Seiichiro Yamasaki

The Characteristics of Human Plasma Lipoprotein Metabolism: Influence of Low Caloric Diet on Hyperlipidemia

We have classified hyperlipidemia into three groups according to different levels of VLDL-TG, and postulated the effect of low calorie-diets on plasma TCh are as follows: 1) Low calorie-diets are effective on VLDL-TG in every type of hyperlipidemia, except hyperlipidemia with VLDL-TG under 180 mg/100ml; 2) There was a reciprocal relation between the decreased amount of plasma TCh and the change VLDL-TG induced by the diet; 3) Catabolism of VLDL was accelerated by an increased esterification of VLDL-FC; 4) In the the group with VLDL-TG less than or equal to 180 mg/100ml, the LDC showed a high level of TCh: protein ration, and in the group with VLDL-TG greater than or equal to 260 mg/100ml, there was to be low level of TG: protein ratio in VLDL: 5) In hyperlipidemia with plasma TCh unchanged by the diet LDL-TCh increased significantly without any increase in LDL protein and LDL-TG.

The biochemical and histological study on the liver in congestive heart failure

62 pat ients were studied on liver funct ion tests before and af ter the improvement of congestive hear t failure. The re la t ionship between histological changes of the l iver and l iver function tes ts pr ior to death was also studied in 109 autopsied pat ients died of hear t failure. The se rum protein increased wi th the improvement of the protein fraction. The BSP re ten t ion decreased f rom average 14.4% to 7.4%. The high se rum t r ansaminase act ivi ty obserbed in 4 cases re turned rapidly to normal range af te r t r ea tmen t of the hear t failure. An increase of serum bil irubin, especially indirect bi l i rubin, was observed in some cases wi thout pu lmonaly infarction, however LDH1 and LDH~ did not increase as compared wi th those in hemolytic jaundice due to the ball valve replacement in rheumat ic hear t disease. Whereas elevat ions of a-hydroxybutylic acid in these cases seemed to be reflections of myocardial damage in the pat ients wi th hear t failure. Therefore hemolytic mechanism did not seemed to be a major fatcor to jaundice in hear t failure. The histological diagnosis of the l iver in hear t fa i lure was made on the classification of Nakash ima and Imazato. The prolonged BSP retent ion, a l terd serum prote in f ract ion and high venous pressure were re la t ively correla ted wi th the grade of histological changes. Cases wi th high se rum t r ansaminase act ivi ty were observed in the Grade 1N2 (necrosis and hemorrhage was observed in area more than the one-third including the central vein in lobules). The resul t s obtained in this s tudy were as follow; 1) a l terd l iver function tes ts were revers ib le by t r ea tmen t of congestive hear t failure, 2) the sever i ty and durat ion of congestive hear t fa i lure influenced on the histological changes of the liver, 3) hemolytic mechanism was not a major factor to jaundice in congestive hear t fa i lure and 4) clinical manifes ta t ions and l iver funct ion tes ts could evaluate the sever i ty of the histological changes of the l iver in congestive hear t failure.

Lipo-peroxides and liver diseases

Fatty acids produce Lipo-peroxides on a process of autoxidation. And we considered that there might be a possibility of increasing these products of Lipo-peroxides in the patients suffered f rom liver diseases. It is already recognized the virulence of Lipo-peroxides. We improved the method of determination of Lipo-peroxides in bloods and organs. This is p-bis TBA method. Using DDN-mouse, we compared the p-bis TBA unit between the normal group and the group of injected CCh. In the latter, we found the increase of p-bis TBA unit in the liver. But there is not any difference in the brain. Clinically, we found the increase of p-bis TBA unit in the blood serum of the patients having jaundice. This fact is partially related to the increase of Bilirubin itself, and moreover, it has an action of accelerating the autoxidation. In conclusion, we recognized the increase of Lipo-peroxides in the bloods and the liver in the pat ients of the liver diseases.