Effects of Cow's Milk on Reproduction in ICR Male Mice

Objective To study the effects of Cow＇s milk on the reproduction in male mice. Methods Twenty-four male mice were divided randomly into two groups： milk group （M） and control group （C）. Each mouse was given 10 mL milk per day from 4 to 16 weeks in the group M. At the age of 17 weeks, all the mice were sacrificed. Results Serum testosterone was decreased in the group M （P=0.037）. No significant difference was found in weight of testes, seminal vesicle or adrenal gland of mice between the groups C and M. However, the weight of seminal vesicle decreased when expressed in g/100 g body weight in the group M. Epididymal sperm concentration, motility, morphology, and sperm head number were not affected by milk. Conclusion Cow＇s milk has adverse effects on the reproductive system in ICR male mice. Further studies are needed to clarify the specific effects of milk on reproductive health.     

Manifestation of preferred chewing side for hard food on TMJ disc displacement side

Summary The purpose of this study was to reveal the relationship between chewing‐side preference and anterior disc displacement (ADD) of the TMJ. Thirty‐two healthy subjects with ages ranging from 26 to 34 years were selected from volunteer students at the Okayama University Dental School. Subjects were asked to chew freely with two kinds of test foods, beef jerky (hard food) and chiffon cake (soft food), thus expecting different amounts of mechanical loading on the TMJ. One, 4, and 7 s after starting the mastication, subjects were asked to open their mouth momentarily to have a digital image of their mouth taken. The bolus placement area was measured by processing the digital images, calculated as the number of pixel of bolus area. Area asymmetry index was used for the determination of preferred chewing side (PCS). Oblique sagittal MRI scanning in the closed mouth position was taken to evaluate the articular disc position. In asymptomatic subjects with ADD, a significant predominance of the PCS on the ipsilateral side of ADD was observed during the mastication of hard food. On the contrary, no correlation was found between unilateral ADD and PCS for the soft food. From the results of this study, it is suggested that ADD is the associating factor of PCS for hard food. Therefore, it would be necessary to break down the concept of PCS into at least two categories, one for hard food and one for soft food, considering the mechanical loading on the TMJ.     

A case of beriberi accompanying short bowel

A case of beriberi based on short bowel is reported. A 4 year old girl, who underwent a resection of the intestine when a neonate and has had a short bowel, manifested beriberi despite eating normal Japanese food. Considering that she has had no dislikes of foods, and her family members, who have eaten meals similar to hers have been healthy, beriberi is considered in this case to have developed mainly through hypoabsorption of vitamin B₁. This patient has responded well to vitamin B₁ therapy with a relatively slow recovery in neural functions. Although it has not been confirmed whether short bowel syndrome is prone to be accompanied by beriberi, special attention should be given to vitamin B₁ in short bowel syndrome patients.     

Effects of Sulfur Dioxide and Ozone on Hypertension Sensitive and Resistant Rats

Effects of Sulfur Dioxide and Ozone on Hypertension Sensitiveand Resistant Rats. Drew, R.T., Kutzman, R.S., Costa, D.L.,and Iwai, J. (1983). Fundam. Appl Toxicol 3: 298–302.Two lines of Dahl rats, one resistant to salt-induced hypertension(DR) and one susceptible to salt-induced hypertension (DS) weresubchronically exposed to SO₂ (50 ppm, 6 hr/d, 5 d/wk for 31weeks) or ozone (2.0 ppm, 6 hr/d, 5 d/wk for 20 weeks). Subgroupsof rats were maintained on either high or low salt diets. Inrats not expected to develop hypertension, exposure to SO₂ causeda slight but consistent decrease in blood pressure. In DS ratson a high salt diet exposure to SO₂ resulted in an increasein blood pressure over that of their air exposed counterparts.All exposure-related differences in blood pressure disappearedafter the last exposure to SO₂. Exposure to ozone was fatalto all DS rats, regardless of the amount of salt in the diet.The DR rats were more resistant to ozone, with most animalssurviving the 20-week exposure. Ozone-exposed rats exhibiteda decrease in both growth rate and blood pressure in all groupswhen compared to their air-exposed counterparts. It is not knownif exposure-related blood pressure differences would persistafter ending ozone exposures. After brief exposures, ozone causedincreased lung weights in both groups, but there were no consistentchanges in pulmonary nonprotein sulfhydryl groups. Hepatic nonpro-teinsulfhydryl levels were consistently, but not significantly,lower in ozone-exposed rats.     

Evaluation of Oral Mucoadhesive Microspheres in Man on the Basis of the Pharmacokinetics of Furosemide and Riboflavin,Compounds with Limited Gastrointestinal Absorption Sites

When sustained-release adhesive and non-adhesive microspheres which release the same drugs at similar rates are administered orally, drug absorption after administration of adhesive microspheres should, if the gastrointestinal residence of adhesive microspheres is prolonged as a result of mucoadhesion, be higher than that after administration of non-adhesive microspheres. The gastrointestinal transit of oral adhesive microspheres in man has been evaluated pharmacokinetically using furosemide and riboflavin, compounds with limited absorption sites in the upper small intestine. In a preliminary experiment with fasted rats it was confirmed that a higher percentage of the drug remained in the stomach and that plasma drug levels were higher when furosemide was administered in the form of adhesive rather than non-adhesive microspheres. Two kinds of sustained-release microsphere, adhesive and non-adhesive, containing furosemide and riboflavin in hard gelatin capsules were prepared and orally administered to 10 healthy fasted volunteers in a cross-over design. Areas under the plasma concentration-time curves (AUC) were 1.8 times larger for furosemide and urinary recovery was 2.4 times higher for riboflavin when adhesive microspheres rather than when non-adhesive microspheres were used. When adhesive microspheres containing riboflavin were administered to fed volunteers, urinary recovery was 2.1 times higher and mean residence time (MRT) was more prolonged than when the microspheres were administered to fasted volunteers. Adhesive microspheres were found to adhere to the gastric or intestinal mucosa with high affinity in man and rats, resulting in prolonged gastrointestinal residence.     

Lymphangioma of the kidney

Lymphangiomas are rare benign tumors that are congenital malformations of the lymphatic system. Most cases present in children as a soft, cystic mass in the neck and the axilla. Primary renal lymphangioma is exceedingly rare, with only 35 cases reported so far. We report a case of primary lymphangioma arising from the kidney. A 59-year-old man was referred for evaluation of a right renal mass found in an abdominal ultrasonography during a health checkup. Abdominal ultrasonography and computed tomography (CT) revealed a 3.2 x 2.9 cm multiloculated cystic mass in the upper pole of the right kidney. We could not deny malignant disease such as cystic renal cell carcinoma with any diagnostic modalities. The patient was brought to surgery. During the surgical procedure, the tumor was suspected to be lymphangioma of the kidney as a result of a frozen- section histopathological evaluation. Therefore enucleation of the tumor was performed. Pathological evaluation of the specimen revealed lymphangioma arising from the kidney. The patient is free of disease after a 3-month follow-up period.