Takaaki Nakamoto

Suppressive effect of saprogrelate hydrochloride on Raynaud’s phenomenon and respiratory failure in patients with systemic sclerosis

In seven patients with systemic sclerosis (SS), we evaluated the clinical effectiveness of oral administration of saprogrelate hydrochloride (SH: 300 mg/day) for 2 months on Raynaud’s phenomenon (RP) and respiratory failure estimated by Hugh‐Jones classification.

Changes in Sequestered Leukocytes and Platelets in the Pulmonary Microvasculature of Rats with Monocrotaline-lnduced Pulmonary Hypertension

The role of leukocytes (WBCs) and platelets (PLTs) in the pulmonary circulation may be important in the development of monocrotaline (MCT)-induced pulmonary hypertension in rats. We investigated the changes in WBCs and PLTs in the pulmonary microvasculature during the development of chronic pulmonary hypertension in MCT rats by real-time confocal scanning laser microscopy. The number of WBCs sequestered in the pulmonary microvasculature increased significantly from day 7 after MCT injection, but no further increase occurred from days 14-28. The number of PLTs sequestered in the pulmonary microvasculature increased significantly from day 7 after MCT injection, and reached a peak on day 14. However, the number of PLTs sequestered on days 21 and 28 after MCT injection was significantly lower than on day 14. These findings suggest that PLTs mainly contribute to the initial and middle stages of the development of MCT-induced pulmonary hypertension in rats, while WBCs mainly contribute to the middle and late stages.

Intravascular ultrasound imaging of the pulmonary arteries in primary pulmonary hypertension

Intravascular ultrasound has the unique ability to provide cross‐sectional images of the arterial wall. This study examined intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) images of the proximal pulmonary arteries in primary pulmonary hypertension (PPH).

Alternative Medicine Safety: Agaricus blazei and Propolis

All medicines pose a potential health risk, be they Eastern or Western medicines. Newly developed Western drugs must undergo rigorous testing to ensure their efficacy and safety, while with Eastern drugs, safety has generally been established because of their long histories of safe usage as traditional medicines. The regulation of Western medicines is much stronger than that of Eastern medicines, partly as pure chemicals are used and their effects and side effects are more likely to be acute. Eastern medicines consist of multiple components, generally extracted from a single or several plants or other natural sources, and their effects are not so acute, with delayed onset of side effects. However, the chronic usage of many Eastern medicines may result in the gradual accumulation of toxic compounds in the body. For example, Agaricus blazei extracts have been used as alternative medicines for cancer, but contain the known carcinogen agaritine (this carcinogen is also present in Agaricus bisporus). To ensure the safety of this alternative medicine, agaritine should be removed or its content reduced if the extract is to be taken chronically. Clearly, the safety of not only pure medicines, but also alternative medicines and daily foods, should be carefully controlled.

Alternative Medicines for Encephalitis

Encephalitis can be caused by several viruses, including western equine encephalitis (WEE) virus, Japanese encephalitis virus, herpes simplex virus (HSV), human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), influenza viruses and the measles virus. Bacteria such as Neisseria meningitidis and Treponema pallidum have also been shown to be causative agents of encephalitis. There are no medications currently available that selectively target virus-infected cells, although some nucleotide derivatives, and oseltamivir, are exceptionally effective against herpes simplex and influenza viruses, respectively. Vaccination is one way to prevent infection; however, vaccines have not been developed for every viral disease. Western medicines based on herbal extracts, and alternative Eastern medicines have been used for treatment and as preventative measures in instances of viral infection. In particular, the latter has been developed based on daily life from ancient times when molecular biological knowledge was lacking. An example of this is the bark of Cinchona succirubra, which contains quinine and has been used as a remedy for malaria. Following infection, certain viruses cause cytopathic effects (CPE) in cells that grow as monolayers in vitro. This phenomenon is a useful tool in virology to determine whether a material is applicable for treatment of viral diseases. Viral infection is usually controlled by species specificity, and inhibited by interferons produced by infected cells. Not every cell line exhibits a CPE following infection. African Green Monkey (Vero) cells (Yasumura & Kawakita, 1963) are defective in the production of interferons, and are highly susceptible to arboviruses and many other pathogenic viruses (Simizu & Terasima,). The Vero cell line is used for basic virus research in laboratories, diagnostics in hospitals, epidemiological surveys and bacterial toxin assays. Additionally, the potential of Vero cells for vaccine production has been examined. The cell line has been distributed to scientists globally by services such as the American Type Culture Collection. It has been shown that Agaricus blazei Murille water extracts, prepared as an alternative medicine, inhibit the formation of CPE in Vero cell cultures caused by the WEE virus. Vero cells were continuously cultured in a modified Eagle’s minimal essential medium without serum, protein and lipids (Yasumura et al., 1978). The cells were grown on 24-well plastic culture plates in a chemically defined medium for viral assay experiments, cells infected after they reached confluency. Before virus infection, the cells were washed with the phosphate-buffered saline (PBS, pH 7.4) without Mg2+ and Ca2+. A virus-containing solution (0.2 ml) with a 50% tissue culture infective dose (TCID50) of 100 was added to each well and

