Ken Kuroda

Publications (2)4.04 Total impact

• Article: Effects of narcotics, including morphine, on visual evoked potential in rats.

  Ken Kuroda, Akinori Fujiwara, Yasuhiro Takeda, Chiaki Kamei
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  ABSTRACT: The side effects of narcotics, including morphine, on the visual system are still unclear; therefore, the present study was undertaken to examine the effects of narcotics on the visual system at each antinociceptive dose by using the evoked potential (VEP) in rats. Morphine (2 or 5 mg/kg) caused a significant increase in the amplitude of early and late VEP components (P(1)-N(1), N(1)-P(2), P(3)-N(3) and N(3)-P(4)). Fentanyl (0.02 mg/kg) also showed a significant increase in the amplitude of late VEP components (P(3)-N(3), N(3)-P(4)). The effects of morphine and fentanyl on VEP components were antagonized by naloxone (1 mg/kg). On the other hand, (+/-)-pentazocine (20 mg/kg) reduced the amplitude of the late VEP component (N(3)-P(4)), and this effect was not antagonized by naloxone. Butorphanol showed no significant changes in early and late VEP components. In conclusion, morphine stimulated the retino-geniculate-cortex pathway and the thalamus-cortical circuit through the opioid receptors, and fentanyl stimulated the thalamus-cortical circuit through the opioid receptors. It can therefore be assumed that VEP is a useful tool for examining the side effects of drugs, including narcotics, on the visual system.
  European journal of pharmacology 01/2009; 602(2-3):294-7. · 2.59 Impact Factor
• Article: Premature capacitation of frozen-thawed spermatozoa from subfertile Japanese black cattle.

  Ken Kuroda, Moriyuki Fukushima, Hiroshi Harayama
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  ABSTRACT: Artificial insemination (AI) subfertility is an indication of failure of AI with frozen-thawed sperm classified as normal by conventional semen examination. Recently, 8 AI-subfertile Japanese Black cattle (S1-S8) were identified using the routine AI test or in vivo fertilization test, which included AI with frozen-thawed sperm of superovulated females and subsequent non-surgical recovery of presumptive zygotes. In the present study, we assessed capacitation states and in vitro oocyte penetration of frozen-thawed sperm from these bulls to estimate causal factors of AI subfertility. Frozen-thawed sperm from 8 AI-subfertile (S1-S8) and 9 fertile (F1-F9, control) bulls were washed and then used for a chlortetracycline (CTC) staining assay and in vitro fertilization test. The CTC staining assay revealed that approximately 50% of the sperm from 4 of the AI-subfertile bulls (S5-S8) were prematurely progressing into the capacitation state immediately after washing and resuspension in a CaCl(2)-lacking medium. In contrast, most of the sperm from the fertile bulls and other AI-subfertile bulls (S1-S4) remained uncapacitated. Addition of CaCl(2) to the medium effectively promoted a spontaneous acrosome reaction in the sperm samples from the AI-subfertile bulls (S5-S8). Moreover, the in vitro fertilization test showed that rates of sperm penetration into oocytes were significantly lower in sperm samples from the AI-subfertile bulls (S5-S8) than in the control sperm samples from the fertile bulls (F2-F4 and F7-F9). It has previously been suggested that prematurely capacitated sperm undergo a spontaneous acrosome reaction possibly due to uncontrolled influx of calcium ion, and consequently they possess relatively lower in vitro fertilizing ability. It is therefore possible that premature capacitation of sperm used for AI is a causal factor of subfertility of male Japanese Black cattle and a potentially good marker for identification of subfertile bulls for removal from AI programs.
  Journal of Reproduction and Development 11/2007; 53(5):1079-86. · 1.46 Impact Factor