Localization of substance P-like immunoreactivity in guinea pig vestibular endorgans and the vestibular ganglion.

The immunocytochemical distribution of substance P (SP) in guinea pig vestibular endorgans and the vestibular ganglion was investigated. Two kinds of SP-immunoreactive fibers were distinguished. Most were thick, and found around or beneath sensory hair cells. These SP-immunoreactive fibers were distributed predominantly on the slope of the crista and the peripheral region of the macula. By electron microscopy, we confirmed this type of SP-like immunoreactivity to be restricted within primary afferent neurons. Some vestibular ganglion cells also showed SP-like immunoreactivity, suggesting that SP is present in some primary afferent neurons, and is involved in afferent neurotransmission. The characteristic distribution of SP may indicate functional differences within each endorgan. The other group of immunoreactive nerve fibers, varicous thin fibers, could be found in the stroma of vestibular endorgans, nerve trunk, vestibular ganglion, and along blood vessels of the vestibular ganglion. These fibers may have a different origin, and have an influence on blood flow and certain other functions.

Immunocytochemical study of the GABA system in chicken vestibular endorgans and the vestibular ganglion.

The immunocytochemical distribution of gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA), GABA synthesizing enzyme; L-glutamate decarboxylase (GAD) and degradative enzyme; GABA transaminase (GABA-T) in the chicken vestibular endorgans and the vestibular ganglion was investigated. GABA and GAD-like immunoreactivity were confined to the sensory hair cell cytoplasm, suggesting that GAD synthesizes GABA in the hair cell. GABA-T-like immunoreactivity, indicative of GABA degradation, was found around hair cells, along nerve fibers running through the stroma and within the ganglion cell. These immunocytochemical findings indicate that the GABAergic system exists in the chicken vestibular endorgans and that GABA may function as an afferent neurotransmitter at the level of hair cells.

Preprotachykinin A mRNA detected by in situ hybridization in guinea pig vestibular ganglion.

In situ hybridization histochemistry was conducted to examine the expression of mRNA encoding preprotachykinin A (PPTA), the precursor of the neuropeptide substance P (SP) and neurokinin A (NKA), in guinea pig vestibular ganglion. Signals for PPTA mRNA moderately accumulated on most ganglion cells. SP and NKA are thus confirmed to be present in vestibular ganglion cells of the guinea pig.

Chronic sinusitis and woodworking as risk factors for cancer of the maxillary sinus in northeast Japan.

In the period 1983 to 1985, 66 patients presented to six Japanese university hospitals with squamous cell carcinoma of the maxillary sinus. Using self-administered questionnaires, a case-control study was conducted to examine history of nasal diseases, occupational exposures, and other possible risk factors for this disease. For each patient, two controls were selected from the general population, matched to the patient by sex, age (+/- 5 years), and district of residence. A history of chronic sinusitis was associated with a 2.3-fold increase in risk (p = 0.05). A high relative risk was also observed in males with an occupational history of woodworking or joinery, particularly when these jobs involved sanding or lathing practices (RR = 7.5, p = 0.02). No association between cigarette smoking and maxillary sinus cancer was observed in this study and no evidence was found that indoor air pollution in the home is involved in cancer development.

Unidirectional vestibular habituation in the squirrel monkey. The time course and its influence on optokinetic nystagmus.

Twenty clockwise (CW) angular stimulations were given daily to squirrel monkeys over a 14-calendar day period. The gain of vestibulo-ocular reflex (VOR) to CW angular acceleration decreased after each daily session. Particularly, the maximum reduction of VOR was found after the first day's session. The reduction was retained until the time of the next day's session. But, the across-day course of the VOR reduction showed up-and-down sinusoidal patterns in all animals. With respect to the effect on optokinetic nystagmus (OKN), an increase of counter-clockwise (CCW) OK responses after repeated CW vestibular stimulations was found; however, there was no clear retention of this response modification across daily sessions.

Experimental studies on mechanism of the Menière's attack: investigation into vestibulo-cochlear response of the guinea pig induced by potassium ion.

After introducing potassium ion through the round window into the perilymphatic space of 40 guinea pigs by means of iontophoresis, physiological and histochemical investigations were performed to determine the role of the high perilymphatic potassium concentration in the vertiginous attack of Ménière's disease. About 15 min after the iontophoretic procedure, electronystagmography revealed irritative nystagmus for the first 5 min and then paralytic nystagmus for the following 6 to 24 hr. Histochemical analysis of the vestibular sensory epithelia revealed the increased activity of succinic dehydrogenase and Na-K-ATPase during irritative nystagmus and the decreased activity during paralytic nystagmus. The Na-K-ATPase activity was dominant in the synaptic area between the hair cells and the nerve-endings of the vestibular sensory epithelia. There was some delay between the reversal of nystagmus-direction and the change of enzyme activity. This delay was thought to be produced by the central regulatory mechanism for the disturbed tonus-balance in the vestibular nucleus. On the other hand, electrocochleography revealed the decrease of the action potential without any initial irritative cochlear sign, and the enzyme activity of the cochlear sensory cells was decreased from the beginning.

[Evaluation of clinical efficacy of sulbenicillin following surgery of malignant maxillary tumors. Transport of sulbenicillin to the exudates from the surgical wound of the maxilla and its therapeutic effects].

