Plasma vasopressin response to contrast medium during cardiac catheterization in infants and children

Fifteen infants and children (M = 7, F = 8), aged from 0 to 13 years, who underwent cardiac catheterization and cardioangiography under ketamine-diazepam anesthesia were the subjects of this study. The effect of a contrast medium, isolamate sodium (66.8%) on the plasma somolality and vasopressin concentration was studied. The plasma osmolality was significantly elevated after contrast medium administration (289 ± 3 vs. 303 ± 8mosmol·kg^–1) as well as plasma vasopressin (from 2.1 ± 0.9 vs. 4.7 ± 2.0 micro-unit·ml^–1).It is concluded that the administration of contrast medium for cardioangiography causes elevation of plasma osmolality, which leads to the elevation of plasma vasopressin concentration.(Yamashita M, Horigome H, Kudo T, et al.: Plasma vasopressin response to contrast medium during cardiac catheterization in infants and children. J Anesth 5: 203–204, 1991)     

Effects of small dose of brotizolam on P300

Nine healthy men (mean age, 22.2 years) participated in two experimental sessions cross-overed randomly in a double blind manner; one with a placebo and the other with 0.125 mg of brotizolam (BTZ) administered in the morning. Resting electroencephalogram and event-related potential under oddball paradigm was recorded before and 1, 2, 4, 6 and 8 h after the administration. Mean 30-msec bin amplitude from 240 msec to 450 msec after the stimulus was compared between placebo and drug sessions in order to observe P300. Brotizolam reduced the amplitude of P300 at 6 h after administration. It was noted that the effects of BTZ were most marked at Fz.     

Factors associated with admission to a geriatric hospital in semisuburban southern Japan

A case-control study was conducted to evaluate the factors associated with admission to a geriatric hospital. Case studied were 13 Japanese elderly who were admitted to a geriatric hospital because their female caregivers had found it impossible to look after them at home. We used 35 pairs of elderly and female caregivers, who were receiving domiciliary visits by nurses, in the catchment area of the hospital. The present study revealed that elderly with dementia (vs without; Odds ratio = 6.69) and with moderately limited activities of daily living (Barthel Index 61 +) (vs severely limited activities of daily living: Barthel Index 0-60; Odds ratio = 6.62), caregivers being a daughter-in-law (vs other kinship; Odds ratio = 6.30), were risk factors.     

Thrombin inhibitor ameliorates secondary damage in rat brain injury: suppression of inflammatory cells and vimentin-positive astrocytes

The effects of the thrombin inhibitor argatroban on the number of inflammatory cells and reactive astrocytes were investigated in a rat brain injury model. Gelatin sponge soaked with thrombin inhibitor (treatment group) or saline (control group) was placed in the brain defect to assess the infiltration of inflammatory cells by hematoxylin-eosin and immunohistochemical staining. Expression of polymorphonuclear leukocytes (PMNs) and monocyte/macrophage (Mo/Mo) cells, and vimentin (VIM)-positive astrocytes and glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP)-positive astrocytes were compared between groups. In the treatment group, infiltration of both PMNs and Mo/Mo cells, and the number of VIM-positive astrocytes were significantly reduced, but the number of GFAP-positive astrocytes was not different from the control group. Thrombin inhibitor suppresses the infiltration of inflammatory cells and excessive gliosis caused by VIM-positive astrocytes, but not expression of GFAP-positive astrocytes, suggesting minimization of secondary brain damage and promotion of the conditions required for neural regeneration.     

HELLP syndrome in a pregnant patient with a past history of splenectomy for idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura. Case report

Case: We present a case of HELLP syndrome occuring in a patient who at the age of 8 years had undergone a splenectomy for idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura. She was diagnosed as having HELLP syndrome 37 weeks of gestation and had a cesarean section. Received: 4 June 1996 / Accepted: 7 October 1996     

Dietary zinc deficiency decreases glutathione S-transferase expression in the rat olfactory epithelium

