Aortic insufficiency was found in 9 of 44 cases of aortitis syndrome seen during 8 years, representing a high incidence (20%), unreported previously. They consisted of 2 men and 7 women, ranging in age from 21 to 68. Two cases which developed congestive heart failure died. Blood pressure in the diseased extremity lacked the characteristic peripheral signs of aortic insufficiency. X-ray films of the chest showed cardiac enlargement, dilatation of the ascending aorta and calcification of the aortic wall. Electrocardiogram showed left ventricular hypertrophy and phonocardiogram showed diastolic decreascendo murmur in the Erb's area. Retrograde aortography showed dilatation of the ascending aorta. Distribution of the aortitis included at least an involvement of aortic arch. Etiological classification of 205 cases of aortic insufficiency revealed unexpectedly high incidence of aortitis syndrome, which occupied the fourth place following rheumatic (112), syphilitic (32) and hypertensive (25) nature.
Thirty-one similar cases were collected from the previous and the present reports and were reviewed.
Pathology of the disease revealed dilatation of the ascending aorta, and destruction of the medial elastic fibers. Mechanism of producing aortic insufficiency in the aortitis syndrome was discussed. High incidence of aortic insufficiency among the cases of aortitis syndrome, frequent occurrence of aortic insufficiency in other types of aortitis and finally the pathological findings strongly indicated that dilatation of the aortic ring due to aortitis involving the ascending aorta is the primary cause of aortic insufficiency.

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In 10 patients with acquired valvular or hypertensive heart diseases, the acute effects of aminophylline (theophylline ethylenediamine) were studied by the combined left and right cardiac catheterization, calculating the left ventricular volume and circumferential shortening rate using external monitoring of radioisotope dilution. Aminophylline produced a significant increase in cardiac output, left ventricular forward fraction and circumferential shortening rate, and a significant decrease in left ventricular end-diastolic pressure, end-diastolic and end-systolic volume, left ventricular mean force and total peripheral vascular resistance. These results indicate that aminophylline improve the function of failing heart by the stimulation of myocardium and resultant increase in myocardial contractility together with its vasodilating action on peripheral vessels.

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The mitochondrial respiration in experimentally produced myocardial infarction or ischemic heart was investigated. In myocardial infarction, disturbances of respiration appeared 15min. after the coronary artery occlusion, which was recognized as the deterioration of respiratory control ratio as result of the acceleration of oxygen consumption rate in state 4. Deterioration of respiratory control ratio was also recognized in mitochondria of the heart which was stimulated electrically, but was not recognized in the heart mitochondria which were prepared from the heart stored in anoxic state without beating.
Magnesium-induced ATPase activity of the infarcted heart mitochondria was higher than that of the intact heart mitochondria.
It was assumed from these results that disturbance of the respiration of infarcted heart mitochondria was attributed to the uncoupling of oxidative phosphorylation.

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The present investigations were performed with rabbits, in order to know the changes of peroxides and antioxidants in the tissues in cholesterol-induced experimental atherosclerosis.
The content of non protein SH in the liver was not altered on 4th-week following cholesterol feeding. That of aorta tended to decrease on 4th-week and significantly decreased on 12th-month.
SDH activity in the liver was not different on 4th-week from that of the normal. That of aorta has a tendency to increase on 4th-week, but statistically not significant.
The content of thiobarbituric acid reactive substances in the liver and plasma was not changed on 4th-week and increased on 12th-month. That of aorta was already increased on 4th-week.
Free radicals were present in plasma, liver and aorta of the normal rabbit. ESR pattern of plasma, liver and aorta was not different among these tissues, and not altered by cholesterol feeding.

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Reninlike activity in rat kidneys was measured using a simple but reliable procedure that involved giving saline extracts of portions of renal tissues into the sensitized assay rats.
(1) Clamping one renal artery caused an increased concentration of renin in the clamped kidney and a fall in the contralateral untouched kidney.
(2) Coarctation of aorta above the main renal artery induced marked hypertension, but did not result in an increase in renin concentration of the kidneys.
(3) Renin content was definitely diminished in kidneys of rats with adrenal regeneration hypertension.
(4) In rats with neurogenic hypertension the amount of pressor material in kidneys was within the normal range.
High blood pressure may, therefore, be maintained independently of an increase in renin concentration of the kidneys.

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Sodium nitroprusside was infused into anesthetized dogs, of which one kidney had been denervated and the contralateral kidney had been left untouched or removed 6 to 28 days previously, and effect of reduction of arterial pressure on renin release from the denervated kidney was studied. Renin release was estimated by the difference of renin activity between renal venous and arterial plasma.
In dogs with contralateral innervated kidney, there was no significant release of renin from the denervated kidney during reduction in pressure, while there was a marked and significant release from the contralateral intact kidney during the same periods; the difference in renin release between the both kidneys was highly significant. In sham-operated dogs of which both kidneys had been innervated, there was no significant difference in renin release between them. In contrast, in dogs with contralateral kidney removed, a significant release of renin occurred from the denervated kidney during reduction in pressure.
In dogs with contralateral intact kidney, renin content of the renal cortex of the denervated kidney was significantly decreased as compared to that of the contralateral innervated kidney. In dogs with contralateral kidney removed, renin content of the denervated kidney did not show a decrease as compared to that of the previously removed kidney. The possibilities for the different response of the denervated kidney between the both situations were discussed.

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(1) Recording of electrical activity of the sympathetic (left splanchnic) nerve of the Spontaneously Hypertensive Rat revealed that the peripheral sympathetic tone is remarkably augmented in SHR in comparison with that of the control.
(2) Pithing revealed the important role of the central nervous system in the maintenance of high blood pressure of the Spontaneously Hypertensive Rat.
(3) Transection experiment (cerveau isole and encephale isole) offered the evidence that the pontobulbar portion of brain stem is responsible for the mechanism involved in the tonic maintenance of high blood pressure of the Spontaneously Hypertensive Rat.
It is concluded that the increased sympathetic vasoconstrictor discharge which originates in the lower brain stem constitutes one important factor in the pathogenesis of, or at least, in the maintenance of hypertension in the Spontaneously Hypertensive Rat.

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The preoperative and postoperative VCG recorded with Frank orthogonal system in tetralogy of Fallot were analyzed.
The severe right ventricular hypertrophy, which could be subdivided into six subgroups on the basis of the degree of polycythemia, was observed in all preoperative patients. From the surgical view point, the utmost care should be taken for the treatment of the patients with VCG of type F.
Many vectorial features, which were noted in the present study, were assumed to be shared among several cyanotic heart diseases as well.
The postoperative change of VCG was indicated most clearly in the inscription of the loop in HP.

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The clinical case of a 12-year-old girl with the interruption of the aortic arch without the pulmonary-ductus-descending aorta trunk was reported.Surgical correction of the interruption was successfully achieved by anastomosing to bypass a Teflon prosthesis between the ascending aorta and the thoracic descending aorta.

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The third case in the world's literature manifesting the features of pheochromocytoma and unilateral renal ischemia was reported. The evidences that the hypertension in this case was due to combination of ectopic pheochromocytoma and unilateral renal ischemia by this tumor compressin were demonstrated. The patient has continued asymptomatic and normotensive following the removal of the tumor without damaging of renal artery.

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