Spermidine/Spermine N-Acetyltransferase, a New Biochemical Marker for Epithelial Proliferation in Rat Bladder

We examined the activity of spermidine/spermine N ¹-acetyltransferase (SAT), a rate-limiting enzyme of the biodegradation of polyamines, in N -butyl- N -(4–hydroxybutyI)nitrosamine-induced transitional cell carcinoma (TCC) and melamine-induced papillomatosis of rat bladder, and compared the activity to that of ornithine decarboxylase (ODC). Both activities were higher in both lesions than in control rats. The difference between SAT and ODC activities in cancerous tissue and papillomatosis was not significant. Cells stained for proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) were abundant in papillomatosis. TCC had areas with much PCNA. The results indicated that an elevation of SAT activity occurs in both reversible and irreversible proliferation of bladder epithelium and could be important in bladder carcinogenesis.     

Influence of the mother-child relationship on the development of the Type A Behavior Pattern

Investigation of the Type A Behavior Pattern (TABP) of pre-school children was conducted to determine the influence of the mother-child relationship on the development of TABP. The incidence of TABP was 44.2% (51.7% in boys and 38.7% in girls). The TABP tendency of the boys decreased as the manifest dissension or conflict in the family grew, in marked contrast with the tendency seen in girls, suggesting that conflict in the family can either weaken or reinforce TABP.     

Satisfactory Remission Achieved by PUVA Therapy in Langerhans Cell Hisiocytosis in an Elderly Patient

Langerhans cell histiocytosis is currently regarded as a reactive proliferative process of Langerhans cells rather than a malignancy. The disease is characterized by Langerhans cell infiltration of skin, lung, bone and other organs. We report a 74-year-old man with Langerhans cell histiocytosis who had generalized hemorrhagic and crusted papules. He also had diabetes insipidus. Because he did not have any severe constitutional symptoms or failure of vital organs, we applied topical PUVA treatment to his skin lesions, which responded well to the therapy. Diabetes insipidus, however, remained, in spite of X ray radiotherapy for the pituiary lesion.     

Detection frequencies and the colony-forming unit recovery of oral treponemes by different cultivation methods

Selected media were compared for primary isolation and detection of oral treponemes from clinical samples. Forty-eight subgingival plaque samples from 45 patients suffering from periodontitis were anaerobically cultivated for 2 weeks at 37°C. Of the 9 media studied, Medium 10 (M10), which was supplemented with 10% rabbit serum and incubated using the plate-in-bottle method, supported the highest colony-forming units of the anaerobes. The treponemal colonies were detected at least on one medium from 83% of the subgingival plaque samples. The new oral spirochete medium in an anaerobic chamber supported the highest detection frequency of the oral treponemes (64% of samples); however, M10 in the plate-in-bottle was found to produce the highest colony-forming unit recovery of the oral treponemes (median 3.6% of the total colony-forming units). This study suggests that M10 in the plate-in-bottle and new oral spirochete medium in the anaerobic chamber are essential in cultivating oral treponemes.     

Preliminary Report on Teratogenic Effects of Zonisamide in the Offspring of Treated Women with Epilepsy

Summary: Purpose: We wished to assess the risk of terato-genicity of zonisamide (ZNS) in humans.
Methods: Pregnant epileptic women treated with ZNS and their offspring were prospectively monitored from June 1989 to December 1994. The outcome of pregnancy and status of neonates were examined based on the same standardized protocol.
Results: Twenty-six offspring exposed to ZNS with or without other antiepileptic drugs (AEDs) were studied. Malformations were detected in 2 offspring (7·7%) exposed to ZNS polypharmacy. Anencephaly was detected in one case at 16 weeks of gestation (case 1, artificial abortion), and atrial septa1 defect was detected in another case at 37 weeks of gestation (case 2, delivery by cesarean section). Serum concentrations of ZNS during the first trimester of pregnancy were 6·1 μg/ml in case 1 and 6·3μ/ml in case 2; in both cases, the levels were below the therapeutic concentration range of ZNS.
Conclusions: Teratogenic effects of ZNS were not clearly defined from these results since malformations were detected in two polypharmacy cases but not in four monopharmacy cases. The present data do not indicate that the risk of ZNS teratogenicity is greater than that of other conventional AEDs. However, such risk cannot be neglected even at therapeutic dosages or concentrations of ZNS, especially in patients receiving polypharmacy.     

