Lipid analyses and fluidity studies by electron spin resonance of red cell membranes in hereditary high red cell membrane phosphatidylcholine hemolytic anemia.

Membrane lipid analyses and electron spin resonance (ESR) studies of membrane fluidity were carried out on the red cells of a Japanese patient with hereditary high red cell membrane phosphatidylcholine hemolytic anemia (HPCHA). Increased amounts of phosphatidylcholine (PC) and cholesterol were found in the membrane lipids of the affected patient, despite normal plasma lipids. The order parameter of cholesterol-free pure phospholipid liposomes prepared from this patient's red cells was decreased, apparently because of the increased PC.

[Evaluation of pre-operative irradiation therapy for carcinoma of the esophagus].

Prognosis of 43 patients with esophageal squamous cell carcinoma with pre-operative irradiation and that of 50 patients by surgical excision alone were compared by five year survival rate. The pre-operative radiation treatment comprised a daily doses of 2 Gy. given for consecutive days, up to total dosage of 40 Gy.

[Clinical studies of cefotaxime in infections in internal medicine].

Clinical studies on a new cephalosporin antibiotic, cefotaxime (CTX) were carried out in 79 patients with various types of infections in internal medicine. The efficacy rates were 65.8% in 39 cases of respiratory tract infections, 94.

[Clinical evaluation of tissue polypeptide antigen in patients with esophageal, stomach and colon cancer].

Serum tissue polypeptide antigen (TPA) levels were measured in 33 patients with esophageal cancer, 39 with stomach cancer and 50 with colon cancer. At the same time five glycoproteins, namely immunosuppressive acidic glycoprotein (IAP), alpha 1-antichymotripsin (alpha 1-ACT), acid soluble glycoproteins (ASP), sialic acid and carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA), were measured for comparison. The mean TPA values were 59.

Disappearance of microspherocytes in peripheral circulation and normalization of decreased lipids in plasma and in red cells of patients with hereditary spherocytosis after splenectomy.

A possible mechanism of the formation of microspherocytosis in unsplenectomized patients with hereditary spherocytosis (HS) was investigated in relation to lipid metabolism in plasma and in red cells of these patients. Plasma lipids (total cholesterol, free cholesterol, high density lipoprotein cholesterol, free fatty acids, and phospholipids) were markedly reduced in unsplenectomized HS patients with microspherocytosis. Red cell membrane lipids (free cholesterol and phospholipids such as phosphatidyl ethanolamine, sphingomyelin, phosphatidyl choline, and lysophosphatidyl choline) were also decreased in these unsplenectomized HS patients.

Observations on plasma and red cell lipids in hereditary spherocytosis.

Plasma lipids and red cell lipids were determined in hereditary spherocytosis (HS), 15 unsplenectomized and eight splenectomized patients. Plasma lipids (cholesterol: total, free and high density lipoproteins, free fatty acids, and phospholipids) were markedly decreased in HS, especially in the unsplenectomized patients. Concomitantly, red cell membrane lipids (free cholesterol and phospholipids: total, phosphatidyl ethanolamine, sphingomyelin, phosphatidyl choline, and lysophosphatidyl choline) were also diminished.

Decreased sodium influx and abnormal red cell membrane lipids in a patient with familial plasma lecithin: cholesterol acyltransferase deficiency.

Red cell membrane metabolism in familial lecithin:cholesterol acyltransferase (LCAT) deficiency was investigated. The family presented here is the third case discovered in Japan. An increase of free cholesterol was observed in the red cell membranes, concomitant with increased phosphatidyl choline.

The effect of diazepam and of agents which change GABAergic functions in immobility in mice.

When mice are forced to swim a restricted space, they will cease attempts to escape and adopt a characteristic immobile posture. In this study, this immobility was reduced by antidepressants and monoamineoxidase inhibitors. We found that diazepam had the ability to enhance this immobility.

Self-adaptive modification of red-cell membrane lipids in lecithin: cholesterol acyltransferase deficiency. Lipid analysis and spin labeling.

In a patient with lecithin: cholesterol acyltransferase deficiency, free cholesterol was markedly increased, and esterified cholesterol was diminished. In the patient's plasma, an increase in phosphatidylcholine (PC) and a decrease in sphingomyelin were observed. Concomitantly, an increase in a shorter acyl chain 16:0 was noted in PC, sphingomyelin and phosphatidylethanolamine (PE).

[Clinical studies on skin extensibility in humans].

The skin extensibility was measured at 12 anatomical sites of the living body using the BIO-SKIN TENSION METER equipped with a strain-gauge. The subjects were 82 healthy males whose ages ranged from four months to 73 years. The differences in degree of extensibility according to age are summerized as follows.

[Pharmacokinetics and a phase I study of tegafur-uracil enterogranules in cancer patients].

UFT-E, enterogranules of tegafur-uracil (at molar ratio of 1: 4) was developed in order to minimize GI toxicity of UFT. Pharmacokinetic study after single oral administration of 300 to 1200 mg of UFT-E was carried out in cancer patients measuring tagafur, uracil and 5-FU levels in serum, normal tissue and tumor tissue using HPLC and GC-mass. In the all doses studied, curves of serum tegafur after administration of UFT-E were consistently higher than those of uracil and 5-FU.

[Small dose of ARA-C in the treatment of an elderly patient with acute myeloblastic leukemia].

A 79 year old man with a history of myocardial infarction and cerebral infarction was admitted to our hospital in August, 1982. The hematological examination showed anemia and leukopenia (myeloblast 12%), and bone marrow aspiration confirmed the diagnosis of acute myeloblastic leukemia (FAB, M2). Because his general condition was poor, he was treated with small dose of Ara-C (10 mg/m2/12 hr, subcutaneous injections), obtaining complete remission.

[Effects of a combination chemotherapy "VEMA" consisting of vincristine, cyclophosphamide, methotrexate and ACNU in the treatment of small cell bronchogenic carcinoma].

A combination chemotherapy "VEMA" consisting of vincristine (VCR), cyclophosphamide (Endoxan, EX), methotrexate (MTX) and nimustine (ACNU) has been carried out for the treatment of small cell bronchogenic carcinoma since September, 1978. "VEMA" regimen consists of VCR 1.3 mg/m2 iv push on day 1, EX 500 mg/m2 iv infusion on day 1 and 2, MTX 28 mg/m2 iv push on day 1, 2 and 3, and ACNU 67 mg/m2 iv push on day 3.

Sensitive solid phase enzyme immunoassay for factor IX antigen and classification of hemophilia B.

A sensitive solid phase enzyme immunoassay (EIA) was developed for the measurement of factor IX antigen (IX:AG), using rabbit antihuman factor IX antiserum and beta-D-galactosidase, which enabled us to detect IX:AG as low as 10(-4)U/ml. 37 patients with severe hemophilia B have been investigated by EIA, inhibitor neutralization assay and bovine brain prothrombin time. They could be divided into four genetic variants.