The relationship between mastoid pneumatization and the position of the sigmoid sinus

Using high-resolution computed tomography, we measured the cross-sectional area of mastoid air cells and the shortest distance between the external auditory canal and the anterior edge of the sigmoid sinus (DIST), and then compared the right-left difference in 70 patients with unilateral chronic otitis media and 23 cases without middle ear disease. DIST was significantly short where there was poor mastoid pneumatization (P < 0.0001), regardless of whether it was the right or left ear. Furthermore, on the well-pneumatized temporal bone, the increase in size of the cross-sectional area was closely correlated with the increase in DIST (r = 0.495). We suggest that the relative position of the external auditory canal and the sigmoid sinus is affected by middle ear inflammations in childhood.

ONO-1078 antagonizes diarrhea-causing changes in ion transport and smooth muscle contraction induced by peptidoleukotrienes in rat and human colon in vitro

Leukotrienes play important roles in inflammatory bowel diseases. Previous studies have revealed the effects of peptidoleukotrienes on smooth muscle contraction and transmucosal ion transport, which may cause hyperactive bowel movement and the loss of electrolytes and water, i.e., diarrhea. The purpose of the present study was to evaluate the effects of the peptidoleukotrienes antagonist ONO-1078 and to assess its possible future clinical use. We examined the effects of ONO-1078 on peptidoleukotrienes-induced changes in electrolyte transport and muscle contraction in the rat colon, with the Ussing and Magnus techniques. Human biopsy specimens obtained at colonoscopy were also used for ion transport studies. Transmucosal ion transport in both rats and humans, and smooth muscle contractions in the rat colon, were induced by similar doses of peptidoleukotrienes at estimated interstitial concentrations (1 nM-100 nM). The time course of changes in short circuit current had two phases, a rapid and transient decrease and a subsequent transient increase, which seemed to be due mainly to Na+ and Cl-, respectively. Rat colon smooth muscle contracted transiently after the addition of peptidoleukotrienes. These effects of peptidoleukotrienes, which could be related to the diarrhea in inflammatory bowel diseases, were inhibited by ONO-1078. ONO-1078 is expected to be effective in clinical use against peptidoleukotrienes-related diarrhea in mild to moderate inflammatory bowel diseases.

[Relationship between dietary life style in youth and osteoporosis]

The relationship between the dietary life style and osteoporosis was examined by comparing 71 osteoporotic women [age--65.5 +/- 8.9 (mean +/- SD)] with 76 women age-matched as controls. All subjects lived in and around Tsukuba City. Bone mineral density (BMD) was measured by dual energy X-ray absorptiometry. The frequencies of drinking milk and eating meat, fish, or potatoes, etc. both in their youth (about 18-25 years old) and at the present were investigated. The results were as follows: 1) The frequency of having unbalanced diets in their youth was significantly higher in osteoporotic patients than in controls. 2) During their youth, osteoporotic patients had significantly lower frequency of drinking milk, and significantly higher frequency of eating meat, dried fish or eggs, compared with controls. 3) High milk-consumers during their youth (milk-drinking: > or = 3 times per week) were significantly less frequent in osteoporotic patients than that in controls. 4) In the controls, the frequencies of drinking milk and eating meat during their youth were significantly positively correlated with lumbar BMD. The frequency of eating potatoes was significantly negatively correlated with the BMD in controls. 5) No strong relationships between present dietary life and osteoporosis or BMD were found. These findings suggest that drinking milk in their youth may influence BMD and associate with osteoporosis in women.

Defective calcium influx in rat myelomonocytic leukemia cells which are resistant to differentiation-inducing effects of lipid A

We compared the calcium mobilization in parent lipid A-sensitive leukemia cells (P2) and lipid A-resistant cells (LR) after treating them with lipid A in order to clarify the signal transduction involved in the differentiation induced by lipid A. Lipid A induced differentiation in P2 cells; however, LR cells were completely resistant to it. A dramatic elevation of intracellular free calcium ion concentration ([Ca2+]i) occurred in P2 cells, but only a slight elevation of [Ca2+]i in LR cells. Calcium ionophore in combination with lipid A induced differentiation in LR cells. An elevation of [Ca2+]i observed in P2 cells was abrogated by an addition of EGTA, which partially inhibited the differentiation of P2 cells stimulated by lipid A. Altogether, these data indicate that calcium influx is essential for the differentiation of P2 cells stimulated by lipid A and that defective calcium influx is responsible for the resistance to lipid A in LR cells.

