Primary adenocarcinoma of the appendix invading the urinary bladder

We report a case of adenocarcinoma of the appendix invading the urinary bladder in a 75-year-old man. Although cystoscopic examination and computed tomography suggested a primary or secondary bladder tumor, repeated transurethral bladder biopsy could not confirm the neoplasm. At operation a primary neoplasm of the appendix invading the bladder was discovered and en bloc resection of the urinary bladder with the adherent cecum followed by an ileocolonic anastomosis and ureterocutaneostomy was performed. The patient died of carcinoma 13 months later.     

Dynamic changes of post-ischemic hepatic microcirculation improved by a pre-treatment of phosphodiesterase-3 inhibitor, milrinone

BACKGROUND: Phosphodiesterase-3 inhibition has been shown to attenuate hepatic warm ischemia-reperfusion injury. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of milrinone, phosphodiesterase-3 inhibitor, on post-ischemic microcirculation of rat livers by intravital microscopy. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Male Wistar rats were randomly assigned to three groups; group A, milrinone pre-treatment; group B, ischemic pre-conditioning; and group C, no pre-treatment. All animals underwent a 60-min warm ischemia of the left lateral liver lobe. Microvascular perfusion and leukocyte-endothelial interaction were observed by intravital videomicroscopy. Hepatocellular viability and cellular damage were quantified by adenosine triphosphate tissue concentration as well as alanine aminotransferase and lactate dehydrogenase blood levels, respectively. RESULTS: In groups A and B, cyclic AMP hepatic tissue concentration was elevated significantly. After reperfusion, microvascular perfusion in hepatic sinusoids was significantly better maintained, and the number of adherent leukocytes was reduced in sinusoids and in post-sinusoidal venules in these rats. Serum transaminase blood levels were suppressed significantly in these groups compared with controls. CONCLUSION: The demonstrated improvement of hepatic microcirculation is certainly derived from milrinone induced cell protection in ischemia reperfusion of the liver. This effect is outlined by improved energy status and reduced liver enzyme liberation and mimics the effect of ischemic pre-conditioning.     

Elevated antibodies to synthetic peptides of HTLV-1 envelope transmembrane glycoproteins in patients with HAM/TSP

We studied the antibody response to various kinds of well-characterized synthetic peptides of human T lymphotropic virus type 1 (HTLV-1) envelope glycoproteins in patients with HTLV-1 associated myelopathy (HAM)/tropical spastic paraparesis (TSP) and non-HAM/TSP HTLV-1 carriers. The serum antibody titers to most of the synthetic peptides were significantly higher in patients with HAM/TSP than those in non-HAM/TSP HTLV-1 carriers. However, the degree of the increase of antibody titers to the synthetic peptides corresponding to the transmembrane portions of HTLV-1 envelope glycoproteins (env-p20E), such as p20E 332-352, 374-392, 426-448 and 458-488, was greater than those to synthetic peptides of exterior portions of HTLV-1 envelope glycoproteins (env-gp46) in sera from patients with HAM/TSP. Antibodies to env-p20E 332-352 and 374-392 were elevated in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) only from patients with HAM/TSP but not from non-HAM/TSP HTLV-1 carriers. These data indicate that the increase of antibody titers to transmembrane portions of HTLV-1 envelope glycoproteins in sera and CSF is a characteristic feature of antibody response in patients with HAM/TSP and may be closely associated with the development of HAM/TSP from non-HAM/TSP HTLV-1 carriers.     

Augmented expression and release of nonspecific cross-reacting antigens (NCAs), members of the CEA family, by human neutrophils during cell activation.

Nonspecific cross-reacting antigens (NCAs) are a group of human glycoproteins immunologically cross-reactive with carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA). Our previous studies have shown that at least seven NCA glycoproteins different in molecular weight and antigenic reactivity, including a species corresponding to CD67, can be detected in neutrophil granulocytes. In the present paper, it is demonstrated that neutrophil activation induced with soluble stimulators, the calcium ionophore A23187, N-formylmethionyl-leucyl-phenylalanine, and phorbol myristate acetate, results in augmented release and cell surface expression of NCAs. The NCA release was correlated with the discharge of azurophil granules but not with that of specific granules and was attributable to the release of NCA species of 53 and 30 kd. The increased NCA expression on the cell surface was due to increments of the NCAs of 160, 100 (CD67), 95, 90, 30, and 26 kd. These results, together with the previous findings that the CEA family members can mediate intercellular adhesion and bind Escherichia coli in vitro, imply that the neutrophil NCAs participate in the functions of neutrophils such as phagocytosis, chemotaxis, and adherence.     

