In order to study the participation of the sympathetic nervous system in development of hypertension in the SHR, the present author made comparative observations on fluctuations in blood pressure and the CA content of various organs at various stages of life. The author also made studies on fluctuations in blood pressure and the CA content of various organs following administration of Tyramine, Reserpine and salt. 1) In the 3rd week of life when hypertension is not yet established, the SHR and NR showed nearly equal contents of CA in the myocardium. 2) According to the aging process thereafter, the NR showed an increasing tendency in the CA content of the myocardium irrespective of blood pressure, whereas the SHR showed a decreasing tendency in that CA amount in the stages of increased blood pressure and established hyper-tension; the difference was significant between the two groups. There was no significant difference between the two groups in the CA content of the adrenal gland, lung, liver, kidney and spleen. 3) The NR showed a more prominent decrease in the CA content of the heart then the SHR after administration of Tyramine. But the increase of blood pressure was more prominent in the SHR. 4) The CA content was remarkably decreased in all organs except the adrenal gland after pre-treatment with Reserpine. But there were no significant differences in either of the SHR or NR. 5) The NR showed no appreciable changes in blood pressure, but a decreasing tendency of the CA content in the myocardium with salt loading. On the other hand, there were almost no influences in the SHR. It was presumed from these findings that accelerated metabolism of CA at the sympathetic nerve ending in the heart and hypersensitivity of the peripheral adrenergic receptors might participate in the development of hypertension.

View full abstract

Antithrombin activity of intimal extract from bovine aorta was studied using thrombin-purified fibrinogen system. On DEAE-cellulose chromatography, the antithrombin activity of the extract was separated into two active fractions. Both revealed respectively very weak activities and their developing patterns of the activity, during the incubation period with thrombin, were different from each other and also that of original intimal extract before fractionation with the chromatography. But a mixture of these two fractions revealed a high antithrombin activity and the developing pattern of the activity was similar to that of original intimal extract. One of the active fractions seemed to contain plasma antithrombin, almost certainly heparin cofactor and antithrombin III, and the other contained acid mucopolysaccharides of the intimal wall. The acid mucopolysaccharides isolated from the intimal extract extremely enhanced the action of plasma antithrombin obtained from blood. The acid mucopolysaccharides concerned seemed to consist of heparitin sulfate and chondroitin sulfate B as judged by Dowex 1-X2 chromatography, electrophoretic mobility and enzyme treatments. Heparitin sulfate fraction had stronger function than chondroitin sulfate B fraction to yield the antithrombin activity under our experimental conditions. It seemed most likely that the antithrombin activity of the intimal extract was due to a synergistic action of acid mucopolysaccharides, i.e. heparitin sulfate and chondroitin sulfate B, on the action of plasma antithrombin, i.e. heparin cofactor and antithrombin III which infiltrated into the intimal wall from blood.

View full abstract

Ajmaline, cocaine, diphenylhypantoin, lidocaine, procainamide, propranolol, quinidine, and trimetazidine were comparatively examined as to their actions in isolated guinea-pig atria on the beat rate of their spontaneous contractions and on their contractile tension and their functional refractory period. All the drugs except diphenylhydantoin could increase the functional refractory period. When the influence of each drug on beat rate or contractile tension was compared at the concentrations in which each could prolong the refractory period to twice that of the controls, lidocaine, procainamide, propranolol, and quinidine were found to decrease the tension by more than 60% but the beat rate by less than 60% of those of the respective controls. Ajmaline, however, was found to reduce the beat rate by 20% of that of the control already at a concentration by which the refractory period of atrial muscle would begin to be increased by this drug. Cocaine and trimetazidine were found to have a relatively stronger effect on the refractory period than they did on the beat rate or the contractile tension.

View full abstract

An Autopsy case of Takayasu's arteritis combined with pulmonary hypertension, in which similar pathological changes were observed in the pulmonary arterioles to those in the systemic artery, was reported. The pathogenesis of the pulmonary hypertension was discussed.

