Standardized single-incision plus one-port laparoscopic left lateral sectionectomy: a safe alternative to the conventional procedure.

Purpose: Laparoscopic left lateral sectionectomy (LLLS) is a feasible and safe procedure with a relatively smooth learning curve. However, single-incision LLLS requires extensive surgical experience and advanced techniques. The aim of this study is to report the standardized single-incision plus one-port LLLS (reduced port LLLS, RPLLLS) technique and evaluate its safety, feasibility, and effectiveness for junior surgeons.

[Experimental studies on the effects of alpha-tocopherol in small intestinal ischemia and reperfusion injury].

In the present study, we quantified the biochemical [thiobarbituric acid (TBA) reactants, superoxide dismutase (SOD) and vitamin E] and histologic changes in the small intestinal tissue after ischemia and/or reperfusion. Sixty-seven Wistar rats were divided into 7 groups; N group: control, A-I group: 30 min. ischemia, A-II group: 120 min.

Urine kallikrein excretion in relation to renal sodium handling in minimal change nephrotic syndrome.

Twenty-four-hour urine kallikrein excretion (Uka), urine protein excretion, renal sodium handling, and the activity of the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system were serially studied in 11 children at three different stages of the minimal change nephrotic syndrome (MCNS)-edema forming state, proteinuric steady state in which a relapse of the disease was just starting but no edema as yet and remission. The value for Uka was significantly increased in the edema forming state in contrast to the normal values of proteinuric steady state and remission. Serum sodium concentration was only decreased in the edema forming state and the degree of hypoalbuminemia and proteinuria did not differ between the edema forming and proteinuric steady states.

Multifocal pancreatic serous cystadenoma with atypical cells and focal perineural invasion.

A case of multifocal pancreatic serous cystadenoma with atypical cells is reported. The patient was a 72-yr-old female who complained of jaundice. The distal common bile duct was obstructed, and the proximal bile duct was remarkably dilated on cholangiography.

Adrenal and retroperitoneal mixed neuroendocrine-neural tumors.

Four cases of mixed neuroendocrine-neural tumors composed of pheochromocytoma and neuroblastoma elements (including ganglioneuroma and ganglioneuroblastoma) were studied for the presence of catecholamine-synthesizing enzymes, neuroendocrine markers, and peptide hormones with clinicopathological correlations. Paroxysmal hypertension with hypercatech olaminemia was observed in 3 patients. One patient had an extremely elevated level of dopamine.

A case of small bowel carcinoma in Crohn's disease.

A 46-year-old man had symptoms of ileus four years and five months after being diagnosed as Crohn's disease. Upon small bowel radiography, a short, spindle shaped stenosis on the distal site of the ileum was found. In the resected specimen, there was a constricted area with wall hypertrophy, and the mucosal surface of this region was rough and granular.

[Bactericidal activity of ofloxacin against Mycobacterium kansasii].

Bactericidal activity of ofloxacin against Mycobacterium kansasii was observed in in-vitro experiment. Tested bacteria were suspended to a concentration of one mg wet weight per ml in 10 ml of Dubos liquid medium containing no drug or containing 1 or 3 micrograms/ml ofloxacin and incubated at 37 degrees C. The number of colony-forming units contained in a 0.

Eight and 12 week courses of cyclophosphamide in nephrotic syndrome.

Seventy-three children with steroid dependent minimal change nephrotic syndrome were randomly allocated to receive treatment with cyclophosphamide (2 mg/kg/day) for either eight or 12 weeks, in combination with prednisolone. All patients had previously relapsed while the dosage was being reduced or within 14 days of discontinuing prednisolone in the six months before receiving cyclophosphamide treatment (steroid dependent), and had severe steroid toxicity. Thirty two patients were treated with cyclophosphamide for eight weeks, and 41 for 12 weeks.

[Possible involvement of leukotriene B4 on human luteal function: special reference to determination of leukotriene B4 produced by cultured luteal cells].

