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Liquid laboratory waste containing osmic acid and cacodylic acid was mixed with potter's clay or hydraulic cement. The clay-waste product was kneaded into blocks and baked in a klin (1,200-1,400 degrees C). The cement-waste product was allowed to harden into concrete blocks. Some of the baked clay blocks and concrete blocks were ground, and immersed in 1 N NaOH or 10% HCI solutions for 3-6 months. X-ray microanalysis of the dried samples of these solutions showed that no leakage of osmium and arsenic occurred in the baked clay embedding, and that some leakage of these agents occurred in the concrete embedding. The present study indicates that the baked clay embedding method is useful for safe storage of dangerous laboratory wastes. Additional experiments suggested that glass embedding is also useful for safe storage of laboratory wastes or harmful metals.

A sensitive method of HLA-DRB1 typing was devised using a semi-nested polymerase chain reaction (PCR) followed by a restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) analysis (semi-nested PCR-RFLP method). The first-round amplification (30 cycles) of the semi-nested PCR was performed using DRB generic primer pairs and the second round of PCRs (20 cycles) were performed using DRB1 group-specific primers. The products of the second round PCRs were digested with restriction endonucleases for the typing of HLA-DRB1 alleles. By this method, HLA-DRB1 typing was possible from 10 pg of genomic DNA extracted from lymphocytes and from 0.5 microliter of 1,000 times diluted blood without DNA extraction. HLA-DRB1 alleles could be typed from a 2-mm long bloodstained cotton thread prepared from 10 times diluted blood and from a 2-mm thread of whole blood bloodstains stored at room temperature for 2 years. From the mixture of blood of two individuals with different genotypes, DRB1 alleles of the minor component were detected down to 1/1,000 of the major component. This semi-nested PCR-RFLP method is useful for HLA-DRB1 typing from extremely small amounts of DNA and from mixed samples.

Origins and distribution of the human inferior phrenic arteries were studied by dissecting 68 Japanese adult cadavers. The inferior phrenic arteries were usually observed as paired (left and right) vessels. Their origins were summarized as follows: a) the aorta itself (85/138 cases, 61.6%), b) the ventro-visceral arteries (celiaco-mesenteric system of the aorta) including the celiac trunk (39/138 cases, 28.2%) and the left gastric artery (4/138 cases, 2.9%), and c) the latero-visceral arteries (adreno-renal system of the aorta) including the middle adrenal artery (4/138 cases, 2.9%) and the renal artery (6/138 cases, 4.3%). The left and right arteries occasionally originated in common trunk from the aorta, celiaco-mesenteric system or adreno-renal system (22/138 cases, 15.9%). A typological diagram explaining these variations is given. The inferior phrenic arteries, especially the left ones, sometimes issued visceral or esophageal branches. This fact indicates that the inferior phrenic arteries are homologous with the celiac trunk and mesenteric arteries. It is further discussed that the celiac trunk and mesenteric arteries are originally paired vessels, through introduction of our previous typological diagram of the abdominal arteries.

<p>A female patient who died of apparent postradiation sarcoma in the inguinal region after irradiating a metastatic squamous cell carcinoma of the same site was reported. For approximately 20 months, the patient had received a total of 6,600 and 9,600 Roentgen to the right para-aortic and inguinal areas, respectively. About 10 years later, she developed a sarcoma, namely a malignant fibrous histiocytoma. Sputum cytology demonstrated numerous giant cells with bizarre nuclei; subsequent chest films also presented apparent metastatic tumor shadows. The cellular characteristics and also rather low incidence of detection of nonepithelial malignant tumor by sputum cytology were briefly discussed, and ways of enhancing cytodiagnostic accuracy were proposed.</p>

After grinding the tubercle bacilli cells, both human virulent strain, H37Rv, and avirulent strain, H37Ra, cultured in 5auton's medium, and obtaining three fractions of R1, S1 and R2 (R1, the first sediment; S1, the second supernatant; and R2, the second sediment) by the ultracentrifugation, the authors studied the enzymatic activities and the antigenic capacity against infection of these fractions; and obtained the following results: 1) Although the R1-fraction confers the defensive forte to mice in some degree, because of the presence of living bacilli in the fraction, it is difficult to decide definitely whether the defensive force owes its capability to this fraction or to living bacilli at the present stage of our experiment. 2) The S1-fraction possesses enzymatic activity on various substrates, but it does not confer animal any defensive force against infection. 3) The R2-fraction specifically oxidizes lactate and succinate" and it can markedly impart animal the defensive ability against infection.

