Fluid and Protein Secretion by the Submandibular Glands of Weanling Rats in Response to Cholinergic and Peptidergic Agonists at Various Doses

Fluid and protein secretion by the submandibular glands of 25-day-old rats were examined and compared in response to three cholinergic and four peptidergic sialogogues at various doses. All cholinergic and peptidergic agonists used were potent sialogogues for the submandibular glands of the weanling rats over the wide range of doses used. The cholinergic agonists, bethanechol and methacholine and the peptidergic agonists, substance P, substance P^Tyr8 and eledoisin-related peptide used intravenously, acted similarly to each other on the submandibular glands of the rats, late in the natural weaning period, but carbachol and physalaemin had slightly different effects. Of the peptidergic agonists, physalaemin was the most potent sialogogue among four tachykinins tested at the low dose. The types of protein secreted by the submandibular glands of the weanling rats in response to all sialogogues used here were typical of the β-type. These results indicate that all agonists used could mainly stimulate the acinar cells of the submandibular glands of the weanling rats which have already fully developed functionally at this time.     

Epidemiology of sudden infant death syndrome in Japan

An epidemiological survey was carried out to examine the present situation with respect to sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) in Kanagawa Prefecture. Questionnaires on sudden unexpected death of infants aged < 1 year in 1990-91 were sent to the hospitals and clinics in Kanagawa Prefecture which may take care of such infants. By analysing information from 10 485 replies, 48 out of 73 reported sudden infant deaths were confirmed to be SIDS, although autopsy was not performed in 13 cases (27%). The incidence of SIDS per 1000 live births in Kanagawa Prefecture was 0.29 in 1990 and 0.31 in 1991; and if limited to autopsy cases 0.19 and 0.25, respectively. Sudden infant death syndrome cases in Japan were found to occur more frequently when infants were < 6 months old, at home and sleeping alone, but less in the winter and between midnight and early morning. There was little difference between the numbers in prone and supine sleeping positions at discovery. It was not clear whether SIDS occurred more often to babies sleeping prone than supine, because there were no controls matched with the SIDS cases. In future, continuous epidemiological surveys of SIDS in Japan should be carried out.     

Mass Gastric Examinations of Prisoners at Miyagi Prison in Japan

Mass examinations of the stomach were carried out on 79 convicts over 40 years of age confined in the Miyagi Prison, Japan. Of the 79 subjects, 11.9% were found to need detailed examination of the stomach which disclosed gastric polyp in one case and scar from gastric ulceration in one. None was found to have carcinoma of the stomach. Complaints of symptoms were obviously more frequent with the convicts as compared with a control group. There was not, however, a significant depression in efficiency of this group examination by photofluorography, as compared with the usual gastric mass examination on general inhabitants.     

Different susceptibility to the IL-3 induced-protective effects between Strongyloides ratti and Nippostrongylus brasiliensis in C57BL/6 mice

Repetitive administration of recombinant IL-3 induced protection against Strongyloides ratti but not against Nippostrongylus brasiliensis in C57BL/6 mice. Numbers of S. ratti were negligible from day 4 to day 6 post-infection in mice injected with IL-3, whereas N. brasiliensis burdens were almost equal from day 4 to day 6 between mice injected with IL-3 or with medium. Mice treated with IL-3 and then concurrently infected with S. ratti and N. brasiliensis were protected from intestinal S. ratti but not from N. brasiliensis. The numbers of intestinal mucosal mast cells were increased by the repetitive IL-3 treatment on one day after the final injection and was augmented by subsequent infection with both nematodes.     

Synergistic Effect by Co‐Administration of Tamsulosin and Solifenacin on Bladder Activity in Rats

Objectives: We examined the effects of alpha1‐adrenoceptor antagonist (tamsulosin hydrochloride) and antimuscarinic agent (solifenacin succinate) alone or in combination on the urinary adenosine triphosphate (ATP) level and cystometric parameters before and after bladder stimulation. Methods: Female rats were administered tamsulosin hydrochloride (0.5 or 3 µg/kg/h) and/or solifenacin succinate (20 or 100 µg/kg/h) via a subcutaneously implanted osmotic minipump. Rats receiving distilled water were used as control. After 2 weeks, continuous cystometry with physiological saline or 0.1% acetic acid solution was performed. Urinary ATP level was also measured before and after stimulation by 0.1% acetic acid solution. Results: During cystometry with bladder stimulation, the interval between voiding became shorter and the maximum voiding pressure (MVP) became higher in the control group. In the high‐dose tamsulosin and solifenacin groups, the inhibition of urinary frequency was observed. The MVP also became higher in the high‐dose tamsulosin group, but such a change was not seen in the high‐dose solifenacin group. In case of low‐dose administration, either agent alone did not inhibit the increase of urinary frequency and MVP due to bladder stimulation. However, co‐administration of these ineffective low doses of tamsulosin and solifenacin resulted in the inhibition of urinary frequency. The high‐dose or low‐dose solifenacin group and the co‐administration group showed similar inhibition of the increase of urinary ATP after bladder stimulation. Conclusion: Tamsulosin may have a different effect on the bladder and/or the neuronal pathways that is unrelated to ATP, so the combination of tamsulosin and solifenacin may synergistically inhibit urinary frequency after bladder stimulation.     

