Neuritogenesis of herbal (+)- and (-)-syringaresinols separated by chiral HPLC in PC12h and Neuro2a cells

Syringaresinol isolated from Epimedium koreanum NAKA1 and Magnolia officinalis REHD. et WILS. was subjected to optical resolution by chiral HPLC to give (+)- and (-)-enantiomers. The two syringaresinol enantiomers, as well as a mixture of their glucosides, showed dose-dependent neuritogenesis in a concentration range from 0.24 to 24 microM in PC12h cells.     

A case of cardiac arrest at induction of anesthesia for postpartum hysterectomy

Although peripartum cardiac arrest is rare, the prognosis of the event may be worse than in nonpregnant patients because the events is often associated with pulmonary or amniotic embolisms. The following report is a case of cardiac arrest which occurred at the induction of anesthesia for the postpartum hysterectomy. A 31-year-old woman was treated with infusion of ritodrine chloride for preterm labor and placenta previa. Elective cesarean section was performed at 37 weeks' gestation for her delivery under epidural anesthesia. Following the operation, the total hysterectomy was scheduled due to the continuous massive bleeding. She rapidly developed ventricular tachycardia, following trachea intubation with propofol and suxamethonium. Since she was not resuscitated with cardiac massage, we started intravenous epinephrine, electronic cardioversion, the percutaneous cardiopulmonary support and intra-aortic balloon pumping with epinephrine and dopamine infusions leading to a successfully outcome. In this case, we believe that the combination of propofol and suxamethonium had the most impact on producing the cardiac arrest. Therefore, the case emphasizes the potential danger of using these combination for patients who have been treated with ritodrine.     

A case of postoperative palsy of the brachial plexus and facial nerve caused by use of cervical collar during lung surgery

We report a case of palsy of the brachial plexus and facial nerve manifested after surgery for lung cancer in a 77-year-old female who also had a retroodontoid pseudotumor. Lobectomy was conducted with the patient in a left lateral position. For the purpose of cervical stabilization, the orthopedic surgeon recommended the use of a cervical collar. During the operation, both of her arms were abducted at nearly 80 degrees. On the second postoperative day, the patient complained of sensory disturbances in the lateral area of her left brachium and forearm, which are innervated by the 5th and 6th cervical spinal nerves from the brachial plexus. She also complained that she could not abduct and flex her left shoulder, and could not flex her left elbow at all. Simultaneously, facial nerve palsy was observed in her left lower lip. During the operation, her shoulders were forcibly rotated internally and were extremely abducted, resulting in a narrowed distance between the lower jaw and the shoulder and stretching of the brachial plexus. Under this situation, the cervical collar was pressing strongly upon her neck and lower jaw, which might have produced the brachial plexus complication and facial nerve palsy.     

Structural quantification in osteoarthritis of the knee using power spectral analysis

An exact diagnosis of osteoarthritis is very important to prevent deterioration of ADL (activities of daily living) of the elderly. However, it is very difficult to diagnose the stage of osteoarthritis, and only a few indices for structural quantification of osteoarthritis have been reported. The purpose of this research is to investigate a new index for the bone structure in osteoarthritis. We examined right knees of 41 women aged from 34 to 85 years. Directivity index (DI) is a new index of bone structure calculated by directivity of the power spectrum from radiographs of tibial bone using fast Fourier transform (FFT). DI was obtained by subtracting the integral power value at 0 and 90 degree directions on the x-y plane of the two-dimensional power spectrum of tibial bone from the integral power value at a direction of 45 degrees. A significant relationship between the state of the knee joint by X-ray inspection and DI was indicated by evaluation of the correlation coefficient. However, no significant relationship was found between the state of the knee joint by X-ray inspection and the first moment of the Fourier power spectrum or the fractal dimension. There is a possibility that DI can estimate slight deformation of bone structure in osteoarthritis. In the future, we will apply DI to the prevention of osteoarthritis and a deterioration of ADL in the elderly.     

Prominent matched hypoperfusion in an intact cerebellum after a solitary middle cerebellar peduncle infarct

We examined the cerebellar metabolism of a 61-year-old man with a small infarct in the left middle cerebellar peduncle and an intact cerebellum. Positron emission tomographic images obtained 28 days after onset showed prominent hypoperfusion and hypometabolism (almost 50% below the normal level) in the left cerebellar hemisphere. This case report shows that neural deafferentation may cause prominent hypometabolism without morphologic changes in the cerebellum. An arrest in synaptic activity may be the most important factor for the adaptive decrease in oxygen metabolism seen in ischemic brain.     

