminals in MPTP‐treated mice. The present study indicates that 1H MRS is a sensitive measure of biochemical alterations of the brain in a mouse model of PD, and further shows that the increases in striatal Lac/Cr ratio induced by MPTP may be associated with mitochondrial energy crisis, followed by dopaminergic neurotoxicity.

Measurement of Abdominal Fat by Magnetic Resonance Imaging of OLETF Rats, an Animal Model of NIDDM

We measured abdominal fat masses (intra-abdominal visceral fat summing retroperitoneal, mesenteric, and epididymal fat and subcutaneous fat) and analyzed abdominal fat distribution of Otsuka Long-Evans Tokushima Fatty (OLETF) rats with non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus and control strain Long-Evans Tokushima Otsuka (LETO) rats using magnetic resonance imaging. Intra-abdominal visceral and subcutaneous fat were highly correlated with body weight both in OLETF and in LETO rats. Both intra-abdominal visceral and subcutaneous fat of OLETF rats significantly accumulated compared with those of LETO rats. Intra-abdominal visceral fat mass correlated positively with subcutaneous fat mass, and the accumulation of intra-abdominal visceral fat mass was about 3.5 times that of subcutaneous fat. Thus, obesity of OLETF rats was characterized by marked accumulation of intra-abdominal visceral fat compared with that of subcutaneous fat. Body weight and abdominal fat of OLETF rats were closely correlated with the level of total plasma glucose measured by oral glucose tolerance test. However the ratio of intra-abdominal visceral to subcutaneous fat of OLETF rats was not correlated with the level of total plasma glucose.

Effect of peripheral nerve injury on nuclear magnetic resonance relaxation times of rat skeletal muscle.

RATIONALE AND OBJECTIVES The authors evaluate the changes in magnetic resonance (MR) relaxation times of rat skeletal muscles in vivo after nerve injury and during neural recovery, and determine the major determinants of relaxation times. MATERIALS Magnetic resonance relaxation times, blood volume, and water and fat content were examined after nerve injury and during recovery with time course. RESULTS Nerve injury led to longer T2 values compared with controls, but there were no significant changes in T1 values. After the initial prolongation of T2 after nerve injury, no changes were observed. Neural recovery resulted in a return of T2 values to normal. The time course of changes in blood volume was similar to that of changes in T2, and T2 values were correlated strongly with 19-fluorine-MR spectroscopy estimates of blood volume (r2 = 0.94). CONCLUSIONS T2 values may be useful to monitor recovery after nerve injury and may be related to the blood volume in skeletal muscle.

Scalp acupuncture effects of stroke studied with magnetic resonance imaging: different actions in the two stroke model rats

Background Scalp acupuncture (SA) therapy on strokes has been empirically established and widely used in clinics in China. The evidence from clinical studies suggests that SA produces significant benefits for some patients with stroke. Methods The effect of scalp acupuncture was studied using MRI for two different stroke models: spontaneously hypertensive stroke-prone (SHR-SP) rats and rats with transiently induced focal cerebral ischaemia by middle cerebral artery occlusion for 2 h (MCAO rats). Results Stroke onset in SHR-SP rats was characterised by a development of vasogenic oedema without any appearance of cytotoxic oedema. Scalp acupuncture reduced rapidly neurological dysfunction in SHR-SP rats and reduced the volume of the vasogenic oedema during the same period. In contrast, in MCAO rats, focal cerebral ischaemia caused an immediate development of cytotoxic oedema without any appearance of vasogenic oedema. Vasogenic oedema developed after reperfusion. Scalp acupuncture had no significant effects on the cytotoxic oedema, vasogenic oedema or neurological dysfunction of the MCAO rats within the time span examined. Conclusion Scalp acupuncture had a rapid and strong effect on neurological dysfunction only in the hypertensive stroke-model by reducing the vasogenic oedema. Our results suggest that, if there are similar underlying mechanisms in human strokes, scalp acupuncture may be more beneficial for patients with strokes of hypertension-caused vasogenic origin than ischaemic origin.

