Yutaka Motohashi

Effects of socioeconomic factors on secular trends in suicide in Japan 1953-86.

The effects of socioeconomic factors on secular trends in suicide rates in Japan for the periods 1953-72 and 1973-86 were investigated using twelve socioeconomic indicators. Multiple regression analysis showed that the socioeconomic indicators affecting suicide rates were not identical in the two periods. The rates in both sexes in 1953-72 were closely related to unemployment rate and the labour force but between 1973 and 1986, divorce rate and the proportion in tertiary industry were most influential. The changes reflect the socioeconomic changes in industrial structure in Japan in transition from an industrial to a service economy.

Alteration of circadian rhythm in shift-working ambulance personnel. Monitoring of salivary cortisol rhythm

In order to investigate the relationship between internal desynchronization and clinical intolerance to shift work, a set of circadian rhythms including salivary cortisol rhythm were monitored in seven shift-working ambulance personnel. Oral temperature, grip strength of both hands, subjective assessment of drowsiness, fatigue and attention were recorded approximately every four hours except during sleep, for seven days. Self-sampling of salivary cortisol, which was suitable evaluation of endocrine rhythm in field studies, was also tried in this study. cosinor (cosine curve fitting) method and power spectral analysis were used for time series data analysis. The internal desynchronizations between rhythms of physiological variables and sleep-wake cycle were observed in shift-working ambulance personnel. The incidence of internal desynchronization seemed to be higher in intolerant subjects, although the difference between tolerant and intolerant subjects did not reach a statistically significant level. The peak time of salivary cortisol rhythm during a twenty-four hour shift was phase-advanced as intolerant to shift work showed apparently an atypical circadian pattern of salivary cortisol with an abnormal peak at 21.00 h. In this subject, the clinical intolerance to shift work seemed to be associated with internal desynchronization of circadian rhythms. The present study confirmed the internal desynchronization of the circadian rhythm in physiological rhythms like oral temperature and grip strengths, and was in favour of the hypothesis of an internal desynchronization and clinical intolerance to shift work. The clinical implication of impairment of salivary cortisol rhythm remains to be further investigated.

The Impact of the Economy on Suicide and Homicide Rates in Japan and the United States

A time series study of socioeconomic correlates of suicide and homicide in Japan and the USA from 1953 to 1982 revealed cross-national differences. Divorce rates were positively associated with rates of personal violence in the USA but negatively associated with these rates in Japan. Unemployment and female labor force participation also correlated differently with rates of personal violence in the two nations suggesting that different theories may be necessary to account for the variation in rates of personal violence in different societies.

Sleep habits and psychosomatic health complaints of bank workers in a megacity in Japan

The relationship between sleep habits and psychosomatic health complaints was investigated by a questionnaire study in 148 bank workers in Tokyo. Daily bedtime was more flexible than daily rising time, and both mean bedtime and rising time tended to be earlier with increasing age. Multiple logistic regression analysis showed that psychosomatic health complaints of sleep disturbances, fatigue, digestive troubles, and depressive mood were significantly associated with sleep habits and perceived mental stress.

Effects of 24-hour shift work with nighttime napping on circadian rhythm characteristics in ambulance personnel

Forty-two ambulance personnel engaged in a 24-h shift system participated in a chronobiological field study to study the effects of 24-h shift work on circadian rhythm characteristics. Autorhythmometry of circadian rhythms of oral temperature, right and left grip strengths, and heart rate plus subjective assessment of drowsiness, fatigue, and attention was performed every approximately 4 h except during sleep for 7 days. Cosinor and power spectral analyses were applied to the longitudinal data of each individual. Changes in circadian period different from 24 h of oral temperature, grip strengths, and heart rate plus subjective drowsiness, fatigue, and attention were observed in ambulance personnel. The incidence of circadian periodicity different from 24 h in oral temperature and right and left grip strength was 28.6%, 35.7%, and 47.6%, respectively. The incidence was relatively lower than that of shift workers engaged in a discontinuous 8-h shift system we reported on previously. Working conditions allowing ambulance personnel to nap when not called for emergency (for > 4 h) might contribute to a stabilization of circadian rhythms. Furthermore, long nighttime ambulance service amounting to > 100 min was significantly associated with a high incidence of at least one prominent circadian period among oral temperature and right and left grip strength rhythms different from 24 h. In conclusion, 24-h shift work altered the characteristics of circadian rhythms of ambulance personnel; nighttime naps seemed to have a favorable effect on averting changes in circadian rhythms.

Assessment of behavioral effects of tetrachloroethylene using a set of time-series analyses

A systematic approach to the analysis of time-series data for spontaneous locomotor activity in the rat was developed to evaluate the behavioral effects of chemical substances. Chronogram, spectral analysis, analysis of the slope of fluctuation, and the cosinor method were used to analyze data obtained by continuously recording spontaneous locomotor activity in the rat. Under synchronized conditions, a circadian period of 24 h was observed and the 1/f fluctuation, in which the power spectral density is inversely proportional to frequency, was confirmed. The 1/f fluctuation was considered to reflect the fractal-like structure of ultradian components of spontaneous locomotor activity. IP administration of 1.0 g/kg body weight of tetrachloroethylene at 0900 h produced a remarkable phase-shift (4.0 +/- 0.9 h) in the activity rhythm and an increase in the slope of fluctuation (0.4 +/- 0.1) in contrast to a relatively smaller decrease in the total amount of spontaneous locomotor activity. These behavioral effects of tetrachloroethylene were dose-dependently lower at lower doses. The present study demonstrated the usefulness of our systematic approach in evaluating the behavioral effects of chemical substances.