In order to know the amount of sulbenicillin (SB-PC) transported to the maxillary sinus through the blood supply after injecting by intravenous drip infusion, the authors measured SB-PC content of the exudate which was gathered from the exploratory operative maxillary sinus. This measurement was performed 3 times at 2, 4 and 6 hours after injecting 5 g of SB-PC by intravenous drip infusion. From results of these measurements, it became obvious that the SB-PC content reached to the maximum value (24.5 +/- 16.69 mcg/ml) at 2--4 hours after the injection. Next, the preventive and therapeutic effect on the postoperative maxillary infection was evaluated for 13 patients of maxillary cancer. The effect was excellent in 2 cases (16.7%), good in 8 cases (66.7%) and fair in 2 cases (16.7%). So, the ratio of effectiveness was 83.3%. The side effect of SB-PC was observed only in 1 patient who complained of palpitation, but it was not severe.

[Effect of combined BCG and UFT therapy of human maxillary cancer transplanted into nude mice].

Twenty male 5-6 week-old nude mice transplanted with human maxillary cancer (MC-Ya) were divided into 4 groups. Group I was treated with oral administration of 0.2 ml of 0.9% saline solution daily for 10-30 days, and served as control. Group II was treated with oral administration of 1 mg/mouse of BCG once a week for 10-30 days. Group III was treated with oral administration of 15 mg/kg of UFT daily for 10-30 days. Group IV was treated with the combination therapy of BCG and UFT. In comparison of the treatment effects in 4 groups, following results were obtained: 1) Mouse immunosuppressive acidic protein in the sera of nude mouse elevated in all groups, especially in group III. 2) The inhibitory effect on the growth of tumor was observed in group III and IV, especially in group IV, but not in group II. 3) The reason why the growth-inhibitory effect was observed more remarkably in group IV than in group III, would be explainable as the immunosuppression by UFT was restored by the immunostimulating effect of BCG.

[The effect of PSK on laryngeal cancer].

In order to examine effects of PSK (polysaccharide Kureha) on laryngeal cancer, clinical results of 28 patients treated by PSK were compared with those of 31 of the historical control group. Three months after treatments, the PSK group showed a higher cumulative survival rate and better results in immunological parameters such as counts of peripheral lymphocyte, PPD and PHA skin reaction. However, these differences between the PSK group and the control group were not significant statistically, except peripheral leucocyte counts. The side effect was found in one patient who complained of stomach discomfort after applicating PSK.

[Multidisciplinary treatment of malignant melanoma of the nose and paranasal sinuses--with special reference to oral administration of enterosoluble BCG capsules].

In authors' clinic, seven patients with malignant melanoma of the nasal cavity and paranasal sinuses were treated with "per oral BCG" immunotherapy combined with other treatments for 3 years and 7 months from September 1978 to March, 1982. Eighty mg of BCG was enclosed in an enterosoluble capsule and administered to these patients orally once a week. Total doses of BCG administered were ranged from 2,240 mg to 11,860 mg. These treatments were effective for metastasis to the lung, but ineffective against the abdominal metastasis. Immunological parameters of these patients indicated good scores during the treatments. Mean survival time of four cases who died was 3 years and 3 months, and three other cases lived for 5 months, 11 months, and 2 years and 10 months, respectively. On the other hand, mean survival time of six historical control cases was 1 year and 10 months. Multidisciniplinary treatment was thought to be effective to extend their survival time. Three cases complained of arthralgia as a side effect by oral BCG administration.

[Influence of superior cervical ganglion stimulation of vestibular function].

The sympathetic nervous system, which originates in the superior cervical ganglion (SCG) and is distributed in vestibular end organs, has been proposed to have some influence on vestibular function. The present investigation was conducted to assess the effects of unilateral electrical stimulation of the SCG, administration of a vasopressor drug, and introduction of KCl (0.7 M/ml) into the tympanic cavity on vestibular function in alert guinea pigs. Nystagmus was not observed as result of electrical irritation of the SCG (22 test animals), infusion of the KCl solution into the middle ear cavity (5 test animals), or the combination of SCG stimulation and vasopressor drug administration (7 test animals). However, when the SCG was stimulated electrically after introduction of the KCl solution into the ipsilateral cavity, nystagmus and postural deviation were observed (5 out of 12 animals). Furthermore, after the administration of a vasopressor drug to these 12 animals, irrespective of the manifestation of nystagmus, the same changes took place in response to the electrical stimulation (7 animals). These results suggest that SCB stimulation is a provocative factor for nystagmus, that infusion of KCl solution into the tympanic cavity induces a hypersensitive state in the inner ear, and that high blood pressure increases this hypersensitivity.

[Anatomical study of the superior jugular bulb by use of high-resolution computed tomography].

Using high-resolution computed tomography, the relationship between the superior jugular bulb and the tympanic cavity was analysed in 40 subjects. Until now, the superior jugular bulb was thought to lie below the floor of the hypotympanum, however, the following observations were made from this study: 1) In 48 (60%) out of 80 temporal bones (40 cases), the top of the superior jugular bulb was situated in the higher level than the floor of the hypotympanum. 2) In 9 cases, the jugular bulb was separated from the tympanic cavity by only thin bony wall. This finding was noticed on the right side in 8 cases and was bilateral in a case. 3) In 21 cases (52.5%), the right jugular bulb was situated in higher level than the left, and the reverse finding was noticed only in 4 cases (10.0%). The reason why the right jugular bulb is frequently higher than the left was thought to be related to its function. Namely, the jugular bulb is useful to absorb the pulsation of the carotid artery, therefore, it was considered that the anatomical and physiological differences between the right and left carotid arteries induce the asymmetry of the jugular bulbs.