A Comparative Study of the Pancreatogram and the Histological Findings in 2,2'-Dihydroxy-Di-N-Propylnitrosamine-Induced Pancreatic Carcinoma in Golden Hamsters

2,2'-dihydroxy-di-N-propylnitrosamine (DHPN) at a dose of 250mg/kg was injected subcutaneously into 28 male Syrian goldenhamsters once a week. They were sacrificed and dissected atintervals of one to two weeks beginning from the 8th week untilthe 20th week after the injection. Pancreatography was performedon every hamster and the chronological changes in their pan-creatogramswere compared with the histological findings. Marked atypicalhyperplasia almost indistinguishable from carcinoma in situwas observed his-tologically beginning at the 13th week, andinfiltrating adenocarcinoma was seen in all the hamsters inand after the 16th week. The pancreatography made it possibleto depict even minute changes at an early stage that correspondedto the histological findings. One example was that a slightstenosis in the branch was detected at the 13th week and thepicture of stenosis was observed in the main pancreatic ductat the 14th–15th week. This was followed by obstructionin and after the 16th week. These findings support the possibility that the neoplastic processin the hamster pancreas occurs in the branch region earlierthan in the main pancreatic duct.     

White blood cell count,C-reactive protein and erythrocyte sedimentation rate in respiratory syncytial virus infection of the lower respiratory tract

Laboratory findings such as white blood cell (WBC) count, C-reactive protein (CRP) concentration and erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) level in patients with bronchiolitis, bronchopneumonia and lobar pneumonia caused by respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) were studied. The diagnosis of having RSV infection of the lower respiratory tract was made on the presence of RSV antigen in nasopharyngeal specimens by means of enzyme immunoassay, on chest X-ray appearances and clinical manifestations. The WBC counts in the lobar pneumonia cases (n = 25, 12 288 ± 6296/mm³) were significantly greater than those for the bronchiolitis (n = 52, 9562 ± 2720/mm³) and bronchopneumonia (n = 43, 8369 ± 3714/mm³) cases. The concentrations of CRP in lobar pneumonia cases (n = 25, 6.5 ± 7.3 mg/dL) were significantly greater than those in the bronchiolitis (n = 52, 1.9 ± 2.0 mg/dL) and bronchopneumonia (n = 43, 2.1 ± 2.4 mg/dL) cases. The ESR levels in the lobar pneumonia cases (n = 24, 43.8 ± 29. mm/h) were also significantly higher than those in the bronchiolitis (n = 34, 20.1 ± 12.3 mm/h) and bronchopneumonia (n = 40, 24.7 ± 15.9 mm/h) cases. There were no significant differences in the WBC counts, the CRP concentrations and ESR levels between the bronchiolitis and bronchopneumonia cases. These results suggest that the RSV lobar pneumonia cases are coinfected with some bacterial organisms more heavily than in the RSV bronchiolitis and bronchopneumonia cases.     

An Inflammatory Polyp of the Sigmoid Colon Observed in a Case with a Ruptured Ovarian Dermoid Cyst

We present here a rare case, an ovarian dermoid cyst with fistulaformation into the sigmoid colon, which forms an inflammatorypolyp of the sigmoid colon. A 58-year-old woman was admitted because of occasional analbleeding. Several examination disclosed the elevation of erythrocytesedimentation rate, a positive test of stool specimen for occultblood, a polyp of the sigmoid colon in barium enema. Laparotomyshowed that a dermoid cyst of the left ovary had ruptured intothe sigmoid. The etiology of the rupture was "idiopathic." Thefistulous communication between the cyst and the sigmoid colonwas thought to have developed the inflammatory polyp over aperiod of about two years.     

HYDROGEN-TRITIUM EXCHANGE TITRATION OF THE HISTIDINE RESIDUES IN BOVINE HEART CYTOCHROME C AND ANALYSIS OF THEIR MICROENVIRONMENT

Microenvironments of the three histidine residues located at the positions 18, 26, and 33 from the amino terminus in bovine heart cytochrome c were analysed in solution by the hydrogen-tritium exchange titration method, which has been developed in this laboratory. Histidine-18, which is liganded to the heme iron, and histidine-26 did not incorporate tritium in native state, indicating that the two are located in solvent inaccessible hydrophobic regions. Histidine-33 was labeled with tritium to an appreciable extent and seemed to be partially buried in the molecule. The pKa value estimated for histidine-33 was 6.1 at 37° by the tritium exchange titration, suggesting that the residue interacts very weakly with a neighboring cationic group. These results seem to be compatible with the tertiary structure of the protein deduced from the X-ray crystallographic analysis.     