By physically destroying typhoid bacilli and centrifuging at a high speed, an insoluble granular fraction (P1) and soluble fraction (S1) were obtained. Chemical and enzymologic properties of these substances as well as their influences on the protective ability against infection were studied; and the following results were attained: 1. P1 contains an extremely small amount of proteins when compared with S1. 2. The enzymologic activity of P1 is entirely different from that of S1. In P1 the respiratory enzyme system of only lactate and succinate is localized. 3. Although both P1 and S1 possess the antibody-producing ability in serum of rabbit to the same high degree, P1 imparts to mice a markedly high protective ability against infection. 4. By the heat-treatment of P1 its antigenicity is lost at the same time.

We succeeded in the extraction of a substance from beef cornea and rabbit muscle, that markedly inhibits mitosis of sea urchin eggs. The substance extracted from beef cornea is non-dialysable and it can be separated into three fractions by DEAE-cellulose column. Although everyone of these fractions has an antimitotic action, that of fractions II and III is especially marked. These fractions are one of nucleoproteins that have adenine as base. The substance extracted from rabbit muscle is dialysable, and when it is fractionated through DEAE-cellulose column into three fractions, fraction I has no antimitotic effect but fractions II and III have it. Fraction II is one of nucleoproteins that have hypoxanthine as base. Carnin obtained from beef cornea or from rabbit muscle shows a typical protein wave, but after being treated with gas by passing oxygen through cornin solution the wave height is lowered. Carnin, however, is a very stable substance when kept dry in a desiccator.

Both the cornea and muscle cornins have no effect at all on oxygen uptake of tissue, and likewise they catalase affect Qctivity not in any way. The corneacornin has an effect to reduce P/O ratio to about one half, but the muscle cornin does not show such an effect. Both comins decrease thc incorporation of P³² into nucleic acid fraction and DNA synthesis. In the ultracentrifugal analysis of nucleic acids during development of sea urchin eggs, cornins inhibit the polymerization of nucleic acids. In addition, both of these comins depress the incorporation of P³² into DNA and ribosome RNA of regenerating rat liver. Both comins inhibit the increase of -SH quantities before the cleavage of sea urchin eggs.

Scanning electron microscope (SEM) observations were conducted mainly on the in vitro interaction state between ]TC-II cells derived from Ehrlich ascites tumor and regional lymph node cells obtained from the mice I0 days after transplantation of Ehrlich ascites tumor. Cells cultured on the cover glass were fixed with glutaraldehyde, dehydrated with graded acetone solution, and covered with carbon and gold, were observed by SEM. The results may be briefly summarized as follows. On the surface of ]TC.II cells themselves are seen numerous fine microvilli projecting out regularly at right angle to the cell surface, which become attached to the glass, and there can be observed vacuoles in the cytoplasm. Such microvilli are lacking at the tip of the pseudopodial projection. The lymph node cells aggregated to ]TC-II cell are lymphocytes of small or intermediate size, and the pattern of aggregation varies: some lymphocytes effect an intimate contact with the surface of target cell by their cellular projections; the contact is achieved by interdigitation of microvilli between lymphocyte and target cell; b:>th cells form a bridge connection with a simple projection from each; or the two cells make a broad surface.to.surface contact. It is not possible to differentiate sensitized lymphocyte from nonsensitized one, their cell shape is spherical with rough surface and some cells show hole on the surface.

A 40-year-old man with valvular heart disease was successfully treated using a left ventricular assist device (LVAD) after open heart surgery. Echocardiography revealed left ventricular ejection fraction (LV-EF) at LVAD on/off: 23.4%/14.6% on the 4th, 23.8%/23.8% on the 5th, and 23.8%/26.8% on the 6th postoperative day (POD), respectively. The patient was weaned from LVAD on the 8th POD and discharged from the hospital on the 58th POD. The LV-EF improved to 54% 6 months after surgery and increased from 57% to 64% in response to exercise stress testing 1 year after surgery.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of topical treatment with zinc oxide (2.5%, 10%, 25% and 50%) and intraperitoneal treatment with diethyldithiocarbamate (DEDTC) (50 mg/kg, 500 mg/kg and 1,000 mg/kg) on the mitotic index of epidermal basal cells in incised and non-incised mouse skin. The present results showed that topical application of zinc oxide (25% and 50%) increased the mitotic index of epidermal basal cells in incised skin and non-incised skin. Conversely, intraperitoneal administration of DEDTC (500 mg/kg and 1,000 mg/kg) decreased the mitotic index, but only in the incised skin. These results suggest that mitosis of epidermal basal cells may be stimulated by the topical application of zinc oxide both in incised and non-incised mouse skin, and that it also may be inhibited by the intraperitoneal administration of DEDTC in incised mouse skin.

