The authors continued the electron microscopic observation of the cardiac muscular tissue to know the fine structure of the myofilament. The myosinfilament showed a hole in the center in the cross section and electron dense part in both sides and the light part in the center in the longitudinal section. This finding meant each myosinfilament has a central canal. This central canal was found in the cardiac muscle of mouse and rat, also in skeletal muscle of the rat and human in both n-butyl methacrylate and Epon embedding. The authors concluded that this central canal is a proper structure of the myosinfilament and not an artefact.

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Knowing the fact that the sympathetic nervous system is acting as an important cause of essential hypertension, experimental and clinical determinations of the catechols in patients with hypertension were carried out. These patients were divided into two groups according to their clinical progress and conditions of renal involvement. An investigation was made into correlation between urinary excretion of catechols and clinical findings by respective group. In the group with no renal involvement, it was assumed that the sympathetic nervous system had concerned in the development of hypertension mechanism.

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For inquiring into relation between essential hypertension and catecholamine, the patients were divided into two groups according to their conditions of renal involvement, and changes of urinary catecholamine excretions and clinical effects were investigated by administrating sympathetic blocking agent and hypotensive diuretica and by increasing and decreasing of salt intake diet. From that results, it was observed that there were different reactivities for hypotensive diuretica and salt diet. Those differences came from different participation of catecholamine for vascular tone. That is to say, there seemed to be difinite biologic difference in the preserving mechanism for internal environment.

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Fatty acid composition of plasma and erythrocyte lipids in subjects consuming large amounts of fish persistently as their natural diet were examined in comparison with those in subjects consuming low fish diet, and considerable amounts of incorporation of highly unsaturated fatty acids were observed in plasma and erythrocyte lipids in subjects consuming high fish diet. Each lipid fraction showed a characteristic pattern in the concentration of highly unsaturated acids.

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Responses of the pulmonary circulation and the respiratory functions on exercise in normal subjects, patients with chronic cardiac disease and patients with chronic pulmonary disease were studied. Materials and Methods In 4 normal subjects, 30 patients with chronic cardiac disease (21 with mitral valvular disease and 9 other cases), and 36 patients with chronic pulmonary disease ( 19 with emphysema and 17 other cases), right heart catheterization were performed, and all subjects had a mild leg exercise for five minutes in supine position. Pulmonary hemodynamics and respiratory functions were observed in steady state at rest and on exercise. In normal subjects the increment of cardiac output (CO) was over 800 cc/min/M² per 100 cc/min of increase of oxygen consumption in all subjects. In cardiac patients, 7 cases (23%) showed the increment of CO above 800 cc/min/ M² (Group 1), 18 cases (60%) had the increment below 800 cc/min/M² (Group 2), and 5 cases (17%) showed a decrement (Group 3). In pulmonary patients, 16 cases (44% ) showed the increment of Group 1, 1 7 cases (47%) had the increment of Group 2, and 3 cases (9%) showed a decrement (Group 3). Results 1) Cardiac index (CI) On the exercise, the average increase of cardiac index was 44 per cent in normal subjects. In cardiac patients, it was 17 per cent. In Group 1 the average increase was 44 per cent, in Group 2 it was 16 per cent, and in Group 3 it was 9 per cent. In pulmonary patients, the average increase of CI was 33 per cent. In Group 1 the average increase was 56 per cent, in Group 2 it was 2 7 per cent, and in Group 3 it was 20 per cent. 2) Pulmonary artery wedge pressure (WP) On the exercise, in the most cardiac patients WE elevated significantly and was within a range of -5 to + 18 (average '+6.0) mmHg. The average elevation of WP was 6.1 mmHg for Group 1, + 4.2 mmHg for Group 2, and 10.2 mmHg for Group 3 respectively. In pulmomary patients there were no significant changes of WP on exercise except one, and the change was within a range of -3 to +6 (average + 1.9) mmHg.

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Essential hypertension or coronary sclerosis can result in heart failure through ischemic damage of the heart. It is, therefore, very significant to judge the extent of the impairment in cardiac function in these diseases before heart failure becomes manifest. For this purpose, phasic analysis of the events occurring during cardiac contraction was made by polygraphic tracing. In order to see the relationship between the alteration in individual contraction phases and cardiac function, average values in these diseases, patients with manifest heart failure and normal subjects were compared with each other. Correlations between cardiac contraction phases and the time course of the dye-dilution curve or findings of the chest roentgenogram were also examined. It has been stated that each phase of cardiac contraction is closely related to the length of the preceding cardiac cycle. So, this influence of the preceding cardiac cycle length (R-R interval in E.C.G.) on events of cardiac contraction was examined in the atrial fibrillation. A. Analysis of Phases of Events during Cardiac Contraction by Polygraphy. MATERIAL AND METHODS Thirteen cases of manifest heart fhilure due to essential hypertension or coronary sclerosis, 17 cases of coronary sclerosis, 39 cases of coronary sclerosis with hypertension and 86 cases of essential hypertension without coronary sclerosis were examined. Existence of coronary sclerosis was determined by electrocardiographic findings. For control, 32 healthy subjects were also examined. All subjects examined had sinus rhythm. The polygram consisted of the 2nd limb lead of E.C.G., phonocardiogram from the apex area and external carotid pulse.. From the polygram, Q-I interval, isometric phase proper, stretching time, ejection time and mechanical systole were determined and the calculation of mechanical quotient and JEZEK'S index were made. Among them, ejection time and mechanical systole were corrected for heart rate using the BAZETT formula dividing the absolute value by the square root of the preceding cycle length (R-R interval).

