Core/targetoid fibres and multiple cytoplasmic bodies in organophosphate neuropathy

From correlated histochemical and ultrastructural investigations of biopsy specimens of a rare case with delayed-onset neuropathy due to organophosphate (Dipterex) intoxication, several pathological characteristics were recognized in the muscle fibres. Most striking was concurrence of core/targetoids and multiple cytoplasmic bodies in the same fibres. Foci of markedly reduced or absent oxidative enzyme activity were revealed in 71.6% of type I fibres and in 3.4% of type II fibres. Most of those foci were two-zoned core/targetoids. Cytoplasmic bodies were also revealed selectively in type I fibres contrary to the previous reports. Targets, targetoids, cores and multicores were suggested to be strongly related to each other pathogenetically and to be due to the disturbance of some neurotrophic influences. In the biopsy specimen taken 220 days after exposure to the drug, numerous sarcoplasmic masses were revealed, and they were very likely to represent special forms of regeneration.

[Endocrinological evaluation of sellar and suprasellar tumor cases (the ninth report)--on the PRL levels in the CSF (author's transl)]

Prolactin (PRL) levels in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and plasma of 25 patients with sellar and suprasellar tumors, i.e. 5 of PRL secreting adenoma, 5 of GH secreting adenoma, 7 of so-called non-functioning pituitary adenoma, 5 of tuberculum sellae meningioma and 3 of craniopharyngioma, were studied in relation to the size of suprasellar extension measured by our own method on pneumoencephalograms. Plasma and CSF samples were obtained simultaneously at the time of lumbar puncture for pneumoencephalography. 1) Five patients of PRL secreting adenoma, whose plasma PRL levels ranged from 530 to 4,000 ng/ml, showed high PRL levels over 50 ng/ml in the CSF. On the contrary, 20 patients of the other tumors, whose plasma PRL levels were lower than 30 ng/ml, showed low PRL levels in th4 CSF, being below the sensitivity limit in the majority. 2) In 3 out of 5 PRL secreting adenomas, the PRL level in the CSF was higher than the plasma level and they showed a fairly large extrasellar extension. However in the remaining 2 the PRL level in the CSF was lower than a tenth of that in the plasma, and these revealed relatively small suprasellar extension. From these facts the presence of PRL at a high level in the CSF seems to be specific in the PRL secreting adenomas, and there seems to be a relationship between the CSF-plasma ratio of PRL level and the extrasellar extension in these cases.

[A case of deep sylvian meningioma (author's transl)]

So called intracerebral or subcortical meningioma with no relation to the ventricles is extremely rare. In 1938 Cushing and Eisenhardt reported two cases of this type of tumor as "Deep Sylvian Meningiomas" The authors reported a case of "deep sylvian meningioma" because of its rarity and interesting diagnostical questions, and 16 cases reported in the literature were reviewed.

Spontaneous rupture of the esophagus. Report of two cases successfully treated by intravenous high caloric nutrition and review of 59 cases collected from Japanese literature

For the period from 1951 through 1975, 4 cases of spontaneous rupture of the esophagus have been successfully treated at the IInd Department of Surgery, Tohoku University Hospital, Sendai, Japan. Two cases of them conservatively treated with intravenous high caloric nutrition were reported. Fifty-nine Japanese cases of spontaneous rupture of the esophagus were reviewed. Symptoms, diagnosis, treatment and prognosis of the disease were discussed.

Role of pontine tegmentum for locomotor control in mesencephalic cat

1. An attempt has been made to elucidate how direct stimulation of the mesencephalic locomotor region (MLR, with Horsley-Clarke coordinates P2, L4, and H0) is transmitted through the pons to the spinal cord where a stepping generator is presumed to exist. 2. A longitudinal strip, termed the "pontine locomotor region" (PLR), was identified. It extends ventrocaudally throughout the lateral pontine tegmentum (P3-P9, L4 and about 2 mm beneath the floor of the IVth ventricle). 3. Stimulation of this locomotor strip at P4-5 and P8-9 levels generated hindlimb stepping or four-legged locomotion on a treadmill similar to that elicited by MLR stimulation. However, "PLR stepping" was more often accompanied by spasticity of the hindlimbs. Stimulation of the pontine strip at the P6-7 level produced stepping accompanied by an opening of the mouth. 4. Subthreshold MLR stimulation together with subthreshold PLR stimulation generated locomotion. Ipsilateral and contralateral MLR-PLR stimulations were of equal effectiveness for the generation of locomotion. 5. Stimulation of rostral (P3-6), but not caudal (P6-9), parts of the PLR evoked field potentials in the MLR with two negative components. The points at which these potentials were evoked with minimum current were usually coincident with the best points for eliciting locomotion. Short-latency monophasic negative potentials were evoked in the rostral part of the PLR by MLR stimulation. 6. Locomotion elicited by stimulation of either the MLR or the PLR was suppressed by stimulation within a midpontine region, 1.5-2.0 mm beneath the floor of the IVth ventricle (P6-7, L0-0.5, H-5 to -6). Stimulation applied to the close vicinity of this "inhibitory" region did not evoke field potentials in the MLR. 7. In some animals stimulation between the inhibitory region and the underlying PLR could facilitate locomotion elicited by MLR stimulation, although no stepping was produced by such stimulation alone.

