The Tohoku Journal of Experimental Medicine
Online ISSN : 1349-3329
Print ISSN : 0040-8727
ISSN-L : 0040-8727
Volume 199, Issue 4
April
Displaying 1-6 of 6 articles from this issue
Regular Contributions
  • Shinichi Yamashita, Senji Hoshi, Chikara Ohyama, Makoto Satoh, Fumihik ...
    2003 Volume 199 Issue 4 Pages 197-203
    Published: 2003
    Released on J-STAGE: October 14, 2004
    JOURNAL FREE ACCESS
    Risk factors of urethral recurrence after neobladder in bladder cancer patients were studied. Between 1977 and 2001, 73 patients (male 58, female 15) underwent neobladder as a treatment for bladder cancer. The observation time after cystectomy ranged from 2 to 254 months (median 60.5). Ten (17.2%) of 58 male patients had urethral recurrence and of the 10, 8 patients had multiple bladder cancers including bladder neck. Urethral recurrence was found by macrohematuria, follow-up cystourethroscopy, and inguinal lymph node swelling. Only one who complained of macrohematuria had positive urinary cytology. Of 58 male patients, 5 underwent total nephroureterectomy for renal pelvic or ureteral cancer before radical cystectomy, and 3 of the 5 had urethral recurrence. Two of 10 patients with urethral recurrence died with cancer, and they had renal pelvic or ureteral cancer. The five-year cause specific survival was 83% for patients with urethral recurrence, and 79% for those without urethral recurrence, respectively. Urethral recurrence did not have a significant effect on survival. The patients with multiple bladder cancers including bladder neck, and renal pelvic or ureteral cancer before radical cystectomy, have high risks for urethral recurrence. Urinary cytology has limited value for the detection of urethral recurrence.
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  • Arzu Seven, Savas Güzel, Oktay Seymen, Sabiha Civelek, Murat Bola ...
    2003 Volume 199 Issue 4 Pages 205-210
    Published: 2003
    Released on J-STAGE: October 14, 2004
    JOURNAL FREE ACCESS
    The effects of nitric oxide synthase (NOS) inhibition by Nw-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester (L-NAME) administration on oxidative stress parameters were investigated in streptozotocin (STZ) induced diabetic rats. Lipid peroxidation as reflected by thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) was insignificantly higher in diabetic rats. Plasma NO2+NO3 values (p<0.05) and erythrocyte CuZn superoxide dismutase (CuZn SOD) and glutathione peroxidase (GSH Px) activities were significantly higher (p<0.01, p<0.001, respectively) in diabetic rats. L-NAME administration to diabetic rats caused significantly lower CuZn SOD and GSH Px activities (p<0.01) and NO2+NO3 values (p<0.001), whereas a significantly higher GSH level (p<0.01). TBARS-/GSH ratio was significantly higher in diabetic rats than controls (p<0.05) and significantly lower in L-NAME administered diabetic rats than diabetic rats (p<0.05). This experimental study highlightens the importance of NOS inhibition by L-NAME in the attenuation of oxidative stress in STZ diabetic rats.
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  • Mieko Aoki, Kenji Harada, Goro Takada
    2003 Volume 199 Issue 4 Pages 211-217
    Published: 2003
    Released on J-STAGE: October 14, 2004
    JOURNAL FREE ACCESS
    Normal values for left anterior descending coronary artery (LAD) flow velocity were assessed from a large number of normal children. In 303 healthy children, LAD peak flow velocity was measured by Doppler echocardiography. LAD peak flow velocities were calculated considering the angle between the Doppler beam and the coronary flow direction. The flow signals of LAD were recorded in 95% (288/303). The mean angle between the Doppler beam and Doppler flow signals of LAD was 42±8 degrees. The ratio of AT to total diastolic spectral duration was 0.19±0.088 and constant with age. LAD peak flow velocity correlated significantly with age (r=−0.57, p<0.0001) and heart rate (r=0.63, p<0.0001). Multiple linear regression analysis showed that LAD peak flow velocity was associated with age and heart rate (LAD peak flow velocity=20−0.34 (age)+0.16 (heart rate), r2=0.41, p<0.0001). Normal data obtained in the present study provide a basis of the understanding and investigation in children with congenital heart disease or acquired heart disease such as atherosclerosis, left ventricular hypertrophy, or Kawasaki’s disease.
