Coexistence of paired helical filaments and glial filaments in astrocytic processes within ghost tangles.

Ultrastructural examination of ghost tangles in an autopsy case of long-term Alzheimer's disease revealed, in addition to degenerate neurites containing paired helical filaments (PHF), astrocytic processes which included PHF. This finding suggests either that astrocytes in ghost tangles possess the capacity to produce PHF or that PHF are incorporated into astrocytes by endocytosis.     

Ventilatory response to hypercapnia in sprint and long-distance swimmers

Summary Ventilatory response lines to carbon dioxide at rest were determined by the rebreathing method in 10 untrained subjects, 17 sprint swimmers, and 11 long-distance swimmers. It was found that the mean slope of the ventilatory response line of the swimmer was lower than that of the untrained group, and the mean slope of the long distance swimmer was lower as compared with the sprint swimmer, though these differences were statistically not significant. The differences in the hypercapnic drive between untrained subjects and swimmers obtained here is discussed in connection with their maximum oxygen uptake.     

Reconstruction of 4-MV bremsstrahlung spectra from measured transmission data

Transmission data for 4-MV bremsstrahlung beams have been measured with a combination of lead and aluminum attenuators. From these data, the original energy spectra have been reconstructed using an iterative least-squares technique, previously evaluated by simulation studies. The spectra on the central axis for three similar 4-MV linear accelerators indicated no significant differences. When studying the spectra at 5 degrees and 9 degrees off the central axis, that at 9 degrees showed the expected increase of low-energy photons. All these spectra showed a maximum photon energy of 4.5 +/- 0.2 MeV. When the magnetron power was reduced, the spectrum on the central axis shifted to lower energies and the maximum photon energy decreased to 3.5 +/- 0.2 MeV. The result of this experimental study confirms the conclusions from the previous stimulation, that the numerical technique for analysis of transmission data can accurately represent 4-MV bremsstrahlung spectra and detect differences in energy distribution with changes in machine tuning and position in the radiation field for a 4-MV bremsstrahlung beam.     

Two cases of limited cutaneous nodular amyloidosis with primary Sj?gren's syndrome]

We described two female patients with primary Sj?gren's syndrome associated with localized cutaneous nodular amyloidosis (LCNA), in which amyloid protein was derived from immunoglobulin light chain. Case 1; a 70-year-old female had complained with polyarthralgia, low-grade fever and parotid gland swelling. She was diagnosed as primary Sj?gren's syndrome. Three years later she noticed brown color small tumor on the thigh and yellow to brown nodules on the bilateral calves of legs. Skin biopsy from the left thigh revealed amyloid L protein deposition, which was positive for anti-lambda light chain staining, in almost entire dermis. Infiltration of lymphocytes and plasma cells around the amyloid deposit were prominent. Case 2; a 51-year-old female had noticed increasing eruption on the hip. Skin biopsy revealed amyloid L protein deposition in the dermis, which was negative for anti-lambda nor kappa light chain staining. When she was refereed to our hospital, she complained of xerostomia and xerophthalmia. She was diagnosed as primary Sj?gren's syndrome. In both cases, histological examination of a minor salivary gland biopsy revealed infiltration of lymphocytes and plasma cells but not amyloid deposit. Serum M protein and urine Bence-Jones protein were not detected. These cases represent localized amyloidosis without systemic involvement. It is widely recognized that Sj?gren's syndrome is frequently accompanied by B cell lymphoproliferative disorders. In LCNA, infiltration of plasma cells around the amyloid deposits was frequently prominent. The relation between these two disorders is discussed.     

Prediction of hepatic graft viability before reperfusion: an analysis of effluent from porcine allografts

