6R-5,6,7,8-tetrahydro-L-biopterin (6R-BH_4) has been known as the natural cofactor for monoamine biosynthesis in the rat brain. To clarify the effect of 6R-BH_4 repeated intraperitoneal administration (I.P.) on 6-OHDA-treated rats, we used methods of behavioralpharmacology and biochemistry. With neonatal 6-OHDA-treated rats, increase of locomotion activity and depletion of DA levels in whole brain was observed in immature period, but positive changes in behavior were not confirmed in spite of reduce DA levels in adult one. Furthermore, the repeated administration of 6R-BH_4 at the 6-OHDA treated rats in immature period inhibited the increase of locomotion activity, but unaffected the contents of DA and 5-HT in whole brain. On the other hand, little influence was found in adult one. These results suggested that the repeated intraperitoneal administration of 6R-BH_4 might more effect on immature rats rather than adult ones, because of decreasing in penetrability of 6R-BH_4 through blood brain barrier with development.

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The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of reperfusion therapy on the development of ventricular arrhythmias after myocardial infarction (MI). Two hundreds twenty-eight patients who underwent percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty (PTCA) at the onset of MI were studied with Holter monitoring 1 month, 3 months and 1 year after MI. The incidence of ventricular arrhythmias Lown's grade IVa≦was higher in patients with an unsuccessful PTCA (n=18) than in patients with a successful PTCA (n=210) 1 month after MI. However, there were no significant differences in the incidence of ventricular arrhythmias between the two groups 3 months and 1 year after MI. In the successful PTCA group, the incidence of ventricular arrhythmias Lown's grade IVa≦1 year after MI was higher in patients with a patent infarct related artery after 1 month than in patients with restenosis after 1 month. In contrast, the left ventricular ejection fraction was significantly higher and the total wall motion index measured by two-dimensional echocardiography was significantly lower in patients with ventricular arrhythmias Lown's grade IVa≦. We conclude that the development of the malignant ventricular arrhythmias after MI is dependent on the infarct size and cardiac function. Furthermore, reperfusion therapy had little effect on the inhivition of malignant ventricular arrhythmias following MI.

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To detect the Ki-ras oncogene expression in paraffin embedded sections by the in situ RT-PCR method, experimental procedure, including fixation of tissue, protease or DNase digestion and cycling conditions, was examined in detail with paraffin embedded mouse liver sections using a set of DNA primers for Ki-ras oncogene m-RNA and rTth DNA polymerase. A mouse was perfused via the left ventricle with 20ml phosphate buffered saline (PBS) followed with 50ml of 10% formalin in PBS under deep anesthesia. The liver was dissected into 5×5×2mm block and further fixed in the same fixative at 4℃ for 16 hrs. The block was then embedded in paraffin and sectioned at a thickness of 5μm. The section was digested with pepsin (2mg/ml, in 0.1N HCl) at 37℃ for 6 to 7min, then treated with DNase (1 unit/μl) at room temperature for 18 hours, and fixed again in the same fixative. The section was then processed by the in situ RT-PCR procedure using Ki-ras primers, rTth polymerase and digoxigenin-11-dUTP. The resulting specimen was heated at 94℃ for 3min and 57℃ for 60min for RT followed by 20 cycles of PCR reaction ; 94℃ for 1min, 55℃ for 1min and 65℃ for 40sec. The section was then treated with anti-DIG-antibody HRP conjugates and stained with DAB. This procedure provides reprodusible result with high contrast to the background.

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Orthophosphate (Pi) was determined by an automated flow injection analyzer (FIA). An aliquot (30μl) of sample containing 1.67% sodium dodecylsulfate and Pi was injected into the color development solution (4.3mM ammonium molybdate, 0.1M ferrous ammonium sulfate and 0.1M thiourea) in an FIA equipped with an automated sampler at a flow rate of 1 ml/min. The mixed solution was introduced to a flow cell in a UV spectrophotometer to estimate Pi as molybdate blue by measuring the absorption at 710nm. Color development was linear to Pi concentration range from 0.02 to 1mM (correlation coefficient=0.9999) and reproducible (coefficient of variation=1.3%). Sampling rate was 66 per h. Results indicate that FIA is practically suitable for analysis of Pi and is thus comparable to the segment-flow analysis (Technicon Autoanalyzer, Hegyvary et al., Anal Biochem, 94 : 397-401, 1979), that had been widely used for Pi determination during the membrane ATPase reaction.

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In the persent study, diagnostic value of conduction time of descending and ascending tracts in putients with cervical myelopathy was evaluated by comparing with JOA scores. To this end, latencies of the motor evoked potentials (MEP) after transcranial magnetic stimulation and those of M-and F-waves after stimulation of the median nerve were measured from the abductor digitorium muscle. The conduction time in the central nervous system (central motor conduction time ; CMCT), estimated according to the Kimura's formula, and the interpeak latency between N11-P14 after stimulation of the ulnar nerve were measured in the same patients. The motor and sensory functions were rated according to the criteria by the Japanese Orthopaedic Association Score for Cervical Myelopathy (JOA score). In the cervical myelopathy patients, the means of CMCT and interpeak latency between N11-P14 were signifcantly longer than those in the healthy group (p<0.01). The CMCT and the N11-P14 interpeak latency were well correlated in the severer patients in both sensory and motor functions. Moreover, the CMCT was correlated with sensory function as well as motor function, although the latencies of S-SEP reflect only sensory function. The results indicate that simultaneous examination of the conduction time of ascending and descending tracts in the same patient can be reliable for measuring the motor and sensory function of cervical myelopathy.

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In this report, we investigated retrospectively the changes in clinical pictures of 1764 inpatients admitted to Kyorin University Hospital at Department of Neuropsychiatry for the past eleven years (January, 1986-December, 1996) in order to grasp the actual situations of clinical practice being done at university hospitals in local communities. On the basis of the statistics taken of the inpatients mentioned above, we analyzed the recent tendency of hospitalization under the social changes with the times, and discussed the role of university hospitals and psychiatric health care hereafter. As the results of the research, it is evident that in recent years the admissions increased in number, whereas the average duration of hospitalization was shortened. In terms of diagnostic category, mood disorders were the most in number: mood disorders and schizophrenia occupied 60%, and the former increased, whereas the latter decreased. With respect to the distribution of age, the number of inpatients in their twenties was the largest (23.4%), those in their thirties second, those in their fifties third. While treatment of acute phase of psychiatric illness at university hospitals has gradually taken root in local communities, the catchment of medical treatment has not been necessarily enlarged. It may be concluded that a specialized function and research are required in our hospital.

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