Alleviation of Brain Hypoperfusion after Preventative Treatment with Lomerizine in an Elderly Migraineur with Aura

Previous studies of brain single-photon emission tomography (SPECT) showed changes of regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF) in migraineurs during prodromes or headache attacks. Little is known about how successful medication of migraine prevention can reflect rCBF in migraineurs. We highlighted alternation of brain SPECT findings in a migraineur with aura before and after prophylactic treatment with lomerizine, a calcium channel blocker. A 70-year-old man with migraine developed visual disturbance frequently at walking exercise for the recent 3 months. After this visual attack, a mild-degree of throbbing headache occured occasionally. Brain SPECT using 99mTc-ethyl cysteinate dimer was performed at interictal time of migraine. Brain SPECT before lomerizine treatment revealed hypoperfusion in the frontal, parietal, and occipital regions. He was diagnosed with recurrence of migraine with aura (MA). Lomerizine (10 mg/day, po) was administered for 3 months. MA and visual aura without headache were dramatically improved. Migraine attacks and visual disturbance were not induced at exercise. At 3 months after lomerizine medication, brain SPECT showed remarkable increase of rCBF. These SPECT changes of our patient indicated that antimigraine mechanism of lomerizine could contribute to restoration of cerebral hypoperfusion

大型核融合試験施設におけるメガワットミリ波ジャイロトロン発振器周辺の電磁環境調査

将来のエネルギー源として開発が進められている磁場閉じ込め方式の核融合研究では，高温プラズマの生成や制御，プラズマ加熱及び計測のために大電力高周波発振機器が利用されている．本論文では，核融合科学研究所の大型ヘリカル装置で使用されているメガワットミリ波ジャイロトロン発振器(周波数: 77 GHz，最大出力: 1～1.5 MW/2秒)を対象とし，作業従事者の安全管理を目的に，ホーンアンテナを用いて機器周辺での電磁環境を定点調査した．その結果，77 GHz発振器からおよそ30 m離れた場所で観測された漏洩電界の周波数は，77 GHzが最も強く，そこから数GHz離れた両側の周波数領域にも微弱なスプリアススペクトルが確認された．また，同じ場所で，数十秒から数百秒の発振運転に伴う漏洩電界(最大実効値: 数V/m)が観測された．電界の漏洩箇所は，ジャイロトロン発振器を構成する接地電位の電子ビームコレクターと，その他の部位とを電気的に絶縁するために具備された窒化ケイ素製絶縁部と推定された．本研究により，大型核融合試験施設におけるメガワットジャイロトロン発振器周辺のミリ波帯での漏洩電界の実態を初めて明らかにした

Electrical storm after cardiac resynchronization therapy in a patient with nonischemic cardiomyopathy: Signal-averaged vector-projected 187-channel electrocardiogram-based risk stratification for lethal arrhythmia

AbstractWe describe treatment of atrial flutter and electrical storm presenting as incessant ventricular tachycardia (VT) after implantation of a cardiac resynchronization therapy defibrillator (CRT-D) in a patient with dilated cardiomyopathy. No prior arrhythmic event had occurred. Our treatment strategy, including amiodarone administration, was guided in part by signal-averaged vector-projected 187-channel electrocardiogram (SAVP-ECG)-based risk stratification for ventricular arrhythmia. Corrected recovery time (RTc) dispersion and Tpeak-end dispersion were used to evaluate transmural dispersion of repolarization. RTc and Tpeak-end dispersion increased during the period of electrical storm. Values were improved 2 years after CRT-D implantation, and the amiodarone was discontinued. The VT has not recurred despite discontinuation of the antiarrhythmic agent. SAVP-ECG-based risk stratification for ventricular arrhythmia proved useful for the management of antiarrhythmic therapy

Optimal Collection of Peripheral Blood Stem Cells By Assessing CD34+ cells in Cancer Patients Administered with G-CSF after Chemotherapy

The mobilization of stem cells from bone marrow to peripheral blood in can-cer patients administered with recombinant human granulocyte colony-stimulat-ing factor (G-CSF) were examined. Eight patients were injected with G-CSF subcutaneously at a dosage of 250 μg/body daily from WBC nadir by chemother-apy. The quantity of peripheral blood stem cells (PBSC) was assessed by the colony assay of CFU-GM, which peaked on the third to fifth day after the com-mencement of daily G-CSF administration. G-CSF significantly amplified the amount of PBSC in five of eight patients. These results suggest that a sufficient amount of stem cells for transplantation (1.7 × 105-5.4 × 105 CFU-GM/Kg) can be obtained in such cases if 5 L of blood was processed by leukapheresis. A flow cytometry analysis revealed that CD34+ cells measured by mononuclear cell gat-ing coincidentaly increased with the peak of CFU-GM and therefore their assess-ment may serve an useful index for rapid monitoring of PBSC. And, days 3-5 after the commencement of G-CSF injection may be the optimal timing for PBSC collection

