Choledochocele: report of a case and review of the literatures

A case of choledochocele seen in a 68-year-old male was reported. Analysis of fourteen cases reported under a variety of designations featuring cystic dilatation of the distal common bile duct protruding into the duodenal lumen and the case presented here disclosed that these cases could be classified into two types of pathology; both of the bile duct and the pancreatic duct opened into the cyst of the ampulla in 6 cases, whereas the bile duct and the pancreatic duct joined at the papilla of Vater and distal end of the bile duct formed a cystic dilatation protruding into the duodenal lumen in the remaining 9 cases.

Nitellopsis obtusa internodal cell birefringence change during action potential

Birefringence change during excitation was studied by using Nitellopsis obtusa. The velocity change of cytoplasmic streaming during an action potential was measured simultaneously by fluctuation analysis of transmitted light intensity. The origin of the retardation change was discussed by comparing optical retardation change to the time course of the action potential, the cytoplasmic streaming velocity change and the cell contraction. By the time course analysis of retardation change, we concluded that the change of the birefringence might be the sum of the changes of cytoplasmic flow and that of the size of length and diameter of the cell. But it is still difficult to separate the change to its components.

Cerebrovascular effects of YC-93, a new vasodilator, in dogs, monkeys and human patients

Cerebrovascular effects of YC-93, a new 1,4-dihydropyridine derivative, was examined in experimental animals and in human patients using a variety of methods. YC-93 in doses ranging from 0.001 to 0.03 mg/kg i.v. increased regional cerebral cortical blood flow and cerebral venous outflow in anesthetized dogs, and internal carotid blood flow in anesthetized monkeys. The increase in cerebral blood flow was accompanied by an increase in oxygen delivery to the brain and an elevation of cerebrospinal fluid pressure. Both intracarotid injection and intraduodenal administration of YC-93 also resulted in cerebral vasodilation in monkeys. In patients with cerebrovascular diseases and other chronic diseases, measurements of cerebral blood flow by 133-xenon clearance method showed that an intracarotid injection of 1 microgram/kg of YC-93 increased cerebral blood flow by 28.8% without changing arterial blood pressure and arterial pCO2, and that an intravenous injection of 0.01 mg/kg of YC-93 increased cerebral blood flow by 17.0% with a minimal decrease in the arterial blood pressure but without changing arterial pCO2. Thus, YC-93 produced a potent cerebral vasodilation not only in experimental animals but also in human patients in the same dose, and seemed to act perhaps directly on the cerebral vascular beds.

Signal-to-noise ratio in optical heterodyne detection for Gaussian fields

The signal-to-noise ratio of optical heterodyne detection is discussed for Gaussian fields. The ratio of the aperture radius a of the detector to the smallest spot size w(s) of the signal has serious effects on the SNR. The conditions that maximize the SNR are obtained for a given signal or local oscillator field. The effects of field mismatching or misalignment are also discussed. Numerical analyses show that when such mismatching or misalignment exists, the spot size of the local oscillator field should be larger than that of the signal with a ratio of a/w(s) approximately 1.2. Then the heterodyne efficiency is rather insensitive to the errors and yet takes reasonable values (above 0.8).

New technique for measuring dynamic axonal transport and its application to temperature effects

A new technique was devised for the dynamic detection of the axoplasmic transport of beta-radioactively labeled materials in which a semiconductor radiation detector was used as the beta-ray counter. The detector element is a silicon p-n junction diode and has a diameter of 2.0 mm. With this detector, the beta-radioactive distribution of axoplasmic transport could be measured in a axon maintained physiologically without cutting nerves. This method makes possible determination of the transport rate using one bundle of peripheral nerves. The rate in the bullfrog was 6.4 mm per hour at 24.0 degrees D. Temperature effects on the bullfrog axoplasmic transport were also observed at different temperatures, ranging from 5.0 to 24.0 degrees C. At these temperatures the rate increased as an exponential function of temperature from 1.1 to 6.4 mm per hour. Within this temperature range, the Q10 is 2.5 and an Arrhenius plot of the natural logarithm of velocity versus the reciprocal of absolute temperature yielded an apparent activation energy of 14.8 Kcal. this technique offers great advantages in permitting direct study of the axoplasmic flow of the axon in a physiological condition.

