検索

1. When the various anticancer agents are injected intravenously to normal rabbits and intraperitoneally to normal mice, it seems that the serum properdin levels fall transitorily for some hours after administration with a small dose and then keep rising, but with a massive dose it continues to fall from the beginning. 2. The properdin level is decreased considerably by Thio-TEPA and Carzinophilin; moderately by Mitomycin C; and slightly by M. H. OX-substance hardly changes the level and 8-azaguanine rather has a tendency to raise the level. 3. The administration of most anticancer agents seems to suppress the properdin system. 4. The influence of these agents on human serum properdin is similar to that of rabbits. 5. The properdin levels keep at high titers in the group to which the agents act effectively on the cancer, but the levels fall down more rapidly and animals die earlier in the group to which the agents act ineffectively on the cancer as compared with the control group.

For the purpose to reveal whether or not the liver and the cell organellae are responsible for the abnormal metabolism of polysaccharides found in cancer bearing individuals, the author analyzed the liver and ascites with tumor cells of AH 130 hepatoma bearing rats biochemically with some histochemical observations. A quantitative increase in polysaccharides accompanied by the production of unusual polysaccharides is found in the supernatant of liver from cancer bearing rats, but not from mitochondrial or microsomal fractions. Tumor cells themselves and ascites fluid do not contain the abnormal polysaccharides found in the liver supernatant.

1. The properdin levels in sera from mice bearing Ehrlich ascitic carcinoma and from rabbits with Brown-Pearce carcinoma decrease inversely with the increase of the ascites or the tumors. In the incipient period of tumor transplantation, the level rather rises. When the tumor is proliferating or large, the level keeps falling or is low. On the contrary, when the tumor is regressing or disappears, the level elevates or reverts to that before transplantation. Strong A and R III mice with spontaneous mammary cancer have markedly low serum properdin levels as compared with those of healthy mice. 2. The properdin levels are less than 2 units per milliliter of the serum in 44.4 per cent of patients with gastric cancer, in 18.2 per cent of ones with non-malignant tumor and in 18.2 per cent of ones with gastric or duodenal ulcer. The abnormal low level has been found in 33.3 per cent of patients without recurrence, who had undergone extended radical gastrectomy combined with radical lymphadenectomy for gastric cancer. 3. Some correlation can be seen between the serum properdin levels and the degree of progress of gastric cancer. 4. The cancer patients with low total serum protein have lower serum properdin levels than those having nomal protein. 5. As for influence of surgical operation on the serum properdin levels, there is observed a tendency that a minor operation causes the levels to increase and a major operation causes the levels to fall. 6. It has been inferred that the properdin system could be one of the host natural resistance against cancer.

The author studied the distribution of polysaccharides and the amino-acid composition of cytoplasmic organellae, the problems that have come to call a great interest in the field of studies on cancer bearing animals. And also biochemical and electron microscopic observations were carried out to study the influences of cytoplasmic organellae in the cancer cells (AH 130), the livers of cancer bearing animals, and normal liver on the catalase activity of the liver. The results obtained are as follows : Cytoplasmic organellae of various cells do not affect so markedly the hexose metabolism of the liver. As for the amino-acid pattern of cytoplasmic organellae of various cells studied by paperchromatography, it is interesting to note that the pattern of the liver of cancer bearing animals, shows lack in histidine, while in can~er tissue and in the liver of cancer bearing animals an increase in phenylalanine can be observed. The decrease in the liver catalase activity is caused by the primary factor of cancer cells, especially their microsomes, and also by the secondary factor of the liver mitochondria in cancer bearing animals. On the other hand, the mitochondria of cancer cells, instead of reducing the catalase activity in the liver, markedly increases the catalase activity. By the morphological changes observed with light microscope and electron microscope, liver cells revealed marked morphological differences, proving that the microsomes of hepatoma cell induce considerably marked changes in the liver, while the mitochondria of hepatoma cell, on the contrary, induce the hypertrophy of liver cells. Sirriilarly in the electron microscopic observations the mitochondria of mouse liver injected with cancer mitochondria are enlarged, but no destruction of cellular structures such as cristae can be recognized. Also microbodies and the growing process of mitochondria can be observed, but no marked changes in endoplasmic reticulum.

