Cluster like headache in a patient with the Maffucci's syndrome]

Maffucci's syndrome is a rare congenital, nonhereditary mesodermal dysplasia characterized by soft tissue hemangiomas and multiple enchondromas. A 52 years old man was diagnosised as Maffucci's syndrome in his childhood. He complained of mild paraesthesia which gradually progressed to intolerable pain lasting one to two houres with rhinorrhea (cluster like headache). Magnetic resonance imaging showed a pituitary adenoma which invaded into right cavernous sinus. Serum hormone level was almost normal, therefore we diagnosed nonfunctional pituitary adenoma. The pharmacological preventive treatments for headache, such as loxoprofen, sumatriptan, lomerizine had no effect. On the other hand, verapamil showed moderate improvement of his headache, then the symptons was gradually getting better and finally he felt no pain. This case demonstrated occurence mechanism of cluster headache and preventive effect of verapamil associated with cavernous sinus.     

Effect of recombinant human granulocyte colony stimulating factor (rhG-CSF) in patients receiving chemotherapy--phase I study

Seventeen patients with advanced malignancy were treated with recombinant human granulocyte colony stimulating factor rhG-CSF (KRN 8601) infused intravenously over a period of 30 minutes once daily at the dose level/25 micrograms, 50 micrograms, 100 micrograms, 200 micrograms, 400 micrograms, 800 micrograms/m2 for 14 consecutive days, and the effect was compared to the period without rhG-CSF treatment. The maximum numbers of peripheral leukocyte (granulocyte) showed a dose-related increase and the nadir of leukocyte counts escalated with shortening of the period. After stopping infusion, the neutrophil count dropped to the base line level within two or three days. RhG-CSF did not affect other components of peripheral blood such as monocyte, lymphocyte, eosinophil, and hemoglobin value and platelet counts. Transient bone pain occurred in two patients receiving a dose of 800 micrograms/m2. The biochemical changes detected were increased total alkaline phosphatase activity in serum, which appeared in parallel with the increase of neutrophil numbers, and less elevation of total uric acid values. We conclude that an optimal dose of rhG-CSF is 100 micrograms/m2 (average maximum peripheral granulocyte count, 10799/microliters; nadir granulocyte count, 3772/microliters; period of neutropenia, 2.6 days), and rhG-CSF is useful for acceleration of neutrophil recovery and prevention of infection from chemotherapy.     

Antitumor Properties of Phenothiazines

The purpose of this review is to describe and evaluate the antineoplastic properties of phenothiazines. The present research studies suggest that many phenothiazines do not show significant antitumor and antineoplastic activity and so they cannot be used as potential drugs to treat cancer. However some of their derivatives help indirectly in decreasing cytotoxic effects caused by radiation and other chemical carcinogens. Additionally, some phenothiazine derivatives provide protection against cancers caused by metabolic activation of carcinogens such as dimethylbenzanthracene. The selective accumulation of phenothiazine derivatives in certain tissues such as brain and melanoma tumors may provide an effective treatment of such tumors. Current studies suggest that highly potent phenothiazine derivatives can be made by nitro substitution on the aromatic ring of phenothiazines.     

Immunohistochemical demonstration of neurotensin in striatal neurons of the cat, with particular reference to coexistence with enkephalin

Neurotensin-like immunoreactivity (NT-LI) was visualized in medium-sized, spiny neurons of the caudate nucleus (Cd) and putamen (Put) in colchicine-treated cats by the immunoperoxidase method. In serial sections alternately immunostained for NT and enkephalin (Enk), coexistence of NT-LI and Enk-LI was revealed in about 50% of NT-neurons and about 50% of Enk-neurons in Cd and Put.     

differential expression of serotonin and [met]enkephalin-Arg-Gly-Leu in neurons of the rat brain stem

The hypothesis that serotonin (5-HT) and [Met]enkephalin-Arg⁶-Gly⁷-Leu⁸ (MEAGL) coexist in the rat brain stem raphe nuclei was tested by a technique combining histofluorescence with immunocytochemistry, after treatment with colchicine and nialamide. In midbrain and pons serotonergic cell groups (B5-B9), no coexistence of 5-HT and MEAGL was detected. In serotonergic cell groups of the medulla oblongata (B1-B3), only 0.3–1.5% of 5-HT-fuorescent cells were MEAGL-immunoreactive. These findings suggest that putative 5-HT and MEAGL are mostly expressed in different populations of neurons in the rat raphe nuclei.     

