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In this study we used the calcanei from 32 female and 29 male cadavers, ages 58 to 100. The bone mineral density (BMD) and average bone density (ABD) were measured using dual energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) and quantitative computed tomography (QCT) respectively, while speed of sound (SOS), broadband ultrasound attenuation (BUA) and stiffness index (SI) were measured using ultrasound densitometry (USD). Thereafter, the bone strength was measured using a compressor to cause bone fracture, and evaluated in comparison with the values of the three measurement methods. The scatter diagrams of the values of the three different methods versus age displayed a negative linear regression in both sexes. Values for BMD and ABD were generally about 20% higher in males than in females, while SOS, BUA and SI were a few percents higher in males than in females. A significantly high correlation existed between BMD and ABD (r = 0.95), and a moderate correlation between BMD and either SOS, BUA or SI (r = 0.65; r = 0.39; r = 0.57, respectively). Thus, among the values measured using USD, SOS most closely corresponded to BMD of the calcanei. The bone strength of the calcanei indicated a moderate correlation with BMD, ABD and SOS (r = 0.38, P0.01; r = 0.43, P0.001; r = 0.45, P0.001, respectively). However, 42 calcanei fractured under pressures of less than 40 kgf, although the other 19 calcanei endured pressure of 40 kgf or more. Two calcanei with high BMD over 0.7 g/cm2 by DXA were very fragile, whereas a few with low BMD less than 0.4 g/cm2 were not very fragile. Similarly, high SOS, BUA and SI values by USD did not always correspond to high bone strength. Thus, some discrepancies among the bone strength and measurement values remained to be solved in the future.

Although peptic ulcer frequently recurs in the presence of Helicobacter pylori infection, the effects of H. pylori on ulcer healing have yet to be studied in detail. Using an animal model, we examined the effects of H. pylori infection on the healing of peptic ulcer in Japanese macaques. Forty-four Japanese macaques, aged 5 years, were randomly divided into two groups, an H. pylori-infected group and a control group, with 22 animals in each. A total of 10(9) colony forming units per ml of an H. pylori strain clinically isolated from patients positive for the cagA gene, the vacA gene, and vacuolizing toxin production, was inoculated into the stomachs of the monkeys to induce H. pylori-associated gastritis. The monkeys were examined by endoscopy, and then 0.1 ml of 10% ammonia solution was injected into the angulus to produce an active ulcer. Endoscopic observations was performed every week for 8 weeks. Acid-reducing drugs and other cytoprotective agents were not administered during the 8-week observation period. No difference in the healing of the ulcers was seen between the two groups from the first to the third week. However, a significant delay in healing was noted in the H. pylori-infected group from the fourth week on wards (P0.05). At the sixth week, the proportion of ulcers in the S2 stage (presence of a complete scar) was 0% in the H. pylori-infected group and 38% in the control group, again indicating that healing was significantly delayed in the H. pylori-infected group (P = 0.0187). By the eighth week, the proportion of ulcers in S2 stage had increased to 18% in the H. pylori-infected group and 67% in the control group (P = 0.0719). In Japanese macaques with persistent H. pylori infection in the stomach, the speed of repair of the ulcer surface was reduced, leading to delayed ulcer healing, compared with the controls.

Most of gastroduodenal diseases are associated with Helicobacter pylori infection. Cure of H. pylori infection may lead complete remission of recurrence of gastric and duodenal ulcer, and suppress the development of atrophic gastritis, gastric cancer and MALT lymphoma. H. pylori infection and hemorrhagic gastroduodenal diseases are reviewed.