Zinc deficiency leads to olfactory and gustatory dysfunction, but little is known about the underlying molecular mechanism of this phenomenon. We examined the effect of dietary zinc deficiency on the rat olfactory epithelium. Immunoreactivities of glutathione S-transferase (GST) mu, neuron-specific enolase (NSE) and proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA), and in situ hybridization of GST mu mRNA in the olfactory epithelia were examined under different dietary zinc intake conditions. Adult male rats were fed a zinc-deficient (ZD) diet (0.5 mg zinc/kg diet), whereas control rats, including pair-fed (PF) and zinc-adequate (ad libitum consumption, AL) groups, were fed a zinc-adequate diet (58 mg zinc/kg diet) for 7 wk. We also examined the effect of zinc replacement (ZR) by subsequently feeding half of the ZD group a zinc-adequate diet for 5 wk after the initial 7-wk deprivation. No significant differences in immunoreactivity for NSE in olfactory epithelial receptor cells or for PCNA in basal cells were noted among groups. Intense GST mu immunoreactivity and hybridization signals were observed in olfactory supporting cells of AL, PF and ZR groups, but very minimal or no such signal was noted in ZD rats. Our findings indicated that zinc deficiency reduces GST mu expression in the supporting cells of rat olfactory epithelia but does not affect receptor cell proliferation or maintenance.     

The expression of platelet-derived endothelial cell growth factor/thymidine phosphorylase associates with angiogenesis in epithelial ovarian cancer

Background The object of this study is to clarify the association of an angiogenic factor, PD-ECGF (platelet-derived endothelial cell growth factor/thymidine phosphorylase), with clinicopathologic factors, in this case tumor angiogenesis, in epithelial ovarian cancers. Methods Tumor specimens were obtained at the time of surgery from the primary lesion in 60 patients with epithelial ovarian cancer. Histologic cell types were assigned to tumors according to the World Health Organization classification: 26 were classified as serous adenocarcinoma, 15 as endometrioid adenocarcinoma, 9 as mucinous adenocarcinoma, 9 as clear cell carcinoma, and 1 as undifferentiated carcinoma. Surgical staging was based on the international Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics (FIGO) staging system: 16 were stage I, 6 were stage II, 34 were stage III, and 4 were stage IV. Expression of PD-ECGF was evaluated by immunohistochemical staining. Microvessel density was assessed by immunostaining for factor VIII-related antigen in the most neovascularized area. Results Stroma cells stained more strongly than cancer cells (80% vs. 33%). The immunopositivity of PD-ECGF in stroma cells was higher in cases of advanced cancer. Expression of PD-ECGF in mucinous adenocarcinomas was significantly higher than that in serous adenocarcinomas, while PD-ECGF expression in clear cell carcinomas was significantly lower. The microvessel density in the cases with marked PD-ECGF-positive stroma cells was significantly higher than that in the cases with absent/minimal PD-ECGF-positive stroma cells (P<0.05). Conclusion The expression of PD-ECGF may play a crucial role in the promotion of angiogenesis in epithelial ovarian cancers.     

An infant with Costelio syndrome complicated with fatal hypertrophic obstructive cardiomyopathy

We report a 3-month-old girl with Costelio syndrome complicating fatal hypertrophic obstructive cardio-myopathy. She had typical findings of this syndrome, slight dyspnea and persistent wheezing. Doppler echocardiography revealed asymmetric septal hypertrophy and systolic anterior movement of the anterior mitral leaflet. There was grade 1 mitral regurgitation. Although once her heart failure had been controlled medically, she died suddenly following deterioration of her heart condition. Costelio syndrome can complicate fatal hypertrophic obstructive cardiomyopathy.     

Yolk sac tumor with a unique uniform hepatoid pattern histology

Abstract Background: Yolk sac tumors (YST) exhibit several different histological subtypes and the mechanisms of cellular differentiation and prognosis of each subtype remain unknown.
Results: We report two infants with sacrococcygeal YST; one represented a typical histological subtype and the other showed a hepatoid subtype with uniform histology. The isoform of alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) in the patient with the hepatoid pattern was examined by lectin-affinity Immunoelectrophoresis and represented as a YST. but not hepatocellular, subtype. The patient with typical YST responded well to VAB-6 combination chemotherapy. However, this regimen was only partially effective to the patient with the pure hepatoid histological subtype, and an etoposide with ifosfamide and cisplatin (VIP) regimen as a salvage chemotherapy combined with complete tumor resection was useful to achieve complete remission (CR). Both of the patients have been in CR for more than four years.