Purification and properties of isopenicillin N epimerase from Streptomyces clavuligerus

Isopenicillin N epimerase, which catalyzes conversion of isopenicillin N to penicillin N, has been purified to electrophoretic homogeneity from the cell-free extract of Streptomyces clavuligerus by a procedure involving ammonium sulfate fractionation and chromatographies with DE-52, DEAE Affi-gel blue, Sephadex G-200, calcium phosphate-cellulose, and Mono Q. The purified epimerase is monomeric with a molecular weight of 47,000 or 50,000 as estimated by SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis or gel filtration, respectively. The enzyme contains 1 mol of pyridoxal 5'-phosphate per mol of protein, and shows absorption maxima at 280 and 420 nm. The epimerase catalyzes the complete 'racemization' on both the L-alpha-aminoadipyl side-chain of isopenicillin N and the D-alpha-aminoadipyl side-chain of penicillin N, so that an approximately equimolar mixture of the two penicillins is produced. The mixture is not truly racemic, since these penicillins are diastereomers rather than optical isomers. The chemical modification of primary amino groups of the epimerase by fluorescamine results in a great loss of the enzyme activity. The activity of purified enzyme is partially stimulated by the addition of sulfhydryl compounds. The activity is strongly inhibited by sulfhydryl group modifiers such as p-chloromercuribenzoate and N-ethylmaleimide.

Circadian behavioral rhythms during various light-intensity cycles in rats

Sleep, ambulation and drinking were recorded on 5 kinds of light-intensity cycles fluctuating between 300 lux and 0 lux with a 24-hr period in rats. The waveforms of the cycles were rectangular wave (RA), sinusoidal wave (SO), triangular wave (TA), descending saw-tooth wave (ST-d) and ascending saw-tooth wave (ST-a). Each condition was maintained for 28 days. Thereafter, the rats were released into constant darkness (DD) for 20 days. The circadian behavioral rhythms clearly entrained to RA, SO, TA and ST-a, but not to ST-d. The waveforms of the behavioral rhythms varied depending on those of the fluctuating light-intensity cycles, and were quite different from those in RA and DD. Daily amounts of slow wave sleep and paradoxical sleep were hardly affected by the lighting conditions, while those of ambulation and drinking were decreased on the other light-intensity cycles than RA. These results present new aspects of entrainment and masking of circadian rhythm by light.

Functional properties of monkey caudate neurons. III. Activities related to expectation of target and reward

1. The present paper reports complex neural activities in the monkey caudate nucleus that precede and anticipate visual stimuli and reward in learned visuomotor paradigms. These activities were revealed typically in the delayed saccade task in which memory and anticipation were required. We classified these activities according to their relationships to the task. 2. Activity related to expectation of a cue (n = 46) preceded the presentation of a spot of light (target cue) that signified the future location of saccade target. When the target cue was delayed, the activity was prolonged accordingly. The same spot of light was preceded by no activity if it acted as a distracting stimulus. 3. The sustained activity (n = 80) was a tonic discharge starting after the target cue as if holding the spatial information. 4. The activity related to expectation of target (n = 109) preceded the appearance of the target whose location was cued previously. It started with or after a saccade to the cued target location and ended with the appearance of the target. The activity was greater when the target was expected to appear in the contralateral visual field. 5. The activity related to expectation of reward (n = 57) preceded a task-specific reward. It started with the appearance of the final target and ended with the reward. In most cases, the activity was nonselective for how the monkey obtained the reward, i.e., by visual fixation only, by a saccade, or by a hand movement. The activity was dependent partly on visual fixation. 6. A few neurons showed tonic activity selectively before lever release and are thus considered to be related to the preparation of hand movements. 7. The activity related to breaking fixation (n = 33) occurred phasically if the monkey broke fixation, aborting the trial. 8. Activity related to reward (n = 104) was a phasic discharge that occurred before or after a reward of water was delivered. The activity was not simply related to a specific movement involved in the reward-obtaining behavior (eye, hand, or mouth movement). 9. Fixation-related activity (n = 72) was tonic activity continuing as long as the monkey attentively fixated a spot of light. It was dependent on reward expectancy in most cases. 10. The present results, together with those in the preceding papers, indicate that the activities of individual caudate neurons--sensory, motor, or cognitive--are dependent on specific contexts of learned behavior.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)

