Portal and systemic hemodynamic responses to a very low dose of nitroglycerin were studied in patients with portal hypertension and cirrhosis, and compared with those to a high dose of this compound. A 0.15 mg dose of nitroglycerin was given sublingually to 10 patients (LDG), and 0.3 mg to another 10 (HDG). Hemodynamic measurements were performed by means of hepatic venous and right cardiac catheterization before and 5 min after nitroglycerin administration. The wedged hepatic venous pressure decreased after dosing by 7.9% (p<0.01) in LDG, and by 15.3% (p<0.01) in HDG. Hepatic blood flow with ICG did not change in either group. In LDG, azygos blood flow remained unchanged, in contrast to a significant decrease by 10.1% (p<0.05) in HDG. Mean arterial pressure fell by 3.6% (p<0.05) in LDG and by 18.6% (p<0.01) in HDG. Cardiac index did not change in LDG, but decreased by 11.4% (p<0.05) in HDG. In both groups, mean pulmonary arterial pressure and pulmonary capillary wedge pressure fell significantly by the same amount. In HDG, a significant correlation between changes in wedged hepatic venous pressure and azygos blood flow (r=0.70, p<0.05) was observed. This suggested that splanchnic vasoconstriction mediated by a high-pressure, rather than a low-pressure, baroreceptor reflex was the main contributor to a decrease in portal venous blood flow, resulting in a reduction in wedged hepatic venous pressure; whereas a slight but significant fall of wedged hepatic venous pressure induced by a very low dose of nitroglycerin might have been due to venodilatation in the portal system and the hepatic vascular bed. These data suggest that, even with a very low dose of nitroglycerin, partial improvement of the hepatic circulation can be expected with minimal change in the systemic circulation in patients with cirrhosis and portal hypertension.

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To examine a relation of angles among the coronal, sagittal and lambdoid sutures to the size of the calvaria as well as to the remains of the metopic suture, 158 adult Japanese calvae or calottes were observed. The calvae used consisted of four groups: group M composed of 74 male calvae without the metopic suture; group F, of 41 female calvae without the same suture; group Un, of 27 sex-unknown calvae without the same suture; and group Um, of 16 sex-unknown calvae with the same sututre. The angles among the sutures were measured at both bregma and lambda. The size of the calvaria was represented by bistephanic arc and breadth (distance between the stephanions), and by parietal sagittal arc and chord (distance from the bregma to the lambda).
Results obtained were as follows. The distances both between the stephanions and from the bregma to the lambda were larger in M than in F, though these distances in M, F and Un were much the same as those in Um. The bistephanic index (breadth/arc) was higher in Um than in F, Whereas the sagittal parietal indices (arc/chrod) in M, F and Um were similar to one another. Apical angle of the frontal squama was larger in M than in F, and was larger in Um than in M and F. However, apical angle of the occipital squama showed no difference among M, F and Um. Finally, a positive correlation was found between the bistephanic distance and the apical angle of the frontal squama only in Um, because the course of the coronal suture was more curved in Um than in M and in F.
Thus it was concluded that in either sex the angles among the sutures at both bregma and lambda are almost constant without distinction of the size of the calva, and that the apical angle of the frontal squama is larger in males than in females, and further that in both sexes the frontal squama between the stephanions becomes swollen and its apical angle increases when the metopic suture remains.

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The anti-cancer effects of either Cis-diammine (Glycolato) platinum II (CDGP-II), a novel platinum derivative, or ifosfamide (IFX) on bladder carcinoma strain NM-B-1 inoculated in nude mice were examined. These chemotherapeutic agents were compared with each other in terms of their inhibitory effect on tumor growth, their histology, and the concentration of each agent in the blood, tumor tissue, liver and kidneys.
(1) The tumor growth was inhibited by CDGP-II in all three different dosage groups (p<0.05), but not by IFX (p>0.05). These results were also confirmed by histological examination.
(2) The amount of CDGP-II (30mg/kg) in the tumor tissue increased in a timedependent manner, while in the blood plasma and kidney tissue, it decreased. Total value (TV) and active metabolite (AML) of IFX (500mg/kg) were examined. TV in the tumor tissue decreased in a time-dependent manner. AML could not be detected. There was no change of AML in the blood plasma, liver, and kidneys.
(3) Transmigration of single loading of CDGP-II or IFX with Angiotensin II (AT-II) from blood into the tissue was examined. CDGP-II in the blood plasma, tumor, liver and kidneys increased in a time-dependent manner. After single administration of IFX, TV decreased in the blood plasma, tumor, liver and kidneys, while AML increased in the blood and kidneys (p<0.01).
(4) The results suggest that CDGP-II may have an anti-tumor effect on NM-B-1. However, the effect can not be enhanced under the influence of a pressor chemotherapeutic agent. IFX did not show anti-tumor properties even after treatment with AT-II. These results may be due to a metabolic defect of IFX within the tumor tissue in vivo. In addition, it can be emphasized that, in the pressor chemotherapeutic trials, it is important to evaluate the concentration of the angiotensin-II receptor in tumor tissues.

