Possible mechanisms of diethyldithiocarbamate-induced gastro-duodenal mucosal damage in rats

A single s.c. injection of diethyldithiocarbamate (DDC, 1 g/kg) induced not only gastric but also duodenal mucosal damage in rats. DDC induced marked decreases in gastric acid output, gastro-duodenal mucosal blood flow and transmucosal potential difference prior to the development of mucosal lesions. Superoxide dismutase activity in the gastro-duodenal mucosa was also inhibited, while catalase and glutathione peroxidase activities gradually increased after the administration of DDC. These results suggest that a decrease in mucosal defensive mechanisms plays an important role in the development of DDC-induced gastro-duodenal mucosal damage and that oxygen-derived free radicals may also participate in the development of this mucosal damage.

Healing process of experimental esophageal ulcers induced by acetic acid in rats

We studied the healing of acetic acid-induced esophageal ulcers in rats with respect to the cellular kinetics. Esophageal ulcers were induced by topical application of acetic acid to the serosal surface. Well-demarcated circular or elliptical ulcers had developed by day 3 after the acid treatment. These ulcers began to decrease in size from day 7 and had healed by day 14. Histological and cellular kinetic findings, with bromodeoxyuridine (BrdU), were degeneration of the esophageal mucosa on day 1 and ulcer formation on day 3, with an increase in the number of BrdU-labeled cells in the esophageal mucosa around the ulcer. On day 7, regenerated epithelium was found to extend towards the ulcer base and the regenerated epithelium had become thicker, with papilla formation, by day 10. On day 14, the ulcer base was covered with thickened regenerated mucosa, with a decrease in the number of BrdU-labeled cells. Marked proliferative activity of the regenerated mucosa and thickening of the esophageal mucosa, with papilla formation, were observed during the healing process.

Autoradiographic study on healing process of cysteamine-induced duodenal ulcer in rat. Possible importance of Brunner's glands in ulcer healing

The healing process of cysteamine-induced duodenal ulcer was studied by [3H]thymidine autoradiography. After the development of ulcer in the duodenum, cell proliferation was markedly activated not only in the crypts but also in the Brunner's glands near the ulcer. In the initial stages of ulcer healing, they both contributed to form the surface covering regenerating epithelium. Granulation tissue also proliferated at the base of the ulcer. In later stages of ulcer healing, new crypts were formed in the floor of the ulcer. New villi regenerated from these crypts and Brunner's glands regenerated by proliferation in situ. The ulcer base then was completely covered with new villi and granulation tissue was replaced by dense fibrous connective tissue. The present study suggested that the Brunner's glands, together with the crypts of Lieberkühn, play an important role in the healing process of cysteamine-induced duodenal ulcer.

[Hemostatic changes during pregnancy in reference to hyperlipidemia]

Blood coagulation and fibrinolysis in pregnancy with or without hyperlipidemia were studied. Blood samples were taken from 36 cases with early pregnancy, 59 cases with late pregnancy, and the relationship between the hemostatic changes and the concentrations of lipids was examined. The following results were obtained: 1. In early pregnancy, all cases were non-hyperlipidemic, but in 41% of late pregnancy cases, hyperlipidemia was found. 2. In late pregnancy without hyperlipidemia, shortening of prothrombin time and activated partial thromboplastin time, increases in platelet epinephrine, collagen aggregation, fibrinogen, and plasminogen, and a decrease in alpha 2-plasmin inhibitor were marked compared with those in early pregnancy without hyperlipidemia. 3. In late pregnancy with hyperlipidemia, the platelet count and fibrinogen were increased, and prothrombin and activated partial thromboplastin time were shortened compared with late pregnancy without hyperlipidemia. The platelet epinephrine aggregation was slightly decreased. Antithrombin III was increased and alpha 2-plasmin inhibitor was slightly decreased. 4. In the same subjects, the relationship between changes in blood coagulation and fibrinolysis in early and late pregnancies and total cholesterol was studied by the independent matched pair test. There were significant correlations (p less than 0.02, p less than 0.05) between activated partial thromboplastin time (r = -0.5998) and fibrinogen (r = 0.6230). From these results the author concluded that late pregnancy was a hypercoagulable state and this tendency was more obvious in late pregnancy with hyperlipidemia.

