Adipocere formation is well known as a later postmortem change. We collected adipocere from five male victims which had been submerged under the sea or fresh water for 1 mon to 4 yr. Fresh subcutaneous fat of a male victim who died from a cerebral contusion was used as the control. The samples were homogenized, and the lipids were extracted with chloroform and methanol followed by injection into a gas chromatograph and a gas chromatograph-mass spectrometer. We detected hydroxy fatty acids (10-hydroxyoctadecanoic acid and 10-hydroxyhexadecanoic acid) as well as 10-ketooctadecanoic acid in adipocere, but not in the control. In addition, we found for the first time a cholesterol-related peak with a molecular ion of 388 in adipocere and identified it as epicoprostanol, suggesting not only oxidation but also reduction had occurred during the formation of adipocere. In addition, we showed the time-course of epicoprostanol accumulation. The relationship between the time of adipocere formation and the characteristic lipid composition is discussed.

We have investigated the influence of growth interruption when group-III sources are temporarily shut off, and that of the number of quantum-well (QW) layers, on the crystalline quality of InGaN/GaN QW structures grown by metalorganic vapor phase epitaxy. Atomic force microscopy measurements revealed that the size of the pits on the QW surface increased dramatically as the interruption time increased. Through transmission electron microscopy and energy dispersive x-ray microanalysis, we found that the pit formation due to growth interruption induces fluctuation in the In composition around the pits in the QW structure, which leads to significant variation in the growth rate as the number of QW layers increases.

ABSTRACT-A new experimental model of acute congestive heart failure was established in open-chest dogs, and it was employed to examine the effects of dobutamine, propranolol and nitroglycerin. The model was induced by intracoronary administration of saponin, volume loading and intravenous infusion of methoxamine. Left ventricular end-diastolic pressure (LVEDP) increased from 7.9±0.6 to 24.2-±:1.4 mmHg, and aortic blood flow (AoF) decreased from 0.89±0.06 to 0.53±0.041/min.Systemic vascular resistance (SVR) increased from 9618 ± 585 to 16492 ± 1213 dynes • sec/cm5 and right atrial pressure (RAP) increased from 2.5-L0.2 to 4.2 ± 0.4 mmHg. Furthermore, Vmax decreased from 71.6±5.1 to 45.8±2.9 1/sec, and the time constant of left ventricular pressure decay (T) increased from 40.0±2.6 to 90.2±7.9 msec. These hemodynamic changes were stable for up to 80 min. Dobutamine improved cardiac function by increasing Vma, and by decreasing T. Consequently, dobutamine increased AoF and decreased LVEDP, while there was no change in SVR. Nitroglycerin reduced LVEDP, SVR and T; increased AoF; and did not change Vmax. Propranolol produced no improvement in the hemodynamics or cardiac function. These results indicate that the present congestive heart failure model is characterized by global left ventricular dysfunction with lowered cardiac output and increased peripheral vascular tone, and it is beneficial for evaluating the pharmacological properties of drugs for acute congestive heart failure.

The feasibility of a novel catheter system of percutaneous transluminal cardiomyotomy and valvulotomy was examined in anesthetized dogs. The system was composed of a guiding balloon catheter, a cardioscope and a pair of scissors with or without guide wire at the distal tip. The system without guide wire was introduced into the left ventricle, the balloon was inflated and was pushed against the endocardial surface. After confirmation by cardioscopy, the targeted tissues were incised by the scissors. By these maneuvors, the trabeculae, papillary muscles and chordae were incised or transected in 7, 6 and 6 of 7 dogs, respectively. The system without guide wire was advanced to the aortic root, the guide wire was introduced into the left ventricle to prevent dislocation of the catheter system, balloon was manipulated against the aortic cusp, and the cusp was successfully incised with cardioscopic guidance in all 5 dogs. The result indicate that percutaneous transluminal cardiomyotomy and valvulotomy can be performed with cardioscopic guidance.

Profiles of very long-chain fatty acids were studied in the erythrocyte membrane of five alcoholic patients. We identified three fatty acids as cis-16-pentacosenoic acid (C25:1), cis-17-hexacosenoic acid (C26:1), and hexacosenoic acid (C26:1), and hexacosanoic acid (C26:0) by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. The ratios of C26:1/C22:0, C26:0/C22:0, C24:1/C22:0, and C24:0/C22:0 were increased. These findings suggest that active oxygen species or free radicals generated by chronic alcohol consumption in alcohol patients interrupt the peroxisomal beta-oxidation of fatty acids, because very long-chain fatty acids are mainly metabolized by the peroxisomal beta-oxidation system. This is the first study showing accumulation of very long-chain fatty acids in the erythrocyte membrane of alcoholic patients.