1. Clinical and histological evaluation of so-called chorioepithelioma malignum and hydatidiform mole has been made on the cases treated at the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Okayama University Hospital during the 20year period friom 1939 to 1958. 2. CC has been confirmed to be a poor risk in the treatment than CA and SE. 3. The two-year cure rate and the five-year cure rate yield an approximate value in each of CC, CA and SE, so that the two-year survival would be an ideal index for determination of the prognosis. 4. It may be pointed out that CC would indicate a tendency of a higher gonadotropin content suggestive of the poor prognosis, provided the disease contain a greater number of La-cells comparing to Sy-cells. 5. Metastasis of CA is not so infrequent as has been formerly believed, and there were two cases, which proved to be a typical SE and had metastasis to the vaginal wall. 6. Concerning the last labor preceding the chorioepithelioma, it has been clarified that the disease occurs more frequently following spontaneous abortion rather than after artificial abortion. 7. It is noted that the mole showing a marked proliferation of the trophoblasts entailed CC. However, in order to evaluate a correlation of the histological findings of the mole with chance occurrence of the subsquent CC, further study on the cases is required.

A photo tube dew-point hygrometer is used for measuring humidity of respiratory gases, which are in varying conditions. It makes it possible to make an accurate, precise, continuous and automatic recording of the dew point of gas flows. The most notable features of this device are: (1) Simplicity of calculating absolute humidity, since the humidity is indicated with dew point. (2) Calibration is easy and reliable. (3) Performance is stable, and its operation and maintenance are simple. (4) Indication is correct and unaffected by temperature. (5) There is good response to any quick changes in humidity. (6) There is continuous and automatic recording of humidity, especially with simultaneous temperature measurements on the same paper. (7) Impurities such as the vapors of organic substances or volatile agents do not affect the performance. Simple wiping can eliminate the disturbance from mirror contamination. (8) The entire apparatus is on a cart and easily movable. This device provides a new method of studying the functional relationship between humidity and various respiratory states, and it is hoped it will contribute much to physiological and clinical investigations. The principle and structure of the "automatic D.P. hygrometer", the apparatus and method for practical hygrometry and obtained results are described and discussed.

With the purpose to elucidate the relation between the enzyme activity and the morphology of mitochondria the author carried out histochemical and biochemical investigations of cytochrome oxidase and succinic dehydrogenase activities of liver cells obtained at various intervals after the oral administration of CCl4, to male rats. And the data were compared with those reported in the first report. In the normal liver histochemically demonstrable cytochrome c oxidase activity and succinic dehydrogenase activity can be seen in parenchymal cells. In both cases the cells lying in the peripheral area show a more intense activities than those in the central part of liver lobules. The activity of cytochrome c oxidase falls markedly 5 to 6 hours after the CCl4, administration, while the activity of succinic dehydrogenase is retained almost at normal level for about 20 hours. Quantitative estimation of the succinic dehydrogenase activity of tissue homogenate revealed a transient rise in the activity 90 minutes after the CCl4, administration, and thereafter the values have been kept in almost normal level by 20 hours though a gradually fall has been seen in this period with a marked degree at 22nd hour. Taking the changes of minute structure occurring at each stage into consideration, which have been reported in the previous paper, the author concludes that the activity of succinic dehydrogenase is closely correlated with the maintenance of double membraneous structure of mitochondria, but the activity of cytochrome c oxidase is reduced by the swelling of mitochondria.

The author examined with electron microscope the rod-shaped bacteria obtained from the human mouth, which were peritrichous and Gram stain positive. Observations revaled the granules of 15 mμ-25 mμ in size being arranged neatly and hexagonally in the cell wall. Moreover, these granules were found to detach themselves quite readily by a slight physical process, disclosing the underlying layer. These seemed to show most probably a portion of the fine structure in the cell wall of an unidentified bacterium from the human mouth.

Neomyographic examinations were made by the authors on 28 patients. The extent of reconvalescence was measured on the basis of changes in the values recorded by the myograms taken before and after the treatment.