The present study was undertaken to determine the production of leukotriene B4 (LTB4) by cultured human luteal cells in the mid-luteal phase using a reverse phase column (C8). The luteal cells were cultured with or without hCG at 100 ng/ml for 8 days. In the preliminary experiment, methods for extracting culture media samples were assessed prior to radioimmunoassay.

Progesterone protects oocytes from premature degeneration within the follicle.

The present study was designed to determine the effects of gestrinone (R2323) in the process of follicle rupture and oocyte maturation and degeneration in an in vitro perfused rabbit ovary model. In the first experiment, R2323 at 10(2), 10(3), or 10(4) ng/ml was added to the perfusate of one ovary. The contralateral control ovary was perfused simultaneously with medium alone.

[A successful treatment of spontaneous carotid cavernous fistula causing hemorrhagic infarction treated by detachable balloon].

A rare case of hemorrhagic infarction associated with carotid-cavernous fistula is reported. The patient was a 74-year-old female. CT scan showed hemorrhagic infarction of the left superior temporal gyrus, irregular vascular enhancement of the bilateral front-temporal lobe, and dilatation of the cavernous sinus.

[Determination of the susceptibilities to antituberculosis agents in Mycobacterium avium-Mycobacterium intracellulare complex].

The determination of the susceptibilities to antituberculosis agents in Mycobacterium avium-Mycobacterium intracellulare complex (MAI complex) is influenced by the size of inoculation used in the determination. Such influences differ greatly according to the drugs. By increasing the number of colony-forming units (CFU) of the inoculation to 10(6)-fold, minimal inhibitory concentrations (MICs) of rifampicin and cycloserine have increased only 2-to 3-fold.

Involvement of plasminogen activator activity in the process of ovulation.

The present study was undertaken to determine the changes in follicular plasminogen activator (PA) activity during ovulation. In the first experiment, hCG (100 IU) administration in vivo enhanced PA activity in mature follicles within 1 hour. PA activity reached its maximum at 4 hours and then declined.

Unilateral and bilateral nasal resistances: a supplement.

Three hundred and thirty-four measurements of bilateral and unilateral nasal resistance (at delta P 1.0 cm H2O and by time averaging) in 233 adults were carried out by posterior rhinomanometry with a head-out body plethysmograph. Total nasal resistances, calculated by the equation of Ohm's Law for parallel resistors from measured unilateral resistances, were compared with measured total nasal resistances.

Identification of hemolytic granules isolated from human myocardial cells.

Human myocardial cells from fresh autopsy material contained granules which possessed hemolytic activity against guinea pig and rabbit erythrocytes. The hemolytic granules, which had a density of 1.02 and a diameter of 200-300 nm, were recovered as a microsome fraction from subcellular homogenates of human myocardial cells by differential centrifugation in 300 mM sucrose containing 0.

[In-vitro combined effect of antituberculosis drugs on Mycobacterium avium complex].

In-vitro combined activity of antituberculosis drugs on Mycobacterium avium complex strain 13034 (serotype 18) was observed. A twofold dilution series of each drug was combined with 17 additional drugs and the control without drug. Each medium was inoculated by a 0.

The effects of lipoxygenase products on progesterone and prostaglandin production by human corpora lutea.

The present study was undertaken to assess the effects of the products of the lipoxygenase pathway on steroidogenesis and the production of prostaglandins (PGs) by human corpora lutea in the midluteal phase. In the first experiment luteal cells were cultured with 5-hydroxyeicosatetraenoic acid (5-HETE) at 10, 100, 500, or 1000 ng/mL in the presence or absence of hCG at 100 ng/mL for 10 days. The addition of 5-HETE dose-dependently inhibited progesterone (P) production by the cultural luteal cells.

Recombinant carboxyl-terminal fibrin-binding domain of human fibronectin expressed in mouse L cells.

