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In vivo in mammalian cells, ultraviolet-induced unscheduled DNA synthesis was less sensitive to aphidicolin than was replicative DNA synthesis. Replicative DNA synthesis in HeLa, HEp-2, WI-38 VA-13 and CV-1 cells was inhibited more than 97% by aphidicolin at 10 micrograms/ml, whereas aphidicolin inhibition of DNA synthesis in ultraviolet-irradiated cells varied between 30% and 90% depending on cell types and assay conditions. Aphidicolin inhibition of unscheduled DNA synthesis (UDS) in HeLa cells increased gradually with increasing aphidicolin concentration and reached approximately 90% at 100 micrograms/ml aphidicolin. A significant fraction of UDS in ultraviolet-irradiated HEp-2 cells was resistant to aphidicolin even at 300 micrograms/ml. Considered along with related information reported previously, the present results suggest that both aphidicolin-sensitive and insensitive DNA polymerases, DNA polymerase alpha and a non-alpha DNA polymerase (possibly DNA polymerase beta), are involved in in situ UDS in these ultraviolet-irradiated cells. Comparison of staphylococcal nuclease sensitivity between DNAs repaired in the presence and in the absence of aphidicolin in HEp-2 cells suggested that the involvement of DNA polymerase alpha in UDS favored DNA synthesis in the intranucleosomal region.

Leucine decarboxylation in rat brain was investigated during acute hepatic failure, induced by partial hepatectomy after carbon tetrachloride (CCl4) pretreatment of rats. These rats presented metabolic alkalosis, and had significantly higher levels of arterial blood and brain ammonia than control and CCl4-treated rats. Brain leucine decarboxylation was elevated in rats with hepatic failure. This alteration correlated with arterial blood ammonia concentrations, and probably with elevated brain ammonia levels, as brain ammonia levels were directly related to arterial blood ammonia.

Carbon tetrachloride (CCl4)-induced hepatotoxicity was potentiated by pretreatment with beta-phenethyl alcohol, abundantly present in sake. The injury was determined by serum GPT levels and histological examination. Similar results were observed in ethanol- and phenobarbital-pretreated rats. Acetaminophen-induced hepatotoxicity was not accentuated by beta-phenethyl alcohol or ethanol pretreatment. The activities of liver microsomal enzymes, such as cytochrome P-450, cytochrome b5 reductase, aniline hydroxylase and aminopyrine demethylase, were not altered in beta-phenethyl alcohol-pretreated rats. Thus, CCl4-induced hepatotoxicity potentiation by beta-phenethyl alcohol administration is postulated to be due to a mechanism other than increased free radical generation.

<p>Murine sarcoma virus, CS-Moloney substrain, was inoculated intracranially into 2 litters of newborn Syrian hamsters within 24 h of birth. Seven of 12 hamsters which survived more than 30 days developed brain tumors in the cerebral cortex 104 to 153 days, 139 days on the average, after the virus inoculation. The tumors consisted of spindle-shaped, round or polygonal astrocytes which showed a positive reaction for glial fibrillary acidic protein by the immunoperoxidase method.</p>

Six quantitative psychometric tests were performed on 51 healthy subjects, 19 cirrhotic patients with subclinical hepatic encephalopathy (SHE), 32 cirrhotic patients without SHE, and 26 patients with other diseases. Strong correlations between age and the results of all the psychometric tests were observed in the healthy subjects (p less than 0.005). Sex and etiology of liver cirrhosis did not affect the test results. SHE patients, compared with non-SHE and health subjects, presented impairment in the ability to perform the tests, even in the absence of obvious clinical and electroencephalogram findings. In SHE patients, trailmaking test A (TMT A) yielded the highest frequency of abnormal values, 63%. TMT A results were abnormal in 80% of SHE patients with abnormal scores in other tests, and thus it seemed to be the most sensitive test. Liver function tests did not correlate with psychometric testing in any of the groups. Blood ammonia levels in SHE patients with abnormal TMT A scores correlated with TMT A scores (r = 0.752, p less than 0.01); this was not the case in SHE nor non-SHE patients with normal TMT A results. These data demonstrate the usefulness of psychometric tests in detecting SHE.

The present study investigated the brain catecholamine metabolism of rats with liver injury induced either by malnutrition or with CCl4. In the malnutrition group, the plasma tyrosine concentration was low, while it showed a tendency to be high in the cerebral cortex. Dopamine concentrations were low in both the cerebral cortex and diencephalon. Norepinephrine concentrations were low in the cerebral cortex, striatum and diencephalon. Tyrosine hydroxylase activity was elevated while monoamine oxidase activity was decreased in the striatum. In the CCl4 group, tyrosine concentrations in the plasma and cerebral cortex did not change. The dopamine concentration in the cerebral cortex increased five days after, and the norepinephrine concentration in the diencephalon increased 24 h after the last administration of CCl4. These data suggest that catecholaminergic neurons in the brain may be substantially affected by liver injury. It may be considered that malnutrition disturbs brain development, particularly in young rats.

