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The effect of subdiaphragmatic vagotomy on food intake and defecation was studied in guinea pigs. Weights of food and feces were measured for at least three weeks after vagotomy. The weight of daily food intake and feces evacuated increased about 15 and 30% after vagotomy compared with controls whereas it did not change in sham operated animals. The weight of scybalum decreased after vagotomy although the number increased markedly. It was considered that an increase in food intake after vagotomy may result from blocking of satiety signals mediated by the vagus; moreover, that the increase in feces may depend on the enhancement of scybalum formation in the proximal colon resulting from increasing food intake and transportation of the larger amount of the contents after vagotomy.

A total of 45 cases of multiple myeloma has been followed up clinically during the period from 7 to 80 months. Out of these, six patients (13.3%) were diagnosed to be the tumor-forming type; they developed discrete tumor formation at the disease onset or during clinical observation. Biological behavior of these cases is briefly outlined. Histologically, five cases presented with well or moderately well differentiated plasma cells according to the grading made by Pasmantier and Azar. The remaining one case was poorly differentiated in cell maturity, and with electron and immunofluorescence microscopies, proved to be of plasmacytic nature.

Serum glutamic oxaloacetic transaminase (GOT), mitochondrial GOT (GOTm), glutamic-pyruvic transaminase (GPT) and glutamate dehydrogenase activities were determined in 43 healthy controls and in 280 cases of liver diseases. A simplified column chromatographic method coupled with UV assay was employed for separation of GOTm. The activity was measured by following decrease in abosrbance of NADH at 340 nm. The lowest activity of GOTm determined with a coefficient of variation below 10% was 6 mIU/ml. High GOTm activities were found in acute hepatitis (acute stage), subacute hepatitis and primary biliary cirrhosis and were generally associated with high total GOT (GOTt) activities. The activity ratio of GOTm/GOTt varied depending on the stage and severity of liver diseases. The GOTm/GOTt ratio was decreased in acute, fulminant and subacute hepatitides. No significant reduction in the ratio was found in bile duct obstruction, alcoholic liver injury or metastatic liver cancer. Although relatively high GOTm/GOTt ratios were found in some patients with severe hepatic injury, they had no definite association with poor prognosis. These results indicate that the marked elevation in GOTt over GPT in advanced chronic hepatitis, liver cirrhosis and primary hepatoma was mainly due to preferential leakage of cytoplasmic GOT (GOTs).

Combined inoculation of a cell-free extract of leukotic tissue of D103 mice and Salmonella typhimurium into adult Swiss mice induced leukosis and solid tumors. The induced solid tumors were histologically multifarious, and were transplantable in Swiss mice, but not in other strains of mice.

Vectorcardiogram (VCG) recorded by both the Frank and Kimura systems were examined in 45 patients with complete right bundle branch block (RBBB) and left axis deviation (LAD) to investigate the relationship seen on electrocardiogram (ECG) between RBBB with LAD and bilateral bundle. The sample included: 13 cases of type SI, SII, SIII, SaVF; 21 cases of type SI, SII, SIII, aVF; and 11 cases of types SI, SII, SIII. VCG recorded by the Frank system were classified into seven types according to the QRS loop pattern on the frontal plane and into three types according to the horizontal plane. The main findings were: (a) In the Frank system the QRS loop in the frontal plane showed a variety of patterns in RBBB with LAD. (b) On VCG of complete RBBB judged complicated by a left anterior hemiblock by the Frank system, the main portion of the QRS loop extended to the left superior or merely to the left in the frontal plane. The direction of rotation and position on the horizontal plane were not consistent. (c) The results of this study suggest the usefulness of the Kimura system as an auxiliary diagnostic technique.

A hard fibroma of the urinary bladder was found in an autopsy case of a 69 year-old female. The tumor, 10x9x6 cm, occurred in the superior wall of the bladder. Ultrastructurally, the principal cells of the tumor were myofibroblasts. Fibroblasts and fibrocytes were also present. Including our case, the number of reported cases of pure fibroma of the urinary bladder in Japan is 12. These are reviewed briefly.

Human cells derived from malignant tumors (HeLa, HEp-2 and KB) and human cells transformed by tumor viruses (KCand RSb) formed syncytia by simian sarcoma virus type I (SSV-I/SSAV-I), but human diploid or non-transformed cells (WI-38, HEL and HEC) did not.

