Acta Medica Okayama volume36 issue4

Serum alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) concentrations were serially determined during the period following cessation of alcohol on thirty-five medical and psychiatric patients with histories of long-term excess drinking. In all except two cirrhotics with posttransfusion hepatitis and hepatocellular carcinoma, all AFP determinations for more than 2 months following abstinencewere negative(<40ng/ml). The results suggest that AFP elevations after abstinence from alcohol should raise the question of associated viral hepatitis or hepatoma in alcoholics.

Hepatic ornithine decarboxylase and aniline hydroxylase activities increased as early as 6h after a single dosing of azathioprine tomale rats and reached maximum levels at the 12th h after the treatment. However, aniline hydroxylase activity dropped to levels mu lower than the cintrols 48 h following azathioprine treatment. The results are discussed with regard to the role of azqathioprine during the promotion of hepatocarcinogenesis.

The activity and properties of cholinesterase (ChE) of the motor endplate and its fractions were studied in isolated human skeletal muscle. This preparation was used since the ChE activity of the membrane preparation was localized only in the motor endplate. The endplate ChE was stable in the isolated membrane for 4 weeks at 4 degrees C. The specific activity of the extracted ChE of human muscle membrane was 29.6% higher than that of the original membrane. Studies with specific substrates and ChE inhibitors indicated that most of the ChE of human muscle membrane and its fractions was acetylcholinesterase, and that the minor component was pseudocholinesterase. A Michaelis-Menten constant of 3.82 mM was estimated in the endplate ChE, and 0.88 mM in the extracted ChE of the endplate. The extracted human endplate ChE was separated into three fractions by Sephadex G-200 chromatography, and into two fractions by acrylamide gel electrophoresis.

<p>plasma tyramine concentrations ewre abnormally high in cirrhotic patients with hepatic encephalopathy. Oral administration of berberine hydrochloride corrected hyperyraminemia in cirrhotics and also prevented the elevation of plasma tyramine levels following the oral tyrosine load, probably because of berberine-inhibition of bacterial tyrosine decarboxylase in the intestine. This is a new approach as Anti-amine therapy for cirrhotic patients</p>

The microvasculature of peripheral nerves in dog and human samples was studied by an injection replica scanning electron microscope (SEM) method. The three-dimensional relationship of epineural and intraneural vessels was well demonstrated by this method. Epineural vessels were made of both longitudinal arterioles and venules and also a close meshwork of capillaries. In the intraneural microvasculature, longitudinal arterioles and venules made up the perineural vessels, and grouped capillaries corresponded to the fine vasculature of intrafascicular vessels. Between epineural and intraneural vessels, there was little anastomosis but nutrient arteries ran through the epineural vasculature into the intraneural vessels. There was little interconnection of vessels among the intraneural vasculature. It was postulated that the close meshwork of the epineural layer can resist pressure from outside the peripheral nerves but that longitudinal venules seemed to be affected by pressure and tension at the localized area.

A chronic epileptic focus not resulting in generalized convulsions was induced by a microinjection of FeCl3 solution into the left anterior cortex of rats. Cyclic AMP accumulation in response to adenosine was examined in incubated slices from the cerebral cortex of animals that showed bilateral spike and slow wave complex in an electrocorticogram (ECoG) 30 to 60 days after the microinjection. Cyclic AMP accumulation after incubation with adenosine was most marked in slices from the left anterior quadrant of the cortex including a FeCl3-injected site. A medium response was observed in both the left posterior and the right anterior quadrants, but little or no response in the right posterior quadrant of the cortex.

The local graft-versus-host (GvH) reaction in (C57BL/6 X BALB/c) F1 hybrid mice, assayed by popliteal lymph node enlargement, was specifically depressed by an injection of parental lymphocytes mixed with spleen cells from F1 mice pretreated with the same parental lymphocytes. Suppressor activity of CBF1 spleen cells was obtained 7 days after inoculation of parental lymphocytes, and peaked on day 10. The suppressive activity was induced by only spleen cells from CBF1 which was inoculated Balb/c lymphocytes, but not C57BL/6 lymphocytes. The lymphocyte subpopulation responsible for the suppressive activity was noticed in T cell population.

Unilateral cystic inner ear anomalies were diagnosed in two siblings, a 9 year old boy and a 6 year old girl. X-ray examination of the temporal bone was performed, together with audiological examinations and vestibular function tests. The common tomographic X-ray findings consisted of an enlarged solitary sac type deformity of the vestibule with narrowing of the internal auditory canal, severe hypoplasia of the anterior semicircular canal and no visualized cochlea. Pure-tone audiometry revealed severe mixed type of hearing loss in the right ear in both children. The test for vestibular function showed no response to caloric testing.

Volume-time (V-T) and flow-volume (F-V) curves were measured in all the subjects of nonsmoking young males (mean value 26.3 yrs. of age), healthy and asthmatics. Eleven parameters of pulmonary function tests composed of two V-T, six F-V, and three mean time constant (MTC) parameters, were calculated from the curves. These parameters were used in the two analyses through the all possible selection procedure (APSP) discriminating between healthy adults and mild asthmatics and also between healthy and moderate. Flow rate at 75% of FVC (V75) proved to be the most useful parameter and V50 the next best in both analyses. The probability of misclassification using all eleven parameters was 19.64% in the analysis of healthy adults and mild asthmatics, and 4.29% in the analysis of healthy adults and moderate asthmatics. There was a little difference in the parameters selected at every step. The discriminant analysis proved that the flow-volume patterns were different according to the severity of bronchial asthma. Thus flow-volume recognition was considered to be important in analyzing the severity of bronchial asthma.

The portal vein system was clearly visualized in superior mesenteric arterial portography using prostaglandin E1. Angiographic examination was performed in 68 patients with various liver diseases during the 2 year period from 1980 to 1981. Twenty microgram of prostaglandin E1 was injected into the superior mesenteric artery 30 seconds before injection of 60 ml of contrast medium. The main portal vein was visualized in all of 68 cases. A high rate of success for visualization of the intrahepatic portal vein system by prostaglandin E1 was achieved. The first branches of the intrahepatic portal vein were visualized in 100% of the cases, the second branches in 82%, the third branches in 44%, and the fourth branches in 4% in the right portal vein system. In the left portal vein system, the first branches were visualized in 87%, the second branches in 41%, and the third branches in 3% of the cases. The intrahepatic portal vein system was more clearly visualized in females than in males (P less than 0.05). This procedure is simple, safe and useful for clear visualization of the portal vein system.