Neurons in monkey parietal association cortex sensitive to depth movement

We recorded neurons sensitive to depth movement from the inferior parietal lobule (area 7a) of alert behaving monkeys, and studied their response to changing sizes of retinal images and to changing binocular disparity. The size of the stimulus was changed by changing both the height and width of a slit in the same way, and the disparity change was produced by varying distances between a pair of polarized stimuli on a screen. Of 227 purely visual neurons recorded from 11 hemispheres of 7 monkeys, 32 neurons responded to the change of either the size or disparity, or both. Some of the neurons sensitive to size change could be activated by changing length on only one axis, but the optimal stimulus for most of them was a uniform change of size in all directions. The neurons sensitive to disparity change responded weakly to monocular stimuli, but showed clear selectivity in the direction of change of disparity when binocular stimuli were applied. We also found a group of depth movement sensitive neurons that responded maximally to the simultaneous change of size and disparity. This type of neurons may signal real depth movement by integrating the signals of size change and disparity change.     

Effects of Ageing on the Oral Absorption of d-Xylose in Rats: Analysis of Gastrointestinal Disposition

The effects of ageing on the oral (gastrointestinal) absorption of d -xylose were investigated by analysing the gastrointestinal disposition after oral administration to young (9 weeks) and old (53 weeks) rats. A linear model assuming first-order gastric emptying followed by first-order intestinal absorption was fitted to remaining fraction vs time profiles for the stomach and small intestine to estimate the gastric emptying rate constant (k_g) and the intestinal absorption rate constant (k_a). In young and old rats, k_g values were 0·087 ± 0·008 and 0·070 ± 0·007 min^?1, respectively, and k_a values were 0·020 ± 0·002 and 0·018 ± 0·002 min^?1 suggesting an insignificant effect on ageing on the rate of oral absorption. The average intestinal lumen volume (V_av) was unchanged with ageing, and so was the apparent intestinal membrane permeability clearance (CL_app) as the product of k_a and V_av. However, the small intestinal transit time (T_si) was suggested to be twice that in older rats (171 min) than in young rats (78 min) by the analysis of gastrointestinal disposition of inulin, a non-absorbable marker. It was also shown that our preceding finding of an increase in the fraction absorbed of D-xylose with ageing can be solely ascribable to the delay in intestinal transit. Thus, among various determinants of oral absorption, only T_si was found to be altered with ageing. The CL_a,app and k_a of passively absorbed drugs such as D-xylose may be generally unchanged, and the fraction absorbed may increase with ageing by the delay in intestinal transit.     

Repeat operations in the management of clival chordomas: palliative surgery.

Some chordomas have a very poor prognosis because of their aggressive growth nature, but the efficacy of repeat operations for these cases has not been well documented. This report concerns 3 patients with aggressive chordoma of the clivus, who underwent operations 6 to 12 times over a period of 8 to 17 years because of symptomatic regrowth. Overall mean interval between repeat operations was 18 months with a range from 5 to 57 months and survival times were 9 to19 years after the first surgery. Main symptoms before each operation were diplopia and visual disturbance. Repeat palliative operations by intentional extradural debulking of the tumour to decompress offending neural structures, as well as maximal removal of the tumour, using appropriate skull base approaches, can mitigate progressive symptoms, and may result in better quality and some prolongation of life, although our patients gradually deteriorated neurologically throughout the clinical course.     

MRI of ossification of ligamentum flavum.

Magnetic resonance imaging of 28 patients with radiological and/or histopathologically proved ossification of the ligamentum flavum (OLF) was reviewed. The locations of OLF were cervical (n = 4), thoracic (n = 22), and lumbar (n = 2). On T1- and T2-weighted images, OLF demonstrated low signal intensity. Areas of high or intermediate signal intensity within the OLF on T1-weighted images were observed in three cases and were interpreted to be due to fat infiltration. In six cases, high intensity areas in the spinal cord caused by compressing OLF were demonstrated on T2-weighted images. Gadolinium-diethylenetriamine pentaacetic acid, which was used in four cases, showed cord enhancement at the level of compression by OLF in three cases.     

CT findings in panacinar emphysema]

We analyzed the CT images (in vivo) of 5 lobes (right middle lobe, 1; left lower lobe, 1; right lower lobe, 3) with panacinar emphysema (PAE) obtained at autopsy or thoracotomy for solitary lung tumor. The lobes were inflation-fixed by the method of Heitzman and sliced axially for a CT-pathologic correlative study. One lobe with mild PAE had normal appearance on CT; however, the other four lobes with PAE demonstrated low-attenuation areas (LAAs) of various shapes and sizes on CT. LAAs were locally distributed on CT slices in one lobe, dominant in the inner zones in two lobes, and diffuse in one lobe. Relatively normal to diminished vasculature was observed within the LAAs of four lobes. These CT findings differed significantly from those of centriacinar emphysema (CAE) as reported in other studies. We conclude that CT is useful in the clinical diagnosis of PAE and its differentiation from CAE.     

