Study of Atomic Bomb Survivors - Postmortem Examination in The Nagasaki District over A 32-Year Period-

More than twelve thousand autopsies were performed in Nagasaki district after World War II. From those cases 9,331 were selected, since the patients were born before the time of atomic bomb (AB). They were examined for main histopathological changes, which were classified. Studies were made to elucidate the rise and fall in these changes and determine whether there was a difference in such changes between the group exposed to AB and that non-exposed to AB or not. Statistical examination was also performed in the present investigation to determine whether there were differences among calendar years, age groups, and combinations of age group and calendar year. A significant difference was shown independently in some groups. In the present investigation the autopsy cases dealt with in the whole Nagasaki district were used as controls. Therefore, the results obtained seem to be satisfactory data available for clarification of the actual state and trend in each period of the main lesions of cases of exposure to AB

Influence of the Excessive Intake of Monosodium L-Glutamate on the Growth and the Livers of Albino Rats

It is already known that the excessive administration of monosodium L-glutamate (MSG) will cause various symptoms, and that the overmuch ingestion of amino acids will also give rise to liver disturbances. In the present study, MSG was administered to albino rats orally at varied concentrations, and its influences on the animals\u27 growth and on their livers were examined. In the group given a 1 % MSG solution, the deviation of the body-weight began to enlarge on about the 30th day, because some of the individuals had an inclination to grow corpulent. The vitamin A content of the liver from this group was larger than that from the control group. In the examination of the liver tissue specimens, a little fatty degeneration assumed to be due to toxication was observed, but it seemed not to be so severe as to impede liver function. In the group given a 5% MSG solution, some were thinner than the individuals of the 1 % group. The vitamin A content of the liver from this group was smaller than that from the control group. In some individuals in this group, their body coats turned brown in some spots, with some hairs falling off. Some of the liver tissue cells were attacked by necrosis, showing secondary fatty degeneration. The degeneration was presumed to be caused by toxication. In the group given a 10 MSG solution, all the individuals died by the 5th day. Their body coats had turned brown with a great many hairs falling off

Development of Sarcomata in the Livers of Albino Rats Given Sodium Nitrite and Dimethylamine (Report 1)

It is a well-known fact that dimethylnitrosamine (DMNA) causes the formation of liver cancer. And it is also recognized that DMNA is generated from dimethylamine in food and nitrite, a food additive, and that it is produced secondarily in the stomach. But there is a report that shows that albino rats practically given dimethylamine and sodium nitrite have developed no cancer. Therefore, in order to see whether the report is right or not, the present authors kept albino rats for 78 days giving them various degrees of concentration of sodium nitrite and dimethylamine solutions diluted with drinking water. As the result, no formation of tumours was found in the livers of those rats. But the decrease in the vitamin A content of their livers was observed, which suggested the disturbance of the liver function. Then in expectation of the probability that a longer period of administration of sodium nitrite and dimethylamine and a higher concentration of sodium nitrite might develop liver cancer, the authors kept rats for 410 days giving them higher concentrations of sodium nitrite (15 g/l and 30 g/l) as well as an ordinary concentration of it (5 g/l ), together with dimethylamine. The rats given sodium nitrite at higher concentrations died of methaemoglobinemia in a week or two, but the ones given at an ordinary concentration survived. One rat died on the 318th day, in whose liver a tumour was observed to have grown. Some tumours were also found in the spleen and the mesentery, which are considered to be metastatic tumours. One of the animals killed on the 410th day was found to have developed a tumour in the liver alone, which suggests that these tumours were liver-idiopathic. These tumours are conjectured through a pathohistological examination to be fibrous sarcomata of vascular origin. Judging from these results, the warning that these substances in food, i.e. dimethylamine and sodium nitrite, when they are ingested for a long time regardless of their quantities, will possibly cause the development of tumours in the liver cannot be disregarded

