Hypotonic diuresis following oropharyngeal stimulation with water in humans.

The role of oropharyngeal mechanisms in body water regulation was studied in 12 human males by measuring urine output and osmolality before and after drinking a very small volume of distilled water (0.15 ml/kg b.w.

[Clinical analysis of postoperative recurrent nerve palsy in patients undergoing operation of carcinoma of the thoracic esophagus].

From January 1976 to April 1987, 325 cases of carcinoma of the thoracic esophagus were resected in our department. Among these cases, 25 cases were not included because of direct operative deaths or early hospital deaths, and 300 cases were selected for clinical analysis of postoperative recurrent nerve palsy, which occurred in 75 cases (25.0%).

[Cardiocirculatory disturbances after surgery of carcinoma of the thoracic esophagus].

From 1976 to 1985, 277 cases of carcinoma of the esophagus were resected in the Second Department of Surgery, Tohoku University School of Medicine. Postoperative cardiocirculatory disturbances occurred in 114 cases (41.2%), arrhythmia being the disturbance most frequently observed (86.

Nerve growth factor-mediated sexual differentiation of the rat hypothalamus.

Injection of antibody to nerve growth factor into the cerebral lateral ventricle blocked testosterone-induced behavioral defeminization of neonatal female rats. When tested as adults following ovariectomy and combined estrogen-progesterone treatment, the injected animals showed a significantly higher lordosis quotient than the testosterone-treated, normal rabbit serum-infused controls. Failure of vaginal opening and clitoral enlargement manifested the well-documented masculinizing effect of testosterone on the genitalia in the experimental as well as the control animals.

Ascending fiber projections from the midbrain central gray to the ventromedial hypothalamus in the rat.

In 18 urethane-anesthetized ovariectomized female rats, 54 neurons in and around the hypothalamic ventromedial nucleus were transynaptically activated by electrical stimulation of the mesencephalic central gray matter. Ventromedial nucleus afferents from either the dorsal longitudinal fascicle (N = 10) or the medial forebrain bundle (N = 8) were disrupted by a small knife cut. In animals which lacked inputs from the dorsal longitudinal fascicle by a cut posterior to the ventromedial nucleus, transynaptic activation followed central gray stimulation in 20 cells; 26 cells were driven from the central gray in animals deprived of afferents through the medial forebrain bundle by a cut placed laterally to the ventromedial nucleus.

Neural inputs from the uterus to the paraventricular magnocellular neurons in the rat.

Extracellular action potentials were recorded from antidromically identified, tonically firing cells in the hypothalamic paraventricular nucleus (PVN) of ovariectomized, estrogen-treated female rats under urethane anesthesia. Genital or somatic sensory stimuli, or electrical stimulation of the nerves innervating the pelvis were applied. Uterine horn or vaginal distension each excited 33% of the neurons tested.

The significance of pre-operative diagnosis of esophageal cancer using esophageal mediastinal ultrasonography.

Esophageal ultrasonography (EUS) is a new diagnostic method which allows improved preoperative diagnosis of esophageal cancer. Careful examination of EUS findings and comparison of these findings with operative and pathological findings yielded criteria useful for the determination of tumor depth and lymphnode metastasis. Concerning tumor depth, EUS findings of 30 patients were reviewed and compared with operative and pathological findings.

Cell size, projection path, and localization of estrogen-sensitive neurons in the rat ventromedial hypothalamus.

Antidromic action potentials were recorded in and around the ventromedial nucleus of the hypothalamus (VMN) of the ovariectomized female rat following stimulation of the central gray matter of the mesencephalon (CG). The animals had either the lateral or caudal trajectory of the VMN efferent disrupted by a small knife cut. Changes in the polarity, peak-to-peak amplitude, and the duration of the initial positive deflection of the antidromic action potentials were recorded for each response as the recording electrode was advanced at 10-micron intervals from the point of detection of the potential until its deterioration.

Leumorphin, a novel opioid peptide, promotes lordosis in female rats.

The actions of leumorphin, a recently characterized endogenous opioid peptide, oppose of most opioid peptides in facilitating lordosis reflex, a major component of female sexual behavior in the rat. Maximal lordosis appeared promptly after infusion of 1 nmol leumorphin into the ventromedial hypothalamus of ovariectomized estrogen-primed rats. This facilitation lasted for as long as 5 h, unless interrupted by midbrain infusion of an antiserum to prolactin.

Projections of oestrogen-sensitive neurones from the ventromedial hypothalamic nucleus of the female rat.

