ON and OFF components of the receptive fields have different latencies to diffuse flashes of light in the superior colliculus of golden hamsters

Single unit activities were recorded from the superior colliculus in anesthetized hamsters. ON center and OFF center cells without surround showed short (within 150 ms) and long latency (longer than 150 ms) responses to diffuse flashes of light, respectively; ON and OFF center cells with an antagonistic surround and ON-OFF center cells showed both short and long latency responses. We suggest that the short latency discharges represent the activity on the ON component of the receptive field, while the long latency responses correspond to the OFF component. Thus, latencies of unit response to diffuse flashes of light may provide a useful indication of the existence of ON or OFF components in the receptive field.     

Rare variants of Hodgkin's disease of the thymus: Report of two cases and proposal for effective clinical management

We treated two patients with rare variants of Hodgkin's disease of the thymus. One was a 17-year-old girl with a thymoma-like shadow on the chest X-rays, an increased erythrocyte sedimentation rate and an elevated eosinophile count. Pathologically, a mixed cellularity variant of thymus Hodgkin's disease was evident. The other patient was 22-year-old girl with evidence of mediastinal tumor on the chest X-rays. Pathological examination revealed Hodgkin's disease of the lymphocyte predominance variety. She also had Von der Haeve syndrome. In both cases, Hodgkin's disease was suspected by scintiscanning, using three kinds of radioisotope,²⁰¹Thallium-chloride,⁶⁷Garium-citrate and⁷⁵Selenomethionine. Radical excision of the lesion plus preoperative and postoperative irradiations were carried out. Both are well 6 and 5 years after the treatment, respectively. We propose a new diagnostic procedure and a method of treatment for such patients.     

Effects of heat stimulation via microwave applicator on cartilage matrix gene and HSP70 expression in the rabbit knee joint

The objective of this study was to investigate the effects of heat stimulation on the expression of extracellular matrix genes and heat‐shock protein 70 (HSP70) in rabbit articular cartilage in vivo. Heat stimulation was applied to the knee joints of Japanese white rabbits for 20 min using a microwave (MW) applicator (2.45‐GHz, 0–80 W). After 8–72 h, the articular cartilage was removed from the knee joints and proteins and total RNA were extracted. As controls, knee joints without heat stimulation were analyzed. The expression of HSP70 was confirmed by real‐time PCR and Western blotting. The expression of proteoglycan core protein (PG) and type II collagen (Col II) was quantified using real‐time PCR to assess cartilage matrix metabolism. Compared to controls, HSP70 expression was higher with more than 40 W of heat stimulation. The expression of PG and Col II mRNA was higher, with more than 20 W of heat stimulation and peaked with 40 W. When quercetin was used to inhibit the induction of HSP70 expression, PG mRNA expression did not increase. External MW application stimulated HSP70 expression in the articular cartilage in vivo. The expression of extracellular matrix genes was increased by appropriate heat stimulation. © 2007 Orthopaedic Research Society. Published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Orthop Res 26:34–41, 2008     

Use of grommet for Swanson flexible hinge toe implant arthroplasty for hallux valgus deformity of rheumatoid arthritis]

OBJECTIVES: We reviewed the results of arthroplasty of the great toe with hallux valgus in rheumatoid patients, using a Swanson flexible hinge toe implant protected by grommet. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Sixteen patients (26 feet) with rheumatoid arthritis were operated on from 1996 to 1999. (fifteen women, one man). The average age was 59.8 years (range, 48-73 years). The average follow-up period was 3.0 years (range, 1.0-4.5 years). In each patient, the hallux valgus angle (HVA) was measured before and after surgery, and implant breakage and radiolucency around the implant were evaluated on radiographs. RESULTS: Average HVA was 47.7 degrees preoperatively and 19.3 degrees postoperatively. No implant breakage was observed in 76.9% of the feet. Radiolucency of more than 2 mm was observed in only 3.8% of the feet. CONCLUSIONS: These findings suggest that arthroplasty using a Swanson flexible hinge toe implant with a grommet is useful for treatment of hallux valgus in rheumatoid patients.     

Changes in CSF neurotransmitters during the first year of life

Changes in cerebrospinal fluid neurotransmitter metabolites in 25 children younger than 1 year of age were analyzed to assess maturation of the central nervous system and were compared to cerebrospinal fluid from older children and adults. Significant inverse correlations (P < .05) with aging were observed for tryptophan, 5-hydroxytryptophan, 5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid, kynurenine, tyrosine, dopa, dopamine, dihydroxyphenylacetic acid, homovanillic acid, norepinephrine, and 3-methoxy-4-hydroxyphenylglycol concentrations. There were no significant differences observed with respect to age in the cerebrospinal fluid serotonin, 3-hydroxykynurenine, and 3-methoxytyramine concentrations. This study suggests that changes in the major cerebrospinal fluid neurotransmitters occur with increasing age during the neonatal period. Because these findings are preliminary, additional patients require study.     

Intrahepatic splenosis mimicking a liver tumor

A rare case of ectopic splenic tissue in the liver is presented which mimicked a liver tumor. It is considered that some splenic tissue was seeded in the liver during the splenectomy that the patient underwent 23 years ago. Computed tomography (CT), magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), and angiographic features of this lesion were almost indistinguishable from those of other liver tumors.     