Genetic Aspects of Circadian Dyschronism: Comparison Between Asiatic-Japanese and Caucasian-French Populations

Differences in period (T) length of a variety of arcadian rhythms of a given subject (internal desynchronization or circadian dyschronism) have been demonstrated in shift workers and subjects exposed to natural environmental Zeitgebers. The aims of the present study were to compare the frequency distributions of circadian TS of the oral temperature (OT) rhythm in an Asiatic-Japanese (AJ) population to that of a Caucasian-French (CF) population, as well as to evaluate the possibility that in both populations the observed circadian dyschronism is facilitated by a similar inherited control mechanism. There were 98 healthy adult males in the CF group (including 78 shift workers) and 42 healthy subjects in the AJ group (all shift workers). OT was measured for at least 8 days, four to six times every 24 h. Power spectrum analyses were used to quantify accurately the prominent OT circadian T. In both populations, TS of the sleep-wake rhythm seldom differed from 24 h (four of 42 in the AJ group, none in the CF gr...

Interaction of Trichloroethane Isomers with Cytochrome P-450 in the Perfused Rat Liver

The real-time interactions of 1,1,1-trichloroethane (TCE) and 1,1,2-TCE with cytochrome P-450 were observed using in vivo optical methods to measure the spectral changes of cytochrome P-450 and the reduction-oxidation transition of pyridine nucleotides in the perfused liver of rats treated with phenobarbital. Changes in oxygen consumption and TCE uptake were also measured. The spectral changes of cytochrome P-450 indicated that both TCE isomers bound to low spin (substrate free) ferric cytochrome P-450 and formed a high spin (substrate complexed) form. However, 1,1,1-TCE bound more tightly to cytochrome P-450 and seemed to be only slowly metabolized compared to 1,1,2-TCE. The stoichiometry of the change in oxygen consumption rate to the change in 1,1,1-TCE uptake rate ranged between 5/1 and 9/1, whereas that of 1,1,2-TCE was 1.4 to 2.0. Decreases in reduced pyridine nucleotides associated with TCE administration were significantly larger with 1,1,1-TCE than with 1,1,2-TCE. The inhibitory effect of 1,1,1-TCE on hexobarbital metabolism in the perfused liver was greater than that of 1,1,2-TCE. Considering our previous data indicating that TCE did not stimulate mitochondrial respiration, it is postulated that the far higher amount of oxygen consumption associated with the binding of 1,1,1-TCE to cytochrome P-450 than the amount which was necessary to mixed-function oxidation of this compound was due to an uncoupling effect of 1,1,1-TCE on the mixed-function oxidase system.

Direct effect of carbon monoxide on hexobarbital metabolism in the isolated perfused liver in the absence of hemoglobin

The interaction of carbon monoxide (CO) with cytochrome P-450 associated with hexobarbital metabolism was observed in hemoglobin-free perfused rat liver by using a scanning reflectance spectrophotometer. The evidence obtained showed that CO bound to the substrate complexed cytochrome P-450 and, at a CO/O2 ratio of over 0.1 in the perfusate, inhibited the hexobarbital metabolism estimated from the hexobarbital uptake, and oxygen consumption. Although the oxygen supply to the liver cell was one of the major limiting factors during CO hypoxia, CO binding to cytochrome P-450 significantly enhanced the suppression of hexobarbital oxidation caused by hypoxic hypoxia.

Circadian variations in trichloroethylene toxicity under a 12:12 hr light-dark cycle and their alterations under constant darkness in rats

In order to investigate the circadian variations in acute toxicity of trichloroethylene (TRI), TRI (1.2 g/kg weight) or saline was injected intraperitoneally in a total of 88 male Wistar rats at four circadian stages (03.00, 09.00, 15.00, and 21.00:hr.min) under two different lighting regimens of a 12:12 hr light-dark cycle (LD; light from 06.00 to 18.00) and of constant darkness (DD). Circadian variations in TRI toxicity were confirmed in both LD and DD. The toxicity of TRI evaluated by the increase in glutamic-pyruvate transaminase activity (GPT) was greatest when injected at 09.00 in LD while at 21.00 in DD. The increases in blood urea nitrogen, serum total cholesterol and triglyceride concentrations reached peaks when injected at 09.00 in LD and 03.00 in DD. The circadian variations in serum trichloroethanol concentration were very similar to those in GPT in both LD and DD, showing a significant correlation (p less than 0.05). The present study revealed that circadian variations in TRI toxicity existed in LD and that these variations persisted in a free-running condition. The peak phase of TRI toxicity was located in a trough phase (09.00) in LD and in a peak phase (21.00 or 03.00) in DD of temperature rhythm. Thus, the phase relationship changed in DD, showing a desynchronization between TRI toxicity rhythm and temperature rhythm, which is an unusual phenomenon. This means that an unexpected potentiation of TRI toxicity during active phase which is not a critical phase in a well-synchronized state could occur in a free-running condition.