Magnesium concentration in serum was significantly lower in patients with bilateral hydronephrosis (1.52±0.15mEq/l, mean±S. D.) than in 74 healthy adults (1.82±0.17mEq/l) and 10 normal control subjects (1.65±0.15mEq/l) (p<0.05). There was no correlation between serum magnesium concentration and GFR.
In regard to magnesium clearance (C_Mg) under water diuresis there existed no significant difference between patients with bilateral hydronepherosis and normal control subjects. No significant reduction of C_Mg was observed in hydronephrotic patients with lowered GFR.
Excretion fraction of filtered magnesium (EF_Mg) in patients with bilateral hydronephrosis (13.58±9.76%) was significantly higher than that of normal control subjects (4.54±1.75%) (p<0.01), and tended to be higher as GFR became lower.
Between EF_Mg and excretion fraction of filtered sodium (EF_Na) in patients with bilateral hydronephrosis, a high correlation was noted: the regression line being EF_Mg=2.52×EF_Na±2.61 (γ=0.786, p<0.01). Whereas no correlation was seen between EF_Mg and excretion fraction of filtered calcium.
In 4 patients with unilateral hydronephrosis who underwent individual renal function test, EF_Mg of the lydronephrotic kidney was higher than that of the contralateral normal kidney. On the other hand, in 3 patients with unilateral renal arterial stenosis, EF_Mg of the stenotic kidney was lower than that of the normal kidney on the opposite side.
EF_Mg observed in 4 patients with primary aldosteronism and in 3 patients with primary hyper-parathyroidism showed no significant difference from that of normal control subjects.
EF_Mg estimated in 4 patients with unilateral hydronephrosis during infusion of Mg-aspartate and furosemide demonstrated a very sharp increase in both hydronephrotic and normal kidneys, and the difference between the two kidneys was reduced.
The above-mentioned results indicate that there it a tendency of renal wasting of magnesium in hydronephrosis probably due to disturbances in magnesium reabsorption in the renal tubules.

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Transitional cell carcinomas (BC-47, BC-35 and BC-50) were produced in urinary bladder of ACI/N rats by oral administration of N-butyl-N-butanol (4) nitrosamine (BBN). The cells of these carcinomas can multiply successively in vitro and these cultured cells are always iso-transplantable into the urinary bladder of ACI/N rats. BC-47 is a high antigenic transitional cell carcinoma accompanied with squamous cell metaplasia, BC-35 is a moderate antigenic and BC-50 is a low antigenic. PICIBANIL is a biological preparation obtained from a low virulent mutant of lancefield's type III, group A Streptococcus pyogenes. PICIBANIL attacks directly the tumor cells and also potenciates the defence mechanism of the host.
In vitro study.
Effects of PICIBANIL and Mitomycin C (MMC) for BC-47 cells were tested in cell culture by the method of colony inhibition assay. Complete inhibition of cell growth was seen in PICIBANIL at a concentration of 1000μg/3ml. No inhibition was seen at a concentration of 200μg/3ml and below. This concentration was higher than the concentration of PICIBANIL in the bladder wall of rats, when 0.5mg of the agent was injected intraperitoneally. Complete inhibition of BC-47 cells was seen in MMC at a concentration of 10μg/3ml, and no inhibition was seen at a concentration of 0.01μg/3 ml and below.
In vivo study.
Ten days after implantation of various cancer cells (2×10⁸) into the urinary bladder of ACI/N rats, when the growth of carcinomas was confirmed macroscopically, the first injection was done as follows. In case of BC-47, BC-35 and BC-50, 0.5mg of PICIBANIL alone and in case of BC-47, 0.5mg of PICIBANIL combined with 1.0mg of β-methasone and 0.1mg of MMC were injected intraperitoneally. These injections were repeated 5 times at one day interval.
Complete regression of all high antigenic BC-47 carcinomas were seen with PICIBANIL therapy alone, but this effect of PICIBANIL was cancelled by combination of β-methasone due to the immunosuppressive effect of this steroid.
The effect of MMC for BC-47 was a strong inhibition of tumor growth of the bladder wall, but no complete regression was seen. Histologically, a remarkable lymphocytic infiltration and appearance of foreign body giant cells phogocytizing horny materials were seen in the bladder carcinoma from BC-47, treated with PICIBANIL. And then tumor cells disappeared completely.
However, such immunologic reactions were not seen in the same carcinoma when it was treated with PICIBANIL combined with β-methasone. Similarly, BC-35 and BC-50 did not show immunologic reactions even if they were treated with PICIBANIL alone. In BC-47 carcinomas treated with MMC, destroyed tumor cell were observed in histologically.
It was thus supposed that the mechanism of the therapeutic effect of PICIBANIL was an acceleration immunologic reaction of the system. On the contrary, that of MMC was a direct destruction of tumor cells.

