Contribution of the C-8 substituent of DU-6859a, a new potent fluoroquinolone, to its activity against DNA gyrase mutants of Pseudomonas aeruginosa

Inhibitory effects of five quinolones against DNA gyrases purified from four quinolone-resistant clinical isolates of Pseudomonas aeruginosa and the quinolone-susceptible strain PAO1 were examined. All of the quinolone-resistant strains tested were found to be DNA gyrase mutants. The 50% inhibitory concentrations (IC50s) of the quinolones for these DNA gyrases roughly correlated with their MICs. Interestingly, gyrase inhibition by DU-6859a was found to be significantly less affected by these mutations that inhibition by other currently available quinolones. To assess the enhanced activity shown by DU-6859a, the effects of quinolones with altered substituents at the N-1, C-7, and C-8 positions of the quinolone ring of DU-6859a were tested. Measurement of MICs for four DNA gyrase mutants and IC50s for their purified DNA gyrases showed that removal of the C-8 chlorine of DU-6859a significantly increased MICs and IC50s for DNA gyrase mutants. However, no deleterious effects were observed when either the fluorine on the cyclopropyl substituent at the N-1 position or the cyclopropyl ring at the C-7 substituent was removed. Moreover, removal of the C-8 chlorine also increased the MIC for 19 of 20 quinolone-resistant clinical isolates. Our results led to the conclusion that DU-6859a is much more active against quinolone-resistant clinical isolates of P. aeruginosa than other currently available quinolones, probably because of its strong inhibitory effects against mutant quinolone-resistant DNA gyrases, and that the C-8 chlorine is necessary for these potent effects.

[The validity and reliability of a Japanese version of Arthritis Impact Measurement Scales in patients with rheumatoid arthritis]

A Japanese version of Arthritis Impact Measurement Scales (Japanese-AIMS) was developed after the original AIMS Version 2 (AIMS 2). We then conducted a Quality of Life measurement of 691 patients with Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA) with this newly developed questionnaire. Based on the data collected, the validity and reliability of the Japanese-AIMS was examined. The validity of the Japanese-AIMS, which was assessed by the examination of internal consistency among items and through factor analysis, was almost comparable with that of the original AIMS 2. QOL scales were also validated using internal standards based on the subject's responses to other items in the questionnaire. The test-retest reliability, which was the correlation of scale scores between two tests administered 4-5 weeks apart, was slightly lower than the original one. We conclude that the validity and reliability of the Japanese AIMS were comparable with those of the original one, though there could be possibly improved by the minor revision of phrasing. The large scale QOL measurement study with RA patients is under way, using the Japanese-AIMS with minor revision.

[An outbreak of Pontiac fever due to Legionella pneumophila serogroup 7. I. Clinical aspects]

In August 1994, an epidemic of acute febrile illness occurred at the Education Center Building of a company in Shibuya-ku, Tokyo. All 43 trainees attended in two groups and 2 staff members of the Center fell ill. The 45 patients came to one of our hospitals in two groups, and 35 patients were treated. The patients were 4 males and 31 females, and the average age was 29.0 years. The duration until falling ill was 36 to 90 hours after entering the Center. Symptoms were fever, lumbago arthralgia, headache, dyspnea, general fatigue, etc. Physical examination revealed slightly injected mucosa of the pharynx in a patient who complained of a sore throat. On laboratory examination, leukocytosis with a left shift of the nucleus and elevation of serum CRP levels were found. Erythromycin (600 mg, daily) and nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) were given by mouth to almost every patient. Two patients were hospitalized. The illness was self-limited, generally lasting from two to five days. Strains of legionellae isolated from the water of the cooling tower located at the top of the Center, were identified as L. pneumophila serogroup 7. Since seroconversion in a patient against the cooling tower strain from 1:16 to 1:256 was determined and the clinical courses agreed with the definition of Pontiac fever by Glick et al, we concluded that the epidemic was an outbreak of Pontiac fever due to L. pneumophila serogroup 7. Pontiac fever is considered to be one of the community-acquired diseases. Thus, we have to note that Pontiac fever may be misdiagnosed as we examine patients who complain of the symptoms noted above.

