To attempt the general assessment of impaired ventilatory functions and the statistical reassessment of respiratory function tests, principal component analysis of 72 pulmonary silicosis cases was performed using 9 pulmonary function test parameters. The results were as follows:
1) The order of more sensitive Parameters which revealed obstructive factors were MMF, V₅₀, FEV₁%, and V₂₅, in order of decreasing sensitivity and restrictive factors, Cst, Ppl and %VC. Rres showed both obstructive and restrictive factors moderately, and CV/VC had more restrictive factor than obstructive factor.
2) Comparison between the usual method using both FEV₁% and %VC and the “new” method using multiple parameters, discrepancies of types of ventilatory impairment were observed in some patients, though almost all patients revealed similar tendencies.
These results may suggest that principal component analysis is useful enough to assess impaired ventilatory functions generally and to reassess the respiratory function parameters.

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The cardiovascular dynamics of 13 cases with cardiac or pulmonary disease were studied during the transient rise in the intrathoracic pressure by Valsalva maneuver. The results were as follows.
1) The rise in pressure of the right ventricule, pulmonary artery, right atrium and left atrium were parallel with the rise in intrathoracic pressure.
2) The right ventricular ejection time decreased when the intrathoracic pressure rose. This finding suggested that the right ventricular output was reduced by the decrease of systemic venous return during the rise in intrathoracic pressure, and it had no relation to the increase of pulmonary peripheral resistance.
3) From these findings, it was suggested that Valsalva maneuver or cough might exert no pressure load or work load upon the right ventricule.

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Serum angiotension I-converting enzyme (ACE) activity was measured in various pulmonary disease. Serum ACE activity was measured by using Hippuryl-Histidayl-Leucine (Hip-His-Leu) as a substrate according to Cushman and Cheung. Diseases were as follows: sarcoidosis 36 cases, diffuse interstitial fibrosing pneumonitis 11 cases, asbestosis 8 cases, silicosis 7 cases, organic dust pneumoconiosis 14 cases, advanced pulmonary tuberculosis 9 cases, chronic obstructive lung disease 11 cases, pulmonary cancer 23 cases.
Serum ACE activity in active sarcoidosis patients was significantly high, 37.6±2.4nmol/ml/min, compared with normal subjects, 20.5±0.8nmol/ml/min. ACE activities in chronic obstructive lung disease and in lung cancer were 15.0±2.47nml/ml/min and 14.57±1.52nmol/ml/min, respectively. Both were significantly low compared with normal subjects. There were no significant differences of serum ACE activity among other diseases.
To find out the effect of pulmonary function on serum ACE level, the relation between vital capacity (%VC) and serum ACE level was studied. There was no correlationship between them. There were 10 cases which showed lower serum ACE activity than the normal range (less than 10nmol/ml/min). Five cases were pulmonary cancer and the remaining 5 cases were chronic obstructive lung disease. There was no special correlation between histological characteristics of lung cancer and serum ACE. Serum ACE levels showed neither the severity of the symptoms nor the duration of the disease.
It is concluded that the serum ACE activity has a diagnostic value only in sarcoidosis.

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We studied the ability of vasoactive intestinal polypeptide to prevent or reduce bronchoconstriction caused by histamine or by prostaglandin F_2α (PGF_2α) and compared this ability to that of isoproterenol in the anesthetized dogs. The mechanism of bronchodilator action of VIP was also examined.
1) The protective effect of VIP aerosol on histmaine-or FGF_2α-induced bronchoconstriction was maximal after one hour and partial protection lasted at least three hours. This protective effect was greater than that of isoproterenol at one and two hours.
2) No significant change was noticed in systemic arterial blood pressure or heart rate after inhalation of VIP in doses of up to 5.0μg/kg.
3) Bronchodilator potency of VIP was not affected by bilateral vagotomy and β-adrenergic blockade.
4) VIP increased cyclic AMP in isolated guinea pig trachea.
The above results indicate that VIP represents a new class of potent bronchodilator agents, when administered by aerosol.

