PELGEROID-LIKE ANOMALOUS CELLS IN THE DIAGNOSIS OF NEUTROPHILIC DERMATOSIS ASSOCIATED WITH MYELODYSPLASTIC SYNDROME

Neutrophilic dermatoses (ND), with or without accompanying myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS), were examined in terms of nuclear abnormality like pelgeroid anomaly of infiltrating cells into skin lesions. Six ND accompanying MDS showed 1.0 to 13.5% of such anomalous cells among infiltrating cells. In contrast, ND without accompanying myeloproliferative disorders rarely had such anomalous cells. Our findings suggest that pelgeroid-like anomalous cells infiltrating into ND are probably a good marker of underlying MDS.     

Frequency and Output-Dependent Change in Conduction Over Slow Pathways in a Patient with Sustained Ventricular Tachycardia Unrelated to Coronary Artery Disease

In a patient with sustained ventricular tachycardia, we obtained two different paced QRS morphologies from a single pacing site. In one QRS morphology the stimulus to the QRS complex was long, 150 msec, and in the other it was 100 msec. At the paced cycle length of 600 msec and the stimulus output of 4 V, one QRS morphology with the stimulus to the onset of QRS activation (St-QRS) interval of 150 msec was observed. At the paced cycle length of 400 msec, the other QRS morphology with a St-QRS interval of 100 msec was observed alternatively with the former. At the paced cycle length of 353 msec or 316 msec, the latter with a shorter St-QRS interval was exclusively observed. When the stimulus output was increased from 4 to 10 V, keeping with the paced cycle length at 400 msec, the St-QRS interval was shortened from 100 to 80 msec. For the two QRS morphologies with two St-QRS intervals, two slowly conducting pathways would be responsible. The site of the block in the faster pathway must be located at the proximity of the pacing site and the conduction at a shorter paced cycle length would be explained by "supernormal conduction."     

Pharmacokinetic Analysis of Increased Toxicity of 2-sec-Butylphenyl Methylcarbamate (BPMC) by Fenitrothion Pretreatment in Mice

Pharmacokinetk Analysis of Increased Toxicity of 2-sec-ButylphenylMethylcarbamate (BPMC) by Fenitrothion Pretreatment in Mice.TSUDA, S., MIYAOKA, T., IWASAKI, M., AND SHIRASU, Y. (1984).Fundam. Appl. Toxicol. 4, 724–730. The potentiating effectof O,O-dimethyl O-(3-methyl-4-nitrophenyl) phosphorothioate(fenitrothion) on the toxicity of 2-sec-butylphenyl methylcarbamate(BPMC) in male mice was analyzed pharmacokinetically. The animalspretreated by dietary administration of 1000 ppm fenitrothionfor 1 week (4.4% of the po LD50 daily) did not show toxic symptomsexcept for a slight decrease in body weight In the fenitrothion-pretreatedmice, toxicity of fenitrothion was not changed but a fivefoldpotentiation was observed in po and ip acute lethality and athreefold potentiation of iv lethality of BPMC. Toxic signsafter BPMC administration were similar regardless of fenitrothionpretreatment or of route of administration. Fenitrothion pretreatmentfollowed by BPMC administration (20 mg/kg po or 8 mg/kg iv,approximate LD5 in the pretreated mice) significantly increasedthe plasma BPMC concentration and the total area under the plasmaconcentration versus time curve (AUG_0-. The pretreatment increasedthe oral AUC_0-, more greatly than the iv AUC_0-, (for po, 6.3-fold;for iv, 2.0-fold). The oral systemic availability of BPMC (fractionreaching systemic circulation) was increased by fenitrothiontreatment to 3.3-fold. These results suggest that a major causeof the potentiation may be the increase in amount of BPMC inthe systemic circulation.     

EFFECTS OF SEED SAPONINS OF THEA SINENSIS L. (RYOKUCHA SAPONIN) ON ALCOHOL ABSORPTION AND METABOLISM

We evaluated the effects of the seed saponins of Thea sinensisL. on alcohol absorption and metabolism in rats and mice. Anethanolic extract from the seeds of T. sinensis was orally administeredto the rats 1 hr before or 0.5 hr after administration of ethanol(2 g/kg), and the blood ethanol assayed 0.5, 1, 2, 3, and 4hr after ethanol administration. The ethanol level decreasedafter both pie- and post- administration of the extract. Theextract was further purified to obtain a saponin fraction whichwas orally administered to mice 1 hr before ethanol administration.Blood, liver, and stomach were obtained 0, 1, 3, and 6 hr afterethanol administration, and the ethanol, acetaldehyde, acetate,and acetone concentrations in each specimen were measured byhead space gas chromatography. The saponin fraction decreasedthe ethanol levels in the blood and liver but increased thatin the stomach five-fold over the control level, suggestinginhibition of alcohol absorption. The ethanol disappearancetime from the blood was shortened, suggesting the promotionof alcohol disappearance. The acetate and acetone levels wereunaffected. However, the acetaldehyde level decreased in theblood, liver, and stomach. The decreases in the ethanol andacetaldhyde levels in the liver suggested the protective effectsof the seed saponins on the liver. The saponins did not directlyinhibit hepalic alcohol dehydrogenase activity. The seed saponinsof T. sinensis seem to suppress alcohol absorption by slowinggastric emptying and by inhibiting absorption across the cellmembranes of the digestive tract.     