The oxidative activities of 7alpha- and 7beta-hydroxy-Delta8-tetrahydrocannabinol (7alpha- and 7beta-hydroxy-Delta8-THC) to 7-oxo-Delta8-THC in hepatic microsomes of mice were significantly increased by the treatment of mice with dexamethasone or phenobarbital. A cytochrome P450 enzyme, named P450MDX-B, was purified from hepatic microsomes of dexamethasone-treated mice, and its apparent molecular mass was estimated to be 51,000. The NH2-terminal amino acid sequence of P450MDX-B was the same as that of CYP3A11. The oxidative activities of 7alpha- and 7beta-hydroxy-Delta8-THC were 2.55 and 4.92 nmol/min/nmol P450, respectively. The antibody against P450MDX-B almost completely inhibited the oxidative activities of 7alpha- and 7beta-hydroxy-Delta8-THC in mice. These results indicate that P450MDX-B (CYP3A11) is a major enzyme responsible for the oxidation of 7alpha- and 7beta-hydroxy-Delta8-THC to 7-oxo-Delta8-THC in mouse liver.

The purpose of this study was to evaluate influences of the high hepatic uptake on parameters such as filtering, attenuation coefficient, and scatter correction at reconstructing of the myocardial SPECT images. Hepatic and cardiac spaces of a myocardial phantom (RH-2, Kyoto Kagaku), were filled with technetium-99m and a three-detector SPECT system (GCA 9300-DI, TOSHIBA) was used. The hepatic activity's influence was estimated from a qualitative percent regional scattering and the effects of attenuation and scatter correction were evaluated by a circumferential profile curve. Percent regional scattering increased in reverse to hepato-cardiac distance (HCD) and in proportion to hepatic to cardiac activity ratio (HCR). This tendency was observed the most significantly in the inferior region, followed by in the lateral, anterior and septal regions, declining in this order. An artifactual defect adjacent to the liver was observed when HCR is three and HCD is zero. However, when the Butterworth filter was used with small filtering-sizes and lower orders in combination with attenuation and scatter correction, the defects were decreased up to 15% at counts in the inferior region. This study showed that the hepatic to cardiac activity ratio, and the hepatocardiac distance should be considered for reconstruction of the SPECT images.

Guidelines for clinical use of drugs for involutional osteoporosis will be released soon in Japan. Seven different types of drugs for osteoporosis are in market for clinical use in Japan. Those includes calcium, estrogens, anabolic steroids, calcitonins, active vitamin D3, ipriflavon, and etidronate. The guidelines recommend to clarify the risk factors in each patient before to start administration of drug. Patients with osteopenia are basically recommended to be followed without any drug treatment, but, patients with osteoporosis are generally recommended to be treated with drug after evaluation of risk factors. After menopause, inhibitors of bone resorption would be recommended as a first choice drug. For monitoring effects of treatment, bone mass measurement is so far the first choice, but bone metabolic markers would be used as well.

Over the past decade, methodologies for the assessment of bone mineral density have markedly progressed, so that any sites of the skeleton now can be measured with high degree of accuracy and precision with safety. The number of devices distributed in Japan rapidly increased for the last 5 years and the total number installed nationwide reached over 7000 as with 1998. There are variety of techniques: microdensitometry (MD) or radiographic absorptiometry (RA), single X-ray absorptiometry (SXA), dual X-ray absorptiometry (DXA), quantitative CT (QCT), peripheral QCT, and quantitative ultrasonometry (QUS). There are, however, no such single technique as to fulfill the entire clinical requirements, since the time of initiation of bone loss, and the speed of bone loss are quite different from site to site of the skeleton, so that the correlations of bone density measured by each technique are not sufficiently high (gamma = 0.5-0.8) to predict BMD of other bones by measuring one bone. Since the relatively large amounts of data on the prediction of fracture (hip, spine and others) by these techniques have been accumulated, a specific guideline regarding the appropriate application of these techniques, including multiple combination measurements, should be established based on the worldwide consensus.

