Accessory nerve neurotization in infants with brachial plexus birth palsy

We report the surgical results of 13 accessory nerve neurotizations in brachial plexus birth palsy. The mean age at operation was 5.9 months. The accessory nerve was transferred to three C5 roots, to three C6 roots, to four posterior division of the middle trunks, to one musculocutaneous nerve, and to two suprascapular nerves. Sixty-seven percent of the cases acquired M4 or more in the deltoid muscle, 88% in the infraspinatus muscle, and 100% in the biceps brachii muscle. Twenty-five percent of the cases acquired M4 or more in the triceps brachii muscle and the wrist extensor muscles. These results were much better than formerly reported for adult cases by other authors. No functional compromise of the trapezius muscle was noted. The accessory nerve neurotization can be used safely and effectively in neurosurgical reconstruction of the brachial plexus palsy in infants. © 1994 Wiley-Liss, Inc.     

Rupture of the flexor pollicis longus in von Recklinghausen''s disease

An unusual cause of inability to flex the interphalangeal joint of the thumb in a patient with von Recklinghausen's disease is reported. A tumor in the cubital fossa and the basic characteristics of this disease led to a preoperative misdiagnosis of anterior interosseous nerve paralysis. However, surgical exploration and histological examination showed that the correct diagnosis was rupture of the flexor pollicis longus tendon caused by intratendinous proliferation of a neurofibroma. This is the first report in the English-language literature of a flexor tendon rupture caused by intratendinous tumor proliferation.     

X-Ray diffraction analysis and transmission electron microscopic examination of globular dentin

Summary Three primary teeth from familial and sporadic X-linked hypophosphatemic vitamin D-resistant rickets, one permanent tooth from regional odontodysplasia, and three sound permanent teeth were prepared for ground sections of 50 μm thickness. To estimate the crystallinity of globular dentin for each ground section, microbeam X-ray diffraction analysis and transmission electron microscopic examination were performed. The crystallinity of globular dentin in any of the teeth examined was higher than that of normal dentin, and the size of hydroxyapatite crystals within the globular dentin was larger than that at normal dentin. These results clearly indicate that the globular dentin generally develops larger crystals, probably due to the presence of unmineralized spaces around the crystal nuclei such as interglobular dentin, resulting in the high crystallinity of dentin.     

Changes of Mercury Contamination in Red-Crowned Cranes, Grus japonensis, in East Hokkaido, Japan

Red-crowned cranes (Grus japonensis) are native to eastern Hokkaido (island population), in contrast to the mainland, which migrates between the Amur River basin and eastern China-Korea peninsula. During the 1990s we found that Red-crowned cranes in Hokkaido were highly contaminated with mercury: however, the source was unknown. We investigated the time trend of mercury contamination in Red-crowned cranes. Total mercury levels in the livers and kidneys from cranes dead in the 2000s were lower than those dead in the 1990s. Feather is a major pathway of mercury excretion for many bird species and is used as an indicator of blood mercury level during feather growth. As internal organs from the specimens collected before 1988 were not available, we analyzed the flight feather shavings from stuffed Red-crowned cranes dead in 1959-1987 and found that the mercury level of feathers from cranes dead in the 1960s and 1970s was not more than those from the cranes dead in the 2000s. These results suggest that mercury contamination in Red-crowned cranes in Hokkaido decreased temporally during the 1990s-2000s. This indicates the possible occurrence of some mercury pollution in Red-crowned cranes' habitat in this region in the 1990s or before.     

Effect of a new potent H2-receptor antagonist 3[[[2-[(diaminomethylene)amino]-4-thiazolyl]methyl]thio]-N2-sulfamoylpropionamidine (YM-11170) on gastric mucosal histamine-sensitive adenylate cyclase from guinea pig

The effect of 3[[[2-[(diaminomethylene)amino]-4-thiazolyl]methyl]thio]-N²-sulfamoylpro-pionamidine (YM-11170), a new thiazole H₂-receptor antagonist bearing propionamidine at the terminus of a side chain, on histamine-sensitive adenylate cyclase [ATP pyrophosphate-lyase (cyclizing); EC 4.6.1.1] of gastric mucosa from the guinea pig was studied and compared with that of cimetidine. YM-11170 displaced the concentration-stimulation curve of histamine-sensitive adenylate cyclase to the right with a pA₂ of 7.65 (K_i, = 2.25 × 10^?8M). Stimulation of gastric adenylate cyclase by 0.1 mM histamine was competitively inhibited by YM-11170 and cimetidine in a dose-dependent manner, with ic₅₀ values of 5.9 × 10^?7M and 1.4 × 10^?5M respectively. Hippocampal histamine-sensitive adenylate cyclase in the presence of 0.1 mM histamine was also competitively inhibited by YM-11170 with an ic₅₀ of 1.1 × 10^?7 M. YM-11170 did not affect Gpp(NH)p-, NaF-, PGE₂-stimulated or basal activity of the gastric adenylate cyclase. These data, together with other results, indicate that YM-11170 is a highly selective and potent H₂-receptor antagonist which competes with histamine at the receptor site on the histamine-sensitive adenylate cyclase.