[Function of the PTH/PTHrP receptor].

Cloning of the PTH/PTHrP receptor has established a new class of a receptor family which couples with G-proteins. When this receptor is occupied by PTH or PTHrP, activation of adenylate cyclase and phospholipase C occurs. Site-specific mutagenesis is extensively employed to study the structure-function relationship.

Temperature acclimation induces light meromyosin isoforms with different primary structures in carp fast skeletal muscle.

Carp acclimated to 10 degrees C gave 69k, 66k, and 62kDa light meromyosin (LMM) fragments in SDS-PAGE, while fish acclimated to 30 degrees C gave 74k, 69k, 66k, and 62kDa fragments. The microsequence analysis revealed that the 69k and 66kDa components from the 10 degrees C-acclimated carp contained an N-terminal amino acid sequence different from that of 62kDa. The four fragments from the 30 degrees C-acclimated carp showed the same sequence as that of the 69k and 66kDa components from the 10 degrees C-acclimated carp, except that the 2nd amino acid, Ala, of the 10 degrees C-acclimated LMM was replaced by Thr.

Regional changes in muscle mass and strength following 20 days of bed rest, and the effects on orthostatic tolerance capacity in young subjects.

To this day, many studies have suggested that prolonged bed rest (BR) affects on muscle mass and strength not only in gravity muscles but also in ungravity muscles. However, it is still unclear whether the decrease in regional muscle strength after BR is due to the alterations in the corresponding muscle mass, or not. On the other hand, if BR decreases the mass of antigravity muscles (UGM) as well as muscle strength and then increases tissue compliance of the antigravity muscles, orthostatic tolerance capacity will be decreased by the reduction in cardiac output (CO) in spite of the increase in myocardial contractility because the more decrease in venous return due to the more increase in blood pooling within the compliant tissues of the lower body.

Axisymmetric analysis of a tube-type acoustic levitator by a finite element method.

A finite element approach was taken for the study of the sound field and positioning force in a tube-type acoustic levitator. An axisymmetric model, where a rigid sphere is suspended on the tube axis, was introduced to model a cylindrical chamber of a levitation tube furnace. Distributions of velocity potential, magnitudes of positioning force, and resonance frequency shifts of the chamber due to the presence of the sphere were numerically estimated in relation to the sphere's position and diameter.

Work stress and depressive symptoms among Japanese information systems managers.

The aim of the present study is to investigate the task-specific work stressors of IS (Information Systems) managers and to analyze the effect of these work stressors on depressive symptoms among these managers. A questionnaire including 33 items on work stressor was designed. Three hundreds of samples were gathered.

20 days bed-rest on insulin action in relation with body fat in young subjects.

It is well known that a daily positive physical activity is able to control body fat and to improve insulin action for intaking glucose in the muscles, especially under administration of nutrition in human. Conversely, when exposed prolonged inactive condition such as bed-rest in spite of control of nutrition, the insulin action may be declined due to less glucose intake in the muscles and thus the insulin secretion may be increased to maintain blood glucose level. If it is so, the increased insulin should accelerate intake of neutral fat and to lower fatty acid in the fat tissues.

[Interferon therapy of chronic hepatitis].

The current state of interferon (IFN) therapy for chronic hepatitis B and C in Japan is reviewed. The administration of IFN results in induction of 2'-5' oligoadenylate synthetase (2-5AS). 2-5AS produces 2-5A capable of activating a latent RNAase that degrades viral RNA.

Transendothelial transport of macromolecules: the concept of tissue-blood barriers.

In addition to its many functions in biosynthesis, growth, coagulation and rheology, vascular endothelium is anatomically interposed between the vascular space and the tissue fluid. Recent evidence indicates that it mediates cellular and molecular exchange between these compartments. The exchange can occur through differentiated microdomains of endothelium such as fenestrae.

[Problems and future of radiation oncology in Japan].

The present status and various problems of radiation oncology practice and study in Japan are discussed compared with historical development of radiotherapy in the United States. Besides insufficient resources and personal staffing, traditional thinking and cultural habits have been adversely affecting scientific way of thinking, training of professionals, and daily operation as well as study of radiation oncology in Japan. In the current limited situation, palliative treatment and its systematic, original study should be more emphasized to further develop radiation oncology program and to increase credibility of radiotherapy among medical professions in general.

[A pathological study of primary malignant lymphomas of the thyroid].

Thirty cases of a primary malignant lymphoma (ML) have been studied clinicopathologically and immunohistochemically. The average age of the patients was 59.1 years, and the ratio of males to females was 1:1.

[Pathological aspects of gynecological malignancies--early stage cancers and borderline lesions].

