The effect of food deprivation on the fatty acid and lipid profile of red seabream (Pagrus major) larvae

Under conditions of food deprivation the lipid fraction of red seabream (Pagrus major) larvae shows patterns of conservation or loss in the profile of fatty acids and lipids. These changes were used for qualitative formulation of the dietary requirements of this species. Red seabream larvae were deprived of food for 5 d after hatching. Their lipid was extracted, weighed and analysed by gas-liquid chromatography and iatroscan for the presence of twenty-four fatty acids including n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA), four polar lipids (PL) and four neutral lipids (NL). The results show an exponential decline in lipids with food deprivation, from a mean of 27.7 down to 11.8 mg/g wet larvae weight (LW). This loss could mainly be attributed to a decline in NL from 22.4 to 7.7 mg/g LW, in triacylglycerols, from 21 to 1 mg/g LW, and a change in cholesterol, from 1.3 to 4.2 mg/g LW after 5 d of food deprivation. PL declined from 5.3 to 4.1 mg/g LW in this period. The chief components of this fraction were phosphatidyl choline, and phosphatidyl ethanolamine. Among the fatty acids, the chief decline was observed in saturates and monoenes. Carbon chain lengths of 14 to 18 made up 18.2 mg/g LW in hatched larvae, but only 4.8 mg/g LW in larvae which were deprived of food for 5 d after hatching. n-3 PUFA were lost at a slower rate, from 5.4 to 3.5 mg/g LW for the same period, suggesting that they were conserved. Finally, early larvae of red seabream showed a reduced rate of loss of n-6 relative to n-9 fatty acids, suggesting that the latter were used preferentially as an energy source.     

Clinical Use of Low Porosity Woven Ultrafine Polyester Fiber Grafts

Abstract: A woven fabric graft made of ultrafine polyester fibers (UFPF) (Toray Graft, water porosity: 100 ml/ min/cm²:120 mm Hg H₂O) was clinically applied in 81 cases (28 thoracic aortic aneurysms, 6 thoracoabdominal aortic aneurysms, 42 abdominal aortic aneurysms, and 5 atherosclerotic obstructions of the peripheral arteries). Eight patients died after surgery due to causes unrelated to the graft. The other 73 patients were in good condition after surgery. For operations requiring extracorporeal circulation, the graft was presealed with human albumin. For the abdominal aortic aneurysms, the graft was pre-clotted in situ with nonheparinized autoblood after the completion of the proximal anastomosis. It took about 2 min to complete the preclotting. A nonsealed graft was used for the reconstruction of peripheral arteries for theintraaortic balloon pumping procedure. The graft was easy to handle. There was no cut edge fraying problem with the graft in any direction of cutting. Even after pre-sealing, the graft was soft and pliable enough to enable easy adaptation and anastomosis. Just after implantation, bleeding was minimal from the graft wall, anastomotic sites, and suture pores, and it stopped spontaneously. These clinical data showed that the woven UFPF graft exhibited both easy handling despite in spite of low porosity and safe application in the reconstruction of arterial systems even under totally heparinized conditions during extracorporeal circulation.     

Primary thymic adenocarcinoma with production of carbohydrate antigen 19-9 and carcinoembryonic antigen

A 59-year-old male, whose chest X-ray showed an abnormal shadow, visited us for further study. Laboratory examination showed the elevated level for both carbohydrate antigen 19-9 (CA19-9) and carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) in serum, and the chest X-ray and computed tomography showed an anterior mediastinal mass. Under a diagnosis of thymic malignancy, extended thymectomy with combined resection of the pleura and pericardium was performed. Histopathological findings showed a well-differentiated adenocarcinoma of the thymus, in which CA19-9 and CEA were positive immuno-histochemically. The level of serum CA19-9 and CEA returned to normal ranges postoperatively, however, the tumor recurred in local site with re-elevation of these tumor markers at the 20th month after surgery. He died at 4th month after the first recurrence despite the intensive chemotherapy. We report an extremely rare case of primary thymic adenocarcinoma with the production of CA19-9 and CEA.     

Alendronate and vitamin D2 for prevention of hip fracture in Parkinson's disease: a randomized controlled trial.

Incidence of a fracture, particularly in the hip joint, is high in elderly women with Parkinson's disease (PD), and this is due to the immobilization-induced bone resorption and vitamin D deficiency with reduced bone mineral density (BMD). The objective of this study was to address the possibility that treatment with alendronate and vitamin D2 may reduce the incidence of hip fractures in elderly women with PD. PD patients were randomly assigned to daily treatment with 5 mg alendronate (n = 144) or a placebo combined with 1,000 IU of vitamin D2 (n = 144) and followed for 2 years. Incidence of hip fractures in the two patient groups during the 2-year follow-up period was studied. At baseline, both groups of patients had low BMD with high levels of serum-ionized calcium and urinary deoxypyridinoline (D-Pyr). Hip fractures occurred in 14 patients in the placebo group and 4 in the alendronate group. The relative risk for hip fractures in the alendronate group as compared with the placebo group was 0.29 (95% CI, 0.10-0.85). The number of hip fracture per 1,000 patient-years was 14 and 49 for the alendronate and placebo groups, respectively. In the alendronate group, serum calcium and urinary D-Pyr levels decreased significantly during the follow-up period, while the levels in the placebo group were increased. BMD increased by 3.1% in the alendronate group and decreased by 2.8% in the placebo group (P < 0.01). Treatment with alendronate and vitamin D2 increases BMD in elderly women with PD and leads to the prevention of hip fractures.     

