Endoscopic Mucosal Resection (EMR) of Early Gastric Cancer

Abstract: We conducted this study to clarify the effectiveness of aspiration endoscopic mucosal resection (EMR) using a cap-fitted scope for early gastric cancer in the C and M regions of the stomach. EMR was performed in 111 early gastric cancer patients with 123 lesions in the C and M regions. The patients were divided into three groups. The EMR-1CS group consisted of patients who had undergone EMR with a one-channeled scope, the EMR-2CS group those who had received EMR in which a two-channeled scope was utilized. The EMRC group consisted of patients who had undergone aspiration EMR with a cap-fitted scope. The rate of complete resection improved to a statistically significant degree in the EMRC group in comparison with that in the EMR-1CS group. In type lie, a statistically significant improvement was achieved in the EMRC group in comparison with the EMR-2CS group. In the M region or in lesions 10 mm or less in diameter, the rate of complete resection improved in the EMRC group as compared with that in the EMR-2CS group. Our results suggest that EMRC is useful for lesions of early gastric cancer in the C and M regions.     

Intestinal Absorption of Stable Cyclic Dipeptides by the Oligopeptide Transporter in Rat

Intestinal absorption of four cyclic dipeptides was studied in the everted small intestine of the rat. Cyclic seryltyrosine (cyclo(Ser-Tyr)) was stable enough to be transported whereas linear seryltyrosine was not. The absorption clearance of cyclo(Ser-Tyr) was concentration-dependent, and for cyclo(Ser-Tyr) at 125 μM decreased in the presence of glycylsarcosine (10 mM) or cephalexin (10 mM), which were reported to be absorbed by oligopeptide transporter. The absorption clearance was also reduced at 4°C and in the presence of 1 mM dinitrophenol. Kinetic analysis of cyclo(Ser-Tyr) absorption showed that K_m and V_max were 19.8 μM and 0.295 nmol min^?1 cm^?1, respectively. It was also suggested that cyclic aspartylphenylalanine and cyclic histidylphenylalanine were absorbed by oligopeptide transporters, but cyclic histidylproline was not. The absorption clearance of cyclo(Ser-Tyr) in the control was much higher than the value of the correlation line representing a plot of passive transport (which was obtained from the absorption clearance of cyclic peptides in the presence of glycylsarcosine (10 mM)) against hydrophobicity (oil-water partition coefficient). These results indicate that cyclo(Ser-Tyr) is absorbed by the oligopeptide transporter.     

Inhibition of Nifedipine Metabolism in Dogs by Erythromycin: Difference between the Gut Wall and the Liver

The purpose of this study was to evaluate possible interaction of nifedipine with erythromycin or rokitamycin in the intestinal mucosa. Male beagle dogs were orally administered nifedipine (10 mg), with or without oral pre-medication with erythromycin (300 mg), and 300 mg erythromycin or rokitamycin twice a day for 3 days. The experiments were of randomized cross-over design with a two-week wash-out period between dosing regimens. Erythromycin pre-medication for 3 days resulted in a significant increase in the area under the serum nifedipine concentration-time curve (AUC), whereas the curve for one nifedipine metabolite (M-2) decreased significantly. When the effects of erythromycin on the metabolism of nifedipine were studied using dog liver microsomes it was found that erythromycin significantly inhibited formation of M-2 but not of the metabolite M-1. These results indicate that formation of M-2 from M-1 in the liver might be reduced by erythromycin premedication. To avoid possible metabolism in the gut, the dogs were then administered 8 mg nifedipine into the peritoneal cavity, with or without multiple dose pre-treatment with erythromycin for 3 days. After intraperitoneal administration of nifedipine, the maximum concentration (C_max) of nifedipine increased significantly. After pre-administration of erythromycin the relative bioavailability of nifedipine after oral administration was increased compared with injection into the peritoneal cavity. In-vitro study using rat intestinal microsomes and the in-vivo rat intestinal loop technique also showed that pre-administration of erythromycin inhibits nifedipine metabolism in the small intestine.     

