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We report two cases of spontaneous bladder rupture. Preoperative diagnosis was difficult and the correct diagnosis was made at surgery. Reviewing the initial abdominopelvic CT of our second patient, the bladder wall defect and blood attenuation near the bladder were observed. These findings were consistent with the operative findings, and would have led to correct preoperative diagnosis if we had had sufficient knowledge of spontaneous bladder rupture. Under urinary catheterization, ascites and free intraperitoneal air were identified in both patients. These findings were indistinguishable from those for bowel perforation, which was our preoperative diagnosis. Significant changes in ascites volume between pre and post urinary catheterization can be an indication of spontaneous bladder rupture.

In order to investigate how alpha2(VI) collagen gene is regulated by inflammatory cytokines in cultured rabbit articular chondrocytes, we examined the effect of interleukin-1beta (IL-1beta) on this collagen mRNA expression. Polylayer cultures of chondrocytes were exposed to IL-1beta (0.1, 1, 10 ng/ml). Quantitative detection of specific mRNA for this collagen was carried out by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). Furthermore, to investigate the effect of hyaluronic acid (HA) on alpha2(VI) collagen mRNA expression by IL-1beta chondrocytes were exposed to IL-1beta (10 ng/ml) in the presence of HA (0.01, 0.1, 1 mg/ml) with molecular weight of 900 kDa. Chondrocytes were also exposed to IL-1beta (10 ng/ml) in the presence of HA (1 mg/ml) with molecular weights of 200, 900 and 2000 kDa. Alpha2(VI) collagen mRNA expression was decreased significantly in chondrocytes cultured with 1 and 10 ng/ml of IL-1beta. However, the addition of both IL-1beta and HA (0.1, 1 mg/ml) or both IL-1beta and HA (1 mg/ml) with all the molecular weight significantly suppressed these reduced mRNA levels. No tendency for this suppression to depend on the molecular weight was observed. These results suggest that suppression of transcriptional activity for type VI collagen will be associated with the reduction of cartilage matrix tissue and that HA will be associated with the suppression of the effect of IL-1beta.

The follicular cells of Xenopus laevis are known to have various types of receptors such as ␤-adrenergic-[1], muscarinic [2,3], , , adenosine- [8][9][10], and purinergic receptors [3,[11][12][13] in their cytoplasmic membranes. Among the agonists (transmitters or hormones) for these receptors, noradrenaline and ATP are released from sympathetic nerve endings [14], and acetylcholine is released from parasympathetic nerve endings. FSH and LH are released from the hypophysis and delivered via circulating blood. The blood is also known to contain several M of adenosine and ATP [15]. When these agonists stimulate their receptors, they trigger the activation of various intracellular enzyme systems, which subsequently synthesize intracellular second messengers such as cyclic adenosine 3Ј,5Ј-monophosphate (cAMP), diacylglycerol (DAG), and inositol 1,4,5-triphosphate (IP 3 ). These second messengers initiate or modulate various kinds of intracellular signaling of the cells, which are considered necessary for oocyte maturation.Xenopus follicles consist of a single large oocyte surrounded by a monolayer of small follicle cells attached to the oocyte by gap junctions. The gap junctions have connexin channels, which can permeate various molecules and ions smaller than a molecular weight of 1,000, including second messengers such as cAMP, IP 3 , and Ca

Infantile and maternal choriocarcinoma is a very rare disease. We report a case with the characteristic clinical features of infantile choriocarcinoma: developing anemia, hemorrhagic liver tumors, rapid progression to death and maternal choriocarcinoma. Bone scintigraphy showed increased uptake by the liver tumors. In this case there were two possible primary sites: the placenta of this pregnancy and a hydatidiform mole that had been present 2 years previously.

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The authors have verified the presence of cortisol-binding protein in the rat lens, using gel filtration and cortisol-4-[¹⁴C]. Two methods of isolation of the cortisol-binding protein were used – a precipitation method and DEAE chromatography. Cortisol-binding activity was found to be located mostly in the β-crystallin fraction in the soluble protein of the lens. The authors propose to call it cortisol-binding crystallin. The factors influencing the binding capacity for cortisol by crystallin in the lens have been studied, and a possible role is suggested for cortisol-binding by crystallin in the lens in the formation of steroid cataracts.