Clinical evaluation of a new rapid immunochromatographic test for detection of Bordetella pertussis antigen

A more rapid and less complicated test to diagnose pertussis is required in clinical settings. We need to detect Bordetella pertussis, which mainly causes pertussis, as early as possible, because pertussis is more likely to become severe in infants, and people around them can easily become a source of infection due to its strong infectivity. Nevertheless, methods that can detect B. pertussis rapidly and efficiently are lacking. Therefore, we developed a new immunochromatographic antigen kit (ICkit) for the early diagnosis of pertussis. The ICkit detects B. pertussis antigens in a nasopharyngeal swab without equipment and provides the result in about 15 min with a simple procedure. Additionally, a prospective study to evaluate the ICkit was conducted in 11 medical institutions, involving 195 cases with suspected pertussis. Compared with the real-time polymerase chain reaction (rPCR), the sensitivity and specificity of the ICkit were 86.4% (19/22) and 97.1% (168/173), respectively. The ICkit detected the antigen in both children and adults. Furthermore, the ICkit detected the antigen until the 25th day from the onset of cough, when rPCR detected the antigen. Thus, the ICkit demonstrated a high correlation with rPCR and would help diagnose pertussis more rapidly and efficiently.

The association between transfer coefficient of the lung and the risk of exacerbation in asthma-COPD overlap: an observational cohort study

BACKGROUND

Asthma-chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) overlap (ACO) patients experience exacerbations more frequently than those with asthma or COPD alone. Since low diffusing capacity of the lung for carbon monoxide (DLCO) is known as a strong risk factor for severe exacerbation in COPD, DLCO or a transfer coefficient of the lung for carbon monoxide (KCO) is speculated to also be associated with the risk of exacerbations in ACO.

METHODS

This study was conducted as an observational cohort survey at the National Hospital Organization Fukuoka National Hospital. DLCO and KCO were measured in 94 patients aged ≥ 40 years with a confirmed diagnosis of ACO. Multivariable-adjusted hazard ratios (HRs) for the exacerbation-free rate over one year were estimated and compared across the levels of DLCO and KCO.

RESULTS

Within one year, 33.3% of the cohort experienced exacerbations. After adjustment for potential confounders, low KCO (< 80% per predicted) was positively associated with the incidence of exacerbation (multivariable-adjusted HR = 3.71 (95% confidence interval 1.32-10.4)). The association between low DLCO (< 80% per predicted) and exacerbations showed similar trends, although it failed to reach statistical significance (multivariable-adjusted HR = 1.31 (95% confidence interval 0.55-3.11)).

CONCLUSIONS

Low KCO was a significant risk factor for exacerbations among patients with ACO. Clinicians should be aware that ACO patients with impaired KCO are at increased risk of exacerbations and that careful management in such a population is mandatory.

Association of serum antibodies against the Mycobacterium avium complex and hemoptysis: a cross-sectional study

BACKGROUND

Hemoptysis is very common and can be life threatening in clinical practice for nontuberculous mycobacteria. The serum antibody against the Mycobacterium avium complex (MAC-Ab), the majority of nontuberculous mycobacteria species, is well known to reflect the activity of MAC lung disease; however, there is no study investigating the association between the MAC-Ab and hemoptysis in MAC patients. Therefore, we assessed whether the MAC-Ab is a good biomarker for hemoptysis among subjects with MAC lung disease.

METHODS

This study was conducted as a five-year retrospective survey at the National Hospital Organization Fukuoka National Hospital. A total of 155 patients aged ≥20 years with MAC lung disease were enrolled and separated into seropositive and seronegative groups using the cutoff for MAC-Ab levels of 0.7 U/ml. The prevalence of hemoptysis and odds ratios for the presence of hemoptysis were estimated and compared between the groups. To investigate the linear trends in the relationship between MAC-Ab levels and hemoptysis, the subjects were classified into three groups using the tertile distribution of the MAC-Ab.

RESULTS

The prevalence of hemoptysis was twice as high in the seropositive group than in the seronegative group (42.2 and 21.7%, respectively, P = 0.02). The multivariable-adjusted risk of hemoptysis was elevated in the seropositive group as compared with the seronegative group (odds ratio = 2.79 (95% confidence interval 1.15-7.44)). Likewise, when categorizing the subjects into three groups, the risk of hemoptysis increased with increasing MAC-Ab levels (P = 0.03 for trend).

