The Kitasato archives of experimental medicine最新文献

Using a Holter electrocardiograph (ECG), we calculated the heart rates of ward nurses during day shifts, a time in which various activities are undertaken. Energy expenditures were calculated from the heart rate data and nursing workloads were evaluated. The following results were obtained. 1) The energy expenditures per day were 3302 kcal in the cranial neurology ward, 3064 kcal in the ICU. 2) The energy expenditures during working hours were 1976 kcal for the day shift (510 minutes) in the cranial neurology ward, 1744 kcal in the ICU, 1867 kcal for the evening shift (495 min) in the cranial neurology ward, 1645 kcal for the evening shift in the ICU and 1947 kcal for the night shift (570 min) in the cranial neurology ward, 1839 kcal for the night shift in the ICU. 3) The highest energy expenditures for different activities were 949 kcal (78.0%) for day shift in direct nursing care in the cranial neurology ward, 722 kcal (43.8%) for the evening shift in assisting with medical examination and treatment in the ICU, 754 kcal (41.0%) for the night shift in assisting with medical examination and treatment in the ICU ward. 4) The longest working hours were 217 min (48.0%) for the day shift in direct nursing care in the cranial neurology ward, 252 min (50.9%) for the evening shift, 234 min (41.0%) for the night shift in assisting with medical examination and treatment in the ICU. The results indicate that the energy expenditures of ward nurses are higher than those of other workers. The reasons for this difference are discussed in this report.

As a result of carrying out sequence analyses on the HLA-DR genes of several Japanese donors, we found three new DRB1 alleles, DRB1-12b, DRB1-14c, and DRB1-JX6, that had not been identified using immunological procedures. Sequence-specific oligonucleotide (SSO) probes directed against various DRB1 alleles, including the above three, enabled DNA typing of all the DRB types in the Japanese population and calculation of their gene frequencies based on this typing to be carried out for the first time. The SSO-DNA typing yielded higher DR13 and DR14 gene frequencies than those reported by serological workshops. Next, we applied this DR-DNA typing to the analysis of Japanese patients with juvenile rheumatoid arthritis (JRA) and found that DRB1*0405 was the allele susceptible to rheumatoid factor-positive polyarticular JRA, which is one of the four types of JRA that has been classified clinically. Analysis of the DR types of patients who suffered unexplained recurrent spontaneous abortion (URSA) using DNA typing demonstrated that 1) URSA is not correlated with any particular DR type and 2) no difference between the DR sharing rate of patients and normal couple was detected, which contradicts the results obtained in some serological studies.

The effects of sodium (Na+) and chloride ions (Cl-) on blood pressure were studied in rats treated with deoxycorticosterone acetate (DOCA). Four groups were prepared, each consisting of male Wistar rats that underwent heminephrectomy and administration of DOCA: the control group was maintained with tap water, the NaCl group with tap water containing 1% sodium chloride, the NaCit group with tap water containing 1.67% sodium citrate (including an equivalent dose of Na+ to 1% NaCl), and the ChoCl group with tap water containing 1.15% choline chloride (including an equivalent dose of Cl- to 1% NaCl). The time-course of systolic blood pressure showed only slight change in blood pressure in the control and ChoCl groups, and in the NaCl and NaCit groups. The rotational correlation time, an index of the fluidity of erythrocyte membrane, with spin-labeling of 16-doxyl-stearic acid, was significantly (p < 0.05) higher in the NaCl and NaCit groups than in the control group, indicating an increase in the membrane fluidity, i.e., membrane fragility. The sodium, potassium ions-activated adenosine triphosphatase (Na+,K(+)-ATPase) activity of the erythrocyte membrane was decreased to 22% (P < 0.01) and 24% (P < 0.01) in the NaCl and NaCit groups, respectively, compared with the control groups; this activity was decreased to 43% in the ChoCl group (P < 0.05). The Ca(2+)-ATPase activity showed similar changes. In contrast, there were no marked differences in the erythrocyte electrolyte level between the groups.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Few objective and quantitative studies have been made on energy expenditure during hospital nursing activities. The pedometer is a light handy instrument, which gives highly accurate results, and is a minimal burden for subjects. To ascertain daily energy expenditures, we used a pedometer. Twelve day-shift nurses served as subjects, in whom the number of steps token in 16 hours, from getting up until going to bed, was measured. We used the data obtained to calculate energy expenditures for 24 hours. In addition, eight nurses were chosen from among these subjects to undergo simultaneous pedometry and Holter electrocardiography. These data were also used to calculate energy expenditures. The following results were obtained. 1) The maximum total number of steps was 13897, the minimum 9899 and the mean +/- standard deviation was 11478.4 +/- 1285.8. 2) As to the energy expenditure of the eight nurses who were both pedometer and Holter electrocardiograph, the highest energy expenditure calculated from pedometry results was 2648 kcal. the lowest 2455 kcal, and the mean +/- standard deviation was 2514.1 +/- 55.5. The highest energy calculated from Holter electrocardiographic data was 3040 kcal, the lowest 2683 kcal, and the mean +/- standard deviation was 2868.1 +/- 108.0. The correlation coefficient was r = 0.59, (P < 0.05).

