Famotidine, one of the histamine H₂-receptor antagonists (H₂-blockers), contains a sulfamoylamidine group. The sulfamoylamidine group contains a residue which is structurally similar to the sulfonamide group. This group is known to have a carbonic anhydrase (CA) inhibitory action. In the present study, it was confirmed that famotidine inhibited CA activity in vitro whereas cimetidine and ranitidine which lack sulfonamide-like residues did not. Considering these characteristics of the H₂-blockers, the effects of long-term administration of the H₂-blockers on CA activity in gastric and duodenal mucosa were examined using the H₂-blockers with or without CA-inhibiting action.
After male adult Wistar rats were treated for 4 weeks with famotidine (1.6mg/kg/day; F group) or cimetidine (32mg/kg/day; C group), CA activity in the mucosa from the antrum, fundus or duodenum was measured on the 1st, 3rd, 7th, 14th or 21st day after the last administration. In spite of CA inhibitory action of famotidine in vitro, CA activity was not lower in the mucosal preparations from F group than in those from C group. Although CA activity in the duodenal mucosa was not significantly different from that in the control, CA activity in the gastric mucosa of both C and F groups clearly showed a decreasing tendency. These results suggest that long-term treatment with H₂-blockers might diminish mucosal protection efficacy through mechanisms other than the direct CA inhibitory action.

View full abstract

Two major ADH isozymes of mouse liver, basic ADH (Class I) and acidic ADH (Class HI) were purified and the effects of various hydrophobic substances (t-butanol, butyramide, trifluoroethanol, trichloroacetic acid, stearic acid, oleamide, phenylalanine and norleucine) on their activities were investigated.
All these hydrophobic substances activated acidic ADH with a range of from 15 to 560%, and reversely inactivated basic ADH activity with a range of from 10 to 100%, when 150mmol/l ethanol was used as a substrate. Among these substances, t-butanol, which was the most potent activator of acidic ADH, enhanced the activity by 560% and completely inactivated basic ADH at a concentration of 1.0mol/l.
Kinetics studies demonstrated that the activation of acidic ADH by the hydrophobic substances was due to marked decreases of Km for ethanol in spite of decreases of Vmax, suggesting these substances were positive allosteric effectors for the isozyme. The inactivation of basic ADH by the hydrophobic substances was due to a decrease of Vmax without changing Km for ethanol. These results indicate that the activities of two ADH isozymes are regulated reversely by the hydrophobisity of the reaction environment which changes their kinetics constants.
The ELISA method using the isozyme-specific antibody demonstrated that the content of acidic ADH in mouse liver was about 7 times larger than that of basic ADH (5.3.±0.86 vs 0.72.±0.06mg/g-liver).
In the light of the hydrophobic regulation of ADH isozyme activities and their liver contents, the role of acidic ADH on alcohol metabolism may be more predominant than basic ADH in the liver under hydrophobic condition.

View full abstract

Defecography, the radiologic examination of the defecation function, has never been reported in Japan, whereas some reports have been published in western countries. However neither the methods nor the criteria for use have been fully established.
The auther carried out a radiologic study focusing on themaximum lower rectal width and the ano-rectal angle by means of defecography which is considered one ofthe most efficient methods to examine the morphology and function of defecation.
Defecography was carried out in order to study the changes in maximum lower rectal the width and the ano-rectal angle during straining and at rest both with and without the spasmolytic agent, Buscopanre04. The effects of using different amount of barium sulfate suspention 120 ml and 50 ml were also studied. The maximum rectal width tended to be narrowed and the ano rectal angle to increase during straining as compared to the measurements at rest, while no significant changes, were observed concerning the presence or absence of Buscopanre04.
In comparative studies between pathologic cases such as those with constipation incontinence hemorrhoids and post operative hemorrhoids, and a nomal control group, a statistically significant difference was demonstrated only in the cases with hemorrhoids.
No difference was demonstrated in any of the cases in association with the use of Buscopanre04.
The length of the anal canal was shortened by straining and was longer in males than in females.
Furthermore, by using a catheter with optic fiber, the internal pressure of the anal canal was measured before defecography and it was noted that pressure was lower in older patient and patients with constipation.
In conclusion, defecography is one of the most important radiologic examination procedures relayed to the physio-pathology of defecation.

