[Development of DICOM image browser for Macintosh computer].

Although many medical image browsers are available today, most are extremely expensive. To solve this problem, we developed a Digital Imaging and Communications in Medicine (DICOM) image browser (Medical Image Browser) for Macintosh computers. A comparison between this software, Advantage Workstation, NIH Image, and Graphic Converter suggested that this software is useful for diagnosis on the Macintosh desktop. This software is available at wwwl.odn.ne.jp/cak42860.

Zebrafish leopard gene as a component of the putative reaction-diffusion system.

It has been suggested, on a theoretical basis, that a reaction-diffusion (RD) mechanism underlies pigment pattern formation in animals, but as yet, there is no molecular evidence for the putative mechanism. Mutations in the zebrafish gene, leopard, change the pattern from stripes to spots. Interestingly each allele gives a characteristic pattern, which varies in spot size, density and connectivity. That mutations in a single gene can generate such a variety of patterns can be understood using a RD model. All the pattern variations of leopard mutants can be generated in a simulation by changing a parameter value that corresponds to the reaction kinetics in a putative RD system. Substituting an intermediate value of the parameter makes the patterns similar to the heterozygous fish. These results suggest that the leopard gene product is a component of the putative RD mechanism.

Leiomyosarcoma of the esophagus in a patient with chagasic megaesophagus: case report and literature review.

Leiomyosarcoma constitutes approximately 0.5% of the malignant neoplasias of the esophagus and its association with megaesophagus has not been described. We report on a case of a woman with dysphagia that was slowly progressive from the age of 19 due to chagasic megaesophagus. The woman was subjected to cardiomyotomy at the age of 49. She presented a rapid worsening of the dysphagia due to leiomyosarcoma at the age of 61, and was subjected to subtotal esophagectomy with cervical esophagogastroplasty. She developed pulmonary and hepatic metastases 14 months after surgery and died six months later.

Congenital absence and aberrant course of the internal carotid artery.

We retrospectively reviewed the imaging features of an aberrant course of the internal carotid artery (ICA) in one patient and its unilateral absence in four. Absence of the ICA was initially detected by MRI and MR angiography in both patients who underwent these examinations. CT revealed an abnormal or absent carotid canal in all cases. Radiological diagnosis by MRI and MR angiography could play an important role in the diagnosis.

[A comparative study of the incidence of sudden death from Chagas' disease in Uberaba in the years 1980 and 1990]. / Estudo comparativo da freqüência da morte súbita inesperada por doença de Chagas, em Uberaba, nos anos de 1980 e 1990.

A comparison was made between the years 1980 and 1990 for the frequency and causes of sudden death occurring in the urban and rural areas of the city of Uberaba in individuals older than 15 years. It aims mainly to analyse the current frequency of sudden death in that region and to evaluate the impact, it any, of prophylaxis and therapy on sudden death due to Chagas' disease. For the 1226 deaths cases studied from our 1980, 54 (4.4%) were sudden ones; out of these, 13 (24.1%) were supposedly due to Chagas' disease. For the 1740 death cases studied form our 1990 series, 44 (2.5%) were sudden ones; out of these, only 3 (6.8%) were considered to be due to Chagas' disease. The results indicate a significant decrease in the frequency both for sudden death in general and for sudden death due to Chagas' disease when the year 1990 is compared with 1980. Probable explanations for the findings are discussed.

[Study of cardiac function in first stage examination of RA-700. RA-700 Clinical Study Group].

There are many studies in the literature on the subject of anti-neoplastic drugs for acute and chronic cardiac toxic function. It is important to check previously the cardiac toxicity of the new anti-neoplastic drugs. Now we have had a chance to study the first stage examination of RA-700, isolated from Rubia akane or Rubia cordifolia. Then we tried to study several kinds of parameters, for instance ECG, ultrasonic cardiograms and arterio-grams on cardiac toxicities of RA-700. We injected the first group of neoplastic patients only once with RA-700, while in the second group, we injected them with RA-700 for 5 consecutive days (see our previous report.) In the present study, we made some conclusions about the administration of RA-700. 1) Changes in cardiac function were noted in both groups. 2) Changes in blood pressure, sigma QRS, ejection fraction, and fractional shortening of the second group tended to be more extreme than those of the first group. Care for continuity is a concern with long-term and high doses of RA-700. 3) Because of the small sample, we could find no relationship between the changes in cardiac function and the injection doses of RA-700. 4) Therefore, the cardiac function must be checked by giving anti-neoplastic drugs to neoplastic patients.

Non-specific activity of (+/-)-CP-96,345 in models of pain and inflammation.