Characteristics of Cefdinir Uptake by Rabbit Small Intestinal Brush-border Membrane Vesicles

Aminocephalosporins with peptide-like structures have been shown to be absorbed by the intestinal peptide carrier. We investigated the transport mechanism of cefdinir, an oral monocarboxylic acid cephalosporin, using rabbit small intestinal brush-border membrane vesicles. Transport of cefdinir showed a slow and almost linear uptake rate for concentrations up to 30 mm with and without an inward H+ gradient. No overshoot phenomenon was observed in the presence of an inward H+ gradient. The uptake rate increased only slightly with decreasing extravesicular pH, and a protonophore had little effect on the uptake. Aminocephalosporins such as cephalexin only slightly inhibited cefdinir uptake even in the presence of an inward H+ gradient, and vice-versa. Monocarboxylic acids such as acetic acid and salicylic acid had little effect on cefdinir uptake. These findings suggest that in contrast with other oral cephalosporins cefdinir uptake through the brush-border membrane is slow and involves a mechanism similar to passive diffusion.     

Transabdominal vesical sonography of urethral syndrome and stress incontinence

BACKGROUND: Transabdominal ultrasonography was used to study the bladder neck morphology in women with urethral syndrome or stress urinary incontinence, in order to determine the ultrasonographic findings of these conditions. METHODS: A total of 210 female patients with a normal bladder, asymptomatic trigonitis, urethral syndrome, and stress incontinence were studied. The mucosal thickness around the bladder neck, the length of the anterior base plate of the bladder, and the anteroposterior vesical wall angle (APVA) at the bladder neck were measured on sagittal transabdominal vesical ultrasonograms with the patient in the supine position. RESULTS: Patients with asymptomatic trigonitis or urethral syndrome had thicker mucosa around the bladder neck than the subjects with a normal bladder, and the subjects with stress incontinence had normal mucosa. The APVA was 158 +/- 17 (mean +/- SD) degrees in the subjects with a normal bladder. It was smaller in symptomatic patients and decreased to 109 +/- 10 degrees in those with conservative therapy-resistant incontinence. The anterior edge of the vesical base plate was visible approximately 2 cm from the bladder neck in subjects without incontinence, while it tended to be absent in patients with incontinence and an APVA of less than 126 degrees. CONCLUSION: A small APVA appears to reflect bladder neck descent, while a small APVA without a visible anterior base plate edge may reflect hypotonia of the vesical base plate. Transabdominal vesical ultrasonography with the patient in the supine position provides useful information and can be carried out as a routine examination in female patients with micturition disorders.     

Relationship between Blood Pressure and Nocturia in Hypertensive Patients

Objective: We investigated the relationship between the pattern of hypertension and nocturia. Methods: Seventy‐seven patients who were being treated for hypertension completed a questionnaire regarding the number of times they urinated during the day and at night, and measured their blood pressure at home immediately after rising in the morning and just before going to sleep at night. The patients' blood pressure was also measured at the clinic. The patients were divided into groups according to their blood pressure patterns. The relationship between blood pressure pattern and number of urinations during the day and at night was investigated. Results: When the patients were divided into white coat hypertension, masked hypertension, sustained hypertension, and normotension groups, the number of daytime urinations was significantly lower in the sustained hypertension group compared with the normotension and white coat hypertension groups. When the subjects were divided into morning blood pressure surge and non‐morning surge groups or into morning hypertension and non‐morning hypertension groups, the numbers of nighttime urinations was significantly higher in the morning surge group or the morning hypertension group compared with the non‐morning surge group or non‐morning hypertension group, respectively. Conclusion: Sustained hypertension and elevation of blood pressure in the early morning influence the frequency of daytime and nighttime urination, respectively. It is important to control both the blood pressure and nocturia of hypertensive patients to improve their prognosis.     

Relationship between Urological Disease and Inferior Vena Cava Reflux on Color Doppler Ultrasonography

Objectives: The possible relationship between urological disease and inferior vena cava (IVC) reflux was examined. Methods: Transabdominal color Doppler ultrasonography of the IVC was performed. The patient was placed supine and the convex probe was positioned in vertical to the upper abdominal wall. Then the extent of reflux in the IVC accompanying each heart beat was examined near the diaphragm. A total of 403 patients (202 males and 201 females aged 12–90 years) were studied. The relationship between the existence of IVC reflux or its severity and urological disease was examined. Results: The 202 males included 104 and 98 subjects without and with IVC reflux, respectively, while the 201 females included 64 and 137 subjects without and with IVC reflux, respectively. The prevalence of IVC reflux was significantly higher in females than males. Chronic prostatitis (18/21 subjects) in males and stress incontinence (22/23 subjects) in females were significantly related to the existence of IVC reflux. Conversely, urolithiasis was related to lack of IVC reflux in females. Conclusions: IVC reflux may be positively or negatively related to the occurrence of some urological diseases. Pelvic congestion secondary to IVC reflux may be one of the factors contributing to chronic prostatitis and stress incontinence.