Inhibition of experimental proliferative vitreoretinopathy in rabbits by suramin

Proliferative vitreoretinopathy (PVR) is the most common cause for failure of retinal reattachment surgery. In a search for better pharmacologic treatment of PVR, we investigated the effect of intravenous injections of suramin on an experimental rabbit model of PVR. PVR was induced in rabbits by intravitreal injection of autologous fibroblasts. The experimental group (7 eyes) received intravenous injections of suramin (100 mg/kg body weight) every 3 days for 15 days, beginning 3 days before fibroblast injection. The control group (5 eyes) was treated similarly but received intravenous saline solution in place of suramin. A third group (4 eyes) received suramin according to the protocol above but did not receive intravitreal fibroblasts. The animals were examined by indirect ophthalmoscopy every 3 days and were sacrificed 14 days after the injection of fibroblasts. The serum levels of suramin were evaluated by high-performance liquid chromatography. The PVR was classified as stages I-V, based upon clinical findings. PVR developed in both experimental and control animals but was less severe in those treated with suramin. On day 14, the average stage of PVR in the control group was 3.8; in the suramin-treated group, however, the average stage was 2.4, which was significantly less than in the control group (p < 0.02). None of the rabbits in the third group showed pathologic changes. Serum levels of suramin were maintained at an average of 280.2 micrograms/ml and no apparent toxicity was found in the retina by histologic study.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

[Hypoxemia during cesarean section--evaluation of venous air embolism by transesophageal echocardiography]

We studied the incidence and cause of hypoxemia during Cesarean section under general anesthesia. Arterial oxygen desaturation (< or = 95%) occurred in 6 of 28 patients (21%). Venous air embolism (VAE) was detected in 7 of 28 subjects (25%), but the severity of which was mild and was not associated with oxygen desaturation. While, there were significant differences in obesity index, preoperative respiratory function, and PaO2 after the induction of anesthesia between the patients with and without oxygen desaturation. Our results suggest that hypoxemia may occur frequently during Cesarean section under general anesthesia, but is not caused by VAE, and is related with the physiological changes associated with pregnancy.

Serial proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy in a patient with the interval form of carbon monoxide poisoning

Serial proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy (1H-MRS) studies were performed from immediately after the appearance of sequelae in a patient with the interval form of carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning. The volume of interest was set over the frontal lobe white matter. In the early period a persistent increase in choline was found, which was thought to reflect the course of progressive demyelination. The appearance of lactate and decrease in N-acetylaspartate reflected the point at which neuron injury became irreversible. These were followed later by the finding of irreversible changes on MRI and single photon emission computed tomography. The findings suggest that 1H-MRS may be a useful modality to determine neuron viability and prognosis early in the course of the interval form of CO poisoning.

Are three forms of potentially lethal damage expressed after x irradiation by treatment with hypertonic solutions in chinese hamster V79 cells?

X rays have been shown to induce two forms of potentially lethal damage (PLD), "fast-repairing" PLD and "slowly repairing" PLD, whose repair is completed in 1 h and 4-6 h, respectively. In this study three modes of treatment with hypertonic solutions containing different NaCl concentrations for different durations (0.5 M for 30 min, 0.225 M for 4 h, 0.16 M for 16 h) were examined to determine which form of PLD is expressed under each condition. These three modes of treatment enhanced the cell-killing action of X rays on actively growing V79 cells due to fixation of PLD. The kinetics of recovery from PLD was assessed by delayed treatments with hypertonic solutions. Cells exposed to one of the three treatments (see above) had completed recovery times of 1, 4 and 8 h, respectively, suggesting the possibility that these three modes of treatment cause the expression of different forms of PLD. As has been reported, treatment with 0.5 M NaCl for 30 min expressed fast-repairing PLD. The independence of the PLD expressed by 0.225 M NaCl for 4 h from fast-repairing PLD expressed after 0.5 M NaCl for 30 min was shown by combined treatment with the two modes, which reduced survival to the level that would be reached if the two modes acted independently. The data on the recovery time and on the inhibition by 0.225 M NaCl of recovery from slowly repairing PLD in plateau-phase cells indicated that the PLD expressed after 0.225 M NaCl for 4 h may be related to slowly repairing PLD. The combined treatment of 0.16 M NaCl for 16 h with 0.225 M NaCl for 4 h indicated independent action, albeit incomplete, of the PLD expressed after 0.16 M NaCl for 16 h from slowly repairing PLD. We propose for the first time that "very slowly repairing" PLD is expressed after 0.16 M NaCl for 16 h in exponentially growing cells and that therefore three forms of PLD are expressed by hypertonic treatments after X irradiation.