Humoral antibody response in rat renal allotransplantation

Female inbred Fischer (F344) rats were grafted with kidneys from female BN rats. Humoral antibodies in some of the recipients were demonstrated as early as 3 days after transplantation: (1) antibodies bound to the graft were detected by mixed agglutination tests with graft sections and erythrocytes of the donor as indicator cells; (2) lytic and agglutinating antibodies against donor strain erythrocytes were demonstrated in the recipients' sera by hemolysis in agar gel and dextran hemagglutination tests; and (3) similar antibodies secreted by a significant number of cells were detected in the recipients' spleens by plaque assay. The antibody response of the recipients was directed against a single antigen, designated N, which was shown to be present on erythrocytes of 57% of Fischer strain rats and was shared by erythrocytes of all rat strains tested (BN, Lewis, Wistar, ACI, MAXX, and Buffalo). The N antigen did not seem to belong to any known rat histocompatibility antigen system. Segregation of the gene coding for this antigen within the Fischer strain would indicate residual genetic heterogeneity. Evidence was presented that this antigen is present not only on erythrocytes, but also on other cells including splenocytes.

[Clinical evaluation on glucocorticoid administration in neurosurgical patients (author's transl)]

Anterior pituitary function tests (ITT, TRH test and LH-RH test) were performed on 10 patients with intracranial lesions other than hypothalamo-pituitary tumors. These lesions were 8 brain tumors and 2 aneurysms. Relatively high doses of glucocorticoid were administered in pre- and post-operative period to all the cases. Preoperative study showed a slightly low response of GH and FSH in one case and a low TSH response in 2 cases. ACTH, LH and PRL were normal in all the cases. Postoperative study was performed about 10 days after ceasing of glucocorticoid. Postoperative data revealed that anterior pituitary function tests did not show any significant changes after surgeries in all the patients.

Identification and determination of phthalate esters in river water by high-performance liquid chromatography

The use of three separation modes (normal and reversed-phase adsorption chromatography and gel chromatography) with an ultraviolet absorption detector of variable wavelength provides the basis for a very sensitive method for the determination of phthalate esters in river water. Phthalates in river water were extracted with n-hexane and the extract was injected into three chromatographic systems [porous polymer beads-n-hexane (at 224 nm); porous polymer beads-methanol (at 224 nm); and polystyrene GPC gel-chloroform (at 243 nm)] without any pre-treatment such as clean-up concentration. Average concentrations of approximately 45 ppb of di-n-butyl phthalate (DBP) and 10 ppb of di-2-ethylhexyl phthalate (DOP) were found in a given river water. Phthalate concentrations as low as 2 ppb could be determined. The limit of determination could be lowered by the use of concentration process. The absolute detection limit was 2 ng of DOP at 224 nm.

Postmortem study of a case of Werner's syndrome

The postmortem study of a classic case of Werner's syndrome is presented. The subject was a Japanese man who died at the age of 39. Major findings included general microsplanchnia, extreme atrophy of the testes and skin, calcified aortic atherosclerosis, an increase of basophils in the pituitary, aspiration pneumonia, chronic pyelonephritis and a meningioma in the occipital area of the brain. Histologically, no osteoporosis was evident in the lumbar spine and iliac bone. The findings suggest that in Werner's syndrome the dominant pathologic factor may be found in connective tissue other than bone.

Microbial transformation of antibiotics II. Additional transformation products of maridomycin III

Streptomyces sp. strain No. K-245 was found to transform maridomycin III into four derivatives (A1, A2, A3 and A4) in addition to the transformation products reported previously. Isolation of the main product A1 was carried out by column chromatography on silica gel developed with CHCl3-MeOH (19:1). From the partial investigation of the structure of A1, it proved to have a C-18-aldehyde group and C 4''-propionyl group but no antimicrobial activity. The relationships between A group's derivatives and known derivatives of maridomycin III are also discussed.