CONCLUSIONS

A positive MAC-Ab level was a significant risk factor for hemoptysis among patients with MAC lung disease. There were also positive trends in the association between the MAC-Ab titer and the likelihood of hemoptysis. Measuring the MAC-Ab may contribute not only to early detection of the risk of hemoptysis but also to early intervention with anti-NTM therapy and, as a result, to the prevention of hemoptysis in MAC patients.

Hypoalbuminemia, influenza vaccination and other factors related to the development of pneumonia acquired outside hospitals in southern Japan: A case-control study

AIM

Pneumonia is the third largest cause of death in Japan. Pneumonia continues to be one of the most common causes of morbidity, hospitalization and mortality, especially in the elderly. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the factors related to the development of pneumonia acquired outside hospitals among the Japanese elderly.

METHODS

We carried out a hospital-based, case-control study. Cases were patients who had been newly diagnosed with pneumonia acquired outside hospitals. For each case, one to three controls were defined as outpatients with other diseases (not pneumonia) at the same hospitals. All participants (i.e. 50 cases and 110 controls) were aged 65 years and older.

RESULTS

Compared with control participants, hypoalbuminemia (<3.5 g/dL) and low body mass index (<18.0) were more common in pneumonia patients, whereas the proportion of those who could go out by themselves (i.e. self-support in activities of daily living) and the vaccination rate of seasonal influenza were lower in patients with pneumonia than control participants. Even after controlling for age, sex, hospital and aforementioned four factors, hypoalbuminemia (OR 9.19, 95% CI 3.70-22.81) increased the risk of pneumonia, whereas seasonal influenza vaccination (OR 0.37, 95% CI 0.16-0.85) reduced the risk. Even after excluding those who lived in a nursing home, hypoalbuminemina (OR 12.19, 95% CI 4.29-34.63) increased the risk of pneumonia.

CONCLUSIONS

Hypoalbuminemia might be a risk factor for pneumonia among the elderly living in the community.

Breath Sound Intensity during Tidal Breathing in COPD Patients

OBJECTIVE

There is a discrepancy in the intensity of breath sounds in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) patients between subjective studies, which have reported a diminished intensity, and objective studies using airflow-standardized measurements, which have not demonstrated a diminished intensity. We herein evaluated the breath sound intensity in COPD patients during tidal breathing in order to obtain clinically relevant results.

METHODS

The subjects included 20 stable COPD patients and 20 normal controls. Microphones were attached to six sites on the chest wall, and breath sounds at the chest wall and airflow in the mouth were measured during resting tidal and deep tidal breathing. The octave-band power values of the breath sounds were subsequently calculated.

RESULTS

1. During resting breathing, the intensity of breath sounds during both inspiration and expiration was significantly greater in the COPD group than in the control group; the difference was prominent at higher frequency bands (>400 Hz). In addition, the power of the high frequency bands tended to be positively correlated with the CT visual emphysema scores but not the forced expiratory volume in one second, The airflow during resting breathing did not differ between the two groups. 2. During deep breathing, the intensity of inspiratory breath sounds at the dominant frequency band (200-400 Hz) was diminished over the upper and middle lung fields in the COPD group compared to that observed in the control group, while the intensity during expiration was not. The airflow during deep breathing was lower in the COPD group than in the control group.

CONCLUSION

In the present study, the breath sound intensity in the COPD patients was diminished during deep inspiration due to a reduced airflow and increased during both resting inspiration and expiration.

Laparoscope-assisted Hassab's operation for esophagogastric varices after living donor liver transplantation: a case report

This is the first successful report of a laparoscope-assisted Hassab's operation for esophagogastric varices after living donor liver transplantation (LDLT). A 35-year-old man underwent LDLT using a right lobe graft as an aid for primary sclerosing cholangitis (PSC) in 2005. Follow-up endoscopic and computed tomography (CT) examinations showed esophagogastric varices with splenomegaly in 2009 that increased (esophageal varices [EV]: locus superior [Ls], moderator enlarged, beady varices [F2], medium in number and intermediate between localized and circumferential red color signs [RC2]; gastric varices [GV]: extension from the cardiac orifice to the fornix [Lg-cf], moderator enlarged, beady varices [F2], absent red color signs [RC0]). A portal venous flow to the esophagogastric varices through a large left gastric vein was also confirmed. Preoperative Child-Pugh was grade B and score was 9. Because these esophagogastric varices had a high risk of variceal bleeding, we proceeded with a laparoscope-assisted Hassab's operation. Operative time was 464 minutes. Blood loss was 1660 mL. A graft liver biopsy was also performed and recurrence of PSC was confirmed histologically. It was suggested that portal hypertension and esophagogastric varices were caused by recurrence of PSC. Postoperative complications were massive ascites and enteritis. Both of them were treated successfully. This patient was discharged on postoperative day 43. Follow-up endoscopic study showed improvement in the esophagogastric varices (esophageal varices [EV]: locus superior [Ls], no varicose appearance [F0], absent red color signs [RC0], gastric varices [GV]: adjacent to the cardiac orifice [Lg-c], no varicose appearance [F0], absent red color signs [RC0]) at 6 months after the operation. We also confirmed the improvement of esophagogastric varices by serial examinations of CT.

