The Effects of Heterologous Liver Cross-Hemodialysis on Adenylate Energy Charge of the Remnant Liver after Major Hepatic Resection

The effect of liver support on the adenylate energy charge (ATP + 0.5ADP)/(ATP + ADP + AMP) of the remnant liver after major hepatic resection was studied in rabbits. The present study emphasized the principle of restoring the decreased energy charge level of the remnant liver after major hepatic resection by use of an ex vivo heterologous liver cross-he-modialysis with an interposed Cuprophan membrane. The energy charge level provides the cell with a very sensitive intracellular control mechanism. Regulatory enzymes from biosynthetic sequences exhibit very little activity at low levels of energy charge, and their activities increase sharply at high-energy charge levels. The energy charge level of the remnant liver maximally decreased from the control level of 0.860 to 0.767 at 24 hours after 70% hepatectomy. The energy charge level increased from 0.767 to 0.857 after two hours of cross-hemodialysis with an interposed Cuprophan membrane between the 24-hour, 70% hepatectomized rabbit and an ex vivo pig liver with high energy charge. The above results suggest that this ex vivo pig cross-hemodialysis may be effective for biosynthesis in the regenerative processes of the remnant liver.     

Case of primary double lung cancer in the same lobe

In a 70-year-old male complaining chiefly of cough and expectoration, an abnormal shadow was detected in the left upper lobe by chest X-ray. Therefore, he was admitted for further examination. A tumorous shadow, 5 X 4.5 X 2.5 cm was noted; it corresponded to S1 + 2b on the left side. Left upper lobectomy was performed. Histologic findings of the excised lung were giant cell cancer in the tumorous part, and squamous epithelial cancer at the cut end of the bronchus, i.e. the cut end of the left upper bronchi. This is a rare case with primary double cancer in the same lobe.     

Paraproteinemia and motor neuron disease]

In some patients, motor neuron disease (MND) is associated with a paraprotein, raising the question that there may be a relationship between MND and monoclonal gammopathy. We analysed the presence of monoclonal immunoglobulin in the serum from 53 patients with MND using immunofixation in cellulose acetate membrane. The incidence of paraproteins in 6 cases (11.3%) of patients with MND exceeds values found with cellulose acetate membrane supports in reported populations (below 1%), even when age was also considered. Monoclonal components were IgG (33%), IgM (33%) and IgA (33%). In six cases, four showed typical changes of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and other two patients were spinal progressive muscular atrophy (SPMA) in autopsy. No malignancy was detected in all cases. These results corroborate the concept of a probable association between MND and benign monoclonal gammopathy (plasma cell dyscrasia). A patient with SPMA had transient elevation of IgG-GM1 antibodies. Other five patients with M-proteinemia did not show elevated serum anti GM1 antibodies.     

Bile lake: a complication of transcatheter hepatic arterial infusion and embolization therapy (TAI, TAE)

A 74-year-old man with hepatocellular carcinoma developed cholangitis and bile lake in the liver after repeated TAI (anticancer drug-lipiodol suspension) and gelfoam TAE. Despite percutaneous transhepatic drainage, he died of hepatic failure 34 months after the first TAI and TAE. We speculate that cholangitis and bile lake were caused by chemical toxicity of highly concentrated anticancer drug to the bile duct and compression of the proximal bile duct by the tumor.     

The use of mild hypothermia for patients with severe vasospasm: a preliminary report.

The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of mild hypothermia on cerebral ischaemia due to severe vasospasm, which was refractory to medical and intravascular treatments and to assess the brain protection of this treatment in patients who underwent delayed aneurysm clipping after presenting with ischaemic neurological deficits. Mild hypothermia (32-34 degrees C of brain temperature) was employed in two groups: (1) Patients (Hunt and Kosnik grades I to II) who showed progressive neurological deficits due to vasospasm and did not respond to conventional therapy (Group 1) and (2) Patients who received delayed aneurysm clipping after presenting with ischaemic neurological deficits due to vasospasm (Group 2). Seven of 8 patients in both Groups showed a favorable outcome with mild hypothermia (good recovery in 5 and moderate disability in two patients). Mild hypothermia is considered to be effective on critical cerebral ischaemia due to vasospasm even after failure to response the conventional therapies and to provide brain protection in delayed aneurysm clipping.     

小关节不对称-青少年腰椎间盘突出症的放射学特征

目的 :成人与青少年腰椎间盘突出症中小关节不对称性的比较。方法 :研究组包括青少年组 2 5名患者 ,2 9个椎间盘和成人组 3 3名患者 ,5 0个椎间盘。使用CT测量每个小关节形态、小关节角、力矩臂角和长度。小关节不对称的诊断标准为 :双侧小关节的形态不同或双侧小关节角相差 10°以上。并比较了两组间小关节不对称的发生率及其与椎间盘突出的位置、类型以及椎间盘退变之间的关系。结果 :青少年组 (12个间盘 ,占 41% )小关节不对称的发生率明显高于成人组 (4个间盘 ,占 8% ) (P <0 .0 1)。小关节不对称与椎间盘突出的位置、类型以及椎间盘退变之间无统计学差异。结论 :小关节不对称性是青少年腰椎间盘突出症的一个放射学特点。     

Diazepam attenuates conditioned histamine release in guinea pigs.

To clarify the possibility of pharmacological mediation on classical conditioning-associated asthmatic response, the effect of diazepam on an odor-induced conditioned histamine release was investigated in ovalbumin (OA)-sensitized guinea pigs, i.e. a model of bronchial asthma. The animals received conditioning sessions in which an antigen (OA) as the unconditioned stimulus and an odor (dimethylsulfide) as the conditioned stimulus (CS) were simultaneously inhaled. After the animals were intraperitoneally injected with saline or diazepam (2.5 or 5 mg/kg), they underwent exposure to the CS and blood collecting. This procedure was repeated three times in order that the animals would have each kind of injection. The animals injected with saline showed significantly higher levels of plasma histamine following the exposure to the CS as a conditioning effect compared with the baselines (P<0.05), whereas the group injected with diazepam (5 mg/kg) did not indicate such elevations. The suppressing effect of diazepam on the conditioned histamine release was also confirmed by a multiple regression analysis (5 mg/kg) and an analysis of covariance (2.5 and 5 mg/kg), even after adjustments for several factors regarding immunological sensitization and conditionability. The present study suggests that diazepam attenuates a conditioned histamine release.