Species differences in hydrolysis of isocarbacyclin methyl ester (TEI-9090) by blood esterases.

Species differences in the hydrolysis of isocarbacyclin methyl ester (TEI-9090) in whole blood and in its separated components were studied in rats, dogs and human. Esterase activity in rat whole blood was approximately 100 and 400 times higher than that in dog and human whole blood, respectively, and was attributed to high plasma activity. In contrast, TEI-9090 hydrolysis activities in dog and human blood were due to red blood cells (RBC), whose activity in humans was slightly suppressed by albumin.

GSH-independent denitration of organic nitrate esters in rabbit hepatic and vascular cytosol.

The denitration of organic nitrate esters in rabbit hepatic cytosol was characterized. Sephadex G-200 chromatography of ammonium sulfate precipitate (40-80%) from hepatic cytosol demonstrated the presence of two distinct activities (peak I and peak II) responsible for the denitration of nitroglycerin (NTG) and isosorbide dinitrate (ISDN). The denitration of peak I required dithiothreitol (DTT), but not glutathione (GSH), and was not inhibited by S-alkyl GSH, an inhibitor of glutathione S-transferase (GST).

Metabolism of a nitrate ester, dihydropyridine derivative in rabbit hepatic microsomes and cytosol.

1. The metabolism of a nitrate ester-substituted dihydropyridine derivative (NND) in vitro was characterized with rabbit hepatic microsomes and cytosol. 2.

GSH-independent denitration of the nitrate ester of a dihydropyridine derivative in rabbit hepatic cytosol.

The denitration of a dihydropyridine derivative having two nitrate ester groups, 2-nitroxypropyl 3-nitrooxypropyl 1,4-dihydro-2,6-dimethyl-4-(3-nitrophenyl)-3, 5-pyridinedicarboxylate (NND), by rabbit hepatic cytosol was investigated. Sephadex G-150 chromatography of ammonium sulfate precipitate (30-60%) from the cytosol demonstrated the presence of two distinct activities (peak I and peak II) responsible for denitration of [14C]-NND. The first peak, peak I, was observed in the presence of dithiothreitol (DTT), but not in the presence of glutathione (GSH).

Origin of ciliated craniopharyngioma: pathological relationship between Rathke cleft cyst and ciliated craniopharyngioma.

Histological study was undertaken on ciliated craniopharyngioma and Rathke cleft cyst, to know the origin of ciliated craniopharyngioma. Subjects were 7 cases with symptomatic Rathke cleft cysts and a ciliated craniopharyngioma. Light and electron microscopic observations were made on surgically resected specimens of the 8 cases.

Invasive meningioma: a tumour with high proliferating and "recurrence" potential.

A study was undertaken to investigate the correlation between histological invasiveness and proliferating potential and clinical recurrence in meningioma. In 39 meningiomas, the histological findings at the tumour-brain interface zone were classified into 3 types, consisting of 29 cases of non-invasion (NON). 7 cases of nodular invasion (NOD), and 3 cases of intermingled invasion (INT).

Radiographic diagnosis and surgical repair of a sciatic hernia: report of a case.

We report the case of a 44-year-old woman who presented with a reducible painless swelling in her left buttock. The mass was preoperatively diagnosed as a sciatic hernia by herniography, which showed the peritoneal sac through the sciatic foramen, and by enterography, intravenous pyelography, and cystography, which demonstrated that the small intestine and urinary bladder had herniated into the sac. The diagnosis and management of this patient are described, followed by a review of the literature on sciatic hernias.

[An early phase II clinical study of RP56976 (docetaxel) in patients with breast cancer].

An early phase II clinical study of RP56976 (docetaxel), a new anticancer agent of plant origin, was conducted in patients with breast cancer at 20 Japanese collaborative institutions. Docetaxel was administered at two or more doses of 60 mg/m2 by intravenous infusion with dose-free intervals of 3-4 weeks, and the efficacy and safety was evaluated. Of the 51 patients enrolled, 50 patients completed the scheduled course of treatment.

Radiological study of symptomatic Rathke's cleft cysts.

We investigated the relationship between radiological findings and the nature of the cyst fluid and histological findings of six Rathke's cleft cysts. The results show that the majority (five of six cases) of symptomatic Rathke's cleft cysts exhibit no enlargement of the sella turcica on plain x-rays, which may be helpful in differentiating cystic pituitary adenoma in the radiological diagnostic process. Three cases with large cysts showing high-intensity T1-weighted magnetic resonance images harbored abundances of cholesterol crystal and hemosiderin pigment in the cyst walls.

Determination of protein binding of a highly lipophilic drug, isocarbacyclin methyl ester (TEI-9090), using a polydimethylsiloxane-coated glass beads assay.

An adsorption technique with polydimethylsiloxane-coated glass beads (PDMS-GB) was developed to determine the protein binding of a highly lipophilic and hydrophobic drug. The present assay method is based on the quantitative adsorption of unbound drug to the PDMS-GB. This method of batch separation in a glass assay tube has an advantage of simplicity and rapidity.

Entrapping efficiency and drug release profile of an oil-in-water (o/w) emulsion formulation using a polydimethylsiloxane-coated glass bead assay.

Evaluation of entrapping efficiency is difficult for an o/w emulsion formulation containing a lipophilic oily drug, isocarbacyclin methyl ester (TEI-9090), by commonly employed techniques (dialysis, ultrafiltration, or gel filtration), because of its adsorption to the system materials. Employing this characteristic of TEI-9090, we developed an adsorption technique with polydimethylsiloxane-coated glass beads (PDMS-GB). The assay is based on the quantitative adsorption of unentrapped TEI-9090 to the PDMS-GB.

