[Effects of a new minor tranquilizer, 10-chloro-3-methyl-1 1b-(2-chlorophenyl)-2,3,5,6,7,11b-hexahydrobenzo [6,7]-1,4-diazepino [5,4-b]-oxazol-6-one (CS-386), on the after-discharge and behavior induced by electrical stimulation of the amygdala in freely-moving cats (author's transl)]

Effects of a new minor tranquilizer, CS-386, on the after-discharge(AD) and behavior induced by amygdaloid electrical stimulation in freely-moving cats were compared with those of cloxazolam, oxazolam, diazepam, chlordiazepoxide, phenobarbital and chlorphromazine. Effects on change of the AD threshold and duration and on facial twitching, salivation and tonic-clonic convulsion were investigated. CS-386, cloxazolam and oxazolam inhibited amygdaloid AD. CS-386 had the most potent inhibitory effect. These drugs depressed all behavior described above. Diazepam had no effects on the AD threshold, but decreased the AD duration and inhibited the behavior. Chlordiazepoxide had no apparent effects on amygdaloid AD and on facial twitching. Salivation was inhibited with high doses of administration. Phenobarbital shortened the AD duration and at a high dose elevated the AD threshold. This drug also inhibited salivation, but inhibitory effects on other behavior required doses as high as 90 mg/kg. These results suggest that CS-386, cloxazolam and oxazolam are compounds belonging to a classification different from that of chlorpromazine. CS-386 in particular, is a more potent drug chlordiazepoxide, diazepam and phenobarbital and acts on the amygdala itself.

[Role of the adrenergic system in lateral hypothalamic self stimulation behavior: effects induced by intraventricular injection of epinephrine, norepinephrine, isoproterenol and dopamine]

A bipolar electrode was stereotaxically implanted in or near the medial forebrain bundle at the level of the posterior lateral hypothalamus of male albino Wistar-Imamichi rats. The relationship between the adrenergic system and the lateral hypothalamic self-stimulation (SS) behavior was investigated by intraventricular injection (by the use of the modelled hypodermic needle) of catecholamines. l-Epinephrine(Ep), l-norepinephrine (NE) facilitated the SS behavior dose-dependently. On the other hand, l-isoproterenol and dopamine revealed no detectable effects. Phentolamine inhibited the SS behavior, but propranolol had no marked effects. Facilitation by NE for the SS behavior was not induced when the current was cut off at the time of the injection of NE. These results suggest the following: a) the adrenergic or the noradrenergic system in the brain may play a more important role in the positive reinforcement of the lateral hypothalamic SS behavior than does the dopaminergic system. b) The action of Ep or NE may be facilitated through alpha-receptors rather than through beta-receptors. c) Facilitation by NE for the lateral hypothalamic SS behavior may not be due to the non-specific facilitation of lever pressing, but rather may be related to intracranial stimulation.

[Changes in the substantia nigal self-stimulation behavior caused by intraventricular injection of norepinephrine, dopamine and GABA]

A bipolar electrode was stereotaxically implanted in the substantia nigra of male albino Wistar-Imamichi rats. Effects of l-norepinephrine (NE), dopamine (DA) and gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA), injected into the lateral ventricle, on the substantia nigral self-stimulation (SS) behavior, and the effect of alpha- and beta-adrenergic receptor antagonists on the facilitation induced by NE were investigated. NE but not DA facilitated the SS behavior and GABA showed no constant effects on the behavior. Facilitation by NE of SS behavior was inhibited by phentolamine, but not by propranolol. These results suggest that the noradrenergic system in the brain may play a more significant role in the positive reinforcement of the substantia nigral SS behavior than does the dopaminergic or GABA-ergic system, and that the action of NE may be facilitated through alpha-receptors rather than through beta-receptors.

[Effects of psychotropic drugs and the roles of the noradrenergic and dopaminergic systems in the lateral hypothalamic self-stimulation behavior]