The aim of this study was to investigate the usefulness of magnetic resonance (MR) imaging in the evaluation of renal function, with particular attention to the effects of water load. Ten healthy volunteers underwent dynamic MR imaging after an injection of gadolinium diethylene-triaminepenta-acetic acid (Gd-DTPA) as a contrast agent to evaluate renal function by the following four methods: the positive method [longitudinal relaxation time (T1) shortening is the dominant effect], the negative method [transverse relaxation time (T2) shortening is the dominant effect] and two intermediate methods by switching the Gd-DTPA concentrations used in the positive and negative methods. A prolonged cortical peak time and a reduced medullary peak level were observed by the positive method under a dehydrated condition, suggesting that these variables were slightly influenced by Gd-DTPA concentrated in the medulla. By the negative method, low signals due to T2* (T2* is the effective transverse relaxation time, typically shorter than T2) shortening appeared in the medulla under normal conditions, but these signals were unclear when the subject was under an overhydrated condition. These results indicate that water metabolism, in addition to imaging parameters and Gd-DTPA dose levels, should be considered when renal function is evaluated by dynamic MR imaging. Analysis of both the pattern of MR images and the time-signal intensity curves may be useful in the evaluation of renal function. The results also indicate that the positive method is preferred when the patient is overhydrated as it allows the evaluation of the local renal kinetic function by recording changes in the regional contrast agent levels.

Neurons with strongly negatively charged surface coats were recognized in mammalian, avian, reptilian, amphibian and piscine brains. Many large-sized neurons had strongly negatively charged surface coats in the visual cortex and brain stem of the cow, cat, guinea pig, mouse, quail and parakeet. Such neurons were also seen in the brain stem of the lower vertebrates such as the house lizard, Japanese terrapin, bullfrog, newt, carp and sweetfish.

The plantar metatarsal arteries of some mammals were studied. In the dog, raccoon dog and cat, the second proximal perforating branch was fully developed and produced the plantar metatarsal arteries. These plantar metatarsal arteries ran on the plantar surfaces of the interosseous muscles along the metatarsal bones or intermetatarsal spaces, and gave rise to the digital arteries of the second to fifth toes. In the rabbit, a branch of the medial plantar artery ran transversely on the plantar surfaces of the metatarsal bones at a level distal to the bases of these bones, and produced the plantar metatarsal arteries. These plantar metatarsal arteries ran deep in the interosseous muscles along the metatarsal bones or intermetatarsal spaces, and joined with the digital arteries which were derived from the medial plantar artery. The plantar metatarsal arteries could be classified into four kinds of arteries (sM, sI, dM and dI) in relation to the interosseous muscles and metatarsal bones. This classification largely coincides with that of the human hand and foot (Murakami, 1969, 1971), the monkey hand and foot (Nakai et al., 1987; Hinenoya et al., 1987), and the forepaws of some animals, including the dog and cat (Murakami et al., 1987).

The interosseous and lumbrical muscles in twenty-five hands of Japanese adult cadavers were dissected. The palmar and dorsal interosseous muscles continued, with few exceptions, into the wing tendons. The dorsal interosseous muscles gave off tendons which pierced the transverse laminae or passed deep to the transverse laminae, and attached to the bases of the proximal phalanges. The palmar interosseous muscles seldom had such attachments. The palmar and dorsal interosseous muscles sometimes gave off additional tendons which passed superficial to the transverse laminae and attached to the bases of the proximal phalanges. These latter attachments were typical in the contrahentes muscles. Thus, the present findings suggest that the human dorsal interosseous muscles are composite muscles derived from the dorsal abductor, flexor brevis and contrahens muscles, and that the human palmar interosseous muscles are composite muscles derived from the flexor brevis and contrahens muscles. The lumbrical muscles rarely gave off accessory slips with atavistic attachments to the proximal phalanges.

The deep palmar muscles in monkey hands were studied. The contrahentes muscles mainly arose from the capitate bone, descended palmar to the deep palmar branch of the ulnar nerve and the palmar metacarpophalangeal nerves, and attached to the proximal phalanges or wing tendons of the second, fourth and fifth fingers. In relation to the deep palmar branch of the ulnar nerve and the palmar metacarpophalangeal nerves, the contrahentes muscles are homologous with the adductor pollicis and flexor indicis radialis muscles. The contrahentes muscles occasionally gave off some accessory slips which blended with the interosseous muscles. These findings suggest that the human adductor pollicis muscle is a well-developed remnant of a contrahens muscle, and that the human interosseous muscles contain some remnant of the contrahentes muscle. In fact, a well-developed remnant of a contrahens muscle was found in the fourth finger of a human hand. It is further considered that the human adductor pollicis muscle contains an element of the interosseous muscle of the thumb.

