[A case of retroperitoneal venous aneurysm]

Venous aneurysm is a rare entity and the disease occurring in the retroperitoneal space has been reported in only 4 cases. Therefore, the fifth case of retroperitoneal venous aneurysm on the literature was described. A 59-year-old male was referred to our clinic because of painless large mass in the left abdomen. Computed tomography, ultrasonography, and magnetic resonance imaging revealed a cystic mass at the perinephric space. The resected cyst contained yellow-grayish fluid. The cyst wall was microscopically formed of 4 layers; blood and cholesterin, hyaline, muscle and collagen from the inner to outer side. He is well without any trouble after the operation.

[Thrombosis of the superior cerebral vein with hemorrhagic cerebral infarction--serial MRI and pathological study of a case]

We reported an autopsy case of thrombotic occlusion of the superior cerebral vein with hemorrhagic laminar necrosis of the right parietal cortex. A 68-year-old woman was admitted to our hospital because of a severe headache and left hemiplegia of acute onset. There was a past history of hypertension, fever of unknown origin, leukocytopenia and nasal dermatitis. Magnetic resonance images (MRI) disclosed thrombosis of the superior sagittal sinus and of the right parietal cortical vein as well as right parieto-occipital cerebral infarction. Although she improved with mild sequelae, the subsequent MRI showed a recurrent thrombosis of the superior sagittal sinus. Ten months after the onset she died suddenly, presumably due to acute myocardial infarction. Pathologically, thrombotic occlusion of the right parietal cortical vein, recurrent thrombosis of the superior sagittal sinus and old hemorrhagic cortical laminar necrosis of the right parietal region were revealed. Moreover, intracranial arteritis and phlebitis were observed, as well as arteriolitis in the peripheral nerves. In our case, MRI was useful for the diagnosis and following the course of cerebral venous thrombosis. Cerebral noninfective vasculitis may well have caused the venous thrombosis.

Transfection of cDNA with G----T point mutation at the cleavage site of insulin receptors to COS 7 cells

To study whether the G----T point mutation of insulin proreceptors at the cleavage site which changed -Arg-Lys-Arg-Arg- to -Arg-Lys-Arg-Ser- caused unprocessed insulin receptors with decreased insulin binding affinity, we performed transfection of cDNA with the mutation in COS 7 cells and examined the expressed insulin receptors. After site-directed mutagenesis, an expression vector pGEM3SV was used to make a plasmid which contained full-length HIRcDNA behind SV40 early promoter. Transfection of normal HIR cDNA produced normal insulin receptors on the plasma membranes in COS 7 cells. However, transfection of cDNA with the mutation resulted in the presence of 210K proreceptors in the plasma membranes with decreased insulin binding ability (35% of normal). These results suggest that the mutation, not the defect of converting enzyme, was the cause for unprocessed insulin proreceptors in the patients with insulin resistance.

The role of the carboxyl-terminal 6 amino acid extension of human TSH beta subunit

The nucleotide sequence of human thyroid stimulating hormone (hTSH) gene can encode a protein of 138 amino acids. However, the mature polypeptide is lacking 6 amino acids of the carboxyl-terminus (C-terminus), suggesting posttranslational cleavage of these residues. To analyze a possible function of these 6 amino acids, we expressed two hTSH beta cDNAs with or without the 6 codons for C-terminal extension, together with alpha subunit cDNA in CHO cells, and determined the amino acid sequence of C-terminus of hTSH beta. hTSH beta propeptides without C-terminal extension were glycosylated, associated with alpha subunit and secreted, as normal propeptides were, and its heterodimer with alpha subunit showed normal TSH bioactivity in FRTL-5 bioassay. These data indicate that the 6 amino acid C-terminal extension is not necessary for the hTSH maturation in the process of the biosynthesis and for its bioactivity.