Effects of turpentine oil pretreatment on β-blocker pharmacokinetic parameters in rats

Abstract— Turpentine oil treatment (0·2 mL kg^?1, s.c.) was used to increase the plasma concentration of α₁-acid glycoprotein (0·13 mg mL^?1 in control rats) to 1·72 mg mL^?1 after 2 days, and allow assessment of its effects on the pharmacokinetics and stereoselective binding of three β-blockers. Racemates (5 mg kg^?1) were administered intravenously to control and turpentine oil-pretreated rats and the plasma concentrations were determined up to 90 min. Stereoselective analysis showed the apparent distribution volume and the area under plasma concentration-time curves (AUC) of R-(+)-propranolol to be, respectively, one-quarter and twice those of the S-(–)-enantiomer and differences in pharmacokinetic parameters between the two were magnified by turpentine oil pretreatment. Pharmacokinetic parameters of oxprenolol enantiomers were essentially similar for the controls but after turpentine oil pretreatment, a higher affinity of the R-(+)-enantiomer for plasma was observed. Acebutolol enantiomers behaved non-stereospecifically throughout. These results were consistent with predictions from the in-vitro stereospecific binding properties of these agents to purified rat α₁-acid glycoprotein.     

Chromophobe cell renal carcinoma with acquired cystic disease of the kidney in a long-term hemodialysis patient

We report a rare case of chromophobe cell renal carcinoma found in a 52-year-old female who had received hemodialysis therapy for 13 years. She was diagnosed as having a left renal tumor 7.5 cm in diameter with acquired cystic disease of the kidney (ACDK) by ultrasonographic examination during periodical systemic screening. As abdominal computed tomography scanning and enhanced color Doppler ultrasonography suspected that the hypervascular tumor was renal cell carcinoma, she underwent translumbar nephrectomy in July 2000. The histopathological diagnosis was chromophobe cell carcinoma with pT2 and grade 2 malignancy. Chromophobe cell carcinoma is uncommon among renal tumors with ACDK found in long-term hemodialysis patients.     

Reliability of the Japanese version of the Inventory to Diagnose Depression

Abstract The reliability of the Japanese version of the Inventory to Diagnose Depression (IDD) which is a self-report to diagnose major depressive disorders (MDD) of DSM-III-R, was investigated in 30 cases with MDD and 30 control subjects. On test-retest reliability, the agreement of diagnostic performance was substantial ( K = 0.64, P < 0.001) for 60 subjects, and scores of total and individual items correlated significantly ( P < 0.001) between test and retest except for decreased energy, decreased interest, and decreased concentration. The average score of the total IDD severity at test (38.4) was significantly higher than that at retest (28.0; P < 0.01). However, excluding the recovered 10 cases, there was no significant difference seen on the average total score between test and retest (38.8, 30.1, respectively). Internal consistency (Cronbach's a = 0.80) and split-half reliability (0.79) were sufficient, and item-total correlations of the IDD were significant ( P < 0.01) except for weight gain. The IDD might be useful as a screening tool and for clinical evaluation of subjects in Japan; however, it is necessary to examine the validity of this instrument.     

Cavum septum pellucidum in schizophrenia: A magnetic resonance imaging study

Abstract In order to determine if cavum septum pellucidum (CSP) is more prevalent in schizophrenic patients, we studied 72 Japanese patients who fulfilled the DSM-III-R criteria for schizophrenia and 41 normal controls. Sagittal, 1 mm thick magnetic resonance imaging slices of the entire cranium were obtained using a gradient-echo pulse sequence, and coronal and axial images were reconstructed for assessment. A CSP was observed in 34 patients (47.2%) and in 16 controls (38.0%). Although the CSP appeared to be more prevalent in schizophrenic patients, this difference was not statistically significant. However, schizophrenic patients with a history of long-term institutionalization had a higher incidence of CSP compared with patients who had not been admitted to hospital for more than 3 years (68.2 vs 38.0%). These results suggest that the CSP may be a pathophysiology that characterizes schizophrenic patients with poor prognoses.     

Splenogonadal fusion: Case report and review of published works

Splenogonadal fusion is a rare congenital anomaly. We report herein a case of splenogonadal fusion associated with contra lateral testicular aplasia, and review the etiology, pathogenesis and management of this rare disease. As far as we know, this is the first reported case of splenogonadal fusion associated with testicular aplasia.