In order to study the clinical efficacy of Ninjin-youei-to (Ren-shen-yang-rong-tang) the authors administered it to five cases of aplastic anema (AA) and two cases of primary acquired refractory anemia (PARA). It was found to be clinically effective in three of the AA cases and one case of PARA. The percentage of improvement of anemia and platelet counts were 43% and 57%, respectively, but no effects were seen on the white blood cell count. This suggested that the mechanism of effect of this Chinese herb was to not only stimulate the stem cell directy, but also to activate the stromal cells of the microenvironmental system indirectly.

OBJECTIVE: We wanted to clarify the relationship between the visibility of air cysts on CT images, the CT slice thickness and the size of the air cysts, with contact radiographs as the gold standard, for the accurate evaluation of honeycomb cysts. MATERIALS AND METHODS: An inflated and fixed autopsied lung having idiopathic interstitial pneumonia was evaluated. The corresponding air cysts were identified on the contact radiographs of a 0.5 mm-thick-section specimen and also on the CT images of three different kinds of section thickness: 0.5, 1.0 and 2.5 mm. The maximal diameters of the air cysts were measured under a stereomicroscope. RESULTS: A total of 341 air cysts were identified on the contact radiograph, and they were then evaluated. Sixty-six percent of air cysts 1 to 2 mm in diameter were detected by 0.5 mm slice thickness CT, while only 34% and 8% were detected by 1.0 and 2.5 mm slice thickness CT, respectively. Only 28% and 22% of air cysts less than 1 mm in diameter were detected by 0.5 and 1.0 mm slice thickness CT, respectively. CT with a 2.5 mm slice thickness could not demonstrate air cysts less than 1 mm in diameter. CONCLUSION: The CT detection rate of honeycombing is significantly influenced both by the slice thickness and the size of the air cysts.
Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; Cadaver ; Cysts/*radiography ; Female ; Humans ; Lung Diseases/pathology/*radiography ; Tissue Fixation/methods ; *Tomography, X-Ray Computed

We have determined the plasma 8-hydroxy-deoxyguanosine (8-OHdG) levels during endurance exercise. Eight untrained male subjects completed a 10-km run. Plasma 8-OHdG, total coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10), ubiquinol, and thiobarbituric acid (TBA) concentrations were measured after exercise. Plasma 8-OHdG concentrations significantly decreased immediately after (0.21±0.13 ng/ml, p<0.01) and 1 hr after (0.23±0.09 ng/ml, p<0.05) the run compared to the resting values (0.36±0.09 ng/ml). Both plasma CoQ10 and ubiquinol concentrations significantly increased (p<0.05) immediately after the run compared to the resting values. On the other hand, plasma TBA concentrations did not change significantly at any point after the run. These results suggest that, during and after submaximal endurance exercise in this study, an augmented antioxidant defence system such as CoQ10 might thus play a role in the decrease of 8-OHdG in the plasma, and that exercise might stimulate the repair of oxidative damage to DNA.

Allergological characteristics were studied on 36 patients with respiratory diseases (30 cases of bronchial asthma, 3 cases of diffuse panbronchiolitis, 3 cases of allergic granulomatous angitis, and 1 case of bronchiectasia) who received spa therapy at Misasa Branch Hospital.
1. The results obtained in patients with bronchial asthma were as follows:
Serum IgE levels were generally low, and many cases with less than 301IU/ml were observed (185±184/ml in female patients and 469±532IU/ml in male patients). The rate of positive skin reactions to various allergens was low in these asthma cases. A rather low rate of positive skin reaction to house dust, in particular, was characteristic. In regard to the rate of releasing chemical mediators such as bistamine and leukotrienes from leukocytes stimulated by Ca ionophore A 23187, a wide variety of cases were observed (histamine, 3.4-51.1%; LT B₄ 9.8-119.8ng/10⁶ cell; LT C₄, 3.5-43.8ng/10⁶ cells). By analyzing cell components in bronchoalveolar lavage fluids (BALF), notable increase in the number of eosinophils were observed especially in male patients, although no other significant differences were shown between the two groups.
2. In those patients with respiratory diseases other than asthma, a remarkable increase in the number of neutrophils in BALF was seen in diffuse panbronchiolitis cases and a remarkable increase in the number of eosinophils in BALF was seen in the cases of allergic granulomatous angities. Serum IgE levels were low in both of these cases.

Annual changes in age, age at onset, incidence of cases with steroiddependent intractable asthma, clinical asthma types and clinical efficacy rate were examined in 256 patients with chronic respiratory diseases, especially in 203 cases with bronchial asthma, admitted to Misasa Branch Hospital from 1982 to 1989.
1. A number of patients with respiratory diseases as well as asthmatics admitted each year, having spa therapy, increased from early year (1982) to later year (1989).
2. A number in cases with 40 year or over of age (also with 60 year or over of age) and cases with 40 year or over of age at onset showed a tendency to increase in later three years (1987-1989). A decreased frequency of cases with steroid-dependent asthma and of cases with type II (bronchiolar obstruction type) was observed in the later three years.
3. The clinical efficacy of spa therapy for bronchial asthma was Niger in the later three years than in early three years (1982-1984).