Effect of carbachol on the release of peptide YY from isolated vascularly and luminally perfused rat ileum

Possible cholinergic control on the release of PYY from intestine into the lumen or blood vessel was studied by radioimmunoassay in the isolated perfused rat ileum. The basal release of PYY into the lumen was 43.1 +/- 8.9 pg/min, which was comparable with that into the vasculature (35.2 +/- 2.6 pg/min). The administration of 1 microM carbachol into the vascular perfusate resulted in a more than 40-fold increase of the luminal release but only a twofold increase of the vascular release. Carbachol-induced release of PYY into both lumen and vasculature was completely blocked by atropine, but not by hexamethonium. Tetrodotoxin abolished carbachol-induced release of PYY into lumen and vasculature. These data suggest that the ileal PYY release, into either lumen or vasculature, is under the control of postganglionic cholinergic neurons via muscarinic receptors.

Malignant potential of the gallbladder in patients with anomalous pancreaticobiliary ductal junction. The difference in risk between patients with and without choledochal cyst

Anomalous pancreaticobiliary ductal junction (APBDJ) is considered to be a factor developing carcinoma of the biliary tract. However, the difference in clinical significance of APBDJ between patients associated with choledochal cyst and those without cyst with special reference to the malignant potential of the gallbladder has been little studied. Of 1,325 patients examined with direct cholangiography, 29 patients were found to have APBDJ of whom 21 patients were associated with choledochal cyst while eight were not. Their associated hepatobiliary diseases were clinicopathologically examined and compared. The frequencies of carcinoma of the gallbladder in patients without choledochal cyst and in those with cyst were 50% and 5%, respectively, the difference being significant (p < 0.05). This frequency did not depend upon the type of APBDJ. None of the patients with gallbladder carcinoma had gallstones. The overall frequencies of carcinoma of the biliary tract (gallbladder and bile duct) were 14% in patients with cyst and 50% in those without cyst. All were gallbladder carcinoma in the latter group. We conclude that the gallbladder is under the condition with significantly greater malignant potential in patients with APBDJ especially in cases not associated with choledochal cyst. Prophylactic cholecystectomy and excision of cyst if associated should be indicated for patients with APBDJ.

When is the optimal time for delivery?--Purely from the fetuses' perspective

To determine when the extrauterine environment becomes safer than the intrauterine environment with respect to fetal (neonatal) life, we analyzed all 4,896,505 livebirths, all 21,222 stillbirths, and all 7,513 early neonatal deaths after 26 weeks gestation that were recorded between 1989 and 1992 in Japan. Although the risk of early neonatal death ( < 1 week of age) and of neonatal death ( < 4 weeks of age) greatly exceed the risk of stillbirth at 26 weeks of gestation, those risks declined sharply by 39 weeks of gestation, then increased, while the risk of stillbirth within 1 and 4 weeks exceeded the risks of early neonatal death and of neonatal death at and beyond gestational weeks 40 and 38, respectively, for a singleton pregnancy. A similar reversal occurred at 37 and 35 weeks of gestation for multiple pregnancy. Neonates born at 39 and 37 weeks of gestation for singleton and multiple pregnancies, respectively, had the best outcome. It is concluded that the chance of survival for fetuses reaching 40 and 37 weeks of gestation for singleton and multiple pregnancies, respectively, were higher in the extrauterine than the intrauterine environment in Japan today.

[Sleep apnea syndrome]

Excessive daytime sleepiness (EDS) in certain patients with sleep apnea syndrome may be the result of intermittent upper airway obstruction during sleep. The possible occurrence of daytime hypertension and pulmonary hypertension (PH) in these patients has been emphasized. Transient and sometimes severe elevations of systemic and pulmonary arterial pressures during sleep as a result of intermittent upper airway obstruction may lead to EDS, daytime hypertension, and PH. The aim of the present study was to investigate whether daytime hypoxemia and hypoxemia during sleep contribute to EDS, daytime hypertension, and PH. The results indicate that: (1) sleep disturbance and blood gas changes while awake and asleep may play a role for EDS, although these abnormalities were not present in some cases, (2) hypoxemia while awake and asleep is probably not involved in daytime hypertension, and (3) mean resting pulmonary arterial pressure is correlated with daytime PO2, PCO2, %IBW, %FVC, and FEV1.0%, Cardiopulmonary hemodynamic function may return to normal in some patients who receive appropriate treatment.

