Invited Review Articles
Disorientation of Animals in Microgravity
SHIGEO MORI
pg(s) 71- 81
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Disorientation responses of animals exposed to microgravity produced by parabolic aircraft flights and also in-space experiments were reviewed. Disoriented postures in floating are largely species-dependent. Reflexive lowered tone of gravity-bearing extensor muscles by labyrinthectomy is not seen in mammals (hamster and monkey) and frog, though dorsiflexion of the neck and the trunk is not so remarkable in hamster and monkey as in frog. In weightlessness, fundamental vestibular reflexes may be affected (righting reflex in cat), but coordinated performance can be easily compensated by visual function (mouse, monkey and turtle). In normal birds and fish who can move three-dimensionally in their environments, exposure to parabolic flight microgravity induces irregular tumbling with the eyes open and regular looping with the eyes closed, although the loop direction is the opposite in these two animals; backward (inside) in pigeon and forward (outside) in fish. Most recently, however, it was found that normal fish (goldfish) tumbled backward when observed in prolonged microgravity in space, suggesting that microgravity effects on fish in aircraft-flight parabolas would differ from those in space. Sensory conflicts in normal fish diminish remarkably during 3-4 days of space microgravity, and the cerebellum may be involved in the recovery, lending support to the sensory conflict theory for the genesis of space motion sickness.
Circadian Rhythm Sleep Disorders: A Brief Review with Special Reference to Long-term Follow-up
TATSURO OHTA
pg(s) 83- 93
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This article reviews the hygiene of new sleep disorders such as delayed sleep phase syndrome (DSPS) and non-24-hour sleep-wake syndrome which are classified as the circadian rhythm sleep disorders in the International Classification of Sleep Disorders (ICSD) published in 1990. It was clear in this study that these sleep schedule disturbances developed by preference in adolescence and youth, and the prevalence of DSPS in this generation was presumed to be 0.25-0.4%. Patients with certain disorders, such as entrainment to external time cues, were treated with non-pharmacological interventions and/or pharmacological agents. These therapies were effective in some cases when each was administered alone, but their effectiveness in other cases was not evident until two or more of therapies were used in combination. The prognosis of these two syndromes was significantly positive, particularly in the adolescent cases, suggesting the benefits of early discovery and treatment.
X-linked Recessive Bulbospinal Neuronopathy (SBMA)
GEN SOBUE
pg(s) 95-106
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X-linked recessive bulbospinal neuronopathy (SBMA) is an adult onset motor neuronopathy with androgen receptor (AR) gene mutation of expanded CAG repeat size in the first exon. The size of CAG repeats in the AR gene is one of the determinant factors of the severity and progression rate of SBMA phenotypes, but the meiotic and somatic instability of CAG repeats is far more stable as compared with other diseases caused by trinucleotide repeat expansions such as HD, DRPLA, MJD and SCA1. Several evidences suggest that aberrant transcriptional activity of androgen through mutant AR is related to the pathogenic mechanism of this disease.
Original Papers
A Case of Unilateral Giant Hydronephrosis with Renal Insufficiency
MASANORI YAMAMOTO, HATSUKI HIBI and KOJI MIYAKE
pg(s)107-110
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Giant hydronephrosis, which is a symptomless enlargement of the abdomen, is an extremely rare condition in adults, with most cases being discovered in young-to-middle-aged people. We report a case of adult giant hydronephrosis accompanied by renal insufficiency, in which surgical repair was not performed because of the patient's poor cardiac function. Nephrostomy was performed and was followed with replacement of the nephrostomy tube every 2 weeks. For diagnostic purposes, ultrasonography and computerized tomography were preferable. A supplementary antegrade and retrograde pyelography was valuable in locating the stenosis.