Rare Case of Small-Cell Carcinoma Arising from the Endometrium with Paraneoplastic Retinopathy

We present the fourth known case of endometrial carcinoma, and the second case of endometrial small-cell carcinoma, to be associated with paraneoplastic retinopathy. Initial symptoms were decreased visual acuity and a narrowing of the visual field. Endometrial carcinoma was diagnosed several months later. An antibody to 34-kDa bovine retinal antigen was detected in the patient's serum. Thus, autoimmunity was suspected as the cause of the retinopathy. In patients with endometrial carcinoma with visual disturbance of unknown cause, paraneoplastic retinopathy should be suspected.     

Systemic chemotherapy using cisplatin plus 5-fluorouracil for inoperable gallbladder cancer

We report a case of advanced gallbladder cancer in a 37-year-old man who presented in June 1993 with malignant obstructive jaundice. After percutaneous transhepatic biliary drainage and several diagnostic imaging examinations, the patient underwent laparotomy under a diagnosis of extremely advanced gallbladder cancer involving the confluence of the hepatic ducts. The tumor, however, was judged to be unresectable because of its massive spread into the liver along Glisson's sheath, and because of histologically proven peritoneal dissemination. After exploratory laparotomy, one course of anticancer chemotherapy (cisplatin, 100 mg/body IV, on day 1, and 5-fluorouracil, 1000 mg/body, on days 1–5, by continuous infusion) was administered and the completely obstructed hepatic duct was dramatically re-canalized. Four courses of chemotherapy were administered over a 16-month period until jaundice recurred. For these 16 months, the patient's quality of life was well maintained without biliary drainage. He died of increased peritoneal dissemination approximately 2 years after the first course of anticancer chemotherapy.     

Equivalent current dipole estimated from SSR potential distribution over the human hand. Sympathetic skin response.

OBJECTIVE: We aimed to determine whether or not the potential distribution of the sympathetic skin response (SSR) on the palm and dorsum of the hand can be described by an equivalent current dipole (ECD) as an SSR source model. METHODS: The SSR of 22 normal subjects were simultaneously obtained from two electrodes placed on the palm and the dorsum of hand, with an indifferent electrode on the thumbnail. We then measured the SSR potential distribution in 10 of the 20 subjects who had responded to stimulation with a clear dorsal SSR. To do this, 18 electrodes were attached to the palm and dorsum of the hand. SSR-evoking stimulation (sound, voice and rapid inspiration) were randomly delivered to the subject at time intervals of more than 1min to minimize the habituation effect. We estimated the ECD from the measured potential distribution. RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS: The SSR-evoked by stimulation was negative in potential at the palmar sites of all 22 subjects, and was positive in potential at the dorsal sites of the hand in 20 of the 22 subjects. The SSR potential distribution, which was measured in 10 subjects, reached its maximum negative and positive potential near the base of the middle finger on the palm, and near the corresponding site on the dorsum of the hand, respectively. The SSR potential measured on the dorsum of the hand, however, was about 1/3 in amplitude of those on the palmar sites. These results suggest that the SSR source is located on the palm (probably the sweat glands) as confirmed by the estimated ECD (a negative pole on the palm and a positive pole on the dorsum of the hand). We speculate that the SSR may result from the potential difference caused by the Na(+) concentration gradient in the sweat, which results from intracanal reabsorption of Na(+). SIGNIFICANCE: The ECD resulting from the Na(+) concentration gradient within the canal of sweat glands is thought to be the source of the SSR from the negative pole on the palm to the positive pole on the dorsum.