Localization of Immunoreactive Somatostatin in Tumor Tissues Derived from Various Organs

A sensitive and specific radioimmunoassay system has been developedfor measuring somatostatin in tissues. Immunization of rabbitwith somatostatin yielded the specific anti-somatostatin antibodythat did not cross-react with various hormones tested. The radioimmunoassaysystem could detect as little as 6 pg of somatostatin. The recoveryof somatostatin added to tissues was 67.8 ± 3.7%. Inhibitioncurves of the extracts obtained from a normal pancreas and twogastric carcinomas were parallel to those obtained with syntheticsomatostatin. Immunoreactive(IR) somatostatin was not detectablein normal and tumor tissues of the lung and kidney, except intwo out of seven lung carcinomas. However, variable amountsof IR-somatostatin (0.3–13.6 ng/g wet wt.) were detectedin carcinomas of the pancreas and stomach, although the valueswere lower than those in respective control tissues. A caseof medullary carcinoma of the thyroid showed relatively highlevels of serum calcitonin and tissue IR-somatostatin in bothprimary and metastatic carcinoma. These data suggest that somemalignant tumors could produce somatostatin-like substance,but its significance remains to be elucidated.     

Gigantic aneurysm in the thoraco-abdominal aorta of an infant

We report the case of a boy with a gigantic aneurysm in the thoraco-abdominal region which was detected by a chest X-ray taken prior to surgical correction of ptosis of the eyelids at 11 months of age. At 18 months, he successfully underwent aneurysm exclusion and bypass grafting. A biopsy from the thoracic aorta revealed medial degeneration with conspicuous smooth muscle cell involvement. Laboratory examination showed altered elastase activity in the granulocytes and whole blood. The present case may represent a unique form of aneurysm in infancy.     

Recurrent paroxysmal episodes characterized by perceptual alteration in three schizophrenic patients on neuroleptic medication

Abstract A suddenly occurring episode characterized by perceptual alteration (SEPA), mainly of visual and/or auditory modalities, which repeatedly occurred in three schizophrenic patients on long-term neuroleptic medication, is described. Perceptual alteration showed some distinct features that were different from acute symptoms of schizophrenia, and was accompanied by mood changes such as severe anxiety and agitation and, in one of the patients, also by extrapyramidal symptoms. Perceptual alteration, as well as mood changes and extrapyramidal symptoms, responded well to an anticholinergic drug, biperiden. Recent studies have shown that SEPA occurred not only in schizophrenic patients but also in patients on long-term neuroleptic medication for treating other mental disorders. These findings suggest that SEPA is associated with dopaminergic hypoactivity in the brain, which is induced by long-term neuroleptic medication.     

Xanthogranulomatous pyelonephritis with a renocolic fistula caused by a parapelvic cyst

Fistula formation between the upper urinary tract and bowel is an uncommon complication in urogenital diseases. We present a rare case of focal xanthogranulomatous pyelonephritis with a renocolic fistula. This is the first case where a parapelvic cyst obstructs the caliceal outflow and leads to the formation of a renocolic fistula in renal inflammatory disease. It is difficult to make a preoperative diagnosis of focal xanthogranulomatous pyelonephritis with widespread involvement that is caused by non-calculous urinary tract obstruction.     

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'.     

Platelet-activating factor and arachidonic acid metabolites in psoriatic inflammation