Progressive activity in latent prostate carcinoma defined by argyrophilic staining of the nucleolar organizer regions (AgNOR)

Argyrophilic staining of the nucleolar organizer regions (AgNOR) was studied in 30 cases of benign prostatic hyperplasias (BPH), 17 cases of latent prostate carcinomas, 50 cases of clinical carcinomas and seven cases of metastatic lesions from prostate carcinomas. The criteria for these comparisons were the number of positive-staining dots per nucleus, the area of the dots, and a relative score determined by multiplying the number of positive-staining dots in the nuclei by the areas of the dots. Overall, there were no significant differences in these three parameters between BPH and latent carcinomas. Among latent carcinomas, however, significantly higher AgNOR scores were observed for infiltrative lesions than for non-infiltrative lesions. AgNOR dot number, area and score increased as tumors became less differentiated, with no significant differences detected in metastatic versus non-metastatic carcinomas. These results suggest that some latent tumors are similar in biological behavior, such as cell proliferation, to clinical carcinoma.     

Radiographic findings of the so-called globulomaxillary cyst

In definite diagnosis of this cyst, it is deemed that a comprehensive diagnosis is required including operative findings upon its extraction and the pathohistological findings of the extracted matter in addition to the radiographic and clinical findings, such as one that the region of development is between the maxillary lateral incisor and the cuspid, one that the adjacent teeth are vital ones, etc. Thus, we examined 10 cases that we had defined as the subjects of so-called Globulomaxillary cyst by clinical and pathohistological findings in terms of the developmental region, size, border, etc. As a result, the following things turned out: 1. The median positions of cystic development existed 8 cases in left side and 2 cases in right side out of 10 cases. And this median positions could be divided into those between the central incisor and the lateral incisor (5 cases) and those between the lateral incisor and the cuspid (5 cases). 2. The pathohistological findings led to the following classification; 2 cases with no inflammation, 5 cases with inflammation, and 3 cases with present inflammation in the past. The border line of cyst on radiographic findings tended to be relatively unclear in the cases with inflammation in the past.     

Immunocytochemical survey of haloperidolinduced immunoreactive changes of [Met]enkephalin-Arg-Gly-Leu in the rat forebrain

It has already been demonstrated that chronic treatment with the dopamine receptor blocker, haloperidol, results in an increase of proenkephalin-A-derived peptides in the caudate-putamen (CP). To examine this phenomenon at the cellular level, we used immunocytochemistry to investigate the effects of haloperidol on [Met]enkephalin-Arg⁶-Gly⁷-Leu⁸ (MEAGL) immunoreactivity in the rat forebrain. After daily haloperidol (5 mg/kg, IP, for 6 days) or haloperidol decanoate (70 mg/kg, IM, given once or twice) treatment, immunoreactive neurons appeared diffusely in the whole CP and in the core part of the nucleus accumbens (Acb) and less frequently in the outer shell part of the Acb and the cell-dense layer of the tuberculum olfactorium (TuO). Increase of MEAGL-immunoreactive fibers in the CP, Acb and TuO was also detected after these treatments, a particularly prominent increase being found in the striopallidal terminals in the globus pallidus and ventral pallidum. Haloperidol or haloperidol decanoate had no effect on MEAGL immunoreactivity in the cerebral cortex, amygdala, or hypothalamus. Reserpine treatment (5 mg/kg, IP, for 6 days) caused similar effects on the dorsal and ventral striopallidal system and the direct injection of 6-hydroxydopamine (10 μ/5 μl) into the CP led to the appearance of MEAGL-immunoreactive neurons in accordance with the depleted dopaminergic terminal area. These findings suggest that haloperidol influences enkephalinergic neurons region specifically and that in the dorsal and ventral striopallidal enkephalinergic system haloperidol increases MEAGL immunoreactivity in cell bodies, fibers and terminals by blocking intrastriatal dopaminergic neurotransmission.