A Case of Sex Reversal Syndrome with Sex-Determining Region (XX Male)
MASANORI YAMAMOTO, KEISUKE YOKOI, SATOSHI KATSUNO, HATSUKI HIBI and KOJI MIYAKE
pg(s)111-115
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We examined a 32-year-old man with a 4-year history of infertility. The man's sex life, male hair pattern, and penis were normal, and he had no history of erection problems. Left and right testicular volumes were 2 ml and 3 ml, respectively. Semen analysis showed no sperm. The endocrine panel revealed increased serum luteinizing hormone and follicle-stimulating hormone levels, and a normal serum testosterone level. A testicular biopsy demonstrated that both Leydig cell and Sertoli cell hyperplasia were present, and that no germ cells were found in the tubules. A chromosome analysis done on the peripheral blood lymphocytes revealed a karyotype of 46, XX. We identified the sex-determining region, Y, by polymerase chain reaction using Y-specific probes in this patient. The diagnosis was XX male.
Distribution of Neuronal Cytoplasmic Inclusions in Multiple System Atrophy
KENICHI SUGIURA, YOSHIO HASHIZUME, AKITO KUME and AKIRA TAKAHASHI
pg(s)117-126
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Neuronal cytoplasmic inclusions (NCIs) were demonstrated by means of silver staining (Gallyas staining) in the central nervous systems of 18 deceased patients with multiple system atrophy (MSA) - 6 with olivopontocerebellar atrophy (OPCA), 6 with striatonigral degeneration (SND) and 6 with Shy-Drager syndrome (SDS). We observed NCIs in the cerebral cortex, putamen, pons, medulla oblongata and spinal cord, and especially in the putamen and pons of all cases with MSA. No NCIs were observed in the cerebellum and midbrain. The findings were common to all 3 subtypes of MSA. NCIs were not present in patients with other neurodegenerative disorders and non-neurological disorders. Our findings indicate that NCIs represent a special neuronal alteration characteristic of MSA and support the theory that OPCA, SND and SDS represent manifestations of a single condition i.e. MSA.
Effects of Varicocelectomy on Testis Volume and Semen Parameters in Adolescents: A Randomized Prospective Study
MASANORI YAMAMOTO, HATSUKI HIBI, SATOSHI KATSUNO and KOJI MIYAKE
pg(s)127-132
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Because the treatment of a varicocele in adolescents remains controversial, we undertook a prospective study in 51 male adolescents, aged 15-21 years, who were referred for a varicocele. Twenty-nine patients were treated with high retroperitoneal ligation of the left spermatic vein, and 22 were untreated. Eighteen healthy adolescent volunteers without a varicocele were also assessed. Testicular volume was measured using an orchiometer, and semen analyses were carried out at referral and after 1 year of follow-up. In addition, serum luteinizing hormone (LH), follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) and testosterone levels were estimated by radioimmunoassay. Both patient groups had significantly smaller testis volumes than the controls at the outset. In the follow-up, the treated patients had testis volumes similar to those of the controls. Both testes increased significantly in volume after treatment. Although semen parameters were comparable in all groups initially, sperm concentration increased significantly after treatment of the varicocele. We concluded that varicocele treatment in adolescents leads to increased testis volume and a higher sperm concentration; however, whether early treatment will improve testicular function remains to be elucidated.
Cell Cycle-dependent Localization of Tissue Inhibitor of Metalloproteinases-1 Immunoreactivity in Cultured Human Gingival Fibroblasts
HANG LI, KOJI NISHIO, KYOKO YAMASHITA, TARO HAYAKAWA and TAKESHI HOSHINO
pg(s)133-142
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Localization of the tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinases-1 (TIMP-1) was investigated in cultured human gingival fibroblasts by immunohistochemistry. TIMP-1 immunostaining was observed in the cytoplasm of a majority of cells, and in the nucleus of some cells. Depletion of fetal calf serum (FCS) from the culture medium reduced the density of immunoreactive TIMP-1 in the nucleus more remarkably than in the cytoplasm, and the following FCS-induced cell growth was accompanied by a recovery of immuno-reactive TIMP-1 in both the nucleus and the cytoplasm. The frequency of the nuclear TIMP-1-positive cells changed in line with that of PCNA-positive cells and was always much higher than that of S-phase cells, which were estimated by a pulse labelled 5-Bromo-2' deoxyuridine (BrdU). These results suggest a localization of TIMP-1 or a related substance in the nucleus of proliferating human fibroblasts, and its depletion from the nucleus due to an arrest of cell growth.