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Responses of the pulmonary circulation and the respiratory functions on exercise in normal subjects, patients with chronic cardiac disease and patients with chronic pulmonary disease were studied. Materials and Methods In 4 normal subjects, 30 patients with chronic cardiac disease (21 with mitral valvular disease and 9 other cases), and 36 patients with chronic pulmonary disease ( 19 with emphysema and 17 other cases), right heart catheterization were performed, and all subjects had a mild leg exercise for five minutes in supine position. Pulmonary hemodynamics and respiratory functions were observed in steady state at rest and on exercise. In normal subjects the increment of cardiac output (CO) was over 800 cc/min/M² per 100 cc/min of increase of oxygen consumption in all subjects. In cardiac patients, 7 cases (23%) showed the increment of CO above 800 cc/min/ M² (Group 1), 18 cases (60%) had the increment below 800 cc/min/M² (Group 2), and 5 cases (17%) showed a decrement (Group 3). In pulmonary patients, 16 cases (44% ) showed the increment of Group 1, 1 7 cases (47%) had the increment of Group 2, and 3 cases (9%) showed a decrement (Group 3). Results 1) Cardiac index (CI) On the exercise, the average increase of cardiac index was 44 per cent in normal subjects. In cardiac patients, it was 17 per cent. In Group 1 the average increase was 44 per cent, in Group 2 it was 16 per cent, and in Group 3 it was 9 per cent. In pulmonary patients, the average increase of CI was 33 per cent. In Group 1 the average increase was 56 per cent, in Group 2 it was 2 7 per cent, and in Group 3 it was 20 per cent. 2) Pulmonary artery wedge pressure (WP) On the exercise, in the most cardiac patients WE elevated significantly and was within a range of -5 to + 18 (average '+6.0) mmHg. The average elevation of WP was 6.1 mmHg for Group 1, + 4.2 mmHg for Group 2, and 10.2 mmHg for Group 3 respectively. In pulmomary patients there were no significant changes of WP on exercise except one, and the change was within a range of -3 to +6 (average + 1.9) mmHg.

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Right ventricular mechanical effects are usually measured as the mean value per minute. The author considers that the mechanical effect of the ejection time will estimate the right ventricular loading more exactly, because the right ventricular mechanical effect is performed mostly during the expulsion time. This paper was designed to study the change of right ventricular mechanical effects during the ejection time when pulmonary arterial pressure increases. METHODS The studies were performed by pulmonary catheterization, first under resting state and then under pulmonary pressure increase. 1) Estimation of ejection time was performed as that from the onset of the pulmonary arterial pressure curve to the pulmonary component of the second sound (p-II). 2) The mean pulmonary ejection pressure is calculated from the time integral of the pulmonary arterial pressure curve. 3) Right ventricular mechanical effects were estimated as mean values in one minute as usually and then as those during ejection time (α. β. γ). α. The right ventricular work in ejection time per minute (MWE) (CI × 1.055)(P^^-E_pa × 13.6)/1000 kgM/min/m² β.Ejection work per one stroke (SWE) MWE/HR kgM/min/m² γ. Ejection work per unit ejection time MWE/PII×HR ×10⁴ gcm/sec10^-1/m² CI : cardiac index P^^-E_pa : mean pulmonary ejection pressure PII × HR : ejection time per minute 4) 10% oxygen and 7% carbon dioxide were loaded to increase the pulmonary arterial pressure. MATERIALS 1). A total of 31 cases which are 10 to 70 years old were studied. The ejection time was measured by venous catheterization and the mechanical effects were calculated while breathing room air. 2).In 12 of those cases the same investigations were repeated under inhalation of low oxygen or high carbon dioxide gas. RESULTS A. Between the ejection time per minute and the mean pressure of pulmonary artery in resting state a negative correlation was seen (r=-0.427). B. Effects of elevation of pulmonary arterial pressure upon the ejection time. When the pulmonary arterial pressure was raised by low oxygen or high carbon dioxide inhalation, the ejection time in one stoke shortened, but the ejection time per minute almost did not change owing to the increase of heart rate.

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