A bipolar electrode was stereotaxically implanted in or near the medial forebrain bundle at the level of the posterior lateral hypothalamus of male albino Wistar-Imamichi rats. 1) Two electrode sites implanted in a rat both in the lateral hypothalamus and in the dorsal noradrenaline bundle supported self-stimulation (SS) behavior. 2) Methamphetamine facilitated the SS dose-dependently in the "threshold"-intensity reinforcement. The pretreatment of imipramine enhanced the effects of methamphetamine, but that of chlorpromazine inhibited those effects. Methamphetamine facilitated the SS also in the moderate-intensity reinforcement. Imipramine had no significant effects. On the other hand, chlorpromazine inhibited markedly the SS behavior. 3) FLA63 and U-14,624, dopamine beta-hydroxylase inhibitors, suppressed the SS behavior. Both drugs significantly reduced brain norepinephrine levels. FLA63 significantly increased the levels of dopamine, but the increase with U-14,624 was not significant. 4) Apomorphine, stimulant of dopamine receptor, did not facilitate, but rather suppressed the SS in the "threshold"-intensity reinforcement. 5) l-Norepinephrine injected into the lateral ventricle facilitated the rate of SS, dose-dependently. On the other hand, dopamine had no detectable effects. 7) These results suggest that the noradrenergic system in the brain plays a more important role in the positive reinforcement of the lateral hypothalamic SS behavior than does the dopaminergic system.

[Roles of noradrenergic and dopaminergic systems in the self-stimulation behavior of the substantia nigra]

A bipolar electrode was stereotaxically implanted in the substantia nigra of male albino Wistar-Imamichi rats. 1) Rats lifted and turned their heads and contralateral forelimb towards the contralateral side to the electrode during the substantia nigral self-stimulation (SS) behavior. 2) Methamphetamine facilitated the SS dose-dependently in the "threshold"-intensity reinforcement. The pretreatment of imipramine facilitated the effects of methamphetamine. 3) FLA63 and U-14,624, dopamine beta-hydroxylase inhibitors, suppressed the SS in the moderate-intensity reinforcement. 4) Apomorphine, stimulant of dopamine receptor, did not facilitate, but rather inhibited the SS dose-dependently in the "threshold"-intensity reinforcement. 5) l-Norepinephrine injected into the lateral ventricle facilitated the SS dose-dependently. On the other hand, dopamine had no marked effects. 6) These results suggest that the noradrenergic system in the brain plays a more important role in the positive reinforcement of the substantia nigral SS behavior than does the dopaminergicsystem.

Two cases of plasmacytoma in the oral cavity

Two cases of plasmacytoma in the oral cavity are described. The first case was a plasmacytoma of the palate in a 64-year-old man, which be an oral manifestation of multiple myeloma, with fatal course 17 months after the first examination. The second was a plasmacytoma in a 43-year-old man, manifesting first in the mandible. A review of the recent Japanese dental literature was made: 14 cases were found in the literature exhibiting evidence of plasmacytoma in the oral region. Eight of these patients had oral manifestations of multiple myeloma (IgG myeloma, 3; IgA myeloma, 1; IgD myeloma, 1; B-J myeloma, 1; undetermined, 2). The other six cases were single lesions of plasmacytoma. The ratio of males to females was 1:1. The mandible was more frequently involved than the other oral structures. The site of predilection was the posterior portion of swelling and, less frequently, pain. Surgical treatment was favored in single lesions of plasmacytoma, while in myeloma chemotherapy and a combination of radiotherapy-chemotherapy constituted 75% of treatment.

Molecular size of the diapause hormone of the silkworm Bombyx mori

The diapause hormone (DH) responsible for arrested development of the silkworm Bombix mori consists of two active principles of peptide (A and B). Since both hormones form aggregates in aqueous phases, the molecular weights were determined by gel permeation chromatography of Merckogel OR 6000 using methanol-dichloromethane mixture as the developing agent. Gramicidins and modified peptides soluble in the organic solvents were used as the standard markers for the molecular weight measurements of the hormones. The molecular weights of DH-A and -B are estimated to be 3300 +/- 400 and 2000 +/- 200, respectively.

Cellular kinetics and histological changes in experimental cancer of the uterine cervix

Carcinoma of the mouse uterine cervix was induced by the insertion of 20-methylcholanthrene (MC) thread into the uterine cavity. Through biweekly observations, it was seen that the histopathological carcinogenesis in the cervix was characterized by three distinct changes: normal epithelium, anaplastic epithelium, and carcinoma. The incidence rate of normal epithelium declined sharply in the first 4 weeks, followed by slight decline up to the 20th week of observation. Nevertheless, about 20% of MC-treated mice maintained histologically normal epithelium even at the 20th week. In contrast, the incidence rate of anaplastic epithelium increased sharply in the first 4 weeks and thereafter tended to decline. Carcinoma was first observed at the 4th week, and its incidence rate increased thereafter almost linearly, reaching about 50% of the MC-treated mice at the 20th week. Carcinoma was divided into two groups, the early invasive and the frank invasive types. The former was further subgrouped into epithelial bud, nodular growth, epithelial cord, and mixed type by the mode of stromal invasion. Studies using [3H]thymidine autoradiography on the cell proliferation kinetics in the process of carcinoma development showed that a labeling index became higher as the malignant changes of the epithelium advanced. Moreover, S-phase prolongation was observed with the malignant changes, and the cell cycle time did not differ markedly among normal epithelium (22.8 hr), anaplastic epithelium (23.0 hr), and frank invasive carcinoma (26.1 hr). However, the growth fraction was greatly varied; it was 28% for normal epithelium, 61% for anaplastic epithelium, 100% for early invasive carcinoma, and 100% for frank invasive carcinoma. These results indicate that the growth fraction increases as the malignant changes in the MC-treated mouse uterine cervix.

