Transurethral ureterolithotripsy using a rigid ureteroscope

Eighty patients with ureteral stones underwent transurethral ureterolithotripsy using a rigid ureteroscope. In 68 of the patients (85%), the stones were removed successfully. Most of the 12 failures were removed by a percutaneous approach. The main complications of transurethral ureterolithotripsy were high fever (35%), ureteral injury (10%) and ureteral stricture (1.6%). Ureteroscopic procedures are thought to be useful in stone removal and diagnostic evaluation of abnormality of upper urinary tract.     

Effects of troxipide on acute gastric lesions in rats

Effects of troxipide on several acute gastric lesions in rats were investigated in comparison with those of cetraxate. Troxipide (100, 200, 300 mg/kg) and cetraxate (100, 300, 1,000 mg/kg), given orally, dose-dependently protected the gastric mucosa from damage due to ethanol. Aspirin- and 0.6 N HCl-induced gastric lesions were dose-dependently inhibited by troxipide (200, 300 mg/kg), but only significantly inhibited by cetraxate at high dose (1,000 mg/kg). Troxipide (100, 200, 300 mg/kg) dose-dependently prevented the formation of gastric lesions induced by water-immersion stress, whereas cetraxate (600, 1,000 mg/kg) also significantly prevented gastric lesions. That is, protective effects of troxipide were much more potent than those of cetraxate against aspirin-, 0.6 N HCl- and water-immersion stress-induced gastric lesions, whereas both were almost equal against ethanol-induced gastric lesions. In addition, cytoprotective effects of troxipide against ethanol-induced lesions were most remarkable at 10, 30, 60 min after administration (100, 300 mg/kg) and lasted for up to 240 min. These results suggested that troxipide might be useful for the treatment of acute gastric lesions in humans.     

Pharmacological investigations of the new antiinflammatory agent 2-(10,11-dihydro-10-oxodibenzo[b,f]thiepin-2-yl]propionic acid. 4th communication: inhibitory effects on rat adjuvant arthritis

The preventive and therapeutic effects of 2-(10,11-dihydro-10-oxodibenzo [b,f]thiepin-2-yl)propionic acid (CN-100) on local and systemic changes of rats with adjuvant arthritis being used frequently as experimental model of rheumatoid arthritis were investigated in comparison with those of reference drugs, indometacin and pranoprofen. Preventively and therapeutically CN-100 showed potent inhibitory effects on adjuvant primary inflammation and secondary lesion. CN-100 also exerted an evident preventive effect on destruction of foot bone, improved the changes in organ weight, and stimulated weight gain. These effects were dose-dependent, and the effects at 5.0 mg/kg were almost the same as those of indometacin and pranoprofen at 1.25 and 2.5 mg/kg, respectively. The mode of action of CN-100 resembled that of reference compounds. Although CN-100 improved the change in albumin/globulin ratio, which was a parameter of systemic inflammatory reactions, the effect was more remarkable in therapeutic administration than in preventive one. This suggests that CN-100 is suitable for clinical application.     

Co-operation between the pair of C gamma 2 domains in Clq-binding by rabbit IgG

The single site binding constants of rabbit IgG and its plasmin-derived fragments F(acb)2, Facb and F(ab)2 for human C1q were measured by the sedimentation velocity method. The intact IgG and F(acb)2 having the paired C gamma 2 domains gave an identical association constant at 20 degrees C (Ka) of 3.02 X 10(4) M-1 in the presence of a physiological concn of salt and on the basis of six sites per C1q. The C1q-binding affinity was found to be decreased to 1.04 X 10(4) M-1 in the reduced, monomerized fragment Facb. Under the same conditions F(ab)2, which is completely unable to activate the classical complement cascade, gave an apparent C1q-affinity of 0.36 X 10(4) M-1. The results, together with previous observations, led us to the conclusion that the C1q-binding site of rabbit IgG is constituted associatively by the pair of C gamma 2 domains, each of which providing a limited, complementary part of the binding free energy between IgG and C1q.     

