1. Both cardiovascular and antidiuretic hormone (ADH) responses to some neural inputs were examined in paralysed anaesthetized
cats.
2. Carotid occlusion elicited cardiovascular responses and ...increased ADH secretion. When the electrical stimulation of discrete
loci of the cerebellar fastigial nucleus (fastigial pressor area) was superimposed on carotid occlusion, cardiovascular responses
were further facilitated, while ADH secretion was inhibited.
3. The fastigial stimulation alone elicited facilitory cardiovascular responses composed of hypertension and tachycardia,
and the fastigial pressor response (FPR), but did not evoke any consistent ADH response.
4. These facts indicate that cerebellar modulation of ADH secretion occurs not directly via the hypothalamo-hypophysial system
but through the lower brain stem to which both carotid sinus nerves and outflows from the fastigial pressor area project.
5. We conclude that the fastigial pressor area is specific for not only cardiovascular and other autonomic responses but pituitary
hormonal response.
K^+ spatial buffering of glial cells is supposed to be mediated by inwardly rectifying K^+ (Kir) channels. Muller cells are the dominant glial cells in the retina. We have shown that Muller cell of ...rat and rabbit had a single population of Kir channel activity, whose properties were identical to those of Kir4.1/K_AB -2. The Kir4.1 immunoreactivity distributed in clusters throughout the membrane of Muller cell. Thus, Kir4.1 was supposed to contribute K^+ spatial buffering in mammalian Muller cells. The expression of Kir4.1 in Muller cells disappeared promptly after culturing. When the dissociated Muller cells were cultured on laminin in the presence of insulin, Kir4.1 immunoreactivity was detected in a clustered manner on the cell membrane. Thus, these substances may possibly be physiological regulators of expression and distribution of Kir4.1 in Muller cells in vivo. Because we showed that SAP97 caused clustering of Kir4.1 in Muller cells (Horio et al., J.Biol.Chem. 272, 12885, 1997), SAP97 might be involved in the insulin and laminin signals regulating Kir4.1 distribution in cultured cells.
Of 46 patients with stage III small cell carcinoma of the lung, 9 underwent surgical resection, 36 were treated with combination chemotherapy and radiotherapy and 1 with radiotherapy alone. For ...surgically treated patients the overall 3-year survival rate was 29.6% with a median survival time (MST) of 16 months. Long-term survival (>3 years) was achieved only by patients with T3 primary tumor, without lymph node (N1 and N2) metastases. In a recent trial, we performed resection (adjuvant surgery) in 3 patients with N2 disease who showed a good response to combination chemotherapy prior to surgery and continuation of the same chemotherapy regimen postoperatively. However, all patients had distant recurrence of disease. The response rate in 37 non-operated patients was 81% with 14 cases of complete (38%) and 16 partial (43%) response. The survival of all patients was 37.7% at 1 year, 18.4% at 2 years and 7% at 3 years, with MST of 9 months. Patients achieving a complete response had relatively good survival, resulting in a 23% 3 year survival with an MST of 21 months. However, where a partial response to therapy was achieved, the MST was 11 months whereas with no measurable response it was only 4 months. In conclusion, surgical resection for stage III disease seems to offer no better benefit in terms of survival even if adjuvant chemotherapy is used postoperatively. We consider that it is desirable to achieve complete remission with combination chemotherapy and radiotherapy, particularly for stage III with N2 disease, rather than surgical resection.
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