Human herpesvirus-6 infection in renal allografts: retrospective immunohistochemical study in Japanese recipients

This study was conducted to determine the incidence and clinical significance of human herpesvirus-6 (HHV-6) infection in renal allografts. A total of 105 biopsy specimens from 72 recipients were immunohistochemically examined for the presence of HHV-6 antigen, which localized in the distal tubular epithelial cells and in a few lymphocytes infiltrating into the interstitium. HHV-6 antigen in the tubular epithelia was detected in 63 (61.2%) specimens. Categorically, a higher incidence of the antigen was noted in specimens of accelerated rejection (3/4, 75.0%), acute rejection (28/3, 73.7%), and cyclosporin nephropathy (8/11, 72.7%). The antigen was present and absent an almost equal number of times in the categories of chronic rejection, intraoperative and routine protocol biopsies. Repeated biopsies were performed in six cases showing HHV-6 antigen, only one of which underwent transplant nephrectomy due to severe chronic rejection. Single or multinucleated giant cells in distal tubuli occurred in 10 (9.5%) specimens in a scattered manner. All of them were diagnosed as acute or chronic rejection. The giant cells showed no immunoreactivity for HHV-6, cytomegalovirus, or herpes simplex virus. These results indicate overall that HHV-6 infection is common in renal allografts and might be reactivated in acute rejection or cyclosporin nephropathy. The presence of HHV-6 antigen, however, does not necessarily correlate with a poor prognosis for the renal graft nor with the occurrence of giant cells in distal tubuli.

Prophylactic portal infusion chemotherapy as adjuvant therapy for the prevention of metachronous liver metastasis in colorectal cancer

The DNA ploidy and DNA indices (DI) of 414 patients with colorectal cancer were analyzed, and the incidence of patients with metachronous liver metastasis was found to be significantly higher in those with aneuploid tumors and a DI above 1.5 than in those with aneuploid tumors and a DI below 1.4, or in those with diploid tumors and a DI equal to 1.0. Next, to confirm the effectiveness of administering prophylactic portal infusion chemotherapy (PPIC) as adjuvant therapy for the prevention of metachronous liver metastasis in colorectal cancer, a randomized controlled trial of PPIC was performed on 110 consecutive patients with primary colorectal cancer who had undergone curative resection. Although the incidence of patients with metachronous liver metastasis in the two study groups was not significantly different at 3.3% in the PPIC group and 10.3% in the control group, the incidence in the patients with aneuploidy and a DI above 1.5 was significantly lower in the PPIC group than in the control group. These findings suggest that colorectal cancer with aneuploidy and a DI above 1.5 may have a strong tendency to metastasize to the liver, and that prophylactic portal infusion chemotherapy may be effective for preventing metachronous liver metastasis in such patients.

Neocortical spindling during wakefulness in the rat

Neocortical spindling that frequently occurs in rats during wakefulness was studied to evaluate the hypotheses that spindle bursts are either the electrophysiological manifestation of a short-lasting sleep episode that briefly interrupts wakefulness (due to an urge to sleep) or a short decrease of the vigilance level. In order to evaluate sleep need, the latency to the onset of natural sleep, the percentual composition of the sleep-wakefulness cycles, and the durations and intervals of desynchronized sleep episodes were determined in six male Wistar rats weighing 250-350 g and having chronically implanted electrodes for frontal electrocorticogram and cervical electromyogram. These animals were selected on the basis of spindling manifestation during wakefulness. The occurrence of spindling during a period of repeated painful tail-pinching was subsequently measured to determine the vigilance level in the same animals. Two rats were also studied during forced immobilization for the same purpose. Sleep parameters were found to be normal in all rats studied, thus excluding the hypothesis that spindling in wakefulness is a manifestation of a high sleep need. Spindling also occurred in both situations requiring a high level of vigilance (frequent tail-pinching and forced immobilization). Natural sleep cycles never started with this type of spindling, which is not related to the typical synchronization patterns of synchronized sleep. The frequency of the potentials that make up spindles in wakefulness were systematically 1 to 2 Hz lower than those of synchronized sleep in all animals studied. The possibility that spindling during wakefulness may be associated to brief episodes of distraction is discussed.