Effects of OPC-18790, a new positive inotropic agent, on energetics in the ischaemic canine heart : a 31P-MRS study

OBJECTIVE Effects of OPC-18790, a novel positive inotropic agent, on cardiohaemodynamics and cardiac energetics were assessed simultaneously in dogs with cardiac ischaemia using phosphorus-31 magnetic resonance spectroscopy (31P-MRS) and compared with those of amrinone, a pure cGMP-inhibited PDE inhibitor. METHODS Cardiac ischaemia was produced by partial stenosis of the coronary artery. Dogs with cardiac ischaemia were instrumented for the determination of regional coronary blood flow (non-radioactive coloured microsphere method), regional contractile function (sonomicrometry), and haemodynamics. Myocardial phosphate compounds were measured simultaneously by 31P-MRS. RESULTS Coronary stenosis produced regional dyskinesis, a slight decrease in cardiac output (CO), intracellular acidosis, an increase in the inorganic phosphate (Pi)/creatine phosphate (PCr) ratio concomitantly with a decrease in regional coronary blood flow (CBF) in the ischaemic region. OPC-18790 dose-dependently produced an increase in contractility (measured by peak LVdP/dt) and CO, with only slight changes in heart rate (HR) and mean blood pressure (mBP). OPC-18790 did not change regional dyskinesis, but improved the Pi/PCr ratio at the high dose compared with ischaemic values (before drug administration). Amrinone produced an increase in CO comparable to that of OPC-18790; however, the increase in peak LVdP/dt was smaller while the increase in HR and decrease in mBP were larger than those seen with OPC-18790. Amrinone worsened the Pi/PCr ratio and intracellular acidosis only at the high dose. CONCLUSION These observed differences in energy metabolism between OPC-18790 and amrinone at the high dose may be due to the ability of OPC-18790 to increase CBF in the ischaemic region and which may attributed to its differing effect on overall haemodynamics. Thus, OPC-18790 may be useful in the management of ischaemic heart failure.

Differential effects of OPC‐18790, amrinone and dobutamine on cardiac function and energy metabolism in the guinea‐pig isolated ischaemic heart

1 The effects of OPC‐18790, a novel positive inotropic agent, on cardiac function and myocardial energy metabolism in the guinea‐pig isolated heart with ischaemia were studied by 31P‐magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) and compared with those of amrinone and dobutamine. 2 Cardiac ischaemia was induced by intracoronary infusion of 15 μm microspheres to reduce coronary perfusion flow (CPF) by 50%. Microsphere embolisation caused a 40% decrease in left ventricular systolic pressure (LVSP), cardiac contractility measured by peak of ventricular pressure development (LVdP/dt) and slightly reduced heart rate. There was also a decrease in ATP and creatine phosphate (PCr) by 20%, an increase in inorganic phosphate (Pi) by 25% and an acidic shift of intracellular pH in the ischaemic heart. 3 In the ischaemic heart, OPC‐18790, amrinone and dobutamine were applied at concentrations which increased LVdP/dt by about 60%. These compounds increased LVP by 15% to 30% and increased CPF by about 10%. Amrinone and dobutamine but not OPC‐18790 increased heart rate. When these drugs produced the haemodynamic changes described above, amrinone and dobutamine reduced ATP and PCr, increased Pi and produced further intracellular acidosis, whereas, OPC‐18790 did not change these parameters. 4 Cardiac pacing at 285 beats min−1 produced decreases in LVP, LVdP/dt and CPF by about 30%, 20%, 5%, respectively and an increase in Pi, decreases in PCr and ATP, and intracellular acidosis. 5 These results suggest that degradation of high energy phosphate compounds closely relates to increase in heart rate in the ischaemic heart. Positive inotropic agents without chronotropic action seem to be beneficial in support of the ischaemic heart.

