Sequential chemotherapy with low-dose methotrexate and 5-fluorouracil in advanced gastric cancer

Sequential chemotherapy with low-dose methotrexate (30 mg/body) and 5-FU (750 mg/m2) was undertaken in 16 patients with advanced gastric cancer. Following the chemotherapy, leucovorin (30 mg/body) was injected intravenously. These treatment were repeated weekly for two to eight weeks. Out of 16 patients, two partial remissions and two minor responses were obtained. The overall response rate was 12.5%. There were no cases of renal or hematologic toxicity. The only adverse effect was nausea. We concluded therefore, that sequential chemotherapy with low-dose methotrexate and 5-FU is a useful method for advanced gastric cancer.     

Computed tomography in congenital ocular motor apraxia

Summary Unusual computed tomographic findings were observed in four patients with congenital ocular motor apraxia (COMA). These (CT) findings were characteristic in the posterior cranial fossa, with a dilated or deformed shape and size of the fourth ventricle, particularly its upper portion. One case revealed partial agenesis of the cerebellar vermis. It was suggested that the four patients subjected to CT showed abnormal topography of the cerebellar vermis or the brain stem. We postulate that these CT findings in COMA may have an important role in its pathogenesis.     

MR imaging of acute hemorrhagic brain infarction

Six patients with acute hemorrhagic brain infarct were imaged using spin-echo (SE) pulse sequences on a 1.5 Tesla MR scanner. Including two patients with repeated MR imaging, a total of eight examinations, all performed within 15 days after stroke, were analyzed retrospectively. Four patients revealed massive hemorrhages in the basal ganglia or cerebellum and three cases demonstrated multiple linear hemorrhages in the cerebral cortex. On T1-weighted images, hemorrhages were either mildly or definitely hyperintense relative to gray matter, while varied from mildly hypointense to hyperintense on T2-weighted images. T1-weighted images were superior to T2-weighted images in detection of hemorrhage. CT failed to detect hemorrhages in two of five cases: indicative of MR superiority to CT in the diagnosis of acute hemorrhagic infarcts.     

Detection of Autoantibody against 97-kD Antigen by Immunoblot,but not by Indirect Immunofluorescence,in a Patient with Linear IgA Bullous Dermatosis

A case of linear IgA bullous dermatosis in an 85-year-old man is reported. Direct immunofluorescence (IF) of the lesional skin showed linear deposition of IgA and weak deposition of IgG at the basement membrane zone. Although no circulating autoantibody was detected by indirect IF, immunoblotting analysis using NaCl-separated normal human epidermal extracts revealed a circulating IgA antibody which bound to the 97-kD antigen.     

Effects of Antiepileptic Drugs on Absence-Like and Tonic Seizures in the Spontaneously Epileptic Rat, a Double Mutant Rat

Electroencephalographic (EEG) studies were performed to examine the effects of several antiepileptic drugs (AEDS) on absence-like and tonic seizures in the spontaneously epileptic rat (SER: zi(zi), tm/tm,), a double mutant rat, which was obtained by mating the tremor heterozygous animals (tm/ +) with the zitter homozygous animals (zi/zi), and to determine whether the seizures in the SER correspond to human absence and tonic seizures. Spontaneous EEG was continuously recorded from the frontal cortex and hippocampus using implanted electrodes. The SER showed paroxysmal and synchronized 5-7-Hz spike-wave-like complexes in both cortical and hippocampal EEG during the absence-like state, which was characterized by immobility and staring. The animal also exhibited tonic convulsion without external stimulation concomitant with low-voltage fast waves on cortical and hippocampal EEG. In some animals, sporadic low-amplitude spikes appeared in the low-voltage fast waves during tonic convulsion. the absence-like seizures were inhibited by trimethadione (100 mg/kg intraperitoneally, i.p.) and ethosuximide 100 mg/kg i.p.), whereas the tonic convulsion was not affected by these drugs. In contrast, phenytoin (20 mg/kg i.p.) inhibited the tonic seizures without affecting the absence-like seizures. Phenobarbital (10 mg/kg i.p.) and valproate (200 mg/kg i.p.) inhibited both seizures to a similar degree. These results suggest that the SER, with both absence-like and tonic seizures, is a useful model for evaluation of AEDS.