Growth hormone secretion from pituitary cells in chronic renal insufficiency

Growth hormone secretion from pituitary cells in chronic renal insufficiency. To examine whether growth hormone (GH) secretion is adversely affected by chronic renal insufficiency (CRI), the GH secretory response of dispersed anterior pituitary cells perifused with GH-releasing hormone (GHRH) was investigated in 5/6 nephrectomized (CRI, N = 18) and sham-operated (N = 18) rats. Two weeks after nephrectomy, during a period of stable uremia, CRI rats had significantly higher serum concentrations (mean ± SEM) of urea nitrogen and creatinine than sham rats, 16.8 ± 1.4 µmol/liter (47 ± 4 mg/dl) and 79.6 ± 0.0 μmol/liter (0.9 ± 0.0 mg/dl) versus 6.1 ± 0.4µmol/liter (17 ± 1 mg/dl) and 35.4 ± 0.0 µmol/liter (0.4 ± 0.0 mg/dl), respectively (P < 0.0001). Incremental gains in body weight and nose to tail-tip length of CRI rats over two weeks were also significantly depressed, 53.3 ± 5.38 g (CRI) versus 87.0 ± 3.78 g (sham; P < 0.0001) and 3.2 ± 0.2 cm (CRI) versus 3.6 ± 0.1 cm (sham; P < 0.05). The cumulative food intake as well as food efficiency (g food consumed/g weight gain) were also adversely influenced by the uremic state: food intake 304 ± 1 g (CRI) versus 397 ± 6 g (sham; P < 0.0001) and food efficiency 0.173 ± 0.013 g/g of weight gain (CRI) versus 0.219 ± 0.008 g/g of weight gain (sham). No significant difference in GH secretory rate (ng/min/107 cells) was found between the uremic and sham animals under basal conditions, 65.2 ± 2.1 (CRI) and 67.9 ± 2.2 (sham) or in response to GH-releasing hormone, 282.8 ± 42.4 (CRI) versus 306.2 ± 42.6 (sham). The secretory curves representing concentration-GH response were similar in both groups of animals. This study provides direct evidence that the response of pituitary cells to GHRH is preserved in moderate CRI and suggests that, at this degree of renal function reduction, any disturbance of GH secretion must be due to dysfunctions other than the secretory capacity of the pituitary gland itself

Plasma substance p levels in patients with persistent cough.

Background: Substance P (SP) is involved in the pathogenesis of cough in animal models. However, few studies in humans have been reported and the roles of SP in clinical cough remain obscure. Objectives: To clarify the relevance of plasma levels of SP in patients with persistent cough. Methods: We studied 82 patients with cough persisting for at least 3 weeks and 15 healthy controls. Patients were classified as having asthmatic cough (cough-variant asthma and cough-predominant asthma; n = 61) or nonasthmatic cough (n = 21; postinfectious cough, n = 6; gastroesophageal reflux disease, n = 5; idiopathic cough, n = 5, and others, n = 5). Correlations were evaluated between plasma SP levels as measured with ELISA and methacholine airway hyperresponsiveness (airway sensitivity and airway reactivity), capsaicin cough sensitivity, sputum eosinophil and neutrophil counts, and pulmonary function. Results: Plasma SP levels were significantly elevated in patients with both asthmatic and nonasthmatic cough compared with controls [31.1 pg/ml (range 18.0-52.2) and 30.0 pg/ml (range 15.1-50.3) vs. 15.4 pg/ml (range 11.3-23.7); p = 0.003 and p = 0.038, respectively] but did not differ between the two patient groups (p = 0.90). Plasma SP levels correlated with airway sensitivity (threshold dose of methacholine) in the patients with asthmatic cough (r = -0.37, p = 0.005) but not with airway reactivity, cough sensitivity, FEV(1) values, or sputum eosinophil and neutrophil counts in either group. Conclusions: Increased levels of SP in plasma are associated with persistent cough in humans and might be related to airway sensitivity in asthmatic cough

現代美術と造形遊びについて : 村上三郎の造形観を探る

具体美術作家 村上三郎の作品に幼児との関りをみる。一般に現代抽象美術と幼児造形は無縁のものと考えらているが、村上は真に幼児の造形発想を自らの作風に取り込み、独自の現代美術を生んだ。村上の制作過程の背景と児童画の接点について1.村上三郎作家論2.児童詩誌『きりん』にみられる村上三郎のコメント内容3.村上三郎が関与した幼稚園絵画教室の保育内容の視点から調査を行った。I want to refer to the new work of concrete art society member which was purely touched off from the infant and child art around the 1950s and was also having an influence. In it, specifically, Murakami Saburo aimed at the point of tact of the abstraction expression and infant molding and he guided dynamically. In this article, to approach connecting point of the work view and infant molding in Murakami, I gave the following items. 1. About Murakami Saburo 2. About the comment contents of Murakami Saburo which is seen in a children\u27s poetry magazine Giraffe 3. About the kindergarten picture class which Murakami Saburo participated in and the children

