SUCCESSFUL ENDOSCOPIC CLOSURES OF COLONIC PERFORATIONS REQUIRING ABDOMINAL DECOMPRESSION AFTER ENDOSCOPIC MUCOSAL RESECTION AND ENDOSCOPIC SUBMUCOSAL DISSECTION FOR EARLY COLON CANCER

Endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD) for colorectal cancer is not widely accepted because of its technical difficulty and the risk of perforation. In addition, the risk of peritonitis cannot be completely eliminated even if a perforation is closed successfully. Reported here are two cases of early colon cancer in which the patients sustained iatrogenic perforations of the ascending colon during conventional endoscopic mucosal resection and of the sigmoid colon during ESD, respectively, requiring abdominal decompression with an 18 G Medicut needle. Both of these perforations were successfully treated by endoscopic clipping. In conclusion, conservative medical management may be possible in patients who have undergone successful closure of colonic perforations using endoscopic clipping. In order to perform immediate endoscopic closure, abdominal decompression has been useful to decrease patient discomfort and colonic lumen collapse. Now, CO₂ insufflation is being used effectively for the prevention of pneumoperitoneum.     

Characteristics of young-onset hypertension identified by targeted screening performed at a university health check-up.

Since the prevalence and clinical characteristics of young-onset hypertension are still to be elucidated, we performed targeted-screening at an annual university health check-up for two consecutive years. Out of 16,464 subjects in 2003 and 17,032 in 2004 that were aged less than 30 years, 22 and 26 students (all males) exhibited high blood pressure (BP), respectively, on three occasions during casual BP measurements at the Tohoku University Health Center (systolic and diastolic BP of 140 and/or 90 mmHg or greater, respectively). These students were asked to measure their BP at home, and 9 subjects in total were diagnosed as having essential hypertension (EH). The remaining students were diagnosed as having white coat hypertension (WCH). In 8 out of 9 EH students, their father and/or mother had also been treated with antihypertensive medication. Adjustment by attendance ratio for each BP measurement suggested that the incidence of EH was around 0.1% and that of hypertension (EH and WCH) was around 0.5% in university students aged less than 25 years, since most of the subjects and hypertensive students were between 18 and 24 years old. Body mass index of the EH, which was more than 25 kg/m2 (overweight), was significantly higher than that with WCH. In conclusion, the combination of repeated casual BP measurements and home BP effectively identified young-onset EH. The clinical parameters indicated that male gender, genetic background, and excessive weight were risk factors for young-onset hypertension.     

Usefulness of preoperative low dose cisplatin treatment for advanced esophageal cancer

In order to decrease the perioperative complications by preoperative cisplatin chemotherapy, the preoperative single administration of cisplatin (30 mg/m²) was performed weekly from one to six times in 36 consecutive patients with esophageal cancer classified as higher than Stage II. The survival curve of 17 patients in Stage III was significantly better (P<0.05) than that of patients who had been treated without preoperative cisplatin treatment. In 3 of the 12 patients who had locally invasive cancer, either the main tumors or the metastatic lymph nodes, which had invaded the trachea or the left main bronchus, sufficiently receded, so that a curative esophagectomy became possible; 2 of them have survived over 33 months while 1 died of pneumonia 33 months after surgery. The number of perioperative complications was minimal, and thus, we consider that the postoperative use of cisplatin and fluorouracil is indicated in patients in whom a histological response is noted in the resected specimens.This work was partially supported by Grant No. 02454315 from the Japanese Ministry of Education     

Noninvasive Nasal Mask BiPAP Management for Prolonged Respiratory Failure Following Cardiovascular Surgery

A bstract The purpose of this study was to assess the efficacy of nasal mask bi-level positive airway pressure (BiPAP) support in managing respiratory failure following cardiovascular surgery. A total of 20 patients requiring postoperative prolonged respiratory support of 72 hours or longer were studied. BiPAP support was used for eight patients (BiPAP group); the other 12 patients were managed using ordinary oxygen mask treatment (control group). The mean age of the BiPAP group and control group was 65 and 58 years of age, respectively. The mean period of postoperative endotracheal intubation of the BiPAP group and control group was 12 ± 5 days and 7 ± 1 days, respectively. Reintubation was necessary in two patients of the control group. The BiPAP group patients required no reintubation. BiPAP support was discontinued within 48 hours in 6 out of 8 patients. The respiratory rates of control group increased (p < 0.1) 24 hours after extubation, however, the respiratory rates of the BiPAP group remained unchanged. The values of the respiratory index of the BiPAP group improved significantly (p < 0.01) after BiPAP management (from 1.5 ± 0.2 to 0.9 ± 0.2). The values of the control group, however, remained unchanged. A-aDO₂ and Qs/Qt decreased (p < 0.1) in the BiPAP group. There were no significant differences in central venous pressure or circulatory status between the two groups. In conclusion, BiPAP support is a noninvasive management technique for postoperative respiratory failure and may also prevent prolonged endotracheal intubation.     

