Seasonal variation of urinary excretion of total metanephrines

Results of 1414 measurements of urinary excretion of free and conjugated (total) metanephrine and normetanephrine (total metanephrines, tMN) and of 1630 measurements of vanilmandelic acid (VMA) excretion were analysed according to the month of sample collection. These collections had been carried out as a part of a study of hypertension at out institute over the 5-year period between 1970 and 1975. The means and scatters of tMN were significantly varied depending on the season of the year; the mean during 3 months of summer was 380 mug/day and the mean for 3 winter months 800 mug/day. The scatter of tMN in winter months was wider. A minor seasonal variation was observed for VMA: the means of summer and winter months were 3.8 mg/day and 4.5 mg/day, respectively. The results suggest a seasonal difference of catecholamine catabolism.

Penetration of 99mTcO4- into cerebrospinal fluid from blood on brain scintigraphy (author's transl)

It is well known that the permeability of the blood brain barrier and blood cerebrospinal fluid barrier changes more or less in various diseases of the central nervous system. At present, thee is no clinically available index which reflects the alteration of the permeability of the blood brain barrier and blood cerebrospinal fluid barrier. The brain scintiraphy is an examination which detects a breakdown in the blood brain barrier, its clinical usefullness is limited only in a localized and extremely pathological proces of the brain. In this report, a cerebrospinala fluid isotope measurement comined with the brain scintigraphy was presented as a clinical examination for blood brain barrier function. Thirty minutes prior to brain scintigraphy, potassium perchlorate (4 mg/kg) was given orally to reduce the accumulation of 99mTc04-in the choroid plexus and to minimize iradiation for tr other organs. Spinal tap was performed two hours after injection of 99mTc04- according to Haines's method...

Immunohistochemical localization of lactoperoxidase in bovine tissues

Distribution of lactoperoxidase in bovine tissues was investigated by using fluorescent antibody techniques, and immunochemical properties of the enzyme were also examined. As a result of immunodiffusion, two antigenic components were found, but no cross-reactivity between lactoperoxidase and hemoproteins such as catalase, cytochrome c, hemoglobin or ferritin was observed. Lactoperoxidase was found mainly in the cytoplasm of alveolar cells of the mammary gland; in those acinar cells, which were morphologically identical to serous cells, of the sublingual gland; in acinar cells of the lacrimal gland; and also in some peripheral leukocytes and in a small number of splenic cells in the red pulp. Lactoperoxidase in the alveolar and ductal spaces and in some of the ductal epithelia of those glands was observed after ethanol or acidified ethanol fixation but not after formalin fixation. It has been demonstrated by both the present and previous work (Morikawa and Harada (1969)) that lactoperoxidase and liver-catalase were distinguishable in bovine tissues when fluorescent antibody techniques were utilized.