Airway and alveolar inflammation assessments with bronchoalveolar lavage in various interstitial lung disorders]

Fractional analysis of bronchoalveolar lavage (FABAL) fluid was performed in 6 control patients and 41 patients with various interstitial lung disease. The cell differential counts in the first 30 ml fraction of BAL (FBAL-I), which is considered to be the bronchial lavage, differed from those of the 50 ml second and third fraction (FBAL-III). Hypersensitivity pneumonitis, pulmonary tuberculosis, and sarcoidosis showed a high recovery of lymphocytes (52%); however, the former two disorders were occasionally, associated with neutrophil airway inflammation, whereas sarcoidosis was not. The percentage recovery of neutrophils in total FBAL was considerably high in patients with diffuse panbronchiolitis, and relatively high in those with collagen vascular disease, idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, pneumoconiosis, and control smokers. However, these neutrophils were largely recovered from FBAL-I, suggesting the presence of airway inflammation. Thus, it is valuable to apply the FBAL method to determine the topographic distribution of inflammatory cells in the lungs. It was also found that the lymphocyte morphology in the lavage fluid was of value in establishing the diagnosis of hypersensitivity pneumonitis, and it is critical whether or not mast cells and basophils are present in BALF since they indicate the pathologic state of allergy or fibrosis. Although present in various fibrotic lung diseases in a limit number, langerhans cells are a diagnostic marker for histiocytosis X.     

A study of ventricular contraction sequence in complete right bundle branch block by phase analysis

Twenty-four patients with complete right bundle branch block (CRBBB) combined with and without left axis deviation (LAD) on ECG, were compared with 17 normal subjects to evaluate the right ventricular contraction sequence and pattern in detail. Blood pool scintigrams were obtained in the left anterior oblique projection, and these images were analyzed by first component Fourier harmonics. In the normal subjects, the phase value distribution representing the pattern of ventricular contraction was almost homogeneous in both the right and left ventricles (RV & LV). In the CRBBB patients without LAD, the phase images showed apparent phase delay in the right ventricle. In the CRBBB patients with LAD, the phase images showed many different contraction patterns varying from normal to RV phase delay, owing to the effects of the hemi-block. Quantitative analysis of the absolute values, showed that the mean (RV-LV) value was 6.6 +/- 8.4 msec in the normal subjects. In the CRBBB patients without LAD, the duration of the QRS complex correlated with the mean (RV-LV) value, whereas no difference was observed between the duration of the QRS complex and the standard deviation of the right ventricle. Using phase analysis the degree of the RBBB can be determined from the phase images, and can be quantitatively analyzed as in electrical studies.     

Thrombopoietic factor enhances murine megakaryopoiesis induced by recombinant erythropoietin.

Partially purified thrombopoietic factor (TPF) potentiated in vitro murine megakaryopoiesis induced by recombinant human erythropoietin (rh-Epo). High doses (2.5-10 units) of rh-Epo generated a considerable number of megakaryocytes in a dose-dependent manner in a serum-free liquid culture, whereas low doses of rh-Epo (0.5-1 units) failed to generate megakaryocytes. The addition of high doses of rh-Epo and TPF caused a significant increase of megakaryocytes in comparison with high doses of rh-Epo alone. Furthermore, low doses of rh-Epo with TPF caused generation of a small number of megakaryocytes, although TPF alone did not generate megakaryocytes. In addition, TPF enhanced the acetylcholinesterase (Ach-E) activity of megakaryocytes induced by rh-Epo. The potentiating effects of both factors, rh-Epo and thrombopoietic factor, may play an important role in thrombocytopenic states in vivo as well as in in vitro megakaryopoiesis.     

Immunohistochemical studies of the localization of prolactin in human term decidua

Human amniotic fluid possesses a considerably higher concentration of PRL. And it is generally accepted that decidual cells are the source of amniotic PRL and, decidual PRL transfers into amniotic fluid across the fetal membranes. Because few studies on the fine morphological structure of decidual tissue have been reported, with the aid of electron microscopy, we noted the number of secretory granules in the partial decidual cells which were obtained at spontaneous term vaginal delivery. 1 Using immunohistochemical procedures and the PAP complex method, immunized anti-PRL revealed PRL reactivity on the numerous granules or globules. 2 Incubation for acid phosphatase (AcP-ase) activity was done after the tissues were fixed. The medium used was Gomori lead medium, with glycerophosphate as substrate. Lysosomes are present in decidual cells. In lysosomes, numerous residual bodies with reaction product are evident as electro-opaque black bodies. 3 In staining of tissues for the study of lipid granules, Sudan III solution (Sudan Schwarz B dissolved in 70% alcohol) was used. Decidual cells contain fewer and bigger cytosolic lipid spheres.