Blockade of ATP-sensitive K+ channels attenuates preconditioning effect on myocardial metabolism in swine:: Myocardial metabolism and ATP-sensitive K+ channels

OBJECTIVE We investigated if blockade of ATP-sensitive K+ channels (KATP) abolishes the protective effect of ischemic preconditioning (IP) on myocardial metabolism and ischemia-induced reactive hyperemia (RH) in pigs. METHODS IP was elicited by a single cycle of 5 min occlusion and 5 min reperfusion of coronary artery, followed by 15 min of test ischemia and 120 min of reperfusion. Vehicle or the ATP-sensitive K+ channels (KATP) blocker, glibenclamide (3 or 6 mg/kg; G3 or G6) was administered before IP (groups; IP, G3+IP, G6+IP). As respective controls, the same treatment was performed in groups without IP (groups; C, G3, G6). Tissue levels of ATP, creatine phosphate (CP) and intracellular pH (pHi) in the area at risk were measured by 31P-nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy. RH after 5 min of preconditioning ischemia was assessed by regional myocardial blood flow. RESULTS ATP and pHi were preserved after 15 min of ischemia in the IP group [C/IP; ATP=57+/-4/76+/-10% of baseline, pHi=6.18+/-0.08/6.66+/-0.03, P<0.05, C vs. IP]. Both doses of glibenclamide completely abolished the ATP sparing effect of IP. The high dose completely abolished pHi preservation (G6+IP=6.33+/-0.06), while the low dose showed only a partial effect (G3+IP=6.48+/-0.03). Glibenclamide did not adversely affect myocardial metabolism in groups without IP. Glibenclamide attenuated RH after 5 min of ischemia by 30% in both subendocardium and subepicardium. CONCLUSIONS Blockade of KATP abolished the preconditioning effect on myocardial metabolism, and partially attenuated post-ischemic reactive hyperemia in pigs. These results indicate that KATP activation might be involved in the mechanisms of these phenomena, reactive hyperemia is not sufficient to induce IP protection.

Effects of hepatic impairment on the metabolism of fructose and 5-fluorouracil, as studied in fatty liver models using in vivo 31P-MRS and 19F-MRS

The purpose of this study was to observe the effects of hepatic impairment on the metabolism of fructose and 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) in fatty liver models using in vivo 31P-MRS and 19F-MRS and to compare the results. In addition, we compared the results to those of other conventional tests such as laboratory examinations, imaging and pathology. Male SIc:Wistar rats were examined on BEM170/200 (4.7 T, Otsuka Electronics, USA) with 17-mm diameter surface coil. Fatty liver was induced by a choline deficient diet (CD diet) for 2 weeks. 31P-MRS were obtained for 90 min after intravenous (i.v.) injection of 1 g/kg of fructose and 19F-MRS were measured for 100 min after i.v. injection of 100 mg/kg of 5-FU. 1H-MRS and 1H-MRI were also performed. On 31P-MRS, there was no statistical difference in the time course of phosphomonoester (PME), adenosine triphosphate (ATP), and inorganic phosphate (Pi) between CD diet group and control group. On 19F-MRS, we detected high peak of fluoronucleotide (Fnct) and suppressed peak of alpha-fluoro-beta-alanine (FBAL) in CD diet group. We showed the metabolism of fructose and 5-FU by 31P-MRS and 19F-MRS, respectively. There was no difference in fructose metabolism but we observed increased fluoronucleotide and decreased a-fluoro-b-alanine in 5-FU metabolism of fatty liver. We speculate that the effects of hepatic impairment in fatty liver may be more severe on 5-FU metabolism and the increased fluoronucleotide may reflect cell proliferation.

EFFECTS OF VASODILATORS ON THE SIGNAL INTENSITY OF PERFLUOROCARBON MONITORED BY IN VIVO 19F-NMR SPECTROSCOPY

The effects of vasodilators on peripheral vessels were examined by monitoring the 19F-NMR signal of perfluorocarbon in vivo. Nitroglycerin, a venodilator that acts mainly on venous smooth muscle, increased the signal intensity of FC-43, whereas hydralazine, a typical arteriolar dilator that acts on arteriolar smooth muscle, decreased the signal intensity. These results indicate that the in vivo effects of vasodilators on smooth muscles of the venous and arterial systems are reflected by their effects on the signal intensity of FC-43.