Mutational analysis of the synapsin III gene on chromosome 22q12-q13 in schizophrenia

Synapsins are a family of neuron-specific, synaptic vesicle-associated phosphoproteins that have been implicated in the modulation of neurotransmitter release. Synapsins are coded by three distinct genes for synapsin I. II, and III. The synapsin III gene is located on human chromosome 22q12-q13, where a possible schizophrenia susceptibility locus is located. Using the single strand conformation polymorphism method, we searched for variants in 13 exons and the 5'-flanking region of the synapsin III gene in schizophrenia. Three polymorphisms, -631C/G, -271T/C, and E525Q, and one rare variant, -669C >A, were identified. Case-control comparisons of these polymorphisms revealed no significant differences in the allelic and genotypic distributions between schizophrenic and control subjects. The present study did not provide evidence for an association between the synapsin III gene and schizophrenia.     

Changes in left ventricular end-diastolic area, end-systolic wall stress, and fractional area change during anesthetic induction with propofol or thiamylal

Purpose. To elucidate the mechanisms of the more profound hypotensive effects of propofol relative to thiamylal, we monitored changes in left ventricular (LV) preload, afterload, and contractility during the course of anesthetic induction with propofol and thiamylal. Methods. Thirty-two patients (ASA I) were randomly assigned into two groups and injected with propofol (2 mg·kg⁻¹) or thiamylal (4 mg·kg⁻¹) as anesthetic induction agents. Transthoracic echocardiography (TTE) was used to assess LV performance before and during induction by the two anesthetics. The LV end-diastolic area (EDA) and LV end-systolic wall stress (ESWS) were used as indices of LV preload and LV afterload, respectively, while LV contractility was assessed by the fractional area change (FAC). Results. Both propofol and thiamylal significantly reduced EDA and ESWS without significant change in FAC. Propofol-induced reductions in EDA and ESWS were significantly greater than those of thiamylal. Conclusion. The more profound hypotension observed during induction of anesthesia with propofol is due to the greater decrease in preload and afterload than with thiamylal, but not to a decrease in LV contractility. Received: December 8, 1999 / Accepted: April 19, 2000     

Blood-pool scintigraphic diagnosis of fractured lumbar vertebral hemangioma

A 57-year-old woman complained of lumbago of 1 year’s duration. Radiographs showed a compression fracture of the third lumbar vertebra. CT and MR images revealed an enhancing mass confined to the vertebral body suggestive of a malignant process. A blood-pool scintigram with ^99mTc-human serum albumin combined with DTPA (HSA-D) revealed marked accumulation. This strongly suggested a hemangioma, which was confirmed by biopsy. Received: 26 October 2000 Revision requested: 21 November 2000 Revision received: 23 December 2000 Accepted: 28 December     

A new human malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumour-cell line, HS-sch-2, harbouring p53 point mutation

Only a few human malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumour (MPNST)-cell lines have been reported, and their characteristics have not been fully established. In this study, we established a new human cell line, HS-Sch-2, from an MPNST of the ordinary type which arose in a 54-year-old woman without von Recklinghausen's disease. This cell line was characterized by chromosome analysis, immunohistochemistry, ultrastructural examination, and direct sequencing of the p53 gene. The HS-Sch-2 cells have grown for more than 48 months in vitro, and exhibited hypotriploid karyotypes with complex chromosome abnormalities lacking a specific pattern. Histological features of the heterotranplanted nude mouse tumours were essentially the same as those of the original MPNST, with positive reactions for S-100 protein and neuron-specific enolase but not for epithelial membrane antigen, fibronectin or CD34. Ultrastructural examination in vivo revealed intricate interdigitation of long cytoplasmic processes and basal lamina-like structures. In addition, direct sequencing of the p53 gene detected a point mutation from CGT to CAT at codon 273 in exon 8. This HS-Sch-2 cell line, which exhibits distinctive morphological characteristics of MPNST and a p53 point mutation, will be useful for biological and pathological investigations of MPNST.