Functional properties of monkey caudate neurons. I. Activities related to saccadic eye movements

1. We recorded single cell activities in the caudate nucleus of the monkeys trained to perform a series of visuomotor tasks. In the first part of this paper, we summarize the types and locations of neurons in the monkey caudate nucleus. In the second part, we report the characteristics of neurons related to saccadic eye movements. 2. Neurons were classified into two types in terms of spontaneous discharge pattern. A majority of the neurons (2,287/2,559, 89%) had very low-frequency discharges (mostly less than 1 Hz). The rest (n = 272) showed irregular-tonic discharges (3-8 Hz) with broad spikes. 3. Of 2,559 neurons tested, 867 showed spike activity related to some aspects of the tasks; 502 neurons showed discharges in response to environmental changes outside, not in relation to, the tasks. None of the neurons responsive in or outside the tasks belonged to the irregular-tonic type. 4. The task-related activities were classified as: Saccade-related, Visual, Auditory, Cognitive, Fixation-related, and Reward-related. The activities detected outside the tasks were classified into: Visual, Auditory, Movement-related, Reward-related, and Other. Few neurons had both task-related and task-unrelated activities. 5. The locations of recorded neurons were determined using a coordinate system based on the anterior and posterior commissures. Task-related neurons were clustered longitudinally in the central part of the caudate. Neurons responsive outside the tasks were more widely distributed; specifically, auditory neurons were in the medial part, whereas movement-related neurons were in the lateral part. The irregular-tonic neurons were dispersed all over the caudate. 6. The monkey was trained to fixate on a spot of light on the screen and, when the spot moved, to follow it by making a saccade. A visually guided saccade occurred when the spot moved to another location without a time gap (saccade task). A memory-guided saccade occurred when the spot first disappeared and after a time gap reappeared at a fixed location (saccade with gap task). By delivering a cue stimulus while the monkey was fixating, a memory-guided saccade was elicited to a randomly chosen location (delayed saccade task).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)

Functional properties of monkey caudate neurons. II. Visual and auditory responses

1. Visual responses of caudate neurons were studied in monkeys trained to fixate on a small spot of light. A visual stimulus (another spot of light) was presented in various contexts of behavior using different behavioral paradigms. Visual receptive fields were usually large and centered on the contralateral hemifield. Among 217 neurons with visual responses, 184 were further classified into subtypes. 2. Visual responses in 64 neurons were not modulated by changing the paradigms (unconditional visual responses). In the other neurons, visual responses were dependent on the behavioral contexts in which the stimulus was presented. Three types of behavioral modulation were found. 3. A saccade-enhanced visual response (n = 37) was the one that was enhanced if the monkey made a saccade to the stimulus on its appearance. The enhancement was spatially selective: the response was depressed if the saccade was directed away from the stimulus. 4. Memory-contingent visual responses (n = 36) were present preferentially when the monkey remembered the location of the stimulus and a few seconds later made a saccade to the remembered location. Responses were greater when the location of the stimulus was randomized between trials. 5. Expectation-contingent visual responses (n = 46) were present preferentially when the stimulus came on while the monkey was not fixating another spot, and the stimulus was related directly to a reward. Unlike the other types, its receptive field included both contralateral and ipsilateral hemifields without a particular preference. 6. A small number of neurons (n = 16) showed a visual response that easily habituated. 7. Latencies of visual responses were usually between 100 and 200 ms. The latencies of the memory-contingent, expectation-contingent, and habituated visual responses tended to be longer than the others and tended to be more variable between trials. 8. Among auditory responsive neurons only a small proportion were related to the tasks. The response was greater to a contralateral sound. It was enhanced if the monkey used the sound as the cue for the future target location. 9. The results suggest that sensory responses of caudate neurons could be used to guide a subsequent sequence of learned behaviors by confirming predicted environmental states, renewing memory, or establishing a motor set.

New mathematical modelling of blood lactate kinetics during ramp mode exercise in man

The lactate (LA) kinetics of the whole body in exercise was described using the two-compartment model in consideration of the underlying physiological mechanism, and LA kinetics during the ramp mode exercise was analyzed. The estimated pattern of the glycolytic energy supply showed the progressive increase concurrently with the onset of ramp mode exercise and this pattern was just like a ramp phenomenon. Based on this result, it is proposed that blood LA kinetics during ramp exercise should be described mathematically as a continuous model, called "2nd-order model."