Attempts were made to identify menstrual blood by means of paper electrophoresis with preparation of extracts of menstrual blood isolated under various conditions and mixed with human fibrin. Also similar analyses were conducted with blood aspirated from the median cubital vein of a woman during menstruation as well as from a man as the control, also with extracts of lochial blood from a woman after normal delivery, and of the blood obtained at arrtificial abortion. Animal fibrins (from rabbit, mouse, steer, and guinea pig) were also used to see the lytic action of the bloods. The following are the results of the present experiments. 1. The identification of menstrual blood by means of paper electrophoresis is a simple method in legal medicine and its electrophorogram is an excellent method to offer an evidence of proof for mentrual blood. 2. By this method it is possible to identify the menstrual bloodstain even after the lapse of time as much as 6 months. 3. It is possible to identify even putrefied menstrual bloodstain. 4. In the case where the material stained with menstrual blood is found in water, it is not possible to identify the menstrual blood by this method. 5. When the menstrual blood is heated at 60°C over 30 minutes, it becomes impossible to identify it by this method. 6. In the case of venous blood during menstruation fibrinolytic product can be detected only on the first day of menstruation, but since it appears only in trace, it is easy to differentiate it from menstrual blood. 7. As for lochial blood the fibrinolytic product can be detected only in the blood obtained on the first and second days of puerperium, but the amount being so slight that it can readily be distinguished from menstrual blood. 8. In the case of the blood obtained at artificial abortion fibrinolytic product appears just as much as in the case of menstrual blood, and thus it is impossible to differentiate it from mentrual blood by this method. 9. As for the use of human fibrin it is best to employ it while it isdresh, but the human fibrin up to 6 days old can be used. However, the older is the human fibrin the lesser the fibrinolytic product detectable. 10. In the case using animal fibrins mixed with the extract of menstrual blood some do produce fibrinolytic product in trace, but since there is a danger of also producing the fibrinolytic product-like substance in venous blood, it is advisable not to use animal fibrins.

The human tumor H. Ep. #3 maintained in rats could be transferred for 1-8 generations in treated guinea pigs. H. Ep. #3 grew in the subcutaneous and intramuscular sites in each host at the same time. The treatment with the combination of X-ray 250 r. and 80 mg/kg of cortisone turned out to be the optimal conditioning studied. The number of tumor takes averaged 95.7-100 per cent in the subcutaneous site in guinea pigs treated with optimal conditioning, but in the intramuscular site, the number of tumor takes was 65.2-93.8 per cent. Host mortality varied from 4.2-37.5 per cent in the hosts treated with optimal conditioning. The subcutaneous tumor weights in hosts treated with optimal conditioning averaged 3.3 gm, and their intramuscular tumor weights averaged 5.6-6.2 gm. Tumor weights in hosts treated with only cortisone averaged 1-2 gm in both subcutaneous and intramuscular sites. Histological findings. for the original tumors were found to be the same as that for the successful transplanted tumors in the guinea pigs. The malignancy of the tumor was evaluated by the criteria of anaplasia, invasion, rapidity of growth, and ease of maintenance of transplants. There was no metastasis found in any organs.

Through the use of an automatic photo tube dew-point hygrometer, the author succeeded in measuring dew point of gas flows continuously in anesthetic circuits. Simultaneous thermometries were done on the nasal or oral mucosa, on the respiratory gas flows in the anesthetic mask or the endotracheal tube, and on the gas in the inhaling conduit. Experiments were performed on ten adults patients undergoing various types of surgery under general inhalation anesthesia. Anesthetic technics were varied intentionally during the measurements. Thus, both absolute and relative humidities of exhaled and inhaled gases, and respiratory water and heat losses were calculated under various anesthetic conditions, and physiological and clinical considerations were discussed. The conclusions obtained from this research are as follows: (1) When a non-rebreathing system is applied, moisture content of exhaled gas is minimal, and respiratory losses of both water and heat are maximum. With a semi-closed circle method, according to decreasing fresh gas flows, the humidity of the inspiratory and expiratory gases becomes higher, and both heat and water losses through respiration are lessened. When a closed circle method, with carbon dioxide absorption, is employed, temperature and humidity of gas in the inhaling conduit are highest, and the expired gas offers the maximum temperature and moisture contenL Both water and heat losses from anesthesia become minimal when administered in a closed system. (2) While the water and heat that a patient loses through respiration increase with increasing breathing capacity, they are still small parts of the total water and heat losses of the patient. Water and heat losses via anesthesia systems are not so predominant in maintaining water balance and heat regulation of patients during anesthesia and surgery.