[Study of the changes in portal hemodynamics after endoscopic injection sclerotherapy with reference to the variceal recurrence]

Endoscopic injection sclerotherapy (EIS) combined with percutaneous transhepatic obliteration was performed in 63 cirrhotic patients with esophageal varices. In all patients, esophageal varices were completely disappeared after EIS. To investigate risk factors for recurrence of esophageal varices after EIS, hemodynamic changes in the portal system before and after EIS were studied by portal vein catheterization and ultrasonography. In patients in whom portal pressure rose after EIS, recurrence of varices was observed in high incidence (p < 0.05). Furthermore, variceal recurrence appeared frequently in patients with progressive splenomegaly after EIS (p < 0.05). During post-EIS course, new appearance or increase in size of non-variceal portosystemic collaterals was detected by ultrasonography in 22% of the patients. In these patients, variceal recurrence rate was low (p = 0.09). In patients with shunts around the splenic hilum, variceal recurrence rate was lower compared with the patients with paraumbilical vein (p < 0.05). Prognostic factors for variceal recurrence were analysed using multiple regression model. It was suggested that the absence of non-variceal portosystemic collaterals was the most risky factor. In conclusion, observation of portal hemodynamics is considered to be useful for the long-term management of patients with esophageal varices treated with EIS.

Gene therapy in Japan: current trends

The Japanese government took significant steps in making decisions about a newly developing clinical application of gene therapy when, on April 15, 1993, the Government officially accepted the Guidelines for Clinical Research on Gene Therapy submitted by the Health Science Council of the Ministry of Health and Welfare of Japan to the Minister.

Autonomous decision making and Japanese tradition

Crucial problems exist in understanding Japanese traditional customs with regard to autonomous decision making by patients in Japan. These problems are difficult to comprehend because they seem, by western standards, to defy logic. Questions that baffle those outside the Japanese tradition, include: Why do many Japanese patients hesitate to make medical treatment and care decisions for themselves without consulting family, close friends, or someone viewed as being in a superior position? Why do many Japanese physicians fail to disclose the truth directly to the patient, instead customarily conveying information to family members, despite the doctors' awareness of their legal obligation to protect the patient's privacy? Why do many Japanese physicians continue to question whether patients should be told the truth at all? What perpetuates Japan's widespread, but often unnoticed, neglect of the individual's right to self-determination in healthcare decision making?

Different cellular patterns associated with hepatitis C virus reactivation, cytomegalovirus infection, and acute rejection in liver transplant patients monitored with transplant aspiration cytology

Fine-needle aspiration biopsy (FNAB) is a routine diagnostic tool used for the monitoring of the graft during the first postoperative weeks after liver transplantation. The cellular pattern of acute liver rejection is typical in transplant aspiration cytology (TAC), documented and published by several authors. The lymphoid response associated with various viral infections may, however, provide differential diagnostic problems in the cytological monitoring. In this study, we have investigated in detail the cellular pattern of lymphoid response associated with hepatitis C virus (HCV) reactivation, and compared it with the pattern of cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection and with the typical diagnostic findings of acute cellular rejection. HCV reactivation was associated with rather mild total inflammation in the graft (4.5 +/- 1.5 CIU at the peak). The inflammatory infiltrate consisted mainly of small lymphocytes (3.1 +/- 0.2 CIU at the peak), with only occasional activated cells and without lymphoid blast response. No lymphoid activation was seen in the blood. CMV infection was associated with a mild immune response (3.9 +/- 0.4 CIU at the peak) recorded as a slight lymphoid activation and occasional blast cells both in blood and in the graft together with lymphocytosis in the graft (2.4 +/- 0.7 CIU at the peak). The typical findings of acute rejection were easily distinguished from the cellular pictures of both viral infections. The rejections were lymphoid blast (3.6 +/- 3.4 CIU at the peak) and activated lymphocyte (3.5 +/- 2.6 at the peak), dominated by a high peak of total inflammation (9.3 +/- 7.0 CIU). No blast cells and only a few activated cells were seen in the blood during rejection episodes. Thus, the cellular patterns of HCV reactivation and CMV infection differed slightly from each other, but significantly from that of acute liver allograft rejection monitored with the FNAB cytology.

