Methaemoglobin formation in the koala and the possum

Measurements were made of glutathione (GSH) levels, catalase activity and the oxidant sensitivity of the erythrocytes from the koala (Phascolarctos cinereus) and the common brushtail possum (Trichosurus vulpecula). The oxidant sensitivity was tested by treating the haemolysates with either 0.55 him H₂O₂ or 1.4mm NaNO₂. The erythrocytes of the koala had greater levels of GSH and catalase and yet were found to be more susceptible to oxidation induced by both these oxidants.     

A clinical evaluation of MK-0787/MK-0791 for long-term administration in urological infections

MK-0787 (Imipenem)/MK-0791 (Cilastatin sodium), a new compound of Thienamycin, was administered in treatment of 35 patients (36 cases) with chronic complicated UTI or for prevention of serious infections with much complicated factors. The patients were principally treated at a daily dose of 1 g for over 10 days. The efficacy rate of 26 patients who were evaluable in the early phase (4-7 days) was 88.5%, while it became up to 92.3% in the final phase judgment. As for clinical usefulness, the result was obtained to be as high as that of the clinical efficacy. In bacteriological study, 35 strains were clinically isolated including 7 strains of P. aeruginosa from UTI. All the strains disappeared with an eradication rate of 100% after treatment. Strains appearing after Imipenem/Cilastatin sodium treatment mainly consisted of fungi. Usefulness judgements tended to be greater in the final phase than in the early phase. As for side effects, vomiting was recorded in one case, in which the administration was discontinued. In laboratory findings there were 3 cases with elevated GPT, 2 cases with elevated GOT, one case with elevated gamma-GTP, one with thrombocytopenia, and one with eosinophilia each, but these abnormal values were slight and transient. In summary our clinical study showed that Imipenem/Cilastatin sodium was a very effective antibiotic in treatment on moderate or serious UTI or preventive use for infections in compromised hosts. Considering the features of this agent, it might be more effective and useful for clinical use in treatment on polymicrobial infections including stubborn organisms than any other antimicrobial compounds. Furthermore, it was safe and well tolerable in a long term treatment.     

Cerebral perfusion scintigraphy in patients with cerebrovascular disease by using 99mTc-ECD: comparative study with 123I-IMP SPECT

99mTc-ECD SPECT was performed in 19 patients with cerebrovascular disease, and location, extent, and severity of the lesions on 99mTc-ECD SPECT were compared with those on 123I-IMP SPECT. The initial brain uptake was 5.5 +/- 0.7% of the injected dose at 10 minutes after injection, 5.3 +/- 1.3% at 90 minutes, and clearance from the brain is slow. The distribution in the brain was changed, especially washout from the thalamus was slower than that from other regions. The count ratio of perfusion defect to normal area (D/N) on 99mTc-ECD SPECT was unchanged over the time, and had no significant differences from that on 123I-IMP SPECT. 99mTc-ECD SPECT was superior in detection of the lesion in the basal ganglia, and showed the images with superior spatial resolution due to physical characteristics of 99mTc. However, mild ischemic lesion and peri-infarct area was not clearly visualized, while 123I-IMP SPECT could demonstrate these lesions with better contrast.     

Follow-up cytology in the management of urotheliomas

Ninety-one patients with operation history for urotheliomas were followed-up by urinary cytology for 17.5 months on the average. Cytologically, fresh urine was examined every month and vesical irrigation fluid every three months. Cystoscopy was also performed every three months, IVP every six months, and biopsy was performed when carcinoma or dysplasia was suspected. As a result, cases were classified into four groups. Group 1: All cytological examination were negative. Group 2: Cytology was positive for two or three months after TUR-Bt during which period vesical instillation therapy of anti-cancer drugs was performed, but was negative after this period. Group 3: Positive and negative cytology were diagnosed irregularly. Group 4: All cytological examinations were positive. The numbers of cases classified into these groups were 27 (29.7%), 7 (7.7%), 43 (47.3%) and 14 (15.4%), respectively. Tumor recurrence was seen in 1/27 (3.7%), 0/7, 12/43 (27.9%) and 4/14 (28.6%) cases, respectively. Metastasis was seen in only five cases of the group 4. Tumor recurrence and positive urinary cytology at the same time were seen in nine cases (20.9%) of group 3, and eight cases (57.1%) of group 4. Thirty four cases (79.1%) with discrepancy of cytological and endoscopic findings in group 3, in which cases 20 cases had only positive irrigation cytology and 11 cases had positive fresh urine and irrigation specimens, were more suspicious of temporary existence of in situ carcinomas or dysplastic urothelium. Of six cases with the discrepancy in group 4, three cases were in situ carcinoma diagnosed by random biopsies, and four cases had positive cytologies after TUR-Bt continuously.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)     

Studies on stroke-prone spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHRSP) fed a high-fat and high-cholesterol diet--effects of salt intake on serum lipoprotein and apolipoprotein metabolism

