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Ursodeoxycholic acid (UDCA), 7beta hydroxy epimer of chenodeoxycholic acid (CDCA), has been used as a choleretica for 20 years in Japan. Recent report showing increased excretion of UDCA in bile after CDCA administration may suggest the possibility that UDCA has similar effects to CDCA on bile cholesterol unsaturation and on gallstone dissolution. The present paper describes the clinical usefulness of UDCA for gallstone patients during the past two years. Seventy-four gallstone patients with functioning gall-bladders, 19 men and 55 women with a mean age of 48 years, have been treated for 6 months or more. UDCA, supplied in tablets (Ursosan), was given 450 mg per day. The disappearance or the reduction of stone size or number, or both (dissolution effect) was recognized in 32 out of 74 patients (43%). In case of radiolucent stones, the overall effective rate was estimated for 24 of 46 patients (52%). There may be no significant difference in dissolution effect between CDCA and UDCA treatment, however, the merit of UDCA treatment seems to have its few side effects.

A direct colorimetric assay of ammonia liberated after a guanase reaction with 8-azaguanine as substrate was tested using a guanase-assay kit (Maruho Co., Ltd.). The clinical importance of the guanase activity in blood was studied. The method for determination of guanase activity in the blood with this kit was simple, sensitive and accurate indicating that this kit could be useful as a routine test. The level of guanase activity of 775 normal subjects was 0-3.8 IU/L. A good correlation between guanase and transaminase in the blood was obtained in patients with hepatitis. In normal subjects there was not a good correlation between the two enzymes. To prevent the development of hepatitis after a blood transfusion, it was found that the determination of guanase activity in blood was more useful than the screening of GOT and GPT activities. Sixty-one per cent of the subjects developed hepatitis after blood transfusion. In a group which received blood containing less than 2.0 IU/L of guanase activity, less than 16.7% developed hepatitis. For a group which was transfused with blood containing more than 2.1 IU/L of guanase activity, 80% of the patients developed hepatitis. These results indicate that the determination of guanase activity is a useful test to determine the probability of transmitting hepatitis. To avoid the transmission of hepatitis during a blood transfusion, it is necessary to use blood containing low guanase activity.

Brain cortex of cats was stimulated through the brachial plexus for 5–30 seconds and the sensory motor area was frozen in situ, the contralateral area frozen 3 seconds before stimulation, serving as control. Stimulation for 20 seconds at 60 cpm produced the following chemical changes per gm wet tissue: a) nonprotein nitrogen increased by 16 µEq; b) nucleic acid nitrogen decreased by 10 µEq; c) lipid nitrogen decreased by 12 µEq. Amino-nitrogen increased in the lipid and nucleic acid fractions and decreased in the acid-soluble fraction. These chemical changes were proportional to the number of effective stimuli and were reversible at rest. It is concluded that nucleic acids and lipids are metabolized in the brain cortex during activity.