Rapidly growing calcified cerebellar astrocytoma in infants

We report the case of an infant with a cerebellar astrocytoma that showed marked calcification within only 6 months. In general, only slow-growing tumors tend to calcify. To our knowledge, no other case of such rapid calcification in cerebellar astrocytoma has been reported.     

Effects of glycyrrhetinic acid on aminonucleoside nephrosis in rats

The effects of glycyrrhetinic acid (GA), an aglycon of glycyrrhizin extracted from the roots of Glycyrrhizae radix, on puromycin aminonucleoside (PA) nephrosis were studied in rats. Urine protein excretion in female rats (130g–150g) receiving PA (50 mg/kg) alone was significantly elevated on the 2nd day after injection of PA and reached a peak on the 14th day. Urinary protein on the 14th day was reduced to 74% in animals treated with GA (20 mg/kg) starting on the 2nd day after injection of PA. The increase in serum cholesterol and the decrease in serum protein were also suppressed by GA. Observation by electron microscopy revealed that the degree of abnormality in glomerular epithelial cells, i.e. loss or fusion of foot processes, was lower in the rats treated with GA after PA injection than in the rat treated with PA alone. Moreover, pretreatment with GA did not suppress urinary protein excretion but when it was given at the same time as PA and after PA a significant decrease in urinary protein excretion was observed. Correspondence to: H. Abe at the above address     

Acquired cystic disease of the kidney and renal carcinoma in haemodialysis patients: ultrasonographic evaluation.

Ultrasonography was performed in 661 dialysis patients and acquired cystic disease of the kidney was found in 156 (125 men and 31 women). A higher incidence of cystic disease was found in males. There was no significant difference between the patients with and those without acquired cystic disease in terms of average age, but the duration of haemodialysis in those with acquired cystic disease was significantly longer. There was an increased incidence of cystic disease in patients with glomerulonephritis and the duration of haemodialysis in these patients was significantly longer. This suggests that the increased incidence of acquired cystic disease of the kidneys in the patients with glomerulonephritis is simply related to the longer duration of treatment. Twelve patients with renal carcinoma were found in this study. The average age at diagnosis of renal carcinoma was not significantly different between the patients with and those without acquired cystic disease, but the duration of dialysis was significantly longer in renal carcinoma patients with acquired cystic disease. The incidence of renal carcinoma in dialysis patients with acquired cystic disease was 3.85% and in those without it was 1.19%. These rates are considerably higher than those found in the general population and indicate that the risk of renal carcinoma is higher in dialysis patients both with and without acquired cystic disease.     

Effects of heparin on the vasodilator action of protamine in the rabbit mesenteric artery.

1. The effects of protamine on the rabbit isolated small mesenteric artery were investigated both in the presence and in the absence of heparin, by the isometric tension-recording method. 2. The dissociation constant for the binding of heparin to protamine has never been previously reported, so in order to minimize the effects of protamine, known to have a vasodilator action, and to examine only the effects of a heparin-protamine complex, the experiments with heparin were performed in the presence of high concentrations of heparin (21-700 u ml-1), concentrations at which heparin itself does not affect the vascular tone. 3. Protamine (15-500 micrograms ml-1), in the absence of heparin, was found to inhibit (P < 0.05) noradrenaline (1 microM)-induced contractions both in endothelium-intact and in endothelium-denuded tissues. 4. Such vasodilator action of protamine in either endothelium-intact or -denuded tissues continued, even in the presence of excess heparin at a heparin/protamine (H/P) ratio of 1.4 u micrograms -1, but was almost completely blocked in the presence of a much greater excess of heparin (H/P ratio > or = 4.7 u micrograms -1): heparin was present both before and during the application of protamine. 5. The vasodilator action of protamine in the absence of heparin was prolonged both in the endothelium-intact and -denuded tissues after protamine had been washed out from the bath with Krebs solution.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)     

A case of mediastinal neurinoma originating from right intrathoracic vagal nerve

A 34-year-old woman was admitted with an abnormal shadow on a chest X-ray film. Under a preoperative diagnosis of benign bronchogenic cyst, operation was carried out and the tumor was found to be originating from the right main vagal nerve in the mid-superior mediastinum. The vagal nerve was transected to remove the tumor. Pathological diagnosis was a neurinoma. Postoperative complication was chylothorax which was successfully treated with thoracic drainage and intravenous hyperalimentation.     

A case of aneurysm of the inferior left ventricular wall

Aneurysms of the inferior left ventricular wall represent only a small fraction of all aneurysms that have been reported in surgical series. And in comparison to anterior left ventricular aneurysms, a comparatively higher percentage of reported inferior wall aneurysms was classified as false. A 73-year-old male was admitted for acute inferior myocardial infarction. Three weeks after admission, cardiac catheterization was carried out. Coronary arteriography revealed triple vessel disease and left ventriculography showed an aneurysm of the inferior left ventricular wall, whose feature near the mitral annulus was multiple fenestrations. Left ventricular aneurysmectomy and aortocoronary bypass grafting to the left anterior descending artery were simultaneously performed under cardiopulmonary bypass with moderate hypothermia. The pathological feature was a true aneurysm. The postoperative course was uneventful.     

Ultrastructural localization of adhalin in normal murine skeletal myofiber

The ultrastructural localization of adhalin and its relations to dystrophin, β-dystroglycan, and β-spectrin were studied in normal murine skeletal myofibers. The C-terminal peptides of adhalin and β-dystroglycan were synthesized based on their cDNAs, and the affinity-purified antibodies against these peptides were produced. Single-immunolabeling electron microscopy showed that the adhalin was located just inside the muscle plasma membrane or inside the myofiber a short distance from the plasma membrane. The adhalin signal was also noted at the sarcoplasmic side of plasmalemmd invaginations or at vesicular structures in subsarcolemmal areas. Double-immunogold-labeling electron microscopy disclosed a similar localization of dystrophin, β-dystroglycan, and β-spectrin. The close association of adhalin with dystrophin or β-dystroglycan was demonstrated by formation of doublets by signals of antibodies of adhalin with those of dystrophin or β-dystroglycan and was confirmed by statistical analyses. This study demonstrated that the location of adhalin is close to that of dystrophin and β-dystroglycan at the muscle plasma membrane.     

A novel murine model of pharyngeal candidiasis with local symptoms characteristic of pharyngeal thrush produced by using an inhaled corticosteroid.

We established a novel murine model of pharyngeal candidiasis maintaining stable yeast population and local symptoms characteristic of pharyngeal thrush. The persistent Candida-infection was prolonged by inhalation of beclomethasone dipropionate corticosteroid. The severity of infection lesions was evaluated by determining viable cell number of Candia albicans and scores representing symptomatic curd-like white patch on pharyngeal tissue. The utility of this model was shown by the disappearance of lesions and fungal cells after treatment with fluconazole (FLCZ). The model would be useful for evaluating new chemotherapeutic or immunotherapeutic approaches against pharyngeal candidiasis, as well as in pathological studies.