Atypical Form of the Fourth Criterion for Transient Entrainment

The typical fourth criterion for transient entrainment is defined when both a sudden shortening in conduction interval to and a distinct change in electrogram morphology at a bipolar recording site are demonstrated while performing overdrive pacing of a reentrant tachycardia from a single pacing site at two different constant rates. The purpose of this article was to test the hypothesis that if an intracardiac recording site showing both orthodromic and antidromic capture with entrainment pacing is located suitably distant from the circuit, sudden shortening in conduction interval to that site may occur without any significant change in the bipolar electrogram morphology (i.e., atypical form of the fourth criterion). Atrial overdrive pacing of orthodromic tachycardia was performed in 20 patients with either left anterior (12 patients) or left posterior (8 patients) accessory pathways. We investigated the effects of overdrive pacing from the proximal or distal coronary sinus, specifically effects on the electrogram interval and the electrogram morphology at the right atrial appendage. Overdrive pacing of orthodromic tachycardia from the proximal coronary sinus was performed in 10 of the 12 patients with left anterior accessory pathways; those 10 patients demonstrated the first entrainment criterion at the right atrial appendage site. Overdrive pacing of orthodromic tachycardia at still shorter cycle lengths demonstrated a sudden shortening in conduction interval to the right atrial appendage site. Despite shortening in conduction interval the morphology of the right atrial appendage electrogram was completely or almost identical to that during orthodromic tachycardia, indicating an atypical form of the fourth criterion. This criterion was not demonstrated in patients with left posterior accessory pathways. Thus, atypical fourth entrainment criterion was demonstrated during overdrive pacing of orthodromic tachycardia from the proximal coronary sinus only in patients with left anterior accessory path ways. Demonstration of atypical fourth criterion seems largely dependent on the location of the accessory pathway, the pacing, and the recording sites.     

Prostaglandin E1‐effective,transient‐type ischemic colitis developed after surgical resection of sigmoid colon cancer. A case report

A 55‐year‐old‐man had a laparoscopic resection of the sigmoid colon due to colon cancer with submucosal invasion. After the surgery he suffered ileus and had a laparotomy. Six months later he complained of frequent defecation. Colonoscopy confirmed a circular ulcer extending from the anal side of the anastomosis in the sigmoid colon to the mid rectum. Endoscopic ultrasound demonstrated thickening of all layers of the diseased colon and rectum. We diagnosed ischemic colitis. After intravenous drip infusion of prostaglandin, symptoms and colonic stricture gradually improved. Although abdominal angiography revealed a narrowing of the peripheral sigmoid branch of the inferior mesenteric artery, blood flow was unrestricted. Colonoscopy performed 84 days after discharge revealed an ulcer scar.     

Pseudomyxoma Peritonei with High Carcinoembryonic Antigen (CEA) Level: Report of Two Cases

Two cases of pseudomyxoma peritonei with high serum carcinoembryonicantigen (CEA) are reported. CEA levels in serum increased incorrelation with the accumulation of ascites. Systemic chemotherapywith anticancer agents such as 5-fluorouraciI (5-FU), cyclophosphamide,mitomycin C (MMC) and chromomycin A_a showed no effect on reducingeither the production of mucinous materials or the CEA level,but repeated intraperi-toneal instillation of large amountsof MMC reduced them in one case. In the other case, the CEAlevel returned to normal after removal of the tumor. These resultssuggest that CEA may be a useful indicator of the effect oftreatment and of the prognosis of pseudomyxoma peritonei.     

Comparative study of direct polymerase chain reaction, microscopic examination and culture-based morphological methods for detection and identification of dermatophytes in nail and skin samples

The positive rates of dermatophytes isolated and identified by conventional methods are rather low. Moreover, clinical isolates sometimes show atypical morphology, and in such cases microscopic methods are not applicable for identification. The present study was performed to assess the utility of specific polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-based methods for Trichophyton rubrum and Trichophyton mentagrophytes as diagnostic tools for dermatophytoses. Both conventional morphological identification and specific PCR methods based on the nuclear ribosomal internal transcribed spacer (ITS)1 DNA sequence were performed to identify dermatophyte species from clinical specimens of patients who visited Kawasaki Social Insurance Hospital between 16 May and 17 August 2005. Specific PCR methods were also directly applied to clinical specimens, and the results of the two methods were compared. The clinical samples examined consisted of 126 skin scale specimens and 80 nail specimens. The positive rates of culture isolation from clinical specimens were 67% and 33% for skin scale and nail specimens, respectively. In contrast, PCR analysis yielded a positive rate of 100% for clinical isolates from both skin scales and nails, and rates of 95% and 99% were obtained by direct application to clinical specimens. The results of the present study indicated that specific PCR is highly advantageous as a diagnostic tool for detection and identification of dermatophytes on direct application to skin scale or nail specimens.     