CT manifestations of a ruptured hepatic tumor after transcatheter arterial embolization

There are few reports of the radiologic diagnosis of ruptured hepatic tumors. In a patient with right upper abdominal pain and impending shock, angiography demonstrated a hypervascular hepatic tumor, and CT imaged an extrahepatic mass suggestive of a hematoma. Following transcatheter arterial embolization with Lipiodol Ultrafluide and gelatin-sponge, multiple contiguous CT sections revealed numerous lipiodol droplets adjacent to a lipiodol-containing hepatic tumor, clearly outside the liver. These findings were indicative of a ruptured hepatic tumor. After embolization, the patient's condition improved and he was discharged.

cDNA cloning and sequence determination of rat membrane-associated phospholipase A2

Based on the partial amino acid sequences of membrane-associated phospholipase A2 (PLA2M), belonging to group II, purified from rat spleen, the cDNA encoding PLA2M was cloned by a new cloning strategy utilizing enzymatic cDNA amplification. At the N-terminus of the coded 146 residues, which were deduced from the cDNA sequence, the putative signal peptide was found despite the tight adherence of this enzyme to the membrane. The sequence of rat PLA2M exhibits 75% homology with that of human group II PLA2 in the protein-coding region. The result of RNA blot analysis showed that rat ileal mucosa contains the largest amount of the PLA2 transcript among the tissues examined.

[Intra-arterial chemotherapy with cisplatin in advanced urothelial cancer]

Thirty-two patients with advanced bladder cancer received intraarterial infusion of chemotherapy with cis-platin (CDDP). For twenty-one patients, the intraarterial infusion was carried out using Seldinger's method. On the other hand, for the eleven patients who were diagnosed as inoperable cases, the intraarterial infusion was carried out using the reservoir system. The mean regression in the size of the tumor was 64%, which was statistically superior to the mean regression in the intravenous administration group, was 45%. According to Shimosato's criteria, the pathological response was evaluated. Seven patients (22%) were detected as having more than grade III. On the other hand, among the intravenous administration group, only one case (11%) was detected as more than grade III. Following the intraarterial infusion of chemotherapy, subsequent surgical treatment was performed on 21 patients. Fourteen patients underwent the organ-preserving operation, either transurethral resection or segmental resection of the bladder, and seven patients underwent radical cystectomy. In seventeen patients (53%), there was no evidence of the disease. Especially, eleven patients (79%) who under went the organ-preserving operation had no evidence of the disease. The intraarterial infusion method of chemotherapy with CDDP showed a high response, both in terms of regression of tumor size and the pathological degeneration, compared to intravenous administration of CDDP. The subsequent surgical treatment following chemotherapy issues not only a better survival rate, but also makes possible preservation of organs.

Bilio-enteric anastomosis as a risk factor for postembolic hepatic abscesses

In 2 patients who had undergone pancreatoduodenectomy with choledochojejunostomy, a subsequently detected metastatic tumor of the liver was treated with transcatheter arterial embolization. Weeks later intrahepatic abscesses developed. Pathophysiologic processes that may lead to this complication of hepatic embolization are discussed.

Maximal and minimal motor nerve conduction velocities in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis

In 15 patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and 20 age-matched control subjects, we measured the maximal and minimal motor nerve conduction velocities of the ulnar nerve as well as the action potential amplitude of the abductor digiti minimi muscle. Both maximal and minimal motor nerve conduction velocities in ALS patients were significantly lower than those in the control group. However, the difference between the maximal and minimal conduction velocities in each ALS patient was not statistically different from that in each control subject. The maximal action potential amplitude of the muscle in the ALS patients was significantly smaller than that in the control group.

Presence of pancreatic-type phospholipase A2 mRNA in rat gastric mucosa and lung

The content of mRNA for a pancreatic-type phospholipase A2 present in rat gastric mucosa was much greater than that in pancreas. In lung the mRNA for this pancreatic-type phospholipase A2 was also detected, but less than in pancreas. Nucleotide sequence analysis showed that these pancreatic-type phospholipase A2 cDNAs derived from rat gastric mucosa and lung were completely identical to that from rat pancreas (Ohara et al. (1986) J. Biochem. 99, 733-739). This demonstrates that the pancreatic-type phospholipase A2 present in gastric mucosa and lung does not originate from pancreas.

