Volume N4 · Issue 06 · 1978

Gossypol is capable of inhibiting the fertility of male rats. On administration of gossypol the spermatids are damaged first. With the increase in dosage and duration of treatment the spermatocytes are also damaged. In the epididymis there are exfoliated, spermatids and spermatocytes with numerous dead spermatozoa many of which had their heads and tails separated. The sperm count gradually decreases until azoospermia. Electron microscopic examinations reveal changes in the acrosomes and mitochondrial spiral sheath. Interstitial cells of the testis seemed to be unaffected. Over 4,000 healthy men have been on, gossypol for more than six months. The antifertility efficacy evaluated by semen examination is 99.89%. Side effects are mild and of low incidence. A few of the subjects are found to be hypokalemic. However, it remains to be elucidated if gossypol is related to the development of hypokalemia.

In 1960, a histochemical study of the lesions of dental caries of freshly extracted human mandibular third molars and mandibular molars of Peking rats fed on a caries-producing diet was carried out. The histochemical method used was the PAS technique. It was found that glycogen is absent in normal enamel and dentine but abundant in the lesions of dental caries. 12 years later, the same histochemical study was repeated and checked by histochemists who have worked with glycogen for years. The same result was again obtained. Based on this discovery, an intrinsic theory concerning the initiation of dental caries has been suggested in adjunct to the many extrinsic theories.

Juvenile polyp is mainly a disease of children and adolescents. It is commonly seen in the rectum and sigmoid colon, but may also occur in other parts of the colon and even stomach. Among the reported cases of juvenile polyp (juvenile polyposis), about 3/4 are solitary and the rest multiple. In recent literature on this subject it is often stated that juvenile polyp, especially the solitary type, is never potentially malignant and does not undergo malignant change. Some authors even insist that it is not a neoplastic process but a hamartoma, while others, the result of an inflammatory process.

S72055, trans-5-acetylamino-3-[2-(5-nitro-2-furyl)-vinyl]-1,2,4-oxadiazole, is a new schistosomicide. The therapeutic index of this drug in mouse schistosomiasis japonica is 6.8 as against 2.2 of F30066. Its effect in monkey schistosomiasis was found to be promising but less potent in dog and rabbit schistosomiasis. In infected rabbits it could be enhanced in effectiveness by addition of intramuscular dipterex. S72055 was also found to have effect on the development of schistosomes at various stages in mice. S72055 fine particles of 20-30 μm in diameter showed an increased therapeutic effect. Damage to the tissues by S72055 is lighter than that by F30066 at equal effective dosages.

2,810 cases of epilepsy seen from 1955 to 1976 were analyzed statistically. 66.5% were male and 33.5% female. 28.39% of the cases occurred in childhood (0-14 year group), 13.27% during adolescence (15-20) and 52.63% in adolescent and middle age (21-50). 21.13% were cadres, 20.17% children, 17.50% students and 15.51% workmen. The duration of illness was 1-10 years in 49.3% and less than 1 year in 31%. 89% were idiopathic and 11% symptomatic. The common causes of symptomatic epilepsy were brain tumor (15.48%), cerebral developmental defect (15.48%), brain trauma, acquired (14.84), rheumatic heart disease (12.58%), infection and encephalopathy of the brain (10.97%) and cerebral parasitism (10.32%). Generalized epilepsy accounted for 58.8%, minor attack 4.3%, psychomotor attack 18.6%, combined attacks 6.0%, focal attack 8.7% and, vegetative epilepsy 3.6%. Of the 120 minor attack cases absence accounted for 68.33%, myoclonia 17.5% and infantile spasm 14.17%. Of the 102 vegetative epilepsy cases abdominal epilepsy accounted for 17.65%, epileptic cephalgia 78.43% and diencephalic epilepsy 3.92%. Among the 2,810 cases 21.5% had normal EEG findings, 36.5% mild abnormality, 31.9% moderate abnormality and 10.1% high abnormality. The younger the patient and the closer the tracing made to the last attack, the higher the incidence of paroxysmal specific abnormality.

