Response of capsaicin pretreated skin blood vessels to exercise

Six normal men performed cycle ergometer exercise from 50 W to 125 W in a room maintained at 26 degrees C. Capsaicin was introduced by iontophoresis into the forearm skin. Forearm skin blood flow (FSBF) during graded exercises before and after capsaicin treatment was measured by laser Doppler flowmetry. Forearm skin blood flow before capsaicin treatment increased depending on the intensity of exercise. However, forearm skin blood flow 24 hours after capsaicin treatment scarcely increased during graded exercise. The cause of this capsaicin effect was discussed.     

Restriction fragment length polymorphism analysis to study the genetic origin of complete hydatidiform mole.

To determine the genetic origin of the complete hydatidiform mole, 20 abnormal pregnancies were studied with restriction fragment length polymorphism with five genomic probes: EJ 6.6, beta-globin gene, 3'alpha-hypervariable region, J-Bir, and St14. In the 12 cases of molar pregnancy, pure paternal origin was proved in 11 cases, but both maternal and paternal inheritance were shown in only one case. In the cases with pure paternal origin, all of the restriction fragment length polymorphisms were homozygous, although those of the fathers were heterozygous at 15 loci. In the four cases that mimicked hydatidiform mole but were diagnosed as hydropic change of villi, both paternal and maternal inheritance were noted. In the four pregnancies with blighted ovum, both paternal and maternal inheritance were shown in three cases; and in one case with a balanced translocation between chromosomes 13 and 14, only paternal inheritance was noted. This study showed that most of the complete hydatidiform moles were caused by fertilization of an empty egg by a duplicated haploid sperm, but rare exceptions may exist.     

局限缺血－再灌注心肌细胞内钙超负荷发生机制的探讨

本文通过犬急性心肌缺血－再灌注模型探讨缺血－再灌注心肌Ｃａ２＋超负荷的发生机制。当心肌持续缺血１５０ｍｉｎ，心肌细胞内Ｃａ２＋、Ｎａ＋增加、Ｋ＋降低；心肌细胞膜Ｎａ＋－Ｋ＋－ＡＴＰａｓｅ、Ｃａ２＋－ＡＴＰａｓｅ活性降低，心肌组织丙二醛（ＭＤＡ）含量增加．而心肌缺血９０ｍｉｎ后，再灌注６０ｍｉｎ，与之比较细胞内Ｃａ２＋明显增加，伴Ｎａ＋升高、Ｋ＋降低，心肌细胞膜Ｎａ＋－Ｋ＋－ＡＴＰａｓｅ、Ｃａ２＋－ＡＴＰａｓｅ活性降低，ＭＤＡ含量增加，说明缺血－再灌注过程中Ｎａ＋升高、Ｎａ＋－Ｃａ２＋交换增加，Ｃａ２＋－ＡＴＰａｓｅ活性降低是细胞内Ｃａ２＋超负荷发生的重要原因。     

The relation between upper respiratory tract infection and mild hypoxemia during general anesthesia in children]

Anesthesiologists often face the problem of a child with symptoms of an acute upper respiratory infection (URI) presenting for surgery. Anesthesia in the presence of uncomplicated URI may not be contraindicated. However, we experienced three cases of such children in which lung atelectasis developed after the induction of general anesthesia. Because continuous monitoring of arterial oxygen saturation by pulse oximetry (SpO2) was useful for detecting mild hypoxemia in these patients, we retrospectively examined the possible association between URI symptoms and SpO2 in 63 children. Patients with symptoms of URI showed a significantly high incidence of decreased SpO2 to below 95% for 5 minutes. Our results suggest that, with URI symptoms even uncomplicated, symptomatic patients have increased risks for the development of mild hypoxemia during anesthesia.     

Induction of metallothionein synthesis by menadione or carbon tetrachloride is independent of free radical production.

