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We report a patient with partial seizure and gigantic heterotopic gray matter. A 23-year-old young man was admitted to our hospital with complaints of frequent epileptic seizures and psychiatric symptoms. There was psychomotor delay in infancy. At the age of 4 years, afebrile convulsions appeared on several occasions. Seizures characterized by a lapse of consciousness started at the age of 13 years. He often stayed in a fantasy world and became very emotional at such time. Cranial CT demonstrated an irregularity in the wall of right lateral ventricle and disappearance of the posterior horn on the same side. This lesion, adjacent to that wall, had a signal intensity that was similar to that of the gray matter on each sequence in MRI. Histopathology of this lesion showed a number of large and small neurons. Therefore, heterotopic gray matter was diagnosed. MRI demonstrated wide cortices suggesting polymicrogyria in the right parietal lobe. Complex partial seizures with eye deviation to the left were recognized. Interictal EEG showed frequent high voltage spikes in the right temporal, fronto-temporal and parieto-occipital areas independently. Therefore, epileptic foci were thought to exist in or around those lesions.

Thirty-three cases of psychosis associated with epilepsy were followed in our clinic for 10 years. In 12 cases, the psychotic symptom appeared episodically and 9 of them had more than one relapse and 7 of them more than 2 relapses. Only 3 cases had no relapse. In 21 cases, the psychotic symptoms were continuous, lasting more than 2 years. In 8 of them, the symptoms were stable and remained unchanged but in 13 of them, the symptom showed exacerbation and partial remissions. In 11 cases, a decrease or discontinuation of antipsychotic drugs (mostly haloperidol) significantly provoked or aggravated the psychotic symptoms.

The effect of alpha-naphthylisothiocyanate (ANIT) on blood clearance of 99mTc-phytate (99mTc-P) in rats was examined, and blood clearance test of 99mTc-P was compared with the cases of serum transaminase test, serum bilirubin test or histological test of the liver. The disappearance rate of 99mTc-P from blood decreased with the increase in dose of ANIT and with the passage of time after the ANIT administration. Changes of the blood clearance of 99mTc-P after ANIT treatment in rats may be influenced by the disorder in the hepatocytes rather than in the bile ductule cells. The blood clearance test of 99mTc-P in rats showed a sensitive reaction for the acute hepatic dysfunction induced by ANIT equally to the serum transaminase test, the serum bilirubin test or the histological test of the liver.

Organ distribution pattern, and blood clearance were examined by giving 99mTc-phytate (99mTc-P) to the normal dogs. At the same time, the relation between the severity of hepatic function and blood clearance of 99mTc-P was studied by using the dogs with acute hepatic dysfunction experimentally induced by carbon tetrachloride (CCl4) administration. Furthermore, a comparative discussion on blood clearance test of 99mTc-P was made with serum transaminase test. It appeared appropriate to administer 99mTc-P at the dose of 100 micrograms/kg in order to obtain an effective blood clearance curve. A major part of 99mTc-P intravenously administered was taken up into the liver, while the remainder of small amount into the spleen, kidneys, lung, and so on. Little was recognized in the thyroid. The disappearance rate of 99mTc-P from blood decreased with the increase in dose of CCl4 and with the passage of time after the CCl4 administration. The blood clearance test of 99mTc-P in dogs showed a sensitive reaction for the acute hepatic dysfunction induced by CCl4 equally to the serum transaminase test.

The effect of D-galactosamine (GalN) on the blood clearance of 99mTc-phytate (99mTc-P) in rats was examined, and the blood clearance test of 99mTc-P was compared with the cases of serum transaminase and bilirubin test. Serum transaminase and bilirubin levels in rats increased dose-dependantly after GalN administration. The disappearance rate of 99mTc-P from blood decreased with the increase in dose of GalN and with the passage of time after the GalN administration. Changes of the blood clearance of 99mTc-P after GalN treatment in rats may be influenced by the disorder in the hepatocytes and the alteration of the liver reticuloendothelial system phagocytic function. The blood clearance test of 99mTc-P in rats showed a sensitive reaction for the acute hepatic dysfunction induced by GalN equally to or higher than the serum transaminase and bilirubin test.