Transforming growth factor beta 1 (TGF-beta 1) produced in tumour tissue after chemotherapy acts as a lymphokine-activated killer attractant

Using an under agarose migration (UAM) assay, we studied lymphokine-activated killer (LAK)-attractant activity in cultured conditioned medium of tumour tissues after chemotherapy as a possible mechanism of enhanced LAK cell accumulation into tumour tissues after chemotherapy. BMT-11 is a fibrosarcoma developed in C57BL/6 mice. The conditioned medium of BMT-11 tumour tissues obtained from mice treated with various anti-cancer drugs had chemotactic activity for LAK cells (LAK-attractant activity). mRNA expression of interleukin (IL)-1 alpha, IL-6, IL-8, interferon (IFN)-gamma, and tumour necrosis factor (TNF)-alpha was observed in untreated tumour tissues, which were not enhanced by cyclophosphamide treatment. mRNA expression of TGF-beta 1 was not detected in untreated tumour tissues by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), but was detected in tumour tissues treated with cyclophosphamide. Recombinant human TGF-beta 1 showed LAK-attractant activity at a concentration of 0.1 ng ml-1 and 1 ng ml-1, whereas fresh splenocytes were not attracted by TGF-beta 1. Anti-TGF-beta 1 antibody inhibited LAK-attractant activity in the conditioned medium of tumour tissues treated with cyclophosphamide to approximately 35% that of control at 100 micrograms ml-1. These findings indicate that TGF-beta 1 produced in the tumour tissues of mice treated with anti-cancer drugs could be a LAK attractant. By a 4 h 51Cr release assay of natural killer cell-resistant BMT-11 tumour cells, we observed that TGF-beta 1 at a concentration from 0.01 ng ml-1 to 10 ng ml-1 did not inhibit LAK activity in an effector phase. Taken together, we suggest that TGF-beta 1 produced in tumour tissues after chemotherapy participates in gathering transferred LAK cells and contributes to the therapeutic effects of transferred LAK cells.

Accelerated senile amyloidosis induced by amyloidogenic Apoa-II gene shortens the life span of mice but does not accelerate the rate of senescence

The SAMP1 strain is a mouse model for accelerated senescence and severe senile amyloidosis. We studied the effects of the amyloidogenic apolipoprotein A-II gene (Apoa2c) on senile amyloidosis and the life span and progress of senescence of congenic mice (R1.P1-Apoa2c) which have Apoa2c of the SAMPI strain on the genome of the normally aging SAMR1 strain. Age-associated and severe amyloid deposits were detected in R1.P1-Apoa2c, as well as a 20% shorter life span than that of SAMR1. The scores of senescence increased more rapidly with age in R1.P1-Apoa2c than that of SAMR1, and the Gompertz function showed a bigger Y intercept but the same slope of regression line. These results suggest that severe senile amyloidosis induced by the Apoa2c gene shortens the life span of mice but does not accelerate the rate of senescence.

Fluted serum relating to growth of both hepatocyte and hepatocellular carcinoma cells

This study was undertaken to investigate a humoral substance contributing to both primary hepatocytes and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) cells in the primitive form. Peripheral blood from rat, 24 h after partial hepatectomy (PH) or sham-operation, was eluted into 50 fractions using an HPLC, and each fraction was bio-assayed. In vivo relationship between PH and tumor growth was also evaluated. Only one, approximately 100 kDa, of the 50 fractions from PH rat stimulated the growth of both types of cell, and the time-lag between PH and HCC injection also correlated significantly with tumor appearance and growth. Serum in PH rats contains certain humoral stimulator(s) contributing to growth of both hepatocyte and HCC cells.