Diagnosis of Small Carcinoma of the Pancreas: Importance of Ultrasound Scanning and Endoscopic Retrograde Cholangiopancreatography (ERCP)

Diagnostic aspects of 23 patients with carcinoma of the pancreaswere analyzed and four cases of small cancer (less than 2 cm)were presented. These tumors were resected between January 1975and Dcember 1982 in the National Cancer Center Hospital, Tokyo. Initial signs and symptoms were generally vague and none ofthem were specific for pancreatic cancer. The most importantclues to the detection of the tumor were jaundice in the casesof pancreas head cancer, and extragastric compression demonstratedby x-ray examination in cases of cancer of the pancreas bodyand tail. In those cases without jaundice, elevated levels ofamylase and glucose in the serum and urine were important findings.In regard to imaging diagnosis, endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatographyand ultra-sonography were the most helpful means of diagnosisof small pancreatic carcinoma.     

Urinary macromolecules and renal tubular cell protection from oxalate injury: Comparison of normal subjects and recurrent stone formers

AIM: To determine whether urinary macromolecules (UMM), which are the high molecular weight substances in urine, can provide protection against the oxalate-associated injury to the renal tubular cells. METHODS: UMM were extracted from 24-h urine of 12 healthy adult male volunteers and 13 recurrent-stone-former male patients. Urine parameters in relation to urolithiasis were measured, including the level of glycosaminoglycans (GAG) in the UMM. Madin-Darby canine kidney (MDCK) cells were used to evaluate the protective activity of UMM from oxalate-induced cytotoxicity by LDH release measurement and methyl-thiazolyl tertrazolium (MTT) assay. RESULTS: Considering urinary parameters, citrate was significantly higher in urine from normal subjects than stone-former subjects; the other parameters show no differences between the groups. Total UMM and the level of GAG in the UMM were also significantly higher in the normal subject group. Compared with normal subject and stone-former subject UMM, after cells were treated with the UMM and then exposed to oxalate solution, LDH release was significantly higher in stone-former group. In the MTT assay, we found that more viable cells were observed after treatment with UMM compared to control in both groups. Moreover, UMM from the normal subjects showed higher protective activity against oxalate-related cytotoxicity than UMM from the stone-former subjects. CONCLUSION: UMM protected renal epithelial cells from oxalate-related injury. This protective activity was found to be higher in normal subject UMM than stone-former UMM. Among other factors, a higher concentration of GAG and citrate in normal subject UMM might affect some parts in this finding.     

柴胡清肝汤对食物过敏小鼠肝脏中细胞活素的影响(英文)

目的 :研究柴胡清肝汤对食物过敏小鼠肝脏细胞活素的影响。方法 :小鼠用卵蛋白致敏。卵蛋白 (Ova) 10 0 μg +铝剂 (作为增强佐剂 ) 0 .1mL腹腔注射 ,并用Ova 10 0 μg经口投与 ,每周 1次 ,共5次 ,第 3次致敏后动物分成 3组分别投与柴胡清肝汤、生理盐水 ,bid ,2wk。最后 1次致敏后 1wk ,用Ova(2 0 g·L- 1)经肠道攻击 ,3h后采取肝脏组织 ,免疫组织化学染色肝样本进行分析细胞活素IL4 ,IL6和TNFα。结果 :柴胡清肝汤 (10 0mg·kg- 1·d- 1和 30 0mg·kg- 1·d- 1)治疗组细胞活素IL4为 0 .4± 0 .2和 0 .7± 0 .2 ,IL6为 1.1± 0 .4和1.0± 0 .3,TNF α为 0 .8± 0 .3和 1.2± 0 .7均低于生理盐水组 [分别为 (8.4± 1.9) ,(11.6± 2 .4 ) ,(8.1± 1.9) ],差异有非常显著意义 ,P <0 .0 1。结论 :柴胡清肝汤可抑制食物过敏小鼠肝脏中的细胞活素     

Sustained Left Ventricular Tachycardia Terminated by Dipyridamole: Cyclic AMPMediated Triggered Activity as a Possible Mechanism

Sustained VT in two patients was terminated by intravenous administration of dipyridamole, an adenosine transport inhibitor. VT was induced by rapid atrial or ventricular pacing, isoproterenol, or dibutyryl cyclic AMP infusion, or exercise. VT also was aborted by adenosine triphosphate or acetylcholine injection, or by vagal stimulation. VT was terminated or prevented by verapamil or propranolol. In addition, arrhythmias were prevented by oral administration of dipyridamole. These results suggest that VT is due to cyclic AMP-mediated triggered activity and that inhibition by dipyridamole may be due to a reduction in the intracellular concentration of cyclic AMP.