Pathogenesis of spontaneous pneumothorax. With special reference to the ultrastructure of emphysematous bullae.

We have performed 253 thoracotomies among a total of 334 cases of spontaneous pneumothorax during the past 17 years, subjecting 126 of these surgical cases to histologic examination by light microscope. Recently, we have classified 54 emphysematous bullae as Reid type 1 or 2 and have examined these, as well as giant bullae, by scanning electron microscope. This revealed exterior surface differences among the three types of cysts: type 1 exhibits a marked absence of mesothelial cells, whereas type 2 and giant bulla do not.

Vitamin D and parathyroid hormone degradation by the kidney.

Parathyroid function is controlled by the regulation of hormone secretion as well as degradation, through the action of calcium and vitamin D derivatives. In order to clarify the relationship between vitamin D metabolism and parathyroid degradation system, parathyroid hormone (PTH)-degrading activities of the kidney were measured in vitamin D repleted and depleted rats given various derivatives of vitamin D. Kidney calcium content rose markedly in animals given 10 microgram/kg 1 alpha(OH) vitamin D3 and 1,000 microgram/kg dihydrotachysterol and PTH-degrading activity rose only in these animals, indicating a parallelism between kidney calcium content and PTH-degrading activity of the kidney tissue.

Electron microscope study on the bat testicular interstitial cell with special reference to the cytoplasmic crystalloid.

The testicular interstitial cell of the bat, Myotis schreibersi (Temmink), captured late in August was electron microscopically investigated. The cytoplasm of Myotis interstitial cells is packed by strikingly numerous mitochondria with many electron dense small matrix granules, endoplasmic reticulum and variable numbers of osmiophilic lipid droplets. The Myotis interstitial cell is characterized by alternate development of the SER and RER: In some Leydig cells the major part of the cytoplasm is packed by tubular SER, whereas in others this apparently is replaced by abundant free ribosomes containing sparse cisternae of the RER.

Electron microscopic study on the testicular interstitial cells in the mouse.

The interstitial tissue of the mouse testis contains, besides mature and immature Leydig cells, fibroblasts, occasional plasma cells and a considerable number of macrophages abutting on the Leydig cells. Mature Leydig cells extend filopodia into dilated portions of the intercellular space. Along the cell surface deep hollows are frequently formed which contain numerous filopodia protruded from the plasma membrane limiting the hollow.

[Significance of computed tomography in therapeutic diagnosis of brain tumors (author's transl)].

Because of its noninvasive property of direct imaging of the size and shape of the lesion, CT scan is significant not only for the diagnosis of the brain tumors, but also for the assessment of its chronological and/or therapeutic change in size. Contrary to the conventional cerebral angiography and contrast encephalography, CT scan is feasible to detect the tumor repeatedly at short intervals. From March 1976 to October 1977, 197 cases of brain tumors were examined by CT, 6 tumors (1 pineal tumor, 2 cerebellar vermian tumors and 3 supratentorial tumors) of which were radiated after the initial CT scan and re-examined by CT at every 400-1,000 rads radiation, and their grade of radiosensitivity could be evaluated.

Occurrence of centrioles in interphasic hepatocytes of bat and chicken.

Occurrence of centrioles in non-dividing hepatocytes was examined by electron microscopy in the bat, Miniopterus schreibersi (Kuhl) and Myotis macrodactylus (Temminck), and the chicken. In both species centrioles were mostly found in the apical hyaloplasmic halo which was distinct in the chicken but rather indistinct in the bat. There was no difficulty in locating centrioles in the hepatocytes of either species.

Transmission electron microscope observation of epithelial cells with single cilia in intrahepatic biliary ductules of bats.

Cells with long single cilia arising from basal bodies in the apical cytoplasm were occasionally revealed in the bile ductular epithelia of bats (Miniopterus schreibersi (Kuhl), Myotis macroductylus (Temminck) and Rhinolophus cornutus (Temminck)). The basal body (distal centriole) was associated witha proximal centriole, so the basal structure was of "two centriole type." In cross sections of the long tapering cilia the arrangement of cilary microtubules was determined.

[Radioisotope cisternographic study on intracranial arachnoid cyst (author's transl)].