Differences in the induction of carboxylesterase RL4 in rat liver microsomes by various perfluorinated fatty acids, metabolically inert derivatives of fatty acids

Differences in the ability of metabolically inert peroxisome proliferators [perfluoro-n-decanoic acid (PFDA, C10), perfluoro-n-octanoic acid (PFOA, C8), perflorooctane sulfonic acid (PFOS, C8) and 1H,1H-pentadecafluoro-n-octanol (PFOL, C8)] to induce liver microsomal carboxylesterase RL4 in male rats were studied by evaluating changes in the RL4 content by immunoblot analysis with a specific antibody. The administration of PFOA, PFOS and PFOL markedly increase the content of carboxylesterase RL4. On the other hand, PFDA decreases PNPA, BUTA, and ISOC hydrolase activity, and slightly increases the carboxylesterase RL4 content.

Experimental bilirubin pigmentation of rat dentine and its detection by a qualitative analytical method

An animal model of bilirubinemia was used to determine whether bilirubin present in pigmented teeth can be extracted and qualitatively analysed. The bile ducts of 10 Long-Evans Agouti rats were ligated and bilirubin (14 mg/kg per day) was injected intraperitoneally for 4 days. When the animals were killed 2 weeks later, pigmented lower incisors were observed in three animals. These teeth were dried, powdered and bilirubin was extracted with chloroform/methanol/acetic acid, 30:10:0.5, v/v for 10 min under sonication. After centrifugation, the supernatant was collected and evaporated. The residue was dissolved in chloroform and its absorption spectrum measured before and after diazo reaction. This resulted in a shift of the absorption maximum from 450 to 540 nm and indicated the presence of bilirubin in pigmented teeth. No bilirubin was found in the lower incisors of untreated control rats. This technique may be useful in distinguishing bilirubin staning from other intrinsic discolorations of teeth.

Pathological comparison between spontaneously developed and chemically induced liver cancers in LEC rats with hereditary hepatitis

To investigate the pathological differences between spontaneously developed and chemically induced liver cancers in LEC rats with hereditary hepatitis, eight-week-old LEC rats were fed 0.06% or 0.03% of 3'-methyl-4-dimethylaminoazobenzene (3'-Me-DAB) for 12 weeks, and then fed basal diet. Spontaneous liver cancers occurred in 60.4% of the LEC rats, while 3'-Me-DAB induced cancers in all LEC rats. The survival periods of chemically (0.06%) treated LEC rats were significantly shorter than non-treated rats. The chemically-induced cancers were strongly related to Edmondson classification. Metastasis and transplantability of the chemically-induced cancers were higher than spontaneous cancers. LEC rats are highly susceptible to the chemical carcinogen with the initiated status of hepatocarcinogenesis.

Evaluation of multi skin test in colorectal cancer patients and effects of serum immunosuppressive factor and cytokine production of peripheral mononuclear cells

Decreased skin reactions using five kinds of recall antigens correlate d with the stage of colorectal cancer. Immunosuppressive factors in the serum (IS index) increased with the progression of the stage in cancer patients, but interleukin (IL)-I and IL-2 production in peripheral mononuclear cells (PBMC) did not correlate with the advance of the disease. In patients with low immunosuppressive factors, the score of skin reactions was significantly higher than that in patients with high immunosuppressive factors. Increased serum immunosuppressive factors seem to reduce skin reactions in the patients. Furthermore, significant difference in skin reaction score was observed between patients with high IL-1 production of PBMC and patients with low IL-1 production of PBMC. These results suggest that skin reaction might be controlled by serum immunosuppressive factors and IL-1 production of PBMC, and that the score of skin reaction using multirecall antigens is a useful parameter to learn the host immunity in colorectal cancer.

