Seiichiro Kishi

AN EXPERIMENTAL STUDY OF THE COURSE AND TERMINATION OF THE PROJECTION FIBERS FROM CORTICAL AREAS 4 AND 6 IN THE CAT

The axon degeneration following cortical ablation of areas 4 and 6 of the cat has been traced in serial sections impregnated by the Nauta‐Gygax method.

Influence of mosapride citrate on gastric motility and autonomic nervous function: evaluation by spectral analyses of heart rate and blood pressure variabilities, and by electrogastrography

Background: Mosapride citrate selectively acts on serotonin (5-HT4) receptors, thus accelerating gastrointestinal motility via acetylcholine. However, few studies have evaluated the influence of mosapride citrate on autonomic nervous activity and hemodynamics. Methods: The changes in autonomic nervous activity, QT interval, and QT dispersion resulting from the administration of mosapride citrate were studied. Blood pressure, electrocardiograms (ECGs), percutaneous electrogastrograms (EGGs), and ultrasonography were recorded in 20 healthy adult volunteers before and after mosapride citrate (10 mg) was administered. Autonomic nervous activity was evaluated by spectral analyses of heart rate and blood pressure variabilities. Serial changes in low-frequency components (LF, 0.04–0.15 Hz), high-frequency components (HF, 0.15–0.40 Hz), and the LF/HF ratio were investigated. Results: The mean peak power of EGG increased significantly, from 86 ± 34 μV to 131 ± 49 μV, after the administration of mosapride citrate (P < 0.05). Gastric emptying significantly increased after the administration of mosapride citrate (P < 0.05). However, neither blood pressure nor heart rate changed significantly after the drug was administrated. In addition, spectral analyses of heart rate and blood pressure variabilities showed no significant changes in autonomic nervous activity parameters, QT intervals, or QT dispersions. Conclusions: Mosapride citrate increased gastric motility and emptying without influencing autonomic nervous activity, suggesting that it may be very useful for elderly patients or patients with autonomic imbalance.

Endoscopic papillotomy (EPT) in patients with juxtapapillary diverticula

Contrary to previously expressed concern, endoscopic papillotomy (EPT) is feasible in patients whose calculous biliary tract disease occurs in the presence of a juxtapapillary diverticula. EPT was accomplished in 33 such cases. The series was marked by but a single complication; in this instance, a retroperitoneal perforation healed following antibiotic therapy.

Evaluation of gastric emptying by electrogastrography and ultrasonography in gastroesophageal reflux disease

Background: It has been suggested that transient lower esophageal sphincter relaxation is involved in the occurrence of gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) and that decreased gastric emptying is an exacerbating factor of transient LES relaxation. In addition, the gastric emptying function is considered to be closely related to gastric motility.

The GIF-P2 as a panendoscope

The authors have found the Olympus GIF-P2 to be an effective instrument, not only for conventional peroral endoscopy but also for polypectomy and, in selected cases, for ERCP and choledochoscopy.

Endoscopic papillotomy (EPT) for parapapillar choledochoduodenal fistula

Parapapillar choledochoduodenal fistulas usually tend to occur on the longitudinal fold of the duodenal papilla or proximal to it. Two illustrative cases are described wherein the fistulas were corrected by endoscopic papillotomy. Residual biliary tract stones, that commonly occur with choledochoduodenal fistulas, can be removed by this technique. Endoscopic papillotomy is a useful alternative to surgical treatment of choledochoduodenal fistulas, especially in high risk patients.

An elevated type of gastric ulcer scar

Some healing gastric ulcers leave an elevated scar that is indistinguishable from early gastric cancer type lla during short term observation. We have followed 9 patients with elevated ulcer scars by radiography, endoscopy, and biopsy. The appearance is that of mucosal folds converging to an elevated center and resembles early gastric cancer. Histologic sections reveal penetration of the muscularis mucosae and submucosal fibrosis; the central elevation consists of hyperplastic pyloric glands with cystic dilatation.

