Behavior of Human Neonates*

ABSTRACT Clinical methods of neonatal neurobehavioral evaluation are outlined, and the conceptual basis and the procedures of Brazelton's Neonatal Behavioral Assessment Scale (NBAS) which is most widely used is described in detail. The studies which have been conducted to date using the NBAS are reviewed, and future directions in the assessment of neonatal behavior are explored. Infants showed following behavioral characteristics: Healthy Japanese infants show higher habituation and orientation scores with lower motor activity score than American Caucasian counterparts. Japanese infants with intra-uterine growth retardation (IUGR) show mild deviation of Apgar score, and maternal toxemia has an effect on the neonatal behavior as well as neurological signs. In Japanese infants, the mental-motor development during infancy is significantly correlated with the neonatal behavior and family environment. Studies of normal and high-risk infants revealed that both perinatal complications and cultural background affect the neonatal behavior.     

The usefulness of measuring body fat deposition for detecting obesity and atherogenesity in Japanese school children

Body fat deposition was measured in overweight and non-overweight children using a bioelectrical impedance method, and its relationship with serum lipids and apolipoproteins was investigated in 90 overweight children (over 120% of their ideal weight) and 241 non-overweight children aged 10–15 years in Niigata Prefecture. The results were as follows. Overweight boys had significantly higher levels of total cholesterol (TC), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), atherogenic index (AI), RLP-cholesterol (RLP-C), apoA1, apoA2, apoB, apoC2, apoC3, apoE and the ratio of apoB to apoAl than non-overweight boys. Overweight girls had significantly higher levels of TC, LDL-C, AI, remnant-like lopoprotein cholesterol (RLP-C), apoA2, apoB, apoC2, apoC3, apoE and the ratio of apoB to apoA1 than non-overweight girls. It has been reported that of all children studied 2.1% had higher levels of RLP-C than its upper limit known for adults (12 mg/dL). Of the overweight children in the present study, 4.4% had a high level of RLP-C whereas only 1.2% of non-overweight children had a high RLP-C level. No difference in the lipoprotein levels was found between overweight and non-overweight children. In both boys and girls, relative weight, body fat, skinfold thickness and body mass index (BMI) were correlated with the lipoprotein levels. Non-overweight boys whose body fat was over 20% had significantly higher levels of TC, LDL-C, apoA2, apoB, apoC2, apoE and apoB/A1 than those whose body fat was less than 20%. It was concluded that the measurement of body fat deposition, together with relative weight, was useful for detecting obesity and atherogenesity in Japanese school children.     

Immunotoxicological Insignificance of Fenitrothion in Mice and Rats

Fenitrothion was administered orally to mice or rats in dailydoses of up to of the LD50 for 14 days, and numbers of splenic plaque-forming cells against sheep redblood cells (SRBC-PFC), one of the most common immune parameters,were measured. Splenic SRBC-PFC number was suppressed by fenitrothiononly in rats which received 30 mg/kg body weight (bw) of thecompound. Other immune parameters, including the arthus reaction,delayed-type hypersensitivity, and activities of macrophagesand natural killer cells in rats, were not influenced by fenitrothion.Adrenal hyperfunction manifesting as increased organ weightand elevated plasma corticosterone level was noted along withstrong cholinergic signs in rats which received 30 mg/kg bwof fenitrothion. At lower doses such as 3 or 0.3 mg/kg bw offenitrothion, rats had no strong cholinergic signs, adrenalhyperfunction, or evidence of immunosuppression despite significantsuppression of systemic cholinesterase (ChE) activities. Inmice, no suppression of SRBC-PFC number or mixed lymphocytereaction was noted even at the highest dose (40 mg/kg bw) offenitrothion, at which significant suppression of systemic ChEactivities but no cholinergic signs were noted. These findingsstrongly suggest that the im-munosuppressive effect of fenitrothionnoted in rats was due to systemic, potent cholinergic stressand that fenitrothion has no immunotoxicity in mice and rats.     