Clinical studies on endocrine therapy for prostatic carcinoma (5): Analyses of relapse from endocrine therapy]

Prostate carcinomas are well known to be initially responsive to endocrine therapy. However, a significant number of the patients experience a relapse from endocrine therapy during the follow-up period. We clinically analyzed various aspects of the relapse which indicate a limitation in the effectiveness of endocrine therapy for prostate carcinoma. In a total of 372 patients, 117 (31.5%) had some evidence of local relapse such as regrowth of the primary lesion, or a generalized relapse such as re-elevation of total acid phosphatase, reactivation of previously present metastasis or the new appearance of metastasis, during endocrine therapy. Of these, one-fourth had local relapse alone and the remainder showed generalized relapse. The interval from the start of the treatment to the time of relapse tended to become shorter; 45.9 months (mean) in stage B, 36.8 in stage C and 29.3 in stage D, according to the stage progression. As to the non-relapse rate of the primary lesion, no differences were found among the stage, with the rate being approximately 90% at the fifth year in each stage. However, the generalized relapse-rate tended to increase with the stage progression. In the generalized relapse, the patients of stage C or D showed a non-relapse rate of 71.7% or 67.4%, respectively. Most of the generalized relapse appeared within five years following start of endocrine therapy in these advanced stages. The interval from relapse to prostate carcinoma-related death in patients with the generalized relapse was 9 approximately 21 months, and those in stage D tended to show a a poorer prognosis.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)     

Non-cross-resistant sequential combination chemotherapy consisting of cis-diammine-dichloroplatinum (II) mainly, based on synchronization theory, in human bladder cancer xenografts in athymic nude mice

We examined the chemotherapies with cis-diamminedichloroplatinum (II) (CDDP) alone and in combination, using the human bladder cancer xenografts (BT-8 and BT-11 strains) in athymic nude mice (BALB/C), to establish the most effective and useful method for urothelial cancer in clinical use. First, to assess the anti-tumor activities of single-drug and our devised VPM or CisCF combination chemotherapies, experiments were done using the BT-8 strain bladder cancer (transitional cell carcinoma and grade III). The schedule and dosage of each chemotherapy were as follows. Vincristine (VCR): 0.06 mg/kg, days 1-6, peplomycin (PEP): 0.9 mg/kg, days 1-6, methotrexate (MTX): 0.6 mg/kg, days 1-6, cytosine arabinoside (Ara-C): 3 mg/kg, days 1-6, 5-fluorouracil (5-FU): 30 mg/kg, days 1-6, adriamycin (ADM): 3 mg/kg, days 1-6, cyclophosphamide (CPM): 10 mg/kg, days 1-10, and CDDP: 2.5 mg/kg, days 1-6. These were for single-drug chemotherapies. The VPM combination consisted of VCR (0.06 mg/kg, days 1 and 4), PEP (0.3 mg/kg, days 1-6) and MTX (0.3 mg/kg, days 2, 3, 5 and 6), and the CisCF combination consisted of CDDP (2.5 mg/kg, days 1 and 4), Ara-C (3 mg/kg, days 1 and 4) and 5-FU (15 mg/kg, days 2, 3, 5 and 6). The control group was given normal saline of 0.1 ml/20 g body weight, intraperitoneally. All anti-cancer drugs were also given intraperitoneally. Secondly, to assess the anti-tumor activities of CDDP alone and various modes of combination chemotherapies with or without CDDP, the following experiments were done using the BT-11 strain bladder cancer (a mixed type of transitional cell carcinoma and squamous cell carcinoma). CDDP: 2.5 mg/kg, days 1-6. VPM X 2: VCR (0.04 mg/kg, days 1, 4, 8 and 11), PEP (0.2 mg/kg, days 1-4) and MTX (0.2 mg/kg, days 2, 3, 5, 6, 9, 10, 12 and 13). CisCF X 2: CDDP (2.5 mg/kg, days 1 and 8), Ara-C (3 mg/kg, days 1, 6, 8 and 13) and 5-FU (30 mg/kg, days 3, 4, 5, 10, 11 and 12). VPM-CisCF (I): VCR (0.04 mg/kg, days 1 and 4), PEP (0.2 mg/kg, days 1-7), MTX (0.2 mg/kg, days 2, 3, 5 and 6), CDDP (2.5 mg/kg, day 8), Ara-C (3 mg/kg, days 8 and 13), and 5-FU (30 mg/kg, days 10-12).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)     

A case of successful treatment of aneurysms of the suture line following Bentall's operation

A 33-year-old male who had received Bentall's operation 10 years ago was admitted to our hospital with severe chest pain. The pseudoaneurysm at the right coronary ostium was observed on angiography and CT scan. He underwent the repair of the anastomosis between the graft and the right coronary ostium under extracorporeal circulation. Although he was discharged from the hospital asymptomatically, he was again admitted to our hospital with severe chest pain and back pain 4 months after re-operation. Aneurysmal formation of the ascending aorta due to blood leakage from the distal anastomotic suture line was observed and the graft was compressed by hematoma on angiography and CT scan. He underwent re-operation of the distal anastomosis of the graft, and could be discharged from the hospital uneventfully.