Rapid induction of the growth hormone gene transcription by glucocorticoids in vitro: possible involvement of membrane glucocorticoid receptors and phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase activation

The regulation of transcription of the growth hormone (GH) gene by glucocorticoids was studied in MtT/S cells, a cell line derived from an oestrogen-induced mammotrophic tumour in the rat, and in the primary culture of the anterior pituitary gland of adult mice. The levels of the GH heteronuclear RNA (GH hnRNA), which are mainly determined by the transcription rate, increased by 25-fold during 24 h in response to dexamethasone (DEX; 1 μM) in MtT/S cells that were cultured in the medium containing charcoal-stripped serum for 7 days. The stimulatory effect of DEX on the GH hnRNA levels was detectable as early as 30 min. This rapid effect of DEX did not require on-going protein synthesis, whereas it was considered that DEX requires the presence of unknown cellular proteins produced independently of DEX stimulation. By contrast, on-going protein synthesis was required for DEX action when incubated for 6 h, as has been observed in the previous studies. The specific inhibitor of glucocorticoid receptor, RU486, inhibited both rapid (30 min) and delayed (6 h) the effects of glucocorticoids on GH hnRNA levels. Membrane impermeable glucocorticoid, corticosterone-bovine serum albumin conjugate (CSBSA), was found to have effects similar to those of DEX and free corticosterone (CS), suggesting that glucocorticoids regulate GH gene transcription at least in part through the membrane bound receptors. From pharmacological studies, it was suggested that phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K) activation is involved in the rapid effects but not in the delayed effects of glucocorticoids. This also suggests that the delayed effects of glucocorticoids depend on mechanisms other than the activation of PI3-kinase. Finally, both rapid and delayed effects of CS and CSBSA were observed not only in MtT/S cells, but also in the mouse pituitary cells in primary culture. Therefore, it is possible that the membrane initiated action of glucocorticoids is involved in the regulation of GH transcription in normal pituitary cells, as well as in pituitary tumour cells.

[The effect of inhaled anticholinergic drugs (tiotropium bromide) on asthma patients with persistent obstructive ventilatory impairment]

AIM

This study investigated the effects of tiotropium bromide on chronic asthma patients with persistent obstructive ventilatory impairment (FEV1/FVC%<70%) like COPD.

METHODS AND SUBJECTS

Twenty-four patients (14 males, 10 females, mean age 64.3±10.7 years old) were enrolled. They were all treated with a high dose inhaled steroids and a long-acting β2-agonist. All patients had bronchial reversibility, normal diffusing capacity (DLCO) and no low attenuation areas in HRCT. This study examined the FEV1 at baseline and after inhalation of short-acting bronchodilators (400 μg salbutamol and 40 μg ipratropium, 15 minutes and 30 minutes after, respectively). Eleven patients agreed to take an additional treatment with tiotropium, and received 18 μg of tiotropium per daily for one year. The usual treatments were continued for 7 patients that did not agree to take tiotropium and for 6 patients who were ineligible for tiotropium due to co-morbidities. The FVC, FEV1, FEV1/FVC%, V50, and IC were compared between the two groups after one year.

RESULTS

FEV1 and V50 were significantly elevated after one year in the tiotropium-treated patients in comparison to those in the 13 subjects that did not receive tiotropium bromide, after adjusting for age, smoking and the values determined on enrollment. There was a positive correlation between the change of FEV1 30 min after ipratropium inhalation (short-term effect) and FEV1 one year after tiotropium inhalation (long-term effect).

