Asymmetry of the ventricle and age at the onset of schizophrenia

The relationship between lateral ventricular size or its asymmetry and age at the onset of schizophrenia was investigated in 20 schizophrenic patients diagnosed according to DSM-III-R criteria. The ventriclebrain ratio (VBR) was determined using three transaxial slices of magnetic resonance image (MRI) and asymmetry of the lateral ventricle was evaluated from the laterality index of the lateral ventricular area: (left-right/lef+right)×100. Each age at the onset of the prodromal and active phase according to DSM-III-R criteria was determined for each patient. The results showed that asymmetry of the ventricle, but not VBR, was significantly correlated inversely with age at the onset of both the prodromal phase and active phase. Neither asymmetry nor VBR correlated with the duration of illness, age at MRI scanning, or severity of clinical symptoms. It would thus appear that greater asymmetry of the ventricle is associated with earlier onset of schizophrenia.     

A case of pulmonary adenocarcinoma accompanied by minimal change nephrotic syndrome, antiphospholipid syndrome and warm-type autoimmune hemolytic anemia]

A 49-year-old man was urgently admitted due to edema in both leg and left toe pain. A chest radiograph revealed a solitary nodule in the right lung field. Detailed investigations including bronchoscopy and renal biopsy led to a simultaneous diagnosis of clinical stage IIIB pulmonary adenocarcinoma, minimal change nephrotic syndrome, antiphospholipid syndrome, and warm-type autoimmune hemolytic anemia. Prednisolone was administered for nephrotic syndrome, antiphospholipid syndrome and warm-type autoimmune hemolytic anemia, and 6 courses of chemotherapy with 70Gy radio-therapy were performed. The pulmonary nodule significantly decreased in size and the other three autoimmune diseases appeared to be well-controlled. Thirteen months after admission, multiple brain metastases developed along with worsening antiphospholipid syndrome symptoms including lupus anticoagulant. Following whole-brain irradiation, the brain metastases decreased in size and antiphospholipid syndrome symptoms improved. Thirty-nine months after the initial visit, the primary lung cancer, its brain metastasis and the 3 other autoimmune diseases appeared to be well-controlled. The temporal correlation of the lung cancer and the three autoimmune diseases suggests the latter may be paraneoplastic syndrome.     

Characteristics of the ambulation-increasing effect of the noncompetitive NMDA antagonist MK-801 in mice: assessment by the coadministration with central-acting drugs.

Characteristics of the ambulation-increasing effect of MK-801, a non-competitive NMDA antagonist, were assessed through the coadministration of MK-801 with various central-acting drugs in mice. The MK-801 (0.3 mg/kg, i.p.)-induced ambulation-increment with a slight ataxia was maximum at around 50 min, and ambulation returned to the control level at about 3 hr after the administration. At 1 mg/kg, the mouse's activity transiently increased, followed by a decrease due to a marked ataxia, which was due to neither stereotypy nor convulsion, for 20-50 min, and then increased again; the ambulation-increment continued even at 4 hr after the administration. Coadministration of MK-801 (0.3 mg/kg, i.p.) with either methamphetamine (2 mg/kg, s.c.), cocaine (20 mg/kg, s.c.), GBR-12909 (10 mg/kg, i.p.), scopolamine (0.5 mg/kg, s.c.), caffeine (10 mg/kg, s.c.) or morphine (10 mg/kg, s.c.) produced a significant enhancement of the effect. However, 0.1 mg/kg of MK-801 had no effect on the interaction with these drugs. On the other hand, the ambulation-increasing effect of MK-801 (0.3 mg/kg) was significantly reduced by haloperidol (0.3 and 0.1 mg/kg, s.c.), ceruletide (0.01 and 0.1 mg/kg, i.p.), reserpine (0.05 and 2 mg/kg, s.c., pretreatment 4 hr before) and nimodipine (1 and 3 mg/kg, i.p.), but it was scarcely modified by alpha-methyl-p-tyrosine (100 and 200 mg/kg, i.p., pretreatment 24 hr and 4 hr before), imipramine (20 mg/kg, i.p.), 6R-L-erythro-5,6,7,8-tetrahydro-biopterin (100 mg/kg, i.p.), pilocarpine (1 and 4 mg/kg, s.c.), N6-(L-2-phenylisopropyl)-adenosine (0.03 and 0.1 mg/kg, s.c.) and naloxone (1 and 5 mg/kg, s.c.).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)     

Positive Foci of Glutathione S-Transferase Placental Form in the Liver of Rats Given Furfural by Oral Administration

We observed GST-P-positive liver foci in rats during the course of developing liver cirrhosis by oral administration of furfural, an organic solvent. Male Wistar rats were given furfural-containing diet (20–30 rag/kg diet) for 15–150 days, and killed 14 days after terminating furfural feeding. Immuno-histochemical investigation of GST-P-positive liver foci which appeared in rats fed furfural for more than 30 days revealed an increase in number and size of the foci in proportion to the duration of furfural administration. Since furfural is known not to be carcinogenic in rats, this finding will be helpful to understand the enhancing effect of furfural-induced cirrhosis on chemical hepatocarcino-genesis.     

A giant tumor thrombus in the right atrium clearly detected by 111In-oxine labeled platelet scintigraphy

A 54-year-old man was admitted to hospital with a 3-month history of progressive dyspnea with coughing. A giant right atrial mass, originating from a hepatocellular carcinoma, was visualized by computed tomography, and digital subtration angiography. The volume of the right atrial mass was increasing rapidly. It was therefore essential to determine whether this giant mass was a tumor thrombus or a multiplication of the hepatocellular carcinoma. ¹¹¹In-oxine labeled platelet scintigraphy revealed active accumulation in the right atrium caused by the presence of active platelet deposition, and slight accumulation in the lung fields probably due to embolic showers originating from the tumor thrombus in the right atrium. This is the first case report showing that ¹¹¹In-oxine labeled platelet scintigraphy can aid in confirming the nature of a giant tumor thrombus in the right atrium and can clarify the pathogenesis of the respiratory symptoms.     

Ascending Colon Stenosis:A Rare Presentation of Perforated Appendicitis

Abstract : Described is a 49-year-old Japanese male who developed an ascending colon stenosis secondary to perforated appendicitis. The patient was examined at our hospital because of an abdominal pain and the presence of a firm mass in the right flank. A barium enema and colonoscopic examination revealed an ascending colon stenosis with multiple nodular elevations. On laparotomy, an inflammatory mass, originating from a ruptured appendix, was found adhered to the cecum and the ascending colon. Thus, a right hemicolectomy was performed. Microscopic examination revealed a periappendiceal abscess with marked submucosal fibrosis and lymphoid hyperplasia of the ascending colon and cecum. Large intestinal stenosis is a rare complication of appendicitis, and there have been only a few reported cases involving the ascending and sigmoid colon, and the rectum. In these cases, however, the polypoid lesions as seen in our case have never been described. In reviewing the literature, we found only two other cases in which a coarse or a polypoid lesion, similar to our case, was noted in the cecum, though the mucosal change was localized and luminal stenosis did not occur. Thus, when a patient with an ascending colon stenosis is encountered, a possibility of periappendiceal abscess must be kept in mind.