[Metrizamide encephalopathy in a child with hydrocephalus--effects of L-threo-DOPS on persistent disturbance of consciousness and L-dopa on extrapyramidal symptoms]

This report describes a case of metrizamide encephalopathy with persistent disturbance of consciousness and extrapyramidal symptoms. These two conditions have rarely been reported among the various adverse effects of metrizamide. An 11-year-old girl had been in almost good health until she was ten years old, at which time she received a ventriculo-peritoneal shunt operation, suffering from hydrocephalus of unknown etiology. At the age of eleven, she was admitted to our hospital due to hydrocephalus recurrence. She was examined by metrizamide shunt-gram (1200 mg iodide/4 ml). On the next day, she became drowsy. The CT scan disclosed the periventricular penetration of metrizamide into the medial part of the thalamus and the caudate nucleus. Thirteen days later, disturbance of consciousness continued, and extrapyramidal symptoms, that is, rigo-spasticity and postural tremor, were observed. Oral administration of L-threo-DOPS, the direct precursor of noradrenaline, was effective against the persistent disturbance of consciousness and L-DOPA was effective against the extrapyramidal symptoms. She soon recovered almost to normal and no neurological deficit remained. We thus conclude that the CT scan findings and effects of L-threo-DOPS and L-DOPA suggest that metrizamide encephalopathy in this case were respectively due to its periventricular penetration into the medial part of the thalamus and the caudate nucleus, and the resultant deficiency of the ascending noradrenergic reticular activating system and the nigrostriatal dopaminergic system.

[A family of spino-cerebellar degeneration with disturbance of ocular movement, choreoathetosis, amyotrophy and dementia--a consideration in clinical features]

Seven cases in a family of hereditary spino-cerebellar degeneration (SCD) similar to dentatorubro-pallido-Luysian atrophy (DRPLA) were reported. The clinical features of these cases were disturbance of ocular movement (limitation of ocular movement and slow eye movement (SEM], remarkable amyotrophy, choreoathetosis, dementia and sleep apnea. The brain CT's revealed marked atrophy in pons and cerebellum. Amyotrophy had been reported in the case of DRPLA, particular ataxo-choreoathetoid form (by Hirayama). Muscle biopsy was performed in these cases, which showed scattered small angulated fiber, severe atrophic fiber with pyknotic nuclear clump, fiber type grouping and small rounded fiber were mixed. These findings indicates neurogenic change of radiculoneuropathy type (by Tanabe). In many reported cases of DRPLA and SCD with amyotrophy, this type of muscle biopsy had not been recognized. In SCD with amyotrophy, a main lesion had existed on peripheral nerve. In this case, there was no definite clinical findings (sensory disturbance, delay of conduction nerve velocity, peripheral neuropathy in nerve biopsy). In recent years, several unclassified cases of SCD with amyotrophy had been reported, which had multi-system degeneration involving peripheral neuropathy. This case is similar to these cases, which is speculates multi-systemic lesions, not only DRPLA but also peripheral nerve involvement. On neuro-otological study, velocity of saccade was slow and persuit was reserved in proband case. In younger onset case, disturbance of saccade and pursuit was mild. In older progressive case, disturbance of saccade and pursuit was progressive and accompanied with severe limitation of ocular movement. Several autopsy cases of SEM had been reported.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Sleep-promoting effect following intracerebroventricular injection of a phosphorylated analogue of delta sleep-inducing peptide (DSIP-P) in rats

The effect of phosphorylated delta sleep-inducing peptide (DSIP-P) on sleep of rats was studied. DSIP-P (20 or 200 pmol/kg) was injected into the third cerebroventricle of male rats immediately before the onset of the dark period of a 12:12 h light-dark cycle. DSIP-P resulted in increases of slow-wave sleep (SWS) (17.3%, P less than 0.01) and paradoxical sleep (PS) (32.3%, P less than 0.05) during the subsequent dark period without shortening sleep latency in the dose of 200 pmol/kg. The SWS-promoting effect was carried over to the next light period. These changes returned to control levels on the second day. These results indicate that DSIP-P is a long-lasting sleep-promoting substance in rats.