A Case of Primary Glucocorticoid Resistance
AKITOSHI KAWAKUBO, ATSUSHI SUZUKI, HISASHI YOKOI, SATOSHI KAKIYA, MITSUYA MORIKAWA, YUTAKA OISO and MASAHIRO YAMAMOTO
pg(s)143-147
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A 79-year-old woman developed hypokalemia and metabolic alkalosis after breast cancer surgery. She was suspected of having primary glucocorticoid resistance on the basis of high plasma ACTH and serum cortisol levels without the features of Cushing's syndrome. To clarify the end-organ resistance to cortisol, we characterized the glucocorticoid receptors (GR) in cultured skin fibroblasts from the patient. The GRs in whole cell assays decreased binding affinity (Kd = 11.1 +/- 0.6 nM) and the number of binding sites for [3H]dexamethasone (binding capacity was 15,600 +/- 1,255 sites per cell). These results strongly suggest that our patient had primary glucocorticoid resistance caused both by a decreased number of GRs and a reduction in the affinity of GRs to cortisol.
Assessment of the Effects of Aging and Medication on Salivary Gland Function in Patients with Xerostomia Using 99mTC-Scintigraphy
HIDEAKI KAGAMI, TSUNETOSHI HAYASHI, TOSHIO SHlGETOMI and MINORU VEDA
pg(s)149-155
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The biological effects of static magnetic fields, and their combined effects with ionizing radiation, were studied using a cultured mammalian cell line (FM3A). The three different modes of magnetic fields evaluated in this report were the 0.3 Tesla (T) field with a gradient of 0.3T/m, the 0.7T field with a gradient of 0.7T/m and the 6.34T field with no gradient. Exposure to the 0.3T and 0.7T fields had no effect on cell survival. Exposure to the 6.34T field decreased cell survival. Survival curves showing the combined effect of the 0.3T and 0.7T fields with radiation had a smaller mean lethal dose (D37) value. The survival curve of the 6.34T field was influenced by the interval between magnetic exposure and ionizing irradiation. When the interval was 6 or 12 h, the survival curve showing the combined effect of the 6.34T field had smaller D37 and quasithreshold dose (Dq) values, indicating the potentiation of the radiation effect. Flow cytometric analysis indicated that exposure to the 0.3T and 0.7T fields showed no change and that exposure to the 6.34T field showed an increase in the percentage of G1 phase cells. Our conclusions were as follows: 1) magnetic fields decreased the colony-forming abilities of cultured mammalian cells; 2) magnetic fields can affect the cell cycle; 3) a stronger magnetic field strength does not always have stronger biological effects and 4) the gradient of a magnetic field may be an important factor when combined with ionizing radiation. Despite the foregoing analysis, the biological effects of magnetic fields on mammalian cells remains a complex phenomena.
