Lymphocyte mediated cytotoxicity was studied, using Takasugi & Klein microassay method. Hela cells were used as target. Our method, characterized by using as target Hela cells which are cell lines derived from histologically different tumor, provides favorable environment for tissue culture and the ease with which the phenomena can be reproduced. However, because of lack of immunological specificity to the lymphocyte to be examined, there might be nonimmunological factors to be considered to draw any definite conclusion, therefore the result could be interpreted to indicate biological function of lymphocyte in general. Based upon this understanding, the cytotoxicity, expressed by MRT was compared between a group of normal persons and a group of patients with bladder carcinoma, MRT being 49.03±5.53% and 27.67±10.6%, respectively. The difference was statistically significant (p<0.025).
Then activation of the cytotoxicity by PHA stimulated lymphocytes, namely PHA induced cytotoxicity, was studied. Enhanced cytotoxicity was noted in both healthy individual and renal tumor bearing patient, but stimulation index were 1.89 in the former and 1.43 in the latter with a statistically significant difference (p<0.05). Blastogenesis of lymphocyte was determined by means of incorporation of ³H-thymidine into DNA. In the control group, base line uptake of 4, 005±908 CPM/10⁶ viable cells was enhanced to 11, 400±4, 969 CPM/10⁶ viable cells by stimulation of PHA. In the group of patients with renal tumor, base line uptake of 5, 028±3, 341 CPM/10⁶ viable cells was enhanced to 6, 555±2, 815 CPM/10⁶ viable cells without statistically significant difference, even though the stimulation index was noted to be lower compared to the control group.

View full abstract

In this paper an attempt was made to elucidate the mechanism of the transportation of spermatozoa in the vas deferens in male mongrel dogs.
Methods: Intraluminal pressure of the vas deferens was measured in vivo by inserting one or two polyethylene tubes to the lumen of the vas deferens and the number of the spermatozoa transported to the end of the vas deferens or to the posterior urethra was measured. The autonomic drugs were administered intra-aortically.
Results are as follows:
1. Autonomic contraction of the vas deferens. Measurement of the intraluminal pressure clarified that the vas deferens repeated autonomic contraction. This contraction was not so-called peristalsis but the entire portion of the vas deferens contracted simultaneously. When autonomic contraction was repeating, the posterior urethra was washed with physiologic saline every 15 minutes. One or two spermatozoa were present in every 400x field of the sediment of the saline. Then, the lumen of the vas deferens was irrigated with 2.5% and 10% formalin for 10 minutes to inhibit the cilial movement of the epithelium and the movement of the spermatozoa. Even after the irrigation the spermatozoa were present in the posterior urethra. These results indicate that the spermatozoa in the cauda epididymidis and the proximal portion of the vas deferens are continously transported by the autonomic contraction and that transportation of spermatozoa is not confined to ejaculation.
2. Stimulation of the hypogastric nerve. Stimulation of the hypogastric nerves caused a rise of the pressure at the proximal portion of the vas deferens. The rise of the pressure began 5-10 seconds after the commencement of the stimulation. The pressure near the peripheral end of the vas deferens began to rise 5-10 seconds later than the rise of the pressure of the proximal portion. Then, the testis and epididymis was separated with a ligature between them. Hypogastric nerve stimulation caused a rise of the intra-luminal pressure of the vas deferens like before the ligation. After the ligature of the transitional portion between the epididymis and vas deferens the intraluminal pressure of the vas deferens rose by hypogastric nerve stimulation. The vas deferens was separated into two portions, i. e., the proximal and distal portions with another ligature at its mid-portion in addition to the ligature between the epididymis and vas deferens. The stimulation of the hypogastric nerves caused a rise in the pressure of the proximal portion, whereas a slight fall followed by a slight rise was observed in the pressure of the distal portion. Actually, hypogastric nerve stimulation transported a considerable number of spermatozoa to the peripheral end of the vas deferens. These results indicate that spermatozoa are transported in the following manner: During ejaculation the stimuli through the hypogastric nerves elevated the pressure in the ductus epididymidis and the proximal portion of the vas deferens. This elevation pressed the spermatozoa from the epididymis and proximal portion of the vas deferens toward the posterior urethra.
3. The effect of the autonomic drugs on the transportation of spermatozoa by hypogastric nerve stimulation. Phentolamine in a dose of 1-10mg suppressed the rise of the intraluminal pressure of the vas deferens induced by hypogastric nerve stimulation and blocked the transportation of the spermatozoa in the vas deferens. Almost no changes were observed in the rise of the intraluminal pressure of the vas deferens and in the transportation of the spermatozoa after the administration of propranolol (1-10mg), atropine (1-10μg) or hexamethonium (100-500μg). These results indicate that an α-adrenergic mechanism is mainly involved in the transport of spermatozoa in the vas deferens.
4. Effects of sectioning of the peripheral nerves and the administration of autonomic drugs on the autonomic contration of the vas deferens. Sectioning of the hypogastric ner