[A complete response in squamous cell carcinoma of the lung to combination chemotherapy by cisplatin and vindesine]

A 75-year-old male was admitted to our hospital for further investigation of a large mass shadow in the left hilum that was seen on an X-ray film of his chest. Cytological examination of his sputum revealed keratinized squamous cell carcinoma and combination chemotherapy using cisplatin and vindesine was administered. Later, both a chest X-ray and a CT scan showed a remarkable reduction in the size of the lung cancer. Complete response was obtained on the 90th hospital day, and was maintained with UFT administration. No sign of recurrence has been observed for over 9 months.

Choice of extraction procedure for estimation of anterior pituitary hormone content

Searching for the best procedure for simultaneous estimation of the anterior pituitary hormones, extraction efficiencies of various media, additives such as urea and triton X-100, and physical treatments such as freezing-thawing (F-T) and sonication, were examined by measuring prolactin (PRL), growth hormone (GH), lutropin (LH), follitropin (FSH), and thyrotropin (TSH) in the extracts. Ethanolic media (60% EtOH) gave high yields of PRL at neutral to alkaline pH, but poor extraction of GH accompanied by a marked loss of its immunoreactivity during storage. Ethanolic media also gave a poor yield of LH even at high pH. Aqueous media like PBS at various pH, 0.1 M acetic acid and distilled water were considerably effective in the extraction of GH, LH, FSH and TSH if they were coupled with F-T and sonication. However, high yields of PRL could not be obtained with these aqueous media even with F-T and sonication. Hartree's 40% EtOH-6% ammonium acetate, pH 5.1, solubilized considerable amounts of glycoprotein hormones, but yielded almost no GH and only a small amount of PRL. The addition of triton X-100 to PBS (pH 7) at 0.1% resulted in the maximum extraction of glycoprotein hormones with homogenization and F-T, but further sonication was necessary for GH and PRL. When the anterior pituitaries were homogenized and frozen-thawed in PBS (pH 7) containing 1 M urea, yields of PRL, GH, LH, FSH, and TSH were maximum, and sonication did not cause any additional extraction, indicating that this procedure, i.e. homogenization and F-T in 1 M urea-PBS, would be the best for the simultaneous estimation of these anterior pituitary hormones.

[Study on serum TSH and its response to TRH measured by a high sensitive immunoradiometric assay during and after pregnancy]

With a new highly sensitive immunoradiometric assay (IRMA), serum thyrotropin (TSH) concentrations were determined in 213 healthy pregnant women. Serum free thyroxine (FT4) and human chorionic gonadotropin (HCG) levels were also measured in the same individuals. The mean serum TSH value in the 1st trimester was 0.8 microU/ml and significantly lower than those of the other three periods and non-pregnant women. Seventeen of 77 (22.1%) and 2 of 128 (1.6%) subjects in the 1st and 3rd trimester, respectively, had an undetectable serum TSH value (less than 0.1 microU/ml) with normal or slightly elevated serum FT4 levels and these pregnant women had no clinical signs or symptoms of thyrotoxicosis. Significant positive correlations were found between serum FT4 and HCG in the 1st and 3rd trimester. In 13 subjects whose serum basal TSH values had been less than 0.1 microU/ml, the thyrotropin-releasing hormone (TRH) stimulation test was performed. Two of 4 subjects in the 1st trimester and one of 8 subjects in the 2nd trimester did not respond to TRH and their serum TSH values before TRH administration were less than 0.1 microU/ml. Although the exact mechanism of blunted TSH response to TRH is not clear, the feedback suppression of serum TSH by slightly elevated serum FT4 concentrations may occur early in pregnancy. However, in the 3rd trimester serum FT4 values fell below the reference range without an elevation of serum TSH. Other factors regulating the secretion of TSH during pregnancy can be postulated.

Development of capillary networks from rat microvascular fragments in vitro: the role of myofibroblastic cells

A new model useful for studying capillary growth in vitro is described. When the microvessel fragments and accompanying single cells (myofibroblastic cells) from rat epididymal fat pads were co-cultivated, the myofibroblastic cells initially began to grow and reached confluence. A few days later, endothelial cells started to sprout from the vessel fragments, forming cellular cord networks on and in the multilayered myofibroblastic cells. Ultrastructurally, the lumina, surrounded by the endothelial cells having intercellular junctions, were observed at cross-sectioned cellular cords. The growth of cellular cords from the fragments always occurred after the myofibroblastic cells had reached confluence. The medium conditioned to isolated rat myofibroblastic cells stimulated not only the proliferation of the endothelial cells from the bovine capillary and human vein but also the migration of bovine capillary endothelial cells in vitro. Moreover, the extracellular matrix produced by rat myofibroblastic cells modulated the morphology of bovine capillary endothelial cells to a cordlike shape. These observations strongly suggest that the formation of the capillary in vitro is induced by myofibroblastic cells.

