Fatty Acid Composition of Glycerophosphatides Obtained From Two Renal Adenocarcinoma Tissues

Glycerophosphatides obtained from two renal adenocarcinoma tissuesand one kidney tissue were examined for their fatty acid compositionand for the positional distribution of fatty acids in theirmolecules. Characterization of fatty acids in those tissuesby a gas liquid chromatography-chemical ionization mass spectrometry-computersystem showed no consistent specific differences between renaladenocarcinoma and kidney. However, the positional distributionof fatty acids in the glycerophosphatides was found to be nonspecificin renal adenocarcinoma but highly specific in the kidney. Furthermore,the fatty acid distribution patterns of phosphatidylethanolamineand phosphatidylcholine of the same cancer tissue differed significantly.     

Living related renal transplantation for end-stage renal disease after liver transplantation from a brain-dead donor

We report a case in which a living related renal transplantation was successfully performed for end-stage renal disease that had progressed after a liver transplantation from a brain-dead donor for liver cirrhosis associated with type C hepatitis. Because the transplanted liver function had been excellent with the use of tacrolimus and mycophenolate mofetil, the same immunosuppressive agents with prednisolone were employed for the renal transplantation. Both grafts are functioning well without recurrence of hepatitis at 10 months after the renal transplantation. From our experience, renal transplantation should not be contraindicated even if the patient has undergone liver transplantation or has hepatitis C viral infection.     

Sarcomatous Renal Tumor in A Child: A Case Report

A patient, a 7-yr 4-mo-old boy, with sarcomatous renal tumorwas presented. At the age of 3 yr and 1 mo, he had a right nephrectomyfor a renal tumor, group I, which was histologically evaluatedas an abortive subtype of the nephroblastic type of nephroblastoma.For 24 mo after surgery, the outlook for the patient seemedto be favorable. When he was 5 yr and 2 mo old, he complainedof pain and swelling of the left shoulder. By X-ray examination,an osteolytic mass in the left scapula was discovered. Afterbiopsy, it was histologically diagnosed as a metastasis of thesarcomatous renal tumor. During the next 29 mo, multiple bonemetastases appeared in the ribs, vertebrae, skull and long bonesand slowly increased in size. ⁶⁰Co irradiation of a total of 12,015 rads to four differentregions and various chemotherapy regimens consisting of actinomycinD (AMD), AMD+vincristine (VCR), VCR+adriamycin (ADR)+cyclophosphamide(CYD), vinblastine+6-mercaptopurine and VCR+AMD+CYD, were givenfor the 53 mo from surgery to death, but they were not effectiveagainst this tumor. The clinical course of this case may show the natural historyof sarcomatous renal tumor.     

Incidence of hypocomplementemia in elementary and junior high school children with urinary abnormalities

Abnormalities were detected in 2669 of 326 257 elementary and junior high school children (169 856 males and 156 401 females) who were screened at school for urinary abnormalities. Serum complement (C3) level was measured in all 2669 children having urinary abnormalities (811 males, 1856 females). Three had a serum C3 level that was more than three standard deviations below the mean value. Type I membranoproliferative glomerulonephritis (MPGN) was diagnosed on histological examination in one of these three children, while the other two did not undergo renal biopsy because they had serum C3 levels of 40 and 44 mg/dL, respectively, and because their urinary abnormalities were transient. It was considered that there is not much significance in testing the serum complement in the urine screening done at school and the cost/benefit ratio is low. The results appeared to reflect the frequency of persistent hypocomplementemic MPGN in Japan in recent years.     

Neural substrates of emotionally valenced episodic memory: A PET study using film stimuli

Abstract  To reveal the pathogenetic mechanism of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), we modeled the 're-experience' symptom of PTSD in healthy subjects, and investigated its neural substrates using PET activation experiments on an emotionally (fear) valenced episodic memory task and several contrast tasks. Ten right-handed healthy male volunteers underwent H₂¹⁵O-PET. Each subject was required to watch a horror film the previous day. During the PET scan, the subject was shown part of the film for 60 s immediately before the terrifying climax scene and told to recall the following scene. The subject did not watch the scene directly, but re-experienced fear induced by the trigger. The rCBF in this task compared with that in control tasks was analyzed with SPM99. The subjective emotional state of the subject in each task was evaluated using an analog scale. The main cerebral areas where rCBF significantly correlated with the task of emotionally valenced episodic memory, compared with the novel emotional task, were the left retrosplenial cortex (Brodmann's area: BA 31), the left visual association cortex (BA 19) and the right prefrontal cortex (BA 10). Although the retrosplenial cortex or the posterior cingulate gyrus has been regarded as engaged in processing either only emotion or only episodic memory, this area is considered to be involved in processing 'emotionally valenced episodic memory'.     

Gender differences in self-evaluated sleep quality and activity of middle-aged and aged subjects

Abstract In order to investigate the gender difference of sleep and activity in middle-aged and aged individuals, home-based sleep was self-evaluated for sleep quality and activity for 5 nights in 20 healthy adults (50–76 years old; 11 women, nine men). There was no significant gender difference for subjective sleep quality. However, the activity level and movement index at night were significantly higher in men than in women, and the activity level during the day was significantly lower in men than in women. The objective sleep quality of men was significantly worse than that of women, however, subjective sleep quality does not differ.     

Spontaneous breathing with the use of a laryngeal mask airway in children: comparison of sevoflurane and isoflurane

We compared respiratory parameters during anaesthesia with sevoflurane and isoflurane through a laryngeal mask airway (LMA). Children were anaesthetized with O₂ and air with 2.3% (1MAC) sevoflurane ( n =20) or 1.5% (1MAC) isoflurane ( n =20). After insertion of LMA, patients were allowed to breathe spontaneously and respiratory rate (RR) and P ECO2 were measured (presurgery state). After the measurement, anaesthetic concentration was increased to 1.3 MAC (3.0% sevoflurane or 2.0% isoflurane) and surgical stimulation was added. Fifteen min after incision, the measurements were again performed (during surgery). In the sevoflurane group, mean RR and P ECO2 were 32 breaths.min⁻¹, and 6.0 kPa (45 mmHg) respectively, before surgery, and 35 breaths.min⁻¹ and 7.0 kPa (52 mmHg) during surgery. In the isoflurane group, mean RR and P ECO2 were 32 breaths.min⁻¹ and 6.1 kPa (46 mmHg) respectively, before surgery, and 37 breaths.min⁻¹ and 6.7 kPa (52 mmHg) during surgery. There were no statistical differences between the two anaesthetic groups. Clinical respiratory and cardiovascular parameters during spontaneous breathing with LMA in children are similar during sevoflurane and isoflurane anaesthesia.     

Ascites with Peritoneal Myeloid Metaplasia in a Patient with Advanced Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma

Peritoneal myeloid metaplasia associated with ascites containingnumerous hemopoietic cells in a patient with non-Hodgkin's lymphomais described. It is suggested that massive infiltration of lymphomacells into the bone marrow caused marrow failure and compensatorymechanisms supervened leading to myeloid metaplastic implantsin the peritoneum associated with ascites as well as in theliver, spleen and lymph nodes. There was also a significantleukoerythroblastic reaction in the peripheral blood.