Hemodialysis-associated amyloidosis of bone of beta-2 microglobulin origin

Summary A case of hemodialysis-associated amyloidosis in a patient who had been on hemodialysis for 10 years is described. Bone lesions were found in the humeral heads, carpal bones, and femoral heads and necks. Specimens obtained from the pathologically fractured left femoral neck revealed amyloid deposits histologically. Immunoperoxidase staining for beta-2 microglobulin was positive in the amyloid at the light-microscopic level. We reconfirmed that bone lesions associated with long-term hemodialysis are manifestations of amyloidosis of beta-2 microglobulin origin. Hemodialysis-associated amyloidosis should be considered in the treatment of long-term hemodialysis patients.     

Right ventricular thrombosis due to familial heparin cofactor II deficiency

This case report was with regard to familial heparin cofactor II (HC II) deficiency. The patient was a 14-years-old female, having complaints of chest pain, fever and swelling of right lower extremity. Echocardiography and DSA showed a pediculated mass at the right ventricular outflow tract which highly suggested a ventricular myxoma. At surgery, a large pediculated thrombus was removed from the RV conus septum aun pulmonary valve. The mass was identified as thrombus by histological examination. Two months later, the RV thrombi recurred with additional pulmonary embolus to the left lung. HC II was discovered by hemo-coagulation tests. Her HC II antigen value was 48%, and 32% on repeat study. Her brother's HC II antigen value was 53%. At reoperation, small thrombi less than phi 10 mm, were removed from the RV outflow tract and pulmonary valve. Fresh frozen plasma was given and intravenous urokinase therapy was taken. She is doing well with therapy of oral warfarin, aspirin and ticlopidine for anticoagulation.     

Pemphigoid Nodularis: A Case with 230 kDa Hemidesmosomes Antigen Associated with Bullous Pemphigoid Antigen

We report a 73-year-old woman with typical clinical, histological and immunofluorescence features of pemphigoid nodularis. Direct immunofluorescence studies of prurigo nodularis-like lesions and peribullous skin showed the linear deposition of IgG and C3 at the basement membrane zone. Circulating IgG against the basement membrane was also detected by indirect immunofluorescence. The serum from the patient was shown to contain the autoantibody against 230 kDa hemidesmosomal antigen associated with bullous pemphigoid antigen.     

Coronary artery bypass in dextrocardia with situs inversus totalis--a case report

A 71-year-old woman was admitted to our hospital by ambulance, because of right chest pain and hypotension. Chest X-ray and standard 12-lead ECG showed mirror-image dextrocardia with situs inversus totalis. ECG with right-left reversal of all leads showed acute inferior myocardial infarction. The patient underwent coronary bypass surgery due to postinfarction angina, and she is now doing well 2 years following the operation. Mirror-image dextrocardia with situs inversus totalis is very unusual. But the patients are believed to have normal longevity, and presumably have an incidence of atherosclerotic coronary artery disease similar to the general population. To our knowledge, this is the first case of coronary bypass surgery on a patient with mirror-image dextrocardia in Japan.     

Mechanism of atrial natriuretic polypeptide and sodium nitroprusside-induced relaxation in guinea-pig tracheal smooth muscle

Atrial natriuretic polypeptide (ANP) is composed of a family of peptides isolated from rat and human atria. In the present study, the relaxant effects of ANP, sodium nitroprusside and 8-bromo-cyclic guanosine monophosphate (GMP) were investigated in guinea-pig tracheal smooth muscle, and the tissue cyclic GMP and cyclic adenosine monophosphate (AMP) concentrations were measured. ANP, sodium nitroprusside and 8-bromo-cyclic GMP showed relaxant effects on the spontaneous tone in normal Krebs solution (5.9 mmol/l K(+)-2.4 mmol/l Ca++ solution). They diminished relaxant effects on 40 mmol/l K(+)-0.1 mmol/l Ca++ induced contraction, which was approximately the same tension as the spontaneous tone. Sodium nitroprusside and 8-bromo-cyclic GMP diminished less relaxant effects on 40 mmol/l K(+)-2.4 mmol/l Ca++ induced contraction, but ANP showed no relaxation. The tissue cyclic GMP levels following administration of ANP and sodium nitroprusside in normal Krebs solution, in 40 mmol/l K(+)-2.4 mmol/l Ca++ solution, and in 40 mmol/l K(+)-0.1 mmol/l Ca++ solution increased dose-dependently without regard to external Ca++ concentrations, while the tissue cyclic AMP levels did not change. These results suggest that ANP might be a novel potent relaxant in airway smooth muscle and the relaxant effect may be, at least in part, mediated by cyclic GMP. There was a difference in relaxant effects on tracheal smooth muscle between ANP and sodium nitroprusside.