Toshiji Mozai

BIOCHEMICAL CHANGES IN THE BRAIN IN RATS POISONED WITH AN ALKYLMERCURY COMPOUND, WITH SPECIAL REFERENCE TO THE INHIBITION OF PROTEIN SYNTHESIS IN BRAIN CORTEX SLICES

The incorporation of [U‐14C]leucine into the protein of brain cortex slices from rats poisoned with methylmercury thioacetamide was markedly inhibited before the development of neurological symptoms and when the oxygen consumption, aerobic and anaerobic glycolysis and sulphydryl enzyme activities were unchanged.

ENCEPHALOMYELOPATHY DUE TO AN ORGANIC MERCURY COMPOUND.

OUR INTEREST in the toxicity of organic metal compounds was stimulated by reports of organic tin intoxication in 19551 and the “Minamata disease,” presumably caused by organic mercury compound,2 which was reported in 1957.3 An excellent review on the clinical, histopathologic, and epidemiologic aspects of this disease has been published.4 A few reports concerning the intoxication of man by organomercury compounds indicate the cause to be the inspiration of the fumes of agricultural drugs in most cases. In 1940, Hunter and associates5 reported 4 cases of intoxication by methylmercury phosphate or nitrate. Fourteen years later, Hunter and Russell6 described detailed histopathologic findings in the brain of one of the patients in the previously reported cases. The microscopic changes in the brain were most pronounced in the occipital pole region of the cerebrum and palleocerebellum. Constriction of the visual fields may be attributed to atrophy of the area striata and, according to their statement, the ataxia could be correlated with changes in the cerebellar cortex. Brown7 reported clinical and autopsy findings in a case of phenylmercury acetate intoxication which showed a clinical picture resembling amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. Microscopic findings showed degeneration of motor cells in the anterior horn and the lateral column of the spinal cord, without changes in the brain. Kantarjians also pointed out the clinical resemblance to amyotrophic lateral sclerosis in 11 cases of definite ethylmercury ptoluene sulfonanilide intoxication. This paper is a report of 3 cases of intoxication caused by the application of a solution containing organic mercury compound for the treatment of a widespread fungus skin infection.

Studies on hepatocerebral disease: III. Hepatolenticular degeneration in Japan, with studies on copper metabolism

Age in Years Fig. 1. Age and sex of patients in Japan with Wilson’s disease in accord with American and European studies, that a disturbance of copper metabolism also plays a major role in the pathogenesis of Wilson’s disease in Japan. Similar but rare cases with clinicopathologic findings suggestive of Wilson’s disease but without an abnormality of copper metabolism have also been seen. Wilson’s disease used to be considered a very rare disease in Japan. However, much interest was aroused in this disease recently, and 62 cases have been reported in the past ten years. The inference is well grounded that many more unreported cases must be present in this countrv. The distribution of the patients showed no pnrticular grouping, and the cases were found in almost all sections of Japan. The heredity of 43 families was investigated in regard to this condition. Familial occurrence of the disease or blood relationship between father and mother of the patient was demonstrated in 15 families, or 35%. In the latter cases, most marriages were between cousins.

Studies on plasma free fatty acid and ketone bodies in young patients with muscular atrophy

SUMMARYHigher plasma free fatty acid concentration was observed in 15 of 33 young patients with generalized muscular atrophy. Hyperketonemia, which consisted mainly of the elevation of beta-hydroxybutyric acid, was observed in 6 of 10 patients with Duchenne-type dystrophy. Hyperketonemia was accompanied by the elevation of plasma free fatty acid level. No correlation was seen between plasma free fatty acid level and the severity of muscle involvement in the patient. This abnormal plasma free fatty acid level may be attributed to increased free fatty acid release from adipose tissue by as yet unrecognized causes. Consideration was given to the regulation of free fatty acid release in the myopathic patient.

