Accumulation of Immature B and Null Lymphocytes in the Periphery After Intraperitoneal Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Xiao-Chai-Hu-Tang (Japanese Name : Shosaiko-to)

Accumulation of lymphocytes after an intraperitoneal (ip) injection of a traditional Chinese herb medicine, XIAO-CHAI-HU-TANG (Japanese name : shosaiko-to), was investigated. Shosaiko-to induced marked accumulation of lymphocytes rather than macrophages in the peritoneal cavity of ICR mice, whereas various kinds of irritants, e.g. proteose-pepton, Escherichia coli lipopoly-saccharide (LPS), OK-432 and Corynebacterium parvum, induced preferential accumulation of macrophages rather than lymphocytes. By means of analysis using two-color fluorescence-activated cell sorter (FACS), it was revealed that the increased lymphocyte subpopulations not only in the peritoneal cavity but also in the spleen of C3H/He mice by the injettion of shosaiko-to were comprised of both immature B(IgM⁺ and IgD^-) and null (thyl^- and Ig^-) cells. This effect of shosaiko-to was observed in other C5 normal strains, C3H/HeJ (LPS-nonresponder), C57BL/6, BALB/c and athymic nu/nu (ICR background) mice, but not in C5 deficient strains, AKR/J, A/J and DBA/2 mice, indicating that the accumulation of immature B and null cells in the periphery induced by shosaiko-to is closely related to the complement system.     

Accumulation of L-type Bovine Prions in Peripheral Nerve Tissues

We recently reported the intraspecies transmission of L-type atypical bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE). To clarify the peripheral pathogenesis of L-type BSE, we studied prion distribution in nerve and lymphoid tissues obtained from experimentally challenged cattle. As with classical BSE prions, L-type BSE prions accumulated in central and peripheral nerve tissues.     

Calcium supplement necessary to correct hypocalcemia after total parathyroidectomy for renal osteodystrophy

BACKGROUND: Prediction of the extent of calcium supplement will facilitate safe and efficient management of hypocalcemia in the early postoperative stage of total parathyroidectomy with autotransplantation (PTXa) in patients with renal osteodystrophy. METHODS: The correlation between the extent of calcium deficiency, estimated by the amount of calcium supplement over 48 h after PTXa and using various parameters such as carboxy terminal parathyroid hormone (c-PTH), intact PTH (i-PTH), alkaline phosphatase (ALP), serum calcium, serum phosphorus, duration of hemodialysis, total weight of resected parathyroid glands and degree of subperiosteal resorption of the middle phalanx was examined in 49 patients who underwent PTX with subcutaneous autotransplantation. Bone mineral density (BMD) was also determined before, 3 months and 1 year after PTXa with dual energy X-ray absorptiometry (DEXA) in 13 patients. RESULTS: There was a positive correlation between pre-operative i-PTH level (r=0.56, P<0.0005) or ALP level (r=0.50, P<0.0005) and the amount of calcium supplement over 48 h after PTXa in these patients. Furthermore, the degree of subperiosteal resorption, determined by Jensen's classification, was significantly correlated with the amount of calcium supplement after PTX (P<0.05). Bone mineral density 3 months after (P<0.0005) and 1 year after PTXa (P<0.001) significantly increased compared with BMD before PTXa in all patients examined. CONCLUSION: These findings suggest that the pre-operative determination of i-PTH, ALP levels and degree of subperiosteal resorption allow the management of hypocalcemia safely and efficiently in renal osteodystrophy patients after PTXa.     

Radiation therapy and diagnosis of primary malignant lymphoma of the brain

CT findings and the results of radiotherapy were retrospectively evaluated on 11 patients with primary malignant lymphoma of the brain treated at UOEH Hospital from November, 1979 to March, 1989. CT mostly showed an isodensity or slightly high-density round masses with marked contrast enhancement and was useful both for an initial diagnosis and an evaluation of the response following treatment. Radiation therapy was given to the whole brain in 9 patients. Two patients were irradiated only locally to the tumor bearing area, but no long-term effect was observed. The total dosage ranged from 30 to 51.2 Gy. The 8 patients who received 50 Gy or more to the tumors had higher survival and local control rates than the other 3 who received less than 40 Gy. We conclude that whole brain irradiation with at least a total dose of 50 Gy to the tumor area is necessary to control malignant lymphoma of the brain.     