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The purpose of the present study was to investigate the radiologic and histologic findings of bronchogenic carcinoma with asbestosis, in comparison to those of bronchogenic carcinoma without exposure to asbetos.
Sixteen cases were observed, 15 out of them being male, and their peak age group was 50-59, compared with 60-69, in the unexposed.
There was no relation between the duration of exposure, grade of asbestos lung and the association of malignancy. Even with a short sufficient exposure, pulmonary malignancy may follow many years later. The interval from initial exposure until the development of the neoplasm was about 32 years.
Peripheral type bronchogenic carcinoma associated with asbestosis numbered 14 out of the 16. Among them, 9 (64.3%) were in the lower lobes. However, 13 (37.3%) out of 35 bronchogenic carcinomas without exposure were in the lower lobes. Therefore, the ferquency of such tumors arising in the lower lobe was higher in the asbestos group.
Radiologic findings of peripheral bronchogenic carcinoma without exposure show some characteristic signs, such as, linear shadows through the tumor shadow, short radiating shadows surrounding the tumor shadow, notching or pleural indentation. But, in bronchogenic carcinoma associated with asbestosis, these characteristic signs were rare.
Resulting from the careful observation of histologic specimens of bronchogenic carcinoma associated with asbestosis, the frequency of epidermoid carcinoma, adenocarcinoma and large cell carcinoma were found to be similar. Furthermore, a mixed type was often observed. It is concluded that cell types of these carcinomas were rich in variety.

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Bronchial asthma is a clinical syndrome manifested by reversible and intermittent obstruction of bronchi. The reported incidence of aspirin and indomethacin-induced asthma is the highest among all of the drug-induced asthma. Nevertheless the etiology of indomethacin-induced asthma is still unknown.
The present investigation was conducted to explore the effect of indomethacin on the contractile responses of guinea pig tracheal tissues with various bronchoconstrictors.
Male guinea pigs, weighing 250-300g, were sacrificed. Guinea pig tracheal tissues were removed and suspended in bioassay glass jackets and superfused with Krebs-Henseleit solution at 37°C, saturated with oxygen and carbon dioxide (95:5, v/v). Contraction of tissues was detected by an isotonic transducer and displayed on a polyrecorder.
1) The contractile responses of guinea pig tracheal tissues with various doses of acetylcholine, serotonin, histamine, prostaglandin F_2α were markedly increased with continuous infusion of indomethacin, reaching a maximum at a dose of 5×10^-8M-5×10^-7M.
2) The potentiating effect of indomethacin on the actions of various bronchoconstrictors decreased dose-dependently with continuous infusion of prostaglandin E₂ (10^-10g/ml-10^-7g/ml).
3) These results suggest that inhibition of prostaglandin E synthesis by indomethacin may cause in-domethacin-induced asthma.

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The authors present two cases of bronchial arterial aneurysm associated with chronic inflammatory lung disease with recurrent hemoptysis.
A 32 year old male case was accompanied by chronic pulmonary suppuration which was preoperatively suspected to be adenocarcinoma and received right middle and lower lobectomies. An aneurysm was found in the peripheral area of the right S₅ by means of preoperative bronchial arteriography. The aneurysm was irregular in shape and 1.2×1.0cm in size.
The other was a 29 year old male associated with bronchiectasis who received left pneumonectomy. The aneurysms were not found by means of preoperative bronchial arteriography but were demonstrated by bronchial arteriography in the resected lung. Multiple microaneurysms were found along B₈ and B₉.
The patients made uneventful recoveries and had no episode of hemoptysis after surgery.

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An 18 year-old female case with pulmonary dirofilariasis is presented. Sudden onset of right chest pain was compatible with a relatively well defined density in the right lower lobe on chest roentgenograms. Pulmonary infarction was highly suspected by hemorrhagic pleural effusion and by findings of pulmonary perfusion scintigram as well as pulmonary angiogram.
Marked eosinophilia was found in peripheral blood, sputum, and pleural fluid respectively. Immunological studies including skin test, agar-gel diffusion, and electrophoresis confirmed the clinical evidence of pulmonary dirofilariasis.
Involved pulmonary lesion was surgically resected. After surgery there have not been any residuals.

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