Nobuo Ishitani

Prevalence of Obesity, Leanness and Anorexia nervosa in Japanese Boys and Girls Aged 12–14 Years

Body weight and height of Japanese boys and girls aged 12-14 years were measured to calculate the prevalence of obesity, leanness and anorexia nervosa. In boys, the prevalence of obesity as well as leanness was significantly higher in the areas where population density was lower and among the boys who attended schools with smaller numbers of pupils. In the girls, these findings were similar to the boys. On the other hand, anorexia nervosa was found in girls only more commonly in the areas with higher population density and in the larger schools. These results suggest that higher prevalence of obesity in certain subjects may be associated with increased numbers of leanness but not with anorexia nervosa.

Efficacy of Bromocriptine Administration for Selective Pituitary Resistance to Thyroid Hormone

The relation between thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) and triiodothyronine (T3) was evaluated in a girl with the selective pituitary type of thyroid hormone resistance for more than 7 years to clarify whether bromocriptine was an effective treatment or not. Levels of T3 (before: 2.44 +/- 0.64 nmol/l, mean +/- SD) and TSH (4.81 +/- 2.52 mU/l) were significantly decreased during therapy (T3: 2.15 +/- 0.44 nmol/l; TSH: 1.59 +/- 0.78 mU/l). T3 x TSH, calculated as one of the indices of pituitary resistance, on bromocriptine therapy (3.229 +/- 1.255 mU/l x nmol/l) was significantly (p < 0.005) smaller than the product before the administration (11.298 +/- 5.891 mU/l x nmol/l). The results suggest that bromocriptine should be one of the agents initially considered for the treatment of pituitary resistance to thyroid hormone.

Responses of plasma vasoactive intestinal polypeptide to methacholine and exercise loading in children and adolescents with bronchial asthma

Responses of plasma vasoactive intestinal polypeptide (VIP) to methacholine inhalation and to exercise loading were studied in asthmatic patients to clarity a significant role of the peptidc. The mean of basal VIP in asthmatics was not significantly different from the normals. The levels were increased after FEV (1. 0) (forced expiratory volume in a second) decreased to 80% of the baseline following methacholine inhalation and were returned to values similar to the baseline when FEV (1. 0) recovered to 100%. Thirty minutes after the exercise, mean VIP was significantly lower in patients with the lowest FEV (1. 0). These results suggest that VIPergic system contributes, at least partly, to relax constricted bronchioles in some patients with bronchial asthma.

Hypodipsic Hypernatremia Associated with Absence of Septum Lucidum and Olfactory Dysfunction

ABSTRACT. A case of hypodipsic Hypernatremia in a 16‐month‐old Japanese boy is reported. Partial antidiuretic hormone deficiency was present. Computed tomography of the brain revealed absence of septum lucidum. No ophthalmological abnormality could be found. He had hyp‐osmia, which has not been reported previously in association with Hypernatremia due to hypodipsia. Forced fluid administration and nasal l‐deamino‐8‐d‐arginine vasopressin treatment could maintain serum electrolyte levels within normal ranges. However, episodes of Hypernatremia could not be completely avoided while he was treated with l‐deamino‐8‐d‐arginine vasopressin and ad libitum oral fluid.

Elevated Venous Concentrations of Vasoactive Intestinal Polypeptide in Cord Blood of Infants with Fetal Distress

Concentrations of vasoactive intestinal polypeptide (VIP) in cord plasma were determined in 70 neonates (birth weight, mean +/- SD, 3,213.5 +/- 50.9 g, gestation 39.5 +/- 0.2 weeks), 22 of whom had fetal distress. Arterial VIP levels in cord blood were not significantly different between infants with and without fetal distress. The mean venous VIP in cord blood of distressed infants (28.1 +/- 8.4 pg/ml, mean +/- SE) was significantly (p < 0.05) higher than that of normal neonates (12.6 +/- 3.4 pg/ml). The mean placental content of VIP was 5.1 +/- 0.3 ng/g wet tissue, although a correlation with the venous concentration in the cord was not demonstrated. Venous VIP levels were elevated 24 h after birth (34.6 +/- 13.7 pg/ml) and decreased on the 5th day of life to 12.9 +/- 3.8 pg/ml, which was not significantly different from the mean VIP level in childhood (14.7 +/- 3.1 pg/ml). These results demonstrate that, in the perinatal period, plasma VIP levels are elevated on two occasions: at delivery associated with fetal distress (cord vein), and at 24 h of age. VIP in the former seems to be of placental and/or maternal origin.

Usefulness of a stature-based standard of skinfold thickness, especially for short children

Skinfold thicknessess (SFT) were measured at ulnar, triceps, subscapular and suprailiac sites in 730 boys and 724 girls (age 3–12 years) whose stature ranged from 100 to 150 cm and whose weight was within ±20% of the average. Means and standard deviation (SD) were calculated after logarithmic transformation of the original skinfold readings to demonstrate stature‐based standards of SFT in Japanese children. The means of SFT exhibited nadirs (boys/ girls: ulnar 5.1/5.9 mm, triceps 7.9/9.5 mm, subscapular 4.9/6.1 mm, suprailiac 4.5/6.2 mm) in subjects 110–115 cm tall except for ulnar SFT in girls. SFT values increased as children increased in stature. Standard deviations of SFT at the four sites in short children (staturte < mean −1 SD) were estimated using the stature‐based standard as well as an age‐based standard. Susms of the SDs assessed by the age‐based standard were significantly smaller than those assessed by the stature‐based standard in boys (P < 0.05) and girls (P < 0.01) with short stature, suggesting that SFT in short children was falsely understimated by the age‐based standard. Thus, the stature‐based standard is beneficial for the assessment of SFT, especially in children whose stature is below the mean −‐1 SD.