Sonographic diagnosis of acute injuries of the ulnar collateral ligament of the metacarpophalangeal joint of the thumb

PURPOSE: To evaluate the significance of the ultrasonographic appearance of the aponeurosis for deciding the best treatment for ulnar collateral ligament (UCL) injuries of the thumb metacarpophalangeal joint. METHODS: Fourteen patients (11 men, 3 women; mean age, 41 years; range, 15-66 years) who had an acute UCL tear were included. All patients were examined by ultrasonography (US) with a 7.5-MHz transducer and subsequently underwent surgery. The ultrasonographic findings were compared to the intraoperative findings. RESULTS: UCL injuries were classified into two types by US according to the appearance of aponeurosis and its spatial relationship with the UCL: the intra-aponeurosis type (5 patients) and the extra-aponeurosis type (9 patients). In the 5 patients with intra-aponeurosis, ultrasonographic findings were well consistent with intraoperative findings. In contrast, extra-aponeurosis cases contained two different pathologies: of the 9 patients, 7 had so-called 'Stener lesions', one showed folding of a ruptured capsule, and one showed a ruptured aponeurosis. CONCLUSIONS: Because US is highly reliable in differentiating intra-aponeurosis from extra-aponeurosis types of injuries, the aponeurosis is a more reliable reference than Stener lesion for treatment decision by US.     

Prognostic value of serum concentration of heart-type fatty acid-binding protein relative to cardiac troponin T on admission in the early hours of acute coronary syndrome

BACKGROUND: Heart-type fatty acid-binding protein (H-FABP) is proposed as an early biomarker for acute myocardial infarction (AMI), but its prognostic value is unclear in acute coronary syndrome (ACS). We evaluated the prognostic value of the H-FABP concentration relative to cardiac troponin T (cTnT) in the early hours of ACS. METHODS: Serum concentrations of H-FABP and cTnT were measured on admission in 328 consecutive patients hospitalized for ACS within 6 h after the onset of chest pain [AMI, 241 (73.5%) patients; ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction, 154 (47.0%) patients; and emergent coronary angiography within 24 h after admission, 287 (87.5%) patients]. Cardiac events, which were defined as cardiac death or subsequent nonfatal AMI, were monitored for 6 months after admission. RESULTS: During the 6-month follow-up period, there were 25 cardiac events, including 15 cardiac deaths and 10 subsequent nonfatal AMIs. Stepwise multivariate analyses including clinical, electrocardiographic, and biochemical variables revealed that increased H-FABP (above the median of 9.8 microg/L), but not increased cTnT (above the median of 0.02 microg/L), was independently associated with cardiac events in all patients [relative risk (RR) = 8.96; P = 0.0004], the subgroup of patients with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (RR = 11.3; P = 0.02), and the subgroup of patients with unstable angina and non-ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (RR = 8.31; P = 0.007). The area under the ROC curve was higher for H-FABP than for cTnT (0.711 vs 0.578; P = 0.08), suggesting that H-FABP concentrations have a greater predictive capacity for cardiac events than cTnT. CONCLUSION: Serum H-FABP is a potential independent predictor of cardiac events within 6 months of patient admission and may provide prognostic information superior to cTnT in the early hours of ACS.     

Gemfibrozil and its glucuronide inhibit the organic anion transporting polypeptide 2 (OATP2/OATP1B1:SLC21A6)-mediated hepatic uptake and CYP2C8-mediated metabolism of cerivastatin: analysis of the mechanism of the clinically relevant drug-drug interaction between cerivastatin and gemfibrozil

A serious pharmacokinetic interaction between cerivastatin (CER) and gemfibrozil (GEM) has been reported. In the present study, we examined the inhibitory effects of GEM and its metabolites, M3 and gemfibrozil 1-O-beta-glucuronide (GEM-1-O-glu), on the uptake of CER by human organic anion transporting polypeptide 2 (OATP2)-expressing cells and its metabolism in cytochrome P450 expression systems. Uptake studies showed that GEM and GEM-1-O-glu significantly inhibited the OATP2-mediated uptake of CER with IC(50) values of 72 and 24 microM, respectively. They also inhibited the CYP2C8-mediated metabolism of CER with IC(50) values of 28 and 4 microM, respectively, whereas M3 had no effects. GEM and GEM-1-O-glu minimally inhibited the CYP3A4-mediated metabolism of CER. The IC(50) values of GEM and GEM-1-O-glu for the uptake and the metabolism of CER obtained in the present study were lower than their total, and not unbound, plasma concentrations. However, considering the possibly concentrated high unbound concentrations of GEM-1-O-glu in the liver and its relatively larger plasma unbound fraction compared with GEM itself, the glucuronide inhibition of the CYP2C8-mediated metabolism of CER appears to be the main mechanism for the clinically relevant drug-drug interaction. Previously reported clinical drug interaction studies showing that coadministration of GEM with pravastatin or pitavastatin, both of which are known to be cleared from the plasma by the uptake transporters in the liver, only minimally (less than 2-fold) increased the area under the plasma concentration-time curve of these statins, also supported our present conclusion.