The goals of our study were to establish PET accuracy with 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) in finding localized formations of bronchioloalveolar lung carcinoma (BAC) and to investigate the correlation between FDG uptake and the degree of cell differentiation in adenocarcinoma of the lung.Twenty-nine patients with 30 adenocarcinomas of the lung (7 bronchioloalveolar lung carcinomas, 9 well differentiated, 2 well-moderately differentiated, 11 moderately differentiated and 1 poorly differentiated) were studied. All patients underwent thoracotomies within 4 wk after the FDG PET study. For qualitative analysis, the degree of FDG activity in the tumors was visually scored using a five-point grading system: 0 = same to background activity, 1 = less than mediastinal blood-pool activity, 2 = same to mediastinal blood-pool activity, 3 = slightly greater than mediastinal blood-pool activity and 4 = substantially greater than mediastinal blood-pool activity. Foci of activity with Grades 2-4 were considered tumors. For semiquantitative analysis, standardized uptake values (SUV) were calculated.In 7 BACs, 4 lesions (57%) showed negative results on FDG PET, while in 23 non-BACs, only 1 lesion (4%), which was a well-differentiated adenocarcinoma showed a negative result. BACs' mean visual score (1.43 +/- 1.27) was significantly lower than that of non-BACs (3.17 +/- 1.03) (p = 0.001). The BACs' mean SUV (1.36 +/- 0.821) was significantly lower than that of well-differentiated adenocarcinomas (2.92 +/- 1.28) (p = 0.014); the mean SUV of well-differentiated adenocarcinomas was significantly lower than that of moderately differentiated adenocarcinomas (4.63 +/- 1.86) (p = 0.031). No significant differences were apparent in average size among these three histologic types.A correlation was observed between FDG uptake and the degree of cell differentiation in adenocarcinoma of the lung. FDG PET may show negative results for BAC.

The excreted/secreted antigens (ESA) of Toxoplasma gondii are thought to play an important role in the pathogenesis and immune escape of the parasite and the host's immunity to infection with it. In the present study, ESA from peritoneal exudates of infected mice were precipitated with ammonium sulphate (a 40% saturated solution giving the best yield of antigenic components). They were then analysed by immunoblot assay and dot-ELISA using serum samples from 25 patients with toxoplasmosis (19 in the acute phase and six chronic). Three groups of antigens, with molecular masses of 35, 30-32 and 26 kDa, reacted strongly with IgG antibodies, and antigens from two of these groups (30-32 and 26 kDa) also reacted with IgM and IgA.

Quantitative ultrasound (QUS) of the calcaneus is a widely utilized method for bone densitometry. However, the meaning of measured parameters, such as speed of sound (SOS) and broadband attenuation (BUA), is not well established. We performed in vitro measurement of dissected human calcaneus (n = 60; male 29, female 31; mean age 81 years) using two QUS machines and also measured bone densities using SXA, DXA and pQCT. Finally, we investigated breaking strength of the calcaneus and studied the correlation with QUS parameters and other assessed parameters. The two QUS measurements were in good agreement in most experiments. SOS correlated most closely with bone mineral densities assessed by pQCT and did not correlate with factors related to bone size, while BUA showed the highest correlation with BMC and association with parameters related with bone size such as bone area and bone width. With maximal breaking stress of the calcaneus, correlations were almost equal among QUS parameters and bone mineral density. We conclude that SOS is the parameter most closely associated with true bone mineral density (g/cm3), whereas BUA represents both bone mineral density and bone size, mimicing BMD assessed by DXA or SXA.