View full abstract

In order to obtain some informations to treat the cardiogenic shock resulted from acute pulmonary embolism more in detail, changes in hemodynamics, blood gases and coronary blood flow were observed, and influence of controlled respiration and oxygen administration was studied at the maximum loading of the right ventricle induced by repeated miliary pulmonary embolization with Lycopodium spores. Material and Methods Fourty-one adult mongrel dogs were employed. Animals were anesthetized by intravenous injection of pentobarbital soda. Pulmonary arterial pressure (PAP), systemic arterial pressure (SAP), and right atrial pressure were monitored continuously. Lycopodium spore suspension in saline (50 mg/ml) was prepared and very small dose of the suspension (0.2 ml/kg) was administered intravenously for a single embolization in order to minimize reflex hemodynamic effects. Embolization was repeated with an interval of about 5 minutes until the final lethal stage. A) Influence of controlled respiration and oxygen administration upon the changes in hemodynamics and blood gases resulting from pulmonary embolization (Experiment l). Animals were divided into 4 study groups: l) spontaneous, room air breathing group (6 dogs), 2) spontaneous, oxygen breathing group (4 dogs), 3) controlled respiration with room air group (7 dogs) and 4) controlled respiration with oxygen group (5 dogs). Blood gases were analyzed. B) Changes in systemic circulation and cardiac function at the maximum loading of the right ventricle resulting from pulmonary embolization (Experiment 2). Aortic blood flow (ABF) was measured employing an electromagnetic flow meter in 10 dogs. Stroke power, external stroke work, small change (dp/dt) of the left ventricular pressure and total systemic vascular resistance were calculated continuously. Tension-Time-Index (TTI) of the both ventricles and pulmonary vascular resistance were also calculated. C) Change in coronary blood flow resulting from pulmonary embolization (Experiment 3). ABF and left circumflex or right coronary arterial blood flow were measured by means of an electromagnetic flow meter in 9 dogs.

View full abstract

The exercise is useful both for the diagnosis and the treatment of coronary heart disease. In recent years, there are many articles treated with myocardial carbohydrate metabolism, but rarely with lipid metabolism during exercise. This paper reports a study of myocardial lipid metabolism during exercise in clinical cases. Materials and Methods Coronary sinus catheterization was performed by Bing's method in 19 clinical cases including 8 cases of coronary heart disease, 5 of hypertension, 4 of neurocirculatory asthenia and 2 others, after fasting for 6-18 hr. Patients were exercised for 15 minutes in the supine position on a bicycle ergometer with which 50 watts were loaded. Sampling both from coronary sinus and brachial artery was done at rest and during the 10th minutes of the period of exercise. Samples were analyzed in non-esterified fatty acid (NEFA) by Dole's method, in ketone bodies by Green-berg-Lester's modification, in triglyceride (TG) by Van Handel Zilversmidt's method. The catheter was kept patent by the slow infusion of the fluid which 1, 000 units heparine was added to 100 ml normal saline. The data of coronary blood flow, myocardial oxygen consumption, carbohydrate metabolism and left ventricular work, which obtained simultaneously by coraboraters, were used to the consideration of myocardial metabolism during exercise. Results and Comments 1. Arterial concentration and myocardial extraction of lipids ' a) NEFA; The arterial NEFA level showed a tendency to rise by influence of heparine infusion, but almost constant after two hours. At that time the exercise was performed. The arterial level showed decrease in 16 of 19 cases. Significant correlations were found between the arterial level and the myocardial extraction both at rest (r=0.05, n=19, p<0.02) and during exercise (r.67, n=19, p<0.01). The mean value of myocardial extraction was decreased, but of the usage was not so changed by exercise. b) Ketone bodies; There was a significant correlation (r=0.52, n=38, p<0.001) between the myocardial extraction and the arterial level through rest and exercise.

View full abstract