End-to-side neurorrhaphy with removal of the epineurial sheath: an experimental study in rats

Terminolateral neurorrhaphies were used up to the beginning of this century. After that, they were no longer reported. We tested the efficacy of a new type of end-to-side neurorrhaphy. A group of 20 rats had the peroneal nerve sectioned, and the distal ending was sutured to the lateral face of the tibial nerve after removing a small epineural window. All experiments were made on the right side, the left one remaining untouched in half the animals of each group. The other half was denervated by sectioning and inverting the endings of the peroneal nerves. In this way, tibial cranial muscles were either normal or denervated on the left side and reinnervated through end-to-side neurorrhaphies on the right side. After 7.8 months, the animals were subjected to electrophysiologic tests, sacrificed, and the nerves and muscles were taken for histologic examination. A response of the tibial cranial muscle was obtained in 90 percent of the animals. The distal ending of the peroneal nerve showed an average of 861 nerve fibers. The average areas of the reinnervated tibial cranial muscles were (microns 2) 1617.81 for M2n (when the contralateral side was normal) and 1579.19 for M2d (when the contralateral was denervated). We conclude that the terminolateral neurorrhaphy is functional, conducting electrical stimuli and allowing the passage of axons from the lateral surface of a healthy nerve, to reconstitute the distal segment of a sectioned nerve. The absence of an incision on the axons of the donor nerve was no impediment to axonal regeneration or to the passage of electrical stimuli. The results demonstrate the possibility of using end-to-side and terminolateral neurorrhaphies for reconstituting neural lesions when only a distal end is available; the reinnervation can be obtained from the lateral face of a healthy nerve.

Corticostriatal and corticotectal projections from visual cortical areas 17, 18 and 18a in the pigmented rat

Regions of the visual cortex and the deep layers of the superior colliculus (SC) have been suggested to be functionally linked via an 'indirect' pathway through the basal ganglia. The present report demonstrates projections from the striate (area 17) and extrastriate (areas 18 and 18a) visual cortex in Long-Evans hooded rats to the striatum (ST) and SC with anterograde (biocytin) and retrograde (WGA-HRP and fluorescent dyes) tracers. Biocytin injections into each cortical area produced markedly different patterns of labeling in ST and SC. Injections into area 17 resulted in a dense labeling in the superficial layers of SC, with little labeling present in the deep layers of SC or ST. In contrast, injections into area 18a, which produced marked labeling in the deep layers of SC with moderate in the superficial layers, resulted in dense labeling in the caudal two-thirds of the dorsal region of ST; injections into area 18 produced numerous terminals mainly in the deep layers of SC and in the rostral two-thirds of the dorsal aspect of ST. WGA-HRP injections into ST resulted in numerous retrogradely labeled pyramidal neurons in areas 18 and 18a, but only a few labeled neurons were observed in area 17. Corticostriatal neurons in extrastriate visual cortex were distributed predominantly in layer V, with smaller numbers in layers II and III, whereas corticotectal neurons were located only in layer V of both the striate and extrastriate visual cortex. Although corticostriatal and corticotectal neurons were intermingled in layer V, no double-labeled neurons were observed following injections of different fluorescent dyes into ST and SC. It appears, therefore, that: 1) the major source of visual input to both ST and the deep layers of SC in the rat arises not from the primary visual cortex but from extrastriate visual areas; and that 2) the projections from the extrastriate visual area to ST and SC originate from different populations of corticofugal neurons.

Comparison of inhibition of Escherichia coli topoisomerase IV by quinolones with DNA gyrase inhibition

In order to examine the inhibitory activities of quinolones against topoisomerase IV, both subunits of this enzyme, ParC and ParE, were purified from Escherichia coli. The specific activity of topoisomerase IV decatenation was found to be more than five times greater than that of topoisomerase IV relaxation. Thus, the decatenation activity of topoisomerase IV seems the most relevant activity for use in studies of drug inhibition of this enzyme. Although topoisomerase IV was less sensitive to quinolones than DNA gyrase, the 50% inhibitory concentrations for decatenation were significantly lower than those for type I topoisomerases. Moreover, there was a positive correlation between the inhibitory activity against topoisomerase IV decatenation and that for DNA gyrase supercoiling. These results imply that topoisomerase IV could be a target for the quinolones in intact bacteria and that quinolones could inhibit not only supercoiling of DNA gyrase but also decatenation of topoisomerase IV when high concentrations of drug exist in bacterial cells.