CONCLUSION

Combination treatment with tiotropium, high dose steroids and long-acting β2 agonist inhalation provides improvement in the expiratory flow limitations of asthma patients with persistent obstructive ventilatory impairment.

Epidermal growth factor-activated extracellular signal-regulated kinase suppresses growth hormone expression and stimulates proliferation in MtT/ E cells

The mechanism for the inhibition of growth hormone (GH) expression by the epidermal growth factor (EGF) was examined in two clonal cell lines, MtT/E and MtT/S. The former has a negligible basal level of GH, whereas the latter has a high basal GH. The treatment of MtT/E cells with retinoic acid resulted in a significant increase in GH mRNA and subsequently GH. This stimulatory response to retinoic acid was strongly suppressed by EGF. This suppression was associated with an increase in the phosphorylation of extracellular signal-regulated kinase 1 and 2 (Erk1/2). The MEK [mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) kinases that activate ERK1 and ERK2] inhibitor, PD98059, clearly inhibited the phosphorylation of Erk1/2 and restored the stimulatory effects of retinoic acid. These results suggest that the inhibitory effects of EGF on GH expression are mediated by MAPK activation in these cells. By contrast to the GH-producing clones examined previously, EGF showed a marked stimulation of proliferation of the MtT/E cells through a mechanism dependent on MAPK activation. On the other hand, the inhibitory effect of EGF on GH expression was less pronounced and the stimulation of cellular proliferation was not seen in MtT/S cells, even though it induced Erk-phosphorylation similar to that seen in MtT/E. The distinct difference in the response to EGF between these two GH cell lines appears to be attributed to differences in the function of MAPK cascade in each cell line. This may reflect the developmental stage of the cells from which MtT/E and MtT/S are derived.

Use of a simple arm-raising test with a portable laser Doppler blood flow meter to detect dehydration

Using micro electromechanical systems (MEMS) technologies, the authors have developed the world’s smallest, lightest, and least power-consuming laser Doppler blood flow meter. Unlike commercial fibre-type blood flow instruments, the new blood flow meter is invulnerable to any movements of the person wearing it and has a wireless transmitter. Utilizing the characteristics of the blood flow meter, the authors attempted to detect dehydration by having a subject simply raise an arm (arm-raising test) with the flow meter attached to a fingertip. Healthy young volunteers (20 men and two women, mean age 22.9, age range 21–27 years) were instructed to perspire in a sauna until they became dehydrated. The target dewatering ratio was 2 per cent, which was calculated from the body weight measured using a weight scale. Four markers were compared: mean blood flow (MBF) before arm-raising, MBF during arm-raising, maximum amplitude (MA) of the pulse wave during arm-raising, and inclination of reflex (IR) wave calculated from the recorded blood flow data for the non-dehydrated (before sauna) and dehydrated (3 h after sauna) states in the arm-raising test. Each of the mean total markers (MBF during arm-raising, MA, and IR) was significantly lower ( P < 0.05) during the dehydrated state than the non-dehydrated. These results suggest that three markers could detect dehydration and the blood flow meter devised has the potential to be used as a portable device for detecting dehydration.

[A case of inflammatory granuloma secondary to a foreign body (Cryptomeria) mimicking a bronchial tumor]

This report documents a case of inflammatory granuloma overcoming secondary to a foreign body (Cryptomeria) mimicking a bronchial tumor. A 45-year-old man was referred to the hospital because of hemoptysis and a chronic cough. He had had a chronic cough before visiting the hospital, but had left it untreated for months. A computed tomography (CT) scan showed bronchiectasis in the right lower lobe with evidence of mediastinal lymphadenopathy. Fiberoptic bronchoscopic examinations revealed a tumor with an uneven surface at the orifice of the right B10(b+c), bronchus. The cytological findings of the bronchial tumor showed no malignancy but a predominance of neutrophils. Antibiotics were administered intravenously because of a suspected respiratory infection. After treatment, the abnormal shadows on the chest CT improved. Fiberoptic bronchoscopic examinations showed the bronchial tumor to have disappeared, and a bronchial foreign body was found lodged in the right. B10(b+c) bronchus and it was removed. Pathological examinations and a detailed history revealed that the patient had aspirated a foreign body (Cryptomeria). The tumor was thought to be an inflammatory granuloma secondary to the aspiration of the foreign body. This case highlights the need to search aggressively for foreign bodies in case of clinical symptoms, such as chronic cough, hemoptysis, or findings such as respiratory infection, and bronchial occlusion.