Activation of inflammatory response during cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) may lead to considerable post-operative mortality. Recently, pentoxifylline (PTX), a methylxanthine derivative, has been reported to be effective in inhibiting proinflammatory cytokine production. This study aimed to determine whether or not PTX prevented CPB-induced systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS) in patients undergoing cardiovascular surgery. Thirty adult patients were randomly separated into 2 experimental groups and 1 control group of 10 patients each. The experimental group received peroral PTX administration (Group 1: 600 mg/day, Group 2: 900 mg/day), while the control group did not. In Group 1 and Group 2, PTX administration was started on preoperative day 5 and continued for 5 days. Serum levels of PTX and IL-6 were measured just before and at 4 h after CPB using HPLC and ELISA, respectively. Respiratory index (RI) before and at 4 h after CPB was calculated, and serum levels of C-reactive protein (CRP) and fibrinogen on postoperative day 1 were also determined. There were no significant differences in age, body weight, sex, surgical procedures, CPB time, haemodynamics or risk factors among the 3 groups. Serum IL-6 level and RI index after CPB in Group 2 were significantly decreased compared with those in Group 1 and the control group. These results, therefore, suggested that preoperative daily administration of 900 mg/day PTX contributed to the attenuation of CPB-induced SIRS and had a beneficial effect on the postoperative course after cardiovascular surgery.

Anorectal melanoma is a rare malignant tumor with a poor prognosis. However, several studies have reported cases of long-term survival. In this report, we present a patient with anorectal melanoma who has survived for 9 years after endoscopic mucosal resection. An 85-year-old man was referred to our hospital for further examination and treatment of an anal tumor 2cm in size. Endoscopic ultrasonography revealed that the depth of tumor invasion was confined to the submucosal layer. Endoscopic mucosal resection was performed, and the tumor was diagnosed as a malignant melanoma. The patient was followed without any additional treatment, which was per his wishes. Although melanoma recurred 4 times thereafter, endoscopic mucosal resection was performed for each recurrent lesion. Thus, he has been alive for 9 years since the first endoscopic mucosal resection without distant metastases. If the depth of tumor invasion is shallow, endoscopic mucosal resection is a useful option among other therapeutic modalities.

Ether and restraint stress-induced peripheral plasma corticotropin releasing hormone (CRH), arginine vasopressin (AVP), oxytocin (OXY) and adrenocorticotropin (ACTH) levels were measured by radioimmunoassays. Plasma CRH, AVP, OXY and ACTH rose to approximately twice the level of control rats 2 min after the onset of a 1-min exposure to ether. Plasma CRH rose further 5 min after the onset of ether stress, while plasma AVP and OXY returned to the baseline levels at 5 min. Plasma CRH, OXY and ACTH showed significant elevation 2 min after the onset of restraint stress, while plasma AVP did not show a significant change. Plasma OXY and ACTH rose further 5 min after the onset of restraint stress, whereas plasma CRH returned to baseline levels. CRH and OXY concentrations in the hypothalamic median eminence decreased 5 min after the onset of ether exposure and restraint, while the AVP concentration did not differ from control levels. The results, including the discrepancy between plasma CRH and ACTH 5 min after stress, suggest that CRH in the peripheral plasma is derived from both hypothalamic and extrahypothalamic tissues. The levels of stress-induced CRH in the peripheral plasma were sufficient to stimulate ACTH release. These results suggest that ether and restraint stress elevate plasma CRH shortly after the onset of the stress, and that this elevation in the plasma CRH level is at least partly responsible for stress-induced ACTH secretion.

A retrospective study on postoperative complications and factors affecting prognosis was performed on elderly patients with gastric cancer. We studied the correlation of age, pathological depth, preoperative laboratory data, physical status, duration of surgery, volume of blood loss, blood transfusion, curability, and extent of lymph node dissection to postoperative complications and prognosis in 47 patients with gastric cancer over 80 years old. Preoperative function of lung and liver frequently showed abnormal data. Postoperative complications were noted in 47% of patients, especially in the pulmonary system, liver and heart. Curability and extent of lymph node dissection were the significant factor affecting survival. Some mortalities caused by initial malignancy were recognized in the conservative lymph node dissection in the stage I . The incidence of postoperative complications was not significantly different according to extent of lymph node dissection. Blood transfusion was the only significant factor for the incidence of postoperative complication. The most frequent cause of death was the initial malignancy. We recommend that a low grade lymph node dissection should not be readily chosen for elderly patients in early cases.