EFFECTS OF ACUTE SUPERIOR CERVICAL GANGLIONECTOMY ON CEREBRAL BLOOD FLOW AND METABOLISM IN STROKE-PRONE SPONTANEOUSLY HYPERTENSIVE RATS SUBJECTED TO CEREBRAL ISCHAEMIA

1. The effects of acute bilateral superior cervical ganglionectomy on cerebral blood flow and metabolism were investigated in stroke-prone spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHRsp), before and during cerebral ischaemia. 2. The resting cerebral blood flow was comparable between the control and denervated animals. 3. There was no significant difference in cerebral blood flow or concentration of tissue energy metabolites (adenosine triphosphate [ATP], lactate and pyruvate) between the sham-operated control and denervated animals during ischaemia. 4. The results suggest that sympathetic innervation of cerebral vessels originating from superior cervical ganglia may not play a major role in the progression of cerebral ischaemia in SHRsp.     

Virtual endoscopic images by 3D FASE cisternography for neurovascular compression.

Three-dimensional fast asymmetric spin echo (3D FASE) cisternography provides high spatial resolution and excellent contrast as a water image acquisition technique. It is also useful for the evaluation of various anatomical regions. This study investigated the usefulness and limitations of virtual endoscopic images obtained by 3D FASE MR cisternography in the preoperative evaluation of patients with neurovascular compression. The study included 12 patients with neurovascular compression: 10 with hemifacial spasm and two with trigeminal neuralgia. The diagnosis was surgically confirmed in all patients. The virtual endoscopic images obtained were judged to be of acceptable quality for interpretation in all cases. The areas of compression identified in preoperative diagnosis with virtual endoscopic images showed good agreement with those observed from surgery, except in one case in which the common trunk of the anterior inferior cerebellar artery and posterior inferior cerebellar artery (AICA-PICA) bifurcated near the root exit zone of the facial nerve. The veins are displayed in some cases but not in others. The main advantage of generating virtual endoscopic images is that such images can be used for surgical simulation, allowing the neurosurgeon to perform surgical procedures with greater confidence.     

Cytotoxicities of sodium benzoate in primary culture of hepatocytes from adult rat liver

The cytotoxicities of sodium benzoate was studied using primary culture of hepatocytes established from adult rat liver by a collagenase perfusion technique and maintained as a monolayer in serum-free culture medium. The activities of ornithine transcarbamylase (as a marker of mitochondria) and tyrosine aminotransferase (as a marker of cytosol) were clearly suppressed by sodium benzoate at concentration in excess of 500 micrograms/ml. Intracellular protein synthesis and DNA synthesis were also suppressed, and the suppression of DNA synthesis was observed even with a lower concentration of benzoate (100 micrograms/ml).     

Antibody dependent cell mediated cytotoxicity on human cervical carcinoma cell line, ME-180, with human monoclonal antibody.

A human monoclonal antibody (MCA), CLN-IgG, showed cytotoxic effect in vitro against the cervical carcinoma cell line, ME-180, by antibody dependent cell-mediated cytotoxicity (ADCC). To determine which fractions of cells in peripheral blood lymphocyte (PBL) mediate ADCC, PBL were separated with nylon wool column and sheep red blood cells (SRBC). Both adherent cells (monocyte) and non-T, non-B cells showed cytotoxicity by ADCC. Human non-T, non-B cells showed higher cytotoxic activity against ME-180 cells than monocytes. Furthermore murine effector cells were less effective in ADCC than human effector cells with human MCA.     

Benign osteoblastoma of the temporal bone.

We report a case of benign osteoblastoma arising in the temporal bone of a 28-year-old woman. Plain radiography showed a mass with an amorphous calcified matrix and a thin radiolucent marginal zone. CT and MR imaging were useful in delineating the extent of the tumor, and angiography showed its hypervascularity. Preoperative transarterial embolization was effective in reducing bleeding during surgery.     