Clinical evaluation of long-term use of a portable oxygen concentrator capable of operating under car battery power

An oxygen concentrator that can be powered by a car battery was clinically evaluated. The oxygen concentrator was used on a 67‐year‐old man with sequelae of pulmonary tuberculosis who was receiving long‐term home oxygen therapy (HOT) after long‐term use of 4.7 years. His work required automobile trips over long distances. The equipment used was an adsorption‐type oxygen concentrator capable of operating on a DC 12 V power supply, which could be powered from a residential power outlet (AC 100 V) using a dedicated voltage converter. Using this equipment, he was capable of driving himself in comfort for 2 hours or longer, over a period of 4 years. Furthermore, it was possible to stay in a hotel during a trip, inhaling oxygen generated by the equipment. Hereafter, this equipment should enable or facilitate long‐distance driving, travel and lodging for HOT patients.

Development of a New Device for Diagnosis of Hypoxemia and Arrhythmia by SaO2 ECG Holter Monitoring

Background: We have developed a system to monitor, simultaneously and continuously, ambulatory SaO2 measured using a pulse‐oximeter and ECG data for 24 hours.

A Case of an Ovarian Mesonephroma Metastasizing to Both Lungs and Being Primarily Detected by Sputum Cytology

A patient with ovarian mesonephric adenocarcinoma which metastasized to lungs is presented. She had neither gynecological nor abdominal symptoms, but had pulmonary symptoms and positive cytological findings in sputum.Two cytological findings, clear cell type and hobnail cell type, are in general present in mesonephric adenocarcinoma.This case showed atypical cells of hobnail cell type.

Studies on Ischemic Heart Disease and Carbohydrate-Lipids Metabolism

IHD発症におけるIHD risk factor の病態生理学的意義はいまだ明らかでない. 著者らは, IHD risk factor として糖脂質代謝異常をとりあげ, 高齢者66例 (平均74歳) を対象に, 50g-OGTTによる耐糖能および血中FFAパターンと Master 試験成績とを対比し, かつ若年健康者20例 (平均20.5歳), IHD合併のない糖尿病患者20例 (平均40歳) における成績と比較検討した. その結果,1) 耐糖能低下は, Master 陰性25例中40%, Master 陽性41例中36.5%で, 耐糖能低下例に陽性率が有意に高いという関係はなく, むしろ耐糖能が正常で Master 陽性を示す頻度 (63.4%) が, 耐糖能異常で陽性を示す頻度 (36.6%) に比べ有意に高率であった. 2) 血中FFAパターンは Master 陰性と陽性者で有意の差がみられ (p<0.001), 前者では若年健康者にみるA型を示し, 血中FFA降下は, 負荷後180分で前値に回復するに対し, 後者では糖尿病にみるB型を示し, かつその降下は, 著しく遷延を示した. 3) さらに Master 陽性者では, FFAfとFFA180との間に有意の相関がなかったのに対し, Master 陰性者では, 両者間に相関係数r=0.800 (p<0.001) という有意の正の相関がみられた. 4) 以上の成績は, IHD発生に, 耐糖能低下は必ずしも重要な因子でなく, 血中FFAパターンの異常が促進因子として関与する可能性を示唆する. 5) Master 陽性者のFFAパターンは糖尿病と有意の差はなく, 負荷前FFAf値に有意の差があり, 後者に比べ高値を示した. すなわち Master 陽性例にみられるFFAパターンの機序に, 耐糖能障害以外の別な因子の関与が考慮される. 6) Prostaglandin E1 (PGE1) のIHD患者にみるB型FFAパターンに及ぼす影響は, B型が, PGE1投与によってA型に変化し, かつFFAfとFFA180との間に有意の相関 (r=0.877, p<0.001) がみられた. このことは, IHDのB型FFAパターンの機序に, ブドウ糖負荷に対するインスリン分泌反応の過剰が関与し, このために遷延するFFA降下が, PGE1の有するインスリン分泌抑制作用によって, B型からA型に変化したものと推測される.以上の成績からみて, IHD risk factor として糖摂取に対する血中FFAパターンの異常が無視すべからざる重要な役割を演ずることが示唆され, B型が, PGE1によってA型に変化した事実は, 間接的ではあるが, 糖に対するインスリンの過剰分泌が粥状硬化促進に関与するという説を支持する結果といえる.