A new behavioral test for antidepressant drugs

In 1977 Porsolt proposed a new behavioral test, using mice, for screening antidepressants. He stated that antidepressants selectively reduce the immobility of mice in a forced swimming situation. The test is useful, but lacks objectivity in its evaluation of immobility and does not successfully screen 'false positive' drugs. A new 'behavioral despair' test was thus designed involving a small water wheel set in a water tank. Mice placed on this apparatus turned the wheel vigorously but, when they abandoned attempts to escape from the water the wheel stopped turning. The number of rotations of the water wheel were counted. All antidepressants tested increased the number of rotations. However, tranquillizers, anticholinergics and antihistaminics were not effective. We suggest that this water wheel test is more appropriate as screening test for antidepressants than Porsolt's test with regard to both objectivity and specificity.

Ultrastructural study of the effects of tranexamic acid and urokinase on metastasis of Lewis lung carcinoma

Lewis lung carcinoma cells were implanted in the foot-pads of mice and the effects of the plasminogen-plasmin inhibitor tranexamic acid (t-AMCHA) and of the plasminogen activator urokinase on metastasis were examined by electron microscopy. The intravascular tumour cells were not associated with thrombus formation in either control or urokinase-treated mice. Polymerized fibrin deposition around tumour cells and thrombi composed of fibrin and platelets was observed only in the mice given t-AMCHA. This suggests that the inhibition of fibrinolysis by tACC caused fibrin deposition and thrombus formation around intravascular tumour cells, which prevented release of the cells from primary foci to form secondary tumours. On the other hand, fibrinolysis induced by urokinase prevented thrombus formation, and accelerated cell release from primary foci.

Formation of amino acids from models of Titan and more oxidized atmospheres

Protein and non-protein amino acids were synthesized following hydrolysis of products obtained by high frequency discharge techniques applied to model atmospheres consisting of N2 as a nitrogen source together with CH4 and/or CO2 as a carbon source. Highest yields were obtained in the absence of CO2 and from mixtures rich in CH4. Amino acids would indeed be expected on the frozen surface of Titan with its CH4-N2 atmosphere.

[Psychobiological study of habituation to stress--observation of behavioral and neurochemical changes]

The effect of acute and chronic stress on escape behavior, brain norepinephrine (NE) concentration and beta-receptor binding was examined, and the mechanism of adaptation to chronic stress was discussed in terms of both behavioral and neurochemical standpoint. The rats were divided into an acute stress group (AS), chronic stress group (CS) and control group (C). The rats of AS experienced a single stress session. The rats of CS received 5 separate sessions. The rats of each group were examined by escape test, or killed for the purpose of measurement of beta-receptor binding and NE concentration 30 min after the final shock. The latency of escape test of AS was significantly greater than that of C. On the other hand, the latency of CS, and cortex beta-receptor binding of CS was significantly lower than that of C. However, beta-receptor binding of hypothalamus of AS and CS was not different from that of C. These results indicate that adaptation to chronic stress occurs with respect to escape behavior, and its neurochemical background relates with the acceleration of NE turnover and down regulation of beta-receptor sensitivity of cerebral cortex.

Fate of intravenously injected rat ascites hepatoma cells in the lung of congenitally athymic mice

Formation of hematogenous metastasis in the congenitally athymic nude mice (nu/nu) and their heterozygous ones (nu/+) was compared 2 weeks after an intravenous injection of xenogeneic tumor cells of rat ascites hepatoma cells (AH 130) with high thromboplastic activity. AH 130 cells formed large numbers of metastatic foci in the lungs of nu/nu recipients, while they developed into only temporary growth of metastatic foci with subsequent regression in nu/+ mice. Cellular reaction to arrested tumor cells in the pulmonary vessels was composed of large mononuclear cells, and was extensive and prominent in nu+/mice in comparison with nu/nu mice 3 days after the injection of the tumor cells. The results suggest that mononuclear cells reaction is closely related to suppression of growth of micrometastasis. This is considered as a model that highly immunogenic tumor cells attenuated and could be rejected in relation to immunological mechanisms.

A case of focal nodular hyperplasia of the liver

Focal nodular hyperplasia of the liver is a rare benign tumor of unknown etiology. Presented here is a case of focal nodular hyperplasia of the liver in a 19-year-old man with asymptomatic hepatomegaly. Liver scan and selective hepatic angiography revealed a tumor mass, which was indistinguishable from a malignant tumor. At laparotomy a large mass measured 16 X 10 X 4 cm and weighed 480 gm arising from a part of the left hepatic lobe and extending down to the abdominal cavity was found. The gross and microscopic findings established the diagnosis of focal nodular hyperplasia of the liver. The clinical, radiological and pathological findings in the patient are described in detail.