View full abstract

In order to evaluate the diagnostic values of bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) and transbronchial lung biopsy (TBLB) in interstitial lung diseases, we made a retrospective study of a total of 43 patients all of whom underwent examinations for both conditions at the same time. In the BAL examination, fractional analyses of cell differential counts were applied to the first 30m/l lavage (FBAL-I, bronchial lavage) and to the following 50 m/l aliquot of the second and third lavages (FBAL-II and-III, the latter supposedly alveolar lavage) lavages respectively. This technique revealed the unique characteristics of bronchial and alveolar inflammations ina separate data and this is assumed to be a precise reflection of the pathogenesis of interstitial lung diseases.
The evaluation values (EV) were graded from 1 to 5 for both results according to the following diagnostic significance: EV1: not useful, EV2: normal or only slight changes from normal level, EV3: moderate changes although not diagnostic, EV4: quite compatible findings for diagnosis and EV5: definitely diagnostic.
The 19 patients (43%) whose EV in TBLB were either 4 or 5 were diagnosed as having sarcoidosis (3), hypersensitivity pneumonitis (1), tuberculosis (2), pneumoconiosis (6), histiocytosis X (3), pulmonary infiltration with eosinophilia syndrome (PIE) (1), collagen vascular diseases (1), panbronchiolitis (1) or lymphagiomyomatosis (1). Thirteen of them had a BAL EV 4 which consisted of rather characteristic patterns of cell differential counts: thus their diagnoses were reconfirmed. In the other 4 patients with hypersensitivity pneumonitis, tuberculosis or PIE, the diagnoses were established by the findings of BAL EV 4 although the EV of TBLB were 3 or 2. These results indicate that BAL alone hardly establishes a diagnosis but it can support the TBLB findings and increase a diagnostic ability by 10% in total. Basophilic leukocytes, mast cells and Langerhans cells in BAL were rather non-specific, but the former two frequently apperared in allergic states and the latter two were often present in fibrotic lungs. Histiocytosis X is indicated if Langerhans cells are recovered from more than a small percentage of the total cell counts.

View full abstract

The regeneration of the liver is frequently observed after the resection of liver tumor and partial liver transplantation, and it is assumed that the modification of the hematolymphoid system in the liver will occur during this process and influence not only the progress of the primary disease but also liver regeneration itself. In this study, we investigated by flow cytometric analysis the modification of the cell subpopulation in the peripheral blood lymphocytes (PBL), intrahepatic lymphocytes fraction 1, which come into marginal contact with the liver (IHL Fr. 1), and intrahepatic lymphocytes fraction 2, which come into close contact with the liver (IHL Fr. 2). (1) The positive cells of each antigen (Thy1.2, αβTCR, γδTCR, CD4 and CD8) exist in the normal liver as PBL. (2) CD8/CD4 ratio is 0.3-0.4 in PBL and IHL Fr. 1 and significantly higher in IHL Fr. 2 (0.7). (3) Compared with other fractions, the ratio of a/3TCR dull positive cells to whole atiTCR positive cells is low, while (4) the percentage of γδTCR positive cells is high in IHL Fr. 2. These facts suggest that lymphocyte populations in the liver differ from those of PBL. Furthermore, one day after partial hepatectomy, (5) the percentage of the αβTCR dull positive cells decreases in PBL, but remarkably increases to 2.6 times the normal level in IHL Fr. 2 and (6) the ratio of CD8/CD4 increases to 1.4 times in IHL Fr. 2. (7) The percentage of γδTCR positive cells decreases in PBL, but does not significantly change in IHL Fr. 2 during the liver regeneration. These findings reveal that lymphocyte populations different from PBL exist in the liver and respond to stimulus to the liver in different ways from PBL. The mechanism for the modification occurring in the IHL population during liver regeneration and its biological significance are discussed.

View full abstract

An experimental study was carried out to investigate the histological properties of the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstructed by the augmentation procedure.
After the resection of 42 knees in 42 adult New Zealand white rabbits, 21 of the knees were reconstructed with a patellar tendon alone (nonaugmented group) and 21 with an augmented patellar tendon using a Leeds-Keio artificial ligament (augmented group). The rabbits were destroyed 4, 8, 12, 16 and 24 weeks, respectively, after the operation.
After 4 weeks, a remarkable proliferation of fibrous tissue was present in the augmented group ligaments, while tissue necrosis was dominant, with slight granulation, in the nonaugmented group. After 8 weeks, the fibrous tissue was regularly arranged in a longitudinal direction in the augmented group, while this took 12 weeks in the nonaugmented group. Furthermore, 16 weeks postoperatively, the collagen fibers had matured and resembled normal ligaments in the augmented group, but this took 24 weeks in the nonaugmented group.
After 16 weeks, columnar formations and some mineralization of the fibrocartilage were observed in the bone-ligament junctions in the nonaugmented group, but not until after 24 weeks in the augmented group.
After 24 weeks, there were no histological differences between the two groups, either in the reconstructed ligaments or in the bone-ligament junctions.
It is suggested that augmentation had an effect on the early histological maturation of collagen fibers, and an adverse effect on the formation of enthesis.

View full abstract

A rare case of partial absence of the left pericardium was reported. The patient was a seventy-nine years old male and the cause of death was a gastric cancer. The pericardial absence was oval in shape, in egg-size with smooth margin and was located between the superior portion of the left pericardium and the pleural cavity. The pulmonary artery, left auricle and superior part of the left ventricle were visible through the absence. The left phrenic nerve descended along the anterior free margin of the absence.

View full abstract