Potential bioavailability of phosphorus in citrus orchard soil to Microcystis aeruginosa.

Algal blooms in eutrophic water bodies are controlled by inputs of phosphorus (P) as the growth-limiting nutrient. Runoff particulate P associated with soil from fields often predominates among P fractions. Here, an algal bioassay to investigate the potential bioavailability of particulate P in soil collected from a citrus orchard was conducted. Microcystis aeruginosa was cultured in medium containing soil as the sole source of P. The P in the soil was not notably solubilized after autoclaving. Analyses of chlorophyll-a, suspended solids, particulate organic carbon, and particulate organic nitrogen showed that M. aeruginosa could utilize some of the P present in the soil, perhaps that in particulate form, but this form of P was not sufficient to maintain optimum growth.

Contribution of brain injury to hypertension following intravenously-administered pancuronium in rats.

Abnormal hypertension sometimes occurs following intravenous administration (i.v.) of pancuronium in patients with brain injury. The present experiment was designed to determine whether brain injury contributes to the hypertensive response of i.v. pancuronium. Forty-six Wister strain rats were studied, of which 39 had induced brain injury at (a) upper pons (b) midbrain (c) thalamus region (excluding hypothalamus) and (d) cerebellum or a combination of these sites. The injury was made by single insertion of a 22 Gauge needle through the skull surface. The quantity of pancuronium solution administered i.v. in each case was 1.0 ml containing either 0.8 mg/kg or 8 mg/kg of pancuronium. Group A (n = 7) had no brain injury and the mean arterial pressure (MAP) did not change following i.v. administration of pancuronium. In Group B (n = 9) (a+b+c, 8.0 mg/kg) MAP rose from 90.9 +/- 15.4 to 102 +/- 22.0 mmHg and in Group C (n = 7) (a+b+c, 0.8 mg/kg) MAP rose from 148.4 +/- 13.3 to 160 +/- 14.4 mmHg. In Group D (n = 5) (b+c, 8.0 mg/kg) MAP remained unchanged. In Group E (n = 5) (a, 8.0 mg/kg) MAP rose from 130.3 +/- 18.7 to 146 +/- 27.6 mmHg and in Group F (n = 6) (a, 0.8 mg/kg) MAP rose from 129.7 +/- 15.6 to 135.8 +/- 13.8 mmHg. In Group G (n = 7) (d, 8.0 mg/kg) MAP remained unchanged. Since the MAP was elevated in only those groups that received injury in the upper pons, we concluded that injury in the upper pons can lead to hypertension following i.v. administration of pancuronium.

[Neoadjuvant chemotherapy for elderly advanced gastric cancer: a case report of MTX/5-FU sequential therapy followed by radical gastrectomy].

A 70-year-old-male was diagnosed as having gastric cancer (Borr. 2, 78 mm in size on the body region; mod. dif. adenocarcinoma). CT scan revealed direct invasion of the liver. A course of MTX/5-FU sequential therapy was started (MTX 100 mg/m2, 5-FU 500 mg/m2, i.v., weekly; interval, 2 hours) on March 23, 1992. The gastric tumor showed 67% reduction on week 8 and 86% on week 10. The liver invasion had almost disappeared by CT scan (total doses, MTX 1,040 mg, 5-FU 6,750 mg). On June 25, the tumor was completely resected by radical.gastrectomy. The pathological specimen showed a "submucosal carcinoma" (10 mm in size, Stage I). Twenty-two months after the operation, the patient is alive and in good health. No cancer recurrence has been found without post-operative chemotherapy.