Polymorphism of the human ABO-Secretor locus (FUT2) in four populations in Asia: indication of distinct Asian subpopulations

The polymorphic alleles of the human ABO-Secretor locus ( FUT2 or Se ) show high heterogeneity and overt ethnic specificity. To provide additional data for analysis to elucidate the origins of populations, we have investigated the allelic polymorphism of FUT2 in 40 unrelated Tibetan and 53 Tamang individuals from Nepal, 42 Indonesian individuals from Surabaya, and 55 Uygur individuals from Urumqi, using DNA sequencing. In Tibetan, Tamang and Indonesian populations, the frequency of a nonfunctional allele, se ^357,385 , which is found only in Asian populations, was 0·638, 0·509 and 0·631, respectively. In Uygur, the se ⁴²⁸ , which is common in Caucasian populations, and the se ^357,385 consisting of two common nonfunctional FUT2 alleles, had frequencies of 0·3 and 0·145, respectively. The fixation index ( F _ST) based on genetic differentiation was obtained pairwise among the four populations in this study and six populations in our previous studies. The results suggested that genetic differentiation among Tibetan, Tamang, Indonesian and East Asian populations is very low, while the distribution feature of the FUT2 alleles in the Uygur population implied an admixture of European with Asian. The distribution of nonfunctional alleles at the FUT2 locus provided further evidence of human migration among the Asian populations.     

In-vitro Permeability to Salicylic Acid of Human,Rodent, and Shed Snake Skin

Abstract— In-vitro permeability to salicylic acid of human, rodent, and shed snake skin has been examined for the purpose of selecting model membranes for human skin corresponding to different anatomic sites, since a marked regional variation is suggested among the different sites. The greatest permeability to salicylic acid was observed in the scrotum, that of the sole was negligible. The cheek, neck, and inguinal skin seemed more permeable than the breast, back, thigh, lower leg, or foot skin. Shed snake and skin of hairless rat were found to show similar permeability to human breast and thigh skin. Wistar rat and nude mouse skin showed similar permeability to human cheek, neck, and inguinal skin.     

Molecular typing of Trichophyton mentagrophytes var. interdigitale isolated in a university hospital in Japan based on the non‐transcribed spacer region of the ribosomal RNA gene

Detecting intraspecies polymorphisms in fungi causing dermatophytoses is important in elucidating routes of infection and determining whether Tinea recurrence is caused by exacerbation or re‐infection. In fungi, the non‐transcribed spacer region (NTS) of the ribosomal RNA gene shows the greatest accumulation of base sequence mutations. We therefore assessed NTS sequences in 64 clinical isolates of Trichophyton mentagrophytes var. interdigitale, the second most common species of dermatophytes in Japan. These isolates were among the clinical isolates of dermatophytes in the Department of Dermatology, Kanazawa Medical University Hospital in 2006 and were obtained by morphological and molecular biological identification methods. DNA was extracted from each isolate, as well as from one isolate maintained in our department, to detect length polymorphisms at each of three variable loci, TmiS0, TmiS1 and TmiS2, of the NTS for subtyping. We observed seven patterns for TmiS0, six patterns for TmiS1 and three patterns for TmiS2. The combinations of these patterns enabled us to classify the 65 isolates into 15 types. The most prevalent, constituted 46% (30/65) of all isolates. Eleven types were new combinations, whereas the other four were previously described. These results suggest that this method may be used to determine the molecular epidemiology of T. mentagrophytes var. interdigitale in Japan, because it generated results rapidly and in a sensitive manner.     