Branched-chain amino acids metabolic support in surgical patients: a randomized, controlled trial in patients with subtotal or total gastrectomy in 16 Japanese institutions

A prospective, randomized, controlled trial of nutritional effects of branched-chain-enriched amino acid (BCAA) solution was undertaken in 173 surgical patients with gastric cancer. Eighty-six and 87 patients underwent subtotal and total gastrectomy, respectively. The effects were evaluated in total parenteral nutrition (TPN) in an isocaloric/isonitrogenous setting where the major difference between the group was the amount of BCAA received. Each 80 patients in the control and the BCAA groups completed the trial. The group receiving BCAA-enriched amino acid solution demonstrated a statistically significant improvement on days 2 and 3 in nitrogen balance in patients with total gastrectomy. Three-methyl-histidine excretion gradually decreased after day 1, and the values on day 7 were significantly lower than those on day 1 in the BCAA group in both those receiving subtotal and total gastrectomy. There were no significant differences of serum albumin and rapid turnover proteins between the control and BCAA groups in both those receiving subtotal and total gastrectomy. Plasma BCAA level and BCAA to aromatic amino acid (AAA) ratio were significantly higher, and AAA level was significantly lower in the BCAA group than in the control group. There were no serious complications encountered during the observation period in both groups. These results indicated that a BCAA-enriched amino acid solution can improve metabolism and maintains good nitrogen retention without increasing side effects as compared with a conventional amino acid solution for nutritional support of patients who have received subtotal or total gastrectomy.

[Evaluation of the nutritional management of patients with liver cancer and cirrhosis]

Ninety-five patients with liver cancer and cirrhosis who had undergone hepatic lobectomy or partial hepatectomy were studied. According to nutritional protocol based on experimental results, a large quantity of fresh frozen plasma (FFP), and BCAA-enriched amino acids at 30 kcal/kg/d as an energy source were administered postoperatively for 7-10 days with strict restriction of sodium and total fluid volume. An elemental diet for liver dysfunction (ED-H) was given to 13 patients at more than 1,500 kcal/d via a naso-duodenal feeding tube for 7-14 days. Six patients were given 15 g/d of BCAA granules after discharge for as long as possible. Serum levels of TP, Alb, T.Bil and PT were kept moderately high in the IVH and ED-H group. Although BCAA/AAA molar ratio was kept high when IVH or ED-H was provided, it gradually fell if nutritional management was discontinued. This ratio was maintained within normal limits by oral administration of BCAA granules. According to the Child classification, 1,2,3 and 5-year cumulative survival rates were 80.9, 62.9, 44.1 and 25.5% for Child A, 70.0, 43.1, 43.1 and 0% for Child B, and 50.0, 25.0, 0 and 0% for Child C, respectively. These data indicate the importance of nutritional support for improvement of nutritional status and for obtaining a better prognosis. Oral BCAA supplementation should be useful for the performance of long-term nutritional management for cancer patients with liver cirrhosis.

Comparison of objective methods for determining ventilatory threshold

This study was undertaken to compare and re-examine the relation of lactate threshold (LT) and ventilatory threshold (VT), using six objective determination methods proposed previously. Twenty-one young male subjects performed a cycle exercise test in which the work rate was increased by 150 kg.m every 2 min up to his limit of volitional fatigue. Through each test, gas exchange parameter measurements were made every 1 min (every 30 s at nearly maximal level), and the venous blood samples were taken from a warmed ear lobe at each work rate for determining blood lactate concentration. LT and its variance were determined by the intersecting straight lines regression. LT ranged from 0.72 to 1.40 l/min in terms of VO2, and the mean value of S.D. for each LT was about 0.1 l/min. Each objective method for determining VT used in this study was based on the simple modelling of the criterion for visual detection of VT, that is the non-linear increase in VE or the systematic increase in VE/VO2. When the relationship between LT and VT was examined, VT by the objective methods based on determining minimum value of VE/VO2 showed relatively high consistency with LT. Of 16-20 individuals out of all 21 subjects, there were VT within LT +/- 0.2 in VO2. It is concluded that VE/VO2 is a more sensitive index for detecting VT than VE in the gas exchange parameters, and the objective VT determination method based on minimum value of VE/VO2 could facilitate estimation of LT within an error of +/- 0.2 l/min VO2 in most normal individuals.