Increase of serum GH concentration following TRH injection in patients with primary hypothyroidism

The effect of TRH administration on serum GH was studied in 6 normal subjects, 13 patients with primary hypothroidism and 6 thyrotoxic subjects. Although no appreciable changes of serum GH were noted in the normal subjects, TRH administration provoked an increase of serum GH in 6 out of 13 patients with primary hypothyroidism. Serum GH levels in response to TRH administration were decreased in patients who were euthyroid following treatment with a preparation of desiccated thyroid. In patients with hyperthroidism, no significant response of serum GH was observed at 30 or 60 min after TRH administration. Some of the patients with hyperthyroidism showed a slight increase in serum GH at 120 min after TRH injection. These results suggest that hypothalamo-pituitary function regulating GH secretion is altered in patients with primary hypothyroidism.

Examination of acetolysis products of phosphatidylcholine by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry

A comparison of monoacetyldiglycerides obtained from authentic phosphatidylcholines by acetolysis with those obtained by phospholipase C-acetylation was made to examine the intermolecular acyl migration, the intramolecular acyl migration between C-1 and C-2, and the formation of 1,3-isomer in the acetolysis reaction. Egg yolk phosphatidylcholine also was used. It was revealed that is acetolysis, the intermolecular acyl migration and selective degradation of polyunsaturated fatty acids did not take place at all. The intramolecular acyl migration, including the formation of 1,3-isomer, occurred to a small extent. Appreciable difference was not found in comparison of molecular species compositions of monoacetyldiglycerides derived by both methods from egg yolk phosphatidylcholine, except small differences found in the contents of two kinds of molecular species.

[Effect of cyclic AMP and Ca++ on steroidogenesis by rat adrenal mitochondrial fraction. Studies on the mechanism of ACTH action (I) (author's transl)]

Despite the accumulation of a number of studies, the mechanism of action of ACTH remains to be clarified. Although it is now clear that cyclic AMP acts as a intracellular mediator of ACTH action, the mechanism of its action on the stimulation of steroidogenesis is not known. The present studies were carried out to test the hypothesis that cyclic AMP might act directly on adrenal mitochondrial fraction to stimulate the metabolism of cholesterol to pregnenolone and progesterone, and to determine whether Ca++ might modulate the action of cyclic AMP. Adrenal mitochondria were obtained from male Sprague-Dawley rats pretreated with dexamethasone. Steroidogenesis by the mitochondrial fraction from cholesterol-4-14C (0.2-0.25 muCi, 3.6-4.5 mmumole/sample) were measured in a system containing 20 mM tris-HCl buffer (pH 7.4), 11.5 mM NaCl, 15.4 mM KCl, 70 mM sucrose, 10 mM sodium succinate and mitochondrial fraction (0.16-0.22 mg protein/sample). Incubations were performed at 37 degrees C, with shaking, in the presence or absence of cyclic AMP, cyclic GMP and cycloheximide. After incubation, the medium was extracted with chloroform, and the extracts were analyzed by thin-layer chromatography. And the radioactivity of the separated steroids was measured. The products from cholesterol-4-14C were mainly pregnenolone and progesterone, and the other products were almost negligible. Cyclic AMP effected the formation of pregnenolone and progesterone by mitochondria. Cyclic AMP exerted its effect even at low concentrations (5 X 10(-6) approximately 5 X 10(-5)M), which was presumably near the intracellular level. On the other hand, cyclic GMP (5 X 10(-5) M) failed to enhance steroidogenesis. The effect of Ca++ on the action of various concentrations (5 X 10(-6) approximately 3 X 10(-3) M) of cyclic AMP was also clearly demonstrated. Addition of Ca++ (1 mM) to the incubation medium intensified the stimulatory effect of cyclic AMP in each concentration. And in the presence of Ca++, the most effective level of cyclic AMP was shifted from 5 X 10(-4) approximately 3 X 10(-3)M to the lower concentration (5 X 10(-5)M). In addition, cyclic AMP action was modified by the changes in the concentration of Ca++ in the medium. At concentration of 10(-6) M of Ca++, steroid formation of mitochondria was maximally activated by cyclic AMP. These observations suggest that cyclic AMP enhances steroidogenesis by acting directly on adrenal mitochondria to stimulate pregnenolone and progesterone formation from cholesterol, and that Ca++ plays a significant role in its action.