QUALITY OF LIFE IN PATIENTS WITH DIABETES MELLITUS

We evaluated the quality of life (QOL) in 268 patients with diabetes mellitus (NIDDM, 250 cases; IDDM, 10 cases; and other type of diabetes, 8 cases) to determine which aspects were adversely affected by the disease. Information concerning life satisfaction, social activities, ability to work, sexual problems and physical symptoms was obtained from a 30-item questionnaire. Clinical characteristics including duration of diabetes, glycemic control, current treatment, obesity, hypertension, hyperlipidemia, macro- and microvascular complications were obtained from medical records. Diminished QOL was most pronounced in patients who had had a long duration of disease, required insulin therapy, and whose health was disturbed by cerebrovascular disease, end-stage renal disease, mono- and autonomic neuropathy. A significant difference in the subdimensional QOL score was noted in life satisfaction, social activities, ability to work, sexual problems and physical symptoms under these circumstances

Isolation and characterization of a thermophilic, obligately anaerobic and heterotrophic marine Chloroflexi bacterium from a Chloroflexi dominated microbial community associated with a Japanese shallow hydrothermal system, and proposal for Thermomarinilinea lacunofontalis gen. nov., sp. nov.

A novel marine thermophilic and heterotrophic Anaerolineae bacterium in the phylum Chloroflexi, strain SW7T, was isolated from an in situ colonization system deployed in the main hydrothermal vent of the Taketomi submarine hot spring field located on the southern part of Yaeyama Archipelago, Japan. The microbial community associated with the hydrothermal vent was predominated by thermophilic heterotrophs such as Thermococcaceae and Anaerolineae, and the next dominant population was thermophilic sulfur oxidizers. Both aerobic and anaerobic hydrogenotrophs including methanogens were detected as minor populations. During the culture-dependent viable count analysis in this study, an Anaerolineae strain SW7T was isolated from an enrichment culture at a high dilution rate. Strain SW7T was an obligately anaerobic heterotroph grew with fermentation, and non-motile thin rods 3.5-16.5 μm in length and 0.2 μm in width constituting multicellular filament. Growth was observed between 37-65 ℃ (optimum 60℃), pH 5.5-7.3 (optimum pH 6.0), 0.5-3.5% (w/v) NaCl concentration (optimum 1.0%). Based on physiological and phylogenetic features of a new isolate, we propose a new species representing a novel genus Thermomarinilinea: the type strain of Thermomarinilinea lacunofontalis sp. nov., is SW7T (= JCM15506T = KCTC5908T)

Effects of a high-fat diet on the electrical properties of porcine atria

AbstractBackgroundBecause obesity is an important risk factor for atrial fibrillation (AF), we conducted an animal study to examine the effect of a high-fat diet (HFD) on atrial properties and AF inducibility.MethodsTen 8-week-old pigs (weight, 18–23kg) were divided into two groups. For 18 weeks, five pigs were fed a HFD (HFD group) and five were fed a normal diet (control group). Maps of atrial activation and voltages during sinus rhythm were created for all pigs using the EnSite NavX system. Effective refractory period (ERP) and AF inducibility were also determined. When AF was induced, complex fractionated atrial electrogram (CFAE) mapping was performed. At 18 weeks, hearts were removed for comparing the results of histological analysis between the two groups. Body weight, lipid levels, hemodynamics, cardiac structures, and electrophysiological properties were also compared.ResultsTotal cholesterol levels were significantly higher (347 [191–434] vs. 81 [67–88]mg/dL, P=0.0088), and left atrium pressure was higher (34.5 [25.6–39.5] vs. 24.5 [21.3–27.8]mmHg, P=0.0833) in the HFD group than in the control group, although body weight only increased marginally (89 [78–101] vs. 70 [66–91]kg, P=0.3472). ERPs of the pulmonary vein (PV) were shorter (P<0.05) and AF lasted longer in the HFD group than in the control group (80 [45–1350] vs. 22 [3–30]s, P=0.0212). Neither CFAE site distribution nor histopathological characteristics differed between the two groups.ConclusionsThe shorter ERPs for the PV observed in response to the HFD increased vulnerability to AF, and these electrophysiological characteristics may underlie obesity-related AF