The relationship between induction of hepatic metallothionein (MT) synthesis and lipid peroxidation by free radical production following an injection of menadione or carbon tetrachloride (CCl4) in mice was studied. The hepatic concentration of MT was increased by menadione significantly at 25 mg/kg or higher. A significant increase in thiobarbituric acid (TBA) value, indicative of lipid peroxidation, was observed in the liver at menadione doses of 62.5 mg/kg or higher. Both the MT and the TBA value in the liver were significantly increased at the low dose of CCl4. The concentration of MT was increased significantly 4-8 hr after administrations of these compounds. The increase of TBA value over time was similar to that of MT concentration after administration of CCl4, but not after administration of menadione. The MT concentration in the menadione group was higher than that in the CCl4 group, and the TBA level in the menadione group was lower than that in the CCl4 group. Pretreatment with vitamin E caused a significant reduction in the TBA value, but did not affect the MT level in the liver. The concentration of MT did not significantly correlate with the TBA value in either the menadione or the CCl4 group. Pretreatment with phenobarbital, which promotes free radical production, did not influence induction of MT synthesis following an injection of menadione or CCl4. Neither L-buthionine sulfoximine nor 2-cyclo-hexen-1-one, which decreases hepatic glutathione, influenced the induction of MT by menadione. These data suggest that induction of MT synthesis by menadione or CCl4 is independent of free radical production in the liver.     

Two cases of leiomyoma of the kidney]

Renal leiomyomas large enough to be clinically diagnosed are extremely rare. We review 30 cases of clinically diagnosed renal leiomyoma from the literature in Japan, including our 2 new cases. Case 1: In a 52-year-old man with no symptoms a renal mass was found accidentally on an ultrasonogram. CT scan showed a mass with a cystic area at the upper pole of the right kidney. Angiogram showed a hypovascular mass. Case 2: CT scan revealed a cystic mass and angiogram showed an avascular mass at the upper pole of the left kidney in a 19-year-old man having gross hematuria and left flank pain. Transperitoneal nephrectomy was done in both cases. Histologically each tumor was composed of monotonous proliferation of spindle shaped cells without atypia, which showed intense immunoreactivity for alpha-smooth muscle actin. The diagnosis of benign leiomyoma was made in each case. In a review of 30 cases, we found that renal leiomyomas occur most often in female (77%), between decades 2 and 5 of life (median: 46 years). On the angiogram it appears most often as an avascular or hypovascular mass. CT scan shows cystic or mixed solid/cystic or solid lesion, occasionally with calcification. Preoperative diagnosis is extremely difficult to be made. Histologically, fibroma, angiomyolipoma, congenital mesoblastic nephroma and leiomyosarcoma should be differentiated.     

Spinal epidural stimulation for central pain caused by spinal cord lesion]

Epidural spinal cord stimulation was carried out in 4 patients with denervation caused by spinal cord lesion, and we reviewed previously reported cases. Initial result showed at 1 week in 100% of our cases, but about 1/3 of the cases, even those with the same denervation caused by spinal cord lesion, had no pain relief at this stage in previously reported cases. In our cases, excellent pain relief was gained temporarily, even though the painful area and the spinal cord lesion were separated somatotopically in 2 cases (case 3, 4). Temporary success bore no relationship to quality and duration of pain. In all cases except case 1, a rapidly decreasing effectiveness was noted, and finally no pain relief was gained at all after 4, 3 and 5 months, respectively. In case 1 there was persistent pain relief estimated at 70-80% after 19 months, only when the spinal cord was stimulated. Epidural stimulation also produced sensations in the painful area. Spinal cord stimulation would suppress at least the dorsal horn neurons which were destroyed by various kinds of diseases. A decline in effectiveness with time would occur due to essential causes of the deafferentation pain, such as anatomical and regeneration factors.     

Molluscum contagiosum occurring in an epidermal cyst--report of 3 cases.

We present three unusual cases of molluscum contagiosum occurring in epidermal cysts. All of them are asymptomatic, elevated, oval nodules diagnosed clinically as epidermal inclusion cyst or prurigo nodularis. Histology showed true epidermal cysts containing molluscum bodies throughout the cyst wall and some type of laminated material within the cyst itself. The lesion, in all three cases developed in the pubic area of young adult men.