Fluid-attenuated inversion-recovery (FLAIR) imaging is a technique that produces heavily T2-weighted CSF-nulled images by coupling an inversion pulse followed by long inversion time (TI) to a long echo time (TE) readout. With nulling of the CSF, a tissue abnormality usually becomes the brightest object in the image, thereby improving lesion detection in the brain. The FLAIR technique is also easily adapted to echo-planar imaging (EPI), the most rapid MR imaging technique available. We examined EPI-FLAIR imaging in patients with brain disorders and compared the results with those of turbo-FLAIR and turbo SE T2-weighted imaging. MR imaging was performed on a 1.5 T imager in 29 patients with cerebral infarction and 2 patients with multiple sclerosis. The turbo-SE T2-weighted sequence parameters used were: TR/TE = 4000 ms/99 ms, total scan time = 2 min 12 sec. Turbo-FLAIR sequence parameters were TR/TE/TI = 9000 ms/119 ms/2200 ms, total scan time = 4 min 3 sec. EPI-FLAIR sequence parameters were TE/TI = 60 ms/2200 ms, total scan time = 4.38 sec. EPI-FLAIR images were compared quantitatively and qualitatively with both turbo-FLAIR and turbo-SE T2-weighted images. In the quantiative comparisons of EPI-FLAIR images with turbo-FLAIR and turbo-SE T2-weighted images, lesion-to-white matter contrast and the C/N ratio of EPI-FLAIR images were found to be significantly inferior to both turbo-FLAIR and turbo-SE T2-weighted images (P0.001). In the qualitative comparisons, the lesion detection and conspicuty of EPI-FLAIR images were inferior to those of turbo-FLAIR and turbo-SE T2-weighted images. In conclusion, the image quality of EPI-FLAIR images was inferior to that of both turbo-FLAIR and turbo SE T2-weighted images. EPI-FLAIR should not replace turbo-FLAIR.

This brief review discusses the relationship between genetic polymorphism of drug metabolizing enzyme and drug's safety and efficacy. When elimination occurs via a single metabolic pathway, individual differences in metabolic rates can lead to large differences in drug and metabolite concentrations in the blood. Genetic polymorphism leads to subpopulation of patients with decreased, absent or even increased activities of certain reactions (e.g., CYP2C19, CYP2D6, CYP2C9, N-acetyltransferase, thiopurine methyltransferase polymorphism). The consequences of a genetic polymorphism include not only altered kinetics of specific drug substrate but idiosyncratic adverse drug reactions. Having these information will aid in determining dosage of certain medications to the patients with an inherited abnormality of drug metabolizing enzyme. Pharmacogenetics already has influenced therapeutics.

We compared the effectiveness of treatments and the influence of side effects on liver function and clinical symptoms between segmental SMANCS/ Lip TAI and segmental SMANCS/Lip-TAE. The early tumor response rate of the group treated by TAI was 23.6%, and that of the group treated by TAE was 80.0%. In the group treated by TAE, the therapeutic effects were better in the nodular type than in the diffuse type of HCC, and we were also able to obtain a good tumor response rate on the multiple HCC and large HCC. However, there was no difference in the response period between the groups treated by TAI and TAE. In both groups, there were no significant differences in the appearance rate and degree of side effects. In conclusion, segmental SMANCS/Lip-TAE seemed to be an effective treatment for HCC without any serious complications.

We compared the diagnostic value of [18F]2-fluoro-2-deoxy-D-glucose (FDG) PET imaging and 201Tl SPECT imaging in the detection of primary lung cancer and mediastinal lymph node metastases.Thirty-three patients with histologically-proven primary lung cancer were examined with both FDG PET and TI SPECT (early and delayed scans) within a week of each study. For semiquantitative analysis, the tumor-to-nontumor activity ratio (T-to-N ratio) was calculated.Although both techniques delineated focal lesions with an increase in tracer accumulation in 28 patients, PET identified three additional patients in whom Tl SPECT images did not visualize any lesions on both early and delayed scans. In the detection of lung cancer of less than 2 cm in size, FDG PET provided higher sensitivity (six of seven, 85.7%) than did Tl SPECT early scan (one of seven, 14.3%) and delayed scan (four of seven, 57.1%). Neither technique visualized any lesions in two patients who had bronchioloalveolar carcinoma. The T-to-N ratio was significantly higher with FDG PET (10.39 +/- 6.63) than it was with Tl SPECT (early scan, 2.37 +/- 0.86; delayed scan, 3.01 +/- 1.01) (p0.0001), whereas there was significant positive correlation between the FDG T-to-N ratio and the thallium T-to-N ratio (p0.01). Twenty-two patients had thoracotomies. Regarding the staging of mediastinal nodes, FDG PET detected mediastinal lymph node metastasis that was negative on Tl SPECT, whereas both techniques excluded tumor involvement in enlarged node at CT.Both techniques have clinical value for the noninvasive detection of primary lung cancer that is 2 cm or greater in diameter. However, if a PET camera is available, FDG PET is considered the method of choice for the evaluation of patients with suspected primary lung cancer that is less than 2 cm in diameter.