Stimulation of the mesencephalic central grey matter caused antidromic activation of 199 neurones in the hypothalamic ventromedial nucleus of forty-six urethane-anaesthetized female rats, of which twenty-two (ten ovariectomized and twelve ovariectomized and oestrogen treated) had the lateral projection of the nucleus disrupted by a small parasagittal knife-cut. The remaining twenty-four rats (ten ovariectomized and fourteen ovariectomized and oestrogen treated) had a cut in the frontal plane to interrupt caudal projection of the nucleus. In eight animals with the lateral knife-cut, eighteen cells were antidromically activated from the central grey matter as well as from the dorsal longitudinal fascicle.

Estrogen excites oxytocinergic, but not vasopressinergic cells in the paraventricular nucleus of female rat hypothalamus.

Extracellular antidromic potentials were recorded from the paraventricular nucleus of the ovariectomized female rat hypothalamus following electrical stimulation of the neurohypophysis. Effects of estrogen-treatment were investigated after classifying the antidromically identified cells into tonically-firing, phasically-firing, or silent groups according to their patterns of spontaneous discharge. Estrogen significantly decreased the antidromic activation threshold and shortened the refractory period as well as the antidromic spike latency in the tonic-firing cells.

Gonadal steroid actions on the paraventricular magnocellular neurosecretory cells of the male rat.

One-hundred and ten paraventricular (PV) neurosecretory cells were identified antidromically in castrated male rats anesthetized with urethane. After classifying the antidromically driven units into tonically and phasically firing groups, the latency, threshold, relative refractory period and wave form of the antidromic response were studied. Estradiol and testosterone had no effect on these parameters or on the wave form of antidromic responses in both cell groups.

Antidromic responses in the paraventricular magnocellular neurons of the rat hypothalamus: latency variations correlated with the firing rate.

Magnocellular neurosecretory cells were antidromically identified in the hypothalamic paraventricular nucleus (PVN) of urethane-anesthetized, ovariectomized female rats following electrical stimulation of the neurohypophysis. Seventy-one cells with a tonic pattern of spontaneous discharge were distinguished and used to examine the relationships between the measures of antidromic spike latency, activation threshold and discharge rate. The discharge rate was artificially modulated by either microiontophoresis of glutamate or antidromic stimulation of the neurohypophysis.

[Several characteristics of tissue cultured human esophageal cell lines].

Seven cell lines have been established from specimens of esophageal cancer bearing patients and examined as to following characteristics. These cells showed various degree of keratinization from scarce tonofilaments to abundant tonofilament bundles within cytoplasm. The ability of tonofilament formation in vitro corresponded well with cancer pearl formation in vivo.

Primary culture of human esophageal epithelial cells.

Primary cultures and serial passages of nontumorous adult human esophageal epithelial cells derived from surgically resected esophagi of patients with esophageal cancer have been developed. Disaggregated cells obtained by means of tryptic digestion lasting for 90 min grew to confluency in medium RITC 80-7 supplemented with 10% fetal bovine serum (FBS). Such primary cultures were established from more than 20 donors, and could be passaged 3 to 5 times.

Postoperative cancer therapy for patients with carcinoma of the thoracic esophagus: an attempt of aggressive chemotherapy combined with proper nutritional support for patients with distant node metastasis.

The prognosis of patients with advanced thoracic esophageal carcinoma is still poor. In general, patients having distant lymph-node metastasis do not survive for more than 3 years. Therefore, a new therapeutic regimen employing aggressive chemotherapy for these patients has been attempted.

Effects of microelectrophoretically applied acetylcholine- and angiotensin-antagonists on the paraventricular neurosecretory cells excited by osmotic stimuli.

Extracellular action potentials were recorded from neurons identified antidromically as neurosecretory cells in the paraventricular nucleus of urethane-anesthetized rats. An intracarotid injection of 0.6 M NaCl increased the firing rate of 26 out of the 33 neurosecretory cells tested.

A new cell line (TE-3) derived from human squamous cell carcinoma of the esophagus.

A new epithelial cell line (TE-3) has been established from a metastatic lesion at the right chest wall which was originated from a well differentiated human squamous cell carcinoma of the esophagus. TE-3 has been subcultured more than 150 times for 3 years and 1 month. Cultured cells have grown as isolated colonies of epithelial cells.

Electrical properties of paraventricular neurosecretory neurons with and without recurrent inhibition.

Twelve out of 32 neurosecretory neurons in the paraventricular nucleus of rats showed a silent phase following subthreshold stimulation to the posterior pituitary gland. After suprathreshold stimulation, the duration of the silent phase was significantly longer than that of the remaining 20 neurons, which did not show the silent phase at subthreshold stimulation. The latency and threshold in the former neurons were significantly longer and higher than those of the latter neurons.