Prognosis of hepatocellular carcinoma smaller than 5 cm in relation to treatment: study of 100 patients

A total of 100 patients with small hepatocellular carcinoma, less than or equal to 5 cm in diameter, seen during the last 8 years were analyzed retrospectively for survival time in relation to treatment and Child's grading. When analyzed with respect to major treatment modalities without considering stage, the median survival was 35.0 months for 34 patients treated by surgery, 28.8 months for 20 patients treated by transcatheter arterial embolization, 10.6 months for 25 patients treated by intraarterial chemotherapy and 9.7 months for 17 patients who received no specific treatment. When patients were divided into three stages without considering treatment, the median survival was 37.1 months for 37 Child's A patients, 16.2 months for 36 Child's B patients and 1.6 months for 27 Child's C patients. These results suggest that the prognosis depended on treatment given and the Child's grade. The effects of major therapeutic modalities on survival were analyzed with regard to Child's grading. Among Child's A patients, the actuarial survival rate for surgery was better than that for transcatheter arterial embolization and for arterial chemotherapy. Among Child's B patients, the survival rate for transcatheter arterial embolization was better than for other treatments. Among Child's C patients, there was no significant difference in survival rate regardless of treatment and its modality. These results suggest that surgery may be indicated as a first choice in Child's A patients, transcatheter arterial embolization in Child's B patients, and there is no effective treatment in Child's C patients. The major cause of death was hepatic failure irrespective of treatment.

Effect of sucrose and caffeine ingestion on performance of prolonged strenuous running

To investigate the effect of sucrose or caffeine ingestion on the performance of prolonged running, five male distance runners attending senior high school (15.6 yrs) carried out running on a treadmill at an intensity corresponding to the individuals' 80% VO2 max until exhaustion. Before and 45 min after exercise, the subjects were given either a placebo (Con), sucrose (81 +/- 18 g) (Su), caffeine (384 +/- 13 mg) (Caf), or sucrose (72 +/- 22 g) plus caffeine (396 +/- 29 mg) (Su + Caf) solution. The duration of the exercise was significantly longer in Su, Caf, and Su + Caf than in Con. The duration in four of five subjects was longest in Su + Caf, although it was not significantly different from that in Su or Caf. Carbohydrate (CHO) utilization was highest in Su while fat utilization was highest in Caf. The energy supply from both sources was almost the same between Con and Su + Caf. The plasma glucose concentration was higher in Su than in Con. The plasma free fatty acid (FFA) level was higher in Caf than in Con. The plasma glucose and lactic acid concentrations were highest in Su + Caf while the plasma FFA level was the same as in Con. In conclusion, ingestion of sucrose, caffeine, or sucrose plus caffeine solution was equally effective in improving endurance during running carried out at an intensity of approximately 80% VO2 max.

[Effects of intraventricular injection of anti-DSIP serum on sleep in rats]

Endogenous delta sleep-inducing peptide (DSIP) has not been demonstrated to be necessary for sleep, although the administration of DSIP has been reported to increase sleep in several mammalian species. The purpose of the present study is to examine whether the immunological neutralization of endogenous DSIP in the brain can modulate sleep in unanesthetized rats. A high titer of the rabbit antiserum specific for the C-terminal of DSIP was used. Sixteen male SD rats were chronically implanted with electrodes for EEG and EMG and with a cannula into the lateral ventricle. The rats were injected with anti-DSIP (ADS) or normal rabbit serum as a control at 10 microliter for 10 min immediately before the onset of the light or dark period, and thereafter the polygraphic recordings were performed for a 24-hr period. The records were scored in 30-sec epochs by visual inspection into 3 stages; wakefulness, slow wave sleep (SWS), and paradoxical sleep (PS). ADS exerted no significant effect on the latencies of SWS and PS after injection in the light or dark period. For SWS and PS, neither the distributions measured each 10 min for the first 4 hr nor the hourly distributions for 24 hr were affected by ADS. The first 12-hr amounts of SWS and PS were also unaffected by ADS. These results may suggest the possibility that endogenous DSIP in the cerebrospinal fluid and/or the periventricular tissues is not responsible for sleep.