The purpose of this study was to determine if cutoff frequencies of two-dimensional Butterworth filters need to be changed, depending upon the amount of radiopharmaceutical administered in one-day protocols for reconstructing SPECT images of myocardial perfusion.A scintilation camera and a phantom were used with 2.2 MBq and 10.6 MBq 99mTc. These activities corresponded to the approximate amounts used in our one-day myocardial perfusion imaging protocol. The projection data were collected in 30 positions spread over 180 degrees. Thirty- and 150-sec acquisitions per position were performed to obtain the study and the high-quality reference images. Thirteen cutoff frequencies of the filter were used to reconstruct the SPECT images. Optimal cutoff frequencies were determined by visual assessment and by calculating the normalized mean square error (n.m.s.e). These results were then compared. The same protocol was used to image three volunteers with no heart disease and the images were evaluated visually.In the phantom study, the optimal cutoff frequencies were 0.225 cycles/pixel for 2.2 MBq, and 0.275 cycles/pixel and 0.25 cycles/pixel for 10.6 MBq by visual inspection, and were 0.225 cycles/pixel and 0.275 cycles/pixel by calculating the n.m.s.e., respectively. In the patient study, the lower cutoff frequency of 0.20 cycles/pixel was optimal for the exercise study (low dose), while the higher cutoff frequencies of 0.275 cycles/pixel was optimal for the resting study (high dose).The optimal cutoff frequencies differed for the two activity levels. Cutoff frequencies should be changed according to the amounts of radiopharmaceuticals used for the first and the second examinations in one-day protocols.

The susceptibility of an insect population to a poison is assessed by constructing a dosage-mortality curve in which the dosage is plotted against the percentage mortality at a given period of time. Such a plot produces a sigmoid curve whose asymptotic approaches at the regions of zero and 100% mortality are difficult to define without extensive testing. The use of probit transformation in which the sigmoid curve is converted to a straight line by plotting the logarithm of the dosage against the probit value of percent mortality (Log-Probit paper is available commercially for making these plots) is recommended. This method of computation yields a straight line which greatly facilitates the determination of the LD50 and other values on the plot (Fig. 6.1). Detailed discussions of this method are available in specialized books (Finney 1949, 1952; Swaroop and uemura, 1956; Busvine 1971).

In recent years many of the conventional methods of insect control by broadspectrum synthetic chemicals have come under assault and scrutiny because of their undesirable effects on human health and the environment. As a consequence, new approaches have been tested and implemented. One of these approaches which has captured worldwide attention is the use of analogs and antagonists of insect growth regulators (IGR) such as juvenile hormones (JH), ecdysones, chitin synthesis inhibitors, and related compounds. It must be understood that compounds of this type are also chemicals, but because of their low toxicity to mammals, their selective toxicity toward insect species, and their safety to the environment they can assume a prominent role in the “integrated pest management” program.

In a respiratory system, the mitochondrial electron transport coupled with oxidative phosphorylation is the important step to produce ATP which is vital to any organism and vulnerable to pesticides. During various steps in the glycolysis and the tricarboxylic acid cycle, NAD is reduced to NADH. Also, flavin adenine dinucleotide (FAD) is reduced to FADH2 when succinate is converted to fumarate during the tricarboxylic acid cycle. These two cofactors are reoxidized by passing their reducing power ( H+ + electron) through the mitochondrial electron transport system, eventually to oxygen, reducing it to water (Fig. 17.1). The electron transport system divided into four complexes ( I, II, III, IV) and flavin mononucleotide (FMN), FAD, FeS, coenzyme Q, and cytochromes (b, c1, c, a, a3), constitutes a respiratory carrier chain. The reactions produce energy at the indicated sites, which is utilized for ATP formation from ADP and inorganic phosphate.