Platelet-activating factor (PAF). as wel as PAF acetylhydrolase (PAF-AH) activity in the peripheral blood plasma of patients with psoriasis and palmoplantar pustolosis, was measured with a radio-immunoassay technique, and compared with leukotriene (LT) B₄. LTC₄. LTD₄, and E₄, (LTD₄/E₄). thromboxane (TX) B₂ and prostaglandin (PG) E₂ levels. In a normal healthy group (n= 1 2) PAF level was 25.9 ± 6.5 pg/0.1 ml plasma (mean ± standard error of the mean: SEM). and this was elevated in patients with psoriasis (68.1 ± 11.8, n= 25. P<0.01), without a change in the PAF-AH level. LTB₄ showed a similar increase (115.0 ± 21.6 pg/ml vs. 68.2 ± 11.8 pg/ml. P < 0.05), while TXB₂, and PGE₂ showed insignificant (P > 0.05) changes. LTC₄ and LTE₄/E₄ were around the level of the limit of detection. Patients with palmoplantar pustulosis (n= 33) demonstrated similar, but milder and statistically insignificant, increases in PAF. LTB₄. TXB₂ and PGF₂ levels. Modulation of the mediator levels before and after treatment was compared in 16 patients with psoriasis and 11 with palmoplantar pustulosis. PAF in psoriasis significantly decreased after treatment (70.9 ± 17.1 to 25.1 ± 5.5, P < 0.05) and this was moderately correlated (r= 0.298) with clinical improvement as indicated by the psoriasis area and severity index (38.5 ± 7.5 to 10.9 ± 4.2. P < 0.01). TXB₂. (180.2 + 100.4 to 34.1 ± 13.5). PGF₂ (3.7 ± 0.7 to 2.9 ± 0.5) and LTB₄ (120.1 + 31.1 to 84.2 + 8.2). in psoriasis, mildly decreased without statistical significance. Patients with palmoplantar pustulosis demonstrated a similar decrease in all mediators without statistical significance. The results obtained suggest a role of PAF in psoriasis. As the priming effects of PAF have been shown, for leucocytes and endothelial cells, to enhance their inflammatory response, we assume that PAF has roles in the acute phase of osoriatic and leucotactic inflammation.     

Erythrocyte deformability in schizophrenic patients

Erythrocyte deformability as a clinical indicator of microcirculatory disturbance was determined in the erythrocyte of 25 schizophrenic patients and of 18 normal controls. Schizophrenic patients had significantly lower erythrocyte deformability than did the normal controls (P < 0.001). This result suggests that microcirculation in schizophrenic patients is disturbed, and that this disturbance might be involved in the pathophysiological genesis of schizophrenia.     

Reactive Lymphoreticular Hyperplasia of the Stomach Showing a Submucosal Tumor

Abstract: Reactive lymphoreticular hyperplasia of the stomach has been reported rarely. Furthemore, submucosal tumors of the type found in this condition are rare and only 7 such cases have been reported. A 57-year-old male visited our hospital with his chief complaint being tarry stool. An UGI and endoscopy showed a submucosal tumor with a central depression in the posterior wall of the gastric body. Microscopically and immunohistochemically, lymphoid hyperplasia of the stomach was recognized, but it was very difficult to differentiate the condition from malignant lymphoma. The patient is in good health with no medication 2 years after surgery.     

High incidence of autoimmune dacryoadenitis in male non-obese diabetic (NOD) mice depending on sex steroid

Sinusoidal endothelial cells and Kupffer cells are the first cell populations in the liver that come into contact with gut-derived endotoxin in portal blood. Although endotoxin concentrations as high as 1 ng/ml are physiologically present in portal blood, no local inflammation is seen. We show that the proinflammatory cytokine IL-6, which is central to the development of inflammatory reactions in the liver, is produced by sinusoidal endothelial cells and Kupffer cells in response to low concentrations of endotoxin (100 pg/ml to 1 ng/ml). The anti-inflammatory cytokine IL-10 down-regulated endotoxin-induced IL-6 release in endothelial and Kupffer cells. Importantly, Kupffer cells secreted IL-10 after endotoxin stimulation and may therefore participate in the local regulation of inflammation. We have found that IL-6 secretion in Kupffer cells is tightly regulated by endogenous IL-10, because increased IL-6 secretion resulted when neutralizing antibodies to IL-10 were added to resting and endotoxin-challenged Kupffer cells. Furthermore, repeated exposure of endothelial cells to endotoxin induced a state of tolerance which resulted in decreased release of IL-6 in response to a second endotoxin challenge. Our results support the notion that inflammatory reactions in the liver in response to endotoxin are down-regulated by local release of the anti-inflammatory cytokine IL-10 that is produced by Kupffer cells.