A serine protease in soybean seeds that acts specifically on the native alpha subunit of beta-conglycinin

A proteolytic activity directed against the alpha subunit of beta-conglycinin was detected in resting mature seeds of the soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merrill] cultivar Keburi. The relationship between pH and activity and the effect of protease inhibitors revealed that the enzyme was a neutral/alkaline serine protease. The proteolysis of the alpha subunit of beta-conglycinin yielded a specific product with a molecular weight of about 47,000, as determined by SDS-PAGE, but the enzyme had no activity against the beta subunit. The amino acid composition, the molecular weight and the amino-terminal amino acid sequence of the proteolytic product revealed that the action of the enzyme on the alpha subunit was specific, with cleavage occurring only at the R126-R127 peptide bond of the alpha subunit. These characteristics of the protease indicate that the enzyme is a novel protease that has not previously been recognized in soybean seeds.

[Relation between nuclear DNA content and lymph node metastasis in submucosal early gastric cancer]

To investigate a possible relation between the nuclear DNA content and lymph node metastasis of submucosal early gastric cancer, DNA content was analyzed for 46 patients with lymph node metastasis and 67 patients without nodal metastasis. DNA aneuploidy was found in 20 (43.5%) of 46 patients with lymph node metastasis and in 31 (46.3%) of 67 patients without it. There was no statistical difference in the incidence of aneuploidy between the 2 groups. Among the cases with DNA diploidy, the mean value of S phase fraction was 6.82% in patients with lymph node metastasis and 5.65% in those without metastasis. The mean value of S phase fraction was significantly higher in patients with nodal involvement (p < 0.05). Furthermore, among the cases with DNA aneuploidy, the mean value of G2/M phase fraction was 11.03% in patients with lymph node metastasis and 7.54% in patients without metastasis. The mean value of G2/M phase fraction was significantly higher in patients with nodal involvement (p < 0.05). These findings suggest the significant value of the S and G2/M phase fraction for the prediction of lymph node metastasis in patients with submucosal early gastric cancer.

Effects of various forms of progestin on the endometrium of the estrogen-primed, ovariectomized rat

Progestin supplementation has been advocated in estrogen treatment for postmenopausal women to avoid proliferation of the endometrium. In this study we investigated the morphologic and biochemical effects of progestins on the endometrium of estrogen primed, ovariectomized rats. As the progestin derivatives, Allylestenol (AE), Norethisterone (NE), Danazol (DZ), Dydrogesterone (DG), Medroxyprogesterone acetate (MPA) and Cyproterone acetate (CPA), and as a anti-estrogen compound, Tamoxifen (TMX), were applied. To evaluate the effects of these different compounds on the endometrium, histologic studies and measurement of estrogen receptor concentrations were performed. When 19-nortestosterone groups, AE, DZ and NE, were orally administered to the conjugated equine estrogen (CE) treated, ovariectomized rats, the histologic pattern of the endometrium revealed rather a marked inhibition of hyperplasia induced by CE than a progestational response. Two of 3 of 17 alpha-hydroxyprogesterone groups, DG and MPA, provided slightly endometrial protection against the hyperplastic response, but another one, CPA, did not have any inhibitory effect on the estrogenic stimulation of the endometrium. TMX was not capable of suppressing the endometrial hyperplasia caused by CE administration. The average plasma concentrations of estradiol (E2) were 82.0 +/- 27.0 pg/ml (Mean +/- SD) after CE administration and there were no significant differences among these groups. Estrogen receptor concentrations of endometrium of progestins or antiestrogen added groups were not changed, when compared with the CE alone group. There was also no relationship between the estrogen receptor concentrations and the histologic findings in the endometrium. This discrepancy may be chiefly due to the low dose of the progestins as compared with the CE dose.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Induction of interleukin-2 receptor alpha chain expression of immature acute myelocytic leukemia cells

