Intracerebral hematoma simulating a new growth

Three cases of organized intracerebral hematomas presented slowly progressive neurological deficits and hence mimicked brain tumors. Computed tomography scanning revealed ring enhancement of intracerebral mass lesions with midline shift. Angiographic studies showed avascular mass lesions. Soft, well-encapsulated, organized, large intracerebral hematomas with feeding arteries on their capsules were removed surgically. The lesions contained fresh and old hemorrhages. It is presumed that the feeding artery caused slowly continuous bleeding, thus causing these intracerebral hematomas to grow in a manner that made their clinical picture simulate that of intracerebral neoplasms. Their pathogenesis is discussed.

A study of 11C-benzoate as a radiopharmaceutical for renal imaging

11C-benzoic acid prepared in a radiochemical purity over 90% was studied radiopharmacologically in mice and rabbits. The uptake of 11C-benzoate in ICR mice increased quickly. The ratio of kidney uptake rate to that in other organs reached values between 9 and 55 with a maximum at 10 min after i.v. injection. Gamma camera imaging of rabbits showed that uptake in the kidneys began at 2 min after injection and that activity began to appear in the bladder 4 min later. Rabbits with left renal artery ligature showed no uptake in the left kidney but the right kidney was imaged to the same extent as that of a rabbit without artery ligature. The kidney imaging of 11C-benzoic acid may be a useful method for renal diagnosis.

Pharmacology of radioiodinated hexadecenoic acid--a myocardial imaging agent

123I- and 131I-labeled hexadecenoic acid (IHDA, radiochemical purity over 92%, dissolved in 6% bovine serum albumin solution) was investigated in vivo. ICR mice were administered IHDA via the tail vein. Maximum myocardial uptake (27.3 +/- 5.1%) was reached about 0.5 min after the injection. The ratio of uptake in the heart to that in the lungs was 2.3, to that in liver 1.5 and to that in other organs 2.4 to 6.4. The dog myocardium was visualized distinctly within 3-5 min with a gamma camera after i.v. 131I-IHDA, and not interfered with by activities in the lungs, liver and other organs. The low blood levels at 20 min had little effect on the quality of the heart images.

The role of the G1 period in the life cycle of eukaryotic cells

The objective of this study was to test the concept that the G1 period lacks any specific function in the life cycle of mammalian cells and hence could be drastically reduced without any effect on the generation time. HeLa cells were grown in medium containing an optimum dose (60 microM) of hydroxyurea at which the duration of S period was prolonged with little or no increase in generation time. At this concentration of hydroxyurea, we observed a maximum of 3 h (or 28.5%) reduction in the G1 period. We also studied the effects of synchronization in S phase by single and double thymidine blocks on cell size and its relationship to the duration of G1 in the subsequent cycle. By these treatments, we could reduce the G1 period by not more than 2 to 3 h. The reduction in G1 period was not directly proportional to the size (volume) of the G1 cells. These results suggest that G1 period has certain specific functions and cannot be eliminated by alterations in culture conditions.

Inactivation of mitotic factors by ultraviolet irradiation of HeLa cells in mitosis

Extracts from mitotic HeLa cells, when injected into fully grown Xenopus laevis oocytes, exhibit maturation-promoting activity (MPA) indicated by germinal vesicle breakdown (GVBD) and chromosome condensation. Recently, we observed that the MPA of mitotic cell extracts is neutralized by the inhibitors of mitotic factors (IMF) in HeLa cells, which are activated at telophase and remain active throughout the G1 period. The activity of the IMF coincides with the process of chromosome decondensation, which begins at telophase and continues until the beginning of S phase, when chromatin reaches its most decondensed state. The objective of the present study was to investigate whether these two phenomena - chromosome decondensation and the activation of IMF - were related. The activity of IMF was measured in N2O-blocked mitotic HeLa cells, in which chromosome decondensation was induced by exposure to ultraviolet light, and subsequent incubation in medium containing inhibitors of DNA synthesis, hydroxyurea and arabinosylcytosine (araC). u.v. irradiation activated IMF was seen even at very high doses of X-irradiation. The IMF seemed to inactivate the mitotic factors directly by forming a complex that precipitated on heating at 60 degrees C for 15 min. Mg2+ or polyamines (i.e. spermine, spermidine, and putrescine), agents known to promote chromatin condensation partially restored the MPA of the u.v.-irradiated mitotic cell extracts. These results tend to support the conclusion that the IMF play a role in the decondensation of chromosomes.