Type-II collagen gene expression is transiently upregulated in experimentally induced degeneration of rabbit intervertebral disc

To clarify phenotypic alterations of intervertebral disc cells during the repair process, we cloned partial type-II collagen cDNA from rabbits and analyzed the level of expression of type-II collagen mRNA in disc degeneration. An animal model was created by surgical denucleation of rabbit intervertebral discs through, an extraperitoneal approach. Eight animals each from an experimental and a control group were killed at 2, 4, 8, or 16 weeks postoperatively, and the disc samples were used for this study. Round chondrorcyte-like cells that filled the herniated space showed intense signal of type-II collagen mRNA and significant pericellular immunostaining of type-II collagen but no clear staining of type-I collagen. Northern. blot analysis revealed that the expression of type-II collagen mRNA of the repair disc cells was transiently increased at 4 weeks postoperatively. The cells were able to change their morphology in response to mechanical stimulation by surgical denucleation and to induce a significant increase in the gene expression of type-II collagen at an early phase of disc degeneration. The present results indicate the transient enhancement of repair activity in the degenerative process of injured fibrocartilage.     

Phase I Study of Paclitaxel by Three-hour Infusion: Hypotension Just after Infusion Is One of the Major Dose-limiting Toxicities

The primary objectives of this study were to determine the maximum tolerated dose (MTD) of paclitaxel administered by 3-h infusion to patients with solid tumors, and to characterize the pharmacokinetics of a 3-h infusion in comparison with those of a 24-h infusion. Twenty-seven patients each received one of six levels of paclitaxel, 105, 135, 180, 210, 240 and 270 mg/m², with premedication. Two patients given 240 mg/m² and one patient given 270 mg/m² unexpectedly had grade 3/4 hypotension just after finishing the paclitaxel infusion. Peripheral neuropathy was also dose-limiting at 270 mg/m². Although granulocytopenia was significantly less severe than with a 24-h infusion, more than half of the patients experienced grade 4 toxicity at doses of 240 or 270 mg/m². Severe hypersensitivity reactions (HSRs) were not observed. Pharmacokinetic studies using high performance liquid chromatography demonstrated proportionally greater increases in the peak plasma concentration and area under the curve, and decreases in clearance and volume of distribution with increasing dose, suggesting non-linear pharmacokinetics of paclitaxel when given by 3-h infusion. The MTD of paclitaxel given as a 3-h infusion was determined to be 240 mg/m² with dose-limiting toxicities of granulocytopenia, peripheral neuropathy and hypotension. Hypotension just after infusion, induced by 3-h infusion of paclitaxel, is a new observation which has not been reported previously. The recommended dose for phase II study is 210 mg/m². Although hypotension was observed as an unexpected toxic effect, paclitaxel could be administered safely over 3 h with premedication and proper monitoring, resulting in reduced myelotoxicity and with no increase in the incidence of HSRs as compared with a 24-h infusion.     

Influence of acetylcholine on neuronal activity of monkey amygdala during bar press feeding behavior

Single neuron activity in the monkey amygdala was investigated during cue signalled conditioned bar press feeding behavior and the effects of electrophoretically applied acetylcholine (ACh) and atropine were analyzed. ACh increased the firing rate of one third of the neurons tested; these excitatory responses were inhibited by the muscarinic receptor antagonist atropine. No characteristic location of ACh-sensitive neurons was found, cells were diffusely distributed throughout the amygdala. Activity of ACh-sensitive neurons did not correlate with any particular event during the bar press feeding task. However, continuous application of ACh at low current intensity during the task significantly enhanced the task-related excitatory firing patterns, or markedly attenuated the inhibitory responses. Continuous application of atropine elicited or enhanced inhibitory response patterns. These results suggest that the cholinergic system of the monkey amygdala facilitates neuronal excitation but attenuates inhibition related to various phases of feeding behavior, such as to cue recognition, food aquisition and rewarding process.     

A case of hair loss induced by carbamazepine]

We report a 52 year-old man presenting with an acute considerable hair loss induced by carbamazepine (CBZ). The remarkable scalp hair loss started within a week after CBZ administration. There was no evidence of dermatitis or allergic reaction, or other cause for the hair loss. The serum concentration of CBZ was 8.6 microg/ml (therapeutic range 8-12 microg/ml). CBZ was discontinued, and the hair loss stopped within several days with new hair growth. Medication-induced hair loss is an occasional adverse effect of many drugs used for neuropsychological diseases. CBZ also induces hair loss and its frequency was reported below 2%. Only a limited number of detailed case reports describing CBZ-induced hair loss were available, and we found these cases could divide into two groups with regard to a delay in starting hair loss after administration of CBZ. In one group, the hair loss started within a week suggesting anagen effluvium and in another it started after two or three months suggesting telogen effluvium. This finding suggests the causative mechanism of CBZ-induced hair loss is not unitary.     

Mapping of odor-related neuronal activity using a fluorescent derivative of glucose

Activity labeling was applied to the olfactory systems of the terrestrial slug Limax valentianus using 2-(N-(7-nitrobenz-2-oxa-1,3-diazol-4-yl)amino)-2-deoxyglucose (2-NBDG), a fluorescent derivative of glucose. 2-NBDG was incorporated into cultured Limax olfactory interneurons, and this was partially blocked by the presence of a high concentration of glucose in the medium, indicating that a part of the uptake of 2-NBDG is mediated by glucose transporters. Next, in order to map odor-related neuronal activity in the primary olfactory center, tentacular ganglion, we injected 2-NBDG into the body cavities of slugs and exposed them to odors or clean air (control). In the odor-stimulated animals, the cell mass region was strongly stained. The digit-like extensions and the neuropil region were also stained in some animals. The control animals showed no staining. The neurons in the cell mass are thought to be involved in generating oscillating activities in the tentacular ganglion, and their activation may imply modulation of oscillatory activity during odor processing. Our results show that 2-NBDG is useful for mapping neuronal activity in vivo.