[Studies on the influence of riboflavin intake to osteogenesis in rats].

Influence of an intake of the riboflavin that exerts upon osteogenesis in this research, was examined by a nutritional methods. It search the condition of femur in rats they reared and given three type riboflavin dosage, namely, sufficient riboflavin, few deficient riboflavin and administered sufficient after few deficient riboflavin. As a result, an influence of riboflavin dosage was not recognized about each of the body weight, food intake, and weight and length of femur. In other words, a deficiency symptom was not observed seemingly in the rat that given riboflavin deficiency diet. Also, the calcium contents in the femur decreased significantly by the deficiency of riboflavin. And, the low value was shown the even in the rat that administered sufficient fibroflavin later. Furthermore, even breaking force of the femur decreased by the deficiency of riboflavin.

[Studies on the obesity of Hawaii- and Amami-born Japanese children].

Carrying out a somatotype comparison of both, by using data of anthropometry of Hawaii-born Japanese Children (Hawaii-Children) and Amami-born Japanese Children (Amami-Children) that were carried out in 1977-78 a study with regard to the determination of obesity was carried out. The result that compared a somatotype was as follows. 1. The height of hawaii-Children was almost higher than that of Amami-Children. 2. A body weight was almost the same. 3. Trunk length of Amami-Children was longer than that of Hawaii-Children. 4. Lower limb length of Hawaii-Children was bigger than that of Amami-Children a little. 5. The letio of Rohrer index of Amami-Children was greater than that of Hawaii-Children. Therefore, it is determined that Amami-Children were obesity even from Hawaii-Children. when obesity index is judged from the ratio of the height to body weight. As for skin-fold thicknesses (amount of subcutaneous fat), Hawaii-Children is showing a high value more always than Amami-Children and Hawaii-Children is obesity obviously. Although the measurement result of Rohrer index and skin-fold thicknesses are contradicting this cause is because it differs with both trunk length and Lower limb length. Considering those result, it became obvious that a obesity index calculated from the height and body weight does not show fat volume inside a body precisely. The measurement of amount of subcutaneous fat needs to be carried out to check real obesity. Also, it is important to carry out the measurement of trunk length and Lower limb length in addition to the height and a body weight at least, to know a obesity.

[Studies on the development of fetus scapula].

Extract and measure the scapular every part from the fetus that was carried into Saga medical college, the data was processed statistically. Also, the morphological characteristic of scapula of the fetus was clarified by image processing that a computer is used. The result was as follows. A scapular morphological length and also height become big in proportion to the height of fetus. Index of height-length of a fetus was big compared with adult, this trend is remarkable especially in a early stage of development of a fetus. Spinal axis angle of a fetus was also bigger than that of adult and it remarkable differ from an anthropoid very small ane. In general, the scapular shape of a fetus was short length with wide-spreading side and this form resembles to scapula of Jomon period people. The width of cartilage part tend to decrease as ossification progress fast width-wise with growth. However, area of cartilage part tend to become big, because the growth of a cartilage part is going fast lengthwise.

[Changes in the threshold values of lingua throughout aging].

The filter-paper-disk method was employed for measuring the threshold values of four basic taste on lingua-tip with 308 healthy females aged 20-79. Taste substance were sequentially diluted with distilluted water (30 stages from 80.0 g/dl for sucrose, 30 stages from 30.0 g/dl for NaCl, 30 stages from 8.0 g/dl for sodium tartrate, 30 stages from 4.0 g/dl for HCl quinine). The result was as follows. A sensibility of gustation decreased rapidly in accordance with aging. A decrease of bitterness sensibility was most remarkably with aging, succeeded sourness, sweetness, saltyness. Also, a decrease of a gustation sensibility is beginning in early twenties, especially the sensitivity to a sweetness and sour taste decreased conspicuously from twenties to thirties.

[Studies on the taste perceptive threshold for 4 basic taste qualities at various sites of lingual surface].

