Lignocaine–induced convulsion does not induce c–fos protein (c–Fos) in rat hippocampus

Recent studies have shown that proto–oncogene c–fos mRNA is induced in the central nervous system by a variety of stimuli including generalised convulsions. In this study, the expression of c–fos protein (c–Fos) following lignocaine–induced convulsions was examined and compared with that following convulsions induced by non–anesthetic convulsants, such as pentylenetetrazol, kainic acid and electroconvulsive shocks, in rat brain.
Administration of 120 mg kg^-1 lignocaine by the intraperitoneal route induced generalised convulsions in all rats examined within 10 min. C–Fos was markedly induced in the piriform cortex and amygdala, and slightly induced in the neocortex and thalamus, while no c–Fos expression was observed in the hippocampus. In contrast, c–Fos expression following generalised convulsions induced by non–anaesthetic convulsants was very marked in the hippocampal region, piriform cortex and amygdala, and extended to the thalamus and neocortex.
These results contradict those of previously reported local cerebral metabolic studies using 2–deoxyglucose as a metabolic marker, and suggest that lignocaine–induced convulsions, unlike those induced by non–anaesthetic convulsants, may not cause severe sequelae (plastic changes) in the hippocampus.     

Basic study on velocity-flow urodynamics using Doppler sonography: Simultaneous detection of cavitation and Doppler signals in an artificial urethral model

BACKGROUND: We have developed velocity-flow urodynamics using Doppler sonography based on the hypothesis that microbubbles formed in the urethra are responsible for Doppler signals. In order to confirm this hypothesis derived from Bernoulli's principle, we investigated the simultaneous detection of cavitation noise and Doppler signals in an experimental system. METHODS: An experimental circuit was built in which a stenosis was created using a glass or silicon tube with tap water used as the sample fluid. Doppler signals, pressure before and after the stenosis, flow rate, flow velocity and cavitation noise were measured. Direct detection of cavitation with a high-speed charged-coupled device (CCD) camera was conducted in the glass tube. The relationship between cross-sectional area and flow velocity in terms of the detection of Doppler signals was analyzed in the silicon tube study. RESULTS: In the glass tube study, a high-speed CCD camera clearly detected masses of microbubbles associated with cavitation. The range of flow rates creating cavitation completely corresponded with those producing Doppler signals detected by ultrasonography. A similar correlation was observed in the silicon tube study, which showed that a low flow velocity of 41.5 cm/sec through a stenosis with a cross-sectional area of 20 mm(2) created Doppler signals at a flow rate of 8.3 mL/sec. CONCLUSION: The results of the present study confirmed that microbubbles created in flowing urine are responsible for Doppler signals. Measurement of velocity-flow urodynamics has great potential to become a non-invasive and reliable alternative to conventional pressure- flow urodynamic studies.     

Variation analysis of β3-adrenergic receptor and melanocortin-4 receptor genes in childhood obesity

BACKGROUND: Decreased energy expenditure and increased food intake are principal causes for obesity. In the present study, genotypes of beta(3)-adrenergic receptor (beta(3)AR) and of melanocortin-4 receptor (MC4R), both of which are believed to have a close link to the cause of obesity, were analyzed and compared with phenotypes of childhood obesity. METHODS: Thirty-five obese children with moderate to severe obesity were enrolled. Direct sequencing of the MC4R coding region and pinpoint-polymerase chain reaction were used to detect genomic variation in the beta(3)AR gene using peripheral blood-derived DNA. RESULTS: Allele frequency of Trp64Arg variation in the beta(3)AR gene in the obese subjects was 0.16, which is comparable with that in the healthy general population in eastern Asia. Comparison of phenotypical characteristics did not show a significant difference between Trp/Trp and Trp/Arg subjects. It was notable that body height SD was significantly higher in the Trp/Trp than the Trp/Arg subjects (0.93 +/- 1.0 SD vs 0.07 +/- 1.3 SD, P= 0.03). Annual weight gains were far beyond a hypothetical fat gain in an Arg64 heterozygote with decreased energy consumption, suggesting increased food intake in childhood obesity. There was, however, no variation in the MC4R gene despite thorough sequencing of the entire coding region. CONCLUSIONS: The Trp64Arg variation in the beta(3)AR gene has no relationship to the degree or the incidence of childhood obesity. The majority of childhood obesity can be characterized as tall stature, more rapid weight gain than that expected by decreased energy expenditure. Further investigation is necessary in regard to the increased food intake as a major cause of childhood obesity.     

Alpha-Fetoprotein Subtractions in Germ Cell Tumors Identified by Con A or LCH Crossed-Line Affinity Immunoelectrophoresis

ABSTRACT: Using concanavalin A (Con A) crossed-line affinity immunoelectrophoresis and lentil lectin (LCH) crossed-line affinity immunoelectrophoresis, alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) subfractions were studied in sera including three sera from nude mice heterotran-splanted with human yolk sac tumor of the ovary and three sera from patients with yolk sac tumor, mature solid teratoma, or immature solid teratoma of the ovary. In sera of nude mice bearing yolk sac tumor or from a patient with yolk sac tumor, subfractions from yolk sac and those from fetal liver were identified. Since AFP subfractions from yolk sac and fetal liver can be differentiated according to the carbohydrate moieties, our findings indicate that AFP produced by yolk sac tumor and fetal yolk sac are to some extent differently glycosylated. We also found that AFP in both mature and immature solid teratoma was composed of two subfractions ontogenetically originating from yolk sac or fetal liver. All these findings indicate that more than two different factors are responsible for the AFP synthesis in germ cell tumor of the ovary.     

