JOURNAL OF THE KYORIN MEDICAL SOCIETY

After a bone defect was made in the coccygeal vertebra in rat models of experimental osteoporosis, changes in X-ray and histopathological features, bone metabolic markers, and bone mineral density were investigated over time. These parameters were compared among 3 groups, the bone defect group (46 rats), the ovariectomized (OVX) group (30 rats), and the Sham operated group (30 rats), after ovariectomy was performed on 106 female Wistar rats at the age of 12 weeks. Both X-ray and histopathological features demonstrated that the bone defect was repaired over time. In the bone defect group, there were time lags between the changes in bone metabolic markers and those in BMD. Bone metabolism was high turneover rate when a defect was made in the vertebral bodywith osteoporosis, leading to the increase in BMD. These results suggested a possibility that an increase or decrease in BMD, predicted by means of measurement of bone metabolic markers, can serve as an indicator for differential diagnoses of clinical cases. In the particular case of fresh spinal compression fracture with osteoporosis, it should be important to consider the high turnover of bone metabolism and reactive bone formation in local sites.

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Somatosensory evoked potentials (SEPs) following posterior tibial nerve stimulation were studied in 35 normal subjects by linkedears reference derivation and source derivation techniques. The effects of height on the latencies and amplitudes of each SEP component, correlations among each component latencies, and among those amplitudes, scalp topographies and differences between stimulus sides were evaluated. The latencies of N32, P40 and N50 were highly correlated to height, but that of N75 was not correlated to height. The latencies except P60 and N75 were correlated each other. Amplitude values of N50, P60 and N75 were correlated to that of P40, but not to height. N75 amplitude was also correlated to P60 amplitude. The scalp topographies of P40 and N50 showed the pattern of tangential dipole type and those of P60 and N75 were the pattern of radial dipole type. These results suggest that the generators and generating mechanisms are different between P40-N50 and P60-N75. With regard to P40, the former half may be generated from area 3b and the latter half from area 1. Therefore, P40 is a compound potential generated from areas 3b and 1. Source derivation is more useful in these experiments than linked-ears reference derivation.

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Research investigating the relationship between physical training and trace mineral concentrations has focused primarily on athletes. Exercise alters mineral content; flight is a form of exercise; therefore, flight may elicit changes in mineral content. This study examined the effects of stressful flight aptitude tests on the trace minerals zinc and copper in urine. During flight aptitude tests, urine samples were obtained from 100 men. The zinc concentration decreased following flight. Furthermore, because +Gz acceleration is one of many stressors for an aviator in flight, the effects of +Gz acceleration on the trace minerals zinc, copper, and chromium in human serum and urine were also examined. Blood and urine samples were obtained from 7 men and 3 women, before and after +Gz acceleration. The serum zinc and copper concentrations decreased after +Gz acceleration. The urinary zinc and copper concentrations were not altered by +Gz acceleration. These findings suggest that the circulating levels of zinc and copper presumably change as they are transported to tissues requiring greater amounts due to the increased physiological work associated with flight stress, including +Gz acceleration.

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The subzonal insemination (SUZI) and the intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) were performed for the treatment of severe male infertility. The rates of fertilization per oocyte and pregnancy per cycle in severe male infertility were 3 % and 0 % with conventional in vitro fertilization (IVF) (10 cycles) and 18 % and 11 % with SUZI (27 cycles). The rates of fertilization and pregnancy in severe male infertility were improved by SUZI, but they were still lower than those with conventional IVF in the tubal infertility with normal male partner (fertilization rate : 66%, pregnancy rate : 27%, 133 cycles). The rates of fertilization and pregnancy in severe male infertility were 17 % and 0 % with conventional ICSI(15 cycles) and 63 % and 34 % with devised ICSI (74 cycles). In 4 cases with azoospermia, devised ICSI with testicular sperm extraction (TESE) were attempted. Two cases resulted in ongoing pregnancies. Next, human sperm from severe male infertility patients was injected into the hamster oocytes to analyze factors contributing to improvement in clinical outcome in this study. The rate of fertilization with ICSI using hamster oocytes were lower in the group using high concentration of sperm in sperm droplet than in the group using low concentration of sperm. The deterioration in the rate of fertilization was improved by changing medium in the sperm suspension. The levels of endotoxin in sperm suspension were significantly higher with high concentration of sperm than with low concentration. This result suggests endotoxin in sperm suspension decreases the rate of fertilization in ICSI. This study showes the adequately devised ICSI is highly effective in the treatment for severe male infertility.

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