Antigenic relationship between the house dust mite Dermatophagoides farinae and the predacious mite Phytoseiulus persimilis

We have examined the antigenic relationship between the house dust mite Dermatophagoides farinae and the predacious mite Phytoseiulus persimilis. Immunoblotting analysis demonstrated that there was a very weak antigenic cross-reactivity between these different suborder of mites but that this cross-reactivity was not attributed to D. farinaes major allergen's, Der fI and Der fII. These results suggest that P. persimilis might scarcely provoke allergic symptoms in patients sensitized to house dust mites.

Acidic fibroblast growth factor-like immunoreactivity in rat brain following cerebral infarction

Expression of acidic fibroblast growth factor (aFGF) was studied by immunocytochemistry in the rat brain with or without cerebral infarction. In a model of infarction produced by occlusion of the middle cerebral artery, aFGF-positive staining that was not seen in controls appeared in both neurons and macrophages. Positive neurons were distributed mainly in the periventricular region of the hypothalamus. The neuronal aFGF began to be detectable about 24 h after the occlusion. The staining intensity for such neuronal aFGF increased until about 14 days after the surgery, but decreased gradually and was undetectable after more than 30 days. Positive macrophages first appeared on the 3rd day after the occlusion and were persistently seen up to the 7th day, but were no longer visible after 14 days. The present results suggest that aFGF may be involved in the repair processes following brain infarction.

Postnatal development of [D-Ala2]deltorphin-I-like immunoreactive structures in the rat brain

[D-Ala2]deltorphin-I, a highly selective ligand for delta opioid receptors, is a heptapeptide originally purified from frog skin. Previous immunohistochemical studies indicate that [D-Ala2]deltorphin-I-like molecule(s) may be present in adult rat brain, including specific neuronal cells and fibers partially overlapping with the mesocortical and nigrostriatal dopaminergic systems. Here, we examined the developmental aspect of such immunoreactive brain structures in early postnatal rats. In newborn to 21-day-old rats, positive staining in the brain occurred mainly in subpopulations of neurons and occasionally in tanycytes. On postnatal day 0, neuronal cell bodies containing [D-Ala2]deltorphin-I-like immunoreactivity were found in various brain regions, including the olfactory tubercle, ventral pallidum, hippocampus, ventral tegmental area, pars compacta of the substantia nigra, supramammillary nucleus, and dorsal raphe nucleus. Immunoreactive nerve fibers were observed in the main and accessory olfactory bulbs, olfactory tubercle, prelimbic area, anterior cingulate cortex, neostriatum, accumbens, lateral septal nucleus, lateral habenular nucleus, and superior colliculus. As pups grew, positive staining of cell bodies decreased gradually in both density and intensity, and those in the olfactory tubercle and ventral pallidum were no longer visible on postnatal day 14. On postnatal day 21, positive cells were found only in the ventral midbrain, including the pars compacta of the substantia nigra, ventral tegmental area, A8 region, and supramammillary nucleus. Positive fibers also decreased in density with age except in the accessory olfactory bulb, olfactory tubercle, prelimbic area, and anterior cingulate cortex.

Affinity binding of hamster oviductin to spermatozoa and its influence on in vitro fertilization

The aim of this study was to determine the influence of hamster oviductal glycoprotein (oviductin) on in vitro gamete interaction. Oviductin was purified from the oviducts using lithium 3,5-diiodosalicylate, followed by phenol extraction. Immunocytochemistry using indirect fluorescence staining revealed that oviductin binds to the sperm anterior acrosomal region. The specific binding of oviductin resulted in inhibition of in vitro fertilization in studies using cumulus-free oocytes. The inhibitory effect was dependent on the concentration of oviductin and occurred in both ovarian and oviductal oocytes but not zona-free oocytes, indicating that sperm-zona interaction was interferred by oviduction. However, the inhibitory effect of oviductin in sperm-zona interaction was reduced when cumulus-enclosed oocytes from ovaries and oviducts were used, indicating that the egg investment including cumulus oophorus has some effect on oviductin-sperm complex and maintaining the fertilizing ability.

