A 34-year-old female complaining of numbness and weakness of the extremities was examined. Consanguineous marriage was contracted between mother and father. She was of short stature (149 cm), and her ...blood pressure was normal (118/60 mmHg). Her serum potassium concentration had decreased to a level between 2.5 and 3.2 mEq/L, and hypokalemic alkalosis was present. Potassium clearance had increased and urinary concentrating capacity was impaired. Plasma renin activity was high at 25 ng/ml/hr but plasma aldosterone concentration was normal. Hypertensive response to angiotensin II (50 ng/kg/min) was weak but improved to nearly the normal value after the administration of indomethacin for 17 days at a dose of 50 mg/day. A slight elevation in blood pressure was observed during the infusion of norepinephrine (250 ng/kg/min). A decrease in blood pressure was observed during the infusion of 1-sarcosine, 8-isoleucine angiotensin II (600 ng/kg/min) with concomitant increase of plasma renin activity. Twenty-four hour urinary excretion of prostaglandin E decreased somewhat (225 approximately 252 ng/day), and hyperplasia of the juxtaglomerular cells and increased JG index were demonstrated in the biopsy specimens of the right kidney. From the findings, the present case were diagnosed as Bartter's syndrome. Although mild enlargement of the sella turcica was found in skull x-ray films, no abnormalities in pituitary function were demonstrated. Other unusual complications, i.e. hyperlipidemia (type II, beta-dominant) and abnormal configuration of peripheral erythrocytes, were demonstrated. Phospholipid composition of the erythrocyte membrane was normal. The fluidity of plasma VLDL examined by electron spin resonance was increased. Hypokalemia and hyperreninemia were improved through the administration of indomethacin. However, because of headache as an adverse effect, further administration could not be accepted. The patient's complaints were resolved by the rectal application of indomethacin with oral administrations of spironolactone and triamterene. Changes in serum lipid levels did not occur with the above mentioned treatment. alpha-tocopheryl nicotinate lowered the levels of serum lipids and normalized the configuration of peripheral erythrocytes. But increased fluidity of plasma VLDL remained, and phospholipid composition of erythrocyte membrane was also unchanged. The relationship between the rare complications mentioned above and the pathophysiology of Bartter's syndrome is still obscure.
The aim of the study is to develop an ultra high-resolution pinhole SPECT system and analyze the performance by simulations. The pinhole SPECT was conducted with a Toshiba GCA-7200A gamma camera. The ...diameter of the pinhole was 1 mm. Data were acquired with a 128/spl times/128 matrix, and the distance from the center of rotation to the pinhole was 20 mm. The data were collected at 4 degree increments over 360 degrees. The Feldkamp method was used for image reconstruction. Before the image reconstruction, the authors corrected the center of rotation of the pinhole collimator. The imaging voxel was 0.27/spl times/0.27/spl times/0.27 mm/sup 3/. From the experiments with a resolution phantom the spatial resolution was 1.05 mm (FWHM). The pinhole SPECT was also examined for in vivo imaging for studies of the heart in mice which were injected with Tc-99m-Tetrofosmin intravenously. In the reconstructed image the heart muscle of the mouse was clearly visualized. The authors also investigated the spatial resolution of the reconstructed image by means of simulations. The spatial resolution obtained from the simulation was 0.86 mm (FWHM).
Peritoneal exudate macrophages (M phi) of newborn mice (NB-M phi) were apparently almost incapable of expressing Ia antigen even if stimulated by IFN-gamma. No significant difference was observed in ...the number and the affinity of receptors for IFN-gamma between NB-M phi and M phi of adult mice (Ad-M phi). Addition of indomethacin, a prostaglandin synthesis inhibitor, was ineffective in enhancing the Ia-expression of NB-M phi. Responsiveness of NB-M phi to IFN-gamma, however, was disclosed by the addition to the culture of anti-IFN-beta or anti-IFN-alpha/beta, but not anti-IFN-alpha antibody. Responsiveness of NB-M phi to IFN-gamma was not improved by the depletion of fibroblasts from NB-M phi populations. These results strongly argue that Ia-expression of NB-M phi, which is otherwise to be induced by IFN-gamma, is suppressed by IFN-beta derived from NB-M phi themselves.
Infection of mice with Mycobacterium bovis BCG sensitizes them for immune induction of interferon (IFN)-gamma by specific antigen. These mice were found also to respond to lipopolysaccharide (LPS) ...and concanavalin A (Con A) with high level production of IFN-gamma in the circulation, which was not observed in control mice. In this study, we compared the IFN-gamma response to LPS with that to Con A in an attempt to clarify the cellular mechanisms responsible for in vivo LPS-induced IFN-gamma production. Consequently, (i) the responses to LPS and Con A differed in the kinetics, that to LPS having a longer lag period. (ii) Spleen cells taken from infected mice produced little IFN-gamma in response to LPS, but they showed a higher IFN-gamma response to Con A than those from control mice. (iii) By treating infected mice with immunosuppressive drugs or antibodies to T and natural killer cells before challenge with the inducers, it was indicated that different cellular systems are involved in the IFN-gamma responses to LPS and to Con A.
Histopathological studies of labyrinthitis ossificans in mice and guinea pigs were performed. Spontaneous infectious labyrinthitis changed partially into labyrinthitis ossificans in guinea pigs. ...Experimental labyrinthitis induced by intratympanic application of ototoxic drugs made a change to ossifying dead labyrinth in all guinea pigs. In those specimens of both spontaneous and experimental labyrinthitis, ossification and fibrosis in the labyrinth were confined to the scala tympani of the lower basal turn at initial stage, and ossification gradually progressed in the entire membranous labyrinth at final stage. Although the round window niche was occuluded by fibrous tissue at first, we concluded that invasion of middle ear inflammation into the inner ear may be mainly through the round window. In ossifying labyrinthitis, inner car hydrops existed apparently at some period of degeneration which resembled cochlear and vestibular disturbances in human labyrinthine disorders. In mice, labyrinthitis ossificans was not found.
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