View full abstract

1) The possibility of application of microexplosion to medicine was discussed. Destruction of urinary calculi might be the first application of the method.
2) Silver azide or lead azide was chosen as the most suitable explosive for the purpose.
3) Those chemicals were molded in the shape of cylindrical pellets for practice.
4) The sensitivity of the pellets was within safety during the process of the molding. The explosion power of the pellets was almost equal to the brisance of generally used high explosives.
5) A very small amount of the pellets could blast a few kinds of urinary calculi easily at a preliminary experiment.
6) We are planning a project study for the development and application of this new technique, “microexplosion”.

View full abstract

As one of the fundamental researches for the development of microexplosion lithotripsy, chemical component, density, hardness, compressive strength, tensile strength and the modulus of elasticity were measured on 66 dry urinary calculi. The results are as follows:
1) Chemical component was not so different from that of former reports.
2) Density was from 0.97g/ml to 1.75g/ml.
3) Hardness was from 12.5 HRF to 102.5 HRF.
4) Compressive strength was from 19.0kg/cm² to 176.0kg/cm².
5) Tensile strength was from 0.8kg/cm² to 34.3kg/cm².
6) A direct proportion was observed between the compressive and the tensile strength of calculi.
7) The modulus of elastisity was 5.4×10⁸ dyne/cm² to 88.0×10⁸ dyne/cm².
8) Almost no correlation was observed between the strength of calculi and their chemical component. Laminated calculi, however, were weaker than non-laminated one in most cases.
9) Urinary calculi could be classified into two groups according to their strength at the border of 65kg/cm² in compressive strength and of 15kg/cm² in tensile strength by dry sample. Approximately 80-90% of all calculi might belong to the “low strength calculus” group of which strength was under the borderline and the remaining 10-20% might belong to the “high strength calculus” group of which strength was over the borderline.
10) From these results obtained by dry samples, it became evident that two kinds of calculus model should be prepared for the experiment of lithotripsy: the “low strength calculus model” of which strength was approximately 65kg/cm² in compressive and 15kg/cm² in tensile and the “high strength calculus model” of which strength was approximately 180kg/cm² in compressive and 35kg/cm² in tensile.

View full abstract

I examined the response of intrarenal vasculature to vasoactive agents in acute rejection using adult mongrel dogs and attempted to elucidate the nature of vascular functional abnormalities which are thought to have some part in ischemic process of rejection.
The materials were 36 allografts, 13 autografts and 38 contralateral normal kidneys which were all removed 7 days after transplantation surgery. No immunosuppression was given. Renal perfusion was modified by adding one of the following drugs, norepinephrine, acetylcholine, isoproterenol or phenoxybenzamine each in high concentration to heparinized lactated Ringer's solution. Renal vascular resistance calculated from perfusion pressure and rate of venous effluent, microangiography performed on injection of 10% micropaque-saline solution, and glomerular intermittence obtained by counting the number of glomeruli filled with micropaque, served to estimate the grade of vascular abnormality of an allograft.
The effect of norepinephrine on isolated normal kidneys was demonstrated by patchy filling of the cortex in contrast to rich filling of the medulla on microangiography. The glomerular intermittence of this group of kidneys averaged 40±4.4% and the renal vascular resistance 9.4±1.5mmHg/ml/min, which was the highest value obtained in the present experiment. The cortex of the normal kidneys treated with acetylcholine was amply supplied with wide arteries. Their luminal diameters at the origins were estimated 102±20.5 microns on microangiograms and were significantly larger as compared with those of control kidneys (68±7.2 microns, P<0.01). Glomerular perfusion was nearly complete and the renal resistance was as low as 1.5±0.3mmHg/ml/min. In the normal kidneys infused with isoproterenol or phenoxybenzamine the entire cortex and medulla were well filled with contrast medium, while the calibers of interlobular arteries were normal. Excessive capillary filling was distinctive and in the outer medulla it presented a frizzled appearance. Almost all the glomeruli were filled with micropaque and the renal vascular resistances were low. Nearly the same findings were obtained on infusion of these vasoactive drugs into the renal autografts. Summarizing these informations about the three vasodepressive drugs, it can be said that they assure suitable renal perfusion in isolated kidneys and are useful to get microangiograms of good quality. This method of microangiography has never been reported previously and I would name it pharmacomicroangiography.
The renal allografts which underwent mononuclear cell infiltration over less than three fourths of the cortex were grouped as under moderate cellular rejection. On microangiography cortical perfusion was not uniform, the interlobular arteries were varying in calibre, most of the afferent arterioles were tortuous or spiralling, and the filling of the postglomerular vessels was poor while that of the outer medullary ones was fairly good. The renal vascular resistance was modestly high. Injection of norepinephrine affected cortical perfusion to a further extent. On the contrary, any of the currently used vasodepressive drugs improved it. The microangiograms obtained after infusion of acetylcholine revealed equally and evenly well filled cortical arteries and no tortuous or coiled arterioles. The renal resistance was significantly lowered. The intrarenal vasculature of the allografts with moderate acute rejection reacted to isoproterenol or phenoxybenzamine in the similar fashion as with acetylcholine. The allografts having massive cellular rejection over more than three fourths of the cortex seemed to be deprived of responsiveness to the vasoactive drugs. The norepinephrine or acetylcholine-treated allografts presented indistinguishable appearances on microangiography. The interlobular arteies were variably dilated and cut off at periphery throughout the cortex and, instead of spiralling, numerous

