Experiments were performed to investigate the influence of L-leucine on the actions of DL-ethionine and puromycin in coagulability of mouse blood, using Thrombotest and Hepalastintest. A marked decline in mouse blood coagulability occurred 24 hours after injection of DL-ethionine. There was a marked decrease of blood coagulability in mice 6 hours after injection of puromycin. Administration of L-leucine significantly improved the decline in mouse blood coagulability caused by DL-ethionine as well as that by puromcin. Formation of vitamin K-dependent coagulation factor precursors was promoted following injection of L-leucine. There was evidence of acceleration of the vitamin K cycle by L-leucine. The findings of promoted formation of vitamin K-dependent coagulation factor precursors and activation and acceleration of the vitamin K cycle in mice injected with L-leucine suggest that these effects are due to activation of proteins or polypeptides which are to be called L factors by L-leucine rather than to any direct action of this amino acid.

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Cytodiagnosis by aspiration with puncture was compared with histopathological diagnosis in the thyroid gland of 58 autopsy cases (aged 14 years or more) selected at random. The results of pathomorphological examinations of the thyroid gland of 1, 898 cases (aged 14 years or more) autopsied at our department over a 27-year period were also studied. The rate of correct diagnosis of malignant tumor of the thyroid gland was 66.7%, and nodules were palpated in only five of 12 lobes that were correctly diagnosed as having malignant thyroid tumor. Cytodiagnosis seems difficult in cases in which no nodule can be palpated or those with microcarcinoma of 5mm or less. Multi-directional aspiration should therefore be employed for cytodiagnosis by aspiration with puncture in the thyroid gland. Cancer cells are usually confirmed by cytodiagnosis by aspiration with puncture for the thyroid gland, but microcarcinoma should be closely and clinically followed up when histopathological examination does not disclose cancer. Screening of the autopsied cases revealed that the incidence of various thyroid diseases was 8.2%, and increased with aging. The incidence of thyroid cancer was 1.9%, and that of microcarcinoma of the thyroid gland, 0.9%. The incidence of thyroid carcinoma was high in the 40s and 80s. By histological type, 42.8% of thyroid carcinomas were papilloadenocarcinoma and 44.4% follicular adenocarcinoma. Among cases of microcarcinoma of 10mm or less, the incidence of papilloadenocarcinoma was high, 70.6%. The incidence of coexistence of adenomatoid goiter and thyroid carcinoma was high, 25%. It therefore seems necessary that patients diagnosed as having adenomatoid goiter be observed regularly.

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We observed the changes in plasma sodium, potassium, arterial PaCO₂, pH and cardiac rhythm after repeated twice administrations of succinylcholine (SCC) for 22 patients of Aichi Cancer Center Hospital during induction of the operations. Anesthesia was induced with thiopental (100-150mg) and modified NLA (droperidol 0.25mg/kg and pentazocine 1mg/kg) . The first dose of SCC (lmg/kg) was administered immediately after the loss of consciousness, and the second dose of SCC (0.5mg/kg) was administered 2 minutes after intubation. Plasma sodium concentration decreased constantly with time. The decrease was 2.3mEq/l in 7 minutes. After induction, plasma potassium concentration decreased by 0.07 mEq/l compared with preinduction levels. However, after the first and the second SCC doses, plasma potassium levels increased by 0.08 and 0.28mEq/l, respectively, compared with prerelaxant concentration. There was no correlation between the changes of plasma electrolytes and blood gas data. Heart rate was significantly reduced after the second SCC dose. Temporary atrial and ventricular premature beats were observed in 2 of 22 patients after the first SCC dose and 3 of 15 patients after the second SCC dose. However, there was no correlation between the occurrence of bradycardia or arrythmia and the change in plasma potassium concentration. These results suggest that in modified NLA we used, the degree of the changes in plasma electrolytes and the occurrence of bradycardia or arrythmia after repeated twice SCC administrations were relatively small compared with other methods of general anesthesia.

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Seaprose S (SAP), a proteinase clinically used as an anti-inflammatory agent, was administered intravenously to male Sprague-Dawley strain rats at a dosage of 4 mg/kg. Changes in kallikrein-kinin, coagulation and fibrinolysis systems were studied at 1, 3, 24 and 72 hours after injection. High molecular weight kininogen (HMW-kininogen) level was markedly decreased at 1 and 3 hours to trace levels. However, there were no differences in low molecular weight kininogen (LMW-kininogen) level, prekallikrein activity, and kininase II activity between the SAP-treated group and control (saline injected) group. The consumption of coagulation factors was suggested by a decrease in fibrinogen level and factor XIII activity, and prolongation of prothrombin time (PT) and partial thromboplastin time (PTT) . Plasma protein inhibitors, α_2-plasmin inhibitor and antithrombin III activity decreased while plasminogen level remained unchanged. However, these changes of coagulation and the fibrinolysis system were still within normal limits. The results suggest that a marked decrease in HMW-kininogen is most probably attributable to one of the anti-inflammatory actions of SAP.