Toxic interaction of a chemical with a given biological system is dose-related. Hence, toxicology can be termed the science of doses. The toxicity of an insecticide to an organism is usually expressed in terms of the LD50 (lethal dose), that is, the amount of poison per unit weight of the organism required to kill 50% of the test population. The LD50 is usually expressed in milligrams per kilogram of body weight (mg/kg). Under certain conditions, the term micrograms per insect (µg/insect) may be used when the chemical is applied topically to the insect.

The term pesticide is an all-inclusive word meaning killer of pests (the ending “cide” comes from the Latin “cida”, meaning killer). Pesticides are legally classed as economic poisons and are defined as any substance used for controlling, preventing, destroying, repelling, or mitigating any pest. According to this classification, many chemicals such as attractants, repellents, chemosterilants, hormonal agents, etc., are also designated as pesticides, although from a toxicological viewpoint they may not be directly involved in killing the pest (Table 2.1). Recently, terms like agrochemicals or bioregulators have been proposed to describe pesticides. The main classes of pesticides are shown in Table 2.2.

There are several ways of administering a chemical to an insect. A commonly employed method is topical application, where the insecticide is dissolved in a relatively nontoxic solvent, such as acetone, and small, measured droplets are applied at a chosen location on the body surface. Topical application as is practiced today was made possible by the invention of the micrometer-driven syringe (Trevan 1922) and the use of continuous carbon dioxide anesthesia (Williams 1946). The advantages of this method are: 1. The high degree of precision and reproducibility that can be attained. 2. The large number of tests that can be performed in a relatively short time. 3. The small number of insects (10-20) required per replication. 4. The simple and inexpensive equipment needed. 5. The very small amount of chemicals and solvents used. 6. The fact that the LD50 values obtained for any species are reasonably constant and reproducible from laboratory to laboratory, provided that identical conditions of testing are maintained.

The GABA receptor-chloride ionophore contains the GABA recognition site and binding sites for a variety of agonists and antagonists (Fig. 10.1).

Most insecticides exert their lethal action by virtue of their effects on the nervous system. The reason for this lies in the special sensitivity of the nervous system, which shows irreversible damage, more so than any other tissue in the body. Poisons which affect other organs of the body commonly produce their ultimate effect on the nervous system. For example, atropine (a heart poison) and carbon monoxide (which blocks the oxygen carrying capacity of the blood) exert their lethal effects by depriving the brain’s essential oxygen requirements, causing brain damage. In order to understand how insecticides exert their toxic effects, it is essential to have some fundamental understanding of the physiology and biochemistry of the mammalian and the insect nervous systems, their similarities and their basic differences. The general features of these systems are depicted in Fig. 8.1. Both systems have two important subdivisions in common, namely, the central nervous system and the peripheral nervous system.

There are several types of potential hazards associated with the use of pesticides. People exposed to some highly toxic compounds may suffer short-term or long-term health problems. Excessive residues in the environment may contaminate water supplies and lead to lower water quality. They may contaminate our food through excessive residues on sprayed crops. Pesticides may cause injury to nontarget organisms such as bees, birds, other wildlife, and natural enemies of pest insects. Improperly applied pesticides may cause damage to treated surfaces, or through drift to surfaces adjacent to treated areas. Some pesticides may be phytotoxic, that is, injurious to crops and ornamental plants. The mode of action of pesticides, the symptoms of poisoning they manifest, and therapy are discussed in the text under each functional group of pesticides.

