Nozomi Suwa

Electron microscopic studies on the cerebral lesions of rats in experimental carbon monoxide poisoning

SummaryIn experimental carbon monoxide poisoning, more marked and widespread pathological changes in the brain were seen in the white matter as compared with the gray matter. No essential difference, in the appearance of cerebral alterations, was detected between acute and chronic carbon monoxide poisoning. It was confirmed that the changes resulting from chronic poisoning showed a higher degree of severity as compared with those resulting from acute poisoning.Nerve cells with slightly dilated or fragmented endoplasmic reticulum and Golgi complex in the gray matter were found infrequently. However, most mitochondria did not show any kind of abnormality in such cells. A remarkable dilatation of the endoplasmic reticulum of oligodendrocytes was sometimes seen in chronic cases. Capillaries remained intact and astrocytic perivascular foot-plates were not swollen. In the white matter, the normal constituents of the myelin sheath were partially lost and the myelin lamellae showed moderate exfoliation, or a change into homogenous or structureless substance. Myelinated axons were partially contracted and showed an irregularity in shape in transverse sections. Enlargement of occasional axonal mitochondria and the destruction of their internal parallel structures were observed. Cerebral anoxia caused by carboxyhaemoglobin, together with the cytotoxic action of carbon monoxide on the brain tissue and the disturbance of blood circulation in the brain are suggested as the chief factors in the pathogenesis of the cerebral alterations induced by experimental carbon monoxide poisoning.ZusammenfassungNach experimenteller CO-Vergiftung fanden sich schwerere und ausgedehntere Läsionen in der weißen als in der grauen Hirnsubstanz. Zwischen akuter und chronischer CO-Vergiftung ergaben sich keine wesentlichen qualitativen Unterschiede der Hirnveränderungen. Die Läsionen nach chronischer Intoxikation waren jedoch schwerer als nach akuter Vergiftung.Die Nervenzellen zeigten leicht dilatiertes oder fragmentiertes EPR und Golgi-Komplexe, doch boten die Mitochondrien meist keine pathologischen Veränderungen. Bei chronischen Fällen fand sich gelegentlich eine deutliche Schwellung des EPR von Oligodendrogliazellen. Die Capillaren blieben intakt und die perivasalen Astrogliaendfüßchen waren nicht geschwollen. Im Mark kam es zu teilweisem Ausfall der normalen Markscheidenbestandteile. Die Marklamellen zeigten mäßige Exfoliation sowie eine Umwandlung in homogene oder strukturlose Substanz. Bemarkte Axone waren teilweise kontrahiert und zeigten auf Querschnitten unregelmäßige Form. Gelegentlich fand sich eine Vergrößerung der axonalen Mitochondrien und Zerstörung ihrer inneren Parallelstrukturen. Als Hauptfaktoren in der Pathogenese der Hirnveränderungen nach experimenteller CO_Vergiftung werden zerebrale Anoxie infolge CO-Hämoglobinbildung, cytotoxische Wirkung von CO auf das Hirngewebe und eine Störung der Blutzirkulation angenommen.

Neuroendocrinological Studies in Mental Disorders and Psychotropic Drugs

The circadian variation of the adrenocortical hormone levels in plasma was studied in 105 patients with various mental disorders. Examinations were repeated on the same subjects to follow up changes in the course of the diseases. Effects of prolonged administration of Methamphetamine and Chlorpromazine on the circadian rhythm of plasma corticosteroids were also investigated in albino rats.

FLUCTUATIONS OF THE AUTONOMIC AND ENDOCRINE FUNCTIONS IN MENTAL DISORDERS

Studies on the autonomic and endocrine functions of mental disorders have been reported by a large number of investigators. Since 1953 we have been engaged in psycho-physiological studies in normal humans and various kinds of mental disorders 4) 5) 6 ) 7) 9) 10) 11) 12). The main purpose of our study is to clarify the relationship between the alteration of psychic states and the fluctuation of bodily reactions in terms of autonomic and endocrine functions. Concerning the method of investigation, we selected two ways of approach, transversal and longitudinal. It has been already pointed out by some authors, 1) 2) 3) 8 ) particularly by Reiss and his collaborators, that by means of transversal observations, which have been so far employed by most investigators, entirely contradictory conclusions can be obtained. Also, our transversal observations on the functions of the autonomic nervous system 4), adrenal cortex 10) and thyroid 4) in several hundred cases did not enable us to detect any characteristic feature of these functions in any kind of mental disorder. On the other hand, however, we were able to confirm the existence of abnormalities in the group of patients who were classified as severely emotionally disturbed, independent of disease entities. This may be considered to be reasonable, if we acknowledge that these autonomic and endocrine functions fluctuate continuously within a certain range, in order to maintain homeostasis in the organism. For the purpose of illustrating what we have mentioned above, we would like to elaborate on some of our findings. Figure 1 shows the results of estimations of eosinophil count performed in normal controls and various kinds of mental disorders. Eosinophil count shows almost equal distribution in any type of mental disorder. However, as shown in Fig. 2, a significant difference is found between the group of patients who are in severely disturbed state of emotion and those who are not. The same kind of phenomenon was found in all transversal studies we carried out. Figure 3 presents another example concerning the findings of basal metabolic rate. These results reveal the fact that the mode of changes in the autonomic and

UBER DIE HISTOCHEMISCHEN UNTERSUCHUNG DFS VITAMIN B1 IM ZENTRALEN NERVENSYSTEM (II) VERTEILUNG BEI INSULINKOMA

Die Verändexungen der Verteilungen der Vitamin B1‐Pyrophosphoxäure, d k bei den vom Insulinkoma hervorgebrachten Stoffwecheelstiirungen entstanden sind, wurden histochemisch untersucht. Die f i r die Experimente ausgewtihlten Hunde wurden unter verschiedener Dauer und Zahl des Komas in den Insulinshockzustand versetzt.