With the purpose to see if GABOB is in any way concerned with the mechanism of the epileptic attack observations were carried on the oxygen consumption of the brain homogenates of rabbits, normal and CLA, and of human, epileptic and non-epileptic. The experiment proved that the oxygen consumption is increased in the epileptic brain and in the brain of CLA rabbit. It was raised by adding ATP-Na salt or DPN, but GABOB itself showed only a slight effect. The results suggested that the oxygen consumption of brain is not so closely correlated with GABOB, but there is a possibility that the decrease in GABOB contents in epileptic brain by the accelerated decomposition with its elevated oxygen consumption may be correlated to the epileptic attack, though the final conclusion requires further observations.

The biological specificity of GABOB on the blood pressure, respiration and body temperature was observed in dogs. The results show that GABOB has the similar action as GABA on the lowering of blood pressure as shown by subcutaneous, intravenous or intrathecal injection, but loses its action on the respiration. The specificity of GABOB action on the blood pressure is seen in the initiation of the effect at which the transient rise in pressure can be seen, the like of which can never be seen in the case of GABA injection. The lowering mechanism of GABOB on blood pressure should be the central one as the intrathecal injection is most effective comparing with those of intravenous and subcutaneous injection.

For the purpose to reveal the metabolic pathway of GABOB the analyses were performed with the GABOB containing fluid perfused through the liver and the brain of rabbits, and the following results were obtained. Qualitative observations by paperchromatography on the fluid containing GABOB after perfusing the organs proved the presence of some amino acids. These were identified as glycine, glutamic acid and glutamine. The observation on the GABOBcontaining fluid perfused the organs showed a decrease in GABOB and an increase in these amino acids. Quantitative observation proved a considerable increase in glycive and a moderate increase in glutamic acid and glutamine with a marked decrease in the amount of GABOB injected. From these results it is believed that GABOB is decomposed into glycine and acetic acid probably passing the stage of γ-aminoacetoacetic acid in one way and into glutamic acid by the transamination of GABOB with α-ketoglutaric acid in the other.

A number of derivatives and related compounds of lumisantonin were submitted to evaluatien for the action of histamine-release inhibition and antiinflammatory effect, as they structurally resemble guaiazulene in which these actions had been proved. Nineteen compounds of these suppressed 50 per cent or more of the increase in urinary excretion of histamine due to ovomucoid injection. Five of them markedly inhibited all the edemas in the rat hind paws induced by local inoculation of dextran, hyaluronidase, histamine, and 5-hydroxytryptamine. Among these compounds, #32(methyl pyrophotosantoninate) showed a superior effect of inhibition than guaiazulene on all of these edemas, although the effects of two drugs were comparable in the case of oral administration. The members showing the edema inhibition likewise evidently protected passive cutaneous anaphylaxis in guinea pigs by the intraperitoneal administration; the effect of #32 was more marked than guaiazulene. This effect could be observed when applied to the skin with an ointment containing the compouhd in a concentration of more than 0.03 per cent 24 hours before. In vitro histamine releases from the minced lung tissue of sensitized guinea pig elicited by antigen and sinomenine were both inhibited by these compounds. These findings indicate that the main sites of the histamine-release inhibition and of the anti-inflammatory effect of these compounds are in the local tissue. Compound #32 failed to show any analgesic effect in mice, but possessed a considerable antipyretic action in rats. Some of the compounds in the tests depressed guinea-pig ileal strip while guaiazulene increased peristalsis, but any of these actions was not recognized with #32 even in a high concentration. Most of the members effective in inhibiting edemas as well as histamine release proved to be less toxic than guaiazulene. #32 was well tolerated in the doses of 6g/kg orally and of 4g/kg intraperitoneally by mice. The growth curves for three weeks of rats practically did not deviate from that of the controls by daily administration of 1g/kg of #32 by stomach tube and there were no gross and microscopical abnormalities in the main organs and blood.

