Horseshoe anomaly of the pancreas.

A 72-year-old man with recurrent pancreatitis and a horseshoe-shaped anomaly of the pancreas is described. The diagnosis was made by endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) and computed tomography scan; laparotomy was confirmatory. The abnormal duct branched to the lower left from an enlarged Santorini's duct; a thin Wirsung's duct was joined at its distal portion to the junction of the abnormal duct. The anomaly was associated with a cystic dilatation of the common bile duct with stone and cholecystolithiasis. This anomaly is considered to be a variation of the dominant dorsal duct syndrome.     

Regional cerebral blood flow during development of limbic seizures induced by kainic acid (KA) microinjection into unilateral amygdala in chronic cats

Regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF) was studied by means of electrolytic hydrogen clearance method in chronically prepared adult cats during development of limbic seizures induced by KA microinjection into the unilateral amygdala. Stereotaxic operation was carried out on 7 adult cats. Bipolar electrodes were placed in the lateral nuclei of bilateral amygdala (LA: left amygdala, RA: right amygdala), and in the ipsilateral dorsal hippocampus (LH). Teflon needles with inner stainless steel needle guides were placed in LA, RA, LH and left anterior sigmoid gyrus (LCx) so as to introduce platinum electrodes for rCBF measurements. The teflon needle placed in LA was also utilized for KA microinjection (1 microgram). Measurements of rCBF were done before (control) and after KA microinjection. Control rCBF were as follows; LA: 41.6 15.9, RA: 40.7 12.2, LH: 39.1 10.9, LCx: 55.4 20.7 (ml/100 g/min). After KA microinjection, measurements of rCBF were made during limbic seizure stage (LSS) and transfer stage (TS). TS was divided into two stages; early TS and late TS. In LSS, 50 to 92% increase of rCBF were noted as follows; LA: 79.7 23.7, RA: 66.1 18.1, RH: 58.6 17.6, LCx: 91.4 17.8 (ml/100 g/min). In early TS, rCBF in all recorded sites returned to the same level as control rCBF. In late TS, rCBF in LA and LH were slightly lower than the level of control rCBF. Pathological examination of LA and LH in early and late TS showed different features. In late TS, astrocytic proliferation was remarkable while it was mild in early TS.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)     

Acute effect of thyroid hormone on insulin secretion in rats

To elucidate the mechanism of thyroid hormone-induced hyperinsulinemia, the acute and direct effect of thyroid hormone administration on insulin secretion was investigated in rats in vivo and in vitro. In the perfused rat pancreas, the addition of thyroxine (10 micrograms/dL) or 3,5,3'-triiodothyronine (150 ng/dL) to the perfusing medium did not affect insulin secretion. The administration of thyroxine (40 micrograms/kg, s.c.) in vivo increased the plasma insulin level from 11 +/- 2 microUnits/mL (mean +/- SD) to 30 +/- 7 microUnits/mL, while blood glucose and plasma glucagon were unchanged. This phenomenon was inhibited completely by the preadministration of oxprenolol hydrochloride (2 mg/kg, s.c.), and inhibited partly by the preadministration of metoprolol tartrate (35 mg/kg, s.c.). These results suggest that thyroid hormone induces hyperinsulinemia via beta-adrenergic stimulation in the rat.     

The role of the superior cervical ganglia in the nocturnal rise of pineal type-II thyroxine 5'-deiodinase activity

Superior cervical ganglionectomy (SCGx) abolished the nocturnal rise in pineal type-II thyroxine 5'-deiodinase (5'-D) activity in both euthyroid and hypothyroid rats. Isoproterenol induced at least as great a rise in diurnal pineal 5'-D in SCGx as in intact rats. These data suggest that beta-adrenergic stimulation through the superior cervical ganglia is essential for the nocturnal rise in pineal 5'-D activity.     

Two cases of persistent hypouricemia associated with diabetes mellitus.

Two patients with diabetes mellitus had persistent hypouricemia due to increased urate clearance; the degree of the apparent renal hypouricemia with uricosuria was quite mild. At the onset of diabetes, their serum urate levels were normal. Even after good diabetes control in both cases, hypouricemia continued. Based on the pharmacological evaluation in both patients, pyrazinamide administration could partially decrease urate clearance, however, suppression by pyrazinamide was less than in normal subjects, and probenecid increased urate clearance. These results suggest that the present cases had a renal abnormality affecting tubular presecretory reabsorption of urate, which might be due to diabetes mellitus.     

Alterations of nuclear pores in preneoplastic and neoplastic rat liver lesions induced by 2-acetylaminofluorene

The nuclear pore density and area were measured on freeze-fracturednuclei of ACI/N rat liver altered foci, adenomas and carcinomasinduced by 2-acetylaminofluorene, and compared with those ofnormal hepatocytes. The pore density of nuclei from these preneoplasticand neoplastic lesions was significantly higher than that ofhepatocytes, but there was no difference between lesions. Thearea of nuclear pores of the focus cells did not differ fromnormal hepatocytes, whereas the areas of pores of adenoma andcarcinoma cells were increased. Moreover, the nuclear pore areaof carcinomas was significantly greater than that of adenomas.These results suggest that some changes may occur in nuclearpores in the progress of tumorigenesis.     

Detection of fecal blood by colloidal gold agglutination using an anti-human hemoglobin monoclonal antibody.

Monoclonal antibodies to human hemoglobin were produced and a colloidal gold agglutination method has been developed for detection of fecal occult blood. Since hemoglobin is composed of the tetramer, alpha 2 beta 2, a single monoclonal antibody-labeled colloidal gold can agglutinate with hemoglobin. The lowest detectable hemoglobin concentration was 0.5 micrograms/ml. A total of 785 fecal samples were determined using colloidal gold agglutination and compared with latex agglutination. The colloidal gold agglutination detected blood in 75 samples, whereas latex agglutination detected blood in 76 samples, and among them 70 were positive in both methods. Overall agreement between the two methods was 98%.