[A study of intrapartum and postpartum bleeding based on changes in blood coagulation and fibrinolysis during pregnancy]

The relationship between changes in blood coagulation and fibrinolysis during pregnancy and intrapartum-postpartum bleeding was studied as a trial prediction of abnormal bleeding during vaginal delivery in 27 subjects without any complications. The following results were obtained: In the third trimester, shortening of prothrombin time and activated partial thromboplastin time, increases in fibrinogen, platelet epinephrine, collagen aggregation, and plasminogen, and a decrease in alpha 2-plasmin inhibitor were marked as compared with those in the first trimester. In the same subjects, the relationship between changes in blood coagulation and fibrinolysis in the first and third trimesters and intrapartum-postpartum bleeding was studied by the independent matched pair test. There were significant correlations (p less than 0.005, p less than 0.001) between prothrombin time (r = -0.68862) and activated partial thromboplastin time (r = -0.77027). In the subjects whose prothrombin time and activated partial thromboplastin time in the third trimester were shorter than those in the first trimester, intrapartum and postpartum bleeding increased. The subjects whose prothrombin time and activated partial thromboplastin time in the third trimester were less by more than 0.52 seconds and more than 3.98 seconds, respectively, than those in the first trimester experienced abnormal bleeding exceeding 500 ml during delivery. In the intrapartum and postpartum bleeding group, shortening of prothrombin time and activated partial thromboplastin time, decreases in fibrinogen and alpha 2-plasmin inhibitor and an increase in platelet aggregation were more significantly observed than in the intrapartum and postpartum normal bleeding groups.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

A serial section study of tubular confronting cisternae (so-called 'test-tube and ring-shaped forms') in AIDS

A serial section study was executed on a lymph node from a case of AIDS (acquired immune deficiency syndrome) to determine the true three-dimensional morphology and mode of genesis of tubular confronting cisternae which are found in the lymphocytes in this condition. Serial sections from over a hundred such structures show that these are tubular structures and that the 'test-tube and ring-shaped' forms described in the literature are no more than profiles one expects to see when a tubular structure is sectioned. The view at times expressed in the literature that these structures are truly test-tube-shaped (i.e. one end closed) appears to be erroneous, for our serial section study did not reveal a single instance where one end was closed; all were tubular structures with both ends open. We found that tubular confronting cisternae develop by a process of twisting and spiralling of ribbon-shaped confronting cisternae, and that at one stage of development there is a spiralling groove on the wall of this structure. Microtubuloreticular structures were seen in several lymphoid cells, sometimes they were found in cells containing tubular confronting cisternae. At times microtubules (similar to those seen in microtubuloreticular structures) were seen lying within and/or outside the profiles of dense lamina of tubular confronting cisternae.

The pituitary as a target of antalgic treatment of chronic cancer pain: a possible mechanism of pain relief through pituitary neuroadenolysis

Surgical hypophysectomy performed in 18 cases with hormone-dependent carcinoma resulted in tumour regression in 38.8% of the cases, and pain relief in 88%. Neuroadenolysis performed 170 times on 130 cases resulted in pain relief in 94% with hormone-dependent carcinoma, and 70% with non-dependent carcinoma. The clinical investigations, following performance of neuroadenolysis, indicate suppressed pituitary function, significant increase of ACTH, thyrotropin-releasing hormone and vasopressin in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF), delay of long latencies in somatosensory evoked potential and increased pain threshold of C-fibres. Increase of beta-endorphin in CSF was very brief. Though the exact physiological activity in pain sensation of those peptides other than endorphins still remains obscure, increase of the peptides which are mainly synthesized in the hypothalamopituitary axis, along with suppressed pituitary function, is considered to exert a long-lasting suppressive effect on the mediation and perception of cancer pain through C-fibres and the central nervous system.