Continuous recording of plasma sodium concentration and blood volume in awake rats

A new continuous measuring system for blood sodium concentration and blood volume in conscious rats is described. A small extracorporeal circulation was made and the blood was passed through a sodium sensitive glass electrode and a gamma-counter. Applying the system to conscious rats, the effect of various salinities of drinking water was detected from the change in blood sodium concentration.

Purification and characterization of two forms of microsomal carbonyl reductase in guinea pig liver

Two forms of microsomal carbonyl reductase, solubilized in Triton X-100, were purified to homogeneity from the liver of male guinea pigs, primarily by affinity, DEAE-Sephacel, gel-filtration and hydroxyapatite chromatography. The major form was a tetrameric glycoprotein of single subunits of Mr 32000 and a pI value of 7.0; another minor form was a monomeric protein with Mr 34000 and a pI value of 7.8. The enzymes were immunologically distinct. Although the enzymes showed similar substrate specificity for exogenous aldehydes and ketones and apparently absolute cofactor specificity for NADPH, their specificity for natural carbonyl compounds differed. The major form irreversibly reduced 5 alpha- and 5 beta-dihydrotestosterones, menadione and lauryl aldehyde with low Km values of 10-70 microM, whereas the minor form not only reduced 17-oxosteroids, of which 3 alpha-hydroxy-5 beta-androstan-17-one was the best substrate, but also oxidized 17-hydroxysteroids in the presence of NADP+. The two forms of carbonyl reductase also exhibited different sensitivity to heavy metal ions, dicoumarol, tetramethyleneglutaric acid, phenobarbitone and corticosteroids.

[The role of endoscopic lithotomy in the treatment of intrahepatic stones]

Although hepatolithiasis is a benign disease, its treatment is still the most difficult one in medical field. Before 1977, we had tried bilioenterostomy at the porta hepatis to expect spontaneous dislodgement of stones. However their results were very poor because of frequent occurrence of cholangitis which leads to hepatic failure or death in 8 of 15 patients. From 1977 to 1981, 35 patients had undergone postoperative cholangioscopy (POC). Complete stone removal was obtained in 24 patients. There were 13 difficult local problems in the remaining 11 patients including 6 being too narrow to permit the passage of the fiberscope, 3 having stones incarcerated, 3 having abnormal distribution of biliary tract and one being a missed stone. From 1981, we have carried out percutaneous transhepatic cholangioscopic lithotomy (PTCL) for the treatment of intrahepatic stones in 16 patients. Because abnormal distribution of biliary tract can be easily detected by PTC and incarcerated stones can be made into small pieces before removal following LASER application. We had succeeded in complete stone removal in 12 patients. 2 patients needed biliary reconstruction or liver resection after PTCL. We concluded that for treatment of the disease of intrahepatic stone PTCL should be considered as the first choice before surgery in order to avoid unnecessary hepatic resection or biliary reconstruction.

[The role of radiotherapy in the management of cancer of digestive organs: the liver, bile tract and pancreas]

Until February 1984, 75 patients have undergone radiotherapy using the following two methods: 1. During surgery, electron 3000 rads were given. 2. For external irradiation, X-ray or fast neutron was given with a TDF (time dose and fractionation factor) of 80-110. Hepatocellular carcinoma: There were 14 patients including 6 preoperative irradiation and 8 unresectable cases. Improvements were obtained image diagnostically in 9 of 13 patients. Serum AFP level decreased in 6 of 8 patients. And the resected specimens revealed degeneration or necrosis of the cancer tissue. Radiotherapy can given beneficial effect to the patients with tumor emboli within the portal vein, or even disappearance of the tumor emboli sometimes could be seen. Bile duct carcinoma: There were 30 patients including 12 with intraoperative irradiation. 2 irradiated during surgery and external irradiation, and 16 with external irradiation. More than 1-year survivals observed in 6 of 18 unresectable cases. The longest survival of non-curative operation was 6.5 years with treatment. Pancreas carcinoma: There were 31 patients including 29 unresectable and 2 resectable cases. Prolongation of survival time in unresectable patients was not obtained with an interval of 5 months at 50% survival rate. But some clinical complaints were relieved. We concluded that radiotherapy is useful to improve surgical curability by decreasing the cancer cell viability, to give a wider surgical indication if portal tumor emboli can be eliminated, to prevent early tumor recurrence, and to give some beneficial effects to unresectable or recurrent patients.