Leukemic cells from 27 adult patients with acute myelocytic leukemia (AML) were investigated to determine the cell surface inducibility of interleukin-2 receptor (IL-2R) in in vitro culture with and without interleukin-1 beta (IL-1 beta). IL-2R alpha chain (IL-2R alpha) was induced on leukemic cells in 11 of 27 cases. Most of the cases could induce IL-2R alpha spontaneously without IL-1 beta, while the IL-2R beta chain (IL-2R beta) did not appear on leukemic cells from any of the cases tested. AML cases expressing CD7 or HLA-DR antigen could induce IL-2R alpha more frequently than any other type of AML. Among interleukin-3 (IL-3), granulocyte-macrophage colony stimulating factor (GM-CSF) and G-CSF, IL-3 showed a more prominent effect on DNA synthesis in IL-2R alpha inducible cases than in its uninducible cases. These results suggest that IL-2R alpha but not IL-2R beta was easily inducible on AML cells with immature characteristics.

Effect of reduction of inhaled corticosteroid on bronchial hypersensitivity in asthmatics

We retrospectively assessed the effect of reduction of beclomethasone dipropionate (BDP) inhaler (BDI) on bronchial hypersensitivity in asthmatics whose respiratory threshold of histamine (RT-Hist) once reached a normal level of > or = 10 mg/ml with BDI treatment. In a study period of 1988-1992, 19 out of 44 patients had their RT-Hist of > or = 10 mg/ml, and the reduction of BDI was undertaken in 10 cases. Cessation of bronchodilators did not result in the increase of bronchial hypersensitivity in patients undergoing BDI treatment without the dosage change. When BDI was reduced from 8 puffs/day to 4 puffs/day, the RT-Hist did not drop below 5 mg/ml in 6 out of 8 patients (success rate = 75%). When BDI was reduced from 4 puffsday to 2 puffs/day, the success rate was 37.5% (3/8). Cessation of BDI was unsuccessful in 3 patients (0/3). Conversely, the RT-Hist did not drop below 10 mg/ml in all six cases whose BDI was not reduced. This preliminary study suggested that cessation of BDP would be very difficult in most asthmatics, although its reduction would be successful in some cases.

Two end-to-side neurorrhaphies and nerve graft with removal of the epineural sheath: experimental study in rats

We have studied a new type of end-to-side nerve repair in rats. The healthy (donor) nerve was not divided but an epineural window was created. In our experiment, a nerve graft bridged the tibial nerve to the distal end of the divided peroneal nerve. Electrophysiological studies showed electrical impulses conducted through both end-to-side nerve junctions. Histological studies demonstrated axons leaving the lateral surface of the healthy (donor) nerve. Based on these observations, we suggest that end-to-side neurorrhaphy from a healthy nerve may bridge a neural deficit.

Social environment affects synaptic structure in the glomerulus of the accessory olfactory bulb of the hamster

The accessory olfactory bulb (AOB) is the primary center of the vomeronasal chemosensory system. The effects of differential rearing on the numerical density and size of synapse as well as neuronal size were examined in the AOB of adult hamster. At 30 days from birth, male littermates were assigned to one of three experimental conditions. (1) the IC (isolated condition), where a male animal was housed alone, (2) the NC (neighbor condition), where one male was separated from two females by wire shields, and (3) the SC (social condition), where two males and two females were housed together. After 2 months of differential rearing, the AOBs of male littermates from each experimental set were prepared for morphological examination. The lengths of synaptic contact zones and the density of synapses in the glomeruli of the AOB as well as the area of somata of mitral/tufted cells were measured with an image analyzer. The synaptic contact zone was longer in the SC compared with both the IC and the NC while there was no difference in the synaptic density among the three groups. The somal area of mitral/tufted cells was larger in both the SC and the NC compared with the IC. These results indicate that the exposure to different rearing conditions induces differential morphological changes in both synapses and somata in the AOB of adult hamster.