Postoperative immunocompetence and immunosuppressive effect of rat liver tumors

To investigate the kinetics of postoperative immunocompetence and immunosuppressive effects of rat liver tumors, we examined natural killer cell cytotoxicity and blastogeneses to phytohemagllutinin-P, concanavalin A, and lipopolysaccharide on 1-, 2-, 3-, 5-, 7-, 9- and 14- postoperative days (-POD) after partial hepatectomy in tumor-bearing or healthy rats. The immunosuppressive effects of the tumor were observed on all the parameters examined, particularly from 1- to 3-POD and on 14-POD. Surgical stress induced immunosuppression in the early postoperative stage which lasted over 1 week, and the immunosuppression was seriously affected by the presence of the tumor. The present study suggests that surgery without curability is closely related to enhancement of the growth of the remaining or occult cancer, leading to worse survival.

Enhancing effects of epidermal growth factor on human squamous cell carcinoma motility and matrix degradation but not growth

In order to ascertain the effects of epidermal growth factor (EGF) on human cancer invasion abilities, three cell lines of human oral squamous cell carcinoma were studied using a phagokinetic track assay and zymography. EGF (1-100 ng/ml) was found to inhibit the growth but enhance the random motility of all three cell lines in a concentration-dependent fashion. Exposure to EGF, dose-dependently, led to an increased production of urokinase-type plasminogen activator and M(r) 92 kD matrix metalloproteinase by the same cells. These results strongly suggest that EGF may promote human squamous cell carcinoma invasion and metastasis.

Modulation of the rat tumor-associated shedding antigen (CE7) and augmentation of immunogenicity by irradiation

We have previously reported that rat fibrosarcoma KMT-17 cells and their in vitro counterparts, cloned A3 cells, shed a tumor-associated antigen (TAA), termed CE7, from the cell surface on vesicular membranes, under growth-enhancing conditions. This study shows that irradiation (1 approximately Gy) from a 60Co source, inhibited A3 cell growth dose-dependently and correspondingly increased CE7 expression by A3 cells as determined by anti-CE7 monoclonal antibody using flow cytometry. CE7 expression gradually increased with increasing doses of irradiation and reached a peak level at 30Gy. After 30Gy irradiation, CE7 expressing A3 cells were fixed with 1% paraformaldehyde and were used to intradermally immunize syngenic rats. Immunized rats developed transplantation resistance to the parent KMT-17 cells as compared to rats immunized with unirradiated A3 cells. Rat MHC class 1 antigen expression was slightly decreased by irradiation and therefore, resistance to tumor transplantation appeared to arise solely due to the enhancing effects of irradiation on TAA expression which increases the antigenicity of the tumor cells coverting them to an effective stimulator of antitumor effector cells. This phenomenon may offer a possibility of the resistance to the re-emergence and metastasis of the tumor like a KMT-17 through the induction of antitumor memory cells.

Molecular aspects of carboxylesterase isoforms in comparison with other esterases

The involvement of carboxylesterase, acetylcholinesterase, butyrylcholinesterase and cholesterol esterase in pharmacology and toxicology are well recognized. However, there are few papers concerning the comparative studies of these serine hydrolases in terms of molecular level. Recently, we have studied various aspects of carboxylesterases using cDNAs of carboxylesterase isozymes purified from 9 animal species and human liver microsomes, and found that there is high homology of the N-terminal amino acid sequences of the isozymes tested. On the other hand, we compared the amino acid sequences at the active site of the individual esterases and found that the sequences of all esterases tested are strictly conserved. These results strongly suggest that the esterases involved are classified into the serine hydrolase super family.

Age-related changes in the static and dynamic mechanical properties of mouse lungs

To investigate the effects of aging on pulmonary mechanical properties in mice, we devised a new experimental apparatus to measure the respiratory impedance of excised lungs in mice and examined age-related changes in both static and dynamic properties. In an accelerated senescence-resistant strain of mice, SAMR1 (Takeda, T., Y. Fukuchi, Y. Uejima, K. Teramoto, T. Oka and H. Orino, J. Am. Geriatr. Soc. 39: 911-919, 1991), ranging from 3 to 24 months of age, static compliance (Cst) as well as total lung capacity increased significantly with age, whereas specific compliance and the K value, as determined by exponential analysis, showed no significant change. In the dynamic study, dynamic compliance (Cdyn) increased significantly with age, whereas the frequency dependence of Cdyn (Cdyn/Cst) did not vary with age. From these results we concluded that lung elasticity, normalized to lung volume, remained constant with age and that the effects of aging on pulmonary mechanics might be solely derived from increases in lung volume in the SAMR1 strain of mice.

