Role of the hypothalamus in the pathogenesis of cinchophen-induced gastric ulcers in dogs

The effects of hypothalamic lesions on cinchophen-induced gastric ulcers were studied in 38 male mongrel dogs. Chronic gastric ulcers were produced in 100% of the cinchophen-administered dogs without hypothalamic lesion. When cinchophen was administered to animals with anterior, posterior and lateral hypothalamic lesions, this incidence of gastric ulcers was not prevented. In dogs with lesions of the middle portion of the hypothalamus, the incidence of chronic ulcers was decreased two-thirds; in dogs with lesions of the ventromedial nuclei of the hypothalamus, goldthioglucose did not protect against the development of cinchophen ulcers. Chronic gastric ulcers were not produced in all of the dogs with lesions of the median eminence. These data suggest that daily administration of cinchophen produced gastric ulcers in the pyloric region through the mechanism of the median eminence.The continued supply of goldthioglucose provided by the Schering Corp, Berlin, West Germany is greatly appreciated.     

Electroclinical Studies of Seizures in the Newborn

Electroclinical features of neonatal seizures were studied in 215 neonates who developed seizures during the first three weeks of life. In 62 of them, clinical fits occurred during the actual polygraphic recording. The electro-clinical correlations were very variable, although there were some statistically significant associations between certain types of seizures and electrical discharges. The relation between seizures and sleep states was investigated in 40 infants who had more than three fits during the recording. The state in which more than 70% of seizures occurred was active sleep in 28% of the cases, quiet sleep in 13%, indeterminate sleep in 8%, and wakefulness in 8%. In 50%, seizures did not tend to occur in a given state. The authors thank Professor Suzuki for his continued interest and encouragement.     

Plasma secretin levels in total pancreatectomy and pancreaticoduodenectomy

The secretory response of plasma secretin to intrajejunal acid was measured in 11 patients who underwent total pancreatectomy and eight with pancreaticoduodenectomy. In cases of pancreaticoduodenectomy, the secretory response of plasma secretin was well maintained, but in those with total pancreatectomy there was a significantly impaired secretory response of plasma secretin. Among patients with total pancreatectomy, those with Billroth II type anastomosis showed a significantly impaired response compared with those with Billroth I type anastomosis. Thus biliary secretion is more impaired in patients with total pancreatectomy than in those with pancreaticoduodenectomy. To improve the impaired biliary secretion after total pancreatectomy, Billroth I type anastomosis for reconstruction procedure of the alimentary tract appears to be more feasible. In the case of the major pancreatectomy, much attention should be given biliary secretion and such may decrease the possibility of occurrence of ulcer at the anastomosis and improve the digestion-absorption of fat.     

Risk factors which predict pattern of recurrence after curative surgery for patients with advanced gastric cancer.

The objective of the study was to define risk factors for peritoneal dissemination and haematogenous metastasis after curative resection of patients with an advanced gastric cancer. In retrospective analyses of 405 patients, 168 died of a tumour recurrence. Patients who died of gastric cancer were more likely to have large, invasive tumours which had spread throughout the stomach, metastasized to lymph nodes, and vessel invasion by gastric cancerous cells (P < 0.01 or P < 0.05). Of the 168 deaths, 60 (35.7%) were secondary to haematogenous recurrence, 53 (31.5%) were related to peritoneal dissemination, and 19 (11.3%) were related to a local recurrence. To determine the independent risk factors related to peritoneal dissemination and haematogenous metastasis, multivariate analyses using a stepwise logistic model suggested that serosal invasion (P < 0.01, relative risk = 2.57) and Borrmann type 4 (P < 0.01, relative risk = 1.95) were the greatest risk factors for peritoneal dissemination. The presence of lymph node metastasis (P < 0.01, relative risk = 2.62) and presence of vessel invasion by cancerous cells (P < 0.05, relative risk = 1.59) were the greatest risk factors for a haematogenous metastasis.     

Cytophotometrically determined DNA content, mitotic activity, and lymph node metastasis in clinical gastric cancer

Analyses of cytophotometrically determined DNA content and mitotic rate were carried out in 37 cases of gastric carcinoma to identify biologic significance of DNA abnormalities. Lymph node metastasis was also evaluated by DNA content and mitotic rate. According to the linear regression analysis, there were statistically significant correlations of mitotic rate with DNA variants such as the peak value, the mean value, and the frequency of cells with values exceeding tetraploid or hexaploid chromosome complement. There were significantly higher values for these DNA parameters in patients with lymph node metastasis compared with those without metastasis. Similarly, higher mitotic rates were observed in tumors with metastatic disease. Thus abnormal DNA fractions appear to be indicative of tumors with a high mitotic activity. The quantitative detection of the DNA abnormalities will provide pertinent biologic information required to predict the occurrence of metastasis in patients with gastric cancer.