Endocrinological evaluation of sellar and suprasellar tumor cases (the eighth report)--on growth hormone secretion of acromegalic patients before treatment (author's transl)

Serum GH levels were measured in 14 acromegalic patients in ITT, TRH test, LH-RH test, arginine test, OGTT, exercise test, CPZ test and PEG. More than 50% increase of serum GH level was observed in 3 of 13 ITT, 8 of 14 TRH test, 6 of 14 LH-RH test, 2 of 12 arginine test, 2 of 9 OGTT and 2 of 7 PEG. Only 2 out of 7 cases showed more than 50% decrease of serum GH level in CPZ test. Striking GH responses were observed in TRH and LH-RH test. Five of 14 cases showed more than 100% increase of serum GH level in TRH test but they did not have a significant response to LH-RH. Four of 14 cases also had more than 100% increase in LH-RH test with no significant response to TRH. The rest of the cases (5 cases) did not have marked response to either TRH or LH-RH. According to these results, serum GH responses of acromegalic patients could be devided into 30 types, 1) TRH responding type, 2) LH-RH responding type, 3) no response type.

[Endocrinological evaluation of sellar and suprasellar tumor cases (the seventh report)--endcrinological study on four cases of pituitary adenoma with intratumoral hemorrhage (author's transl)]

Four cases of pituitary adenoma with intratumoral hemorrhage were studied endocrinologically. 1) It would be suggested that ACTH and TSH secretion of these cases was strongly impaired but LH, FSH and PRL secretion was fairly preserved immediately after hemorrhagic episode. 2) Two of these four cases revealed normal TSH secretion and normal thyroid function following the period of excessive TSH secretion and impaired thyroid function.

Exaggeration of knee-jerk following spinal hemisection in monkeys

In 18 monkeys ipsilateral flaccid hemiplegia of the hind-limb was produced by spinal cord hemisection at T8. As a result of systematic observations of various phenomena subsequent to the hemisection for several months, it was found that an ipsilateral marked exaggeration of the knee-jerk gradually developed in 2--3 weeks after the infliction, along with slight atrophy of the hind-limb muscles on the same side. The exaggeration reached a maximum in about 6 weeks and persisted thereafter for several months until the final experiments. The exaggeration of knee-jerk was confirmed by measuring quantitatively photographed trajectories of a small lamp attached to the malleolus, a specially devised hammer being used. The trajectories showed larger amplitudes, shorter rise times and lower thresholds on the hemisected side. Achilles tendon reflex was also observed to be hyperactive. However, there was no evidence of other pathological phenomena such as clonus or Babinski's sign in the present experiment. It was noted that total spinal cord transection one segment below the hemisected site did not abolish the exaggeration of knee-jerk. Another noticeable finding was that quadriceps afferent volleys picked up from the L6 dorsal root following tendon taps were smaller on the hemisected side, in spite of the fact that distinct augmented reflex potentials were observed in the ipsilateral L6 ventral root. These results strongly suggest that the exaggeration of knee-jerk was not induced by a release from tonic supraspinal inhibition nor by augmented quadriceps afferent volleys, but by some neural mechanisms which developed gradually within the lumbo-sacral segments below the hemisected site.

Müller cell function during spreading depression in frog retina

K+ potentials were investigated using K+ microelectrodes in frog (Rana pipiens) retinas conditioned for spreading depression (SD) by Cl--free Ringer's solution. A marked increase in outside K+ concentration, [K+]O, maximal in the inner plexiform layer, was observed during SD. This [K+]o change resembled the simultaneously recorded membrane potential change in Müller cells, suggesting that these cells act as K+ electrodes. Intracellular recording with K+ electrodes in Müller cells showed that upon SD the [K+]i (inside) of Müller cells increases and therefore immediately starts to cleanse the extracellular space of the excess of K+ which, evidence suggests, is mainly caused by pathologically enhanced synaptic activity in the inner plexiform layer.

Ascending long spinal actions on forelimb motoneurons in the acute spinal cat

Ascending long spinal reflex system were investigated by means of monosynaptic reflex testing in the acutely spinalized unanesthetized cat. 1. Hindlimb nerve stimulation gave bilateral facilitatory effects on the motoneuron pools of pectoralis major and physiological flexors of the forelimb such as biceps brachii, extensor carpi radialis, extensor digitorum communis, but elicited depressive effects on the physiological extensors such as triceps brachii, flexor carpi radialis, flexor digitorum profundus. 2. In the latissimus dorsi, which is the antagonist of pectoralis major, a depressive effect was elicited by the stimulation of ipsilateral hindlimb nerves, and a facilitatory effect by contralateral stimulation. 3. These effects were evoked mainly from group II afferent fibers in muscle as well as cutaneous nerves. 4. Intracellular recordings from motoneurons of extensor carpi radialis revealed EPSPs following stimulation of hindlimb nerves with time courses corresponding to those of the facilitatory effects. We failed to detect any potential changes in the motoneurons of flexor carpi radialis following stimulation of hindlimb nerves.