[Pulmonary disorders in indium-processing workers]

The production of indium-tin oxide has increased during the past decade, owing to the increased manufacture of liquid-crystal panels, especially in Japan. We carried out a medical checkup including high resolution CT (HRCT), pulmonary function test, KL-6, SP-D and serum indium concentration, for 40 men (mean age 40.4 +/- 12.4 years old) working in an indium plant. Four workers who were all smokers had emphysematous changes on HRCT and one subject (non-smoker) had lung cancer. There were no findings of interstitial changes on HRCT. Serum KL-6 was significantly elevated (over 500U/ml) in 9 subjects (22.5%). Subjects with a high concentration of serum indium (3ng/ml<) had significantly longer exposure periods, higher KL-6 and SP-D levels compared with those with a low concentration (3ng/ml>). The serum indium concentration positively correlated with the KL-6 level. These results suggest that inhaled indium compounds can cause pulmonary disorders such as interstitial changes.

Region-specific expression and hormonal regulation of the first exon variants of rat prolactin receptor mRNA in rat brain and anterior pituitary gland

Recent studies have revealed the occurrence of five first exon variants of the rat prolactin receptor mRNA, suggesting that multiple promoters direct prolactin receptor transcription in response to different regulatory factors. In the present study, regional expression of these first exon variants, as well as two prolactin receptor subtypes generated by alternative splicing, was examined in the brains and anterior pituitary glands of female rats. Expression of the long-form was detected in the choroid plexus, hypothalamus, hippocampus, cerebral cortex and anterior pituitary gland, whereas the short form was detected only in the choroid plexus. E1-3 mRNA, a first exon variant, was detected in the choroid plexus, hypothalamus, and anterior pituitary gland, whereas E1-4 was detected only in the choroid plexus. Other variants were not detectable by the polymerase chain reaction protocol employed in this study. Ovariectomy increased the short form in the choroid plexus and the E1-3 expression in the choroid plexus and pituitary gland, but changes in the long-form and E1-4 expression were minimal. Replacement of oestrogens and prolactin suggest that oestrogens down-regulate E1-3 expression in the choroid plexus and pituitary gland, and that the negative effect of oestrogen is mediated by prolactin in the pituitary gland. The present results revealed the region-specific promoter usage in prolactin receptor mRNA transcription, as well as the involvement of oestrogens in the regulation of E1-3 mRNA expression in the brain and pituitary gland.

Dependence of fragmentation behavior of colloidal aggregates on their fractal structure

The fragmentation dynamics of aggregate of non-Brownian particles in shear flow is investigated numerically. The breakup behaviors of aggregates having the same connectivity but the different space-filling properties are examined. The Lagrangian particle simulation in a linear flow field is performed. The effect of surrounding fluid on the motion of multiple particles is estimated by Stokesian dynamics approach. The inter-particle force is calculated from the retarded van der Waals potential based on the Lifshitz theory. The results obtained in this work indicate that the fragmentation behavior of colloidal aggregates depends on their fractal structure. However, if the resultant aggregate size is smaller than the critical one, the fragmentation behavior shows the universality regardless of their original structure. Furthermore, the restructuring of aggregate in shear flow and its effect on the fragmentation process are also discussed.

[A case of tuberculosis pleuritis with high serum soluble IL-2 receptor]

A 56-year-old man was admitted to our hospital because of bilateral pleural effusion. Computed tomography revealed solitary mediastinal lymphadenopathy, splenomegaly and a small amount of ascites. No lung parenchymal lesion was seen. Although lymphocyte predominance without atypia and a high adenocine deaminase concentration in the pleural fluid were compatible with tuberculous pleurisy, no mycobacteria could be detected either with Ziehl-Nielsen stain or with PCR. Because the serum soluble interleukin 2 receptor (sIL-2 R) level was unexpectedly high (> 8,000 U/ml), and a level not previously reported in benign diseases, we performed thoracoscopy- and mediastinoscopy-assisted biopsies, both of which eventually confirmed the diagnosis of tuberculosis. After a 4-drug anti-tuberculous regimen was initiated, pleural effusion and ascites subsided, with a marked decrease in the sIL-2R level. This case indicates that in tuberculous pleurisy, serum sIL-2R can rise to a level suggestive of hematological malignancies, it and also illustrates the validity of thoracoscopy-assisted pleural biopsy in such situations.