[Studies on the responsiveness of human adrenocortical tumors to ACTH the clinical and experimental observations (author's transl)]

Six cases of Cushing's syndrome with adrenocortical tumors which showed a variety of responsiveness to ACTH were investigated in relation to their clinical pictures and laboratory findings. Abnormal responses to ACTH in tumors was analyzed by in vitro experiments with surgically obtained tumor tissues, and the ACTH responsive mechanism of the tumors was discussed. An 8 hour intravenous ACTH infusion test showed that three of these patients were ACTH responsive, and the other three unresponsive. Histological observation of the tumors revealed that ACTH responsive tumors were adenomas and that ACTH unresponsive tumors were "black adenomas" in two and a carcinoma in one. To investigate possible factors which might account for these differences in ACTH responsiveness, tumor specimens of each one of the responsive and unresponsive adenomas, and a carcinoma were subjected to in vitro studies. When incubated with ACTH or cyclic AMP, tissue sections of a responsive adenoma enhanced cortisol secretion, while that of a black adenoma failed to show any change. Steroidogenesis by carcinoma sections were significantly suppressed in the presence of ACTH or cyclic AMP. Cycloheximide abolished a stimulatory effect of ACTH and cyclic AMP on steroidogenesis in a responsive adenoma without affecting its basal secretion of cortisol. Steroidogenesis by unresponsive tumors (an adenoma and a carcinoma) were decreased by cycloheximide. Since the conversion of cholesterol to pregnenolone, the rate limiting step in steroidogenesis, takes place in adrenal mitochondria, the effect of cyclic AMP on pregnenolone formation from 14C-cholesterol by mitochondrial fractions of these tumors was examined. Cyclic AMP stimulated pregnenolone formation by mitochondrial fraction of an ACTH responsive adenoma, while with that of an unresponsive adenoma pregnenolone formation was not affected. Pregnenolone formation by cancer mitochondria was significantly suppressed by cyclic AMP. These results suggest that the unresponsiveness to ACTH of these tumors might be explained by the ineffectiveness of cyclic AMP to stimulate pregnenolone formation by tumor mitochondria, and that the steroidogenic pathway in unresponsive tumors are in an enhanced state even without cyclic AMP. It should be mentioned that all unresponsive adenomas gave a characteristic appearance of a "black adenoma". Histologically, tumors were composed of compact cells with abundant lipofuscin granules. The possible relationship between the ACTH responsiveness of adrenocortical tumors and some clinical pictures caused by them was also noticed. ACTH unresponsive adenomas resulted in shorter duration, severer conditions of the disease and higher 17-ketosteroid excretion than responsive adenomas. The growth of unresponsive tumors seemed faster than that of responsive ones.

Abnormal response of thyrotrophin and growth hormone to thyrotrophin releasing hormone in chronic renal failure

Serum levels of TSH and GH were measured by radioimmunoassay after iv injection of 500 mug of TRH in 9 undialysed patients and 12 dialysed patients with chronic renal failure and in 6 healthy subjects. The basal level of the serum TSH was significantly higher in patients with chronic renal failure than that in healthy subjects. In healthy subjects, serum TSH rose to a maximum level 30 min after TRH injection, while in patients with chronic renal failure, serum TSH rose to a maximum level 60 min after TRH injection. The mean maximum increment of serum TSH in healthy subjects was significantly higher than that in patients with chronic renal failure. Although TSH levels rapidly decreased after initial rise at 30 min after TRH administration in healthy subjects, these did not show significant changes at 60 and 120 min compared with values at 30 min after TRH administration in both dialysed and undialysed patients. The basal level of serum GH was significantly higher in dialysed patients with chronic renal failure than in healthy subjects. Serum GH level was much higher in dialysed patients at 30 min after TRH INJECTION COMPARED WITH THAT IN HEALTHY SUBJECTS. These findings may indicate that the response of the pituitary to TRH is abnormal and that the turnover of TSH and GH is decreased in patients with chronic renal failure.