[Studies on bacillary dysentery cases of overseas travellers--during 1979 to 1995]

A total of 36,780,440 overseas travellers during 1979-1995 (17 years) were quarantined at Osaka and Kansai Airport Quarantine Station, 84,777 travellers reported themselves suffer from diarrhoea. Stools from 29,587 persons were bacteriologically examined. Various enteropathogenic bacteria were isolated from 9,766 (33.0%) patients of the stools examined. Isolated species were as follows: Plesiomonas shigelloides (3,234 cases); Salmonella spp. (2,236 cases); enterotoxgenic Escherichia coli (1,621 cases); Vibrio parahaemolyticus (1,959 cases); and Shigella spp. (1,242 cases). 1,278 different Shigella strains were isolated from 1,242 cases who were thus diagnosed as bacillary dysentery patients. The suspected regions or countries for infection of these cases were analysed. The serovars and antibiotic-sensitivities of the isolated strains were examined. Colicine typing of S. sonnei strains were also done. The results can be summarized as follows. 1) The most cases (53.4%) were infected in India. 2) The percentage distribution of sub-species of the strains was as follows; S. sonnei (57.8%), S flexneri (29.8%), S. boydii (8.4%), and S. dysenteriae (4.0%), respectively. 3) The major colicine type of S. sonnei strains were type 6 and 0. 4) The percentage of Antibiotic-resistant strains of each sub-species was S. dysenteriae (92.2%), S. sonnei (89.4%), S. flexneri (87.1%), and S. boydii (84.9%), respectively. The percentage of Antibiotic-resistant strains of S. flexneri were increased annually.

Porphyromonas gingivalis lipopolysaccharide-stimulated bone resorption via CD14 is inhibited by broad-spectrum antibiotics

In the present study, we examined mechanisms of Porphyromonas gingivalis lipopolysaccharide (P-LPS)-stimulated bone resorption via CD14, one of the lipopolysaccharide (LPS) receptors, and also assessed the inhibitory action of several kinds of antibiotics on the LPS-induced stimulation. First, we observed by using mouse embryonic calvarial cells that P-LPS stimulated bone resorption through the action of endogenous interleukin-1beta (IL-1beta) and interleukin-6 (IL-6) via CD14 because (i) P-LPS-stimulated expression of IL-1beta and IL-6 genes in calvarial cells was inhibited by an anti-mouse CD14 antibody, (ii) stimulated bone resorption was markedly inhibited by both IL-1beta and IL-6 antibodies, and (iii) P-LPS-stimulated bone resorption was clearly neutralized by an anti-mouse CD14 antibody. Next, we examined the effects of several kinds of antibiotics on P-LPS-stimulated bone resorption via CD14. Two of them, chloramphenicol and erythromycin, inhibited P-LPS-stimulated bone resorption in a dose-dependent manner. In an additional experiment, we observed that chloramphenicol clearly inhibited P-LPS-stimulated expression of the CD14, IL-1beta, and IL-6 genes in calvarial cells. These results suggest that chloramphenicol might be a useful antibiotic as an anti-inflammatory agent against P-LPS-stimulated periodontal destruction occurring via CD14 in periodontal disease.

[Primary pulmonary lymphoma presenting as an endobronchial polypoid tumor]

A 58-year-old woman because of coughing and an abnormality on a chest renggenogram was referred to our hospital. A chest X-ray film and a computed tomogram revealed atelectasis of the right lower lobe and a round tumor in the left lower lobe. Fiberoptic bronchoscopy revealed an endobronchial polypoid tumor in the intermediate bronchus, which completely obstructed the orifice of the right lower-lobe bronchus. Microscopical examination revealed B-cell diffuse, large, non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. No extrapulmonary lesion was found, and therefore primary pulmonary non-Hodgkin's lymphoma was diagnosed. Chemotherapy resulted in rapid and complete regression of the tumor, which was confirmed endoscopically and histologically. The patient was still in complete remission 8 months after the end of chemotherapy. There have been no additional interventions.

Cdc37 is a molecular chaperone with specific functions in signal transduction

Cdc37 is required for cyclin-dependent kinase activation and is genetically linked with the activity of several other kinases, including oncogenic v-Src, casein kinase II, MPS-1 kinase, and sevenless. Strikingly, many pathways involving Cdc37 also involve the protein chaperone Hsp90. The identification of Cdc37 as the 50-kD protein in several Hsp90-kinase complexes, together with other data, led to the recent suggestion that Cdc37 is a kinase-targeting "subunit" of Hsp90. We directly examined the effect of Cdc37 on Hsp90 functions. Rather than simply acting as an accessory factor for Hsp90, Cdc37 is itself a protein chaperone with properties remarkably similar to those of Hsp90. In vitro, Cdc37 maintains denatured beta-galactosidase in an activation-competent state without reactivating it and stabilizes mature, but unstable, casein kinase II. In vivo, Cdc37 overexpression can compensate for decreased Hsp90 function, but the proteins are not interchangeable. Cdc37 can compensate for Hsp90 in maintaining the activity of v-Src kinase but does not maintain the activity of the glucocorticoid receptor. Thus, the very similar chaperone activities of the two proteins, uncovered through in vitro analysis, diverge in vivo in specific signal transduction pathways.