[Endocrinological evaluation of sellar and suprasellar tumor cases (author's transl)]

1) Pituitary function of 9 cases of tuberculum sellae meningioma was examined, before and after surgery (3 weeks, 1 year and 2 years after surgery). 2) In all cases ACTH, LH, FSH and prolactin responses were normal throughout pre- and postoperative courses. 3) GH and TSH were normoreactive in almost all cases preoperatively. Postoperatively GH and TSH were hyporeactive 3 weeks after surgery, but recovered to normal 1 or 2 years after surgery.

[Endocrinological evaluation of seller and suprasellar tumor cases (the third report)-on secreting chromophobe adenoma (author's transl)]

1) Nine of 25 cases of chromophobe adenoma revealed abnormally high plasma prolactin level. The plasma prolactin level of these 9 cases ranged from 5300 to 15000 ng/ml, and those of other 16 cases ranged from negligible to 53 ng/ml. 2) Five cases with abnormally high plasma prolactin level had a poor clinical course. 3) Quantitative determination on PEG according to our own method showed that tumor size of these patients with abnormally high plasma prolactin level was larger than that of relatively lower plasma prolactin level. 4) Three of all 25 cases of chromophobe adenoma were histologically diagnosed as pleomorphic. Each of those three cases showed abnormally high plasma prolactin level.

[Endocrinological evaluation of sellar and suprasellar tumor cases (the 2nd report);--on postoperative pituitary function (author's transl)]

Fifty-six cases of sellar and suprasellar tumors were examined endocrinologically before and 3 weeks after surgery. 1) Hyporeactive cases of GH & ACTH were more frequently found in pituitary adenoma (100% and 23% respectively than in craniopharyngioma (86% and 14% respectively) before surgery. 2) GH secretion was impaired 3 weeks after surgery in all the cases. 3) ACTH secretion impaired preoperatively in 5 cases of pituitary adenoma improved in 3 cases 3 weeks after surgery. 4) Hyporeactivity of LH, FSH and TSH was found more frequently after surgery than before. 5) Almost all the cases of tuberculum sellae meningioma were endocrinologically normal before surgery. 6) ACTH, LH, FSH and prolactin secretion in cases of tuberculum sellae meningioma was not impaired after surgery, but TSH secretion in these cases became hyporeative in 4 of 5 cases after surgery.

Heterophile antigen detectable by infectious mononucleosis sera on bone marrow cells

By means of mixed agglutination test and indirect immunofluorescence test, reactions of infectious mononucleosis sera with bone marrow cells were investigated. Positive reactions were observed with bovine, murine and rat bone marrow cells, but negative results were obtained with cells of monkeys and guinea pigs. Absorption studies demonstrated that the observed reactions are due to interaction of the Paul-Bunnell antigen on bone marrow cells with its corresponding antibodies in infectious mononucleosis sera. Whereas all cells of bovine bone marrow gave positive results, only 50% of murine or rat cells were positive and these cells were shown to be neutrophilic granulocytes. Evidence was also presented that the Paul-Bunnell antigen and Fc receptor are present, apart from each other, on murine neutrophilic granulocytes.

Microelectrode study of spreading depression (SD) in frog retina--general observations of field potential associated with SD

Using microelectrodes, the field potential change associated with SD (SDP) was recorded from frog retinas conditioned with Cl-free Ringer's. In such retinas, SDP was induced by light or chemical agents such as glutamate, aspartate and K+. The chemicals, when applied iontophoretically, produced a local graded response which eventually triggered SDP. A potential similar to the local response to chemicals was often discerned on the rising phase of SDPs produced by light or occurring spontaneously. The SDP was maximal across an innermost retinal layer 50 mum or less in thickness with the intraretinal polarity predominantly negative, indicating that the major sink of SDP is in the inner plexiform layer. The influence of SDP on the receptor potential was relatively small, but the other components completely disappeared at the beginning of SDP, recovering gradually thereafter. Concomitantly, a strong depolarization occurred in the ganglion cells. Stimulation of the optic nerve could induce SDP, but nerve impulse activity is not important for SDP because tetrodotoxin was unable to prevent SDP due to light or chemical agents.