[Nutritional management of patients with cirrhosis after hepatectomy]

Nutritional management for the patients with cirrhosis after hepatectomy was studied. Based on the experimental results, 1-1.5g/kg/day of branched chain amino acid (BCAA) enriched solution with 30 kcal/kg/day of glucone was given to the cirrhotic patients after hepatectomy for 10-14 days. Sodium and total fluid volume were strictly restricted. Elemental diet for liver failure (ED-H) was started to give within 7 days after surgery for 6-21 days. High relationships were observed between preoperative nutritional status such as prealbumin and retinol binding protein (RBP) and incidence of postoperative complications, suggesting that postoperative nutritional supply was very important. Changes of albumin, hepaplastin test and prothrombin time were rather good and the BCAA to aromatic amino acids molar ratio was maintained high when nutritional management was performed. Overall one and two year survival rates were 74% (20/27) and 36% (5/14), respectively. No significant difference was seen between the prognoses of the patients with and without liver dysfunction. Immediate postoperative nutritional management must be essential to get over critical stage safely and long-term nutritional supply may be necessary to get better prognosis.

Immunological identification of soluble carbonyl reductase with testosterone 17 beta-dehydrogenase (NADP+) in guinea pig liver and kidney

Antiserum was produced against one of two carbonyl reductases purified from guinea pig liver cytosol to identify the enzymes as testosterone 17 beta-dehydrogenase isozymes. Immunoelectrophoresis and immunoprecipitation with the antiserum indicated that the two reductases had common antigenic sites. The antiserum inhibited most of both carbonyl reductase and testosterone 17 beta-dehydrogenase activities in the purified reductases and in cytosols of liver and kidney.

Infantile autism and Duchenne muscular dystrophy

We report a boy with autism and Duchenne muscular dystrophy. Myopathy was noted after 2 years of age and has since progressed slowly. At present this autistic child, 11 years 4 months old, has shown no signs of deterioration.

[Adjustment of urinary delta-aminolevulinic acid concentrations in workers exposed to lead and heat. Adjustments of specific gravity to 1.020 and urinary volume coefficients]

Adjustments of urinary ALA concentrations as to urinary specific gravity and creatinine were examined for workers exposed to lead and heat. Judging from our findings, we suggested that it was preferable to adopt the specific gravity (UG) at 1.020 as the adjustment value to obtain the correct urinary ALA concentration. Though corrected values thus obtained were found adequate for urine in the normal range of specific gravity, they failed to be adequate for concentrated urine samples higher than UG 1.025. Urinary volume adjustment was found to be necessary for these concentrated urine in stead of urinary specific gravity adjustment. For the practical purposes, we postulated urinary volume coefficients, which were estimated to be 0.5 for samples ranging from UG 1.026 to 1.030, 0.4 for samples from UG 1.031 to 1.035 and 0.3 for samples from UG 1.036 to 1.040, respectively.

[Effects of fornix lesion on visual evoked responses during sleep and wakefulness in rats]

The effects of fornix lesion on visual evoked responses (VERs) recorded from the occipital cortex (OCX) and the lateral geniculate body (LGB) were examined during wakefulness (W), slow wave sleep (SWS) and paradoxical sleep (PS) respectively, in freely moving rats (N = 6). In intact animals, amplitudes of VERs changed with sleep-waking stages in a decreasing order of SWS, PS and W. After fornical lesion, mean amplitudes of VERs were significantly enhanced at OCX, but not at LGB. As to OCX, amplitudes of early components of VERs increased during all sleep-waking stages, and those of later components increased only during sleep. These results suggest that the fornix system exerts some modulatory (probably inhibitory) influence on OCX in close relations to sleep-waking stages in rats.

Discrete nonlinear reduction model for horizontal cell response in the carp retina

In this paper we present a new model for the spatial behavior of the external horizontal cells in the carp retina which elucidates more precisely the mechanisms of their intercellular connections. The area and intensity effects of a brief light stimulus on the L-type response were recorded and analysed. We discovered clear nonlinearities in the behavior of the response which could not be explained by the simple summative model presently accepted. Proposed here is a new model, the spatial reduction mechanism, which explains the experimental evidences including these nonlinearities. We also present the results of a computer simulation using our new model in parallel with the actual results obtained experimentally. The physiological implications of these findings are discussed.