Benzimidazoles exhibited an inhibitory action on the chondrogenesis in a mouse limb bud cell culture system; further, nitro and chloro groups at the 5 position in 2-(2-pyridyl)benzimidazole were found to be potent substituents. However, 2-(2-pyridyl)benzoxazole and 5-methoxy-2-(2-pyridyl)benzothiazole exhibited no inhibitory action under our experimental conditions. Thus, imidazole NH proton seemed to be important in the inhibitory action in the mouse cell system. The concentrations of thiabendazole (TBZ), 5-hydroxy-TBZ (5-HY-TBZ) and N-methyl-TBZ necessary to reduce the amounts of cartilage proteoglycan by 50% (TP50) were estimated to be about 0.35, 0.25 and 0.70 mM, respectively, in the rat limb bud cell culture system. The TP50 of TBZ and 5-HY-TBZ in the rat cell system were 3- to 4-fold higher than those in the mouse cell system.

The relation among the blood clearance of 99mTc-phytate (99mTc-P), the hepatic uptake of 99mTc-P and the severity of hepatic injury was investigated by using the rats with carbon tetrachloride (CCl4), D-galactosamine (Gal N), alpha-naphthylisothiocyanate (ANIT) or DL-ethionine (EthN) induced hepatic injury. After the administration of CCl4, GalN or ANIT, serum GPT activity increased significantly with the increase of dose level, and the degree of this increase was in the order: GalN greater than CCl4 greater than ANIT. However, the mild increase in serum GPT activity was observed after EthN administration. The blood clearance rate of 99mTc-P and the hepatic uptake ratio of 99mTc-P decreased with the increase of dose level after CCl4, GalN or ANIT administration, but significant changes were not found after EthN administration. The degree of decrease in the blood clearance rate of 99mTc-P was in the order: GalN not equal to CCl4 greater than ANIT, and the degree of decrease in the hepatic uptake ratio of 99mTc-P was in the order: GalN not equal to CCl4 greater than ANIT. These results suggest that the disorder in the hepatocytes may be one of causes for inducing the decrease in the hepatic uptake of 99mTc-P, and the consequence of this decrease may induce the decrease in the blood clearance of 99mTc-P.

In vitro microassay for the screening of teratogens was investigated on cancer chemotherapeutic agents sterigmatocystins and benzimidazoles using human embryonic palatal mesenchymal (HEPM) cells. Five thousand cells were inoculated into each well of 96-well microtiter plates, and cultivated for 24 hr, after which the media were changed with new ones that contained various amounts of chemicals; after cultivation for an additional 72 hr, the media were discarded, and cells attached to the tissue plate were fixed and stained with Giemsa's solution; the cell number then was counted by colony counter with three readings for each well. For the metabolic activation, the liver S9 obtained from rats pretreated with phenobarbital and 5,6-benzoflavone and cofactors (S9 mix) were added directly to the HEPM cell cultures along with chemicals. After 6 hr, the cultures were exchanged with a fresh medium and incubated for a further 72 hr. The final IC50 (the concentration that inhibits growth 50%) concentration-finding run had 7 to 11 concentration points (mean, three to four wells). Concentrations of the cancer chemotherapeutic agents that inhibited growth by 50% ranged from 0.001 to 10 micrograms/ml. Sterigmatocystins indicated strong inhibition; among three derivatives, O-acetyl sterigmatocystin was the most potent inhibitor. Benzimidazoles also exhibited an inhibitory action on HEPM cell growth; nitro and chloro groups at the 5 position in 2-(2-pyridyl)benzimidazole were found to be potent substituents. As for the activation of cyclophosphamide in the HEPM cell culture, IC50 was decreased to 1.0 ug/ml by the incubation with S9 mix for 6 hr under our experimental conditions, and sterigmatocystin was found to be activated by S9 mix.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Sulphide sulphur and dissolved sulphur in a polysulphide solution can be successively determined with satisfactory accuracy and reproducibility by potentiometric argentimetry in which a sulphide-selective indicator electrode is used. Before the titration, polysulphide ions need to be converted by an excess of potassium cyanide into thiocyanate and sulphide ions. The excess of cyanide ions is masked with formaldehyde and sulphuric acid, then the solution is made alkaline with ammonia and titrated with silver nitrate till the first end-point is reached (sulphide sulphur). After the acidification of the solution with sulphuric acid, the titration is continued till the second end-point is attained (dissolved sulphur).