Cardiac Pacemaker Regulated by Respiratory Rate and Blood Temperature

A new method using respiratory rate and temperature as the guides for optimal pacing is proposed. A pacemaker was fabricated which senses these two parameters simultaneously. The pacemaker functions by calculating the cardiac rate, which would be derived from the respiratory rate and the blood temperature. The higher of the two rates is adopted as the cardiac pacing rate, i.e., at which stimuli will be delivered. The operation was tested in a mongrel dog with complete atrioventricular block. After the induction of anesthesia, a thermistor temperature probe was inserted into right atrium and a respiratory rate sensor was attached around the chest. After administration of a pyrogenic drug, both respiratory rate and blood temperature increased. The pacing rate was increased from 178 beats/minute(bpm) at 36.4 degrees C, blood temperature, and 26.5 acts/minute(apm), respiratory rate, to 233 bpm at 40.1 degrees C and 40.0 apm. Cardiac output was increased from 2.15 liters/minute(l/pm) at the beginning to 2.50 l/pm at maximum. The transition of the guide from respiratory rate to temperature was observed at about 38 degrees C.     

Traumatic bladder rupture managed successfully by laparoscopic surgery

A 61-year-old man presented to our emergency department with acute abdomen. The patient had extraperitoneal and intraperitoneal traumatic bladder injury, which was successfully managed with combined endoscopic and laparoscopic procedures.     

Ultrastructural and morphometric analyses of eosinophils from the cerebrospinal fluid of the mouse and guinea-pig infected with Angiostrongylus cantonensis

Guinea-pigs infected with Angiostrongylus cantonensis developed pleocytosis and eosinophilia in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) at day 12 post-infection (p.i.), showing a peak response at day 20 p.i., followed by a gradual reduction. Ultrastructural observations on CSF eosinophils from infected mice and guinea-pigs revealed various signs of eosinophil degranulation after day 14 p.i., suggesting the exocytosis of lysosomal material. Morphometric analysis indicated that CSF eosinophils after day 22 p.i. contained fewer granules as well as smaller granules than those at days 14-20 p.i. These data suggest that CSF eosinophils release granule constituents into the outside of the cells and these secretion products could interact with the intracranial worms and are probably related to worm death. As degenerative atrophy or partial loss of Purkinje cells and the spongy vacuolation of the white matter were noted in the cerebellum of infected mice, it was suggested that CSF eosinophils could be a possible cause of neurological disorders in angiostrongyliasis cantonensis.     

Antimicrobial effects of phototherapy and photochemotherapy in vivo and in vitro

Summary We investigated the antimicrobial effects of phototherapy and photochemotherapy in vivo and in vitro. First, Staphylococcus aureus samples were obtained using stamp agar medium from inflammatory lesions of 29 adult patients with atopic dermatitis before and after a single photochemotherapy. Therapy was oral PUVA (30 mg 8-methoxypsoralen, 8MOP plus 5 J/cm²UVA), topical PUVA (0·3% 8MOP plus 200mJ/cm²UVA) or UVB (80mJ/cm²) irradiation. The number of S. aureus on the lesions was significantly reduced, even after a single treatment with all therapies. Reductions (mean± SD) were 69·3 ± 26.9%, 76·3 ± 31·3% and 83·8 ± 18·5%. respectively. Secondly, we investigated the effect of PUVA (0·001% 8MOP plus 10, 20, 30, 40, or 50 mJ/cm²UVA) and UVB (10, 30, 50, or 100 mJ/cm²) irradiation on the proliferation of S. aureus in vitro. PUVA and UVB treatment markedly inhibited the proliferation in a dose-dependent manner. These results seem to indicate the possibility that the antimicrobial effect of UV radiation contributes to successful photochemotherapy in patients with atopic dermatitis.     

Blood Coagulation and Vascular Integrity: Effects of Heparin

The administration of large and repeated doses of heparin to normal ratsresulted in increased output of red blood cells into the lymph, comparable tothat associated with x-ray induced thrombocytopenia. A considerable lapse oftime was observed between the inhibition of blood coagulation and the increase of vascular permeability to red blood cells. The latter was not decreasedby return of the blood clotting to normal.

Submitted on March 21, 1962 Accepted on July 4, 1962     

Spontaneous rupture of varicocele testis associated with advanced pancreatic cancer

We report a rare case of strain-induced spontaneous rupture of varicocele associated with renal vein involvement by advanced pancreatic cancer. Computed tomography and color Doppler sonography yielded the correct diagnosis and the patient could maintain quality of life without surgery for acute scrotum.     

Urological robotic surgery: Preliminary experience with the Zeus system

AIM: We performed robotic or robotically-assisted laparoscopic surgery for urological diseases, and evaluated the ef ficacy and safety of this surgery. METHODS: Between November 2003 and June 2004, we performed laparoscopic surgery with the Zeus system in eight cases. Three adrenalectomy cases of cortical adenoma presenting with Cushing syndrome and primary aldosteronism, and two cases of nephrectomy for renal cell carcinoma in dialyzed patients were performed solely with Zeus. In two cases of ureteral stenosis, Zeus was used for ureteral anastomosis after partial ureterectomy by manual laparoscopy. In one prostatectomy case, vesico-urethral anastomosis was performed with Zeus after extraperitoneal prostatectomy by manual laparoscopy. RESULTS: All of the cases were successfully treated without any complications during or after operation. All patients were discharged from hospital within 12 days postoperatively. As for adrenalectomy, nephrectomy and pyeloplasty, this may be the fi rst report in Japan. CONCLUSIONS: Our preliminary experiences suggest that such a robot system, which is being developed day by day, might become more beneficial in future in urological laparoscopic surgery.