Sleep-waking rhythm altered by 2-hour light phase access to food in the rat

The effects of 2-h restricted feeding (RF, 10.00-12.00 h) on sleep rhythms were examined in 9 male rats on a 12:12 h LD cycle (L 08.00-20.00 h). During the third week of RF, sleep amounts showed a striking reduction during a 4-h period (08.00-12.00 h), and LD differences in SWS and PS amounts were markedly reduced. Hourly sleep amounts showed a bimodal distribution during a 24-h day. Analyses of periodicity of SWS and PS occurrences revealed a dominant 12-h periodicity and a relative diminution of the 24-h one. The appearance of a 12-h rhythm of sleep may be due to an interaction of the two zeitgebers (LD cycles and restricted feeding) and possibly to the timing of RF.

A model for nonlinear stochastic behavior of the pupil

In this paper we present new experimental results that show pupillary noise to be multiplicative in a particular fashion with greatest variance in midrange and smaller variance at high and low ranges. This confirms the finding of multiplicative noise by Stanten and Stark (1966), but modifies and extends the relationship they suggested between standard deviation and mean pupil diameter. We propose a parametric model of the iris muscle which not only describes the static characteristics of pupil response to given stimuli, but also explains its random fluctuations in terms of probability density functions. We emphasize the point that the range nonlinearity is not due to decreased gain at the extrema of the pupil range, but is operational over a wide portion of the pupillary behavioral range, hence its name--"expansive range nonlinearity". We conclude that noise amplitude, which is a function of the pupil diameter, closely parallels the changes in deterministic gain. Thus pupil noise can be simply considered as cross-talk additive Gaussian noise injected into the pupil system at midbrain level.

Microsomal reductase for aromatic aldehydes and ketones in guinea pig liver. Purification, characterization, and functional relationship to hexose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase

An NADPH-specific aromatic aldehyde-ketone reductase located in guinea pig liver microsomes can be effectively solubilized with nonionic detergents, but not with bile salts and hydrolytic enzymes. Destruction of microsomal membranes by nonionic detergents or acetone treatment leads to significant activation of the reductase, indicating that the enzyme is partly latent in intact microsomes. After solubilization with Triton X-100, the reductase has been highly purified. The purified enzyme catalyzes the NADPH-linked reduction of xenobiotic aromatic aldehydes and ketones as well as 3-ketosteroids, notably 5 alpha- and 5 beta-dihydrotestosterones. The reductase activities for xenobiotic carbonyl compounds and for 3-ketosteroids are each inhibited by addition of the other type of substrate and show the same pH optimum, cofactor requirement, and heat stability, indicating the same enzyme is responsible for the reduction of the two types of substrates. Hexose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase, purified from guinea pig liver microsomes, acts as a more effective NADPH generator for the reductase than yeast and guinea pig liver cytosolic glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase. Evidence has been obtained that hexose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase undergoes a functional interaction with the reductase, facilitating the provision of NADPH to the reductase activity both in the reconstituted system and in microsomes.

Electroencephalographic analysis of activities in the optic tectum of unrestrained carp

Electroencephalographic activity of the optic tectum in unrestrained resting carp was classified into three dominant frequency ranges of 4-7, 8-13 and 14-25 HZ, peaking at 6, 10, and 17 and 22 HZ, respectively, under power spectral analysis. All these activities were suppressed in the dark. The suppression was most prominent in the 8-13 HZ waves, but less so in the 4-7 HZ. However, while the fish was swimming actively, the 4-7 HZ spectrum increased in power and no actual increase could be observed for the higher frequency waves. Thus, it is probable that the 4-7 HZ waves involve rich motor activity, while the 8-13 HZ waves are mainly visual. The tectal activity was enhanced in the hypoxic state, with an increase in all frequency components, and enhanced further after loading, each of which corresponds to the hypoxic and post-hypoxic activations described for the mammalian cortex. A component analysis for the photically evoked response in restrained carp supported the four peaks of fundamental tectal rhythm being obtained as the spontaneous activity. In addition, each component belonging to the lower two peaks could be decomposed into the others, suggesting that the 17 and 22 HZ waves might be elementary for the tectal activity.