Takayoshi Hosono

Classifying cases of fetal Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome by estimating the accessory pathway from fetal magnetocardiograms.

The paper presents an evaluation of the possibility of using fetal magnetocardiogram (FMCG) signals to estimate and classify the accessory pathway in fetal Wolff-Parkinson-White (WPW) syndrome. The FMCG signals of two fetuses with WPW syndrome (type A) were detected using a 64-channel superconducting quantum-interference device system. An average across the cycles of these signals was taken to obtain clear WPW signals. To determine the direction and position of the accessory pathway in a fetal heart accurately, the accessory pathway and activated pathway at the peak of the QRS complex thus obtained were estimated for each fetus, using a single-dipole model. The phase angle (about 90o) between the equivalent current dipoles (ECDs) was the same for both fetuses. This angle suggested that the accessory pathway is in the left side of the heart, i.e. that the pathway exists in the position of the accessory pathway in a fetus with WPW syndrome from the angle between the ECD of the accessory pathway and the ECD of the peak in the QRS complex was thus demonstrated.

Effects of a heat‐ and steam‐generating sheet on relieving symptoms of primary dysmenorrhea in young women

Aim:u2002 To test the efficacy of heat‐ and steam‐generating (HSG) sheets for the relief of symptoms of primary dysmenorrhea in young women.

Effect of hypothermia on motor function of adult rats after neonatal hyperthermic hypoxic–ischemic brain insult

Regarding therapeutic hypothermia for human neonatal hyperthermic hypoxic–ischemic encephalopathy (HIE), we investigated the motor function of a neonatal hyperthermic HIE rat model, and also performed systemic hypothermia using the model. Forty-two neonatal Wistar rats at 7-days-old were used in this study. The left common carotid artery of 34 neonatal rats was ligated under isoflurane anesthesia. We also established a sham group (S group, nxa0=xa08). After 1-h recovery, all rats were exposed to 8% oxygen at an ambient temperature (Ta) of 40°C for 15xa0min. Following insult, 16 rats were placed in a chamber at a Ta of 30°C (H group) and the other 18 rats at a Ta of 37°C after arterial ligation (N group), and all rats in the S group were placed in a chamber at a Ta of 37°C for 12xa0h. A Rota-Rod test was performed involving all rats at 8xa0weeks old. The rod was rotated at 5, 5, and 7xa0rpm on three consecutive days, respectively. Rats in the N group stayed on the rotating rod for a significantly shorter period than those in S and H groups only on the second day of measurement. The width of the insulted hemisphere in N group rats was significantly smaller than those in S and H groups. There was no significant correlation between S and H groups regarding the motor function and anatomy. These results suggest that neonatal hyperthermic hypoxic–ischemic insult impairs the motor function, which may be rescued by systemic hypothermia after insult.

Importance of optimal local uterine blood flow for implantation.

The aim of this study was to determine whether uterine blood flow is an effective parameter to anticipate uterine receptivity.

Prediction of pregnancy after frozen-thawed embryo transfer via in vivo intrauterine oxidation-reduction potential measurements: a pilot study

During the implantation period, the uterus goes through many complex, orchestrated changes, including alterations of the glycocalyx that are due to sialylation, sulfation, and fucosylation. A previous mouse study showed that the in vivo intrauterine oxidation‐reduction potential (ORP) aided in determining the alterations in the uterine endometrium that are suitable for implantation and for evaluating prospective uterine receptivity, while the in vivo intrauterine pH did not. It was assessed if the in vivo intrauterine ORP could be a useful parameter to predict pregnancy in women.

