The effect of various factors on changes in the levels of unsaturated fatty acid in plasma and serum lipids after administration of icosapentaenoic acid ethyl ester

We administered a highly purified icosapentaenoic acid ethyl ester (IPA-E) preparation orally for 12 weeks to 32 male and 22 female patients aged 43 to 85 (average 67 years) with arteriosclerosis to investigate the effects of various factors on changes in the levels of unsaturated fatty acid in plasma and serum lipids. On administration of 1800 mg/day of IPA-E, the plasma level of IPA increased significantly, while the plasma level of DHLA decreased significantly, but no significant changes were observed in plasma DHA and AA concentrations. There were significant inverse correlations between the pretreatment levels of plasma IPA and IPA/AA, and the volumes and ratios of changes in their plasma levels following administration of IPA-E. There was no significant correlation between patient age or concomitant administration of calcium antagonists and baseline plasma IPA level and IPA/AA value or changes in these parameters after administration of IPA-E. In male patients, the plasma IPA level before treatment was higher than that in female patients, while the increase in plasma IPA level after administration of IPA-E tended to be smaller than in female patients. In diabetic patients and those receiving diuretics concomitantly, plasma IPA/AA values before treatment with IPA-E were higher, while the increase in IPA/AA values after treatment tended to be smaller than other groups of patients. On analysis of covariance on modified baseline volume before treatment, the effect of age, sex, presence of diabetes mellitus and concurrent use of calcium antagonist or diuretics was not significant.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)     

Purification of chondroitin 6-sulfotransferase secreted from cultured chick embryo chondrocytes

Chondroitin 6-sulfotransferase, which transfers sulfate from 3'-phosphoadenylyl sulfate to position 6 of N-acetylgalactosamine in chondroitin, was purified 1,430-fold to apparent homogeneity with a 22% yield from the serum-free culture medium of chick embryo chondrocytes by affinity chromatography on heparin-Sepharose CL-6B, wheat germ agglutinin-agarose, and 3',5'-ADP-agarose. Sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis of the purified enzyme showed a single broad protein band with an apparent molecular weight of 75,000. Since the purified enzyme has an apparent molecular weight of 160,000 as judged by gel chromatography on Superose 12, the active form of chondroitin 6-sulfotransferase may be a dimer. The purified enzyme transferred sulfate to chondroitin, chondroitin sulfate, and corneal keratan sulfate. Chondroitin sulfate E from squid cartilage, dermatan, sulfate, and heparan sulfate hardly served as acceptors of the sulfotransferase. The sulfated product derived from keratan sulfate was degraded by keratanase but not by chondroitinase ABC.     

Determination of fatigue fracture toughness by conventional rotary bending specimen

Determination of fatigue fracture toughness,K _fc, is made by rotary bending specimen considering partial contact of fatigue cracked surfaces in the compression side of the beam specimen. It is shown thatK _fc is a material constant independent of the nominal stress at the notch section, the specimen geometry, and the shape of the final fracture area.

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Résumé On détermine la ténacité à la rupture par fatigueK _fc à l'aide d'éprouvetes soumises à flexion rotative, en considérant le contact partiel entre les surfaces fissurées par fatigue, au cours de la phase de compression. On montre queK _fc est une constante du matériau, indépendante de la tension nominale au droit de la section entaillée, de la géométrie de l'éprouvette, et de la forme de la surface finale de rupture.

     

Trajectory generation and control of a five-bar-link parallel direct-drive robot

This paper describes a dyanamic learning control method for a five-bar-link parallel direct-drive robot. A new method to generate a complex continuous trajectory in Cartesian coordinates is presented. The trajectory is expressed as a composition of a segment of a parametric free-form space curve. Hosaka's form of the Bezier curve of degree 3, is used in this study. The availability of robot control based on this trajectory is proven through computer simulation.     