The dynamics of the CSF circulation in six cases of intracranial arachnoid cysts was examined by RI cisternography suing 0.5 to 1.0 mCi of 169Yb DTPA or 50 to 100 microCi of 131I HSA injected into the lumbar subarachnoid space.

[Degradation of the parathyroid hormone in the kidney and liver (author's transl)].

The cleavage of the parathyroid hormone has been reported to take place in various peripheral tissues, especially in the kidney and liver. In order to claify the mechanism of such a degradation, bovine PTH (bPTH 1--84) and its synthetic N-terminal peptide (bPTH 1--34) labelled with 125I by the chroramine-T method (125I-bPTH 1--84) and (125I-bPTH 1--34) or labelled with horseradish peroxidase Pox-125I-bPTH 1--84 and Pox 125I-bPTH 1 34) were used to study the disappearance from the blood stream and degradation and retension in the kidney and liver after intravenous injections in male Wiastar rats, weighing approximately 200g. Degradation of PTH was also studied in vitro, using isolated cells and a homogenate of the kidney and liver.

Elevation of serum 25-hydroxycalciferol levels in androgen-treated and ultraviolet-irradiated rats.

Administration of 4-8 mg testosterone propionate significantly raised 25-hydroxycalciferol levels in the ultraviolet irradiated rats compared to the ultraviolet irradiated controls, but failed to influence serum 25-hydroxycalciferol levels in the non-irradiated animals. Estradiol benzoate and progesterone did not influence serum 25-hydroxycalciferol levels regardless of the ultraviolet irradiation. These findings implicate that testosterone enhances vitamin D biosynthesis induced by ultraviolet irradiation in rats, in accordance with the clinical observation that males often show higher levels of serum 25-hydroxycalciferol than females.

Effect of 1alphaOH-vitamin D3 in a case of pseudohypoparathyroidism.

A 37-year-old woman with typical features of pseudohypoparathyroidism (chronic tetany, paresthesia, persistent hypocalcemia, round face, short stature, short metacarpals and metatarsals, cucutaneous calcification and lack of response to exogenous and endogenous parathyroid hormone as regards urinary phosphate and cyclic AMP excretion) was treated with oral administration of 2 microgram/day of 1alphaOH-vitamin D3. Serum calcium started to rise within 3 days returning to the normal level with disappearance of symptoms referrable to hypocalcemia. Such a favorable effect of a small dose of 1alphaOH-vitamin D3 in a patient with typical hypoparathyroidism suggests an important role of disturbance of 1alpha-hydroxylation of vitamin D3 by the kidney in the pathogenesis of calcium and phosphorus abnormality in this disease.

Endocrine control of the intestinal calcium excretion.

Calcium excretion from rat intestine was measured by placing distilled water in an intestinal loop in situ and measuring the calcium content after various intervals. More calcium was excreted from the intestine of 18-month-old rats than that of 1-month-old rat. Acute hypocalcemia failed to change the intestinal calcium excretion significantly.

Control of parathyroid hormone hydrolysis by the kidney.

In order to assess the role of the kidney in controlling the degradation, fate, half-life, and consequently the functional level of the parathyroid hormone in vivo, highly purified bovine parathyroid hormone (bPTH 1-84) and synthetic N-terminal peptide of the bovine parathyroid hormone (bPTH 1-34) were iodinated and their hydrolysis by the kidney and liver tissue of rats were measured under various levels of parathyroid function and calcium metabolism. While the hydrolysis of bPTH 1-84 did not change significantly in response to acute change of serum parathyroid hormone in response to injections of EDTA, phosphate, and calcium or after parathyroidectomy, less bPTH 1-34 was hydrolyzed 60 min after injection of EDTA or phosphate along with the rise of serum PTH than in the controls. No significant change was found in the hydrolysis of bPTH 1-34 after calcium infusion or parathyroidectomy with a consequent fall of serum parathyroid hormone.

[Meningioma in the aged--on its differential diagnosis (author's transl)].

Despite vast improvement in diagnostic techniques in neurosurgery during the past few decades, there still remain a significant number of intracranial tumors in geriatric age group, which are not recognized in the early course of the disease or during life. We are now focusing on the diagnostic problems of meningiomas in the geriatric age group and stressing the significant value of brain scanning in the differential diagnosis of brain tumors from cerebral vascular disease or other conditions. During about 10-year period, a total of 36 intracranial tumours in cases over 60 year old have been studied.