1. Ultraviolet irradiation of thyroxine, diiodotyrosine, and their analogous compounds was carried out to elcidate the process of photodegradation of thyroxine by ultraviolet light.
2. For separation and detection of the degraded products, measurement of ultraviolet and infrared absorption spectra, and paper chromatography, thin-layer chromatography, and column chromatography were carried out.
3. Experimental results revealed that the irradiation of ultraviolet light to thyroxine liberated iodine at first and then cleaved the ether bond in the molecule, and liberated α-phenyl ring from thyroxine. Triiodo-thyronine, diiodotyrosine, monoiodotyrosine, tyrosine, phenylalanine, serine, alanine, and glycine were detected as the photodegradation products.
4. Production of diiodotyrosine from ultraviolet light irradiated thyroxine was confirmed by the measurement of infrared absorption spectrum.

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It is known that 24-hr uptake, not 20-min uptake, is affected by thionamide drugs during thyroid suppression test (ST). On the other hand, previous studies have shown that 24-hr uptake could be used for the ST in patients with thyrotoxicosis receiving thionamide drugs. However, little information is available on the comparison of the effect of antithyroid drugs in the ST by 24-hr uptake.
Forty-seven patients were treated with propylthiouracil (PTU, 50-100mg>/day) or methylmercaptoimidazole (MMI, 5-10mg/day) in a maintenance dose for 1-4 years since they became euthyroid (serum TSH : within normal limits). All patients had PTU or MMI even on the day of the measurement of ¹³¹I-thyroid uptake (24-hr, %, Up). The first ST was performed : 75μg T₃ daily for 8 days given and Up determined. The second ST was assessed on the same patients 4 weeks after either changing PTU into MMI or MMI into PTU. Most of the patients showed a marked depression of post T₃ Up during MMI therapy compared to values of PTU therapy. There was no significant difference between the two antithyroid drug treatment in the serum T₄, T₃ and TSH levels before and after T₃ administration. Twenty-five patients showed Up below 35% after T₃-ST, regardless of PTU or MMI treatment. Of these 20 remained euthyroid and 5 relapsed within 2 years after withdrawal of antithyroid drugs. The mean post T₃ Up in remission was : MMI 4.6±0.7% ; PTU 18.4±3.2%. In contrast, the mean post T₃ Up in relapse was : MMI 11.1±3.1% ; PTU 32.1±10.0%.
Conclusively, the present study lend to the proposal that criteria of ST by 24-hr Up should be considerd by antithyroid drugs used : MMI less than 5%, PTU less than 20% in the post T₃ Up. MMI is more than 10 times effective in depressing the post T₃ Up compared to PTU.

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Mass examination of the circulatory system was carried out from mid-June to early September, 1978 with farmers who were occupied in dairy or indoor gardening in 8 rural regions of Gunma Prefecture. From the statures and body weights of 180 women aged 25-57years, measured in this case, the weight indexes (W.I.) were computed by the following formula to be compared with the other results :
W.I.=Body weight (kg)×100 / Stature(cm)-100
The chief findings were as follows :
1) The subjects were divided into age groups of each 5-year range, and the mean W.I. for each group was obtained. It was found as the result, that the mean tended to increase with age. The mean for 45-49years group was significantly higher than those for the preceding younger groups.
2) In view of the above findings, the subjects were divided into 3 groups of 25-34years, 35-44 years, and 45years and over, and in each group, such W.I's. as ranked the highest 10% were designated as overweight. In the group of 45years and over, mean systolic and diastolic blood pressure for overweight women were significantly higher than the respective means for non-overweight ones.
3) In each of the above three age groups, the mean serum neutral fat level for overweight women was higher, though not significantly, than that for non-overweight women. Total serum cholesterol level, however, was conversely rather lower in overweight women.
4) As for correlations of W.I. with blood pressure and biochemical values of blood, W.I. showed moderate or slight correlation, in the group of 45years and over, with each of systolic and diastolic blood pressures, hematocrit value, and serum neutral fat level. W.I. did not significantly correlate either with total serum cholesterol or with hemoglobin level. In two groups of 25-34 years and 35-44 years, W.I. scarcely showed significant correlation with any of the mentioned items.

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The acquisition processes of Sidman avoidance response (R-S interval ; 30 sec, S-S interval 5 sec) were investigated with rats thyroidectomized in postnatal (1 week old) and adult (10-12 weeks old) periods. The effects of replacement with 10μg/kg/day of l-thyroxine were also observed under the following conditions ; replacement for the early period (1-4 weeks old), the late period (10-17 weeks old) and the whole period (1-17 weeks old). Parathyroidectomized and sham-operated rats were pre-pared simultaneously.
Significant impairment of the acquisition associated with high rate of electro-shocks delivered and low rate of responding was observed in the postnatally thyroidectomized group without any replacement in comparison with the sham-operated one. On the other hand, no impairment of acquisition was detected in the group thyroidectomized in the adult period, but a lower rate of responding than that of the control was shown. It is considered that the rate of shock delivered was a suitable indication for the acquisition, while the rate of responding represented a general activity. The impairment of acquisition after thyroidectomy was markedly improved though not completely, by the replacement therapy for the whole period. Only a little improvement was observed in the early group, but hardly any in the late period one. Parathyroidectomy did not produce any change in acquisition speed, while rate of shocks was relatively high only in the early stage of acquisition.
The following points are concluded from these findings : 1) the thyroidal function plays an important role in the development of the central nervous system, 2) it is difficult to completely restore the impairment of the acquisition only by the continuous administration of l-thyroxine, 3) Sidman avoidance schedule is effective in detecting the developmental retardation of the central nervous system.

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1. α-galactosyltransferase which participates in the biosynthesis of blood group B substance was found in urine from group B and AB healthy persons of both secretors and non-secretors.
2. The activity of α-galactosyltransferase in urine of healthy variant B_m person was lower than that found in normal group B person. The level of this enzyme in urine of A₁B_m persons must be much lower than that in mormal AB. The enzyme activity was not detected by the method of group O to group B transformation of erythrocytes.

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Critically ill patients after open-heart surgery require the meticulous circulatory management at the immediate post-operative period. In intensive care unit of Gunma University Hospital, the information abtained from the Swan-Ganz catheter is used to judge the circulatory status of the patient. It is extremely important to maintain the reasonable preload, afterload and the sufficient cardiac output with the help of adequate inotropic agent or vasodilator. We report one case of post-open heart surgery which was properly managed and stress the importance of the meticulous management of critical ill patients in ICU.

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