Vaginal bioelectrical impedance determines uterine receptivity in mice

STUDY QUESTIONnCan vaginal bioelectrical impedance (VZ) electrophysiologically determine alterations of the endometrium in preparation for implantation?nnnSUMMARY ANSWERnVZ can electrophysiologically detect the sulfation and sialylation changes in the uterine glycocalyx in preparation for implantation.nnnWHAT IS KNOWN ALREADYnUterine receptivity is associated with various glycosylation changes that affect negative charge density at the luminal epithelial cell surface. VZ has been used to monitor the oestrous cycle.nnnSTUDY DESIGN, SIZE, DURATIONnPathogen-free Jcl:ICR mice, aged 8-10 weeks, were used in this study. We conducted the following three steps to test our hypothesis that VZ may be used to determine uterine receptivity. First, to investigate whether VZ could determine alteration of sulfation and sialylation in the uterine glycocalyx, VZ was measured in mice with induced artificial sulfation and sialylation changes in the uterine glycocalyx (galactose-3-O-sulfotransferase 2 (GP3ST) + α(1,3/1,4) fucosyltransferase gene (FucT-III)-transferred group (n = 15) and in LacZ (encoding for β-galactosidase)-transferred mice as a control group (n = 12)). Second, to investigate whether VZ could determine alterations of the endometrium in preparation for implantation, we measured VZ during the early stage of pregnancy (n = 12 each). Third, to investigate whether VZ could be used to evaluate uterine receptivity prospectively, VZ was measured in an implantation failure model mice. In 21 mice, local and transient suppression of signal transducer and activator of transcription-3 (Stat3) in the uterus were evaluated 1 day before implantation began, and 23 scramble decoy-transferred mice were used as a control group.nnnPARTICIPANTS/MATERIALS, SETTING, METHODSnThe VZ was measured at a frequency of 1 kHz in Jcl:ICR mice. Data were analysed using the Kruskal-Wallis test with Dunns multiple comparisons, or the Students t-test or Wilcoxons rank-sum test with the Shapiro-Wilk normality test. The values of VZ were analysed using receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis to identify the optimal cut-off point to determine if this parameter predicted non-pregnancy.nnnMAIN RESULTS AND THE ROLE OF CHANCEnSulfation and sialylation changes induced in the luminal epithelial glycocalyx decreased the value of VZ. VZ showed a significant daily decrease during the early stage of pregnancy (Day 1.5 versus 2.5 p.c.: P < 0.005; Students t-test, Day 2.5 versus 3.5 p.c.: P < 0.001; Wilcoxons rank-sum test, Day 3.5 versus 4.5 p.c.: P < 0.005; Students t-test, Day 4.5 versus 5.5 p.c.: P < 0.05; Students t-test). One day before implantation began, VZ in the implantation failure model mice was significantly higher than in the control mice (P < 0.001, Wilcoxons rank-sum test). The ROC curve analysis of VZ as a predictor of non-conception showed areas under the ROC curve of 0.91 (95% CI: 0.83-0.99).nnnLIMITATIONS, REASONS FOR CAUTIONnAlthough it is influenced by surface charge in the uterine epithelium, the mechanism whereby VZ changes during early pregnancy is still unexplained.nnnWIDER IMPLICATIONS OF THE FINDINGSnLocal bioelectrical impedance may help to prospectively evaluate uterine receptivity in women. Including the measurement of local bioelectrical impedance as part of a frozen-thawed embryo transfer strategy may improve the efficiency of ART.nnnSTUDY FUNDING/COMPETING INTEREST(S)nThis work was supported in part by the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science JSPS KAKENHI Grant (Nos. 19390429, 21390453, 16K11086 and 16K11087) from the Ministry of Education, Science and Culture of Japan (Tokyo, Japan) and Suzuken Memorial Foundation (Nagoya, Japan). The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

Prospective evaluation of uterine receptivity in mice.

In current infertility treatments it is necessary to evaluate uterine receptivity in each menstrual cycle. During the implantation period, the uterus goes through many complex orchestrated changes, including changes to the glycocalyx. The changes to the glycocalyx are due to sialylation, sulfation and fucosylation. Can the measurement of in-vivo uterine pH and/or oxidation-reduction potential (ORP) determine the alterations of uterine endometrium for implantation and evaluate prospective uterine receptivity? In the present study we assessed in vivo uterine pH and ORP during the early stages of pregnancy in naïve mice, as well as in a murine model of implantation failure created by local and transient suppression of signal transducer and activator of transcription 3. There was no change in the in vivo uterine pH between post-coitus Days 2 and 6. In vivo uterine ORP was significantly higher compared to the day before. One day before implantation began, uterine ORP was significantly decreased in the implantation failure group compared with the naïve and control groups. Receiver operator characteristic (ROC) curve analysis of uterine ORP as a predictor of non-conception showed an area under the ROC curve of 0.96 (95% confidence interval 0.92-1.00). Thus, in vivo uterine ORP could be a parameter to prospectively evaluate uterine receptivity.

Effects of 3-h hypothermia after neonatal hyperthermic hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy in rat models on behavioral prognosis and anatomical and histological features after growth

Abstract Objective: To clarify the effects of 3-h hypothermia on learning ability and motor function after growth, employing neonatal rat models with hyperthermic hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy (HIE). Methods: We divided all rats into three groups: N (adult rats after neonatal hyperthermic HIE without subsequent 3-h hypothermia), H (adult rats after neonatal hyperthermic HIE with subsequent 3-h hypothermia) and Sham (S) groups. We evaluated their malfunctions with the rota-rod test and the step-down passive avoidance test. We also analyzed the cerebrum width and the hippocampal CA1 area of the insulted hemisphere. Results: In the rota-rod test, the result of the N group was significantly worse than that of the S group. In the step-down passive avoidance test, the result of the N group was significantly worse than those of the S and H groups. The longest cerebrum width and the hippocampal CA1 area of the insulted hemisphere of the N group were significantly smaller than those of the S and H groups. Conclusion: Neonatal hyperthermic hypoxic-ischemic insult restricts motor function and learning ability after growth, and such neuronal malfunctions can be relieved by hypothermia for 3 h soon after neonatal HIE.

Sarcomere lengths of thick skeletal muscle specimens measured under an epi-illumination-type polarization microscope.

The purpose of this study was to measure sarcomere lengths of thick muscle fiber bundles at resting and at isometric tetanic contractions. We developed a novel measurement system using an epi-illumination-type polarization microscope and an image processing algorithm using an ellipse-type Gabor filter. Images with striation patterns of frog skeletal muscle were obtained by the microscope and the image processing algorithm. Individual lengths of 10 consecutive sarcomeres of a single muscle fiber were measured by gauging each width of the striation pattern, which was proved to be derived from striation structures of the single fiber by performing experiments using different polarization lights and different focus depths. At the resting state, each sarcomere length was identical at the fixed muscle length and in proportion to the length ranging over 91-123% of the natural length. Each sarcomere length was unchanged at the steady state during isometric tetanic contractions. Individual sarcomere lengths in the central part of the skeletal muscle were identical at resting and at isometric tetanic contractions even in the thick muscle fiber specimen.