Quantitative Analysis of Endocardial and Epicardial Left Ventricular Myocardial Deformation in Patients with Cardiac Amyloidosis

Article信州医学雑誌 67(1): 49-62(2019)journal articl

Mechanism evaluation of agricultural power assist suit under development

A Power Assist Suit (PAS) for agricultural work was developed in this study. The objective is to reduce the strain involved in agricultural labor by mounting motor- and spring-assisted mechanisms on the PAS. However, such mounting might affect the operation of the PAS. Hence, an evaluation method that uses the degree of freedom (DOF) of the joint motions defined on the basis of the operable range of motion of the human body with the limbs in basic positions is proposed as an indicator of the ease of mobility. The articular structure of the PAS for agricultural work was evaluated using this method, and the feasibility of the labor-assist mechanisms was examined by analyzing the motions. The mechanisms reduced the labor involved in fruit tree pruning, which requires lesser joint motions

TRPM4 Channels Mediate Hypertonicity-induced, Ca2+-impermeable, Non-selective Cation Currents in a Cervical Cancer Cell Line, HeLa Cells

Article信州医学雑誌 62(1):33-44(2014)journal articl

Assessment of Safety of Using Antithrombotic Agents during Esophagogastroduodenoscopy : Rationale and Design of the ASAMA Study

This is the first multicenter trial in Japan to investigate the safety of continuing antithrombotic therapy during EGD with biopsy.Article信州医学雑誌 60(3): 143-148(2012)journal articl

Risk Evaluation for Coronary Artery Disease in Patients With Impaired Glucose Tolerance After a Successful Coronary Intervention

信州大学博士（医学）・学位論文・平成23年3月31日授与（甲第880号）・堀込充章This is a non-final version of an article published in final form in CLINICAL NUCLEAR MEDICINE. 36(7):546-552 (2011)Purpose: Patients with coronary artery disease (CAD) often have risk factors that may influence endothelial function. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the endothelial function and its association with coronary risk factors after percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). Materials and Methods: A total of 14 patients with impaired glucose tolerance and CAD underwent positron emission tomography with N-13 ammonia to measure myocardial blood flow (MBF) at rest and during a cold pressor test (CPT), to estimate endothelial function as a percent increase (%increase) of MBF. The results were compared among normal segments (normal), reperfused segments with PCI (PCI), and nonculprit CAD segments without PCI (non-PCI). Correlations between the %increase and major risk factors were also investigated. Results: CPT induced significant increase in MBF in all groups. The %increase of normal, non-PCI, and PCI groups were 33% +/- 22%, 21% +/- 23%, and 26% +/- 23%, respectively. Comparison with risk factors demonstrated significant correlations only in the non-PCI group. Specifically, there were negative correlations between %increase and fasting blood sugar (r = -0.64, P < 0.05), hemoglobin A1c (r = -0.74, P < 0.05), total cholesterol (r = -0.87, P < 0.05), triglyceride (r = -0.71, P < 0.05), and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (r = -0.92, P < 0.005), respectively. Conclusions: Although impaired glucose tolerance patients with a PCI-treated coronary stenosis showed preserved response to CPT, the %increase negatively correlated with risk factors in the non-PCI segments. Therefore, coronary risk factors may affect CAD lesions in PCI-treated patients.ArticleCLINICAL NUCLEAR MEDICINE. 36(7):546-552 (2011)journal articl

Left ventricular deformation and torsion assessed by speckle-tracking echocardiography in patients with mutated transthyretin-associated cardiac amyloidosis and the effect of diflunisal on myocardial function

AbstractBackgroundMutated transthyretin-associated (ATTRm) amyloidosis with heart failure is associated with decreased longitudinal left ventricular (LV) myocardial contraction, as measured by strain Doppler echocardiography. We sought to clarify whether speckle-tracking echocardiography (STE) would provide useful information in patients with ATTRm cardiac amyloidosis.MethodsOne hundred twenty-three consecutive patients with ATTRm amyloidosis were divided into 3 groups. Group 1 had no evidence of cardiac involvement (n=47), group 2 had heart involvement but no congestive heart failure (CHF) and/or serum brain natriuretic peptide (BNP) levels <100pg/mL (n=35), and group 3 had heart involvement and CHF and/or serum BNP levels ≥100pg/mL (n=41). All patients underwent standard 2-dimensional (2D), Doppler echo, and STE.ResultsBy standard 2D and Doppler echo, differences in parameters were only apparent between group 3 and groups 1 and 2. Global circumferential strains by STE at each LV level and LV torsion were different between group 1 and groups 2 and 3, but not between group 2 and group 3. In contrast, global longitudinal LV strain showed significant intergroup differences (−17.3±2.3%, −13.3±2.3%, −9.9±3.3% for groups 1 to 3, respectively, P<0.0001). Radial strain also showed significant intergroup differences for each basal LV segment. Among 41 patients who could have been followed up after 1year, 34 patients with diflunisal treatment had shown improvement in apical rotation and torsion without deterioration in multidirectional strains.ConclusionATTRm cardiac amyloidosis is characterized by progressive impairment in longitudinal and basal LV radial function when global circumferential shortening and torsion remain unchanged

Initial Experience of Percutaneous Extraction of Infected Cardiac Implantable Electric Devices Using Excimer Laser

Article信州医学雑誌 63(2):103-108 (2015)journal articl

Searching for the Frequency of Cardiac Transthyretin Amyloidosis among Elderly Heart Failure Patients Noninvasively Using 99mTc-labeled Pyrophosphate Scintigraphy

Article信州医学雑誌 69(1): 37-44(2021)journal articl