Initial changes of non-traumatic osteonecrosis of femoral head in fat suppression images: bone marrow edema was not found before the appearance of band patterns.

The present study examined initial changes in non-traumatic osteonecrosis of the femoral head (ONF) on T1- and T2-weighted MR images, and fat suppression images. The subjects were 57 renal transplant recipients (37 males and 20 females), whose median age at the time of transplantation was 31.5 years old (range, 10 to 58 years). Twelve patients developed band patterns (sign of established ONF) at an early postoperative period. Among them, 4 joints of 3 patients had a localized, faint signal abnormality in fat suppression images, where band pattern was confirmed later in T1- and T2-weighted images. In all the 57 patients, no bone marrow edema preceding to ONF was observed. Bone marrow edema would not be the cause of ONF in renal transplant patients. Early changes depicted in our fat suppression images would be useful information in the studies on pathogenesis of ONF.

Accumulation of Isohemigossypolone and Its Related Compounds in the Inner Bark and Heartwood of Diseased Pachira aquatica.

Isohemigossypolone (1) and 2-O-methylisohemigossypolone (2), major fungitoxins of Pachira aquatica, were found to accumulate locally in the outer bark of the swollen trunk, whereas the inner bark and heartwood contained only a trace amount of them. From P. aquatica that was infected with a phytopathogenic bacterium, we detected significant amounts of 1 and 2 from browned inner tissues of the swollen trunk. According to a quantitative analysis by a gas-chromatograph, the concentration of 1 in the diseased inner tissues was calculated to be approximately 780 µg/g f.w., which was the same level as that in the outer bark of healthy individuals. These findings suggest that the inner tissues inducibly produced and accumulated antifungals 1 and 2 during infection events, as do many plants with phytoalexins. 11-Nor-2-O-methylisohemigossypolone (3), showing approximately equivalent fungitoxic activity to that of 1 and 2, was also isolated from the infected inner tissues. We screened pathogenic bacteria from the infected tissue, and isolated a rod-shaped bacterium that was tentatively identified as Pseudomonas sp. which promoted tissue-browning on sectioned disks of P. aquatica trunks.

Disseminated intravascular coagulation in chickens inoculated with Erysipelothrix rhusiopathiae.

In a first experiment, 28 specific pathogen-free chickens aged 3 weeks showed clinical signs 1 to 5 days after intramuscular inoculation with Erysipelothrix rhusiopathiae. Twelve of 28 birds died 2 to 4 days after inoculation. Macroscopically, the liver, spleen and kidneys were seen to be enlarged and congested. Histologically, fibrinous thrombus formation, seen in the hepatic sinusoids, renal glomerular capillaries and small pulmonary blood vessels, was a characteristic feature. In addition, the liver showed marked congestion, increase of mononuclear cells and heterophils in the sinusoids, hyperplasia of sinusoidal lining cells, and vacuolar changes in hepatic cells. The spleen showed fibrinous exudation of the lymphoid follicles and ellipsoids with lymphocytic depletion, and hyperplasia of ellipsoidal reticular cells. There was oedema, congestion and cellular infiltration in the interstitium of the kidney. The bursa of Fabricius and thymus showed marked lymphocytic depletion. In a second experiment, the blood chemical values (uric acid, glutamic-oxalacetic transaminase, lactate dehydrogenase and gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase) of birds inoculated intramuscularly with E. rhusiopathiae were significantly higher than those of uninfected controls. The blood prothrombin times and activated partial thromboplastin times of the inoculated group were significantly greater than those of the control group. The pathological and haematological findings demonstrated that E. rhusiopathiae induced disseminated intravascular coagulation in the chickens.

Comparison of electron irradiation diets and gamma irradiation diets for reproductive effects on rats.

Rats were maintained on 50 kGy electron irradiation diets. Effects of the diets on reproductive performance of parents and developmental performance of fetuses (F1 and F2) were studied by comparison with data in rats maintained on gamma irradiation diets, as control animals, and the background data of our facility. As the result, no specific changes were observed in the group maintained on electron irradiation diets. Electron irradiation diets sterilized under the condition of 50 kGy irradiation in the present study, as well as the existing gamma irradiation diets, were found to be useful for breeding and nursing rats.

Isolation of chicken anemia agent with MDCC-MSB1 cells from chickens in the field.

An attempt was made to isolate chicken anemia agent (CAA) from chickens suffering from anemia in the field by using MDCC - MSB1 , which was an established cell line derived from Marek's disease lymphoma. When 99 chickens of 15 flocks were examined, CAA was isolated from 58 chickens of 12 flocks. The rate of CAA isolation with MDCC - MSB1 cells was almost the same as that determined by an in vivo method by chick inoculation. It was shown that CAA was more closely concerned with anemic diseases of chickens in the field than fowl adenoviruses.