[Recurrent meningioma with malignant transformation: a case which changed from meningothelial type to papillary type].

We report here a case with meningioma showing malignant transformation in its course of multiple recurrences. A 59-year-old woman developed a right-sided hemiparesis in June, 1982 and CT scan disclosed a parasagittal well-enhanced mass. The tumor was subtotally removed (Simpson grade III) by an operation in September, 1982.

Possible gliclazide-induced water retention with azotemia.

An 80-year-old woman with diabetes mellitus was treated with gliclazide. Prior to the gliclazide administration, her urinary excretion of albumin, serum urea nitrogen and serum creatinine were normal. After the medication, oliguria, edema and azotemia developed.

[Intracranial extracerebral glioma].

A case of solitary leptomeningeal extracerebral glioma is reported. A 75-year-old man was admitted to our hospital because of headache and right hemiparesis. CT scan and carotid angiography revealed a tumor in the left convexity.

[Hepatic protein synthesis in regenerating liver after partial hepatectomy].

The process of hepatic protein synthesis was studied in the regenerating liver after partial hepatectomy (HTX). Hepatocellular protein synthesis (HPS) and secretory protein synthesis (SPS) were determined in the regenerating liver of rats after 68% HTX. The serum levels of the following items were determined in 10 patients before and after HTX: interleukin-6 (IL-6), acute-phase proteins (APP), and negative acute-phase proteins (NAPP).

Case report: silent thyroiditis developed during alpha-interferon therapy.

Alpha-interferon (IFN-alpha) was used for the treatment of chronic active hepatitis C in a 30-year-old woman who was euthyroid but had low titers of antithyroid antibodies before treatment. Two months after the initiation of IFN-alpha therapy she became thyrotoxic. She had nontender diffuse goiter.

Simultaneous high-performance liquid chromatographic determination of lornoxicam and its 5'-hydroxy metabolite in human plasma using electrochemical detection.

A selective and sensitive high-performance liquid chromatographic method with coulometric detection is described for the simultaneous quantitation of lornoxicam, a new oxicam class drug, and its 5'-hydroxy metabolite in human plasma. The two analytes and the internal standard are extracted from plasma at pH 4.0 by liquid-liquid extraction and separated on a C18 column.

Metabolic fate of a new dihydropyridine calcium antagonist, CD-349, in rat and dog.

1. The metabolic fate of 14C-CD-349, a new calcium antagonist, was studied in rat and dog. 2.

Origin of craniopharyngioma: an electron microscopic study.

To investigate the possibility that the two subtypes of craniopharyngioma, adamantinous type and squamous papillary type, are tumors arising from different origins, the authors conducted an electron microscopic study in 10 cases of craniopharyngioma. Light microscopic study revealed distinct differences between the two subtypes, but their ultrastructure was fundamentally similar. In this report, the authors propose an explanation of the origin of these subtypes to account for the findings.

Invasive meningiomas in relation to high proliferating potential.

We conducted a study to investigate whether an association exists among histologic findings, labeling index determined by the labeling index (LI) of proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) and recurrence in a population of 30 meningioma patients. All of 6 patients (invasive meningioma) with brain invasion had a PCNA LI in excess of 5%. Recurrence was found in 4 of these patients.

[Hepatic protein synthesis and cytokines in obstructive jaundice].

Unlabelled: To clarify the mechanism of the increase of hepatic protein synthesis observed in the obstructive jaundiced rats, hepatocellular protein synthesis (HPS) and secretory protein synthesis (SPS) were estimated in the rats with obstructive jaundice and the contents of the following in the peripheral blood were determined in 21 patients with obstructive jaundice before and two weeks after percutaneous transhepatic biliary drainage (PTBD): interleukin-1 beta (IL-1 beta), interleukin-6 (IL-6), tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF alpha), endotoxin (Et), acute-phase protein (APP) and negative acute-phase protein (NAPP).

The Results: (1) HPS and SPS were markedly increased by obstructive jaundice; (2) IL-1 beta and IL-6 were significantly high and were reduced after PTBD; (3) neither TNF alpha nor Et was detected; (4) APP were significantly high and failed to decline after PTBD; (5) NAPP were significantly low and the contents were restored to the normal levels after PTBD. These results suggest that increased hepatic protein synthesis observed in the rats with obstructive jaundice correspond to the increased hepatic production of APP in patients with obstructive jaundice.

Ultrastructural studies of chlamydia-infected air sacs of chicks.

The air sac of chicks inoculated with Chlamydia psittaci was examined ultrastructurally. The epithelial cells had minute chlamydial inclusion bodies consisting of a few reticulate bodies in the initial stages of infection. In the epithelial cells in the early and middle stage of infection, small- to medium-sized chlamydial inclusion bodies were found in the cytoplasm adjacent to the Golgi apparatus and surrounded with many mitochondria.

Selected ion monitoring for the determination of bromovalerylurea in human plasma.

A gas chromatography-selected ion monitoring procedure with chemical ionization is described for the determination of bromovalerylurea (BVU) in human plasma. BVU was extracted with ether after addition of 2-bromo-2-methylpropylurea as an internal standard. The lower limit of BVU quantification by this method was 2 ng/0.

[Intramedullary neurofibroma in the cervical spinal cord; a case report].

A 62-year-old woman was admitted complaining of clumsiness in both hands. On neurological examination, bilateral hand muscles were weak, both legs were spastic and hyperreflexic, all the extremities were hypoesthetic. Urological examination revealed detruser sphincter dyssynergia.