Modified pluck method in en bloc nephroureterectomy with bladder cuff for upper urothelial cancer

AIM: To evaluate the surgical results of the en bloc removal of the kidney and ureter with a bladder cuff by using our modified pluck method. METHODS: We employed this procedure in 28 patients with renal pelvic and ureteral cancer. The clinical stages of the 28 patients were T(1-3)N(0-1)M(0). These patients were operated on by nephrectomy with standard open or retroperitoneoscopic surgery, and then standard or blind dissection of the distal ureter. After simultaneously making a transurethral circular incision of the ureteral meatus with a J-shaped electrode, the ureteral end was plucked out of the bladder, and en bloc removal of the kidney and ureter was performed from the wound. RESULTS: The mean operating time for nephroureterectomy using the pluck method was 278 min in all cases. The mean time for the pluck procedure after nephrectomy was 24 min in 22 cases, and 73 min in six cases where the nephrectomy was carried out via a new lower pararectal wound. There were no intra- or postoperative complications associated with these procedures. Within the mean follow-up period of 25 months, there was no recurrence of tumors in the perivesical retroperitoneal space; however, the usual rate of intravesical recurrence was observed. Three patients died, two of metastatic urothelial cancer and one of heart disease. CONCLUSIONS: En bloc nephroureterectomy using our modified pluck method is a useful procedure for patients with upper urothelial cancer because of the simplicity and ease of the procedure.     

Birthweight and risk factors for cardiovascular diseases in Japanese schoolchildren

BACKGROUND: Low birthweight (LBW) is associated with an increased risk for atherosclerotic coronary heart disease (ACHD) later in life. However, little information is currently available on the relationship between birthweight (BW) and risk factors for ACHD in children. METHODS: The relationship between BW and risk factors for ACHD was evaluated in 330 Japanese children (187 boys and 143 girls) aged between 7 and 12 years, who underwent screening for lifestyle-related diseases in Okinawa, Japan. Routine chemical methods were used to determine the serum concentrations of lipids, apolipoproteins, uric acid and glucose. Serum insulin and adiponectin were measured by sandwich enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. RESULTS: BW was significantly correlated with serum concentrations of adiponectin (r= 0.163, P= 0.003) and uric acid (r=-0.166. P= 0.003), but not with insulin, lipids or apolipoproteins. These correlations were still significant even after adjusting for age, gender and body mass index (BMI) percentile (BW and adiponectin, r= 0.239, P= 0.000; BW and uric acid, r=-0.247, P= 0.000). In addition, BW was correlated with high-density lipoprotein-cholesterol (HDL-C) only after adjusting for age, gender and BMI percentile (r= 0.117, P= 0.034). In a stepwise multiple regression analysis, BW was a significant predictive variable for adiponectin and uric acid. However, weight velocity (weight gain/year) was a stronger predictive variable than BW for both adiponectin and uric acid. BW was not a significant predictive variable for HDL-C. Adiponectin was the strongest predictive variable for HDL-C. CONCLUSION: BW is related to serum concentrations of adiponectin and uric acid. However, weight velocity was a stronger determinant of serum adiponectin and uric acid levels than BW in Japanese schoolchildren. Thus, it may be important to control weight gain to prevent the development of ACHD in children, especially in children with LBW.     

Hydronephrosis in the early stage of pregnancy after renal transplantation

A 28-year-old woman with end-stage renal disease due to congenital hypoplasia and vesicoureteric reflux in the bilateral kidneys received a renal transplant from her 52-year-old mother. She became pregnant 3 years later. The serum creatinine level was 1.6 mg/dL with a creatinine clearance of 27.3 mL/min/1.48 m(2) just prior to pregnancy. Her graft showed hydronephrosis at 12 weeks of pregnancy. At 25 weeks a double J-type stent catheter was placed, without exposure to radiation, because of progressive deterioration of the graft hydronephrosis. Hydronephrosis partially improved, but her serum creatinine level further increased to 2.3 mg/dL. She delivered a healthy boy by routine caesarean section at 34 weeks of pregnancy. Computed tomography demonstrated the ureter wedged between the gravid uterus and the graft. The catheter was removed 10 days postpartum. Six months later, ultrasonographic study did not show hydronephrosis and the serum creatinine level was 2.0 mg/dL.