Multimedia multipoint teleconference system using the 7 kHz audiocoding standard at 64 kbit/s

The International Telegraph and Telephone Consultative Committee (CCITT) has recommended an algorithm to code wideband speech and music (i.e. 7-kHz audio) with 64 kb/s as an international standard (recommendation G.722). A multimedia multipoint teleconference system using the 7-kHz audio coding standard is discussed. System requirements for teleconferencing are examined, and control procedures for the system are examined. A system using digital leased circuits is presented, and the audio-bridging technique used in this system is discussed     

Therapeutic effects of beclomethasone dipropionate enemas on colon damage of inflammatory bowel disease model rats]

The effects of beclomethasone dipropionate (BDP) enemas on ulcerative colitis were investigated by administrating BDP enemas to Fischer male rats with an inflammatory bowel disease induced by 2,4,6-trinitrobenzensulfonic acid (TNB). After administration of a TNB ethanol solution to rats, diarrhea and melena were found in all rats, and the wet tissue weights of the colons in the rats increased by erosion and thickness of epithelial mucous membranes with edema. BDP enemas were administered to the rats one time a day at a dose of 20 or 50 micrograms of BDP for 4 or 11 days from the day 3 after TNB treatment, respectively. After dosing of BDP, the rate of rats developing diarrhea and melena decreased more with time in comparison with that of BDP-free rats, and the symptoms of all rats developing the diseases were improved on the day 4 after administration of a dose of 50 micrograms of BDP. A dose dependent recovery in the wet tissue weights and scores of damages, and the myeloperoxidase (MPO) activity in the tissue were found at the early days (until the day 4). However, their measurements on the day 11 at each dose of BDP were not different from those of control rats significantly, as the damages in the colons of the control rats were recovered naturally with time. In conclusion, the clinical usefulness of BDP enemas was supported by elucidating the dose dependent effect of BDP at the early days in the model rats with an inflammatory bowel disease induced by TNB.     

Characteristics of heart rate variability entropy and blood pressure during hemodialysis in patients with end-stage renal disease

Entropy (ENT) is a newly developed measure of the complexity of heart rate variability (HRV). The aim of this study was to characterize the complexity of HRV in patients with end-stage renal disease (ESRD) and to find a possible clinical utility. Healthy subjects and patients with ESRD undergoing hemodialysis (HD) were recruited. The HD population consisted of patients with and without diabetes mellitus (DM). An electrocardiogram was recorded before HD, and blood pressure was measured during HD. The coefficients of variation of R-R intervals, high- and low-frequency components, and ratio of the low- to high-frequency components were measured as variables of HRV. The ENT was used to describe the complexity of HRV. Forty-six healthy subjects and 27 HD patients participated in this study. The ENT negatively correlated with the duration of DM (p = 0.001), systolic blood pressure (p = 0.003), and mean blood pressure (p = 0.004) before a HD session. ENT in HD patients was lower than that in healthy subjects (p < 0.01). ENT in HD patients with DM was lower than that in HD patients without DM (p < 0.01). The change in systolic blood pressure (DeltaSBP) during a HD session showed high correlations to ENT and ultrafiltration rate (UFR) of the dialyzer. The following equation was obtained: DeltaSBP = 2.25 x ENT - 2.28 x UFR - 21.27 (R2 = 0.805; p < 0.0001). ENT decreased with uremic and diabetic status. ENT also represents a possible prediction of hypotension during a HD session.     

Hepatic veno-occlusive disease in a case of polymyositis associated with thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura/hemolytic uremic syndrome

A 50-year-old woman was treated with prednisolone for polymyositis. During the therapy, thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura/hemolytic uremic syndrome (TTP/HUS) occurred. Neither plasma infusion nor plasma exchange could relieve the clinical manifestations of TTP/HUS. Moreover, massive ascites appeared and worsened her condition. She died approximately one year after the diagnosis of polymyositis. The autopsy revealed centri-lobular hepatic necrosis and nonthrombotic obliteration of hepatic small veins. The diagnosis of hepatic veno-occlusive disease (VOD) was made. It was suspected that common factors other than cytoreductive therapy had damaged the endothelium and caused TTP/HUS and VOD in a case of polymyositis.