DIFFERENCES IN ENDOTHELIUM-DEPENDENT RELAXATION IN VARIOUS ARTERIES FROM WATANABE HERITABLE HYPERLIPIDAEMIC RABBITS WITH INCREASING AGE

1. Endothelium-dependent relaxation in response to acetylcholine (ACh) and the calcium ionophore A 23187 was examined in aorta, coronary, basilar and renal arteries isolated from Watanabe heritable hyperlipidaemic (WHHL) rabbits of 2, 6 and 12 months of age, with normolipidaemic heterozygous WHHL rabbits as controls. 2. In the rings of WHHL rabbit aortae and coronary arteries preconstricted with vasoconstrictors, endothelium-dependent relaxation in response to ACh was attenuated with age compared to the heterozygous WHHL rabbits. A significant negative correlation was found between the total cholesterol content and the relaxation response to ACh in the aortae or coronary arteries from 6 and 12 month old WHHL rabbits. 3. In the rings of basilar arteries, endothelium-dependent relaxations to ACh were not modified with age. Similarly, in the rings of renal arteries, the relaxation response to ACh was not changed with age, but in the 6 and 12 month preparations, after the age of 6 months, a contraction following the relaxation appeared at higher concentrations of ACh (10^?7 to 10^?6 mol/L). The contraction was endothelium-dependent and inhibited by indomethacin. 4. A 23187-induced endothelium-dependent relaxations were also markedly attenuated in the aorta and significantly in the coronary artery with age. 5. Endothelium-independent relaxation to sodium nitroprusside was not changed in all arteries from WHHL rabbits of different ages. 6. These findings indicate that in the aorta and coronary artery of the WHHL rabbit, the endothelium-dependent relaxation to ACh and A 23187 becomes impaired with increasing age (i.e., with the progression of cholesterol deposition in the arterial wall) but is preserved in the basilar and renal artery.     

A case of autoimmune pancreatitis complicated with immune thrombocytopenia]

A 80-year old man was referred to our hospital because of an elevation of serum amylase level. Diffuse enlargement of the pancreas was detected by abdominal computed tomography, and also diffuse narrowing of the main pancreatic duct was revealed using endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography. The serum level of IgG was elevated to 3450mg/dl. Besides, on the 10th hospital day, petechia developed and the platelet level decreased to 1.5 x 10(4)/microl. The platelet-associated IgG, antiplatelet antibody and antinuclear antibody in serum were positive. The levels of serum complements were low. From all these findings the patient was diagnosed as autoimmune pancreatitis complicated with immune thrombocytopenia. The treatment with prednisolone was started, which was effective on each disease. The medication was suspended a year ago, and so far there is no data suggesting the recurrence of autoimmune pancreatitis or immune thrombocytopenia.     

Anal metastasis from carcinoma of the lung: Report of a case

We report herein the case of a 75-year-old man who developed anal canal metastasis from squamous cell carcinoma of the lung. Initially, he underwent a right middle and lower lobectomy combined with left atrial wall resection under cardiopulmonary bypass. He presented 3 months later with an anal polyp which had prolapsed and bled, for which he underwent a transanal polypectomy. Histologically, the polyp was classified as squamous cell carcinoma and considered to be a metastasis from the primary lung cancer. He is presently well with no signs of recurrence 9 months after his initial operation. To our knowledge, there has been no other case of anal metastasis from lung cancer ever reported.     

Eosinophilic fasciitis associated with Borrelia afzelii infection]

A 58-year-old woman suffered from stiffness, swelling, rubor and muscle pain in the extremities one month after she climbed a mountain in Kyushu, an island in southern Japan. On admission, mild proximal weakness was present in the extremities. Her range of motion in the extremities was limited due to firm skin and subcutaneous stiffness which was similar to scleroderma. She showed peripheral blood eosinophilia and hypergammaglobulinemia as well as a high erythrocyte sedimentation rate. An IgM antibody against Borrelia afzelii was positive. MRI of the skeletal muscles demonstrated enhancing fascia around the biceps brachii muscle, and a biopsy specimen revealed perivascular infiltration of mononuclear cells within the hypertrophic fascia. Eosinophilic infiltration was absent. We treated the patient with prednisolone, doxycycline and amoxicillin, which alleviated the symptoms. This is the first report to show that Borrelia afzelii was involved in eosinophilic fasciitis.     

The biphasic response of hepatic arterial blood flow caused by vasoactive substances--an experimental study in dogs]

In ten male mongrel dogs, blood flow was measured in the common hepatic artery (CHA), portal vein (PV) and liver tissue before and after the injection of vasoactive substances: angiotensin II (1.0 micrograms/kg), prostaglandin F2 alpha (1.0 micrograms/kg) and vasopressin (0.1 Unit/kg), under observation of the systemic circulation. Each injection caused a biphasic response in CHA blood flow, an initial decrease followed by a marked increase, while PV blood flow decreased. Liver tissue blood flow was reduced just after injection, but soon returned to a normal level. The duration of action was the shortest with prostaglandin F2 alpha and the longest with vasopressin. In using vasoactive substances in pharmaco-angiography, it is important to consider the biphasic response in CHA blood flow as well as the duration of action of these substances.     

Pathological effects on mice by gambierol, possibly one of the ciguatera toxins

Gambierol was isolated from Gambierdiscus toxicus, which causes ciguatera fish poisoning. The acute toxicological effects induced in mice by synthesized gambierol were studied. The lethal doses were about 80 μg/kg by i.p. and i.v., and 150 μg/kg by p.o. The main injury by this toxin was observed in the lung, and secondary in the heart, resulting in systemic congestion. Another toxic effect was seen in the stomach, inducing hypersecretion and ulceration. With survival from the severe stage during the initial 3 h, recovery was favorable, especially after 4 days. Additional effects were not evident during 1-week post-administration observation.     

Usefulness of body surface mapping to differentiate patients with Brugada syndrome from patients with asymptomatic Brugada syndrome

We attempted to determine the usefulness of body surface mapping (BSM) for differentiating patients with Brugada syndrome (BS) from patients with asymptomatic Brugada syndrome (ABS). Electrocardiograms (ECG) and BSM were recorded in 7 patients with BS and 35 patients with ABS. Following the administration of Ic antiarrhythmic drugs, BSM was recorded in 5 patients with BS and 16 patients with ABS. The maximum amplitudes at J0, J20, J40 and J60 were compared between the 2 groups, as were 3-dimensional maps. The maximum amplitudes at J0, J20 and J60 under control conditions were larger in patients with BS than in patients with ABS (P < 0.05). A three-dimensional map of the ST segments under control conditions in patients with BS showed a higher peak of ST elevation in the median precordium compared to that for patients with ABS. Increases in ST elevation at J20, J40 and J60 following drug administration were greater in patients with BS than in patients with ABS (P < 0.05). Evaluation of the change in amplitude of the ST segment at E5 caused by Ic drug administration was also useful for differentiating between the 2 groups. In conclusion, BSM was useful for differentiating patients with BS from those with ABS.