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  • Mehmet Kanter, Abdulaziz Gul, Ismail Meral, Ahmet Koc, Mahmut Ilhan, E ...
    2003 Volume 199 Issue 4 Pages 219-228
    Published: 2003
    Released on J-STAGE: October 14, 2004
    JOURNAL FREE ACCESS
    This study was designed to investigate the effect of systemic administration of BCG on the morphological quantitative changes in the number of lymphocytes, macrophages and plasma cells in the uterus and lymph nodes of rats. Thirty female virgin Wistar Albino rats, aging 6 months and weighing between 200-250 g, were assigned to the two experimental groups; BCG treated and controls (n=15). BCG group received 0.1 ml BCG in tail skin and control group received 0.1 ml saline at the same place. Two weeks after injections, rats in both groups were anesthesized with a high dose of ether and decapitated. Uterus and ileocecal lymph nodes were processed to determine α napthyl acid esterase (ANAE)-positive T lymphocytes and macrophages. The plasma cells were stained with the methyl green-pyronin method. It was found that the numbers of T lymphocytes, macrophages and plasma cells in the uterus and the ileocecal lymph nodes of BCG treated group significantly increased indicating the presence of an immune response to the systemic BCG administration. It was concluded that the systemic administration of BCG increases humoral and cellular immunity in endometrium, myometrium and regional lymph nodes. The immune deficiency system plays an important role in the pathogenesis of endometriosis. Therefore, the endometriosis might be prevented by using periodical administration of BCG. However, further experimental and clinical studies associated with these issue are required.
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  • Yoshihiro Ogawa, Kenji Nemoto, Yoshihisa Kakuto, Hisanori Ariga, Haruo ...
    2003 Volume 199 Issue 4 Pages 229-238
    Published: 2003
    Released on J-STAGE: October 14, 2004
    JOURNAL FREE ACCESS
    In Japan, radiotherapy with high dose rate remote after loading system (HDR-RALS) for intracavitary brachytherapy is the standard treatment for more than 30 years. This report showed the usefulness of HDR-RALS for uterine cervical cancer. From 1980 through 1999, 442 patients with uterine cervical cancers (stage I: 66, stage II: 161, stage III: 165, stage IV: 50) were treated. Radiotherapy was performed both external teletherapy and HDR-RALS. Overall survival rate at 5 years was 60.2%. The 5-year actuarial incidence of all complications was 16.4%. The 5-year actuarial incidence of all complications in cases treated with the sum doses of whole pelvic irradiation (without central shield) and RALS up to 49 Gy, 50 to 59 Gy or larger doses were 7.5%, 11.0% and 25.2%, respectively. Radiation therapy using HDR-RALS was very effective. While the dose of whole pelvic irradiation was increased, the actuarial incidence of all complications was increased.
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  • Günfer Turgut, Ilgaz Akdogan, Esat Adiguzel, Osman Genç
    2003 Volume 199 Issue 4 Pages 239-245
    Published: 2003
    Released on J-STAGE: October 14, 2004
    JOURNAL FREE ACCESS
    Copper is an essential trace element which forms an integral component of many enzymes. While trace amounts of copper are needed to sustain life, excess copper is extremely toxic in the brain. Also, ethanol intake causes morphological changes in the brain. The present study aims to investigate effects of copper overload with ethanol intake in hippocampal neuron numbers of rat brain. Control and experimental group of rats (n=6 for each group) were fed ad libitum. Experimental group were given ethanol with copper in drinking water each day for ten days. Control group animals were given only drinking water during this period. Afterwards, animals were decapitated and their brains were removed by craniotomy. Frozen brains were cut by a cryostat. Sections collected via systematic random sampling were stained with hematoxylin and eosin. On microscopic images obtained from pyramidal cell layers in hippocampus, total neuron numbers were estimated using the optical fractionator method. We observed that pyramidal neuron numbers in the subdivisions of hippocampus were significantly lower in the experimental group than in the control group. These results suggest that copper overdose with ethanol intake can cause neuronal loss in hippocampus of rat brain.
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