Kunihiko Sakamoto

Ciliary Beat of Cultured Human Respiratory Cells Studied with Differential Interference Microscope and High Speed Video System

The ciliary beating of upper respiratory tract cells cultured on cover glasses was studied by using differential interference microscope equipped with high speed video. By culturing the cells on collagen coated cover glasses, objectives with higher magnifications could be used. With this system we could evaluate not only ciliary beat frequency, but also amplitude, wave form, orientation and synchrony of ciliary beating. Also some structural anomalies such as compound cilia and tide cilia bundles could be recognized. Ciliary beat frequency measured from 1,026 ciliated cells was 20.6 +/- 4.7 Hz (mean +/- SD). The orientation of ciliary beat directions was random and the mean standard deviation for measured angles was 73.0 degrees +/- 28.9 degrees (mean SD +/- SD). When the ciliary beat frequency was 20 Hz, the time used for effective phase was 0.022 +/- 0.002 s (mean +/- SD), and 0.028 +/- 0.004 s (mean +/- SD) for the recovery phase of beat. This system is advantageous for studying ciliary function because all parts can be studied simultaneously with higher magnification, and the effects of chemical physical mediators can be studied without disturbing effects of the autonomic nervous system or secretory cells. Also, the same cells could be observed before and after challenge with test medication and thus evaluated more accurately.

Face EMG Topographic Analysis of Mimetic Movements in Patients with Bell's Palsy

A face EMG topography system was newly designed and manufactured by the authors. During mimetic actions, such as wrinkling the forehead, closing the eyes, blinking, grinning and blowing out the cheeks, EMG from 16 disk electrodes were concurrently recorded from the frontalis, orbicularis oculi, and orbicularis oris muscles on both sides. The EMG spike potentials fed to on-line computer processing were integrated and calculated with an interpolation formula in the computer, and the colour topographic figures derived from these calculations were displayed on CRT and printed out. These topograms were related to the amount of muscular activity. This technique was applied to 33 patients with Bells palsy to document the degree and the time course of their mimetic dysfunction. The results obtained were reliable and reproducible. This technique will be useful as one of the proposed methods on grading of facial movement loss in clinical practice.

Middle Ear Pressure Changes with Inert Gas Respiration; Effect of Helium and Argon.

Middle ear pressure is thought to be an important factor in the pathogenesis of otitis media. It is well known that body position, type of breathing, and kind of inhaled gas influence middle ear pressure. There is an increase in middle ear pressure when general anesthesia is induced with a gas such as nitrous oxide. In this study, an attempt was made to answer the question as to whether the inhalation of non-anesthetic inert gas can increase middle ear pressure.Eight ears were selected: 4 atelectatic ears and 4 infantile ears. Helium-oxygen mixture gas (He 79%, O2 21%) or argon-oxygen mixture gas (Ar 79%, O2 21%) was administered via face mask for 120 minutes, and middle ear pressure was measured with tympanometry just before and during gas inhalation. The middle ear pressure changes during gas inhalation were compared with those during air respiration.The results were as follows;1. Middle ear pressure was increased by the inhalation of argon-oxygen mixture gas. However, no specific pressure change was noted in the middle ear during inhalation of helium-oxygen mixture gas.2. The difference in pressure in the middle ear during helium-oxygen inhalation and argon-oxygen inhalation might be due to the different solubility coeffients of the two inert gases.