Effects of smoking and drinking on excretion of hippuric acid among toluene-exposed workers

Summary In order to investigate possible effects of smoking and drinking on the metabolism of toluence in occupational settings, 206 toluene-exposed men (mean age: 31.4 years) in shoemaking, painting, or surface-coating workshops together with 246 nonexposed control men (36.8 years) were studied for the time-weighted average intensities of exposure to toluene, hippuric acid concentration in shift-end urine samples, and the two social habits of smoking and drinking. The mean daily consumptions of cigarettes and ethanol were about 20 pieces and 10 g among smokers and drinkers, respectively. The geometric mean toluene concentration among the exposed subjects was about 20 ppm, with a maximum of 521 ppm. Regression analysis after classification of the subjects by smoking and drinking clearly demonstrated that the two social habits, when combined, markedly reduce the hippuric acid level in the urine of workers exposed to was a significant association between smoking and drinking habits, which hindered separate evaluation of the effects of the two habits on toluene metabolism. Comparison of the present results with the findings reported in the literature, however, suggested that the observed effects may be attributable to smoking rather than to drinking habits.     

Ultrastructural localization of adhalin in normal murine skeletal myofiber

The ultrastructural localization of adhalin and its relations to dystrophin, β-dystroglycan, and β-spectrin were studied in normal murine skeletal myofibers. The C-terminal peptides of adhalin and β-dystroglycan were synthesized based on their cDNAs, and the affinity-purified antibodies against these peptides were produced. Single-immunolabeling electron microscopy showed that the adhalin was located just inside the muscle plasma membrane or inside the myofiber a short distance from the plasma membrane. The adhalin signal was also noted at the sarcoplasmic side of plasmalemmd invaginations or at vesicular structures in subsarcolemmal areas. Double-immunogold-labeling electron microscopy disclosed a similar localization of dystrophin, β-dystroglycan, and β-spectrin. The close association of adhalin with dystrophin or β-dystroglycan was demonstrated by formation of doublets by signals of antibodies of adhalin with those of dystrophin or β-dystroglycan and was confirmed by statistical analyses. This study demonstrated that the location of adhalin is close to that of dystrophin and β-dystroglycan at the muscle plasma membrane.     

Bleeding from foveolar hyperplasia developing on a gastrointestinal stromal tumor of the stomach

A 52‐year‐old Japanese woman who presented with gastrointestinal (GI) bleeding underwent a proximal gastrectomy for a gastrointestinal stromal tumor (GIST) with a foveolar hyperplasia at the apex of the tumor, 4.5 cm in size, located in the upper body of the stomach. Although GIST are often asymptomatic and are found only incidentally, clinical symptoms such as bleeding, abdominal pain, or obstruction, occasionally lead to a premorbid diagnosis. When submucosal tumors present GI bleeding, the source of the bleeding usually is an ulceration of the mucosa over the tumor. However, in the present study, it was thought that the bleeding originated from the region of foveolar hyperplasia.     

Effect of 24-hour ureteral obstruction on subsequent ischemic damage in rat kidney

The effects of prior 24-hour ureteral obstruction on ischemic renal damage were studied in rats. Rats were divided into 6 groups with different times of ischemia (0, 60 and 90 min) and with or without 24-hour ureteral obstruction. Following a 4-week recovery period, contralateral nephrectomy was performed and the rat was sacrificed 24 h later for the determination of serum creatinine and for histologic examination of the affected kidney. A preceding ureteral obstruction for 24 h made no difference to the renal damage with 60 min of ischemia or without ischemia. However, kidneys with 90 min of ischemia and 24 h of ureteral obstruction were more damaged than those with 90 min of ischemia only. These results suggested that the hydronephrotic kidney was more susceptible to long periods of ischemia than the normal kidney.     

Effects of low-caloric diet in puerperium on prolactin, TSH estradiol and milk secretion

Ten puerperal women were put on a 1,200 kcal diet per day for 3 days followed by an ordinary 1,800 kcal diet per day for 3 days [Low-Caloric (LC) group]. Fifteen puerperal women were put on an ordinary 1,800 kcal diet per day for 6 days[Ordinary-Caloric (OC) group]. All of the women took breakfast at 7:30 am, blood was drawn at 9:30 am and then the breasts were milked for 2 minutes with an electric breast pump starting on the day of delivery (Day 0) and continuing to Day 5. Four women in the LC and OC groups underwent a thyrotropin-releasing hormone (TRH) stimulation test on Days 1 and 3. Serum prolactin (PRL) and TSH levels in the LC group tended to be much lower than those of the OC group during the test period. Serum PRL and TSH release response to TRH in the OC group were much higher than in the LC group on Days 1 and 3. No significant difference was noted between the OC and LC groups in serum estradiol (E2) and cortisol levels from Day 0 to Day 5. The milk volume in the LC group was significantly less than in the OC group on Day 1. Analysis of milk specimen components revealed little difference between the OC and LC groups. These results suggested that a low-caloric diet may suppress PRL, TSH and milk secretion and may not be useful for breast-feeding.     