Recently, food intake in Japan has been characterized by an increase in fat intake, especially animal-fat intake and the maintenance of excess salt (sodium chloride) intake. It is generally accepted that the increase in fat intake is closely related to atherosclerosis, and excess salt intake is a high risk factor for the development of hypertension and cerebrovascular lesions. So far, in almost all reports, the increase in fat intake and excess salt intake have been studied independently, and there have been few reports on the combined effects of these two factors. Taking the above things into consideration, it would seem to be very interesting to investigate the effect of excess salt intake on lipid metabolism. In this paper, we studied the effects of excess salt intake on lipoprotein and apolipoprotein metabolisms, using stroke-prone spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHRSP) and normotensive Kyo: Wistar rats (WKY) as model animals. The results obtained were as follows: A significant increase in the concentration of serum total cholesterol (TC) was observed in SHRSP and WKY, when the rats were given a regular diet (CE-2, Clea Japan Inc.) and 1% sodium chloride solution (1% NaCl) as drinking water for 4 weeks. This was accompanied by a tendency toward increases in the concentrations of serum apolipoproteins in both strains. These results suggest that excess salt intake could accelerate the production of serum total lipoproteins in SHRSP and WKY, when the rats are fed a regular diet. Next, 1% NaCl and a high-fat and high-cholesterol diet (HFC diet) were simultaneously given to SHRSP and WKY for 6 weeks. The effects of simultaneous administration on lipoprotein and apolipoprotein metabolisms were compared with those of HFC feeding. One percent NaCl did not markedly affect hypercholesterolemia in WKY, while it induced more marked hypercholesterolemia in SHRSP that was associated with extreme elevations of serum TC and the atherogenic index (A.I.). This deleterious effect of 1% NaCl in SHRSP was due to drastic elevations of cholesterol contents in the very low density lipoprotein (VLDL), intermediate density lipoprotein (IDL) and low density lipoprotein (LDL) fractions. This was also associated with marked increases in apo B contents in the VLDL, IDL and LDL fractions and significant increases in apo E contents in the VLDL and IDL fractions. These results indicate that 1% NaCl induced much larger increases in serum atherogenic beta-lipoproteins in SHRSP.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)     

Living donor liver transplantation for biliary atresia complicated by situs inversus: technical highlights.

Living-donor liver transplantation (LDLT) has become an established technique to treat children with end-stage liver disease. Biliary atresia (BA), one of the most common indications for liver transplantation in children, can be associated with situs inversus (SI). In the past, the presence of SI has been considered to be an absolute contraindication for liver transplantation because of the technical difficulties. Recently, some reports of successful diseased-donor liver transplantation in patients with BA complicated by SI have been published; however, few reports of that with LDLT exist. The technical difficulties involved with LDLT for such cases have not been described. Herein, we present 4 successful cases of LDLT for BA with SI. Complex anomalies associated with SI, such as a hepatic artery arising from the supraceliac aorta, a preduodenal portal vein, and absence of the retrohepatic inferior vena cava, increase the technical difficulties involved with the operation. Additional caution is required in LDLT because a living-donor graft has short vessels and the availability of vascular grafts from the donor is limited. In conclusion, LDLT for BA complicated by SI can be managed successfully with technical modifications and scrupulous attention. This series represents the largest reported group of patients with BA complicated by SI who underwent a successful LDLT procedure.     

5-HT(2) receptor-mediated phosphoinositide hydrolysis in bovine ciliary epithelium.

The serotonin 2 (5-HT(2)) receptor antagonists, MCI-9042 (Anplag) and ketanserin, have been shown to lower intraocular pressure in rabbits (1) and humans (2). The mechanism of action of these drugs has not been determined, but it is hypothesized that 5-HT(2) receptors, and possibly alpha-adrenergic receptors, (3) may regulate in part aqueous humor production via an intracellular signal transduction pathway in the ciliary body. We therefore examined whether 5-HT(2) receptors were coupled to phosphoinositide hydrolysis in an organ culture system of isolated bovine ciliary epithelium. 5-HT stimulated [(3)H]inositol phosphates ([(3)H]InsPs) accumulation in a dose-dependent manner with a maximum increase approximately twice over the basal level. The mean EC(50) value was 1.1 microM, which was calculated from four dose-response curves. The 5-HT stimulated accumulation of [(3)H]InsPs was inhibited by spiperone (5-HT(2A/1A) and dopamine 2 (D(2)) antagonists), M-1 (a major metabolite of MCI-9042), ketanserin (5-HT(2A) antagonist), SB-206553 (5- HT(2B/2C) antagonist), and mesulergine (5-HT(2C) antagonist and D(2) agonist). It was not inhibited by chlorpromazine, which is a D(2) receptor antagonist. Accordingly, our study demonstrates that 5-HT(2) receptors are coupled to phospholipase C in bovine ciliary epithelium.