Induction of reverse transformation and normal cell cycle regulation by dibutyryl cAMP in a chemically transformed cell line

The objective of this study was to determine whether N6, O2-dibutyryl 3',5'-adenosine monophosphate (db-cAMP)-induced reverse transformation in a chemically transformed mouse cell line, AKR-MCA, would restore normal cell cycle regulation, particularly with regard to their growth arrest in the early G1 period. The AKR-MCA cells were grown to confluency in the presence or absence of db-cAMP (0.5 mM) plus theophylline (1 mM). The confluent cultures were trypsinized and a portion of the cells were fused with mitotic HeLa cells to induce premature chromosome condensation, while the remaining cells were used to study the kinetics of initiation of DNA synthesis. The prematurely condensed chromosomes (PCC) of the control and the treated cultures were classified into G1, S, or G2 types on the basis of their morphology. The G1 PCC were further subclassified into six groups (+1 - +6); +1 being the most condensed and +6 the most decondensed. The cyclic AMP (cAMP)-treated cells exhibited better attachment to the culture dish, were blocked in early G1 period at confluency, and entered S phase about 4 h later than the control following subculturing. In contrast, a majority of cells in the control cultures were arrested in S phase at confluency. These data indicate that the db-cAMP-induced reverse transformation in AKR-MCA cells at least partially restores normal cell cycle regulation in these chemically transformed cells.

Solution stability of cephradine neutralized with arginine or sodium bicarbonate

The solution stability of two formulations of cephradine--one using L-arginine and the other sodium carbonate as the neutralizer--was studied. Solutions of each formulation of 1% cephradine were prepared in the following diluents: 0.9% sodium chloride injection, lactated Ringer's injection, Ringer's injection, Normosol-R injection, 5% dextrose injection, and sterile water for injection; 5 and 25% solutions were made with sterile water for injection. All solutions were maintained at 25 degrees C, and at least five samples of each were assayed at various time intervals. Assay methods were HPLC, hydroxylamine colorimetric assay, microbiological agar diffusion, and iodometric analysis. By all assay methods, degradation rates of 1% solutions were lower for the arginine-neutralized product than for the one neutralized with sodium carbonate. This may be attributable to the lower pH values of solutions of the formulation with arginine, because one mechanism of degradation is pH-dependent. At concentrations of 5%, the difference in cephradine stability between the two formulations was minimal. At the 25% concentration, the formulations containing sodium carbonate were more stable. At these higher concentrations, the effect of pH is less important because degradation occurs by a combination of mechanisms. The 1% cephradine-arginine formulation was more stable than the same strength cephradine-sodium carbonate formulation in all the i.v. diluents studied. At 5 and 25% cephradine concentrations, the differences in stability between the two formulations were not substantial.

Primary osteogenic sarcoma of the skull: case report

A case of primary osteogenic sarcoma of the skull with metastases to the lungs, left diaphragm, 2nd lumbar and 1st sacral vertebral bodies, and both femoral heads was presented. A young man with a lump over his right parieto-occipital region since the age of 14 had noticed rapid growth of the mass after having experienced definite head trauma. The tumor was surgically removed and the bony defect was repaired with a stainless stell plate. The recurrence of the tumor mass was suppressed by 60Co irradiation, but a necrotic lesion developed over the right temporal scalp. Twenty-two months after the surgical removal of the tumor, the patient died of respiratory failure and septicemia.

Deiodination kinetics of water-soluble radiopaques

Deiodination of diatrizoic acid, an anionic radiopaque, was found to be catalyzed by Cu(II). Through a detailed study of o-iodobenzoic acid, a model compound, the copper-catalyzed SN1 mechanism was established based on observations of common ion, salt, and pH effects. Meta- and para-iodobenzoic acids were unreactive. Deiodination thus was facilitated by a neighboring carboxylate that attracted copper. Iopamidol, a nonionic radiopaque, also underwent deiodination. At pH 7 or above, the hydroxide-ion substitution predominated. At pH below 7, the reaction is in favor of the copper-catalyzed SN1 mechanism.

Thoracic sympathectomy for palmar hyperhidrosis: report of 457 cases

A thoracic sympathetic ganglionectomy was performed on 457 patients with palmar hyperhidrosis, resulting in a complete cessation of the excessive palmar sweating but not a total abolition of the sweating of the upper extremity, forehead, face, neck, upper chest and upper back. This procedure does not produce a Horner's syndrome. The present data provide evidence that sympathetic pathways for controlling sweating of the above-mentioned skin areas come mainly through the second thoracic ganglion, and therefore from the spinal cord segment below T1 in man.