The functional and structural changes of hair cells of the adult budgerigar following acoustic trauma were examined using auditory brainstem response (ABR), and both scanning and transmission electron microscopy. Just after exposure to a 1,500-Hz pure tone at 120 dBSPL for 98 h, severe damages and disappearance of short hair cells were observed in the middle region of the basilar papilla. Fourteen days after the exposure, the threshold of ABR recovered to the level before the exposure, and normal short hair cells, which have synapses with nerve endings, were rearranged all over the damaged region of the basilar papilla. These results indicate that the hair cells of the adult budgerigar have capability to regenerate, and to restore the auditory perceptive function following acoustic trauma.

Animals↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Evaluation of cross-circulation through circle of Willis using an ultrasonic Doppler technique. Part I. Comparison between blood flow velocity by ultrasonic Doppler flowmetry and angiogram.

In 24 patients with cerebrovascular disease and 6 without organic brain lesions, the increased velocity of blood flow in both the internal carotid and vertebral arteries during a contralateral carotid compression was compared with the angiographic appearance of the circle of Willis. The flow velocity was measured using ultrasonic Doppler flowmetry. It was not possible to investigate fully the relationship between the increase of velocity of blood flow in the internal carotid artery and the anatomical variations of the circle of Willis, specifically the anterior cerebral and communicating arteries. The velocity of flow in the patients with an aplastic proximal portion of the anterior cerebral artery showed no increase. There were no differences in the increase of velocity of flow in the vertebral artery in patients with hypoplastic, normal and fetal posterior communicating arteries. It is considered that although anatomical variations of the circle vessels influence the cross-circulation via the circle of Willis, peripheral vascular factors distal to the circle also play an important role in the quantity of cross-circulation through the circle.

Adolescent↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Evaluation of cross-circulation through circle of Willis using an ultrasonic Doppler technique. Part II. Comparison between blood flow velocity by ultrasonic Doppler flowmetry and cerebrovascular resistance.

The correlation between the increase in velocity of blood flow in both the internal carotid and vertebral arteries during a carotid compression and the cerebrovascular resistance (CVR) was investigated in 11 patients with chronic ischemic cerebrovascular disease and 4 without organic brain lesions. The velocity of blood flow was measured by an ultrasonic Doppler flowmeter. CVR was calculated from cerebral blood flow and arterial blood pressure. There was no correlation between the increased velocity of blood flow in the internal carotid and vertebral arteries and CVR. The increased velocity of blood flow in patients with low CVR was, however, significantly higher than that of patients with high CVR. The investigation of cross-circulation by ultrasonic Doppler flowmetry is a useful non-invasive method for the detection of changes in cerebral vascular resistance.

Adolescent↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Proliferating cell nuclear antigen and grade of malignancy in small hepatocellular carcinoma--evaluation in US-guided specimens.

BACKGROUND/AIMS: We investigated the value of the proliferating cell nuclear antigen labeling index ratio (PCNA-LI ratio: PCNA-LI of cancer/PCNA-LI of surrounding non-cancerous liver tissue) to clarify the prognosis of the patients bearing small hepatocellular carcinomas (HCC) less than 20 mm in diameter and treated by percutaneous ethanol injection therapy (PEIT). MATERIAL AND METHODS: Twenty eight HCC patients who had received PEIT were divided into 3 groups. The non-recurrence (NR) group in which no new lesions were observed for at least 18 months after PEIT (13 patients), the early recurrence group (ER) in which lesions recurred within one year (6 patients), and the late recurrence group (LR) in which lesions recurred more than one year after PEIT (9 patients). Immunohistochemical staining of PCNA was done using biopsied specimens. RESULTS: The PCNA-LI ratio in 37 well differentiated, 13 moderately differentiated, 11 poorly differentiated HCC were 1.86 +/- 0.55, 3.33 +/- 0.51, and 4.75 +/- 0.81 (mean +/- SD), respectively. The ratio in ER group (4.57 +/- 0.57) was significantly higher than that in LR (2.04 +/- 0.61) and NR group (1.87 +/- 0.62) and the PCNA-LI ratio tended to correlate with the periods until the development of recurrent lesions in cases of ER group. CONCLUSIONS: These results indicate the PCNA-LI ratio, in conjunction with the histological grade, is a useful marker for evaluating the grade of malignancy, and for predicting the period until recurrence after treatment of small HCC.

Aged↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Long-term postoperative analysis of nutritional status after limited gastrectomy for early gastric cancer.

BACKGROUND/AIMS: An examination was made of the postoperative long-term effects of limited gastrectomy (LG) on nutritional status, as one of the factors that influence quality of life. METHODOLOGY: Nutritional status in 33 patients who underwent LG for early gastric cancer, was compared with that of 36 patients who underwent standard gastrectomy (SG). Nutritional conditions were assessed preoperatively, and then 1 and 2 weeks, 1 and 6 months, and 1, 2 and 3 years after surgery. RESULTS: Postoperative recovery of both body weight and body fat mass was greater in LG than SG, and there were significant differences between the two groups of patients from six months after surgery until three years had elapsed. CONCLUSION: LG minimized the extent of nutritional impairment during long-term recovery from surgery, as compared with SG. LG would seem to be a suitable operative procedure for some patients with mucosal gastric cancer, without reducing radicality for cancer.

Aged↗