Akitsugu Ojima

ANGIOGRAPHIC DIFFERENCE IN CORONARY ARTERY OF MAN, DOG, PIG, and MONKEY

Comparative morphological studies on the coronary arteries of the left ventricular free wall were carried out on human, dog, pig, and monkey hearts by using postmortem coronary arteriography, soft X‐ray photograms, and the clearing method. The results showed that the types of coronary arteries (types I, II, and HI) and connecting portion of anastomotic vessels in the pig and monkey hearts closely resembled those in man. Whereas the dog hearts showed the following characteristics: 1) numerous Type III vessels and anastomoses in the epicardial layer, 2) the existence of only the left predominant type of coronary artery, and 3) the supply of blood to the papillary muscles of the left ventricle mostly through a single branch of the coronary artery. Therefore, it is necessary to take into consideration the basic difference in the structure of the coronary arteries of human and dog hearts, when dogs are used experimentally for research of human ischemic heart disease. The fact that only the papillary muscles of the human heart‐compared to animal hearts‐are supplied blood from two sources may be advantageous to rescue the papillary muscles from ischemic necrosis.

Various epithelial and non-epithelial tumors spontaneously occurring in long-lived mice of a/st, cba, c57bl/6 and their hybrid mice.

Various kinds of epithelial and non‐epithelial tumors, and tumor‐like lesions spontaeously developed in long‐lived mice of strains A/St, C57BL/6 and CBA, and of (C57BL/6 x CBA) F1, hybrids, all of which had been fed in the 2nd Department of Pathology, Gifu University School of Medicine.

An autopsy case of stunted growth with fatty liver cirrhosis, hepatoma, hypogonadism, osteoporosis and lipid pneumonia.

An autopsy case of a short statured (140.5 cm), normally proportioned 31‐yearold woman who had had hypogonadism, abdominal obesity, hyperglycemia, glycosuria, and osteoporosis was presented. There were also fatty liver cirrhosis with hepatoma and lipid pneumonia. The possible relationship between the signs and symptoms during life and pathological changes has been discussed. ACTA PATH. JAP. 18: 171–184, 1968.

Cardiovascular amyloidosis with giant cell reaction.--Two autopsy cases.

Two autopsy cases, a 77‐year‐old man and a 66‐year‐old woman, of cardiovascular amyloidosis with many giant cells were reported. These cells were always found adjacent to amyloid masses which were deposited mainly in small arteries and arterioles, and some of them contained amyloid substance in their cytoplasms. The incidence of these cells was high in the heart and in the kidneys of both cases, and in the latter case the cells were found in the majority of the organs varying in degree. The significance of the giant cells, which probably originated from macrophages, were discussed and that giant cells might appear as a foreign body reaction to amyloid substance was presumed.

Toxicity of fungus, Microsporom cookei, to experimental animals

Some metabolites produced by fungi have been known to cause certain toxic effects to animals. With an attempt to elucidate the mode of action of the pigments in fungal mycelia, we performed a preliminary feeding-test usingMicrosporon cookei with exceptional pigment production and observed the pathological changes in some organs.

Morphological studies on nephrotoxic serum nephritis accelerated with rabbit IgG in mice.

A glomerulonephritis was induced in mice by injection of subnephrotoxic dose of nephrotoxic serum (NTS) after preimmunization with rabbit IgG. In order to characterize this glomerulonephritis, light, electron and immunofluorescence microscopic studies were carried out 15 days after NTS injection, the time when increases in urinary protein and serum cholesterol and a decrease in serum albumin were apparent.Characteristic changes were widespread thickening of capillary walls and narrowing of the capillary lumen owing to widening of mesangial areas. In those capillary walls, the mesangial interposition into subendothelial areas was often noted ultrastructurally and double track was confirmed on sections stained with PAM. Linear deposition of mouse IgG was detected in capillary walls by immunofluorescence. In severely affected glomeruli, PAS-positive hyaline nodular lesion was observed light microscopically and massive mesangial deposits ultrastructurally.Visceral epithelial cells demonstrated fusion of the foot processes, microvilli formation, occasional proliferation and enlargement. Parietal epithelial cells proliferated, forming cellular or fibrocellular crescent.Based on these characteristics, it appears this nephritic model shares a common pathology with human membranoproliferative glomerulonephritis type 1 and crescentic glomerulonephritis and can be considered an appropriate model for producing severe nephritis for short periods.

Pathological studies on nephrotoxic serum nephritis accelerated with rabbit γ-globulin in mice.

In order to characterize nephrotoxic serum nephritis accelerated with rabbit γ-globulin in mice, histopathological studies were carried out 15 days after NTS injection, the time when increases in urinary protein and serum cholesterol and a decrease in serum albumin were apparent. Characteristic changes were widespread thickening of glomerular capillary walls and widening of mesangial areas, owing to deposits of mesangial matrixlike substances. The mesangial interposition into subendothelial areas and the resultant narrowing of the capillary lumen were shown ultrastructurally. In severely affected glomeruli, a hyaline nodular lesion was observed. Visceral epithelial cells demonstrated fusion of the foot processes, microvilli formation, occasional proliferation, and enlargement. Parietal epithelial cells proliferated, forming a cellular crescent. Based on these characteristics, it appears this nephritic model shares a common pathology with human membranoproliterative glomerulonephritis type 1 and crescentic glomerulonephritis and can be considered an appropriate model for producing severe nephritis for short periods.