Autoradiographic Distribution of 131I-Clioquinol in Canine and Feline

To elucidate the absorption, intracellular location and pathogenicity of clioquinol, micro-autoradiographic studies were done. ¹³¹I-clioquinol was administered under different methods to 6 mongrels, 2 inbred beagles and a cat. Shortly after i.v.- or i.p.-injections of the substance to the mongrels and cat, a high concentration of radioactive grains was seen in the following nervous system: Nerve cells of the spinal root ganglia, spinal grey matter and nuclei in the brain stem; peripheral nerves; capsular cells of the spinal root ganglia; glial cells in the spinal cord, brain stem and periventricular region of the cerebrum. Though in lesser degree, orally administered radioactive clioquinol was also detected in the nervous system of the mongrels. I.p.-injected beagles showed, however, a low concentration of the grains in the nervous system. This may indicate strain-difference of dogs for the neurotoxicity of clioquinol.     

On Suppression of Ejaculation by α-Methyldopa

Alpha-methyldopa caused inhibition of ejaculation. The cerebral mechanism which induced the inhibition was pursued by determining changes of brain monoamines in dogs. As a result, suppression of the dopaminergic system in the brain by alpha-methyldopa is found to be the origin of the inhibition of ejaculation. This inhibition was recovered by L-dopa with pretreatment with a peripheral decarboxylase inhibitor.     

A Case of Esophageal Carcinoma and Collision Tumor of the Stomach

A case of double primary cancer of the esophagus and stomachwith metastasis of the esophageal cancer to the stomach is reported.The entire stomach and the lower part of the esophagus weresurgically resected and intrathoracic esophagojejunostomy wasperformed. Macroscopically, two tumors were found to be present,both in the lower esophagus and the stomach. There were twoprimary cancers, one a squamous cell carcinoma of the esophagusand the other a collision tumor of the stomach which consistedof well-differentiated adenocarcinoma and signet ring cell carcinoma.Furthermore, this collision tumor was present together witha metastatic lesion from the esophageal carcinoma.     

The Colon Mucus Test in Comparison with the Fecal Occult Blood Test in the Detection of Gastrointestinal Disease

Abstract: This study was undertaken to assess the diagnostic significance of the colon mucus test (CMT) by which the cancer-associated carbohydrate antigen, β-D-Gal (1 - 3)-D-GalNAc (T antigen) is measured in rectal mucus, chiefly in patients with various alimentary tract diseases. The incidence of a positive CMT was relatively high in colorectal cancer (69%) and gastric cancer (40%), and was similarly high in some benign colorectal diseases such as colonic diverticulum (42%) and colonic polyps (39%), and in gastric polyps (75%). On the other hand, the incidence of a positive CMT in other benign diseases or in healthy controls was less than 10%. A positive CMT was significantly more common in colorectal disease and in gastric tumors (cancer and polyps) than in the other diseases (p < 0.001). Of 28 colonic polyp patients, 20 (71%) had negative fecal occult blood test results (FOBT), and nine of them (45%) had positive CMT results. These results suggest that the CMT may be a useful screening test for alimentary tract disease, particularly colorectal disease and gastric tumors, although its specificity for colorectal cancer is only moderate. Furthermore, a combination assay using FOBT plus CMT may help to improve the diagnostic rate.     

Laparoscopic Follow-up of Asymptomatic Primary Biliary Cirrhosis with Negative Anti-mitochondrial Antibody

Abstract: The case of a 59 year-old female with asymptomatic primary biliary cirrhosis with negative anti-mitochondrial antibody is presented. According to the results of the first laparoscopy and liver biopsy, reddish patch was observed but chronic non-suppurative destructive cholangitis could not histologically be confirmed. A follow-up laparoscopy with liver biopsy conducted 39 months after the first laparoscopy revealed progress in the laparoscopic findings, i. e. a focal appearance of mesh-like white marking and undulation, when chronic non-suppurative destructive cholangitis was histologically demonstrated. Following the diagnosis of primary biliary cirrhosis, ursodeoxycholic acid treatment was begun, and the patient's serum levels of transaminases and biliary tract enzymes showed a rapid improvement. The importance of a laparoscopy with liver biopsy for the diagnosis of asymptomatic primary biliary cirrhosis in a case with negative anti-mitochondrial antibody is emphasized, and the follow-up of such a case discussed.     

Periodicity and prediction of mania onsets in biopolar I affective disorders

Abstract In studying the periodicity of mania onsets, cycle-oriented diagrams were made of the clinical course from 257 manic episodes analyzed retrospectively in 34 bipolar I manic-depressive patients for a period of about 5 years. Using these diagrams, the frequent period of mania onsets located in one-quarter of the follow-up period was pre-estimated, and the accordance ratio during a 25 month follow-up period was analyzed. The accordance ratio in all subjects was 39% (11/28) for the first episode and 35% (7/20) for the second episode. These ratios were not significantly different from the expected level (25%). The number of subjects was limited to 11 patients (10 rapid and 1 non-rapid cyclers) whose number of episodes used for the determination of the index cycle was eight or more. The accordance ratio was 64% (7/11) and 60% (6/10) for the first and second episodes, respectively. Their levels were significantly higher than those expected. Periodicity of mania onsets existed at least in rapid cyclers with abundant past data.     

Gastrin-Enhanced Tumor Growth of a Xenotransplantable Human Gastric Carcinoma in Nude Mice

A human tumor line serially transplantable in nude mice, originatingfrom a well-differentiated papillo-tubular adenocarcinoma ofthe stomach, was established. The growth of this tumor was enhancedby daily injection of C-terminal tetrapeptide gastrin into themice. Although there was little difference in histology, thegastrin-stimulated tumor had larger glandular spaces filledwith mucin-like substance than the control tumor. ³H-thymidine uptake of the gastrin stimulated tumor was higherthan that of control, as shown by microradiography and countingof radioactivity in tissue homogenates. The plasma membrane fraction of the tumor revealed positivebinding for gastrin and the cytosol fraction contained cyclicAMP dependent- and independent protein kinases. Incubation oftumor slices with gastrin caused a conformational change inthe enzymes. Therefore we conclude that this G4 tumor line xenotransplantablein nude mice is sensitive to gastrin in its trophic and secretorymechanisms.