The serum cholinestrase activity levels of 378-433 residents of the citrus fruit area of Ikata-cho, Nishiuwa-gun, Ehime Prefecture were measured three times (nine times in the N area) according to the Shibata-Takahashi method in an attempt to conduct an epidemiological study on the factors responsible for the drops.
1. The distribution of serum cholinestrase activity levels is practically normal. The mean value and standard deviation are 0.720±0.116-0.751±0.15ΔpH for males and 0.724±0.152-0.749±0.138ΔpH. The rate of persons with slight drops (0.60-0.75ΔpH) stands at 5.18-64.4%, that of persons with intermediate drops (0.30-0.55ΔpH) at 4.3-13.0% and that of persons with high drops (less than 0.30ΔpH) at 0%.
2. There is no sex and area differences in the serum cholinestrase activity level, but significantly lower values are registered by aged males (in their 60's and 70's) and females in their 30's than the mean value.
3. It is surmised that the age, physical constitution and other physiological factors, heat, fatigue, and food are correlated to the drops in the cholinestrase activity level. The effects of organophosphorous insecticides and other agents harmful to serum cholinestrase are unknown.
4. The incidence of anemia is high among those whose serum cholinestrase level is low at all times. Among the males, a positive correlation with the Hb value is observed. In addition, there is one case seized with uterine myoma.

The immature strobilae without scolex was spontaneously discharged from 72 years old male in Ehime Prefecture. Morphological features were identical to the Charactaristics of Diplogonoporus grandis. This is the record of the 4th case from the Ehime Prefecture.

Some fragments of gravid proglottids of diphyllobothriid cestodes were evacuatedspontaneously, and complete strobila with scolex was expelled after the treatment with bithionol from a 35-year-old man in Ehime Prefecture, Where diphyllobothriasis has scarcely been recorded. The cestodes was identified as Diphyllobothrium latum by the following morphological characters: thin, weakly muscled strobila, with clavate scolex: distal end of uterus extending posteromediad to uterin pore, forming an acute angle with ventral surface of segment, genital pore and uterine pore widely separated; vagina turning abruptly ventrad just ventral to seminal vesicle, forming an angle of near 60°; there is a constriction between segments and often an area without testes and vitellaria; ovary with no anterior horns seen; the smooth surface of the egg-shell with shallow and widely spaced pits (scanning electron micrograph)

In order to observe the effects of organophosphorus compounds on lipid metabolism, 4mg of prothiofos, cyanofenphos or 1mg of chlorpyrifos were administered per os to different groups of rats, and the results were as follows;
1) Serum cholinesterase activity was significantly suppressed in the experimental group administered these pesticides compared with the control group, administered salad oil only.
2) The lipase activity in the liver was suppressed by administration of prothiofos and that in the kidney was also suppressed by cyanofenphos. There was a close positive correlation between the cholinesterase and lipase activity in epididymal adipose tissues of rats administered prothiofos or cyanofenphos. Furthermore, the positive correlation between the cholinesterase and lipase activity in the kidney was close on day 2 after administration.
3) The acyl CoA synthetase activity in the liver of rats administered cyanofenphos was signifcantly lower than that of the control group, and there was close positive correlation between the cholinesterase and acyl CoA synthetase activity in the rats administered prothiofos.
4) The serum concentration of beta-lipoprotein decreased in the group administered cyanofenphos or chlorpyrifos.
5) The suppression of the lipase and acyl CoA synthetase activity was independent of the serum concentration of immunoreactive insulin.

In order to observe the effect of organophosphorus compound, cyanofenphos (0-ethyl 0-4 -cyanophenyl phenylphosphonothioate) (CYP) on the glucose metabolism, 20 mg/kg of CYP was repeatedly administered per os to male Wistar rats, weighing approximately 150g. The supression of the serum and brain cholinesterase activity increased with times of administration, but muscular strength of extremities was not suppressed. The concentration of serum glucose, however, was enhanced in spite of the increase in the concentration of serum insulin. The mechanism of hyperglucosaemia resulted from the supression of the incorporation of glucose into cells in peripheral tissues without the activation of glycogen phosphorylase and suppression of glycogen synthetase activity. It was suggested that the suppression of the incorporation of gulcose into cells resulted from inhibition of insulin receptors or entry sites of glucose in cells by cyanofenphos.
The relation between disturbances of the glucose metabolism and the delayed neurotoxicity was discussed.