The majority of insecticides are applied as sprays, dusts, granules, microcapsules, vapors, aerosols, or seed dressings. After an insecticide is manufactured in a relatively pure form ( technical grade), it must be formulated before it can be applied. Formulation is the processing of a compound by such methods that will improve its properties of storage, handling, application, effectiveness and safety to the applicator and the environment, and profitability. Formulation is the final physical condition in which the insecticide is sold commercially. In most cases, it must be diluted according to the formulator’s instructions before use. The price for a given weight of chemical depends largely on the type of formulation, the most expensive being the pressurized aerosol.

It has been estimated that plant-parasitic nematodes are as important economically as fungi, bacteria, or viruses. Nematodes distribute about 0.3 m below the soil surface. Meloidogyne, Heterodera, Tylenchulus, Rotylenchulus, and Protylenchulus are important agricultural pest nematodes. To be effective, chemicals must have high volatility at room temperature. Hence, nematicides are generally gases or volatile liquids of comparatively low molecular weight enabling them to penetrate through soils. Nonvolatile nematicides diffuse in soil by watering or mixing in soil. Fumigation is an important method of soil sterilization for the control of soil insects, nematodes, fungi, and weed seeds. It is also very important in the control of stored product insects and fungi provided that the fumigants do not leave toxic residues on the fumigated commodities. Chemical fumigants, because of their high volatility, must be used in enclosed spaces such as greenhouses, food stores, warehouses, and the like. For soil treatment, the surface of the soil must first be covered with a plastic sheet to prevent loss of the fumigant. One of the earliest fumigants used commercially probably was hydrogen cyanide which was used for the control of scale insects on citrus trees in California.

DDT is the common name given to the technical mixture of compounds in which the major component is p, p′-DDT [dichlorodiphenyl trichloroethane; 2, 2-bis (p-chlorophenyl)- 1, 1, 1 -trichloroethane). Pure p, p′-DDT is a white, tasteless, almost odorless crystalline solid. It is practically insoluble in water but soluble in many organic solvents such as acetone, benzene, carbon tetrachloride, kerosene, diesel oil, etc. It is slightly soluble in alcohol (about 2%) . For field application, DDT has been formulated as solutions, emulsifiable concentrates, wettable powders, dusts, and aerosols.

Nicotine has never achieved the prominence that the synthetic insecticides have attained due to its expensiveness, lack of commercially applicable synthesis, extreme toxicity to mammals, and limited insecticidal spectrum. The mode of insecticidal action of nicotine was clarified by Yamamoto (Yamamoto et al. 1962; Yamamoto 1965) and many of the synthetic analogs of nicotine fitted with specific structural feature, required for nicotinoid action showed more or less insecticidal activity ( see Chap. 13). This indicates the validity of the essential moiety, but none have shown any practical utility. Imidacloprid, a novel insecticide, derived synthetically from a nitromethylene insecticidal chemical, nithiazine, is closely related to nicotinoids in mode of action and structure-activity relationships.

The earliest record of an attractant used for economic purposes was an attempt in 1885 to control grasshoppers in California by means of attractive poisoned baits. Later, wine growers in Europe used traps baited with stale beer, sugar water, and old cider to control the grapevine moth. Other baits included lemons and oranges in the formulation, later changed on a chemical basis by substituting amyl alcohol for citrus fruit. A fly bait consisting of a mixture of old casein, brown sugar, and water was considered an excellent attractant. Molasses-yeast baits for peach moth control were added to the list. In the late 1920s, hundreds of aromatic compounds were screened for their attractant properties. Additional impetus was given by the discovery of geraniol as an attractant for the Japanese beetle. A list of many of the old type attractants is given by Dethier (1947).