The carboxyl-terminal fibrin-binding domain, Fib2, of human fibronectin was expressed in mouse L cells as a fusion protein with the signal sequence of human protein C inhibitor. The recombinant Fib2 (rFib2) protein synthesized by transfected cells retained the ability to form dimers with each other or with mouse fibronectin subunits and was secreted to the medium after extensive glycosylation. Only a small fraction of the secreted protein was incorporated into the pericellular matrix.

Neutralizing antibody assay for human herpesvirus-6.

Antibody to human herpesvirus-6 (HHV-6) was measured in cord blood mononuclear cell cultures by a neutralization (NT) test, in which the presence or absence of characteristic large cell formation in cells infected with HHV-6 was used as an indicator for neutralization of the virus. The NT test could measure antibodies during and just after the appearance of the skin rash in patients with exanthem subitum. The levels of antibodies measured by the NT test was generally higher than that by an indirect immunofluorescence assay.

The influence of the normal turbinate mucosa on nasal airflow.

In an attempt to determine the influence of the turbinate mucosa on nasal airflow resistance, we measured the nasal resistances in seven patients who had no lateral walls on one side of their nasal cavities because of unilateral operative removal of maxillary tumors. We compared resistances on the operated side with the normal unoperated side. No significant differences were found either on inspiration or expiration.

[Computed tomography of skeletal muscles in myotonic muscular dystrophy].

The computed tomography (CT) of skeletal muscles was performed on 12 patients with myotonic muscular dystrophy (MyD). We have sliced at seven levels; those are 1. neck level-at the level of thyroid cartilage 2.

Prolactin inhibits plasminogen activator activity in the preovulatory follicles.

The present study was designed to determine the effects of PRL on changes in morphology and plasminogen activator (PA) activity in the preovulatory follicles. Rabbit ovaries were perfused with hCG alone or with hCG plus at 10, 10(2), or 10(3) ng/ml. PRL at 10(3) ng/ml directly inhibited the degeneration and decomposition of surface epithelial cells induced by hCG exposure.

Spontaneous remission of agnogenic myeloid metaplasia in a splenectomized patient: a case report with erythrokinetic studies.

A 67-year-old woman with agnogenic myeloid metaplasia, who underwent splenectomy 1 year after the diagnosis, experienced spontaneous hematologic remission 6 years after splenectomy. Ten months before her anemia improved, peripheral leukocytes no longer showed a shift to the left and peripheral erythroblasts had disappeared. Sequential erythrokinetic studies revealed ineffective erythropoiesis with mild hemolysis and expansion of marrow activity in the tibia and femur but no erythropoiesis in the sacral or vertebral marrow.

[Effects of 5-hydroxyeicosatetraenoic acid (5-HETE) on progesterone and prostaglandin production by human corpora lutea].

The present study was undertaken to assess the effects of 5-hydroxyeicosatetraenoic acid (5-HETE) on steroidogenesis and prostaglandin (PG) production in cultured luteal cells derived from human corpora lutea in the mid-luteal phase. The luteal cells were cultured with 5-HETE at 10, 100, 500, or 1,000 ng/ml in the absence or presence of hCG at 100 ng/ml for 10 days. The addition of 5-HETE to the culture media did not affect growth curves of cultured luteal cells.

Effect of corticosteroids on some hemostatic parameters in children with minimal change nephrotic syndrome.

Effect of corticosteroids (steroids) on some hemostatic parameters was serially studied in 23 children with minimal change nephrotic syndrome (MCNS). Increased platelet count, erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), cholesterol, fibrinogen, fibrin(ogen) degradation products (FDP), alpha 2-macroglobulin (alpha 2M), alpha 2-antiplasmin (alpha 2AP) and protein C, and reduced antithrombin III (ATIII) and plasminogen (Plg) were noted in relapse before steroid therapy began. With institution of oral prednisolone, FDP started to fall, and platelet count, cholesterol, alpha 2M, ATIII, Plg, alpha 2AP and protein C started to increase despite unchanged nephrotic state from that before the therapy.