Pathology of gynecological malignancies including cancers of the uterus and ovary were described with a particular focus on early stage cancers and borderline lesions. Histological criteria appeared in this paper are mentioned in accordance with The General Rules for Clinical and Pathological Management of Uterine Cervical Cancer and Uterine Body Cancer and WHO Classification of Ovarian Tumours. Carcinogenesis of the uterine and ovarian cancers were also discussed.

[An autopsy case of quadruple carcinoma].

Discussed is a case of male cancer patient whose initial lesion was a transitional cell carcinoma of the left renal pelves. A bladder tumor (TCC) was subsequently found 6 months after a left nephro-ureterectomy. After treatment of these tumors, the patient remained well for 8 years.

[A clinicopathologic evaluation of "depth" in cases of endometrial adenocarcinoma].

A total of 573 cases of endometrial adenocarcinomas, composed of patients that had been hysterectomized from 1949 to 1985 at the Cancer Institute Hospital in Tokyo, have been clinicopathologically investigated to evaluate the degree of the myometrial invasion, meaning the "Depth" as a postoperative prognostic factor of this type of cancer. These patients were classified into groups, depending on the depth of the invasion. The Depth d group, showing a myometrial invasional depth of over two-thirds of the uterine wall, revealed a rate of 61.

[A case of malignant mesenchymoma of the maxilla].

The case of a 48-year-old male with a malignant mesenchymoma of the maxilla is reported. The patient had complained of bloody rhinorrhea and cheek pain, and a total maxillectomy was performed. The tumor consisted of a rhabdomyosarcoma, an osteosarcoma and a chondrosarcoma, which were relatively differentiated.

[Two cases of advanced gastric cancer with diffuse carcinomatosis of the bone marrow showing a widespread osteoplastic bone metastasis].

Reported are 2 cases of an advanced gastric cancer with a "diffuse carcinomatosis of the bone marrow" (DCMB) showing a widespread osteoplastic bone metastasis. In a DCBM, a widespread invasion of cancer cells to the bone marrow occurs, causing leukoerythroblastosis, anemia, and disseminated intravascular coagulation. The local reaction in the bone, namely being osteoplastic or osteolytic, has not been discussed in previous papers.

[An advanced gastric carcinoma which responded to combined administration of mitomycin C, FT-207, and lentinan immunochemotherapy].

A 59-year-old man with a gastric cancer underwent a laparotomy and was found to have an unresectable tumor that formed a large mass with metastatic lymph nodes around the aorta. He therefore was treated by a combined administration of Mitomycin C, FT-207, and Lentinan for 3 months. Remarkable tumor reduction was observed endoscopically, and a subtotal gastrectomy was performed.

[Chemical modifiers in radiotherapy].

The halogenated pyrimidine analogue bromodeoxyuridine (BrdU), which is incorporated into nuclei during DNA synthesis, has long been known to be a radiation sensitizer. Since 1965, BAR therapy (BrdU-antimetabolite-radiation therapy), in which BrdU was administered intraarterially as a radiosensitizer, has been applied to patients with malignant gliomas and the improvement in survival rate within two years has been reported. Recently, intravenous infusion of BrdU has prove to be sufficiently effective as a radiosensitizer and BrdU is still being utilized as a chemical modifier for patients with malignant gliomas.

Inhibition of inflammatory proteinase, medullasin, by alpha 2-macroglobulin and ovomacroglobulin.

The in vitro activity of inflammatory proteinase, medullasin, was stoichiometrically inhibited by a serum proteinase inhibitor, alpha 2-macroglobulin, and its homolog, chicken ovomacroglobulin. The two inhibitors were cleaved by medullasin only in the bait region. The effectiveness of alpha 2-macroglobulin to inhibit medullasin in competition with alpha -1-proteinase inhibitor was measured under a simulated in vivo condition and an estimation was made that about 60-70% medullasin is inhibited by alpha-1-inhibitor and 30-40% by alpha 2-macroglobulin.

[How can we make mass-screening of stomach cancer more efficient using epidemiological results?].

From an observation of personnel we expect epidemiological studies make mass-screening of stomach cancer more efficient and suppose they should be done as to following aspects: (1) To decide the most efficient interval of mass-screening, investigating the frequency distribution of "Saving Duration" on many stomach cancers that is the duration when a stomach cancer is both detectably by screening and curable. (2) To decide who should undergo stomach examination quantifying cancer-risks of individuals with the use of epidemiological results. (3) To make epidemiological studies more sensitive and useful, classifying stomach cancers by microscopic pathological type, macroscopic one or "Saving Duration".