Tadasu Tsujii

Intraductal carcinoma in a surgically resected pancreas with chronic pancreatitis

SummaryA 59-yr-old Japanese male presented with epigastralgia. Endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) revealed narrowing of the inferior common bile duct and protein plugs in the main pancreatic duct. He was diagnosed as suffering from chronic pancreatitis with suspicion of a pancreatic head tumor, and a pancreatoduodenectomy was performed. Histologically, a diffuse chronic pancreatitis was evident in the resected pancreas. Although no tumors were seen in the head portion of the pancreas around the inferior common bile duct, an intraductal carcinoma was found in the second branch of Santorini’s duct. Precancerous alteration of the duct epithelium, presenting papillary hyperplasia, and atypical hyperplasia were observed in areas continuous with the intraductal carcinoma. Immunohistochemically, carcinoembronic antigen (CEA) was specifically expressed in atypical hyperplasia and intraductal carcinoma, but not in papillary hyperplasia.

Significance of Taurine Conjugation of Bile Acid in the Biliary Excretion of Bilirubin

Almost all bile acids are conjugated with either taurine or glycine. The conjugates are more potent cholelogues than the unconjugated bile acids. Previously, we have confirmed that administration of taurine increased bile flow and biliary excretion of bile acids in rats with cholestasis induced by α-naphthylisothiocyanate6. Moreover, we found that administration of taurine shortened duration of jaundice in patients with acute hepatitis4. These results suggest a possibility that taurine may accelerate biliary excretion of bilirubin. In the present study, we investigated the effect of taurine on the biliary excretion of bilirubin in normal and mutant hyperbilirubinuric rats4.

Dibutyryl cyclic AMP-induced expression of β2-microglobulin in the human hepatoma cell line PLC/PRF/5

Abstract Effects of dibutyryl cyclic AMP (DBcAMP) on expressions of class I and class II major histocompatibilitycomplex (MHC) antigens and β 2 microglobulin (B2M) were studied using an immunofluorescence method on the human hepatoma cell line PLCIPRFl5 which lack expressions of these antigens. DBcAMP did not induce expression of class I or class II MHC antigen, but induced expression of B2M at 100 μ M and 1 mM. Interferon- α also induced expression of B2M as well as of class I antigen. It is suggested that DBcAMP is partially associated with the expression of MHC antigens, and that the expression of B2M could be mediated by a differentiation-inducible effect of DBcAMP.

Abstracts of selected papers presented at the 29th annual meeting of the japanese society of gastroenterology

S OF SELECTED PAPERS PRESENTED AT THE 29TH A N N U A L MEETING OF THE JAPANESE SOCIETY OF GASTROENTEROLOGY K0fu, Japan, November 5--7, 1987 Chairman: Katsuhiko SUGAHARA, M.D.

Proceedings of the 23rd Autumn Meeting from October 14–16, 1981-Yonago City, Tottori, Japan

The methodology currently used in the field of physiology of intestinal absorption was reviewed and important progresses in our knowledge of mechanisms of intestinal absorption brought about by introduction of new methods were also summarized. The physiological methods currently employed can cover a broad range of investigations from those at an organ level, e.g. perfusion of intestinal segments, to those at a molecular level, e.g. transport studies in reconstituted systems with purified membrane proteins. By these methods, Na +-dependent mechanism of uphill uptake of various organic solutes and electrolytes across the brush border membrane have been largely clarified and active transport of various solutes is now explained on the basis of the concept of the secondary active transport. The mechanism of exit of solutes from the enterocytes have also been investigated in isolated cell suspensions and purified basolateral membrane vesicles, and some carriers responsible for the exit have been characterized. The charge transfer associated with organic solute transport has been studied by electrophysiological techniques. These studies indicate that organic solutes induce a Na + pathway and resultant Na + flow across the membrane causes a coupled flow of the cosubstrate. A relatively new problem is the transport of small peptides in intact form. Its physiological significance, comparative and developmental aspects are now under investigation in several laboratories. Vira l hepatitismRecent advances of its fundamental research

Proceedings of the 19th autumn meeting from October 18 to 20, 1977-Nara, Japan

The first step in the formation of bile acids is 7uhydroxylation of cholesterol. Subsequently 7ahydroxycholest-4-en-3-one is formed, which is a common precursor of the two primary bile acids, cholic acid and chenodeoxycholic acid. 5,BCholestane-3~t , 7a -d io l , a p recursor of chenodeoxycholic acid is formed from the A4-3-keto intermediate by a pathway which involves the reduction of the keto group and the saturation of the double bond but not a hydroxylation at C-12, while a pathway involving the 12a-hydroxylation of the A4-3-keto intermediate leads to the formation of 5flcholestane-3~, 7a, 12a-triol, which is a precursor of cholic acid. The C2~-bile alcohol intermediates , 5flcholestane-3a, 7t~-diol and 5,g-cholestane-3tz, 7t~, 1 2 ~ t r i o l , a r e t h e n t r a n s f o r m e d i n t o chenodeoxycholic acid and cholic acid by the degradation of the side chain which entails an moxidation followed by fl-oxidation. Chenodeoxycholic acid is also formed by a number of different pathways differing only with respect to the stage of nuclear transformation at which oxidation of the side chain is initiated. A number of cholestanepolyols such as 5flcholestane-3ct, 70t, 12ct, 25-tetrol are accumulated in the bile and feces of patients with cerebrotendinous xanthomatosis. No 26-hydroxylated bile alcohols are accumulated. The results suggest that there exists an alternative pathway of cholic acid biosynthesis involving the 25-hydroxylated bile alcohol as an intermediate. (2) Analytical methods of bile acids in biological materials