「にいみこどもフェスタ2005」来場者の動向とその評価 : 第14回公演アンケート調査の結果より

2005年2月、「にいみこどもフェスタ2005」-新見公立短期大学幼児教育学科第14回表現発表会-の開催にあたり、来場者の動向と催しに対する評価を把接し、「にいみこどもフェスタ」の更なる充実・発展を図ることを目的に、中学生以上の来場者を対象にアンケート調査を実施した。その結果、来場者(回答者)の動向の特徴として、(1)初めての来場者と2回以上の来場者いわゆる「リピーター」とがほぼ同数であること、(2)旧新見市と阿哲郡内からの来場者が6割、それ以外の岡山県内あるいは県外からの来場者が4割であること、(3)子どもを同伴しない来場者が回答者の4割以上であることなどが挙げられる。また、「にいみこどもフェスタ」の内容や印象については、(1)内容が子どもに適していたかの質問に対して、非常にあるいはだいたい適していたとの回答が9割以上であること、(2)催し全体の印象に対しては、非常にあるいはまあまあ良かったとの回答が、どちらとも言えないと回答した1名を除いた全員であることなどから、本取組が非常に高い評価を受けていることが実証できた。We conducted questionnaire investigation among the over-13-year-old people who came to see Niimi Kodomo Festa 2005?the 14th Stage Performance of the Department of Early Childhood Education, Niimi College which was held in February 2005 in order to grasp the trend of the audience and improve its contents. We have found as trends of audience that: 1) There are as many as first-time comers as "repeaters" (people who came more than once). 2) About 60% came from then Niimi City and then Atetsu County, while the other 40% are from other parts of Okayama Prefecture or outside of Okayama Prefecture. 3) More than 40% of the respondents do not come without taking children. To the questions regarding contents of the performances, 1) More than 90% of the people felt that the contents are suitable for children, and 2) All the respondents except one answered that they have a very positive or fairy positive impression on the performances. We can safely say that this activity is highly evaluated

Lifestyle factors affecting gastroesophageal reflux disease symptoms: a cross-sectional study of healthy 19864 adults using FSSG scores

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) is a very common disorder worldwide, comprised of reflux esophagitis (RE) and non-erosive reflux disease (NERD). As more than half of GERD patients are classified into the NERD group, precise evaluation of bothersome epigastric symptoms is essential. Nevertheless, compared with many reports targeting endoscopic reflux esophagitis, large-scale studies focusing on GERD symptoms have been very scarce.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>To elucidate lifestyle factors affecting GERD symptoms, 19,864 healthy adults in Japan were analyzed. Sub-analyses of 371 proton pump inhibitor (PPI) users and 539 histamine H₂-receptor antagonist (H₂RA) users were also performed. Using the FSSG (Frequency Scale for the Symptoms of GERD) score as a response variable, 25 lifestyle-related factors were univariately evaluated by Student's <it>t</it>-test or Pearson's correlation coefficient, and were further analyzed with multiple linear regression modelling.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Average FSSG scores were 4.8 ± 5.2 for total subjects, 9.0 ± 7.3 for PPI users, and 8.2 ± 6.6 for H₂RA users. Among the total population, positively correlated factors and standardized coefficients (β) for FSSG scores are inadequate sleep (β = 0.158), digestive drug users (β = 0.0972 for PPI, β = 0.0903 for H₂RA, and β = 0.104 for others), increased body weight in adulthood (β = 0.081), dinner just before bedtime (β = 0.061), the habit of midnight snack (β = 0.055), lower body mass index (β = 0.054), NSAID users (β = 0.051), female gender (β = 0.048), lack of breakfast (β = 0.045), lack of physical exercise (β = 0.035), younger age (β = 0.033), antihyperglycemic agents non-users (β = 0.026), the habit of quick eating (β = 0.025), alcohol drinking (β = 0.025), history of gastrectomy (β = 0.024), history of cardiovascular disease (β = 0.020), and smoking (β = 0.018). Positively correlated factors for PPI users are female gender (β = 0.198), inadequate sleep (β = 0.150), lack of breakfast (β = 0.146), antihypertensive agent non-users (β = 0.134), and dinner just before bedtime (β = 0.129), whereas those for H₂RA users are inadequate sleep (β = 0.248), habit of midnight snack (β = 0.160), anticoagulants non-users (β = 0.106), and antihypertensive agents non-users (β = 0.095).</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>Among many lifestyle-related factors correlated with GERD symptoms, poor quality of sleep and irregular dietary habits are strong risk factors for high FSSG scores. At present, usual dose of PPI or H₂RA in Japan cannot fully relieve GERD symptoms.</p

Subserosal injection of hyaluronic acid may prevent perforation after endoscopic resection

AIM: To investigate the protective effect of subserosal injection of hyaluronic acid (HA) after endoscopic resection (ER) using ex vivo and in vivo studies