Studies on the neurohumoral control of the human body and its clinical applications: Histochemical study on cholinesterase of the human hypothalamus

1. The distribution of ChE in human hypothalamus was investigated withKoelles histochemical method. 2. Ganglionic cells of the paraventricular and supraoptic nuclei have strong ChE activity. Cells of the mamillo-infundibular nucleus and of the tuber nucleus have also strong ChE activity, though somewhat weaker than those of the former nuclei. 3. The small autonomic cells of the ventromedian and dorsomedian nuclei have markedly weaker ChE activity than those of the aforementioned nuclei. 4. ChE activity is found in protoplasm and nucleolus of ganglionic cells. However, nucleus of ganglionic cells shows no ChE activity. 5. Glial cells also have usually rather strong ChE activity. 6. The activity of ChE in the ground substance of various portions of hypothalamus is variable. 7. ChE activity of the corpus mamillare is as strong as those of putamen and caudate nucleus. ChE is present not only in ganglionic cells but also abundantly in the ground substance in the corpus mamillare.

Clinical and epidemiological studies on hepatocerebral disease in Japan.

Publisher Summary This chapter presents clinical and epidemiological studies on hepatocerebral disease in Japan. Hepatocerebral disease is the general term to describe the clinical syndrome in which both the brain and the liver are involved with a causal relationship between the two. Hepatolenticular degeneration (H.L.D.) had been considered to be rare in Japan until the discovery of the abnormalities in copper metabolism attracted a large number of clinical investigators to the study of this disease with the aid of modern laboratory techniques, resulting in the frequent appearance of case reports in Japan. According to results with histochemical method, copper deposition in the liver gradually increased in the fetus from about the 5th month of pregnancy, reached a maximum in the 6-7th month, and gradually decreased thereafter. Ceruloplasmin was definitely low in the umbilical blood, while the maternal venous blood showed a very high level. Simultaneous determinations of serum copper in maternal blood and umbilical venous blood in 10 cases upon delivery, however, showed equally high values in both.

SEPARATION OF AMINO ACIDS BY GAS CHROMATOGRAPHY I

ガスクロマトグラフィーによる血中アミノ酸の微量分析法を確立すべく,その基礎的検討を行なつた. N-トリフロロアセチルメチルエステル誘導体について行なつたが,この誘導体はアミノ酸のみの混合物の分析には適しているが,それ以外のものが混在する場合には厳密にアミノ酸のみを分離しておく必要があるので,血中アミノ酸の測定には適当でない. DNP誘導体のメチルエステルをSE30およびQF-1の充填薬を用い分析条件を検討したところ, alanine, glycine, valine, leucine, proline, aspartic acid, glutamic acid, methionineおよびphenylalanineの9種のアミノ酸についてはシャープな良く分離したピークが得られた.この誘導体は血中から遊離アミノ酸を分離するのにも適当である.ガスクロマトグラフィーによれば少量の試料(血液約1cc)で短時間に分析できるので,微量定量法として充分用いうることが明らかになつた.

PYRUVATE KINASE ACTIVITY IN SERUM OF PATIENTS WITH HEPATIC DISEASE

Pyruvate kinase (PK)は解糖系に関与する酵素であり,人体の解糖を行なつている部位にあまねく分布しているものと考えられている.赤血球中におけるPKは種々の溶血性疾患について報告されているが,血清中のPKについての報告は殆どみられない.著者は正常者および諸種肝疾患患者血清中の本酵素活性値を測定し,これと平行して諸種肝機能検査,諸酵素活性値を測定し,その変動ならびに相関について観察した。PK活性値は急性肝炎発黄期にトランスアミナーゼ活性値の上昇よりはやゝ遅れて上昇し,回復期に再び一時的に上昇する例が多かつた.肝硬変のPK値は肝炎より高い値を示したものもあるが,他の肝機能との相関はみられなかつた.閉塞性黄疸では閉塞の進行するにつれてPK値の上昇がみられ,黄疸指数・アルカリフォスファターゼ(al-P-ase)とある程度の相関が認められたが,長期間の閉塞を示した症例では,かえってPK値が低下し,黄疸指数・al-P-aseと逆相関を示したものも認められた.