Rapid and reliable assessment of hepatic graft viability is important for successful orthotopic liver transplantation (OLTx). OLTx was performed in 11 pairs of pigs via a venovenous bypass. Six of these grafts were transplanted immediately (group A), while the other five were preserved in University of Wisconsin (UW) solution for 24 h and then transplanted (group B). All grafts were flushed with 300 ml of chilled (4°C) Ringer's lactate solution before reperfusion of the graft, when 20 ml of effluent from the graft was collected and the concentrations of ammonia, lactic acid, GOT, and LDH were measured. Four of the six pigs in group A survived longer than 3 days, while the other two pigs died of causes other than graft dysfunction. All five pigs in group B died either of hemoperitoneum or hemodynamic instability due to liver failure. The histology of postperfusion biopsies in group A showed minimal pathological changes, while the grafts in group B revealed moderate to severe ischemic injuries. Ammonia and lactic acid in the effluent of group B were significantly higher than those of group A (1511±216 vs 417±333 g/dl and 114.1±12.2 vs 91.4±12.2 mg/dl, respectively; P<0.05 in both cases). Before reperfusion, the rate of total adenine nucleotides in all of the substances in the graft, which were measured using high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), inversely correlated with the ammonia levels in the effluent. We conclude that an analysis of the effluent, (i.e. the levels of ammonia and lactic acid), flushed from a hepatic graft before reperfusion could serve as a predictor of hepatic graft viability.     

The effects of butorphanol on baroreflex control of heart rate in man

The effects of butorphanol injection on baroreflex control of heart rate were investigated using both pressor and depressor tests in eighteen adult patients. Baroreflex sensistivity was attenuated after butorphanol injection in the pressor test using phenylephrine, whereas it was unchanged in the depressor test using nitroglycerine. No resetting of the baroreflex occurred after butorphanol injection. After the administration of butorphanol, plasma epinephrine and norepinephrine levels increased. These results suggest that it is safe to use butorphanol clinically even when a reduction in blood pressure due to hypovolemia or unclamping of the major artery is expected and that it is disadvantageous to administer the drug when an increase in blood pressure due to cross-clamping of the major artery is predicted.(Wajima Z, Inoue T and Ogawa R: The effects of butorphanol on baroreflex control of heart rate in man. J Anesth 7: 411--418, 1993)     

Myocardial infarction and coronary artery involvement in giant cell arteritis.

PURPOSE: To describe the pathologic findings in an unusual case of giant cell arteritis that presented initially with visual loss and rapidly culminated in myocardial infarction. CASE REPORT: After the death of the patient, a complete autopsy was performed, including bilateral enucleation. All specimens, including a temporal artery biopsy completed before the patients death, were processed for routine paraffin histology and initially stained with hematoxylin and eosin. Elastic stains were subsequently used on specimens of temporal and coronary artery. The patient presented with loss of vision in the right eye. The clinical diagnosis was anterior ischemic optic neuropathy, secondary to temporal arteritis. The temporal artery biopsy was positive. Despite high-dose corticosteroid administration, the patient progressed to neurologic impairment, and subsequently to a fatal myocardial infarction. DISCUSSION: Previous reports of temporal arteritis with coronary involvement are summarized. Myocardial infarction may be a more common early complication of temporal arteritis than appreciated previously. This important complication can occur despite administration of high-dose corticosteroid therapy.     

Purification and Partial Characterization of an Indomethacin Hydrolyzing Enzyme from Pig Liver

Purpose. Indomethacin is well known to be metabolized via O-demethylation and N-deacylation. In this paper we found an enzyme involved in the hydrolysis of amide-linkage of indomethacin and partially characterized it as well as its substrate specificity. Methods. An indomethacin hydrolyzing enzyme was purified to homogeneity from pig liver microsomes using columns of Q-Sepharose, Red-Sepharose and Blue-Sepharose. The enzyme activity was assayed by measuring of -chlorobenzoic acid liberated from indomethacin by HPLC. Results. The purified enzyme effectively hydrolyzed the amide linkage in indomethacin but not those in -naphthylacetate and -nitrophenylacetate, which are typical substrates for carboxylesterase. The subunit molecular mass of the enzyme was 65 kDa according SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. The Michaelis constant (Km) and maximum velocity (Vmax) values for indomethacin were 67.8 µM and 9.02 nmol/min/mg protein, respectively. The amino acid sequence analysis of the enzyme after cyanogen bromide cleavage showed high homology with a mouse carboxylesterase isozyme designated as ES-male. The activity of indomethacin hydrolysis was relatively high in the pig, rabbit and human liver homogenate, but not in those from rat and mouse. On the other hand, purified human liver carboxylesterases pl 5.3 and 4.5, and pig liver carboxylesterases have no catalytic activity for indomethacin. Conclusions. These results indicate that the hydrolysis of amide-linkage of indomethacin in humans would be associated with an enzyme similar to the indomethacin hydrolyzing enzyme from pig liver microsomes described here.