The HPLC system was used to separate and measure 10 kinds of corticoids in adrenal tissues. Calibration curves were drawn as straight lines that ranged from 1.25 to 20ng, or 1.25 to 200ng by peak area calculated with the chromatointegrator. The samples for the assay were extracted from homogenized tissues and treated with methanol to remove non-steroidal contaminants which may interfere with the ultraviolet absorption monitor. The recovery rate during the assay procedure was calculated using testosterone as the internal standard, because testosterone was not detected in any adrenal tissue examined in the present study. Contents of corticoids were measured in normal adrenal glands obtained during radical nephrectomy for renal cancer and in functioning adrenal adenomas. Steroid levels in the adrenal glands and tumors have been measured by radioimmunoassay until now, and the data obtained in the present study were compared with those in previous reports. Main steroids in normal adrenals were cortisol (F) and corticosterone (B), and there were certain amounts of 11-deoxycortisol (S), 11-deoxycorticosterone (DOC) and precursor steroids. 11 beta-hydroxy-androstenedione was the main androgen in the adrenal gland. Mineralocorticoids other than B and DOC were very low in the normal adrenals. There was a certain balance between the production of cortisol and corticosterone in normal adrenals. In functioning adenomas, the levels of F, B and aldosterone, and F to B ratios (F/B) varied according to their biological features. Although with the HPLC system it was possible to obtain the production balance of each steroid clearly in the chromatogram, we could not detect the delta 5-3 hydroxysteroids such as pregnenolone and dehydroepiandrosterone using the ultraviolet absorption monitor.

The effects of α₁-adrenergic blockade with prazosin HCl were examined in 28 patients with benign prostatic hypertrophy and bladder neck contracture. The patients received 2–3 mg of prazosin HCl daily administered orally. Improvement in subjective symptoms was observed in 75% of the patients. We evaluated clinical effects as the minimum time of micturition (calculated as the ratio of voided volume/maximum flow rate) for voided volumes less than 200 ml and the maximum flow rates and average flow rates for voided volumes over 200 ml. Evaluation of the findings on a flow rate nomogram revealed improvement in maximum flow rates and average flow rates in 41% of the patients. Side effects such as dizziness developed in only 1 patient.

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Key words：hemodialysis, secondary hyperparathyroidism(SHPT), cinacalcet hydrochloride, active vitamin D, PTx 〈Abstract〉 Objective：Since cinacalcet hydrochloride(cinacalcet), a calcium(Ca)receptor activator, suppresses parathyroid hormone (PTH) secretion by a mechanism of action different from that of intravenous vitamin D (VD),