Effect of bovine lactoferrin on the immune responses of captive bottlenosed dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) being transported over long distances.

Bovine lactoferrin was administered orally, in feed, to six bottlenosed dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) before they were transported for approximately six hours; their stress responses were compared with those of five untreated dolphins. During the journey the dolphins had an increased plasma concentration of cortisol, and lymphopenia, eosinopenia and mild neutrophilia, indicating a stress response. The administration of lactoferrin did not affect the function of the dolphins' polymorphonuclear leucocytes, but affected their leucogram by maintaining the number of circulating eosinophils.

Gastrectomy with D2 lymph node dissection in gastric cancer: a retrospective study at a single institution.

The purpose of this study was to clarify the clinicopathological characteristics of gastric cancer with lymph node (LN) dissection and the significance of D2 dissection by investigating surgical techniques and prognosis. Three hundred ninety patients with early cancer and 310 with advanced cancer underwent gastrectomy with D1 or D2 dissection, based on the presence or absence of LN metastasis determined pre- and intraoperatively. LN metastasis occurred in 10.5% of early gastric cancer patients, and several cases of advanced cancer were found to have N2 or more advanced metastasis. The pre- and intraoperative macroscopic findings accorded with histological grade of LN metastasis in 69.5% of early cancers and in 56.5% of advanced cancer patients. The false negativity rate was 6.8% in early cancer, 19.4% in advanced cancer, and 8.4% as a whole. Death was operation-related in only two cases and the operative mortality rate was low (0.29%). The 5-year survival rates in early and advanced gastric cancer were 95.8% and 67.6% in the D1 groups, respectively, and 100% and 89.5% in the D2 groups, respectively. Survival was better in the D2 groups than in the D1 groups (P < 0.0001 for early cancer, P = 0.0279 for advanced cancer). D2 dissection should be conducted positively for patients with LN metastasis.

Effects of prolonged weak anodal direct current on electrocorticogram in awake rabbit.

The effects of prolonged weak anodal direct current (DC) on the electrocorticogram (ECoG) were investigated in awake rabbits. When the current (20-40 microA) was applied to the motor region of the cerebral cortex, seizure activity in the ECoG appeared from the frontal cortex. Repeated application of the DC decreased the threshold current for producing the seizure activity. Diazepam significantly elevated the threshold of the seizure activity. In contrast to the marked changes in the ECoG, no behavioral changes were observed during or after the application of weak anodal DC. The changes in the ECoG are discussed in relation to the intensity and duration of the DC.

An autopsy case of Tay-Sachs disease--with special reference to axonal swellings of the central nervous system and freeze-fracture replication studies of the membranous cytoplasmic bodies.

The following is a report of the light and electron microscopic findings of the axonal swellings of the central nervous system and the freeze-fracture replication studies of the membranous cytoplasmic bodies in Tay-Sachs disease. The axonal swellings were observed mainly in the subthalamic nucleus, thalamus, globus pallidus, red nucleus, dentate nucleus, inferior olivary nucleus, nucleus gracilis, spinal anterior nucleus and so on. They contained many electron dense bodies and neurofilaments. Typical membranous cytoplasmic bodies were not seen in these axonal swellings. The freeze-fracture replication studies demonstrated that the membranous cytoplasmic bodies were composed of parallel stacks or concentric whorls of lamellae at an interval of 5 to 6 nm, with membrane-associated particles of 8 to 10 nm diameters on their protoplasmic face. It was postulated that the membranous cytoplasmic bodies constituted various compound lipids including the GM2-ganglioside and some proteins.