T. Masuya

Anabolic steroid effect on hepatic protein synthesis in patients with liver cirrhosis.

The effect of short-term treatment of anabolic steroid on the patients with compensated liver cirrhosis was assessed by the study on the hepatic protein synthesis in vitro. The results indicated that

Biochemical studies on hepatic fibrosis (5) alterations of acid mucopolysaccharide in rat liver under hepatic fibrosis

The experiments were per formed as an a t tempt to s tudy cl inically a la thyrogenic effect on liver fibrosis. The lathyrogenic effect was observed f rom the changes in the contents of collagen-like protein in plasma and /o r soluble collagen in liver, in the ra ts wi th chronic l iver injuries and the patients with l iver fibrosis. In the chronic CCh-poisoned rats, the hepat ic soluble collagen content was increased a f te r the administration of beta-aminopropionitr i le , and moreover, there was accompanied the increase in collagen-like protein in plasma. In short , it seemed tha t the increases in amounts of c011agen-like protein in p lasma were in some degree paral le led by an increase in hepatic soluble collagen content. In order to study on the la thyrogenic effect in more detail, acid soluble collagen obtained from rat skin was purified and separated into three i. e. alpha, beta and gamma components, by a disk electrophoresis. Acid-extracted collagen f rom la thyr i t ic ra t s was found to contain a larger portion of a lpha component in cont ras t to tha t f rom normal rats. In clinical studies, be ta-mercaptoethylamine was used as a la thyrogenic agent wi thout any significant side effects. In normal subjects, the collagen-like prote in in p lasma began to increase between the 8th and 10th days following the oral adminis t ra t ion of beta-mercaptoethylamine 300mg per day. A gradual ly increas ing response to beta-mercaptoethylamine in pat ients wi th liver cirrhosis and chronic inactive hepat i t is was enhanced moderately. The most marked response was recognized in pa t ien ts wi th chronic active hepati t is .

Iron metabolism in liver diseases

SummaryThe cause of hemorrhagic tendency in liver diseases is very complicated, and increased portal pressure, abnormalities of protein and lipids metabolism and organic-functional injure of platelets-vessel system and other elements might probably result the hemorrhagic diathesis of liver diseases.We suspected that in parenchymatous liver damage, various clotting factors (as protein) decreased, fibrinolytic activity was disturbed and additionally platelet-vessel system was injured, so that the complicated hemorrhagic diathesis in liver diseases might be resulted.

Studies on the hepatic origin of plasma proteins (14) Biosynthesis of microsomal lipoprotein in rat liver slices

Serum prote in in 41 cases of l iver diseases was analyzed by polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis , paper electrophoresis , and immunoelec t rophores is . Generally, p rea lbumin f rac t ion was ra re ly detected in l iver diseases. In acute hepat i t i s (5 cases), a lbumin and slow a2 (Sa2) f rac t ion were decreased and /~r f rac t ion sl ightly increased. T r a n s f e r r i n was wi th in normal range. In chronic hepat i t i s (16 cases), decrease of albumin, severe increase of ~T and s l ight increase of Sa~ f rac t ion were demons t ra ted . In l iver c i r rhosis (15 cases), the same pa t t e rn as in chronic hepat i t i s was observed, however, the decrease of t r a n s f e r r i n and the indis t inc tness of hepatoglobin f rac t ion were more marked . In l iver ca rc inoma (5 cases), severe decrease of a lbumin and t r ans fe r r in , s l ight increase of /~r and Sa2 f rac t ion was found. Immunoelec t rophores i s disclosed increase of IgG, IgA, and IgM in chronic hepat i t i s and remarkab le increase of IgG in l iver c i r rhos is .

Activities of ferroflavoenzymes in iron and riboflavin deficient rat

It is well known tha t iron-deficient anemia often appears as one of pos tgas t rec tomy sequences, so tha t studies on iron absorpt ion in gas t rectomized pa t ien ts are carr ied out in detail. On the other hand, repor ts on iron absorpt ion af ter duodenectomy are seldom seen, though the duodenum is imagined to absorb iron most. If i t is true, the potency of iron absorpt ion may drop in cases of duodenal lack or exclusion af te r pan-creatoduodenectomy or B-II gas t rectomy. These exper imenta l s tudies in dogs were carr ied out in order to clarify the influence of duodenectomy alone on iron absorption. Duodenectomized dogs (D-group) and, as controls, non-operated (N-group) and par t ia l ly jejunectomized ones (J-group) and dogs wi th t ranssec t ion and re-anastomosis at the init ial duodenal portion (C-group) were used. And rout ine laboratory examinat ions of blood and iron absorpt ion tests wi th Fe59C13 orally adminis tered (1 t~c/kg) were done. The resul t s obtained are as follows: Three months af ter the operation, a d iminut ion of hemoglobin in D and J-group was noticed, bu t no t in C-group. The other tes ts in blood revealed no significant changes. I ron absorpt ion was much dis turbed in all the operated animals, namely iron absorpt ion potency in D-group was about 1/5 of t ha t in normal dogs, and in J-group it was about 1/3 and in C-group about 1/2 respectively. In conclurion, the duodenum was ascer ta ined to be indispensable to iron absorption. The jejunum also seemed to have much potency of iron absorption, because je junectomy remarkab ly affected iron absorption.

Biochemical studies on hepatic fibrosis (IV) nature and significance of serum collagen

in l iver biopsy were histologically examined. 25 cases were diagnosed histlogically chronic suspected viral hepati t is and 24 cases were alcoholic (nutri t ional) or toxic hepati t is . In suspected vi ra l group, destruct ion of l imit ing plates, g ranulomatous cell infil tration were found in many cases, dense collagen fibers in 28%, and enlarged Kupffer cells in 52%, whi le in the other group, destruct ion of l imi t ing plates were found in 4%, inflammatory cell infi l trat ion in 33%, mobilized Kupffer cells in 71%. In clinical findings, heavy dr inkers were found in only 3 cases in suspected viral group, while, 20 cases of alcoholics were found in the other group. Clinical courses of 10 cases in suspected vi ra l group were within 2 years, but , in the other group, many cases were unknown of thei r ini t ial periods. In l iver funct ion tests, BSP tests, GOT, GPT and colloidal react ions iwere more elevated in active type of suspected vi ra l group than in the o ther group. In alcoholic or toxic group, BSP tes t was the most sensi t ive one. The liver function tests especially BSP test and colloidal reaction of the suspected viral group of precirrhosis were more abnormal than the group of chronic viral hepat i t is with normal lobular archi tecture. In Alcoholic (nutri t ional) group wi th or wi thout normal lobular archi tec ture, the i r results in l iver funct ion tests had the same tendency. The histological findings in the group of suspected viral precir rhosis showed manifes ted inflammatory reaction in mesenchym and slight collagen fibers. On the other hand, the findings in the other group showed sl ight inflammatory react ion and dense collagen fibers. The histological difference between two groups appeared due to the inflammatory reaction and fibrotic process of the i r etiologic factors.