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The data from 329 gastric cancer patients (206 males and 123 females) were applied to the following statistical analysis. The stage of gastric cancer progress, which was determined by the general rules for the gastric cancer study in Japan, the counterpart of the TNM classification was predictable by a multi-variative mathematical model based on Hayashi's quantification theory which allowed to use qualitative variables as well as quantitative ones for the calculation using the variables relevant to clinical findings consisted of the grade of surgical operability, the grade of histopathological change, positive or negative liver metastasis, positive or negative histopathologically detectable lymph-node metastasis and so on. The variables relevant to clinical findings predicted accurately the stage by the above-cited model and multi-variative correlation coefficient (R²) was 0.9475, suggesting that 95% of the values predicted by those variables could identical to the observed value of the cancer stage. The variables relevant to clinical findings contributed only 29% (R²=0.2902) to the prediction of the histopathological grade. The stage and the histopathological grade also were predictable with the multi-variative regressive equations using the data of the clinico-pathological examinations which were administered on the day before the operation to 239 patients (139 males and 95 females) of gastric cancer and 82 control surgical patients (50 males and 32 females). The clinico-pathological indicators consisted of the SI values of Con A and PHA, leukocytes' count, lymphocytes' count, serum albumin concentration, B-and T-cell numbers. The factors which contributed to the stage, or the histopathological grade of gastric cancer were extracted respectively through principal component analysis using the respective correlation matrices consisted of the varianbles used for the calculation of the multi-variative regression equantions in order to predict the stage or histopathological grade. For the male patients, the aging factor contributed to both of the stage and the histopathological grade. For the female patients, the factor relevant to the complication such as infectious diseases and low-nutrition emaciating the patient contributed to the cancer stage and the factor relevant to T-lymphocyte function contributed to the histopathological grade.

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By use of the in vitro murine blast cell colony (Bl) assay system, Bl-constituting cells supported by interleukin-3 (IL-3), IL-3 + interleukin-6 (IL-6), IL-3 + granulocyte colonystimulating factor (G-CSF) and IL-3 + interleukin-1 (IL-1) were replated and the frequencies of secondary (2nd) granulocyte/erythrocyte/macrophage/megakaryocyte (GEMM) colony and Bl progenitors were examined. According to the statistical method reported by Nakahata et al, the p values for the hemopoietic stem cells to self-renew were calculated and all cytokine groups produced similar p values ranging between 0.576 and 0.596. Further studies using IL-3-supported and IL-3 + G-CSF-supported Bl showed that the 2nd Bl progenitors could be produced even when there were more than 150 primary Bl-constituting cells per colony in the case of IL-3 + G-CSF, but no 2nd Bl progenitors were found in the case of IL-3. Their appearance was limited within the smaller primary Bl when supported by IL-3. Again there was a difference in the net product number of 2nd Bl progenitors, that is, the addition of G-CSF to the primary culture could produce around double the number of 2nd Bl progenitors. These data led us to hypothesize that synergistic factors could not modify the self-renewal probability, but maintained the self-renewal process for a longer period, in other words, for several cellular divisions.

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To identify the affected retinal layer in cases of branch retinal vein occlusion (BRVO), we analyzed the scotopic electroretinogram (ERG) and electrooculogram (EOG) obtained on the same day in 30 patients with unilateral BRVO. Patients with eye diseases other than unilateral BRVO were excluded. A dome-shaped Ganzfeld illuminator was used for scotopic ERG stimulation and EOG illumination under conventional recording conditions. There was no significant difference in the mean values of scotopic ERG variables between the eyes with BRVO and the normal eyes, but the EOG light peak and L/D ratio were significantly lower in the eyes with BRVO (p<0.05). However, there was no significant difference between eyes with BRVO and normal eyes regarding the dark through value. Since the light rise potential is induced by background illumination, the low values for light peak and L/D ratio in the eyes with BRVO represent a decrease in the light rise potential compared with that of normal eyes. In addition, since the b wave amplitude of the ERG was normal in the eyes with BRVO, the scotopic ERG and EOG tests suggest that generalized mild hypoxia affects the inner retinal layer of the eyes with BRVO.

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The relationship between the 70-kilodalton hear shock protein (HPS70), morphological changes in neurons, protein extravasation, and reactive axonal changes was evaluated in rats with fluid percussion injuries to the right side of the brain. (4.8-5.6 atm, 20 ms). From 1 hour to 2 weeks after injury (or sham injury), serial sections of the brains were immunostained with antibodies to HSP70, rat IgG, and 68-kilodalton neurofilament. Ischemic changes in neurons in the injured cortex were noted in samples taken from 6 to 48 hours after injury, and macroscopic hemorrhages were noted in the corpus callosum and external capsule. Reactive axonal swelling was observed in the brain stem in samples teken from 6 to 48 hours after injury.
Immunostaining of HSP70 was positive in the injured cortex from 6 hours to 1 week after injury. Maximal immunostaining was observed by 48 hours after injury in the injured cortical layers II and III. The region of HSP70 expression at 24 and 48 hours postinjury was the same as the region of ischemic cell changes. There were discrepancies between the region of HSP70 expression and the regions of IgG immunoreactivity and reactive axonal changes. These findings indicate that HSP70 expression is closely related to ischemic brain injury, and that HSP70 expression is not related to either breakdown of the blood-brain barrier or reactive axonal changes.

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