[Synchronous double cancers in the ovary and kidney--a case report]

A first case of synchronous double cancers in the ovary and kidney is presented. The patient is a 37-year-old woman complaining of an abdominal mass. Histopathological findings showed a mucinous cystadenocarcinoma of the right ovary and a renal cell carcinoma, common type, clear cell subtype of the right kidney. A metastatic renal cell carcinoma was found on the pelvic peritoneum and characteristic renal cancer cells were identified in the ascitic fluid. (

EVALUATIONS

ovarian cancer, stage Ia; renal cancer, stage IV) The patient received postoperative chemotherapy and, after recovery, was discharged in a healthy condition. Her 11-month postoperative evaluation revealed no evidence of disease.

Insulin resistance by unprocessed insulin proreceptors point mutation at the cleavage site

Failure to cleave the interconnecting site between alpha- and beta-subunit produced insulin proreceptors in the plasma membranes which had markedly low affinity to insulin, leading to extreme insulin resistance in a patient. We performed cDNA sequence analysis of the cleavage site of the insulin proreceptor from the patient. Polymerase chain reaction was used to obtain large amount of cDNA coding for the region including the interconnecting site. A thermostable DNA polymerase, Taq polymerase, successfully produced enough amount of cDNA of the region to be sequenced. The results showed AGG (Arg) to AGT (Ser) point mutation, resulting in the change of interconnecting sequence of the two subunits from -Arg-Lys-Arg-Arg- to -Arg-Lys-Arg-Ser-. These results suggest that the tertial structure change of the cleavage site leads to production of unprocessed insulin proreceptors.

A case of generalized juvenile gastrointestinal polyposis associated with gastric carcinoma

A case of generalized juvenile gastrointestinal polyposis associated with gastric adenocarcinoma is described. A 31-year-old male patient developed polyposis of the stomach complicated by gastric carcinoma and multiple polyps in the colon. Polyps of the stomach and colon were pathologically consistent with juvenile polyp, but adenomatous changes were also present in a very small percentage of the juvenile polyps. This case strongly suggests the possibility of carcinoma developing in patients with generalized juvenile gastrointestinal polyposis.

The body weight loss of young rats caused by hepatic branch vagotomy is influenced by environmental temperature

Changes in body weight after hepatic branch vagotomy or sham vagotomy were examined in rats of three different body weights (about 100, 200 and 280 g), and it was noted that the weight loss was evident only in 100 g rats. In a second experiment, 100 g animals were hepatic branch vagotomized or sham operated and housed at three different room temperatures (12-17, 17-22, 22-27 degrees C). Subsequently, the reduction in weight of the vagotomized animal was correlated with the lowest room temperature in the vagotomized animal, and food intake was also decreased in direct relation to the temperature. The results suggest that there might be a hepatic vagal mechanism modulating food intake in young animals, and such a mechanism may be modulated by the environmental temperature.

Production of human thyroid-stimulating hormone in Chinese hamster ovary cells

Human thyroid-stimulating hormone (hTSH) has been produced in Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells co-transformed with two plasmids: one carrying the alpha subunit cDNA with mouse dihydrofolate reductase gene and the other carrying hTSH beta subunit cDNA. Each cDNA was driven to expression under the control of SV40 early promoter. hTSH and its alpha subunit were secreted into culture media, and their secretion increased with exposure of the cells to increasing concentrations of methotrexate. Gel filtration analysis revealed that the molecular size of the hTSH was the same as that of natural hTSH. Furthermore, the CHO cell-produced hTSH elevated the cyclic AMP level in the rat thyroid cell line FRTL-5 in the same manner as natural hTSH does.

Production of recombinant human pancreatic secretory trypsin inhibitor by Escherichia coli

A synthetic gene for human pancreatic secretory trypsin inhibitor (PSTI) was fused to the coding sequence for the amino-terminal 135 amino acid residues of human interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma) by interposing a methionine codon sequence, and the resulting hybrid gene was efficiently expressed in Escherichia coli cells. Recombinant human PSTI (rHu-PSTI) was separated from the IFN-gamma/PSTI fused protein by cleavage at the methionine residue with cyanogen bromide. Finally, rHu-PSTI was purified by affinity chromatography on a bovine trypsin-CH-Sepharose 4B column. The amino acid composition, partial amino-terminal sequence, disulfide formation, human trypsin inhibitory activity, and immunoreactivity against rabbit anti-human PSTI serum of rHu-PSTI corresponded to those of the natural form.