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The suppression of the tail flick reflex by Aβ afferent nerve impulses was investigated in lightly anesthetized rats. Peripheral electrical stimulation (PES) of the hindlimb and the forelimb were applied with the stimulus intensity for eliciting an Aβ component only of the compound action potentials in the common peroneal nerve and the brachial plexus. When only the Aβ component of the compound action potentials was evoked by PES of the hindlimb in the common peroneal nerve, the EMG activity of the tail muscle was suppressed without change of the skin temperature at the beginning of the tail flick (threshold temperature) and the tail flick latency ; the suppressive effect was the same as that of the direct stimulation of Aβ fibers in the common peroneral nerve transected under the capitulum fibulae. The forelimb stimulation also produced the suppression of the EMG activity without change of the threshold temperature and the tail flick latency. For the effect of naloxone, the suppressive effect of the forelimb stimulation was antagonized by naloxone, while that of the hindlimb stimulation failed to be antagonized by naloxone. These results suggest that the existence of the mechanism which suppresses only the EMG activity and should be taken into consideration that the mechanisms of the suppressive effect vary with the difference of dermatomes which receive applications of PES.

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In this study, the physical characteristics of the 323 young people with visual and aural impediment in Kumamoto Prefecture were examined. 1. The growth of the height and sitting height in male with visual and aural impediment were similar to those normal children at a young age. In females, there were noticeable difference in second sexual character between impedimental and normal children. 2. Retarded growth of the chest circumference in males was seen in aural impediment children after 13 years of age. As for females, a converse phenomenon was found. 3. No differences were observed in the weight game of males among visual impedimental children, aural impedimental children and normal children. However, visual impedimental children and aural impedimental children (females) exhibited retardation of growth in the 12-13 years old group. 4. As for the skeletal development in females, we found retarded development in visual impedimental children and aural impedimental children and normal children in the period of the second sexual character with respect to the bicristal diameter. But, as for biacromial diameter, chest-width and chest-depthin both sexes of the impedimental group had the same development tendency as normal children. 5. The changes of Rohrer's Index were similar among the visual impedimental children, aural impedimental children and normal children (males) . However, in females, the visual impedimental children and aural impedimental children had a higher rate of change than normal female children over the second sexual character.

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In this study, the circumference and the skinfold thickness were measured in 323 young people with visual or aural impediment who were from 6 to 18 years of age and the changes with aging were discussed. The following results were obtained. 1. On the circumference, no differences were shown between the visual or aural impedimental boys and the nonimpedimental boys, but the development of the upper arm was inferior in girls with visual and aural impediment. 2. On the skinfold thickness, the thickness of the subcutaneous fatty layer was more thick in the visual impedimental children than in the aural impedimental children. This fact was remarkable in girls after the second sexual character. 3. The ratio of upper arm to forearm was greater in the visual or aural impedimental boys than in the nonimpedimental boys before the second sexual character and after them no difference was shown. In girls, the ratio in the visual impediment was low and in the aural impediment high. On the ratio of thigh to calf, the ratio in visual impedimental children was lower in boys and was greater in girls than in the non-impedimenta! children after the second sexual character. In the aural impedimental children, the ratio was low in boys and no difference was shown in girls.

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It was supposed in our previous work that the relief of the muscle pain after needling to the muscle was induced by improvement of the reduced circulation in the pain producing muscle through axon reflex, since after denervation or treatment of capsaicin or atropine abolished this effect. In present experiment, this assumption was examined by the effects of vasodilators and of the neurotransmitters supposedly involved in primary afferent nerve associated with axon reflex on the model of pain producing muscle after tetanic stimulation. Tetanic 10Hz stimulation was applied for about 60 minutes to the gastrocnemius muscle of guinea pig anesthetized with nembutal. The reduced twitch height after tetanic stimulation was estimated as the pain produced state of the muscle. Needling was applied to the tetanized muscle and the recovery of twitch height from the reduced state was estimated as the index of needling effect. 250-400μ fine canula was inserted to the femoral artery toward the gastrocnemius muscle. Reduced twitch height after tetanic stimulation was recoverd more quickly by oblique needle insertion to the muscle than parallel insertion to the muscle fiber. Similar effect was produced by intraarterial injection of 0.3ml saline, lOng prostaglandin E₂or 60μg isoproterenol. Less of these doses did not produce and higher doses did not further enchance the effect. Stimulation of the sciatic nerve to the muscle under treatment of d-tubocurarine produced similar effect to needling one and this effect was abolished by atropine. Both substance P (SP) and calcitonin generelated peptide (CGRP), produced similar effect. The effect of SP was not, but that of the CGRP was abolished by atropine. Relief of the muscle pain by needling to the muscle might be caused by the mechanism that needling stimulates the CGRP containing primary afferent nerve ending in the muscle and the excitation propagated to the axon-colaterales attached to the cholinergic nerve endings facilitating the release of acetylcholine to dilate the artery in the muscle.