Monoamine oxidase-B-positive granular structures in the hippocampus of aged senescence-accelerated mouse (SAMP8)

We examined the histochemical localization of monoamine oxidase in the hippocampus of young and old senescence-accelerated mouse (SAM). We found a monoamine oxidase-B-positive granular structure (MGS) in the hippocampus of old SAMP8, an accelerated senescence-prone line of SAM. The MGS was a round-shaped granular structure of 0.5 to 5 microns diameter and usually formed a cluster, the largest diameter of which ranged from 50 to 150 microns. No MGS were found in the hippocampus of young SAMP8 or of young SAMR1, an accelerated senescence resistant line of SAM, and only few, if any, were seen in old SAMR1. A monoamine oxidase-positive astrocyte was usually observed in the central area of each cluster of MGS. Furthermore, the MGS was in close anatomical relationship with monoamine oxidase-positive astrocytic processes. The enzyme inhibition experiments showed that monoamine oxidase activities localized in the MGS and astrocytes were both predominantly of type B. These findings suggest MGS occurs at least partly in monoamine oxidase-B-positive astrocytes. Furthermore, the MGS was similar to a periodic acid-Schiff-positive granular structure, a polyglucosan body previously documented in the brains of old SAMP8 and some other aged mice strains including C57BL/6 and nude mice, in terms of their size, morphological appearances and topographical distribution in the hippocampus. Thus, the present results suggest that monoamine oxidase type B is a proteinaceous component of the periodic acid-Schiff-positive granular structure in aged mice brains, and might provide some clues for clarifying the mechanisms of age-related occurrence of periodic acid-Schiff-positive granular structures in mice brains.

Restoration of interleukin-2 production in tumor-bearing rats through reducing tumor-derived transforming growth factor beta by treatment with bleomycin

We studied mechanisms of immunosuppression caused by tumor-derived transforming growth factor-beta (TGF beta) and restoration of the immune response by treatment with bleomycin in rats bearing KDH-8 hepatoma. Interleukin-2 (IL-2) production from splenocytes of KDH-8-tumor-bearing rats progressively decreased as the KDH-8 tumor grew. IL-2 production from concanavalin-A-stimulated normal rat splenocytes was significantly inhibited by in vitro cultured KDH-8-tumor-cell-conditioned medium; this inhibition could be blocked by neutralizing the conditioned medium with anti-TGF beta antibody. TGF beta activities were found in KDH-8-tumor-tissue-conditioned medium without acid treatment and were found in tumor-cell-conditioned medium after acid treatment; TGF beta mRNA and TGF beta protein were found in cultured KDH-8 tumor cells. These results suggested that the KDH-8-tumor-derived TGF beta might be involved in the inhibition of IL-2 production from splenocytes. To determine whether bleomycin chemotherapy could reduce tumor-derived TGF beta and restore the immune responses, we treated KDH-8 tumor-bearing rats with bleomycin (5 mg/kg, one shot) at an appropriate time (before the occurrence of immunosuppression) resulting in a significant reduction of TGF beta activity in KDH-8 tumor tissues and restoration of IL-2 production from splenocytes of tumor-bearing rats; KDH-8 tumor growth ultimately regressed. In vitro experiments also showed that TGF beta activity, mRNA expression, and protein synthesis in KDH-8 tumor cells were reduced by bleomycin treatment, and that bleomycin-treated-KDH-8-tumor-cell-conditioned medium did not inhibit IL-2 production from normal rat splenocytes. These results suggest that bleomycin treatment restored IL-2 production in tumor-bearing rats through reducing the tumor-derived TGF beta.

