Neural substrates of emotionally valenced episodic memory: A PET study using film stimuli

Abstract  To reveal the pathogenetic mechanism of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), we modeled the 're-experience' symptom of PTSD in healthy subjects, and investigated its neural substrates using PET activation experiments on an emotionally (fear) valenced episodic memory task and several contrast tasks. Ten right-handed healthy male volunteers underwent H₂¹⁵O-PET. Each subject was required to watch a horror film the previous day. During the PET scan, the subject was shown part of the film for 60 s immediately before the terrifying climax scene and told to recall the following scene. The subject did not watch the scene directly, but re-experienced fear induced by the trigger. The rCBF in this task compared with that in control tasks was analyzed with SPM99. The subjective emotional state of the subject in each task was evaluated using an analog scale. The main cerebral areas where rCBF significantly correlated with the task of emotionally valenced episodic memory, compared with the novel emotional task, were the left retrosplenial cortex (Brodmann's area: BA 31), the left visual association cortex (BA 19) and the right prefrontal cortex (BA 10). Although the retrosplenial cortex or the posterior cingulate gyrus has been regarded as engaged in processing either only emotion or only episodic memory, this area is considered to be involved in processing 'emotionally valenced episodic memory'.     

Natural Products: Baicalin and Baicalein,Constituents of an Important Medicinal Plant,Inhibit Intracellular Ca2+ Elevation by Reducing Phospholipase C Activity in C6 Rat Glioma Cells

Glial cells have a role in maintaining the function of neural cells. This study was undertaken to clarify the effects of baicalin and baicalein, flavonoids isolated from an important medicinal plant Scutellariae Radix (the root of Scutellaria baicalensis Georgi), on glial cell function using C6 rat glioma cells. Baicalin and baicalein caused concentration-dependent inhibition of a histamine-induced increase in intracellular Ca²⁺ concentrations ([Ca²⁺]_i). The potency of baicalein was significantly greater than that of baicalin. The noradrenaline- and carbachol-induced increase in [Ca²⁺]_i was also inhibited by baicalein and both drugs inhibited histamine-induced accumulation of total [³H]inositol phosphates, consistent with their inhibition of the increase in [Ca²⁺]_i. These results suggest that baicalin and baicalein inhibit [Ca²⁺]_i elevation by reducing phospholipase C activity. The inhibitory effects of baicalin and baicalein on [Ca²⁺]_i elevation might be important in the interpretation of their pharmacological action on glial cells, such as inhibition of Ca²⁺-required enzyme phospholipase A₂.     

Liaison psychiatry and HIV infection (I): Avoidance coping responses associated with depressive symptoms accompanying somatic complaints

Abstract We examined the relationship of somatic complaints to coping behaviors and mood states among 50 HIV-positive patients without AIDS. Although no patients fulfilled the DSM-III-R criteria for mood disorders including major depression, scores for depressive symptoms were significantly higher in the HIV-positive patients than in healthy persons. Although depressive symptoms in HIV patients may not be strong enough to warrant a psychiatric diagnosis of mood disorders, these patients may be prone to depressive symptoms. The HIV patients indicated a tendency toward somatic complaints more frequently than their healthy counterparts. The scores for depressive symptoms were significantly and positively correlated with scores for avoidance coping responses. The presence or absence of six complaints (i.e., general fatigue, abdominal distress, chest pain or discomfort, and numbness or chills) could be discriminated based on the score of avoidance coping responses. The results of this study suggest that avoidance coping responses associated with depressive symptoms accompany several somatic complaints in HIV patients without AIDS.     

Bladder-sparing surgery and continent urinary diversion using the appendix (Mitrofanoff procedure) for urethral cancer

We performed bladder-sparing surgery and continent urinary diversion in two patients with urethral cancer. The first patient was a 58-year-old man with bulbomembranous urethral cancer (squamous cell carcinoma, cT2N0M0). The second patient was a 77-year-old woman with urethral cancer invading the vaginal wall (transitional cell carcinoma with squamous cell carcinoma, cT3N0M0). After bladder-sparing urethrectomy, continent urinary diversion with appendicovesicostomy (Mitrofanoff procedure) was performed in the both patients. More than 4 years after the surgery, both patients were continent, had no trouble with catheterization, and experienced no recurrence of cancer. Bladder-sparing surgery and urinary diversion based on the Mitrofanoff procedure can be considered for appropriately selected patients with urethral cancer.     

Basal Cell Epithelioma of the Penis: A Case Report

A 65-year-old man had a tumor with a small ulcer on the foreskinof his penis. A local excision was performed. Histological examinationof the specimen revealed superficial basal cell epithelioma.Basal cell epithelioma is a common tumor of the skin, but israrely found on the penis. Only 11 cases have been reportedin the European and American literature. Basal cell epitheliomaswere formerly called basal cell carcinomas and were treatedas true carcinomas. However, recently they have been treatedas benign tumors because of their good prognosis and rare metastasis.     

Seasonal variations of total histamine in patients with seasonal allergic rhinitis

Seasonal variations of total blood histamine were examined in twenty patients with seasonal allergic rhinitis (Japanese cedar pollinosis). In blood specimens taken in the pollen season of 1978, the symptom-free season of 1978. and the pollen season of 1979, the mean values of blood histamine were 61.6, 50.0 and 84.2 ng/ml respectively. The differences in blood histamine levels between the pollen season of 1978 and the symptom-free season of 1978 and between the symptom-free season of 1978 and the pollen season of 1979 were statistically significant. In the symptom-free season of 1978, the blood histamine levels of twenty normal subjects were also examined: the mean value was 58.2 ng/ml. The blood histamine levels of the patients in the symptom-free season were not statistically different from those of the normal subjects.     

Suppression of Demand Mechanism by Inactive Myocardial Electrodes

A 14 year old girl, at age 8, had had a bipolar pulse generator implanted with myocardial leads. Because one of the myocardial leads fractured near the electrode, a second pair of myocardial leads were implanted. Thus, the patient had two pairs of myocardial leads and one demand pulse generator implanted. When the patient was readmitted to the hospital because of light-headedness, the ECG monitor revealed frequent suppression of pulse generator pulses when hand pressure was exerted over the pulse generator site. Converting the pulse generator into the asynchronous mode with a magnet prevented inhibition. The pacemaker pocket was reopened. The pulse generator could not be inhibited either by pulling on the active myocardial leads or by moving the pulse generator, but the pulse generator could be inhibited by manipulation of the inactive leads which produced electrical signals having amplitudes and frequencies which were in the bandwidth of the sensing circuit. The probable cause of the electrical signals was the irregular contact of the terminals of the inactive leads with the patient's abdominal muscles. Replacement of the demand pulse generator by an asynchronous type resulted in cessation of the patient's light-headedness.     

Adult T‐cell leukemia/lymphoma in a 21‐year‐old man

Adult T‐cell leukemia/lymphoma (ATL) is malignancy of mature T cells that caused by infection with human T‐cell leukemia virus type I (HTLV‐I). Leukemogenesis of ATL cells considered to involve a multistep oncogenic process, resulting in a very long latency period. But, we report here the case of a 21‐year‐old man having suffered from recurrent stomatititis who has already developed acute‐type ATL. ATL generally occurs after a long latency period, and the present case in a young man is thus very rare.