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It have been demonstratd previously by studies of our department that the electrical stimuration of the ventromedian nucleus of the hypothalamus (HVM) produced analgesia, which was partially abolished by lesion of the ventral part of the peri-aqueductal central gray (V-PAG), and that stimulation-produced-analgesia of the V-PAG (V-PAG-SPA) was mediated by the serotonergic descending inhibitory system (DPIS) . However it has not been studied the imvolvement of the adrenergic mechanism in HVM-SPA. The present study was undertaken to investigate whether nucleus paragigantocellularis (NRPG) and parabrachium conjunctivum (PBC) are involved in the acupuncture analgesia (AA) as the noradrenergic DPIS. Analgesia was measured by tail flick latency of the rats. Brain was stimulated by chronically inserted stainless-steel attached elecrodes to the HVM, V-PAG and PBC. Drugs were administrated by intrathecal catheter to the intrathecal space. As the results, the followings were found. Lesion of the HVM abolished AA. Electrical stimulation of the HVM produced analgesia (HVM-SPA) . HVM-SPA was abolished partially by lesion of the NRPG. Evoked potential was produced in the NRPG by HVM stimulation. Stimulation of the NRPG produced analgesia which was limitted during stimulation and was not exhibit individual variation in effectiveness. These properties of NRPG-SPA are the nature of SPA of the DIPS. NRPG-SPA was antagonized compleately by intrathecal administration of 20μg of the phentolamine, but it was not influened by administration of intrathecal 20μg or intraperitonial 2mg of methylsergide. Lesion of the PBC did not abolished AA as well as V-PAG-SPA. Stimulation of the PBC produced analgesia. It was concluded from these results that the NRPG play a role in producing the part of HVM-SPA as the noradrenergic DPIS in acupuncture analgesia. Although stimulation of the PBC produced analgesia, but PBC did not relate to AA, since PBC lesion did not inenfluce on A A.

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It was found previously that analgesia caused by low frequency stimulation of the tibial muscle, which is corresponded to the Tsu-sanli acupuncture point (AA), and analgesia caused by similar stimulation of the abdominal muscle, which is correspond to the non-acupuncture point (NAA), after lesion of the lateral neutromedian nucleus of the thalamus which is the region belong to the analgesia inhibitory system, were abolished by hypophysectomy and that both analgesia were finaly produced by activation of the descending pain inhibitory system (DPIS) which might be activated by some neuro-hormonal factor liberated from the pituitary gland. In present experiment, it was undertaken to know whether the pituitary hormonal factor acts as the direct activatior of the DPIS or it coactivates DPIS with that of adrenal gland Hence, successive changes of AA and NAA after ablation of pituitary or adrenal gland were observed. Pain threshold was measured by the tail flick latency (TFL) of the rats and analgesia was denoted by percent increase of TFL. Pituitary gland was removed by trans-auricular method and the adrenal gland was removed under laparotomy. As the results, AA augemented 6 hours after removal of the pituitary or adrenal gland, and abolished 12 hours after removal. Augemented AA 6 hours after removal of these glands was not antagonized by naloxone (1mg/kg i, p.) nor by dexamethasone, but was abolished by lesion of the dorsal part of the periaqueductal central gray which is the region of the pathway from the acupuncture point to the pituitary gland and was partialy antagonized by methysergide (2mg/kg i, p.) as Obserred in control AA. NAA also augemented 6 hours after removal of pituitary or adrenal gland. Unlike AA, augemented analgesia in NAA remanined 18 hours after hypophysectomy and the reduced analgesia remained same hours after removal of adrenal glands. In both cases analgesia was abolished 24 hours after removal. 0.75-10mg/kg corticosterone did not restore the abolished analgesia 1 week after removal of adrenal gland. Evoked potential in the arcuate nucleus of the hypothalamus, which is the initial region of the DPIS, caused by stimulation of the anterior hypothalamus, which is the final neuronal region of the pathway from the acqpuncture point to the pituitary gland, was not influenced by removal of adrenal gland. It was conclued that the humoral factor from the pituitary gland might coactivate with that of the adrenal gland to produce AA and NAA. The intrinsic mechanism to cause the augemented AA and NAA in absence of the pituitary and adrenal glands, is not known yet.

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We present the results of an investigation on clinical and radiological symptomatology of a 58-year-old female patient with bilateral, symmetrical intracerebral calcification of the basal ganglia (Fahr's syndrome) and give an account of the first description.

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A 47-year-old man was admitted to our hospital in March, 1984, because of mass in the left middle lung field on a chest roentgenogram. There was no superficial lymphadenopathy and hepatosplenomegaly. Bronchoscopy and lymphangiography showed no another lesion except for the pulmonary manifestation. Hamartoma was suspected by both bronchography and lung CT, and lobectomy was carried out. The pathological diagnosis of Hodgkin disease was made. From clinical evidences, the patient was classified as stage II E. He was treated with a combination of vincristine, procarbazine hydrochloride, methotorexate and prednisolone and discharged. Primary involvement of the lung by Hodgkin's lymphoma is uncommon, among the extranodal manifestations.

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