An Evaluation of the Biological Effects of Three Different Modes of Magnetic Fields on Cultured Mammalian Cells
XIN RU ZHANG, HIDETOSHI KOBAYASHI, AKEMI HAYAKAWA and TAKEO ISHIGAKI
pg(s)157-164
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The biological effects of static magnetic fields, and their combined effects with ionizing radiation, were studied using a cultured mammalian cell line (FM3A). The three different modes of magnetic fields evaluated in this report were the 0.3 Tesla (T) field with a gradient of 0.3T/m, the 0.7T field with a gradient of 0.7T/m and the 6.34T field with no gradient. Exposure to the 0.3T and 0.7T fields had no effect on cell survival. Exposure to the 6.34T field decreased cell survival. Survival curves showing the combined effect of the 0.3T and 0.7T fields with radiation had a smaller mean lethal dose (D37) value. The survival curve of the 6.34T field was influenced by the interval between magnetic exposure and ionizing irradiation. When the interval was 6 or 12 h, the survival curve showing the combined effect of the 6.34T field had smaller D37 and quasithreshold dose (Dq) values, indicating the potentiation of the radiation effect. Flow cytometric analysis indicated that exposure to the 0.3T and 0.7T fields showed no change and that exposure to the 6.34T field showed an increase in the percentage of G1 phase cells. Our conclusions were as follows: 1) magnetic fields decreased the colony-forming abilities of cultured mammalian cells; 2) magnetic fields can affect the cell cycle; 3) a stronger magnetic field strength does not always have stronger biological effects and 4) the gradient of a magnetic field may be an important factor when combined with ionizing radiation. Despite the foregoing analysis, the biological effects of magnetic fields on mammalian cells remains a complex phenomena.
Leiomyosarcoma of the Maxillary Gingiva: A Case Report
HIDEKI MIZUTANI, IWAI TOHNAI, MAKOTO YAMBE and MINORU UEDA
pg(s)165-170
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An unusual case of leiomyosarcoma (LMS) of the maxillary gingiva is discussed here; this case presents a unique pattern of tumor growth and a long period between initial discovery and correct pathological diagnosis. The tumor was incompletely resected twice by a private dentist over a period of 3 years, with a clinical diagnosis of epulis, no pathological examination was conducted during this period. When it was finally removed, the tumor was very large (50 x 35 x 12 mm in size and 18 g in weight), consisting of an easily hemorrhagic mass originating in the gingival mucosa with the growth pattern of a polyp. Following an extensive surgical excision and a unilateral radical neck dissection, the patient has been free of LMS for 8 years. In light of this case, we strongly emphasize the importance of conducting a pathological examination, even though clinical examination seems to indicate a diagnosis of epulis or granulation. In this way, the presence of LMS can be ascertained in a timely manner with better prognosis for treatment and recovery.
The Clinical and Histopathological Effects of Combined Chemotherapy Using Cisplatin and Peplomycin to Treat Cancer of the Tongue
IWAI TOHNAI, YASUSHI HAYASHI, MAKOTO YAMBE, KENJI MITSUDO, HIDEKI MIZUTANI and MINORU UEDA
pg(s)171-177
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Combined chemotherapy (PP therapy) using cisplatin (CDDP) and peplomycin (PEP) was performed as induction chemotherapy for 31 patients with cancer of the tongue, and the clinical and histopathological effects were investigated. As the primary clinical effect, complete response (CR) was observed in three cases, partial response (PR) in 20 cases, minor response (MR) in six cases and no change (NC) in two cases, with a clinical response rate of 74.2%. The histopathological effects of the chemotherapy in the following cases showed these histological Grades: 0 or I in four cases, IIa in 12 cases, IIb in eight cases, III in six cases and IV in one case. Fifteen of the 31 patients who received PP therapy showed a histological Grade of IIb or better, representing 48.4% of the histopathological response rate. With regard to the mode of invasion of the tumor, the histopathological response rate was 90.0% in patients with invasive Grades 1 and 2, 41.7% in those with invasive Grade 3 and 16.7% in those with invasive Grade 4C. There were no patients with invasive Grade 4D in whom the therapy was histopathologically effective. In other words, the histopathological effect significantly decreased as the invasive Grade increased. With regard to the relationship between clinical effects and histopathological effects, there was one CR patient who showed a histological Grade of IIa. Thus, it is noteworthy that clinical effects were not necessarily consistent with post-chemotherapeutic histopathological effects.
Abstracts
Annual Reaearch Meeting for Graduate Students: Nagoya, December 1994
pg(s)179-210
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