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Experiments evaluated the hypothesis that angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibition suppresses hyperglycemia-induced nitrotyrosine (NT) production in the renal cortex.Rats were untreated (UNTR, n = 6) or received the ACE inhibitor enalapril (20 mg/kg/day; ENAL, n = 6) for 2 weeks. Renal cortical slices were incubated for 90 min in media containing 5 (normal) or 20 mmol/L (high) glucose. Superoxide anion (O2*-) and nitrate + nitrite (NO(X)) levels were measured in the media. Superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity and NT content were measured in the tissue homogenate.In the UNTR group, high glucose increased O2*- and NO(X) production by the renal cortex (P0.05 vs. normal glucose). Likewise, NT content and SOD activity of the renal cortex augmented (P0.05 vs. normal glucose). In the ENAL group, O2*- production and NT content were glucose-insensitive, but high glucose exerted an exaggerated impact on NO(X) production and SOD activity (P0.01 vs. UNTR in high glucose).Accelerated NT content in the renal cortex during high-glucose conditions was prevented by ACE inhibitor treatment. It was suggested that, apart from its anti-hypertensive effect, the mechanism of suppressed NT degradation in the renal cortex by the ACE inhibitor enhances both O2*- degradation per se and antioxidative effects including SOD activation.

Factors which could influence serum erythropoietin (s-EPO) levels in patients with chronic pulmonary diseases were investigated, paying special attention to the role of changes in acid-base balance (PaCO2, HCO3- and base excess levels) in EPO production. Data from 30 patients with chronic pulmonary diseases (chronic pulmonary emphysema, chronic bronchitis and post-tuberculosis status) were obtained in the morning and were analyzed with a stepwise forward multiple regression analysis, evaluating the statistical significance of seven factors which may potentially influence s-EPO levels: arterial pH, PaCO2, PaO2, HCO3-, base excess (BE), SaO2 and hemoglobin (Hb). Significant simple correlations (P0.01) of log(s-EPO) were obtained with PaO2 (r = -0.66), PaCO2 (r = 0.59), HCO3- (r = 0.67), BE (r = 0.71) and SaO2 (r = -0.77). The stepwise forward multiple regression analysis revealed that significant correlate variables for the outcome variable of log(s-EPO) were SaO2 and BE, with r = 0.823 (P0.0001). In patients with chronic pulmonary diseases it was shown that SaO2 was a negative correlate and BE was a positive correlate of s-EPO levels. It was speculated that s-EPO levels in the morning reflected daytime hypoxemia (SaO2) and nocturnal desaturation evoked by hypopnea during sleep (indicated as BE) in these patients.

A 45-year-old man was admitted to our hospital because of multiple nodular shadows in the right upper field of a chest radiogram taken at a regular medical checkup. He underwent open lung biopsy. The lung tumor found was diagnosed histologically as pulmonary epithelioid hemangioendothelioma. The tumor cells showed positive staining for CD34 and factor VIII-related antigen. Pulmonary epithelioid hemangioendothelioma (PEH) is a rare lung tumor, of which only 40 cases, including the present case, were reported between 1983 and 2002 in Japan. PEH is a progressive, low-grade malignant tumor that originates from hemangioendothelial cells. In chest radiography or CT scanning, PEH is usually discovered incidentally as multiple nodular shadows. Many cases of PEH are diagnosed by open lung biopsy or thoracoscopic biopsy. No standard therapy for PEH has yet been established, other than resection of a solitary lesion. The present patient has been followed without treatment for five-and-a-half years, and is still alive with no symptoms.

Previous reports suggest that nocturnal disorders of sleep and breathing have increased prevalence among the elderly, and episodic nocturnal oxygen desaturation (NOD) has an increased incidence in patients with chronic respiratory disease. Current Japanese criteria for home low flow oxygen therapy (LFOT), recommend LFOT for patients with daytime PaO255 torr or with daytime PaO2or = 60 torr who have significant NOD. Strict adherence to these LFOT criteria requries full overnight monitoring of arterial oxygen saturation (SaO2) in all patients with daytime PaO2or = 60 torr. Since widespread nocturnal oximetry involves significant expenditure of time and resources, it is important among patients with chronic respiratory diseases to predict those who will have significant NOD. The aim of the present study was to formulate criteria for identification of patients who are most likely to demonstrate significant NOD based upon daytime respiratory function data. Subjects included 34 elderly patients with daytime PaO2or = 55 torr, who had stable severe chronic respiratory disease (15 chronic emphysema, 6 chronic bronchitis, 12 post-tuberculosis, and 1 kyphoscoliosis). Study data included medical history, assessment of dyspnea by Hugh-Jones classification, and measurement of daytime, awake arterial blood gases and spirometry. Each subject underwent full overnight oximetry monitoring. The percentage of total sleep time recorded with SaO2or = 85% was noted (DST85), and NOD was defined as DST85or = 1%. Of the 34 patients, 11 were identified as NOD, and 23 as non-NOD patients. Duration and severity of dyspnea were not different between NOD and non-NOD patients.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Skin manifestations associated with malignant diseases are designated syndroma dermatotumorale. A case of lung cancer combined with atypical erythema is reported. A 70-year-old man was admitted to hospital because of a 4-month history of atypical erythema of unknown origin. A nodule in the right lung was revealed on chest roentgenogram which was diagnosed as lung cancer. After right upper lobectomy, the erythema regressed gradually and disappeared completely in 7 days. It is suggested that the erythema was a manifestation associated with the lung cancer.