Effects of indenolol (YB-2), a new beta-adrenergic blocking agent, and its dextro isomer on the central nervous system of mice and rabbits

Central depressant actions of a new beta-adrenergic blocking agent, indenolol (YB-2), and its dextro isomer were studied in mice and rabbits. d-Indenolol was less active than dl-indenolol in lowering of methamphetamine group toxicity and calming of fighting behavior, though muscle relaxant, hypolocomotive and anticonvulsant effects of d-indenolol were virtually equal to those of the racemate. dl-Propranolol showed a similar profile of central depressant actions to dl-indenolol, whereas dl-practolol revealed no significant central effects in mice. The dose-response relationship between beta-blocking and central effects in the same animal species suggested that both taming and anti-methamphetamine group toxicity effects of dl-indenolol s.c. do not directly relate to either the peripheral beta-blocking or the membrane stabilizing activity. Intravenous as well as intracerebroventricular administration of dl-indenolol resulted in suppression of pressor responses to the electrical stimulation of the brain stem of unanesthetized rabbits. Neither d-indenolol nor dl-practolol was effective against the pressor responses, suggesting that these two compounds acted on the CNS in a manner different from dl-indenolol even when intracerebroventricularly administered. A possible central beta-adrenergic blocking effect of dl-indenolol was discussed in the light of mechanisms of an antihypertensive action of this compound.

Extracellular release of peroxidase from eosinophils by interaction with immune complexes

Much peroxidase is released from eosinophils that ingest complexes formed of human immunoglobulins with specific rabbit antibody. The complex formed of IgE with rabbit antibody, was particularly effective. The amount and rate of release of peroxidase was closely related to the amounts of complex ingested by the eosinophils, and degree of lysis of the cell granules. It is proposed that eosinophils attracted to an allergic lesion ingest complexes of IgE, show lysis of granules with release of peroxidase, and that the peroxidase reduces the allergic reaction.

Histological and immunological studies on eosinophilic granuloma of soft tissue, so-called Kimura's disease

Increase of serum IgE with frequent localization of IgE in the germinal centres, mast cell hyperplasia in lymph nodes and changes of specific granules in the infiltrated eosinophils, such as roughness of the matrix and appearance of tubular structures together with fusing and disappearance of the core, were demonstrated in eosinophilic granuloma of the soft tissue, so-called Kimura's disease, in association with increase of anti-Candida IgE antibody. It is suggested that this disease may be due to atopic allergy to Candida albicans.

Infrared Absorption Spectra of Alternating Copolymers of Butadiene with Acrylonitrile and Deuterated Analogs

Random copolymers consisting of various amounts of butadiene and acrylonitrile have been prepared by conventional radical initiators or Ziegler—Natta catalysts. Recently, a novel alternating copolymer of butadiene with acrylonitrile was successfully prepared by the authors using a system of organoaluminum halide—transition metal compound as a catalyst. The NMR and x-ray analyses of the alternating copolymer indicated a high alternating regularity and trans regularity of the butadiene unit. Studies of mechanical properties of the copolymer suggested that the alternating copolymer was more flexible and stronger than the random copolymers. This report deals with a study of the ir spectra under stretching of the alternating copolymer influenced by the regularity of the molecular structure. The ir spectra of trans-1,4-polybutadiene have been studied by several authors and the assignments of the absorption bands of polyacrylonitrile have been given by Liang and Tadokoro et al. Tentative assignments of the absorption bands of the alternating copolymer were attempted on the basis of ir spectra and ir dichroism of partially deuterated copolymers and correlations with the results obtained on the above-mentioned homopolymers.

Studies on interrelations between eosinophilia, serum IgE and tissue mast cells

In an examination of a variety of diseases associated with a peripheral blood eosinophilia it is evident that the eosinophilia is not necessarily accompanied by increased amounts of serum IgE. Tissue eosinophilia occurring with mast cell hyperplasia and usually increased amounts of IgE, indicate atopic allergy. It is considered that the eosinophilic granuloma of soft tissue (Kimura's disease) is an atopic disease and quite different from histiocytosis X.

Morphology and electrophysiological properties of squid giant axons perfused intracellularly with protease solution

Squid giant axons were perfused intracellularly with solutions containing various kinds of proteases (1 mg/ml). Except for a 10 micro layer inside the axolemma the axoplasm was removed by a 5 min perfusion with Bacillus protease, strain N' (BPN'). The resting and action potentials were unchanged and the axon maintained its excitability for more than 4 hr on subsequent enzyme-free perfusion. After perfusion with protease solution for 30 min the axoplasm was almost completely removed. The excitability was maintained, but the action potential became prolonged and rapidly developed a plateau of several hundred milliseconds. The change was not reversible even when the enzyme was removed from the perfusing fluid. Two other enzymes, prozyme and bromelin, also removed the protoplasm without blocking conduction. Trypsin suppressed within 3 min the excitability of the axon. It is suggested that the proteases alter macromolecules in the excitable membrane and thus affect the shape of the action potential.