Stomach ulcer and lysosomal cathepsin

Gastric ulcers were induced in rats by i.m. injections of vitamin A, and i.p. injection of histamine, or injections of both vitamin A and histamine. The incidence of ulcer formation was highest in the vitamin A-histamine group. However, ulcer formation also occurred after the administration of vitamin A alone as a lysosomal labilizer. Furthermore, the vitamin A-histamine group showed a remarkably elevated cathepsin activity in the tissue of gastric wall. In the experiments of ulcer formation by vitamin A injections, the specific activity and the enzyme release of cathepsin were elevated already in the early stage after vitamin A administration. Consequently, cathepsin activity in stomach juice was remarkably elevated in the stage of the ulcer formation. In the clinic, the cathepsin activity in the mucous membrane of human gastric wall was remarkably high in the antrum and the angulus of the stomach, in which ulcer formation tends to occur most frequently. In view of these results, cathepsin in the stomach seems to play an important role in the formation of gastric ulcers.

Well-differentiated adenoma at the anorectal junction

Twenty-six cases of patients having adenomatous polyps at the anorectal junction are presented. Most polyps in this region were well-differentiated, and atypical polyps were infrequently seen. Well-differentiated adenomatous polyps in the anorectal junction were larger in average size than ordinary colorectal polyps having the same grade of epithelial pseudostratification. The reason adenomatous polyps at the anorectal junction grow to large sizes with only a relatively rare occurrence of malignant degeneration is discussed in relation to their specific location. Some well-differentiated adenomas were considered to develop secondarily in the bases of hemorrhoids or in pre-existing fibrous polyp that were the end result of hemorrhoids.

The effects of hydrocortisone and glycyrrhizine on the enzyme releases of arylsulfatase and hyaluronidase from lysosomes of liver

Hydrocortisone and glycyrrhizine act as both stabilizers and labilizers of the lysosomes of liver. The effect of both agents on the lysosomes is changeable according to the duration of their administration.

Degradation of arylsulfate by hepatic microsomes

The enzyme liberated by some treatments and the changes in arylsulfatase C activity in chronic hepatic damage were investigated in rat liver. 1. The enzyme activity liberated by ultrasound was the highest in the conditions studied. 2. Arylsulfatase C was assayed using p-nitrophenyl sulfate in 0.25 M Tris/acetate buffer as substrate. It is shown that this method can be used to measure arylsulfatase C activity in a mixture of arylsulfatases A and B. 3. The enzyme is mainly located in the microsomal fraction in rat liver. In toxic hepatic damage, the enzyme activity decreases from the early stage; decreasing markedly in chronic hepatic damage. The activity seems to reflect damage to the microsomes and therefore arylsulfatase C activity can be a good indicator of injury to liver microsomes.

Y-chromatin positive cells in the smear preparations of the gonad from a XX male

An ambisexual male infant showed a normal female karyotype by the leukocyte culture technique in two different occasions. Cultured fibroblasts from the right gonad had also a 46, XX complement. They were Y-chromatin negative. To our surprise, Y-chromatin was observed in 96% of the nuclei in smears from the uncultured gonad. It is emphasized that the examination of the uncultured gonad by the quinacrine technique is mandatory in the study of "XX males".