Synaptic interactions between neurons that contained atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP), and those that contained corticotropin releasing factor (CRF) in the paraventricular nucleus (PVN) of the rat hypothalamus were examined at the electron microscopic level by pre-embedding double immunolabeling. In the double immunolabeled sections, ANP-like immunoreactive (ANP-LI) axon terminals made synapic contacts with CRF-like immunoreactive (CRF-LI) nerve cell bodies and processes. In these synapses, the occurrence of axo-dendritic and/or axo-axonic synapses was about 1.7 times that of axo-somatic synapses, and most were found in the peraventricular parvocellular subdivision of the PVN, with a few in the medial parvocellular subdivision. Conversely, in the same areas, CRF-LI terminals were rarely found to have direct contact with ANP-LI nerve cell bodies or processes. These findings suggest that, in the PVN of the rat hypothalamus, ANP-containing neurons innervate CRF-containing neurons and may regulate their secretory activity or some other functions through the synapses.

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Ascorbic acid-induced fragmentation of DNA in human myelogenous leukemic cell lines (HL-60, ML-1), as judged by agarose gel electrophoresis, fluorometric determination of DNA (DAPI method), or flow cytometry, was studied. Ascorbic acid induced no detectable DNA fragmentation in human peripheral blood monocytes, lymphocytes or polymorphonuclear cells. Minimum exposure time required for the onset of apoptosis was 30 min. Addition of catalase completely blocked the DNA fragmentation induced by ascorbic acid. Fragmentation of DNA could be induced by hydrogen peroxide, but not by sodium hypochlorite. The data suggest that hydrogen peroxide is significantly involved in ascorbic acid-induced apoptosis in human myelogenous leukemic cell lines.

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In this article, statistical and clinico-pathologic examinations were made of autopsy cases of multiple cancer, especially double cancer, among the malignant tumors in our department for 34 years, and from the Annual of Japanese Pathological Autopsy Cases for 26 years. 1. In our department, 1, 615 autopsy cases of malignant tumors including 102 cases of double cancer, accounted for 6.32% of the total number. In the Annual of Autopsy Cases, 477, 409 autopsy cases of malignant tumors included 32, 204 cases of double cancer (6.75%) . 2. Patients with double cancer, in our department were mostly between 70 and 79 years (40.20%), the peak incidence. The mean age was 71.5 years. Among the cases from the Annual of Autopsy Cases, the cases aged between 70 and 79 years similarly accounted for 34.93%, the peak incidence. The mean age was 68 years. 3. The cases in our department consisted of 64 men (62.75%) and 38 women (37.25%), a male: female ratio of 1.68: 1. The cases from the Annual of Autopsy Cases consisted of 21, 591 men (67.04%) and 10, 507 women (32.63%), a male: female ratio of 2.05: 1. 4. In our depart-ment, the yearly average occurrence of double cancer was 3.4 times that in 1961; and that was 2.13 times as many wale cases each year as in 1961; and 1.27 times as many females. From the Annual of Autopsy Cases, the average was 5.49 times that of 1961. The male cases increased an average of 7.95 times per year; and the females by an average of 3.32 times. The results from both sources show the rate of increase to be overwhelmingly higher for men.

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The organization of collagen fibers and fibrils on the alveolar bone side in the periodontal ligament of rat molars was observed by scanning electron microscopy after maceration of the cellular elements by sodium hydroxide (NaOH) treatment. Two types of periodontal ligament-to-alveolar bone attach-ments were distinguished. Type A: thick collagen fiber bundles of the periodontal ligament, about 3-8 μm in diameter, embedded in the alveolar bone matrix, which were bound encircling the bone matrix fibrils on the bone surface. Type B: fiber bundles about 0.3-1 pm in diameter, which were combined together on the alveolar bone surface. The Type A fibers were observed mainly on the deposition side of the alveolar bone; the Type B fibers were observed on the resorptive side. These two types of collagen fibril components suggest that they are related to tooth movement.

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To clarify the transplacental passage of steroids at term, concentra-tions of steroids including free and conjugated estrone, estriol, and their precursors dehydroepiandrosterone (DHA) and 16αOH-DHA in the maternal vein (MV), uterine vein (Ut-V), retroplacental hematoma (RPH), umbilical artery (UA) and umbilical vein (UV) obtained at elective Cesarean section were measured. Gradients of steroid concentrations were analyzed. Significantly higher values of DHA and estrone in RPH were observed, which suggested that these steroids were secreted from the placenta to maternal circulation. Concen-trations of conjugated estriol, 16aOH-DHA, estrone and estriol in RPH were compatible with those in fetal circulation indicating the transplacental passage of those compounds from the fetus to the mother. Conjugated DHA concentration in RPH was lower than that in the umbilical cord blood. These results, with the finding of high DHA and estrone concentrations in RPH, suggest that conjugated DHA reaching to the placenta was mostly metabolized. The results indicate that transplacental passage from the fetus to the mother may depend on the steroids derived from the fetus.

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Recently, the transverse areas of axons have been used as an index for pathologcal study based on the supposition that the transverse area of the axon is normally maintained constant. It is generally accepted that nerve conduction velocity is directly proportional to the fiber diameter, under the condition mentioned in the proceeding sentence. To verify this supposition, we measured the transverse areas of the facial nerve axons at three positions: proximal, middle and distal in three subjects. We found that the average cross-section area of the axons decreased moderately in proportion to the distance from the soma of each nerve. The diminution ratio averaged about 2.6% per millimeter.

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To investigate interrelations of ulcerative colitis (UC) with other diseases, pathological autopsy cases were analyzed using the case-control method. A total of 244 cases of UC and 701 controls were obtained from the Annual of the Pathological Autopsy Cases in Japan, 1978-89, published by the Japanese Society of Pathology. The cases consisted of 132 males and 112 females and their mean ages were 58.2 and 58.4 years, respectively. For each case, 2 or 3 controls were identified. Cases and controls were matched for age (±5 years), sex and reported medical facility. Stepwise logistic regression analysis revealed that fatty liver, cholangiolitis, gastrointestinal bleeding, sepsis, peritonitis, pulmonary abcess, gastritis, splenitis, gastric ulcer and pneumonia had a significantly positive relationship with UC. In contrast, arteriosclerosis showed a significantly negative relationship with UC. Among the UC patients who died from cancer, the frequency of colon cancer was significantly higher than that among the controls.

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The case of a 20-year-old male who suffered severe headache, vomiting and epilepsy is presented. On admission he was found to be drowsy and had left side abducens palsy. A computed tomogram (CT) showed subarachnoid blood in the basal cistern, a caudate head hematoma, and intraventricular hemorrhage extending from the anterior horn of the lateral ventricle to the 4th ventricle. Four-vessel angiography did not reveal an aneurysm or an arteriovenous malformation. An angiogram repeated 18 days after admission revealed a saccular aneurysm arising from the bifurcation of the internal carotid artery. This was successfully clipped and the patient was there discharged. We report here a rare case of adolescent subarachnoid hemorrhage stressing the importance of repeat angiography.

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