Catalase was partially purified (about 380-fold purification) from the post-mitochondrial supernatant of bovine heart and compared with catalases from bovine erythrocytes and bovine liver. The electrophoretic mobility in polyacrylamide gel (pH 8.0) of heart catalase was the same as that of erythrocyte catalase and was smaller than that of the liver enzyme. The heart catalase was indistinguishable from erythrocyte catalase in regard to the molecular weights of subunit polypeptides, the inhibition patterns produced by several catalase inhibitors, and specific activity. The pH-activity curve of heart catalase consisted of a characteristic biphasic pattern with a peak at pH 7.5 and a shoulder at pH 10.

RNA polymerase was extracted from the Schmidt-Ruppin strain of Rous sarcoma virus (SR-RSV)-induced C3H/He mouse ascites sarcoma cells (SR-C3H). RNA polymerase was separated into RNA polymerases I and II by DEAE-Sephadex chromatography. RNA polymerase I was separated into Ia and Ib fractions by phospho-cellulose chromatography. In SR-C3H cells RNA polymerase Ib was the main component of RNA polymerase I. At 0.05--0.1 M ammonium sulphate RNA polymerase I transcribed native DNA most actively, and RNA polymerase II transcribed denatured DNA most actively. Partial digestion of DNA by DNAase I enhanced RNA synthesis by RNA polymerases I and II. At ionic strength over 0.2 M ammonium sulphate, the initiation reaction of RNA polymerases I and II was inhibited. The initiation complexes of RNA polymerases I and II with native DNA were more stable against high salt concentration than with denatured DNA.

Biologically active peptides and neurotransmitter substances were added to anterior pituitary cell cultures to examine the presence of corticotropin releasing factor (CRF)-like activity. Hypothalamic extract (HE) induced significant dose-related increase of ACTH, and the lowest effective dose was 0.01 HE/ml. Other tested substances including luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone, thyrotropin releasing hormone, melanocyte stimulating hormone release inhibiting factor, somatostatin, substance P, neurotensin, beta-endorphin. leu-enkephalin, met-enkephalin, bradykinin, norepinephrine, dopamine, serotonin, acetylcholine, histamine, gamma-amino butyric acid or gamma-hydroxy butyric acid showed no CRF-like activity. Relatively high doses of lysine vasopressin, arginine vasopressin and angiotensin II increased the release of ACTH in pituitary cell cultures, but the maximal ACTH response was markedly less than with HE. These results indicate that cultured anterior pituitary cells are sensitive and fairly specific in detecting CRF(s) comparing with other detecting procedures.

The tubular basement membrane (TBM) (i.e. tubular basal lamina) of rat kidney was shown to be a fine meshwork by electron microscopy after negative staining. Strands of the meshwork formed a regular three dimensional lattice work. The pores of the meshwork were polygonal. There were two main pore sizes: one approximately 30 A in diameter, the other 42--60 A. In view of our previous observation that glomerular and alveolar basement membranes were made up fine meshwork, it is quite possible that the basement membranes of other organs are also made up such fine meshwork.

A study of 52 liver biopsies (47 hepatitis type B and 5 asymptomatic carriers) was performed to clarify the roles of HBe antigen (HBeAg), HB surface antigen (HBsAg) and HB core antigen (HBcAg). In this study, the Gudat classification was modified so as to classify the patterns of HB antigens into six reaction types including: type O (negative for both liver HBsAg and liver HBcAg), type III-A (characterized by a spotty HBsAg pattern) and type III-B (characterized from a sub-lobular to lobular HBsAg localization pattern). This classification enabled accurate prediction of the prognosis of hepatitis. Patients with positive serum HBeAg had either minimal hepatitis with mild clinical features or chronic aggressive hepatitis with severe clinical features. Ten patients negative for both HBeAg and HBeAb were all positive for liver HBcAg. In all 3 patients on corticosteroid administrations liver tissue was markedly positive for HBcAg and serum was usually positive for HBeAb.

A case of extravesical malacoplakia, the first case in Japan, is described in detail. The patient was a 61-year-old woman with a right flank mass. Radiologically, the mass was thought to be of the renal origin. Surgically, however, the tumor was found attached not only to the cortical surface but extended to the retroperitoneum and psoas muscle. Pathological examination confirmed the lesion to be malacoplakia characterized by the presence of von Hansemann cells and Michaelis-Gutmann bodies.

