Two cases of mesenteric panniculitis]

Two patients with mesenteric panniculitis are presented. In the first patient, a provisional diagnosis of ileus was made, based on the clinical features and imaging data. Laparotomic findings showed that the ileum was bound tightly by a fibrous strip and dilated, with thickened and swollen mesentery. Incision of the fibrous strip was performed, and the clinical symptoms were improved. The second patient was strongly suspected to have mesenteric panniculitis, from characteristic features on abdominal computed tomography and barium enema. Conservative therapy was effective in this case. We emphasize the variety of clinical courses in mesenteric panniculitis, requiring selection of the most suitable treatment.     

Myosin heavy chain composition of tongue muscle in microphthalmic (mi/mi) mice before and after weaning.

To elucidate the effects of teeth on muscle fibers in the tongue during the developmental process, we examined the expression of muscle contractile proteins and the genes for those proteins in normal mice and microphthalmic (mi/mi) mice with impaired tooth eruption. The mice were observed during the growth period, including weaning, which is when feeding movements undergo major changes. Expression of the myosin heavy chain (MyHC)-2a protein, whose contraction speed is relatively slow, disappeared after weaning in normal mice, while it remained in high concentrations even after weaning in mi/mi mice. The presence of MyHC-2a after weaning in mice with no tooth eruption was attributed to a compensation for lack of proper masticatory function and sucking-like movements, as MyHC-2a is necessary for these movements.     

Hepatic Disposition Characteristics of Electrically Charged Macromolecules in Rat in Vivo and in the Perfused Liver

The effect of electric charge on the hepatic disposition of macromolecules was studied in the rat. Charged derivatives of dextran (T-70) and bovine serum albumin (BSA), mitomycin C–dextran conjugates (MMC-D), and lactosaminated BSA (Lac-BSA) were employed as model macromolecules. After intravenous injection, cationic macromolecules were rapidly eliminated from plasma because of their extensive hepatic uptake, while anionic and neutral macromolecules were slowly eliminated. Cationic macromolecules were recovered from parenchymal and nonparenchymal hepatic cells at a cellular uptake (per unit cell number) ratio of 1.4–3.2, while that of Lac-BSA was 14. During liver perfusion using a single-pass constant infusion mode, cationic macromolecules were continuously extracted by the liver, with extraction ratios at steady-state (E _ss) ranging between 0.03 and 0.54, whereas anionic and neutral macromolecules were almost completely recovered in the outflow at steady state. The E _ss for cationized BSA (Cat-BSA) and cationic MMC-Dcat were concentration dependent and decreased at low temperatures and in the presence of colchicine and cytochalasin B. The possible participation of the internalization process in the uptake of cationic macromolecules by hepatocytes was suggested.     

Über die Wirkung der Solanaceenalkaloide unter Berücksichtigung ihrer optischen Isomerie und ihrer Spaltprodukte

Ohne Zusammenfassung     

CLINICAL EVALUATION OF PERORAL CHOLANGIOSCOPY FOR BILIARY DISEASE USING NARROW BAND IMAGING

Regarding peroral cholangioscopy (POCS) for biliary disease, due to the recent appearance of a video cholangioscope that can obtain high‐quality images, it is possible to observe subtle changes of the biliary mucosa. In addition to the conventional observation method using POCS, the biliary mucosa with also observed with narrow band imaging (NBI) in one case of chronic cholangitis and four cases of extra hepatic bile duct tumor (three surgical cases). In the conventional observation method, the vessels in the surface layer of the biliary mucosa could be observed more clearly using NBI. In one case in which a tumor was observed, the irregularity of the biliary mucosa became clear on NBI, and the vessels inside a papillary tumor could also be easily observed. In another case of bile duct tumor, the conventional observation method showed a region in the proximity of the tumor where the vessels could not be seen clearly, but they could be seen clearly on NBI. In all of the cases, the bile juice was seen as red on NBI, which disturbed the observation. With POCS using NBI, it was possible to observe the vessels and irregularities in the surface layer of the biliary mucosa more clearly than with conventional observation methods.     

Obstinate cough as a sole presenting symptom of non-metastatic renal cell carcinoma

Renal cell carcinoma (RCC) causes many kinds of symptoms such as hypercalcemia, hypertension, polycythemia and fever. Here we describe a rare case of RCC presenting with a persistent cough. After radical nephrectomy, the obstinate cough disappeared. When the tumor recurred locally, the cough also recurred. Furthermore, the cough disappeared completely again after the removal of the recurrent tumor. Although all the clinical findings suggested that the RCC caused the cough, we could not identify a specific humoral substance responsible for the cough.     

Prophylactic effect of UFT on the recurrence of bladder cancer

To evaluate the effect of UFT, a mixture of ftorafur and uracil in a ratio of 1:4, in preventing postoperative recurrence of bladder cancer, we performed a randomized controlled study with a non-medication group as control. UFT was given orally 400 mg a day for 6 months. Of 111 patients, 56 were given UFT and 55 were followed up without any medication. The non-recurrence rate in the group treated with UFT was 62.8% after 1 year and 36.3% after 2 years of follow up, and that of the control group was 45.7% and 39.5%, respectively. The rate of non-recurrence in the UFT group was significantly higher (p less than 0.05) than that of the control group during the period of follow up for 2 years. The incidence of side effects was 6.8% in UFT patients. These results indicate the clinical usefulness of prophylactic administration of UFT for bladder cancer patients.