Effects of 5-(2-chlorobenzyl)-4,5,6,7-tetrahydrothieno[3,2-c]pyridine hydrochloride (Ticlopidine), a platelet aggregation inhibitor, on blood-borne metastasis

A new platelet aggregation inhibitor compound, 5-(2-chlorobenzyl-4,5,6,7-tetrahydrothieno[3,2-C]pyridine hydrochloride (ticlopidine), was examined for its inhibitory effects on blood-borne metastasis using three different rodent tumors (B16 melanoma, Lewis lung carcinoma, and rat ascites hepatoma, AH130). Ticlopidine was administered p.o. to the rodents. It inhibited the aggregation of platelets induced by adenosine diphosphate, thrombin, crude extract of AH130, and viable AH130 and B16 melanoma cells and also resulted in a significant decrease of pulmonary metastasis induced by i.v. injection of B16 melanoma and AH130. Spontaneous pulmonary metastasis of Lewis lung carcinoma was also inhibited by p.o. administration of ticlopidine. This new compound may be a useful agent for inhibiting platelet aggregation caused by various agents and for suppressing hematogenous pulmonary metastasis.

Effect of fibrin on arterial endothelial cells in vitro--an electron microscopic study

An interaction between fibrin and arterial endothelial cells was studied in vitro electron microscopically by the modified method of Warren et al. Microvilli and cytoplasmic processes attached to fibrin threads in an early period of fibrinolysis and fibrin threads showed fine fibrillar or granular appearance in the lysed areas. Dilatation of endoplasmic reticulum and increase in number of intracytoplasmic vesicles, mainly in the luminal side of endothelial cells, were noted in the endothelial cells in the lysed areas. Fibrinolytically active endothelial cells were observed in 38 out of 100 endothelial cells of the rat aorta. Therefore, were suggest that microvilli of endothelial cells might play an important role in release of plasminogen tissue activator from the endothelial cells, and a heterogeneity of the endothelial cells exists in the reactivity to fibrin.

Fibrinolysis-inhibitory activity of cultured human cancer cell lines

Fibrinolysis-inhibitory activity was estimated in the lysates of 21 lines of cultured human cancer cells, from which plasminogen activator activity had veen effectively eliminated by affinity chromatography. Inhibitory activity against urokinase varied from one line to another. Three lines of lung cancer and 1 line of urinary bladder cancer showed high inhibitory activity against urokinase. Two lines of lung cancer, 3 lines of gastric cancer, 1 line of renal cancer and 1 line of renal pelvic cancer showed moderate inhibitory activity. Since inhibitory activity against plasmin was not apparent in all the cell lines tested, this activity seemed to be directed selectively towards urokinase. No inhibitory activity against urokinase was detected in 4 lines of lung cancer, 5 lines of gastric cancer and 1 line of renal cancer. There was no specific correlation between the degree of inhibitory activity against urokinase and the histological cell types of the original tumors of the cultured cell lines.

Effect of polynucleotides and a basic protein on the condensation of phenylalanyl adenylate

The effect of polyuridylate and of histone on the oligomerization of phenylalanyl adenylate was tested. Polyuridylate which pairs with adenine under suitable conditions showed no effect. Histone increased the rate of the polymerization whereas a neutral protein, albumin, had no effect. Simultaneous presence of nucleotides diminished the effect of histone. The implication of these results on the prebiotic polypeptide formation is discussed.

Fate of intravenously injected cultured human cancer cells in the lungs of congenitally athymic nude mice

Three cultured cell lines of human lung cancer with varied degrees of thromboplastic and fibrinolytic activities were injected subcutaneously or intravenously into congenitally athymice nude mice, and their fate was observed with light and electron microscopes. All the cell lines formed solid tumor masses at the sites of subcutaneous injection. When the cancer cells with high or moderate thromboplastic activity were injected intravenously, marked platelet aggregation and fibrin deposition, followed by neutrophilic infiltration, were seen around the cancer cells arrested in pulmonary arterioles or capillaries. Platelet aggregation and fibrin deposition were less conspicuous, when the cancer cells with low thromboplastic activity were injected. No metastatic foci were found 2 weeks after the intravenous injection of each cancer cell line. These results suggest that thromboplastic activity of human cancer cells is closely related to thrombus formation at the sites of lodgement and that thrombus develops without participation of immunological mechanisms.

Undifferentiated (embryonal) sarcoma of the liver

A 10-year-old girl with undifferentiated (embryonal) sarcoma of the liver reported here had abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting and weakness when she was 8 years old. Chemical analyses of the blood and urine were normal. Serum alpha-fetoprotein was within normal limits. She died of cachexia 1 year and 8 months after the onset of symptoms. Autopsy showed a huge tumor mass in the liver and a few metastatic nodules in the lungs, which were consistent histologically with undifferenitated sarcoma of the liver. To our knowledge, this is the second case report of hepatic undifferentiated sarcoma of children in Japan, the feature being compatible with the description of Stocker and Ishaka.