View full abstract

A newly deviced method of “computerized isotope voiding cystography” had been first published on our previous report.
In this paper, more clinical cases were collected and analysed systematically.
^99mTc-DTPA was selected as the isotope.
Picker's Dyna Camera 2C system was used for the γ-scintillation camera.
Hitac 10 II was used for the mini computer.
The eight interesting cases were presented, showing usual urethrogram compared to the computerized isotope voiding cystography.
This isotope voiding cystographies were classified into five types according to the graph's shapes on the examined 79 cases.
No side effect was noticed by this method.

View full abstract

A 54-year-old woman with history of the radical operation for epipharynx carcinoma in 1969 was admitted to our hospital on December 5, 1974 for a remarkable weight loss with a right abdominal mass. An excretory urogram demonstrated a downward displacement of the major renal calices in the right side. A right renal arteriogram showed a huge renal mass with tumor staining and stretching of the vesseles, suggesting renal cell carcinoma. Roentgenographic surveys and bone scans for metastasis were negative. Repeated serum calcium determinations during this period ranged from 15.0 to 16.5mg% and serum phosphate levels from 3.2 to 3.6mg%. A radioimmunoassay for parathyroid hormone revealed 2.2ng/ml in peripheral blood (normal: under 0.5ng/ml). Right nephrectomy was carried out on December 12, 1974 and the histological examination showed a papillary cell type of adenocarcinoma. After the operation serum carcium levels remained elevated, ranging from 14.0 to 15.0mg%. The elevated calcium levels were controlled neither by massive fluid infusions nor hydrocorcison administration. Under the presumptive diagnosis of primary hyperparathyroidism, parathyroid scans and selective thyroid arteriography were performed, but they did not show any definite tumor mass. Slective venones sampling with radioimmunoassays for parathyroid hormone was carried out on April 1, 1975. The result revealed an increased concentration of parathyroid hormone in the left common jugular vein (13.0ng/ml) compared to other sites, right common jugular vein (2.0ng/ml), superior vena cava (1.9ng/ml), inferior vena cava (0.9ng/ml), and left renal vein (1.1ng/ml). Removal of parathyroid tumor was scheduled, but before the operation the patient died suddenly due to hypercalcemic crisis on May 10, 1975. Autopsy revealed recurrence of epipharynx carcinoma, a latent thyroid carcinoma, and a parathyroid adenoma at the left lower pole of the thyroid gland measuring 1.5×1.5×1.0cm. Radioimmunoassays of parathyroid hormone in extract of the metastatic tumors of the renal cell carcinoma were within normal limit.

View full abstract

A 27-year-old woman demonstrating the syndrome of multiple mucosal neuroma, medullary thyroid arcinoma and pheochromocytoma associated with bumpy lip, thick eye lid, thickened corneal nerve, marfanoid habitus, intestinal diverticulosis, peptic ulcer and absent flare response following an intradermal histamine injection is presented in this paper.
Our case corresponds to multiple endocrine neopla. sia (MEN) type 3, which was proposed by Khairi et al, in 1975, and is the second one following the case reported by Watanabe et al, in 1968 in Japan.
Literatures pertaining to this syndrome were reviewed and some considerations were suggested.

View full abstract