Overexpression of the human multidrug resistance gene (MDR1) on acute myelogenous leukemia (AML) correlates with poor prognosis. We evaluated several methods for mRNA estimation to standardize simple and reliable techniques for identifying MDR1 positive leukemia among untreated AMLs in large scale studies. Northern blot detection of MDR1 mRNA suffered from low signal-to-noise ratio under the conventional conditions, that was improved mainly by removing unincorporated radioactivity. The amount of MDR1 transcripts on positive cells was estimated less than 10% of that of constitutive mRNA species. A modified method seemed useful in estimating the total amount of the MDR1 mRNA in a whole leukemic cell population, and suitable to study stock samples or for large prospective clinical trials. RT-PCR was more sensitive in detecting MDR1 mRNA than Northern blot analysis, and the very feature made it virtually impossible to exclude contamination with normal hematopoietic cells. This procedure showed that FAB M3 leukemias were essentially MDR1 negative, and there existed frequently myelodysplastic syndrome subpopulation which had excessive MDR1 transcripts. In situ hybridization of the mRNA with a FITC-labeled phosphorothioate oligonucleotide probe was visualized using flowcytometry or con-focus lightmicroscopy, enabled us to recognize the difference between multidrug resistant K562/ADM and its wild type.

We examined the kinetics study of serum enzyme after the administration of beta-blocking agents or alpha-stimulator in the experimental rats. Following the administration of beta-blocking agents, propranolol and pindolol, the serum levels of adenylate kinase, aldolase, lactate dehydrogenase and aspartate aminotransferase as well as that of creatine kinase increased in rats. The same was observed following the administration of noradrenaline (an alpha-stimulator). Isoenzyme pattern indicated that most of these enzymes were considered to be released from muscular tissues. There were also changes in serum calcium, inorganic phosphorus and magnesium, concurrently with the release of the enzymes into the serum.

Five healthy male adults were deprived of food for a short period (40 hr) and biochemical studies and urinalyses were done before and after fasting to determine the effects on liver and renal functions. Acceleration in lipid metabolism was seen with an increase of about 90% in NEFA and about 20% in TG. GOT, GPT and LDH showed elevations of about 40 to 100% indicating a slight effect of 40 hr fasting on liver functions. BUN, HDL-C and ALP showed increases of about 30% while, CPK and TC showed decreases of about 20%. In the other parameters changes of about 10% were seen. After a fasting with water intake of about 1,000 ml/day, a body weight loss of 1.2 kg was observed at 40 hr. During the short-term fasting (40 hr) as done in our study, changes were seen in glucose and lipid metabolism. However, since no abnormalities were seen in general biochemical parameters, we consider that a fasting of this duration is valuable for use as one of the fastings.

A novel neutralization method (ELISA-NT) has been developed for simple detection of neutralizing antibodies to influenza virus in which type specific soluble (S) CF antigen produced by unneutralized virus was measured by anti-S immune (probe) serum and enzyme-labelled Clq. Neutralizing antibody activity was determined within 48 h and expressed as a new term, NT% of the quantity of neutralized virus. A good correlation was found between NT% determined by the ELISA-NT method and NT titer by the conventional method in 82 human serum samples (r = 0.941 for type A and r = 0.875 for type B of influenza virus, p < 0.01).