A high performance lipuid chromatographic method for the determination of urinary trichloroacetic acid, a metabolite of trichloroethylene, is described. A stainless steel column packed with Hitachi gel 2618 (H form) was used and the mobile phase was one per cent aqueous phosphoric acid. Urine can be analyzed directly without any solvent extraction or pretreatment. The minimal detection limit was 0.5 micrograms per analysis. The present method is simple and specific, and can be performed within 10 min.

Differences in urinary excretion of trichloroethylene were studied in rabbits, rats and mice. Trichloretylene (1 m mole/kg) was injected intra-peritoneally, then urinary trichloroacetic acid and trichloroethanol glucuronide were measured. The results were: 1. The ratio of total excretion of trichloroethylene metabolites to the administered trichloroethylene decreased in the order of mice, rats and rabbits. 2. The ratio of total trichloroethanol to trichloroacetic acid in urine decreased in the order of rabbits (69.2), mice (12.8) and rats (2.3). The high ratio in rabbits was due to the extremely small amount of trichloroacetic acid in the urine. 3. Differences in these two urinary metabolites in the three kinds of animals and in human subjects were discussed.

A reproducible animal model of fulminant hepatic failure was developed by intraperitoneal administration of D-galactosamine hydrochloride to Sprague-Dawley rats. Biochemical and morphological hepatic injury and brain edema resembled human fulminant hepatic failure. This model would facilitate further studies of the pathogenesis of brain dysfunction and evaluation of treatment in fulminant hepatic failure.

Peripheral blood lymphocytes and the various lymphocyte fractions from patients with cancer of the colon were cultivated with target cells (P-4788) derived from the colon cancer. Changes in the surface ultrastructure during tumor cell destruction were studied by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). P-4788 cells adhering to the coverslip showed various surface activity. The surfaces of some cells were relatively flat; others were smooth or had fine granules. Still other cells were villous, round or had marked blebs. When host lymphocytes were added to the target cells, adhesion of the two cell groups began by many fine projections. After incubation for 6 h, some lymphocytes had adhered to the target cells. Many lymphocytes had adhered to the target tumor cells by 24--48 h incubation. Ultimately the tumor cells became swollen and disrupted. Most lymphocytes adherent to the target cells had few microvilli. Lymphocytes after elimination of phagocytes by carbonyl iron treatment also adhered readily. Some target cells showed adhesion with lymphocytes passed through nylon-wool columns, although the number of lymphocytes adhering was fewer than in the case of lymphocytes not passed through nylon-wool columns. T cells were collected from lymphocytes that form rosettes with SRBC by isolation with NH4Cl. They had markedly elongated microvilli which in places were sparsely scattered and tended to be localized on the side, a finding which suggests loss of cell activity by the time of SEM. Only a few T cells adhered to target cells and they seemed to be T cells without activity. It was thought that there are cytotoxic cells among T cells and that the co-existence of T cells, non-T cells and monocytes caused target cell destruction.

In order to locate the target cells for malignant transformation by BK virus (a human papova virus) in hamster brain, electron microscopic observation of tumor originally induced in hamster brain by BK virus was performed. With light microscopy, the BK virus-induced tumor (Vn 17) bore a close resemblance to human malignant ependymoma. Under the electron microscope, numerous microvilli and few cilia were visible on the surface of the tumor cells. These tumor cells were joined to each other by desmosomes. Gap junctions were not observed. Multilayered cuboidal cells were observed around the lumen and blood vessels in the tumor. With regard to fine structure, three types of Vn 17 cells were recognized; ependymal like cells, tanycytes with prominent cell processes, and undifferentiated cells with few cytoplasmic organelles. There was no basal lamina between the ependymal cells and the connective tissue stroma. The Vn 17 cells showed some similarity to the ultrastructural features of the epemdymal cells of newborn rabbits, suggesting that the target cells for Vn 17 may be cells related to ependyma. Malignant transformation of the cells would be initiated in the early stages after BK virus inoculation into the brain of newborn hamsters.

Clinical trials of immuno-chemotherapy were conducted on malignant lymphoma patients. Patients during the period from 1972 through 1977 were allocated to two groups retrospectively according to the mode of treatment, i.e., chemotherapy alone (historical control group, 35 patients) and chemotherapy with OK-432 (treated group, 15 patients). Comparisons were made of the two groups, which were homogeneous with regard to induction chemotherapy, maintenance chemotherapy, stage and histologic type of disease. The treated group had a higher remission rate, and a longer remission duration and survival than the control groups, especially in patients with Hodgkin's disease but the difference was not statistically significant owing to the limited number of cases.