Experimental ischemic colitis in dogs

Experimental ischemic colitis was produced in 42 dogs by either ligation (ligation group, n=18) or temporary occlusion of the mesenteric vessels (temporary occlusion group, n=24) and changes in the local blood flow in the bowel were measured by the hydrogen clearance method. Tissue damage similar to damage seen in patients with ischemic colitis were produced in both of these groups. There was a close correlation between the severity of the ischemia and the ensuing tissue damages. In the ligation group, the tissue damages ranging from erosions or minute ulcerations to diffuse ulcerations occurred when the local blood flow was measured at 30 minutes after the ligation and was below 50 per cent of the basal flow. In the temporary occlusion group, the tissue damages were observed when the local blood flow was below 40 per cent of the basal flow and the occlusion was maintained for over two hours.     

Allopurinol inhibits uric acid accumulation in the rat brain following focal cerebral ischemia

Uric acid (UA) in the rat brain was measured by HPLC with an electrochemical detector following focal ischemia. At 24 h after the operation, the UA level in the ischemic center was 105.47 +/- 8.39 nmol/g tissue, whereas it was 8.36 +/- 1.86 in the sham-operated group. Allopurinol, xanthine oxidase inhibitor, almost completely inhibited this UA accumulation. These data demonstrate that the UA increase in the ischemic brain is due to the xanthine oxidase reaction.     

Rectoanal pressures and rectal compliance in children with rectal prolapse

The results of anorectal manometry in 11 children with complete rectal prolapse were evaluated. Abnormalities of sphincter control or bowel movements occurred in 8 out of these 11 patients. Anal canal pressure of the patients was lower than in the controls, but there was no significant difference of resting pressure profiles of the anorectum between the patients and the controls. Rectoanal reflex was present in all the patients and in the controls. Rectal compliance was significantly lower in the patients, but there was no correlation between rectal compliance and sphincter control of the patients.     

Correlation between serum immunosuppressive substance and clinico-pathological findings in patients with gastric carcinoma

Serum levels of immunosuppressive substance (IS) were determined in 99 patients with gastric cancer and in 32 healthy individuals. The serum IS levels in the patients (769.6±314.8 μg/ml) were significantly higher than those in the healthy individuals (549.7±104.7 μg/ml). A multivariate analysis on the correlation between serum IS levels and clinicopathological findings in the patients disclosed that there was a close correlation between the serum IS levels and the depth of invasion, in particular, the prognostic serosal invasion, metastasis to the distal lymph nodes and peritoneal dissemination. There was, however, no correlation between the serum IS level and hepatic metastasis. Serum IS levels were higher in patients with well-differentiated adenocarcinoma than in those with poorly differentiated adenocarcinoma or signet ring cell carcinoma. A serum IS level higher than 1000 μg/ml indicates the possibility that the tumor is only palliatively resectable because of involvement of the distal lymph nodes or peritoneal dissemination.