Using filter-paper-disk method for 20 approximately 23 year-old 60 healthy females, taste perceptive thresholds for 4 basic taste qualities (sweetness, saltiness, sourness and bitterness) were measured detailedly at various sites of the lingual surface (lingual apex, lingual center, lingual margin, lingual radix). Sucrose, sodium chloride, sodium tartarate and quinine hydrochloride as taste-producing substances were used for the sweetness, saltiness, sourness and bitterness, respectively. The results revealed the apical site to be most sensitive to all of the sweetness, saltiness and sourness (and especially to the saltiness) and to be followed by marginal and radical sites in sensitiveness. The radical site was revealed to be most sensitive only to the bitterness, and the central site was remarkably hyposensitive to all of these taste qualities. These experimental results differ, in many respects, from those results of study which have been published by Kiesow in 1894 and are already established today (lingual sensitivity to taste qualities is found separately by site: sweetness, sourness and bitterness and highly perceptible at apical, marginal and radical sites, respectively, and saltiness is not very differently perceptible by site), indicating that further detailed reexamination will be needed to know how taste perceptive thresholds for 4 basic taste qualities are distributed in the lingual surface.

[Bone mineral density by ultrasonic measurement in pre- and postmenopausal women--relationship with sex hormones and nutritional states].

In this cross-sectional study we evaluated the relationships of the sex hormones, estradiol (E2), free testosterone (free T), dehydroepiandrosterone-sulfate (DHEA-S), sex hormone-binding globulin (SHBG) and nutritional status to bone density assessed by ultrasonic measurements. The subjects were 16 premenopausal (38-50 years) and 28 postmenopausal (47-86 years) women living in a rural area in Yamaguchi Prefecture in Japan. They were healthy and did not smoke or drink. Speed of sound (SOS), broadband ultrasound attenuation (BUA) and the stiffness index (SI) were used as the indices to evaluate ultrasonic bone density (UBD) for the calcaneus. In premenopausal women, the concentration of free T was negatively associated with BUA. The DHEA-S concentration had a significant negative correlation with BUA after adjustments for age and body mass index (BMI). Daily intakes of fat, animal fat, animal protein, calcium (Ca) and vitamin B2 (Vit B2) were positively associated with UBD. In postmenopausal women, although DHEA-S positively correlated with SOS, BUA and SI, the significance disappeared after adjustments for age and BMI. The protein intake was positively associated with BUA. Multiple regression analysis for SOS, BUA and SI as dependent variables was performed. Independent variables were age, BMI, E2, free T, DHEA-S, SHBG and daily intakes of animal fat, animal protein, Vit B2 and Ca. In premenopausal women, the animal fat intake contributed significantly and positively to the variations of SOS and SI. The intake of Vit B2 had a significant positive correlation, and the level of DHEA-S had a significant negative correlation with BUA. In postmenopausal women, age and BMI contributed significantly to the variations of SOS, BUA and SI, while the nutritional variables and the sex hormones were not found to be significant. In conclusion, different factors predicting UBD were suggested for pre- and postmenopausal women. In premenopausal women, daily intakes of animal fat and Vit B2 might be effective to maintain higher bone density. Further investigations are still needed to clarify the relationship between DHEA-S and UBD.

Induction of mitochondrial swelling in isolated pancreatic acini by excess lysine.

The effects of excess lysine on in vitro morphological and functional changes of acinar cells and isolated mitochondria of rat pancreas were examined. In isolated acinar cells, excess lysine caused marked swelling of mitochondria as an early change, followed by dilatation of the endoplasmic reticulum and the appearance of autophagic vacuoles. Concomitantly, release of amylase from isolated acinar cells increased. Addition of excess lysine to suspensions of mitochondria also induced their swelling and inhibited their oxidative phosphorylation. The present study suggests that the first intracellular target of excess lysine in acinar cell damage is mitochondria and that lysine has the direct effect of depolarizing mitochondrial membranes, resulting in mitochondrial swelling and inhibition of oxidative phosphorylation.