Diagnosis of Small Pancreatic Carcinoma

A retrospective analysis was performed to evaluate the clinicalsymptoms and abnormal test findings in small pancreatic carcinoma.Five hundred and thirty-six cases of pancreatic carcinoma withthe histology of duct cell carcinoma were collected from 14medical centers in Japan. In 440 of the cases, tumor size wasmeasured at the time of laparotomy or from the resected specimen.Three hundred and seventy-seven patients (86%) had a carcinomalarger than 3.0 cm; only 30% of these were resectable. Sixty-threepatients (14%) had a carcinoma of 3.0 cm or less, with resectabilityof 97%. Detecting a tumor of "3 cm or less" with a high probabilityof resectability is the objective of early diagnosis with theresulting possibility of a cure. In most cases these small carcinomaswere found easily when obstructive jaundice was present (73%).However, the estimated occurrence of obstructive jaundice associatedwith carcinomas of 3 cm or less was only 10% among the totalcases of pancreatic carcinoma studied. Therefore, it is necessaryfor early diagnosis to detect carcinomas of 3 cm or less presentingwithout jaundice. The symptoms of small carcinoma without jaundiceare weight loss, anorexia, upper abdominal pain, back pain anda palpable abdominal mass. Among the various available examinations,endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography, computerizedtomography and ultrasonography were valuable in diagnosing thesesmall carcinomas.     

Intravenous glycerol therapy should not be used in patients with unrecognized fructose-1,6-bisphosphatase deficiency

BACKGROUND: In Asian countries, glycerol solution that contains fructose (5%) is often used for management of brain edema. However, glycerol and fructose may cause severe hypoglycemia and metabolic acidosis in patients with fructose-1,6-bisphosphatase (FBPase) deficiency, even under stable conditions. The aim of the present study was to determine whether glycerol solution was used for brain edema during acute metabolic decompensation of hypoglycemia and metabolic acidosis in patients with unrecognized FBPase deficiency in Japan and to examine a long-term prognosis of the patients who had this kind of severe metabolic decompensation with or without glycerol therapy. METHODS: A retrospective study of 20 children with FBPase deficiency was conducted, based on their medical records. RESULTS: Six of the 20 children were given glycerol solution for the presence or possibility of brain edema during acute metabolic decompensation of hypoglycemia and metabolic acidosis; two of the six patients administered with glycerol were given dialysis. In four patients treated with glycerol alone without dialysis, two had no brain edema before glycerol administration but it developed later after the administration. These four patients treated with glycerol alone died or developed severe neurological complications. Fourteen patients who were not treated with glycerol solution had no brain edema and showed good prognosis. CONCLUSIONS: Glycerol solution, which contains fructose in Asian countries including Japan, should not be used as an osmotic agent for treatment of brain edema in patients who have hypoglycemia and retention-type metabolic acidosis, until FBPase deficiency is ruled out by measuring blood concentration of lactate.     

三羟基异黄酮对日本比目鱼(牙鲆)性腺分化的影响

[目的] 研究5,7,4’-三羟基异黄酮(genistein,GEN)对日本比目鱼(牙鲆)生殖腺性分化的作用,并在基因表达上探索其分子机制。[方法]运用日本比目鱼随饲养水温决定其性别的生物学特性,在鱼卵孵化后第30天到第100天性分化敏感期内,在27 ℃水温下饲养,会使幼鱼分化成雄性。同时,分别给予幼鱼投食GEN 10和100 μg/g饲料进行喂养染毒,直到第100天(青年期)和第300天(成年期),分别对各组比目鱼样本做病理组织切片,判断其性别和雌雄比例,并通过原位杂交和RT-PCR分析,探索它们的作用机制。[结果] GEN对27 ℃水温饲养下的比目鱼幼鱼有雌性化诱导作用,两组成年比目鱼雌性分别有不同的百分比:10 μg/g组为46.7%,100 μg/g组为96.7%,其诱导效应呈现一定剂量依赖性;比目鱼幼鱼出生后第100天时原位杂交实验显示,P450芳香化酶的mRNA在各组的雌鱼卵巢中有明显表达,但在雄鱼精巢中未见表达;而MIS(苗勒氏管抑制物质)的mRNA在各组的雌鱼卵巢中不表达,而在雄鱼精巢中能见到非常明显的表达。RT-PCR实验显示,在雌鱼卵巢中P450芳香化酶的mRNA表达被诱导,而MIS基因表达被抑制,进一步证实了原位杂交的结果。[结论] GEN对日本比目鱼的生殖腺性分化有雌性化诱导作用,其分子机制很可能是通过诱导P450芳香化酶基因表达和抑制MIS的基因表达从而发挥雌激素样干扰作用的。