A pH-sensitive microsphere system for the colon delivery of tacrolimus containing nanoparticles.

Nanoparticles (NP) are known to accumulate at the site of inflammation in inflammatory bowel disease. In order to avoid premature uptake or degradation of NP during their passage through the small intestine, it appeared necessary to devise a form of local delivery system for NP. Tacrolimus (FK506) loaded poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) NP entrapped into pH-sensitive microspheres (NPMS) were designed to achieve greater selectivity to their site of action when administered orally. The therapeutic efficacy of this drug delivery system was tested in an experimental colitis in rats. The in vitro characterization showed a successful incorporation of FK506-NP and strongly pH-sensitive release kinetics of both NP and drug. During the in vivo studies, clinical activity, colon/body weight index, and myeloperoxidase activity were determined to assess the severity of inflammation. Systemic availability of a fluorescent dye entrapped in the microspheres was measured in order to determine possible adverse effects. The NPMS as well as the controls of NP and MS formulations exhibited significant mitigating effects in the clinical activity index after 3 days of treatment with similar levels for the various therapies. When observing colon/body weight index and myeloperoxidase activity, only the NPMS group reached statistically significant differences (P<0.05) compared to the colitis control group while other groups did not (colitis control: 21.94+/-4.97; FK506 solution: 15.81+/-3.42; FK506-NP: 17.03+/-5.52; FK506-MS: 15.17+/-7.81; and FK-NPMS: 10.26+/-7.76 U/mg tissue). Moreover, the NPMS system reduced the systemic absorption of the entrapped dye compared to the dye solution or simple NP formulation (relative biovailability-solution: 100+/-14.9%; NP: 46.8+/-8.6%; and NPMS: 29.4+/-3.3%). The results suggest that the NPMS system can provide selective delivery of NP in the colon and develop a significant mitigating effect, while the control group treatments appeared to be insufficient.     

Clinical evaluation of a potassium nitrate dentifrice for the treatment of dentinal hypersensitivity

Abstract The effectiveness of a 5% potassium nitrate dentifrice as a daily home treatment for dentinal hypersensitivity was evaluated in a double-blind study in 36 Japanese subjects who complained of cold and/or tactile hypersensitivity. The subjects were divided into 2 groups, with 18 being given a 5% potassium nitrate dentifrice (treated group) and the other 18 a vehicle paste (control group). Both groups were instructed to brush their teeth 2 × a day. The hypersensitivity levels of the affected teeth were assessed by 2 stimuli, one tactile and the other cold air, and by the perception of pain. The results of all 3 assessment methods indicated that the potassium nitrate dentifrice significantly decreased the level of hypersensitivity at weeks 4, 8, and 12. In the treated group, a rapid decrease of positive scores for both the cold air stimulus and the subjective symptoms appeared from week 2. Although a significant decrease of the assessment score was also observed in the control group, the reduction rate of the score was much greater in the treated group by ail 3 assessment methods at weeks 4, 8, and 12. Complete relief of subjective symptoms throughout the 12 weeks’examination was noted in 67% of the subjects in the treated group, but in only 6% in the control group. These results suggest the usefulness of a 5% potassium nitrate dentifrice in Japanese patients with dentinal hypersensitivity.     

Hemangioma of the Prostatic Urethra: Hematospermia and Massive Postejaculation Hematuria with Clot Retention

The case of a 53-year-old man with hematospermia and massive postejaculation hematuria that caused urinary retention is described. This is the sixth case in the English and Japanese language literature. Cystourethroscopic examination revealed that a solitary raised tumor was present just distal to the vermontanum, and that bleeding was from its apex. Histologic examination of an excisional biopsy sample showed features compatible with hemangioma.     

Effects of subacute toluene exposure on neuronal and glial marker proteins in rat brain

The behavior of marker proteins of neurons (gamma-enolase) and glial cells (alpha-enolase, beta-S100 protein and creatine kinase-B) was investigated quantitatively by using enzyme immunoassay systems in toluene-exposed rat brains. Three groups of animals were exposed to toluene vapor at 300 ppm, 1000 ppm, and 3000 ppm, respectively, 8 h/day, 6 days/week, for 2 weeks. After subacute repeated solvent exposure, both neuron-specific gamma-enolase and glial marker proteins displayed an overall concentration-dependent increase tendency in separate brain regions. In cerebrum, only the 3000 ppm group showed a significant increase in alpha-enolase by 27% and creatine kinase-B (CK-B) by 26%. alpha-Enolase and gamma-enolase exhibited a pronounced elevation in cerebellum relative to other brain regions, while beta-S100 protein appeared to be the most markedly altered marker in brainstem. The development of gliosis, which is a frequent phenomenon following CNS damage, is presumed to be responsible for the elevation of glial marker content. Energy metabolism disruption in brain tissues may also bring about the compensatory oversynthesis of glycolytic enzymes such as gamma-enolase, alpha-enolase and CK-B. The dose-dependent alteration patterns following toluene exposure suggest the feasibility of using these brain specific markers to evaluate solvent-induced CNS effects.