Induction of hepatocyte growth factor/scatter factor (HGF/SF) may be one of the critical steps in organ regeneration, wound healing, and embryogenesis. We previously reported the production of HGF/SF from various human leukemia cell lines and a high level of the growth factor in blood and bone marrow plasma from patients with various types of leukemia. We determined here the effects of hematopoietic cytokines on HGF/SF production in human leukemia cell lines, KG-1, a myeloid cell line, and RPMI-8226, a B cell line. Interferon (IFN)-gamma remarkably stimulated HGF/SF production in both cell lines at concentrations of more than 0.1 or 1 IU/ml. IFN-alpha and IFN-beta were as effective as IFN-gamma in RPMI-8226 cells, but less than IFN-gamma in KG-1 cells. HGF/SF gene expression in KG-1 cells was also up-regulated by IFN-gamma. Granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF), granulocyte/macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF), interleukin (IL)-5 and IL-6 had no effect on HGF/SF production in the 2 leukemia cell lines. We also determined the effects of HGF/SF inducers known for human fibroblasts on the growth factor production in leukemia cells. Out of phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate (PMA), cholera toxin, IL-1 beta, and tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-alpha, the former three were as effective as IFN-gamma in KG-1 cells, but only TNF-alpha stimulated HGF/SF production in RPMI-8226 cells, whose effect was less than those of IFN-alpha, IFN-beta, and IFN-gamma. The effect of IFN-gamma in KG-1 cells was synergistic with that of PMA. In contrast with the effect in leukemia cells, HGF/SF induction by IFN-gamma in human skin fibroblasts was much less than that by PMA or cholera toxin. These results indicated that IFN-gamma is a potent inducer of HGF/SF in human leukemia cells. This finding suggests the presence of a homeostatic control mechanism in liver regeneration and repair: hepatic injury, DNA synthesis inhibition, or apoptosis caused by IFN-gamma is subsequently overcome by cytokine-induced HGF/SF, a potent promoter of liver DNA synthesis.

Air in epidural hematoma has previously been reported by some authors. With the advent of CT scan, the presence of air in epidural hematomas is not uncommon findings. In our series, 27 of 78 (34.6%) cases with acute epidural hematoma had air bubbles in epidural hematoma on CT scan. Acute epidural hematoma was located in the temporal in 18, frontal in 3, occipital in 2, parietal in one and posterior fossa in 3 cases. The air entrance was thought to be mastoid air cells in 13, open fracture in 5, frontal sinus in 3, sphenoid sinus in 3, and unknown in 3 cases. No patients in our series developed meningeal infection or tension pneumocephalus. There was no statistical difference of overall outcome or risk of increase in size of hematoma between acute epidural hematoma with and without air.

We presented a case of tuberous sclerosis (TS) associated with subependymal giant cell astrocytoma (SEGC) and renal angiomyolipoma (RAML). A 19-year-old female, who had been diagnosed as TS since she was 3 months old, was admitted with complaints of headache, vomiting, and abdominal pain. At 10 years of age, a ventricular tumor was shown on CT, and at 16 years of age a ventricular peritoneal shunt was placed for obstructive hydrocephalus. On admission, an abdominal CT showed bilateral renal huge multicystic tumors with hemorrhage, which were diagnosed as RAMLs. CT and MRI showed an intraventricular tumor near the foramen of Monro, and this tumor was removed through a transcortical approach. The pathological diagnosis was SEGA. Large sized RAMLs were identified by CT. Although TS is often associated with additional tumors in the brain, heart, kidney, and other organs, the combination of SEGA and RAML is quite rare. If ventricular peritoneal shunt is placed in a TS patient, risk of shunt malfunction should be taken into account.

We present a case of transitional cell carcinoma of the bladder visualized by 99mTc-HMDP bone scintigraphy and suggest possible uptake mechanisms. Pelvic CT demonstrated a sessile bladder tumor with punctate and curvilinear calcifications on the surface areas (incrustation). Technetium-99m-HMDP bone scintigraphy demonstrated intense uptake corresponding to the site of the bladder tumor. Chemisorption of urinary 99mTc-HMDP, rather than of blood-born 99mTc-HMDP, may have occurred at the tumor surface.