Combined Repeat Dose and Reproductive/Developmental Toxicity Screening Test (OECD): Familiarization Using Cyclophosphamide

Combined Repeat Dose and Reproductive/Developmental ToxicityScreening Test (OECD): Familiarization Using Cyclophosphamide.TANAKA, S., KAWASHIMA, K., NAITO, K., USAMI, M., NAKADATE, M.,IMAIDA, K., TAKAHASHI, M., HAYASHI, Y., KUROKAWA, Y., AND TOBE,M. (1992A, Y., AND TOBE, M. (1992). Fundam. Appl. Toxicol. 18,89–95. A familiarization study was conducted on the "Combined RepeatDose and Reproductive/Developmental Toxicity Screening Test(ReproTox)" proposed by the OECD. Cyclophosphamide (CP) at dosesof 6.7, 4.5, 3, 2, and 0 mg/kg body wt was given daily by gavageto groups of 12 male and 12 female Sprague-Dawley rats. As aresult, anemia and leukopenia were evident in treated males.The absolute and relative thymus and spleen weights were decreasedin treated rats. Histopathologically, atrophy of the thymus,spleen, and bone marrow was observed. With respect to the reproductive/developmentaltoxicity, dose-dependent increases in postimplantation lossof fetuses and postnatal death were found in dams given CP.The body weight of pups treated with CP was significantly loweredin a dose-related manner. Thus the results demonstrated mostof the known toxicological properties of CP, except the adverseeffects on spermatogenesis and fertility. Therefore ReproToxcan be considered as a useful screening test for assessing repeatdose and reproductive/developmental toxicity of existing chemicalsof high production volume.     

Comparison of Gas-less laparoscopy-assisted surgery, hand-assisted laparoscopic surgery and pure laparoscopic surgery for radical nephrectomy

BACKGROUND: We report our experience with Gas-less laparoscopy-assisted surgery (Gas-less LAS), hand-assisted laparoscopic surgery (HALS) and pure laparoscopic surgery (LS) for renal carcinoma and compare the characteristics and usefulness of these methods. METHODS: Seventeen, 14 and 16 patients were subjected to Gas-less LAS, HALS and LS, respectively. The study started with Gas-less LAS and then gradually shifted to HALS and LS. We evaluated the operative and postoperative parameters for each group. The learning curve effect was evaluated based on data from the first 10 cases of each group, which were operated on by the same surgeon and operation team. RESULTS: The learning curve of operation times in the LS group demonstrated that the operation time for this procedure is acceptable even in early-stage cases. Differences in mean operative time between the three surgical groups, excluding the conversion cases, were not statistically significant; however, there was a significant difference in blood loss volume between the groups (P 相似文献   

The effect of nifedipine on monocrotaline-induced pulmonary hypertension in rats

Effective drug therapy for pulmonary hypertension has not yet been developed. This study was designed to estimate the long-term hemodynamic and histopathological effects of nifedipine on severe pulmonary hypertension using animal models. Injection of one dose of monocrotaline produced subacute pulmonary hypertension in 7 week old Sprague-Dawley rats. Nifedipine (10 mg/kg) was administered intraperitoneally every day. For 5 weeks, bodyweight and hemodynamic parameters were measured, and right ventricle (RV) and left ventricle with septum (LV + S) were weighed separately. Medial thickness of the small pulmonary arterial wall was calculated by Suwa's method. Compared with the control group, the increase in right ventricular systolic pressure, total pulmonary resistance index, weight ratio of RV/(LV + S) and medial hypertrophy in the nifedipine-treated rats were significantly limited without causing systemic hypotension. These results suggest that treatment with nifedipine may also be effective in attenuation of pulmonary hypertension when applied to humans.     

Medium-term results of percutaneous transluminal balloon aortic valvuloplasty with Inoue balloon catheter for congenital aortic stenosis

Although percutaneous transluminal balloon aortic valvuloplasty (PTAV) has been performed for congenital aortic stenosis in infants and children for several years, its efficacy and the associated aortic regurgitation (AR) have not been widely discussed. Percutaneous transluminal balloon aortic valvuloplasty using an Inoue balloon catheter was performed for congenital aortic stenosis in 12 patients (4–16 years old) in this study. The systolic aortic valve pressure gradient ranged from 42 to 111 mmHg before PTAV and became < 50 mmHg immediately after PTAV in 10 cases (83%). Eight of these 10 patients had no increase in the gradient during subsequent observation for a period of 9–40 months. Aortic regurgitation increased immediately after PTAV in nine cases (75%). It increased from grade 1 to grade 2 in eight cases and from grade 1 to grade 3 in one patient; no significant enlargement of the left ventricular end-diastolic diameter and no significant change in the left ventricular end-diastolic pressure (LVEDP) or the cardiac index was observed during follow-up in these patients. There was a correlation between the diameter of the balloon and efficacy; an appropriate diameter was considered to be about 90% of the aortic annular diameter. Changes in the hemodynamic parameter after PTAV with an Inoue balloon were small in most patients and this procedure is considered to be a treatment that should be attempted prior to surgery for congenital aortic stenosis.     

Expression of Sialylated LewisGangliosides in Cultured Lens Epithelial Cells from Rhesus Monkey

Monkey and human lenses contain essentially the same glycosphingolipids, and Lewis^xand sialylated Lewis^xepitopes are expressed on the terminal structure of neolactotetraosylceramide. However, monolayer cultures of lens epithelial cells from rhesus monkey expressed gangliosides GM3, GD3 and a small amount of GM1, but not sialylated Lewis^xepitopes. Eight-week-old cultures on various extracellular matrices resulted in morphological changes in lens epithelial cells. Monolayer of cells cultured on vitronectin or polylysine assembled into aggregates after 4 weeks of culture. Cells cultured on vitronectin expressed sialyl-Lewis^xgangliosides and did not exhibit GD3. On collagens, fibronectin and laminin elongated cells were observed in cells cultured for 8 weeks. Thus, the interaction between cells and extracellular matrices influenced morphology and glycosphingolipid composition in lens epithelial cells.