The uptake of nutrients from the small intestine of gnotobiotic and conventional chicks

1. Uptake of L-[2(n)-3H]methionine and 3-O-methyl[14C]-D-glucose (3MG) from jejunal loops in vivo was investigated in germ-free (GF), gnotobiotic (GN) and conventional (CV) chicks aged between 2 and 4 weeks. 2. Body-weight gain was less, and intestine weight per unit length greater, in CV and GN birds than in corresponding GF birds. 3. Uptake of both nutrients was less in CV and GN birds when calculated per g intestinal tissue, but no difference was found between any of the groups when uptake was expressed per unit length of intestine. 4. Concentration of methionine in mesenteric and cardiac blood was higher, and amounts in the intestinal wall lower, in CV chicks than in corresponding samples from GF birds. 5. Concentration of 3MG in mesenteric blood was similar in both environments but it was higher in cardiac blood and lower in the gut wall of CV birds. 6. It was concluded that uptake of methionine and glucose is not impaired by the presence of micro-organisms in the gut.

[Survey of screening for uterine cervical cancer in Wakayama city (author's transl)]

3,261 women participated in a questionnaire concerning screening for uterine cervical cancer with the following results: 1. 6.3% reported undergoing cervical cancer screening at intervals of one year or less, and 9.0% at intervals of two years or less, 22% reported having had a screening test at least once. 2. According to age group, 14.7% of women in their fifties had undergone screening; 11.3% in the forties; 10.1% in the thirties, while a sharp decrease to 2.9% was noted for women in their sixties. 3. Among those who had not been screened, an average of about 49% stated their willingness to do so. 60% of those in the age group between 30 and 59 were willing to be screened as compared to only 28% of those over 60. 4. Reasons given for not participating in the screening were as follows: Too busy 34.1%, Bashfulness 23.1%, Fear 13.9%, Overconfidence 15.5%, Old age 2.3% Reasons given differed from the younger group versus those over 60. Between 1979-1980, 4,258 women were screened at Wakayama Rosai Hospital with the following findings: In 0.73% carcinoma in situ, early invasive carcinoma (Stage Ia) was found. In 0.28% Stage Ib-II was found. In 0.19% Stage III-IV was present. In those women having carcinoma over 60 years of age, Stage III-IV was found in 57.9%. We conclude that there is an urgent need to increase the percentage of women undergoing cancer screening in Wakayama. An all-out effort to develop an awareness in women of all age groups of the importance of cancer screening and the promotion of mass screening are called for.

[Biochemical monitoring of postoperative glioma (author's transl)]

Extention of the survival period and suppression of the recurrence of neurological symptoms during postoperative progression free intervals have become the most important problems in the treatment of gliomas. In the outpatient clinic, neurological and neuroradiological monitoring, including sequential CT scans, are especially valuable. In addition to each conventional monitoring methods, immunological and biochemical monitoring methods have been introduced as precise and noninvasive methods. In this paper, wer have discussed about the biochemical monitoring. In biochemical monitoring cystic fluid was repeatedly obtained through Ommaya's reservoir and chemically analysed during the postoperative period of eight cases of glioblastoma showed complete remission either clinically or chemically during the monitoring period. Chemical progression, especially a gradual increase in LDH, was detected in three cases of anaplastic astrocytoma prior to the clinical and radiological deterioration. In the remaining two cases of glioblastoma, neither clinical nor chemical regression was obtained in spite of postoperative adjuvant treatments. In biochemical monitoring of gliomas, total cholesterol, LDH and LDH isozyme values of cystic fluid were especially valuable.

The gut microflora and the uptake of glucose from the small intestine of the chick

1. Chicks whose growth rate had been depressed either by a fully conventional flora or by association with a bile acid deconjugating strain of Streptococcus faecium and/or a filterable agent from chicken droppings showed no significant reduction in uptake of 3-0-methyl-alpha-D-glucopyranose compared with germ-free birds. 2. Association with a microflora increased the weight of the gut per unit length.

Factors influencing the development of Moyamoya phenomenon

Both the Moyamoya Phenomenon and occlusion of the internal carotid fork are essential radiological findings in true Moyamoya Disease of unknown aetiology. However, the Moyamoya Phenomenon is often observed in occlusive diseases of the internal carotid bifurcation of known aetiology. The authors recently observed acute development of the unilateral Moyamoya Phenomenon following severe vasospasm of the anterior and middle cerebral arteries due to rupture of an anterior communicating aneurysm. The following four factors have been suspected of contributing to development of the Moyamoya Phenomenon: 1. The chronology of arterial occlusion. 2. Extent and location of occlusion. 3. The cause of occlusion. 4. Anatomical and functional disposition of the basal circulation. As regards the chronology, chronic or slowly progressive arterial stenosis has been thought to be a mandatory factor in development of a Moyamoya network, which plays an important role in the form of collateral channels. However, based on the findings outlined in this paper, the congenital factor may be the most important of the four factors.

A case of the Kugelberg-Welander syndrome complicated with cardiac lesions

There have been a few reports of cardiac involvement in the Kugelberg-Welander syndrome. We presented a case of this syndrome complicated with cardiomegaly and conduction disturbance. The patient, a 21-year-old woman, had atrial standstill and A-V junctional rhythm. The chest X-ray film showed marked cardiomegaly. The His bundle electrogram revealed that H-V interval was 40 msec. She was treated with implantation of cardiac pacemaker.

[Three cases of traumatic intracerebral hematoma with ventricular hemorrhage (author's transl)]

Three heavy drinkers, the patients fell down stairs while inebriated and were hit on their heads. Utilizing CT, we found that the hematomas in all three cases were accompanied by ventricular hemorrhage which, in two of the cases, were similar to hypertensive intracerebral hematoma in the basal ganglia. None of the three had a history of hypertension. We are of the opinion that the vulnerability of cerebral arteries, especially in the basal ganglia, of such heavy drinkers added to the traumatic force and led to the pathogenic bleeding. We were unable to find a correlation between the intracerebral hematoma and the site of the hit. It is assumed that immediate removal of the hematoma in cases of intracerebral hematoma with ventricular bleeding can result in the survival of the patient.

Effect of variations in blood hydrogen ion concentration on pulmonary gas exchange of artificially ventilated dogs

The effect of variation of blood hydrogen ion concentration on arterial and mixed venous PO2, ideal alveolar-arterial O2 pressure difference (PAiO2--PaO2), venous admixture (Qs/Qt), arterio-alveolar CO2 pressure difference (a--A)DCO2, physiological dead space to tidal volume ratio (VD/VT), cardiac output (Qt) and mean pulmonary arterial pressure (PAP) has been studied. Arterial and mixed venous PO2 increased and (PAiO2--PaO2) decreased with increasing blood hydrogen ion concentration. No change in Qs/Qt, (a--A)DCO2, VD/VT, Qt and PAP was observed. The effect of hydrogen ion concentration on arterial and mixed venous PO2 and on (PAiO2--PaO2) is mainly due to a shift of the blood oxyhemoglobin dissociation curve (ODC), i.e. due to the Bohr effect. The upper part of the ODC is more flat in alkalosis (shift to the left) than in acidosis (shift to the right). Therefore the same end-capillary to arterial O2 content difference results in a greater (PAiO2--PaO2) in alkalosis than in acidosis. Any factor influencing the slope of the upper part of the ODC is expected to affect the arterial PO2 and the (PAiO2--PaO2) by this mechanism. Similarly any factor shifting the steep part of the ODC is expected to affect the PO2 of the mixed venous blood.