Galactography using 60% urografin etc. was done in 86 cases, most with nipple discharge, 70 showed marked abnormalities such as intraductal papilloma, duct ectasia, cystic hyperplasia, intraductal and infiltrative carcinoma. False negative results were found in 2 cases, only 1 had mild complication. This examination is a simple, safe and reliable diagnostic method for secretory breast diseases and especially valuable for intraductal benign or malignant lesions. However, negative results do not exclude the presence of breast disease and the X-ray should not replace other roentgenologic diagnostic procedures. The method of selection of contrast medium and galactographic features of various breast diseases and their diagnostic value are fully discussed.

In order to find out the correlation between lipid levels and carbohydrate and lipid metabolism, a study on the glucose tolerance and fat tolerance is made in 44 normal subjects, 21 cases with asymptomatic hyperlipidemia and 35 cases with coronary heart disease (CHD). Results show that decreased glucose tolerance is found in 15.9%, 47.6% and 57.2% of the normal, the hyperlipidemic and the CHD groups respectively; decreased fat tolerance in 18.2%, 47.6% and 42.9% of the 3 groups respectively. The plasma glucose in the normal group 2 hours after the oral intake of 100 gm of glucose returns to the fasting level, while in the CHD and hyperlipidemic groups the readings remain significantly higher than the fasting levels (p<0.01 and p<0.001). The plasma lipid levels keep close to the fasting levels. With the normal and CHD groups, plasma free fatty acid levels are significantly lowered (p<0.001 and, p<0,01). 14 hours after the intake of the high fat meal, plasma glucose and lipids in the normal group tend to return to the fasting levels, while in the hyperlipidemic and CHD groups triglyceride level is 40.7 mg% and 53.8 mg% higher than the fasting levels respectively. Only in types IV and V of hyperlipidemia deos the glucose level exceed 120 mg% 2 hours after sugar diet. With type IIa of the hyperlipidemic group, plasma cholesterol level tends to fall 14 hours after the high fat meal. The significance of the results is discussed.

An analysis of 1,006 consecutive cases of acute intestinal obstruction observed in the 7 hospitals affiliated with the Tientsin Acute Abdominal Diseases Coordinating Group is presented. Patients were classified into 3 groups and different managements were adopted. 71.8% of the cases were cured by the combined nonoperative method, using mainly Chinese herb medicine with adjuvant therapy when needed. The most satisfactory results in patients treated nonoperatively was obtained in cases of obstruction due to fecal inpaction or adynamic ileus. Intestinal obstruction due to adhesions also responded well to treatment without surgery. Mortality in this series was 3.4%, the causes of death are discussed.

94 cases of old limb fractures with malunion, delayed union and nonunion were treated with combined traditional Chinese and western medicine. In 64 cases, treatment followed refracturing of the old fractures accomplished by manual osteoclasis or chiselling. Treatment of malunion and nonunion consisted of reduction, intra- and extra-medullary bone grafting, lower limb traction and splint fixation. Delayed union was treated by splint fixation plus functional exercise. All 94 cases attained union and functional restoration.

The acupuncture anesthetic effect of Jizhong point of the Dumai 督脉 channel in 140 cases of abdominal hysterectomy was evaluated. It was found that electric needling of Jizhong was good for relieving pain perception, tension of abdominal muscles and intestinal bulging during operation. To obtain this effect, the tip of the needle must be deep enough to reach the yellow ligament. The relationship of the hand feeling of the acupuncturist and the subjective feeling of the patient induced by electric needling during acupuncture to the depth of the impaling needle was analyzed. Neurological examinations given postoperatively to 51 patients after prolonged stimulation of Jizhong showed no neurological sequelae except for temporary impairment of cutaneous sensation at the local thigh region in 2 cases. On the basis of Jizhong stimulation, some improvements were made by inserting the bare tip of the insulated needle directly onto the porous bony structure of the triangular area at the rim of the vertebral lamina. The effect thus obtained was comparable to needling Jizhong point.