Activities of Tissue Registry and Tumor Registry in NAGASAKI Area

In Nagasaki area, registry of malignant tumor patients found in hospitals and clinics in the city has been conducted by the Nagasaki City Medical Association with the cooperation of Radiation Effects Research Foundation (RERF) since 1957. The method of diagnosis is various such as 1) autopsy, 2) microscopy, 3) cytologic diagnosis, 4) endoscopic examination findings, 5) operation, 6) radiography, 7) clinical findings, 8) death certificate and 9) others. The number of cases collected during the period of 19 years up to 1975 amounts to 41,780. On the other hand, tissue registry was started in September 1975. In this Registry, all hospitals in Nagasaki Prefecture and RERF where specimens and tissues are obtained and examined for diagnostic and therapeutic purposes are invited to participate. The purpose of the Tissue Registry is to register as many cases as possible occurring in the residents of Nagasaki prefecture and to promote diagnosis, treatment, early detection, and prevention of tumors by analyzing the collected data. Prior to the establishment of the Tumor Registry, it was agreed to provide the best possible tissue diagnosis, clarify incidence and site of tumors, and to provide a central depository where useful and confirmed diagnosis are available as a source of data for medical studies related to tumors. Fortunately, financial assistance was given to the establishment the Tissue Registry through RERF in accordance with a provision of the contract between the National Cancer Institute and the National Academy of Sciences, USA and thus the operation of the Tissue Registry has become available. At commencement of this project, we established two sub-committees ; Pathology Committee and Statistics Committee

Multiple Myeloma of Atomic Bomb Survivors -Autopsy Cases in the Nagasaki District (1946-1980)-

The present investigation was carried out with particular stress placed on the relationship between the autopsy cases of multiple myeolma in the Nagasaki district and exposure to the Atomic Bomb. A total of 10372 autopsy cases, all patients who had been born before the time of the Atomic Bomb explosion, were examined. Only 58 autopsy cases (0.6%) of multiple myeloma were detected up to 1980. There was no autopsy case of multiple myeloma which had been exposed within 1 km from the hypocenter. The patients who were within 1-2 km and over 2 km from the hypocenter at the time of the Atomic Bomb explosion were composed of 5 cases (0.6%) and 16 cases(0.5%), respectively. The group of non-exposed persons was composed of 36 cases(0.6%). In the patients who were within 1-2 km at the time of the Atomic Bomb explosion, the first 20 years (1945-1965), there was no autopsy case of multiple myeloma, although during the subsequent 15 years (1966-1980) there were 5 autopsy cases (1.2%). In control group, however, multiple myeloma during the first 20 years was 13 cases (0.5%), and it was 24 cases (0.6%) in the subsequent 15 years. It is possible that the frequency of multiple myeloma in exposed persons has increased in recent years. However, the proportions of myeloma among all autopsy cases during the 1946-1965 period and the 1966-1980 period showed no significant differences with other groups

Development of Sarcomata in the Livers of Albino Rats Given Sodium Nitrite and Dimethylamine (Report 1)

It is a well-known fact that dimethylnitrosamine (DMNA) causes the formation of liver cancer. And it is also recognized that DMNA is generated from dimethylamine in food and nitrite, a food additive, and that it is produced secondarily in the stomach. But there is a report that shows that albino rats practically given dimethylamine and sodium nitrite have developed no cancer. Therefore, in order to see whether the report is right or not, the present authors kept albino rats for 78 days giving them various degrees of concentration of sodium nitrite and dimethylamine solutions diluted with drinking water. As the result, no formation of tumours was found in the livers of those rats. But the decrease in the vitamin A content of their livers was observed, which suggested the disturbance of the liver function. Then in expectation of the probability that a longer period of administration of sodium nitrite and dimethylamine and a higher concentration of sodium nitrite might develop liver cancer, the authors kept rats for 410 days giving them higher concentrations of sodium nitrite (15 g/l and 30 g/l) as well as an ordinary concentration of it (5 g/l ), together with dimethylamine. The rats given sodium nitrite at higher concentrations died of methaemoglobinemia in a week or two, but the ones given at an ordinary concentration survived. One rat died on the 318th day, in whose liver a tumour was observed to have grown. Some tumours were also found in the spleen and the mesentery, which are considered to be metastatic tumours. One of the animals killed on the 410th day was found to have developed a tumour in the liver alone, which suggests that these tumours were liver-idiopathic. These tumours are conjectured through a pathohistological examination to be fibrous sarcomata of vascular origin. Judging from these results, the warning that these substances in food, i.e. dimethylamine and sodium nitrite, when they are ingested for a long time regardless of their quantities, will possibly cause the development of tumours in the liver cannot be disregarded