Exhaled nitric oxide as a simple assessment of airway hyperresponsiveness in bronchial asthma and chronic cough patients

Exhaled nitric oxide (NO) has been suggested to be a marker of airway inflammation. The aim of this study was to evaluate the role of exhaled NO in bronchial asthma and chronic cough patients to predict bronchial hyperresponsiveness (BHR). We measured the exhaled NO concentration using the chemiluminescence method in 52 asthma patients (group I consisting of 24 without prior inhaled corticosteroid (ICS) use, and group II consisting of 28 previously on ICS and 16 chronic cough patients in group III). In addition to regular examinations, spirometry and methacholine inhalation tests using the Astograph were done. In group I, a significantly negative correlation was observed regarding the exhaled NO concentration with FEV1/FVC%, V50, and BHR that was assessed as Dmin and PD35-Grs, and a positive correlation with peripheral blood eosinophils. In group III, a significantly negative correlation was seen regarding the exhaled NO concentration with BHR. We thus concluded that measuring exhaled NO concentration appears to be a useful noninvasive method to predict the BHR, airway obstruction, and inflammation in asthma and chronic cough patients.

Cigarette nicotine yields and nicotine intake among Japanese male workers

OBJECTIVES

To analyse brand nicotine yield including "ultra low" brands (that is, cigarettes yielding less-than-or-equal 0.1 mg of nicotine by Federal Trade Commission (FTC) methods) in relation to nicotine intake (urinary nicotine, cotinine and trans-3'-hydroxycotinine) among 246 Japanese male smokers.

DESIGN

Cross sectional study.

SETTING

Two companies in Osaka, Japan.

SUBJECTS

130 Japanese male workers selected randomly during their annual regular health check up and 116 Japanese male volunteers taking part in a smoking cessation programme.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASUREMENTS

Subjects answered a questionnaire about smoking habits. Following the interview, each participant was asked to smoke his own cigarette and, after extinguishing it, to blow expired air into an apparatus for measuring carbon monoxide concentration. Urine was also collected for the assays of nicotine metabolites.

RESULTS

We found wide variation in urinary nicotine metabolite concentrations at any given nicotine yield. Based on one way analysis of variance (ANOVA), the urinary nicotine metabolite concentrations of ultra low yield cigarette smokers were significantly lower compared to smokers of high (p = 0.002) and medium yield cigarettes (p = 0.017). On the other hand, the estimated nicotine intake per ultra low yield cigarette smoked (0.59 mg) was much higher than the 0.1 mg indicated by machine.

CONCLUSIONS

In this study of Japanese male smokers, actual levels of nicotine intake bore little relation to advertised nicotine yield levels. Our study reinforces the need to warn consumers of inappropriate advertisements of nicotine yields, especially low yield brands.

Effects of diethylstilbestrol on the cytogenesis of prolactin cells in the pars distalis of the pituitary gland of the mouse

This study was carried out to examine the developmental stage when prolactin cells differentiate in mice and to examine the effects of diethylstilbestrol on the development of prolactin cells in the fetal and neonatal pituitary glands. A small number of immunoreactive prolactin cells appeared first on embryonic day 15 in control (injected with oil) pituitary glands, whereas they did not increase in number until postnatal day 2. In diethylstilbestrol-treated mice (5 mg/kg body weight, 24 h before killing), a small number of immunoreactive prolactin cells were detectable as early as embryonic day 14, but not on day 13. They increased in number on embryonic days 15 and 16, and decreased markedly on days 17 and 18, followed by a rapid increase after birth. This transient reduction in the response to diethylstilbestrol was partially restored by treatment with metyrapone, a specific inhibitor of corticosteroid production. These results suggest that in the mouse: (1) differentiation of prolactin cells occurs between embryonic days 13 and 14, (2) prolactin gene expression is suppressed in the nascent prolactin cells presumably due to the presence of high levels of estrogen-binding protein, alpha-fetoprotein, and (3) prolactin gene expression is also suppressed by elevation of circulating glucocorticoids during the perinatal period. The present results suggest that, in the mouse, at least a proportion of prolactin cells are not derived from growth hormone cells, because the diethylstilbestrol-induced prolactin cells appear earlier than growth hormone gene expression.

