Respiratory and Metabolic Responses as Determinants of Exercise Endurance Time in Constant-load Exercise Test in Healthy Adult Volunteers : A Prospective Cross-sectional Study

Article信州医学雑誌 69(6) : 355-362(2021)departmental bulletin pape

Scintigraphic studies on the etiology of Ampulla Cardiomyopathy

SummaryBackgroundAlthough there are many reports on Ampulla Cardiomyopathy, its etiologic mechanisms are not well known.AimEtiology of Ampulla Cardiomyopathy was investigated by myocardial scintigraphy with various nuclear tracers.Subjects and methodsIn nine patients with Ampulla Cardiomyopathy, myocardial scintigraphy was performed at acute, subacute and chronic phases. Total defect score (TDS) of tallium-201 (Tl) or technetrium-99m sestamibi (MIBI) myocardial perfusion and iodine-123-beta-methyl-p-iodophenyl penta-decanoic acid (BMIPP) scintigraphies was calculated. Cardio-mediastinal ratio (H/M) and washout rate (WR) of early and delayed images of iodine-123-meta-iodobenzylguanidine (MIBG) scintigraphy were also calculated. The patients in whom TDS of myocardial perfusion scintigraphy at acute phase was 0, were classified into group N (n=5) and those with TDS≥1 into group D (n=4).ResultsTDS of BMIPP at acute, subacute and chronic phases was higher in D than in N; 28.8±10.3 vs. 7.2±4.7 (p=0.0039), 15.5±2.1 vs. 1.0±0.8 (p<0.0001) and 2.7±1.2 vs. 0 (p=0.05), respectively. WR of MIBG at acute phase was also higher in D (50.3±5.7% vs. 36.6±10.5%, p=0.05). H/M (dH/M) on the delayed images and WR at chronic phase were not different between the two groups. H/M (eH/M) on the early images was lower in D. Blood noradrenaline (ng/ml) at acute phase was higher in D than in N (1.21±0.55 vs. 0.45±0.33, p<0.05). Left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) was decreased in both at acute phase but it was lower in D than in N (48.1±3.7% vs. 69.9±9.7%, p<0.05) at subacute phase.ConclusionThese findings suggest that the etiology of Ampulla Cardiomyopathy is neurologically stunned myocardium induced by coronary microcirculatory disorder.Due to the significant amount of time that was necessary for normalization of wall motion in the D group, myocardial scintigraphy is believed to be also useful in assessment of severity

Immediate changes in transcription factors and synaptic transmission in the cochlea following acoustic trauma: A gene transcriptome study

Pathologic mechanisms in cochleae immediately following the onset of noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL) remain unclear. In this study, mice were exposed to 120 dB of octave band noise for 2 h to induce NIHL. Three hours after noise exposure, expression levels of the whole mouse genome in cochleae were analyzed by RNA-seq and DNA microarray. Differentially expressed genes (DEGs) exhibiting >2-fold upregulation or downregulation in noise-exposed cochleae compared to controls without noise exposure were identified. RNA-seq and microarray analyses identified 273 DEGs regulated at 3 h post-noise (51 upregulated and 222 downregulated). Bioinformatic analysis revealed that these DEGs were associated with the functional gene pathway "neuroactive ligand-receptor interaction" and included 28 genes encoding receptors for neurotransmitters such as gamma-aminobutyric acid and glutamate. Other DEGs included 25 genes encoding transcription factors. Downregulation of 4 neurotransmitter receptors (Gabra3, Gabra5, Gabrb1, Grm1) and upregulations of 5 transcription factors (Atf3, Dbp, Helt, Maff, Nr1d1) were validated by RT-PCR. The differentially regulated transcription factor Atf3 immunolocalized to supporting cells and hair cells in the organ of Corti at 12-h post-noise. The present data serve as a basis for further studies aimed at developing medical treatments for acute sensorineural hearing loss

An Adult Case of Nasal Chondromesenchymal Hamartoma: Imaging Characteristics Including Diffusion-Weighted Images

Nasal chondromesenchymal hamartoma (NCMH), a rare, benign, nasal cavity tumor, typically occurs in children. Differential diagnosis is difficult because NCMH often presents with non-specific findings, including cystic components and invasion of the surrounding area on T2-weighted magnetic resonance images. Here, we present a rare adult case of NCMH, with no clear hyperintensity on diffusion-weighted images (DWI), and bone remodeling on the tumor margins on computed tomography. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of DWI on NCMH, and these findings, which suggest benign disease, may be useful in diagnosing NCMH