Ultrastructural studies of elastase-induced experimental emphysema

Experimental emphysema in the guinea pig was made by intracheal instillation of porcine pancreatic elastase in order to analyze the proteolytic factors related to the pathogenesis of pulmonary emphysema. Ultrastructural and morphometric studies were performed in the elastase-induced emphysema in vivo. The following results were obtained: 1) Ultrastructural studies in vivo revealed that interstitial edema and degradation of fibrous tissue already occurred 2 hours after elastase instillation. Subsequently we observed fragmentations of elastin and dissociation between elastic tissue and collagen fibers 2 days later. Apparent degradation and fragmentation of elastin was found after 7 days. 2) Morphometric studies by electron microscope on elastase-induced experimental emphysema showed significant degradation of elastin fragments. Thus, it was suggested the importance of elastolytic process on the pathogenesis of pulmonary emphysema.

A resected case of pulmonary multiple fibro-leiomyomatous hamartoma--light and electron microscopic study

A light and electron microscopic study of a case of multiple pulmonary fibro-leiomyomatous hamartoma is described. Like the previous reports, the patient was an old woman with no complaint. The histologic features were characterized by mingling with rich fibroblasts and mesenchymal cells. The definite diagnosis was made by the features which were detected ultrastructurally. In this case, we considered that the fibrous component was more predominant than the leiomyomatous component.

Thromboplastic and fibrinolytic activities of cultured human cancer cell lines

Thromboplastic and fibrinolytic activities of 14 lines of cultured human cancer cells were estimated by modified Astrup's methods. High tissue thromboplastic activity was found in one line of urinary-bladder cancer, 2 lines of gastric cancer and one line of lung cancer, but no activity was found in 6 lines of lung cancer. High fibrinolytic activity was noted in one line of gastric cancer and 2 lines of lung cancer, but no activity was seen in 6 lines of lung cancer and one line of gastric cancer. No plasmin activity was found. The tumour cell lines could be classified into 3 groups on the basis of the 2 activities. Cancer cell lines could also be classified into 2 groups: with high or low release of thromboplastin into culture media. Fibrinolytic activity was found in the culture media of all cell lines with high fibrinolytic activity. Fibrinolytic activity, but not thromboplastic activity, seemed to be influenced by the constituents of culture media. No definite correlation was found between the 2 activities and the histological types of the parent tumours of the cultured cells.

Lodgement and extravasation of tumour cells in blood-borne metastasis: an electron microscope study

Soon after i.v. injection of ascites hepatoma cells of rat, 3 types of tumour-cell emboli were found in arterioles and capillaries of the lung. The first type had marked aggregation of platelets and deposition of fibrin. Many were seen when tumour cells with high thromboplastic activity (AH 130) were injected, and were often followed by detachment and fragmentation of endothelial cells. The second type had loosely aggregated platelets and the third type had no aggregation of platelets or deposition of fibrin. The latter 2 types were mainly seen when the tumour cells with low thromboplastic activity [AH 130 F(N)] were injected, and they did not accompany severe structural changes of the endothelial cells. Tumour cell-platelet complexes appeared to be induced by tissue thromboplastin released from tumour cells rather than from the endothelial cells. One to 6 h after injection of AH 130, tumour cells were found beneath the endothelial cells detached from the basement membrane in areas with microthrombi. Breaching of the endothelial cells with the processes of tumour cells was also seen then. Intrusion of the processes of tumour cells into the endothelial cells was noted in groups injected with either AH 130 or AH 130 F(N), but not in the junctions of the endothelial cells. Metastatic foci 3 days after the injection of AH 130 were more frequent than in the rats injected with AH 130 F(N). These results indicate that thromboplastic activity of tumour cells might be important in forming microthrombi in the lodgement phase and might be one of the factors facilitating blood-borne metastasis.

Hughes-Stovin syndrome. Report of a female autopsy case and review of the literature

A 37-year-old female with multiple pulmonary aneurysms, thrombotic obstruction of the inferior vena cava and mural thrombosis in the right heart was reported. Arterial blood culture repeatedly examined had been negative. The patient died of massive hemoptysis. This case was equivalent to Hughes-Stovin syndrome and was the first female case of typical Hughes-Stovin synrome. Review of the literature revealed 9 typical cases of this syndrome and 5 atypical cases who had solitary intrapulmonary aneurysm. It was obscure whether the typical cases were essentially different from the atypical ones or not, but the cases with solitary pulmonary aneurysm might proceed to the cases with multiple ones, as shown in this case. Pathogenesis of the syndrome has been controversial. In the present case, development of pulmonary aneurysms seemed to be closely related to thromboembolization derived from venous thrombosis due to artificial abortion.