Prognostic value of blood glucose in patients with cardiogenic shock.

BACKGROUND: Although an elevated blood glucose has prognostic value in cardiovascular disease, few data are available regarding its prognostic value for patients across the spectrum of cardiogenic shock. METHOD AND RESULTS: A total of 81 patients with cardiogenic shock whose blood glucose and adrenaline were measured on arrival at the emergency room (ER) were enrolled in this prospective study. The primary endpoint was death from any cause in hospital. The rate of death was 12.3% (10/81), and the glucose level was lower among patients who were discharged alive than among those who died (8.7+/-3.7 mmol/L vs 13.8+/-6.7 mmol/L, p<0.001). The unadjusted rate of death increased in a stepwise fashion among patients in increasing quartiles of glucose level (p<0.05). The blood glucose level of 9.2 mmol/L had the highest combined sensitivity and specificity for the identification of death. In the multiple logistic-regression analysis for the primary outcome, the adjusted odd ratio for a glucose level of 9.2 mmol/L or more was 5.8 (95% confidence interval, 1.0-32.8, p=0.047). There was a significant positive correlation between the glucose and adrenaline levels (R=0.726, p<0.0001). CONCLUSION: The measurement of blood glucose level on ER arrival provides predictive information for use in risk stratification across the spectrum of cardiac emergencies complicated by cardiogenic shock.     

Different roles of flocculus and ventral paraflocculus for oculomotor control in the primate.

Responses of Purkinje cells were compared in the monkey flocculus and ventral paraflocculus. During vestibuloocular reflex (VOR) eye movements, flocculus Purkinje cells exhibited simple spike modulation related to head velocity, while ventral paraflocculus Purkinje cells exhibited modulation with no such head velocity preference. During smooth tracking of a sinusoidally moving small target, ventral paraflocculus Purkinje cells exhibited simple spike modulation related to target velocity or position, while the flocculus Purkinje cells exhibited a smaller modulation with no such target preference. Visual suppression of the VOR enhanced the simple spike responses in the ventral paraflocculus, but not in the flocculus. These results suggest that the primate flocculus and the ventral paraflocculus control differentially VOR and smooth pursuit eye movements, respectively.     

Fecal stream is essential for adaptive induction of glucose-coupled sodium transport in the remnant ileum after total proctocolectomy

Our previous studies demonstrated that sodium glucose cotransporter 1 (SGLT-1) was induced in the remnant ileum of total colectomized rats via the action of factors other than hyperaldosteronism. The aim of the present study was to clarify whether fecal stream is required for the enhancement of SGLT-1-mediated sodium transport. Twenty-seven pairs of ileal tissues were obtained from the proximal and distal side, respectively, of loop ileostomy after total proctocolectomy. Mucosae were mounted in an Ussing chamber to evaluate glucose-coupled sodium transport. Levels of SGLT-1 mRNA in proximal and distal mucosae were compared by Northern blotting. Villous height and crypt depth were measured to test for correlations between mucosal structure and SGLT-1-mediated sodium transport or mRNA expression levels. Both glucose-coupled sodium transport and expression of SGLT-1 mRNA were significantly lower in distal mucosae relative to proximal mucosae. In distal mucosae, villous height, but not crypt depth, was significantly lower than in proximal mucosae, demonstrating a positive correlation between villous height and SGLT-1 function and expression. Comparative studies of proximal and distal mucosae demonstrated that in addition to hormonal changes, fecal stream is required for full induction of the sodium transport system (which includes SGLT-1-mediated transport) in the remnant ileum following total proctocolectomy. Presented in part at the Forty-Sixth Annual Meeting of The Society for Surgery of the Alimentary Tract, Chicago, Illinois, May 14–19, 2005 (poster presentation). This work was supported by Grants-in-Aid for Scientific Research 10557118 and 14657295 from the Ministry of Education, Science and Culture of Japan to K. Fukushima, and by Kanae Foundation to K. Fukushima.