Heat moisture treatment of high amylose cornstarch increases its resistant starch content but not its physiologic effects in rats

To examine whether the physiologic effects of high amylose cornstarch (HACS) are affected by gelatinization or heat moisture treatment, male rats were fed for 21 d a fiber-free purified diet containing 40 g/100 g gelatinized normal cornstarch (G-CS), HACS, gelatinized high amylose cornstarch (G-HACS) or heat moisture-treated HACS (HMCS). Dietary fiber (DF) content in G-HACS was 87% lower than that in HACS. The apparent starch and protein digestibilities were higher in the G-HACS group than in the HACS group. Fecal wet weight and fecal bile acid excretion were lower in the G-HACS group than in the HACS group. The cecal tissue weight, cecal surface area, cecal content weight and cecal pH were lower in the G-HACS group than in the HACS group. The cecal n-butyric acid and succinic acid concentrations were higher and lower, respectively, in the G-HACS group than in the HACS group. The plasma cholesterol and triacylglycerol concentrations did not differ between the G-HACS group and the HACS group. On the other hand, the DF content in HMCS was 330% higher than that in HACS, but the HMCS and HACS groups generally did not differ except in cecal surface area. Dietary starch did not affect fecal moisture, fecal neutral sterol (cholesterol + coprostanol) excretion, liver cholesterol level, total short-chain fatty acid (SCFA) concentration or apparent Ca, Fe, Mg and Zn absorptions. These results show that the heat moisture treatment of HACS for the most part does not alter its physiologic effects despite the greater DF content.

Differential localization and colocalization of two neuron-types of sodium-dependent inorganic phosphate cotransporters in rat forebrain

We studied by immunohistochemistry the distribution of differentiation-associated sodium-dependent inorganic phosphate (Pi) cotransporter (DNPI) in the rat forebrain, in comparison with brain-specific cotransporter (BNPI). DNPI-staining was principally seen in axonal synaptic terminals which showed a widespread but discrete pattern of distribution different from that of the BNPI-staining. In the diencephalon, marked DNPI-staining was seen in the dorsal lateral geniculate, medial geniculate, ventral posterolateral, ventral posteromedial, anterior, and reticular thalamic nuclei without the colocalization with BNPI-staining. DNPI-staining showed a strong mosaical pattern and overlapped well the BNPI-staining in the medial habenular nucleus. DNPI-staining was moderate over the hypothalamus and notably localized in neurosecretory terminals containing corticotropin-releasing hormone in the median eminence. In contrast, the BNPI-staining was region-related and strong in the ventromedial and mammillary nuclei. In the telencephalon, laminar DNPI-staining was seen over the neocortex, corresponding to the thalamocortical termination, and also found in the retrosplenial cortex and the striatum, with the highest intensity in the accumbens nucleus shell. The present results suggest that DNPI serves as a dominant Pi transport system in synaptic terminals of diencephalic neurons including thalamocortical and thalamostriatal pathways as well as the hypothalamic neuroendocrine system in the rat forebrain.

Developmentally and regionally regulated expression of growth hormone secretagogue receptor mRNA in rat brain and pituitary gland

Distribution and development of growth hormone secretagogue receptor (GHS-R) mRNA expression in rat brain and pituitary gland were examined using ribonuclease protection assay. In adult male rats, GHS-R mRNA levels were highest in the pituitary gland, whereas those in the hypothalamus and hippocampus were 57 and 30% of those in the pituitary gland, respectively. Less abundant but detectable levels of GHS-R mRNA were found in the midbrain, pons, and medulla oblongata, but expression was barely detectable in the cerebellum and cerebral cortex. The expression of GHS-R mRNA was detected at late gestation (embryonic day 19) in the pituitary gland, hypothalamus, and brainstem. The mRNA levels increased with age in the pituitary gland, and decreased postnatally in the brainstem, while they remained constant in the hypothalamus during development. In contrast, GHS-R mRNA was not detectable in the hippocampus during the fetal period, but was first detected on postnatal day 7. Expression of GHS-R mRNA was also examined in the spontaneous dwarf rat (SDR), a model for isolated GH deficiency, to examine alterations in GHS-R mRNA expression in a GH-deficient state. GHS-R mRNA levels in the pituitary gland of SDRs were higher than those of control rats, suggesting negative regulation of GHS-R mRNA by GH in this region. GHS-R mRNA levels increased in the hypothalamus of female, but not in male SDRs. In contrast, GHS-R mRNA levels were not affected by GH in the brainstem and hippocampus. These results indicate that region-specific, developmentally regulated expression of GHS-R mRNA may reflect divergent physiological roles of GHS/GHS-R in distinct regions of the central nervous system and the pituitary gland.