Necrotizing arteritis causing fatal massive intraperitoneal hemorrhage from a pancreatic pseudocyst

We report the histopathological findings from a medicolegal autopsy case caused by sudden massive hemorrhage from a necrotic pancreatic cyst into the abdominal cavity. The histological examination revealed that the wall of the cyst was filled with hematoma and consisted of granuloma at a relative early stage, involving marginating lymphocytes, foamy lipophages, cholesterin crystals, foreign body giant cells with neutrophiles, mast cells and fibrous tissues. Since there was no epithelial lining, the lesion was diagnosed as a pseudocyst. In the wall of this pseudocyst, small arteries showed acute intense necrotizing inflammatory reactions in association with fresh thrombi. Trace of elastic fibers remained in the wall of the arteries. Since the small veins in the wall showed varix-like changes without necrosis or inflammation, it is proposed that the lethal bleeding was caused by rupture of the small arteries that exhibited severe arteritis.

Lignocaine-induced convulsion does not induce c-fos protein (c-Fos) in rat hippocampus

Recent studies have shown that proto-oncogene c-fos mRNA is induced in the central nervous system by a variety of stimuli including generalised convulsions. In this study, the expression of c-fos protein (c-Fos) following lignocaine-induced convulsions was examined and compared with that following convulsions induced by non-anesthetic convulsants, such as pentylenetetrazol, kainic acid and electroconvulsive shocks, in rat brain. Administration of 120 mg.kg-1 lignocaine by the intraperitoneal route induced generalised convulsions in all rats examined within 10 min. C-Fos was markedly induced in the piriform cortex and amygdala, and slightly induced in the neocortex and thalamus, while no c-Fos expression was observed in the hippocampus. In contrast, c-Fos expression following generalised convulsions induced by non-anaesthetic convulsants was very marked in the hippocampal region, piriform cortex and amygdala, and extended to the thalamus and neocortex. These results contradict those of previously reported local cerebral metabolic studies using 2-deoxyglucose as a metabolic marker, and suggest that lignocaine-induced convulsions, unlike those induced by non-anaesthetic convulsants, may not cause severe sequelae (plastic changes) in the hippocampus.

Acidic FGF expression in the surroundings of senile plaques

Immunohistochemical examination of postmortem brain tissue of Alzheimer's disease revealed that acidic fibroblast growth factor (aFGF) was specifically expressed in a subpopulation of reactive astrocytes which were congregated at the margin of the senile plaque. Double immunostaining indicated that such upregulation of aFGF expression might be related to the presence of reactive microglia rather than beta-amyloid protein deposits. Although, on the other hand, immunohistochemical staining for fibroblast growth factor receptor-1 occurred in some cortical neurons of Alzheimer's disease, the staining pattern did not differ from that in age-matched controls. Possible significance of aFGF-positive astrocytes in the surroundings of the senile plaque will be discussed in relation to receptor mediated or non-mediated mechanisms.

Implications of flow cytometry in preoperative detection of biologic variables of gastric cancer and malignant condition of gastric remnant cells obtained by endoscopic biopsy

Flow cytometric (FCM) DNA studies were performed on cell suspensions obtained by endoscopic biopsy in 73 patients with gastric cancer and in 61 patients with gastric remnant. In cancer, DNA aneuploidies were detected in 49 tumors (67.1%), including 51.7% (15/29) of early gastric cancers and 77.3% (34/44) of advanced gastric cancers. Nuclear DNA content of biopsy materials had a significant correlation with that of surgically obtained ones, providing the estimation of the original ploidy pattern and DNA index (p < 0.01). The serosal invasion, lymph node metastasis, lymphatic invasion, and vascular invasion of the DNA aneuploidy were significantly higher than those of the DNA diploidy (p < 0.05). In patients with gastric remnant, 9 biopsy specimens in the anastomotic site showed DNA aneuploidy (13.9%). The DNA measurement of the endoscopically obtained specimens may provide additional preoperative information and help to identify biologic variables.

Corpus callosum in developmentally retarded infants

The development of the corpus callosum was examined by magnetic resonance imaging in developmentally retarded infants ranging in age from 1-13 months. Results were compared with those of normal infants. Eighteen magnetic resonance imaging studies were performed on 18 developmentally retarded infants. Fifty-four magnetic resonance imaging studies were performed on 38 normally developed infants. The thickness of the corpus callosum was measured at a point one-third of the length of the entire corpus callosum from the most anterior aspect of the genu. The development of the corpus callosum was related to aging in both groups. There was significant difference in the thickening of the corpus callosum between normal and developmentally retarded infants.