Studies of the clinical application of serum leucine aminopeptidase (LAP) activity determined with leucinamide as substrate

SummaryA new method was presented for the determination of leucine aminopeptidase (LAP). The principle of the method consisted in the measurement of ammonia liberated by the action of LAP with direct colorimetry. Leucine naphthylamide has been widely used as substrate for the determination of LAP (Nap-method), but leucineamide was used (NH3-method) in this study, and the enzyme activities determined by the both methods were compared in various diseases.Serum LAP activity in acute hepatitis was much higher in NH3-method than in Nap-method, but the activity in obstructive jaundice was much higher in the latter than in the former.It was demonstrated that the serum of normal rats and CC14 treated rats contained isozymes (LAP-I and II) which showed the different substrate specificities toward leucinamide and leucine naphthylamide. LAP-I activity was much higher, but LAP-II activity was much lower in the NH3-method than in the Napmethod. LAP-I activity was remarkably elevated by the NH3-method, but not by the Nap-method in the serum of CC14 treated rats.The results suggested that leucinamide was preferable substrate for the measurements of activities of serum LAP in the clinical examinations.

Cytochemical demonstration of guanase in human liver using yellow tetrazolium

Summary Histochemical studies of human guanase (guanine deaminase) have seldom been undertaken, in part because of technical difficulties which result in heavy background staining. We reported a modified procedure for histochemical demonstration of guanase in human tissues involving hydrolytic deamination of the substrate guanine to xanthine via guanase, and then oxidation of xanthine to uric acid, with concomitant reduction of nitrotetrazolium blue (NBT). In this report, we describe a modification of this method for cytochemical demonstration of guanase at the fine structural level using yellow tetrazolium in place of NET for determination of the intracellular distribution of guanase in human hepatocytes. In the hepatocytes, the reaction products were seen to be concentrated in the nucleus, in mitochondria, cisternae of the smooth and/or rough-surfaced endoplasmic reticulum, and lysosomes. The precise locations of the reaction product in the cisternae of the nuclear envelope, chromosomes, and nucleus could not be determined. However, the reaction products in the mitochondria were clearly seen to be located in the spaces of cristae. This information of the intracellular distribution of guanase in normal hepatocytes will be useful in determing the physiological role of this enzyme and in further studies on diseased hepatocytes including those in non-A non-B hepatitis.

Postprandial release of neurotensin-like immunoreactivity and its mechanism

SummaryThe effects of various ingested materials on plasma neurotensin-like immunoreactivity (NTLI) in humans were investigated using a newly developed, specific radioimmunoassay. Plasma NTLI was determined after its extraction with acid/acetone (recovery 77 ±4%). The intraassay and interassay coefficients of variation were 3.6% and 8.9%, respectively. The plasma concentration of human NTLI in normal subjects was 5.6 ±2.9 pmol/1 and showed no significant sex difference. Ingestion of a test meal (150g of Campbell’s condensed meat soup) caused a biphasic rise in plasma NTLI from a basal level of 5.7 ±1.0 pmol/1 to 10.8 + 1.2 pmol/1 after 30 min and 9.6 ±1.1 pmol/1 after 120 min. Ingestion of 5.5 g fat resulted in a biphasic rise in plasma NTLI from a basal level of 4.8 ±0.3 pmol/1 to 8.9 ±0.3 pmol/1 after 15 min and 11.9 ± 0.4 pmol/1 after 90 min. When 100–150 mg of ileal mucosa was perfused with a solution of 2 mEq/1 fatty acids, 1 mM or 5 mM sodium taurocholate or 154 mM sodium bicarbonate (NaHCO3), the release of NTLI from the mucosa into the perfusate was 2.3-fold, 4.3-fold and 7.5-fold, respectively, over the base level.These results indicate that NTLI release is stimulated by ingestions of meat soup and fat and that NTLI present in the human ileum is released by the direct actions of solutions of fatty acid, sodium taurocholate, and NaHCO3 on the ileal mucosa. These findings strongly suggest that neurotension (NT) has a physiological role in gut physiology.