Computed tomography of residual hepatomas following transcatheter arterial embolization

Computed tomography and angiography following transcatheter arterial embolization (TAE) was performed for 29 patients with hepatomas. In three cases crescent-shaped isodense regions were observed posterior to the necrotic tumor after TAE. They were located in the superior posterior segments of the right hepatic lobes and were consistent with residual tumor supplied by the right inferior phrenic artery. Recognition of this CT finding after TAE is important for evaluating the extent of embolization of the tumor.     

A follow-up study of an uncemented knee replacement. The results of 312 knees using the Kodama-Yamamoto prosthesis

The Kodama-Yamamoto knee is an uncemented surface replacement which has been used since 1970. The design has been improved twice and this present report concerns the results of the Mark II model. Between 1980 and 1984, 350 knees were replaced in 225 patients. In 1987, a survey of 335 of these knees was conducted at two to seven years after operation. The results were excellent or good in 83% of patients. Many of the failures were because of general disorders unrelated to the operation, but in 5.4% of the knees there were local complications which continue to present problems.     

Inhibitory effect of antibiotic cerulenin on the respiratory burst in phagocytes. I. Effects of cerulenin on active oxygen-generation and lipid metabolism in phagocytes

The antibiotic cerulenin, a known inhibitor of fatty acid and sterol synthesis, inhibited bactericidal activity of mouse peritoneal macrophages and chemiluminescence (CL) response upon phagocytosis. The antibiotic also inhibited the CL response of human neutrophils upon exposure to various stimuli such as chemotactic peptide N-formylmethionylleucylphenylalanine (fMLP), calcium ionophore A23187 and Staphylococcal delta toxin. The loss of CL response of both types of cells was observed only after incubation of the cells with cerulenin for certain periods. The results of radioactive precursor incorporation suggest that lipid metabolism blocked by cerulenin affected in turn signal transduction across the cell membrane and inhibited CL production in these cells.     

Sarcomatoid carcinoma and carcinosarcoma of the urinary bladder

Two cases, sarcomatoid carcinoma and carcinosarcoma, of the urinary bladder are reported. A 68-year-old man with sarcomatoid carcinoma underwent total cystectomy and was alive and had had no recurrence after 21 months. A 78-year-old woman with carcinosarcoma underwent total cystectomy, but she died from increasing multiple lung metastases 4 months after surgery. The histopathological characteristics of both neoplasms are reported and discussed.     

Damaging action of human recombinant TNF on tumor vessels as an aspect of its anti-neoplastic action against Meth A sarcoma in mice

Effect of human recombinant TNF (rHu-TNF) on tumor blood vessels was investigated in relation to its mode of anti-neoplastic action against Meth A sarcoma in BALB/c mice. The extent of the blood vessel lesion was evaluated by measuring the degrees of blueing and hemorrhage after intravenous injection of Evan's blue. When injected intravenously into mice bearing Meth A cells in the abdominal skin transplanted 8 days previously, rHu-TNF, at doses of 3000 and 10,000 units/mouse produced dose-related lesioning of blood vessels in the sarcoma and the adjacent skin but not in the skin distant from the sarcoma. Similar lesioning of blood vessels in the adjacent skin was seen after intravenous administration of 10,000 units/mouse of rHu-TNF in mice with the sarcoma in which the cells had been selectively killed by intratumoral injection of acetic acid (20%, 0.01 ml). On the other hand, rHu-TNF (10,000 units/mouse, i.v.) produced weak lesioning of blood vessels in the granuloma tissue caused by subcutaneous implantation of felt pellets and in the adjacent skin but not in the operation wound in mice with the sarcoma. These results suggest that rHu-TNF damages newly formed blood vessels, particularly those connected with the sarcoma, without influencing blood vessels in normal skin and healing wounds in mice with Meth A sarcoma.