Correlation between the analgesic effect by thalamic relay nucleus stimulation and somatosensory evoked potentials recorded from thalamus]

Electric stimulation of the thalamic sensory relay nucleus (Vc) has an analgesic effect on deafferentation pain, however, the analgesic effect differs from patient to patient. Electrode position and state of the substrate stimulated are considered important factors influencing the analgesic effect. In order to determine the best position for the stimulating electrodes, we recorded somatosensory evoked potentials (SEPs) from stimulating electrodes implanted in the Vc and compared thalamic SEPs with the analgesic effect of Vc stimulation. The subjects were thirteen patients with deafferentation pain, four patients with thalamic lesions, seven patients with suprathalamic lesions and two patients with infrathalamic lesions. We inserted the electrode array into the Vc stereotactically, and fixed it so that stimulation-induced paresthesia would cover the painful frea. The electrode array consisted of the four contact points of four electrodes spaced at 2 mm intervals within 10 mm from the tip. Using bipolar combinations of the four electrodes (twelve combinations in all), we stimulated the Vc for about half an hour with each combination. We then rated the degree (%) of analgesia as 100% when pain disappeared and 0% when there was no change. Thalamic SEPs elicited after stimulation of the contralateral median nerve were recorded from all four contact points simultaneously. The latencies, amplitudes and recorded positions of large early positive components (P1) followed by large negative components (N1) with latencies between 10 and 20 msec were then analyzed and compared with the best electrode combination for optimal pain relief and with the degree of analgesia.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)     

Development of immunoreactive lhrh neurons in the fetal rat hypothalamus

The ontogenesis of immunoreactive (ir) LHRH neurons was investigated in rats applying the double-bridge PAP method of Vacca et al. (J. Histochem. Cytochem. 28, 297–307, 1980). Ir LHRH was first evident in the cell bodies confined in the ventromedial surface of the anterior part of the forebrain vesicles on day 16.5 of gestation. Only one or two cells, if any, were found in the brains examined; the cells are oval showing ir brown granules within the perikarya and also within the processes extended from both poles. On day 17.5 of gestation, a few ir cells appeared in the olfactory cortex, medial septum, medial preoptic area, diagonal band of Broca, and ventro-lateral surface of the anterior hypothalamus, and, with development, their numbers increased gradually. During the prenatal period, no ir cell exists in the arcuate nucleus or in the medial-basal hypothalamus. Beaded ir fibers appeared in the organum vasculosum of the lamina terminalis (OVLT) and in the external layer of the median eminence on 18.5 and 19.5 days of gestation, respectively. The present findings ascertain that the hypothalamic regulation of hypophysial gonadotrophic function exists during fetal period in rats.     

Effect of dibutyltin dichloride on incidence of pancreatic adenocarcinoma induced in hamsters by a single dose of N-nitrosobis(2-oxopropyl)amine

The effects of timing of a single intragastric application of dibutyltin dichloride, at a dosage of 30 mg/kg body wt, on N-nitrosobis(2-oxopropyl)amine (BOP)-induced pancreatic carcinomas have been studied in female Syrian golden hamsters. Dibutyltin dichloride, which has been shown to produce selected bile duct injury, was administered either 1 week before or 1 week after a single injection of BOP (20 mg/kg body wt). Control hamsters were injected with BOP alone or were given dibutyltin dichloride alone. The incidence of ductal adenocarcinomas strikingly decreased in hamsters when dibutyltin dichloride was ingested after BOP treatment, but remained unaffected when dibutyltin dichloride was given before carcinogen treatment. Two cases of sarcoma were observed in the group treated with dibutyltin dichloride before BOP injection. The incidence of insulomas, which were considered as spontaneous tumors, was not influenced by dibutyltin dichloride. These results showed that intragastric application of dibutyltin dichloride after BOP treatment significantly reduced the induction of pancreatic cancer. These findings do not support speculations based on epidemiologic studies as to a promoting effect of cholestasis.     

Urinary tract infection and blood P1 antigen: preliminary report

A clinical study was made on the relationship between the blood type P1 antigen and urinary tract infection (UTI). The blood type P1 antigen could be detected in 3 out of 11 healthy Japanese volunteers (27.2%), and in 54% of the UTI patients as a whole. Classified by the type of infection, it could be detected in 3 out of 4 patients with upper UTI (75%) and in 11 out of 22 patients with lower UTI (50%). These incidences were higher than that of healthy volunteers, the difference being statistically significant. The relationship between the annual frequency of UTI and the positive detection of P1 antigen was examined. The patients who had been exposed to UTI twice or more a year proved to have a higher detection rate (61%), than the other group of patients, the difference being statistically significant. Two of the patients with E. coli detected as a clinical isolate proved to have the P1 antigen.