The Tohoku journal of experimental medicine
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Tohoku J. Exp. Med. · Nov 2004
Expression of nuclear factor-kappa B and placental apoptosis in pregnancies complicated with intrauterine growth restriction and preeclampsia: an immunohistochemical study.
Preeclampsia affects 7-10% of all pregnancies, and is a major cause of maternal and fetal morbidity and mortality. Although enhanced apoptosis is well known in placentas with preeclampsia, the role of transcription factor nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-kappa B) in the process is still being debated. ⋯ The three conclusions from the statistical analysis of the data are obtained; (i) Significantly higher expression of NF-kappa B in IUGR-complicated (p = 0.003) and preeclamptic placentas (p = 0.004) than the control placentas, (ii) significantly higher M30 index and caspase 3 expression in IUGR and preeclampsia placentas (p = 0.003), and (iii) decreased expression of bcl-2 in IUGR and preeclampsia placentas (p = 0.001). Based on these observations, we suggest that increased trophoblastic apoptosis is at least partially induced by NF-kappa B and reduced bcl-2 expression.
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Tohoku J. Exp. Med. · Nov 2004
Randomized Controlled Trial Comparative Study Clinical TrialIntraocular pressure and quality of blockade in peribulbar anesthesia using ropivacaine or lidocaine with adrenaline: a double-blind randomized study.
The aim of this study was to compare the effects of ropivacaine with those of lidocaine on the intraocular pressure (IOP) and the quality of the blockade in peribulbar anesthesia for cataract surgery. Fifty patients were allocated randomly into two groups and received 7-10 ml of 0.75% ropivacaine or 2% lidocaine with adrenaline, though the peribulbar two-point injection. The quality of the blockade was assessed by ocular and eyelid akinesia, pain during the peribulbar injection, and surgical satisfaction. ⋯ The duration of the motor block obtained with ropivacaine was longer than that obtained with lidocaine. Our data indicate that ropivacaine has efficacy similar to lidocaine, with slightly longer onset and duration of the motor blockade. In addition, ropivacaine (0.75%) induces lower IOP and less pain on injection than does lidocaine (2%) when used in peribulbar anesthesia for cataract surgery.
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Tohoku J. Exp. Med. · Nov 2004
Clinical and ultrasonographical findings in patients with multiseptate gallbladder.
Multiseptate gallbladder is one of the rare congenital malformations of the gallbladder. We present clinical and ultrasonographic findings in seven patients with multiseptate gallbladder. One of them had nausea and right upper quadrant pain, three had recurrent abdominal pain, while the remaining three patients had no symptoms, physical finding and laboratory abnormality which could be attributable to the biliary system. In patients with multiseptate gallbladder, disturbed motility of the gallbladder may be an etiopathogenetic factor for stasis of bile flow and in turn for development of cholelithiasis, cholecystitis and right upper quadrant pain.
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Tohoku J. Exp. Med. · Nov 2004
Case ReportsEffective therapy of a child case of refractory nephrotic syndrome with tacrolimus.
We report here the case of a 9-year-old Japanese boy with nephrotic syndrome caused by focal segmental glomerulosclerosis, which was refractory to treatment. Although aggressive immunosuppressive therapy consisting of methylprednisolone pulse therapy combined with cyclosporine A (CsA) and intermittent low density lipoprotein apheresis was effective in overcoming his steroid-resistant state, the child became persistently steroid-dependent, that is, more than 0.75 mg/kg per day of prednisolone combined with CsA was required to maintain a negative test for proteinuria. ⋯ No adverse effects of tacrolimus were observed. These clinical results suggest that tacrolimus may be the drug of choice in selected patients with refractory nephrotic syndrome, even if pediatric-onset cases, at least those in whom the steroid-sparing effects of CsA is unsatisfactory.
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Tohoku J. Exp. Med. · Nov 2004
The effect of fasting month of Ramadan on the abdominal fat distribution: assessment by computed tomography.
The aim of this study was to evaluate the changes in abdominal fat distribution in the fasting month of Ramadan. Thirty-eight healthy volunteers (17 women and 21 men) who fasted in the month of Ramadan in 2002 were included in this prospective study. Waist, hip and thigh circumferences, weight and height of all subjects were measured. ⋯ Despite of the general opinion that supposes the change of weight during the fasting month of Ramadan, there were no significant differences in weight and abdominal fat distribution. However in female and young individuals, there was a reduction in visceral fat compartment. This could be due to fat redistribution, because they have more physical activity than males and older individuals.