On effects of various organophosphorus insecticides such as chlorfenvinphos (phosphate type), EPN (phosphonothionate type), fenitrothion (phosphorothionate type) and mecarbam (phosphorothiolothionate type), and carbaryl (carbamate) on serum pseudocholinesterase, serum nonspecific esterase, serum lipoprotein lipase, adipose tissue lipase and epinephrineinduced lipolysis, this investigation was caried out in vitro. The results were as follows;
1. These insecticides caused a dose-dependent inhibition of serum nonspecific esterase activity as well as serum pseudocholinesterase. Chlorfenvinphos exhibited the strongest inhibition of serum pseudocholinesterase, but severe inhibition of serum nonspecific esterase was recognized carbaryl rather than chlorfenvinphos.
2. Carbaryl and fenitrothion caused slight stimulation of the serum lipoprotein lipase activity with addition of 10^-5 M, but inhibited this enzyme with 10^-3 M of these insecticides
3. Addition of ^10-3 M of these insecticides caused inhibition of adipose tissue lipase in lipolytic system using ediol as substrate. These insecticides also inhibited epinephrineinduced lipolysis as well as inhibition of the adipose tissue lipase.
4. On the base of these findings, it was suggested that these insecticides caused the inhibition of lipolysis by direct suppression of adipose tissue lipase without reference to cAMP dependent proteinkinase.

Blood enzymes and lipids that might cause fluctuations with organophosphate pesticides were measured before and after spraying mecarbam with the conventional way using the nozzle on 76 farmers (37 males and 39 females) in citrat fluit area of Ehime Prefeture.
1. Serum pseudocholinesterase activity measured by the method of Voss et al. was found to be reduced significantly in the female group after spraying over 2 l mecarbam (P>0.05) and remained to be the control level in other groups after spraying.
2. The values of serum pseudocholinesterase activity measured by the method of Bellino et al. was correlated (γ=0.78) with the values by the method of Voss et al., but erythrocyte acetylcholinesterase activity measured by the method of Bellino et al. did not show any fluctuation after spraying in all the groups.
3. There was no increase in both β-glucronidase and alkaline phosphatase activity in sera.
4. Total cholesterol and HDL-cholesterol levels in sera decreased significantly in males (P<0.05), but did not decrease in females after spraying.
Based on these results, we suggested that spraying of mecarbam for 4 hours with wearing protectors might not induced any danger in farmers.

In the present study, we undertook the investigation into health conditions and subjective symptomes by spraying pesticides on farmers in citrus fruit area in Ehime Prefecture.
65 males and 138 females were examined for their health conditions in August, 1981 and the prevalence rate of anemia was 6.2% in males and 37.0% in females, that of hypertension was 20.0% in males and 20.3% in females, and that of the disturbance of liver function was 17.0% in males and 2.8% in females. There was a serious problem in farmers that the subjects taken these diseases usually sprayed pesticides.
The investigation into subjective symptomes by spraying pesticides was performed for 50 males and 54 females from May to July, 1981. The frequency of spraying pesticides was about 2.5 times per sprayer in May and June, but about 5 times in July. Time of spraying was about 5 hours and dithiocarbamates was most frequently used. The tendency of combinational use with several pesticides was recognized in July than in May and June. The wearing rates of waterproof coat and trausers were high but those of dustproof mask and rubber gloves were low. The incidence rate of subjective symptomes by spraying pesticides was 10.4% in males and 17.0% in females in May, 14.3% in males and 27.8% in females in June, and increased to 42.0% in males and 63.0% in females in July. Skin lesion was the most frequent symptome, excessive sweating and general fatigue followed this. Further studies on skin hazards due to pesticides are necessary.

In the present study, we undertook the investigation into skin hazards caused by pesticides on farmers in citrus fruit area in Ehime Prefecture from May to September, 1981.
1) 71.4% in males and 68.5% in females were recognized to have had the contact dermatitis due to pesticides. Dithianone, maneb and manzeb were pesticides which frequently caused skin lesions.
2) The incidence rate of skin hazards caused by spraying pesticides was 0% in males and 3.8% in females in May, 8.2% in males and 13.0% in females in June, and increased to 26.0% in males and 50.0% in females in July.
3) The highest incidence rate on skin lesions due to pesticides in July were observed in farmers who had been engaged in the spraying, and the next dangerous work was the thinning out the superfluous fruits, followed by weeding and so forth.
4) Positive reaction of patch testing was revealed in 0%, 18.8% and 50.0%, with 0.01%, 0.1% and 0.5% preparations of dithianone, and negative reactions were revealed with preparations of thiophanate-methyl, maneb and manzeb, respectively.
These observations suggest that the mechanism of skin lesions due to pesticides was mainly the primary irritating type of contact dermatitis, and that spraying in combination with several pesticides, sweating and hard sunlight take part in skin lesions.