Kanji Iwahashi

Afferent innervation of the gallbladder in the cat, studied by the horseradish peroxidase method

Following injection of horseradish peroxidase (HRP) into the wall of the gallbladder of cats, HRP-positive cells were found bilaterally in dorsal root ganglia T2-L3 (T2-L2, and T3-L2/L3 also observed in a few cats) and nodose ganglia. In about 33% of animals labelled cells were also distributed in cervical dorsal root ganglia C5-C7. Labelled cells were more frequently localized on the right side than the left. There was no apparent change in numbers of labelled cells in the nodose ganglion (NG) on either side following greater and lesser splanchnicotomy or section of the right phrenic nerve or removal of the celiac ganglion. After severing both the greater and lesser splanchnic nerves unilaterally, numbers of labelled afferent cells from the gallbladder in dorsal root ganglia (DRGs) significantly decreased on the ipsilateral side but there was no change in the pattern of distribution contralaterally. After section of the right phrenic nerve, labelled cells were not found in ipsilateral cervical ganglia. That some afferent fibers from the gallbladder travel via the phrenic nerves, particularly on the right side, may be a supplementary mechanism in the generation of referred pain in gallbladder disease. The splanchnic nerves are the main, but not the only pathway for afferent fibers from the gallbladder.

Differential effects of fasciculus retroflexus lesions on serotonin, glutamate and gamma-aminobutyrate content and choline acetyltransferase activity in the interpeduncular nucleus

After placing bilateral electrolytic lesions in the fasciculus retroflexus (FR) of the rat, the endogenous content of serotonin, glutamate and gamma-aminobutyrate (GABA) as well as choline acetyltransferase activity (ChAT) were measured in the interpeduncular nucleus (IPN) at the 7th, 28th and 120th survival days. Confirming earlier results, an almost total depletion of ChAT was obtained in the IPN following complete FR lesions at any survival day studied. In such cases, the following changes were observed; 1) the serotonin level increased consistently and roughly doubled at the 120th survival day, suggesting heterotypic sprouting of serotonergic fibers and/or enhanced serotonin synthesis in the serotonergic neurons in the IPN, 2) the glutamate level decreased by approximately one-half, while the activity of high affinity uptake of glutamate remained unaltered, at the 7th survival day, suggesting a lowered glutamate formation coupled with lowered glucose utilization in the IPN, and 3) the GABA level decreased at a slower rate and reached one-third of the control at the 120th survival day, for which either transsynaptic degeneration of GABA neurons in the IPN or a suppressed metabolic rate in the GABA shunt following the lowered glutamate formation is a possible explanation.

Polymorphisms of serum proteins in Japanese patients with vascular diseases. I. Factor XIIIB, plasminogen and complement types in primary varicose veins.

The polymorphisms of the B subunit of coagulation factor XIII (F13B), plasminogen (PLG), complement C6, C7, factor B (BF) and factor I (IF) were studied among 21 unrelated Japanese patients with primary varicose veins (PVV) by isoelectric focusing followed by immunoblotting. The allele frequencies for F13B*2 and IF*A in PVV patients were significantly higher (F13B*2, p = 0.0047; IF*A, p = 0.0006) than those in healthy controls (n = 60). Significant associations of F13B 2 allotype [p = 0.0220, relative risk (RR) = 13.9] and IF A allotype (p = 0.0006, RR = 10.0) with PVV were observed; however, no significant association of PLG, C6, C7 or BF allotype with the disease was found.

Participation of the parasympathetic nervous system in the development of activity-stress ulcers.

The present study investigates the effects of truncal vagotomy and drug treatment, comprising atropine methylbromide and chlorisondamine, on the development of activity-stress ulcers in rats. To induce gastric lesions, female rats were housed individually in activity-wheel cages and subjected to a food-restricted schedule of only 1 hr food availability per day. Bilateral truncal vagotomy significantly prevented gastric ulceration, while those rats with vagotomy showed more running activity than shamoperated rats. Daily treatment with either methylatropine (3 and 6 mg/kg, s.c.) or chlorisondamine (2 and 4 mg/kg, i.p.) also significantly decreased the severity of lesions without a significant reduction in running activity. This evidence suggests that the development of activity-stress ulcers is mainly due to the hyperactivity of the peripheral parasympathetic nervous system.

Interleukn‐2 Receptor Antigen, Leukocyte Common Antigen, and Ki‐1 Antigen‐expressing Gastric Plasmacytoma A Case Report with an Immunohistochemical Study

A case of primary gastric plasmacytoma expressing various surface and cytoplasmic antigens is reported. With the use of formalin‐fixed and deparaffinized sections, 13 different antibodies were applied. Neoplastic plasma cells revealed monoclonal IgG and x light chain in the cytoplasm, and expressed epithelial membrane antigen, Ki 67 antigen, cytokeratin, CD 22 antigen, interleukin‐2 receptor antigen, leukocyte common antigen and Ki‐1 (CD 30) antigen. However, tumor cells were devoid of HLA‐DR antigen. These data suggest that the neoplastic plasma cells are at the plasmoblastic stage of maturation and express various surface and cytoplasmic phenotypes.

Sympathetic supply to the arteries of canine hindlimbs.

Sympathetic supply to the saphenous and dorsal pedal arteries of canine hindlimbs was determined using the glyoxylic acid method for monoamines for the fluorescence histochemical demonstration. Adrenergic nerve fibers of the dorsal pedal artery had almost completely disappeared after L6, L7 sympathectomy. The fibers of the saphenous artery had disappeared by about 90% by L3-L5 sympathectomy. It is concluded that all the postganglionic fibers distributed to the dorsal pedal artery originate in L6 and L7 ganglia and 90% of those distributed to the saphenous artery originate in L3-L5 ganglia.

Changes in Femoral Artery Blood Flow and Supersensitivity of Arteries to Norepinephrine After Lumbar Sympathectomy in Dogs

Blood flow of the femoral arteries of both sides was measured, and changes in sensitivity of the arteries to norepinephrine were studied in unilateral sym pathectomized canine hindlimbs, in order to demonstrate the presence of super sensitivity of arteries to norepinephrine after sympathectomy. Before injections of norepinephrine into the vein, the ratio of blood flow in the femoral artery on the sympathectomized side to that on the opposite side increased in L3-L5 and in L3-L7 sympathectomized hindlimbs. This ratio of blood flow decreased in inverse proportion to the increase of doses of norepinephrine admin istered into the vein in both groups, and finally the flow on the sympathectomised side became lower than that on the nonsympathectomized side. The dorsal pedal arteries on the L3-L5 sympathectomized side, which are subject to decentralization but not denervation, had a slight degree of supersen sitivity to norepinephrine. The saphenous arteries on the L3-L5 sym pathectomized side were incompletely denervated and showed a moderate degree of supersensitivity to norepinephrine. The saphenous and the dorsal pedal arteries on the L3-L7 sympathectomized side were denervated almost completely and showed a significant increase in sensitity to norepinephrine. These results provide evidence that supersensitivity to norepinephrine does occur in the arteries of sympathectomized canine hindlimbs.

Transluminal Recanalization for Hepatic Vein Occlusion with a Web of the Inferior Vena Cava in Budd-Chiari Syndrome: A Case Report

The Budd-Chiari syndrome resulting from hepatic vein thrombosis associ ated with a rudimentary web and thrombosis of the inferior vena cava was successfully treated in a 10-year-old boy by balloon dilation. After the proce dure, hepatomegaly decreased, ascites and the dilated superficial veins on the upper abdominal wall disappeared.