Sex, age and 21 routine liver function assays were analyzed by stepwise selection and the best-of-all-possible-combinations method to identify a small group of assays valuable in establishing which liver cirrhosis (LC) patients have a high risk of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), when alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) is not elevated. Data was obtained from 115 HCC and 122 LC patients on admission. Tumor size correlated with AFP (0.73), alkaline phosphatase (ALP, 0.47), leucine aminopeptidase (LAP, 0.42), lactic dehydrogenase (LDH, 0.42), and the glutamic oxaloacetic transaminase (GOT)/glutamic pyruvic transaminase (GPT) ratio (GOT/GPT, 0.41). The mean of the correct diagnosis rates (CDR) of HCC and LC utilizing AFP as the sole parameter (89%) was markedly higher than those of the other parameters. The best-of-all-possible-combinations method presented a more powerful combination than stepwise selection. The best combination of 7 parameters (LAP, GOT/GPT, choline esterase, one-hour erythrocyte sedimentation rate, age, albumin/globulin ratio, and total bilirubin) presented a mean CDR of 80%, HCC CDR of 77%, and false positive rate of 18%. LC patients statistically diagnosed as having HCC by these 7 parameters are proposed as high risk patients. Fourteen (78%) of 18 HCC patients who were AFP-negative were statistically diagnosed. This analysis can be applied to LC patients to distinguish those that should be followed closely by imaging diagnostic techniques.

The basilar artery was exposed transclivally , and a vascular spasm was produced by topical application of a lysed erythrocyte solution. The maximum fall in the mean arterial blood pressure (MABP) after administering of 2 micrograms/ kgBW and 15 micrograms/ kgBW of PGI2, ranged from 35 to 45 mmHg and from 65 to 85 mmHg, respectively. The drop in MABP after an injection of papaverine hydrochloride (1.5 mg/ kgBW ) was between 30 and 40 mmHg. If MABP did not fall, the vessel diameter did not change. Although papaverine elicited marked dilation of both normal and spastic basilar arteries, PGI2 did not dilate normal basilar arteries and produced only a slight dilation of spastic basilar arteries. Subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) was simulated by an intracisternal injection of fresh autologous arterial blood 3 days prior to experimentation. Changes in regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF) were measured by the heat clearance method, before and after an intravenous administration of either PGI2 or papaverine hydrochloride. Changes in rCBF fell into 3 categories: Type A, no change; Type B, a change which varied with the arterial blood pressure, and Type C, an increase rCBF despite systemic hypotension. Type A or B was observed in 17 out of 19 cats with SAH in which PGI2 was administered intravenously, and Type C was observed in only 2 cats. Thirteen untreated control cats produced a Type A or B response in 12, and Type C response in only one cat. There were no significant differences between the control and SAH groups. When 15-hydroperoxy-5, 8, 11, 13-eicosatetraenoic acid (15-HPETE) was infused, the same results prevailed. Papaverine hydrochloride increased rCBF either transiently or continuously in all cats. These results suggest that PGI2 dilates extracranial rather than intracranial vessels regardless of the presence or absence of cerebral vasospasm.

An enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) for the detection of serum blocking factors (BF), or antibodies to the albumin receptor on HBsAg particles, was developed, and its clinical usefulness was examined in healthy persons and patients with liver diseases. Thirteen of 80 anti-HBs-positive female (16.3%) had BF, but all 25 male anti-HBs-positive, 41 female and 32 male anti-HBs-negative subjects were negative for BF. The activity of BF in BF-positive cases was not associated with the positive reciprocal hemagglutination titer of anti-HBs. For a neutralization test of BF, the BFs from 5 cases were absorbed with IgG-immunobeads. It was determined that these IgG-BFs were antibodies to the albumin receptors on HBsAg particles. No significance between positive-BF and abnormal S-GPT levels was recognized. These results suggest that the present test for the detection of BF, or anti-albumin receptor antibody, different from anti-HBs, might be useful for diagnosis of hepatitis B and as a marker for HB virus.

The correlation between blood eosinophilia and anti-IgE-mediated histamine release was investigated in 22 bronchial asthma patients with peripheral eosinophilia (over 8%). In the cases (Group A-1 and Group A-2) in which house dust was the specific antigen, significant histamine release from basophils was induced by anti-IgE and house dust. The result indicates a relationship between eosinophilia and the IgE-mediated mechanism of disease onset. In the cases (Group A-3) with RAST scores of 0+ and 1+ to house dust, the anti-IgE-induced histamine release varied from low to high percentages, and the participation of the IgE-mediated pathway was indicated in some cases. In the cases (Group B) with negative skin reactions, few patients had a family history of allergic disease. Their ages at onset were higher, and they demonstrated lower total IgE levels. These cases showed an extremely low percent of histamine release from basophils, which indicated the absence of a correlation between eosinophilia and IgE-mediated mechanisms.

We have studied the incidence pattern of childhood cancers in Korea. Although the incidence of many tumors in Korea is similar to that in other countries, the incidence of acute myelogenous leukemia, non-Hodgkin's lymphoma and hepatoma is greater in Korean children. Yonsei Cancer Center commenced a study of multi-modality treatment of childhood cancers in July 1974. The most striking improvement of survival rate was seen in patients with acute lymphocytic leukemia (50% at 5 years), Wilms' tumor (65% at 5 years), neuroblastoma (45% at 2 years), osteogenic sarcoma (55% at 2 years) and malignant histiocytosis (20% at 5 years). This study is an attempt to create a basic framework providing the best possible treatment of childhood cancer in Korea. The data obtained in Korea are briefly compared with those in Japan and the United States.