Microelectrode study of spreading depression (SD) in frog retina-Müller cell activity and [K+] during SD--

By means of K+ microelectrodes, K+ potentials and [K+] were studied in frog retinas conditioned for SD by CL--free Ringer's. A marked increase in [K+]o was observed during SD, the increase being maximal in the inner plexiform layer (up to 50 mM or more) and subsiding towards the distal retina. The extracellular K+ potential change during SD and also the graded K+ potential changes produced locally by iontophoretic injection of SD-stimulant chemicals resembled the membrane potential changes in Müller cells under the same conditions, suggesting that the Müller cells act as K+ electrodes. In retinas conditioned by Cl--free Ringer's Müller cells were swollen. This allowed intracellular recording with K+ electrodes in Müller cells to reveal that upon SD the Müller cells immediately start to cleanse the extracellular space of excess K+ which is probably a product of pathologically enhanced synaptic activity in the inner plexiform layer. The mechanism of SDP, the field potential change associated with SD, is discussed from a proposed model.

Effect of prolonged LH-releasing hormone administration on gonadotropin response in patients with hypothalamic and pituitary tumors

The effect of prolonged administration of synthetic LH-RH (400 mug daily im for 5 days) on gonadotropin response to LH-RH (100 mug single injection iv) was compared in 13 patients with pituitary tumors or suprasellar tumors. No patients with pituitary tumors exhibited an augmented response on serum FSH and LH after prolonged LH-RH administration. A paradoxical fall in response to LH-RH test occurred in 3 patients with pituitary tumors and in a patient with hypothalamic tumor in whom gonadotropin responses were normal on the first LH-RH test. On the other hand, 2 patients with suprasellar tumors with a low response to the initial LH-RH test showed significant increase on a second LH-RHtest after consecutive LH-RH administration. Consecutive administration of LH-RH may help to distinguish between the hypogonadism of pituitary origin and that of hypothalamic origin when the initial LH response to a single dose of LH-RH is subnormal.

Entrainment of motor-unit discharges as a neuronal mechanism of synchronization

The neuronal mechanism which gives rise to the synchronization of motor-unit discharges has been inferred from an analysis of the interspike intervals of individual motor-unit discharges recorded from the soleus muscle. The motor units were divided into two groups on the basis of characteristic changes in their spike trains. The first group maintained a stationary discharge pattern throughout the process of synchronization with a firing rate of approximately 10 spikes/s. Small unidentified units simultaneously recorded gradually grouped around the individual spikes of the first group motor unit and with this process, high-frequency force oscillation appeared phase-locked with each of grouped discharges. The mean period of force oscillation was almost identical to the mean discharge interval. Therefore, the first group motor unit was considered as a pacemaker of this force-oscillation. The second group motor unit underwent from its initially stationary process to a transitional process characterized by spike dropouts from an otherwise regular spike train. When both groups of motor units were recorded by the same electrode, it was found that the firing rate of the second group motor unit discharges gradually approached that of the first group, and the spikes of the first and the second group motor units occurred near or at the same time. The number of double intervals decreased in a highly predictable fashion with an increase in a firing rate. It was furthermore observed that the spikes of a given motor unit whose discharges interval-to-period ratio is smaller at the beginning of transitional process was entrained to the first group motor-unit discharges with a faster time course than the unit whose discharge interval-to-period ratio is larger. The synchronizing process was described from the relations between shorter discharge interval-to-period ratios and the longer-to-shorter interval ratios obtained at several stages from the beginning of transitional process to the final synchronization. Their relations were best drawn by the second-order regression lines. The faster time course of synchronization was reflected in the larger value of coefficient a in the equation. The results of this and previous study (23) further provided evidence to justify that interaction of motor-unit discharges is responsible for the synchronization. Although the neuronal limiting device of the firing-rate control to approximately 10 spikes/s still remains unsolved, the possibility was considered that a disinhibitory neuronal network first acts to synchronize independently firing motoneurons and leads to the oscillation of the stretch reflex loop. This closed-loop system was considered as a site for the stored motor program and the use of disinhibitory neuronal network was discussed in relation to the Harmon's model of neuromimes.

I. Isolation and characterization of the transformation products of maridomycin III

Three transformation products of maridomycin (MDM) III, a macrolide antibiotic, by Streptomyces lavendulae were isolated by silica gel and alumina chromatography, and designated as spots 1 (starting MDM III), 2, 3 and 4, in the order of their decreasing Rf values on thin-layer chromatogram. By mass- and NMR-spectrometry and thin-layer chromatography, spot 2 was identified as 18-dihydro-MDM III, spot 3 as 4''-depropionyl-MDM III, and spot 4 as 18-dihydro-4''-depropionyl-MDM III. The relationship between starting MDM III and these transformation products were also discussed.