Importance of mechanical damage to urinary red blood cells by the glomerular basement membrane

The reasons for morphological changes of urinary red blood cells (RBC) in patients with glomerulonephritis are still controversial. In order to evaluate the importance of mechanical damage by the glomerular basement membrane (GBM), we examined urinary RBC taken from the patients with two different diseases which have characteristic GBM changes. Urinary RBC taken from 20 patients with Alport syndrome and nine with thin GBM disease were examined using a scanning electron microscope. Nineteen out of the 20 patients (95.0%) with Alport syndrome showed ‘glomerular type’, while five of the nine patients (55.6%) with thin GBM disease showed ‘glomerular type’. These results suggest that more complicated GBM abnormalities cause more severe RBC distortion. Therefore, we conclude that mechanical damage by the GBM may be the major factor in dysmorphism of urinary RBC.     

一氧化氮在静水压下对人体腰椎间盘蛋白多糖合成的影响

[目的]探讨一氧化氮对人体腰椎间盘组织蛋白多糖合成的影响及静水压对蛋白多糖合成调节过程中一氧化氮是否起到中间介质作用。[方法]72例后方腰椎间盘摘除术的志愿患者中获取新鲜的72个椎间盘样品被切成1～2mm^3细片后，与1ml培养基DMEM一同装入塑料注射器中，放入培养椎间盘组织的压力装置，蛋白多糖合成由^35S-硫酸盐结合率来测定。无活性、稳定的一氧化氮的最终产物亚硝酸盐浓度由分光光度法来测定。[结果]静水压在0．3MPa蛋白多糖合成最高，约为0．1MPa的1．3倍；3MPa抑制蛋白多糖合成率。但静水压对一氧化氮的产生起着逆转效应。在0．3MPa一氧化氮的产生量和0．1MPa的相比略微降低，而3MPa增加一氧化氮的产生量，约是0．1MPa的1．34倍。一氧化氮合成酶的竞争性抑制剂N^C-methyl-L-arginine（简称L-NMA，10-1000μmol）在0．3MPa诱导增加蛋白多糖合成率，而3MPa降低对蛋白多糖合成率的抑制作用。[结论]在人体腰椎间盘细胞静水压影响着一氧化氮生成，且一氧化氮对蛋白多糖合成率改变起着中间介质调节作用。     

Double ventricular responses during extrastimulation of atrioventricular nodal reentrant tachycardia

In patients with dual atrioventricular (AV) nodal pathways,double ventricular responses to a single atrial depolarizationhave been shown to occur, but virtually only during a trialpacing in sinus rhythm. We report on a patient with a slow-fastform of AV nodal reentrant tachycardia who exhibited doubleventricular responses following extrastimulation during AV nodalreentrant tachycardia. The phenomenon of double ventricularresponses during the tachycardia was demonstrated by ex trastimulationfrom the proximal coronary sinus. Retrograde unidirectionalblock in the slow pathway, and an anterograde effective refractoryperiod that was shorter in the fast pathway than that in theslow pathway, are suggested.     

Studies of Human Erythrocyte Catalase by Fluorescent Antibody Technic The Distribution of Catalase in Acatalasia and Hypocatalasia

In order to investigate the cellular distribution of catalase in normal,hypocatalasic and acatalasic red blood cells, the fluorescent antibody labellingtechnic was employed. Sensitive anticatalase sera were produced in rabbitsby immunization with purified catalase extracted from human erythrocytes.Specificity against human erythrocyte catalase was confirmed by Ouchterlony’sdouble diffusion method.

The distribution of catalase is fairly homogeneous in normal and hypocatalasic red cells, but in acatalasic cells fluorescence due to the presence ofcatalase was not observed.

By this method the amount of catalase in hypocatalasic red cells was judgedto be between that of normal and acatalasic red cells.

Submitted on October 1, 1968 Accepted on February 13, 1969