Vasoactive intestinal peptide immunoreactive nerve fibres are deficient in intestinal and nasal mucosa affected by cystic fibrosis

Cystic fibrosis (CF) is the most common lethal or debilitating inherited disease amongst Caucasians, with estimates of its frequency of occurrence in this population ranging from 1: 2000 to 1: 15 000 live births. It is characterized by disorders of exocrine secretions, primarily of the skin, respiratory tract and digestive system. The secretory processes of these tissues are influenced by autonomic nerve fibres, many of which contain regulatory peptides. The innervation of the intestinal and respiratory mucosa of CF patients has been investigated in order to determine if there is any derangement of the peptide-containing nerve fibres that supply these tissues. The present work demonstrates that, in CF, there is a deficiency of vasoactive intestinal peptide immunoreactivity (VIP-IR) in nerve fibres in the nasal and intestinal mucosa. There is not a generalized loss of fibres that are immunoreactive for this peptide, however, since VIP-IR fibres innervating the intestinal muscle are largely unaffected. Moreover, other types of nerve fibres innervating the nasal mucosa and the mucosa of the intestinal villi appear to be unaffected in CF patients. Physiological evidence indicates that vasoactive intestinal peptide is contained in secretomotor neurons and is a powerful stimulant of secretion; loss of function restricted to these neurons is consistent with the clinical manifestations of CF.     

Clinical features of testicular tumors in children

AIM: Testicular tumors are not common pediatric solid tumors, especially in Asian children. There have been few reviews of cases in Japan to date. We present the clinical features of 14 pediatric testicular tumor patients. METHODS: Clinical features of 14 testicular tumor patients, such as chief complaints, age at diagnosis, pathology, stages, treatments and prognosis, were examined from medical records. Two patients had their semen tested at adolescence. RESULTS: Of the 14 prepubescent patients, 12 (85.7%) patients were diagnosed before 3 years of age. Ten cases (71.4%) were diagnosed as yolk sac tumors, three (21.4%) as mature teratomas and one case as an epidermoid cyst. Nine cases (90.0%) among the 10 cases of yolk sac tumor were diagnosed as stage I and one case was stage IV. One stage I yolk sac tumor patient developed lung metastasis later. Eventually, two yolk sac tumor patients died, despite chemotherapy. While all the cases with a diagnosis before 2 years of age survived, 67% (2/3) of cases with a diagnosis after the age of 2 died of tumors. Semen analysis in two patients showed normospermia. CONCLUSION: In the present study, the most common testicular tumors were yolk sac tumors and the patients diagnosed before 2 years of age showed favorable results. Age could be a relapse risk factor in yolk sac tumors. Guidelines for handling testicular tumors in children is not yet well established in Japan. An organized system seems necessary to gather and accumulate the results of the cases in Japan in order to develop better guidelines for treatment.     

Studies of Metabolism of Round Spermatids: Cytochalasin B Binding to Cell Membrane in Relation to Glucose Transport

Cytochalasin B inhibited uptake of 2-deoxy-D-glucose in rat spermatids (Ki = 6.3 X 10(-7) M). This inhibition was reversible. The [3H]cytochalasin B was found to bind to spermatid plasma membranes at low drug concentrations. Lineweaver-Burk plots of binding data indicated that there was a class of high affinity sites (Kd = 2.9 X 10(-7) M). The results suggest that the high affinity cytochalasin B binding sites of spermatids are membrane-associated substances and are intimately related to the glucose transport system.     

Experience of the treatment with gemcitabine, docetaxel, and carboplatin (GDC) chemotherapy for patients with small-cell carcinoma of the prostate

Small-cell carcinoma of the prostate (SCCP) is a rare entity. Many treatment modalities have been done, but thus far no uniform treatment has been clearly established. We carried out combination chemotherapy with gemcitabine, docetaxel, and carboplatin (GDC) regimen (for two patients with refractory SCCP. Case 1 involved a 53-year-old man diagnosed with SCCP after receiving hormone therapy for prostate cancer (stage D1). Six cycles of GDC chemotherapy was applied. Initially the primary site reduced according with a decline of neuro-specific enolase and with relief of the symptoms; however, bone disease occurred and he died of cancer 13 months after diagnosis of SCCP. Case 2 involved a 69-year-old man complaining of severe anal pain. He underwent a biopsy and a huge prostate tumor showing SCCP was showed. He had pelvic node metastases but no distant lesions, and received four cycles of GDC chemotherapy. He was discharged after receiving subsequent radiotherapy and remained stable for a while; however, he died of possible drug-induced hepatitis. This is the first report of chemotherapy with GDC against patients with SCCP. This regimen raised the possibility that it would intensify the outcome, which had been poorly achieved.     

Higher cerebral dysfunction in a case with atypical multiple sclerosis with concentric lesions

Abstract A patient with atypical multiple sclerosis (MS) with clear concentric structure was studied using high field magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). This case was considered to be Balo's concentric sclerosis. Magnetic resonance imaging showed diffuse multiple concentric demyelinating lesions in the bilateral centrum semiovales, which finally regressed with the necrotic lesions remaining when the patient was discharged. During his clinical course, he showed some higher cerebral dysfunctions, such as memory disturbance, constructual apraxia and acalculia. He was treated with glycerin, prednisone and rehabilitation; all of which were effective in his recovery. Over a 4 month period, the patient recoveredclinically, but some intellectual impairment remained.     

Depression among caregivers of the elderly in need of care and their service utilization: A pilot study

Twenty-four community residing elderly people in need of care, who were registered with the municipal welfare center in Miyagi Prefecture, Japan, and their principal caregivers participated in the study. The principal caregivers completed a self-administered questionnaire involving their demographic status, provided data on their utilization of formal services and completed the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale (CES-D). The health visitors examined the activities of daily living (ADL) and mental status of these 24 elderly individuals. More than half the caregivers appeared to be depressed. The non-depressed caregivers used significantly more services than the depressed caregivers even after the caregivers' age was statistically controlled.