Histogenesis of hepatic cancer has been analysed by observing glycogen by PAS staining and the histochemically demonstrable G-6-Pase activity on the liver of rats fed with 3'-Me-DAB or 3'-Ni-DAB. By observations on normal hepatic tissue it has been revealed that these two reactions are specific to the cytoplasm of liver parenchymal cells. Observations on the liver from the early stage of dye feeding, up to 100 days, show a marked proliferation of cholangioles in 3'-Me-DAB feeding on polished rice but only a poor reaction of cholangioles in 3'-Me-DAB feeding with synthetic diet. After 15-16 weeks of 3'-Me-DAB feeding cancer develops, a great erpart of which is consisted of cholangiocellular carcinoma and a portion, hepatocellular carcinoma. Histochemical observations on G-6-Pase and glycogen reveal that regenerating cholangiole and adenomatous tissues seem to have poles, on one side, the cells differentiate to liver parenchymal cells and on the other side, they differentiate to bile duct cells. Cancers develop mainly from these regenerating adenomatous tissues and they develop to cholangiocellular cancer or to hepatocellular cancer. The histogenesis of the latter can be traced histochemically. In the cases fed with 3'-Ni-DAB, the activity of cholangiole cells and the development of adenomatous tissue are rather poor with the delayed cancer formation. However, in these cases the majority of cancers are of hepatocellular carcinoma and the developmental mode of hepatocellular cancer can easily be traced by the G-6-Pase activity.

Electron microscope study on the rat liver cells of carbon tetrachloride poisoning has been reported. Observations have been made on the osmic fixed tissue sections obtained from the liver at early stages of poisoning, 5 to 22 hours after carbon tetrachloride oral administration, 0.25ml. per 100g. body weight. Special attention is paid on the appearance of electron dense area, opaque area, in cytoplasm, which is compased of fibrous components, probably originated from endoplasmic reticulum. This will be an important sign of cell degeneration. Toluidine blue, PAS and methyl green-pyronin stainings of the thicker sections from the same samples as used for electron microscopy revealed that the opaque area is stained by toluidine blue and pyronin but not by PAS. The opaque areas appear already five hours after the carbon tetrachloride administration and show some continuity with elongated filaments of endoplasmic reticulum. At an advanced stage of paisoning the opaque area increases in its number and size, but some of them are shrunk as a mass, being separated from the surrounding cytoplasm with scanty area. Often they form denser masses in the center and loak like the lipid deposition. The picture suggests formation of lipid droplets in the case of fatty degeneration of the liver cell.

The incorporation of C14-2-glycine into the subcellular fractions of liver, kidney and serum proteins was observed in mice receiving CCl4 injections. The results showed a marked inhibitory effect of CCl4 on incorporation of C14-glycine into each subcellular fraction of the liver, but not of the kidney. The inhibition of the C14-glycine incorporation was most marked in mitochondria, moderate in soluble protein and minimal in microsomes, in the groups of mice given two injections of CCl4. In the animals given CCl. injection, serum albumin is decreased with the decreased incorporation of C14-glycine into the albumin but β-globulin fraction is increased. The former will be the result of the decreased albumin synthesis in the poisoned liver and the latter will be correlated with the fatty degeneration of liver.

A series of experiments have been conducted with ten adult rabbits, drowning them to death in a ditch those water contains diatoms in abundance. The bones (selected ones are the femur, humerus, riHand vertebra) of these drowned rabbits have been buried underground, wrapped tightly in cellophane bags and left there for three years, and the detection of diatoms has been conducted with these bones either as they are or after cremating them in the electric'oven at 300°C, 500°C, 800°C or 1,000°C, for 20 minutes. As the results it has been clarified that diatoms can be detected in a considerable number in the bones of four limbs, and of these detectable diatoms some of them can be found even after cremation at 1,000°C for 20 minutes. This clearly proves diatoms are detectable from the bones even after a long period of time·after burial and even after cremation at high temperatures.