The non-peptide NK1 receptor antagonist, CP-96,345, and its 2R,3R enantiomer CP-96,344, which is not an NK1 receptor antagonist (IC50 > 10 microM), were evaluated for antinociceptive and anti-inflammatory activities in several classical models of pain and inflammation in the rat. Both CP-96,345 and CP-96,344 reduced carrageenin-induced paw oedema and hyperalgesia, and attenuated the second phase of formalin-induced paw licking with equal potency. These results indicate that NK1 antagonism is not responsible for the activity of (+/-)-CP-96,345 in the above animal models.

[Prostaglandin-E2 (PGE2) and interleukin-1 (IL-1) production from plastic-adherent peripheral blood mononuclear cells, and serum and urinary glucocorticoid levels in cancer patients treated with systemic chemotherapy--with special reference to circadian rhythm of serum cortisol levels in cancer].

Prostaglandin-E2 (PGE2) and interleukin-1 (IL-1) production from plastic-adherent peripheral blood mononuclear cells stimulated in vitro by bacterial lipopolysaccharide, serum and urinary glucocorticoid levels and the circadian rhythm of serum cortisol levels were studied for better understanding of the immunological and physiological changes produced by systemic chemotherapy in cancer patients. In one responded patient out of four, PGE2 production decreased and IL-1 production increased, whereas the serum cortisol level decreased and the urinary 17-KS excretion level increased. The circadian rhythm of the serum cortisol level was evaluated three times a day, at 7 A.M., 2 P.M. and 10 P.M. Healthy volunteers showed a peak level at 7 A.M. which decreased gradually towards evening and reached to the lowest level at 10 P.M. In contrast, cancer patients showed three additional patterns. These patterns were classified as follows, Type N showed a maximal level at 7 A.M. and minimal level at 10 P.M. as same as in healthy subjects. Type V showed a minimal level at 2 P.M. while type A showed a maximal level at this time. In type F the serum cortisol level was no greater than 1.0 micrograms/dl at any of the three time points. We examined circadian rhythm in four cancer patients treated with systemic chemotherapy. In one PR case, the circadian rhythm shifted from type V to N after the first course of therapy, then changed to type F after subsequent and another courses of the therapy. In another PR case, type N persisted during and after therapy. One MR case shifted from type A to type N. In contrast, one PD case shifted from type N to A. There results suggest that normalization of the circadian rhythm of serum cortisol was associated with the improvement in host body condition achieved by chemotherapy and that systemic chemotherapy modified the immunological and physiological state of cancer patients, as defined above. This may eventually be beneficial for patients.

[Prostaglandin E2 and interleukin-1-producing activity of plastic-adherent cells from cancer patients as a result of modification by BRM therapy].

It is crucial to define the immunological characteristics of peripheral blood mononuclear cells in order to clarify the physiological state of cancer patients. In this study, we examined prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) and interleukin-1 (IL-1) production by plastic-adherent cells stimulated by lipopolysaccharide (LPS). The secretion of PGE2 and IL-1 into media depended on the dose of LPS. Although the addition of silica resulted in suppression of LPS-induced PGE2 production, it caused augmentation of IL-1 production. The effect of BRM therapy on IL-1 production was evaluated in five cancer patients. The results demonstrated that BRM therapy increased the levels of IL-1 at the late assessment point for 3 patients and their quality of life was improved. These findings suggest that production of IL-1 may be used as a monitor for the effectiveness of biotherapy. The association of PGE2 production with host antitumor response was evaluated in IFN-gamma therapy. The results showed that the PGE2 production ratio increased early in the therapy period and declined gradually, whereas the expression of HLA-DR antigen on monocytes and the level of IL-1 increased during the treatment. The exact mechanism by which BRM activates monocytes is unknown. It is possible that a distinct subpopulation of monocytes is responsible for this effect.

Immunoassay of three enolase isozymes in human serum and in blood cells.

Sandwich enzyme immunoassay procedures for measurement of three human enolase isozymes (alpha alpha, alpha gamma and gamma gamma forms) were developed by use of purified antibodies specific to the alpha or the gamma subunit of enolase. The assay systems consisted of polystyrene balls with immobilized antibody F(ab')2 fragments and antibody Fab' fragments labeled with beta-D-galactosidase from E. coli. The measurable range was from 3 pg to 10 ng of each enolase isozyme per assay tube, and the levels of the three enolases in human sera and isolated blood cells were determined. Serum samples from healthy adults contained about 60, 8, and 2 ng/ml of alpha alpha, alpha gamma, and gamma gamma enolases, respectively. Red blood cells and platelets had about 4, 1, and 0.1 ng/10(6) cells of alpha alpha, alpha gamma, and gamma gamma enolases, respectively. Lymphocytes (mononuclear cells) contained larger amounts of all three enolases (alpha alpha, 370 ng/10(6) cells; alpha gamma, 30 ng/10(6) cells; gamma gamma, 2.7 ng/10(6) cells). The levels of three enolase isozymes in sera of patients with small-cell cancer of the lung were also determined.