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It is the author's opinion that the movable kidney should be divided into the urinary flow-stasis type and the blood flow-stasis type. An experimental study was performed on the blood flow-insufficiency which was supposed to occur in the early period. In the experiment, a dog weighing about 10kg was employed. The kidney was exposed, and under the conditions of various strengths and times of traction, RPF at the time of traction was determined, using indocyanine green as an indicator. Also, under the same conditions, LDH and isozyme were tested, and the influence of the traction against the kidney was pursued. The results obtained are as follows.
1) RPF in the unilateral kidney of the dog was 124.6ml/min on the average.
2) The traction-condition corresponding to the movable kidney is equivalent to 50-100g for 2-4 weeks as the optimal condition, in such a case, RPF was about 60ml/min.
3) In this condition, LDH-total activation was elevated at the highest, while LDH₁ was definitely decreased with the changes of LDH-isozyme.
4) From this result, the disorder of the ranal blood-flow due to the renal ptosis seems to affect mainly the renal cortex, and also to activate the factor of capillary vessels and renin's activation.
5) In consideration of the classification of the movable kidney due to LDH-isozyme clinically, mention was made on the analysis of psychosomatic complaints by the change of the fundal arteroles and venules observed in the type of the disordered blood-flow.

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The serum proteins of 70 cases of malignant tumors of the uro-genital system were quantitatively measured by single radial immunodiffusion method (with the use of the Behringwerke Partigens). The serum was obtained before any type of treatment was instituted.
Our results were summarized as follows.
1) The serum proteins in cancer of the bladder showed similar changes to those in cancers of the stomach, lungs, esophagus, etc; they were a decrease of prealbumin, increases of α₁-acid glycoprotein, α₁-antitrypsin, ceruloplasmin and haptoglobin. These changes became more pronounced as the stage of the cancer progressed. There were no significant changes between the grade and the histological type of each tumor.
2) In cancer of the prostate (particularly in its advanced stage), a decrease of prealbumin and increases of α₁-antitrypsin and ceruloplasmin were remarkably observed.
3) In the tumor of the testicles, increases of α₁-acid glycoprotein and haptoglobin were noted in the earlier stage. In advanced stage, however, a decrease of prealbumin and transferrin, and increases of α₁-acid glycoprotein, α₁-antitrypsin and haptoglobin were pronounced.
4) α₂-HS glycoprotein did not reveal any statistically significant changes in malignant tumors of the uro-genital system.
It is concluded that measurement of the serum protein changes in malignant tumors of the uro-genital system has practical significance, particularly for evaluation of the clinical stage of the patients with malignant tumor.

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It has been discussed whether parathyroid function on the distal type of renal tubular acidosis (distal RTA) may be activated and result in the negative balance of calcium and inorganic phosphorus.
However, its etiology is obscure.
We reported herein a case of distal RTA that was studied as to serum ionized calcium, inorganic phosphorus and serum parathyroid hormone (PTH) before and after the therapy of the acidosis. The results showed that serum ionized calcium was increased, although total serum calcium was at the lower limit of the normal range and serum PTH level was low (0.1ng/dl) in systemic acidosis before the therapy.
After recovery from the acidosis serum ionized calcium was decreased to the normal range with increased total serum calcium and serum PTH (1.2ng/dl).
Therefore, the parathyroid function on the distal RTA is thought to be mediated by serum ionized calcium.

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The angiography was performed on 10 patients with renal cell carcinoma. An A-V fistula was seen in 5 cases out of the 10 and they died within one year. It was therefore concluded that an A-V fistula is often seen in renal carcinoma and correlated with their prognosis.

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A number of reports have indicated that liver disease is one of significant complications in renal allograft recipients. In this report liver disease occurred in 40.0% of 35 recipients and was severe in 14.3%.
This study suggests that history of antecedent hepatitis during undergoing hemodialysis, indicating possibility of viral infection, is more important as possible causative factcr of severe liver disease rather than azathioprine hepatotoxicity. In some cases azathioprine seems to be available for inducing latent liver disease to develop.

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