Inhibition of tumor cell haptotaxis by sodium D-glucaro-delta-lactam (ND2001)

We used the Boyden chamber system to investigate the mechanism by which the antimetastatic agent sodium D-glucaro-delta-lactam (ND2001) inhibits tumor cell invasion, and by establishing what ND2001 did not achieve, we were able to pinpoint the areas in which it was successful as an inhibitor. ND2001 did not inhibit cell adhesion of a highly metastatic B16 melanoma variant (the B16 variant) to the reconstituted basal membrane Matrigel, nor did it affect the production or activity of basal membrane-degrading type i.v. collagenase, but, in the Boyden chamber, ND2001 inhibited cell migration of the B16 variant toward a chemoattractant, laminin, on the lower surface of a Matrigel-free filter set (haptotaxis). Lewis lung carcinoma (3LL) cells that had been treated with ND2001 also exhibited hardly any haptotaxis, although the cells showed no alteration in behavior during cell adhesion to Matrigel. Since ND2001 did succeed in inhibiting the pulmonary metastases of the B16 variant and 3LL, we infer that inhibition of the metastases by ND2001 in these tumors is likely to be due to the inhibition of haptotactic migration.

Interindividual variation in carboxylesterase levels in human liver microsomes

Microsomal carboxylesterase activities in 12 human livers were determined using 10 kinds of carboxylesterase substrates (p-nitrophenylacetate, p-nitrophenylpropionate, p-nitrophenylbutyrate, butanilicaine, isocarboxazid, palmitoyl-coenzyme-A, malathion, clofibrate, acetanilide, and phenacetin). There were large individual differences in the 12 humans based on experimental results in the past several years in our laboratory. We found that all human liver microsomes have RH1-immunoreactive carboxylesterase, and the carboxylesterase content in liver also showed large individual differences. The RH1-immunoreactive carboxylesterase concentration correlated well with those of p-nitrophenylesters, clofibrate, butanilicaine, and isocarboxazid, and anti-RH1 immunoglobulin G strongly inhibited human liver hydrolase activity. These findings indicate that one major carboxylesterase isozyme that is immunoreactive with anti-RH1 in human liver microsomes has catalytic activity on major carboxylesterase substrates, and thus hydrolase activity in human liver depends on the expression level of this carboxylesterase isozyme. These observations should be useful in understanding the action of carboxylesterases on drug metabolism in humans.

Decreased expression of HSP47 in highly malignant mouse fibrosarcoma

HSP47, a heat shock-inducible glycoprotein of M(r) = 47,000, is assumed to be a molecular chaperone specific for collagen. In addition to its stress inducibility, HSP47 has transformation-sensitivity; that is, the synthesis of HSP47 decreases after malignant transformation. The expression of several HSPs in mouse fibrosarcoma, QRsP-1 and QRsP-4 were examined. HSP47 expression was weaker in the highly malignant QRsP-4 than in the weakly malignant QRsP-1, whilst HSC70 expression was similar in both cell lines. These findings suggested an important role of HSP47 as a marker of tumour malignancy of QRsP cell lines.

[Clinical experiences with the insertion of Dumon-type endotracheal stent tube for the patients with tracheal stenosis due to advanced esophageal carcinoma]

To relieve tracheal stenosis due to esophageal carcinoma, we have inserted Dumon-type endotracheal stent tube to 2 patients with stenosis of the left main bronchus and a patient with tracheal stenosis. Severe dyspnea and stridor found in these patients was much improved in all three cases. After insertion of the stent tube to 2 patients with stenosis of the left main bronchus, radiation therapy with the dose of 65 Gy to main esophageal lesion was undergone, which resulted in the partial remission. These management allowed the patients to discharge. The last case with tracheal stenosis was due to recurrence of the esophageal carcinoma, which required additional insertion of the stent tube at the proximal site after initial insertion in a short period. We conclude that the quality of life and prognosis of patients with tracheal stenosis due to advanced esophageal carcinoma may be improved by the insertion of Dumon-type endotracheal stent tube.