A 26-year-old male with renal allograft, who received immunosuppressive treatment with azathioprine, presented marked elevations of serum biliary tract enzymes, such as gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase (5,609 units/l) and alkaline phosphatase (60.5 Bessey-Lowry units), 14 months after transplantation. Two months later the patient became icteric; he died of respiratory failure 19 months after the renal allograft. Postmortem examination revealed intrahepatic cholestasis with minimal inflammatory cell infiltration, indicating drug hepatotoxicity.

IgE-mediated histamine release from whole blood was analyzed in 44 patients with bronchial asthma by observing maximum present release and dose-response curves of histamine release induced by anti-IgE and house dust extract. The maximum histamine release from whole blood induced by anti-IgE correlated with total serum IgE levels. There was a close correlation between allergen-induced release from whole blood and the serum levels of specific IgE antibodies. In the maximum histamine release from whole blood induced by both anti-IgE and allergen, the interaction with a serum factor was not clearly recognized. Effect of a serum factor was shown in the dose-response curves of anti-IgE-induced histamine release, but not in those of allergen-induced histamine release. The dose-response curves caused by anti-IgE showed that basophils from cases with a high serum IgE level require much more anti-IgE to produce maximum histamine release than basophils from cases with a low serum IgE level. The results showed that IgE molecules contained in the serum participate in anti-IgE-induced histamine release from whole blood.

The incidence of hepatitis A (HA), hepatitis B (HB), and non-A, non-B hepatitis (NANBH) was 27%, 30% and 43% among 73 patients with sporadic hepatitis. Epidemiological data (geographical distribution, seasonal variation, age, sex, and occupation) were not distinguishing of the type of hepatitis. Neither intrafamilial infection nor previous contact with viral hepatitis patients could be demonstrated in the NANBH cases. Fever and jaundice were less frequent in NANBH than in HA. Maximum levels of SGPT, serum bilirubin, ZTT, and gamma-globulin were significantly lower in NANBH than in HA and HB. Ten of 29 NANBH patients (35%) presented abnormal SGPT activities for more than 6 months, and four (14%) more than 12 months. In the ten patients with prolonged courses, jaundice was more frequent and maximum levels of SGPT were higher than in patients with transient courses. Histopathologic findings were not markedly different from those of HA and HB. Bile duct damage, fatty deposition, and giant multi-nucleated cells were recognized in 6, 12, and 2 NANBH patients, respectively. There were no characteristic ultrastructural changes in NANBH.

In the presence of extracellular Ca2+, 6,7-dihydro-6,8,8, 10-tetramethyl-8H-pyrano [3, 2-g] chromone-2-carboxylic acid (EAA) had an inhibitory effect on the substance P-induced histamine release from rat peritoneal mast cells. Not only Ca2+ but also Mg2+, Sr2+ and Ba2+ were effective in enhancing the activity of EAA. Marked tachyphylaxis to EAA developed irrespective of the presence or absence of extracellular Ca2+. Cross-tachyphylaxis was observed between EAA and disodium cromoglycate (DSCG). These results indicate that the mode of action of EAA is similar, but not identical, with that of DSCG.

Histopathological investigations were carried out on five fatal cases of a type of polyneuritis of unknown etiology diagnosed as Landry-Guillain-Barre syndrome, which endemically occurred in children in the regions surrounding the Inland Sea of Japan. The most characteristic pathologic feature in the nervous system was pronounced patchy degenerative changes with slight or moderate degree of inflammatory cell response of focal type in the peripheral and cranial nerves, predominantly in the nerve fibers of the spinal and cranial roots. In the spinal cord, medulla, pons, and in some portions of the cerebrum and cerebellum, engorgement of the small blood vessels as well as edema and the less predominant scattered degenerative changes of ganglioncells and nerve fibers with extremely slight degree of glial response and sparse perivascular cell collections were encountered. The cerebrospinal meninges displayed edema and congestion of the pial blood vessels with focal collections of a small number of lymphocytes and/or monocytes. No advanced involvement of the anterior horn of the spinal cord in a strict sense of anterior poliomyelitis was, however, recognized. These changes may lead the histopathologic diagnosis of the present disease to infectious encephalomyelo-polyradiculoneuritis or a type of infectious polyneuritis. The main histopathologic changes in the visceral organs were a moderate degree of engorgement of the small blood vessels, degeneration of parencymatous organs such as the liver and kidney, hyperplasia or follicular atrophy of the lymphatic tissues, interalveolar pneumonia, focal myositis, and slight degree of round cell infiltrations in the interstitial tissues of the other viscera, such as the liver, heart, and gastrointestinal canal. Based upon the observations on the histopathological changes as well as clinical manifestations, discussions were made on the pathogenesis and etiologic factor of the present endemic disease with critique on the literatures.