Electrophysiological analysis of cognitive slowing in Parkinson's disease

To analyze chronometrically the evidence for possible cognitive slowing in Parkinson's disease, we measured visual event-related potentials (ERPs) and reaction times (RTs) in 29 patients with nondemented Parkinson's disease and 19 age-equivalent normal controls during the performance of semantic discrimination tasks. The components of the N1, P2, NA, N2 and P3 and simple and GO/NOGO RTs were observed. The N2 was measured from difference waveforms, subtracting the ERPs to frequent stimuli from those to infrequent stimuli in the discrimination task. Difference waveforms were also derived to delineate NA by subtracting the ERPs in the simple RT task from those of the frequent stimuli of the discrimination task. The N2 and P3 latencies and GO/NOGO RT in patients with Parkinson's disease were significantly longer than those in the controls, although there were no differences in N1, P2 and NA latencies or simple RT between the two groups. The results are interpreted as electrophysiological signs of cognitive slowing, particularly with respect to stimulus classification and attention processes in Parkinson's disease, independent of sensory problems. As for the automatic/controlled processes, the present results suggest that the automatic processing stage associated with NA may be less impaired than the attention-controlled processing reflected by N2 in patients with Parkinson's disease.

[Transurethral electrovaporization of the prostate (TUV-P): comparative study with transurethral resection (TUR-P)]

A total of 27 patients with benign prostatic hyperplasia were treated by transurethral electrovaporization of the prostate (TUV-P). A roller bar electrode was used for 13 patients and a roller loop electrode for 14. Therapeutic efficacy and complications of TUV-P were compared with those of transurethral resection of the prostate (TUR-P) performed before TUV-P was started (24 patients). The improvements in subjective symptom scores and objective voiding parameters after 3 months were not significantly different between the TUV-P and TUR-P groups. Furthermore, the improvements were similar between TUV-P using the roller bar and the roller loop. No patients treated by TUV-P had TUR syndrome or received blood transfusion, while blood transfusion was performed in 4 patients treated by TUR-P. Postoperative duration of urethral catheterization and hospital stay was significantly shorter in the TUV-P group than in the TUR-P group. The operative time for TUV-P (roller bar) was 1.6 min per g. preoperative prostate volume, while that for TUV-P (roller loop) and TUR-P was 2.1 and 1.9 min/g, respectively. From our experience, TUV-P was as effective as TUR-P for relieving bladder outlet obstruction with fewer complications. Furthermore, the operative time could be shortened with a roller loop.

[Treatment of acute myelogenous leukemia in patients more than 80 years old]

We studied fifteen patients older than 80 years of age with acute myelogenous leukemia (AML) treated between 1984 and 1996. Among 15 cases of AML including 7 de novo cases and 8 from myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) or hypoplastic leukemia, 14 patients had complications, including cardiovascular disease, diabetes mellitus or other malignancies. Although patients with de novo AML showed high peripheral WBC counts and higher cellularity of bone marrow than those from MDS or hypoplastic leukemia, it was difficult in some cases to distinguish these types of AML from hematological findings. Of the 6 AML cases, three had entered complete remission (CR) by a standard dose of combination chemotherapy (BHAC-DMP). One CR patient has had CR for more than 9 years now with good QOL. Among the 3 patients treated by low-dose Ara-C, one attained CR but only for a short period. Four other patients received BRM, such as G-CSF or Ubenimex, and 2 patients died without chemotherapy. Since AML at more than 80 years of age is a highly heterogenous disease, it would be reasonable to give antileukemic agents according to the individual patient's condition.

Identification of a novel HLA-B allele (B*4202) in a Saudi Arabian family with Behçet's disease

A new HLA-B antigen, tentatively called HLA-B42AND, was identified as a B42 serologic variant in a Saudi Arabian family. DNA sequencing analysis of the second and third exon of this new B allele revealed that B42AND was identical to B*4201 except for a single T to C substitution at position 97 of exon 2. This substitution results in histidine (CAC) at codon 9 in B42AND instead of tyrosine (TAC) in B*4201. The antigen frequency of B42AND in a Saudi Arabian population was around 10%. This novel B42AND has officially been named HLA-B*4202.

A new synthetic steroid, osaterone acetate (TZP-4238), increases cortical bone mass and strength by enhancing bone formation in ovariectomized rats

A new synthetic steroid, 17 alpha-acetoxy-chloro-2-oxa-4,6-pregnadiene-3,20-dione (osaterone acetate, TZP-4238), has a potent antiandrogenic and gestagenic action with virtually no estrogenic and androgenic activity in their classical target organs. In the present study, the effects of TZP-4238 on the structure, strength, and turnover of the rat long bones were examined. Female Wistar rats at 12 weeks of age were ovariectomized (OVX) and treated with TZP-4238 or 17 beta-estradiol (E2) every day for 12 weeks. TZP-4238 significantly increased the diameters and maintained bone mineral density (BMD) of the femur of OVX rats. Although the BMD of the total femur was higher in E2-treated rats than that in TZP-treated rats, E2 did not increase the diameters of the femurs. To examine the effects of TZP-4238 and E2 on the BMD of different regions of the femur, the BMD was further analyzed by dividing it into 20 regions of equal longitudinal length. E2 increased the BMD of the distal and proximal metaphysis, regions rich in trabecular bone, but had no effect on the BMD of the femoral diaphysis compared with OVX control rats. In contrast, 2.5 and 12.5 mg/kg TZP-4238 increased the BMD of the femoral diaphysis, regions rich in cortical bone, but did not affect the BMD at the distal metaphysis. In agreement with the changes in the BMD of different regions of the femur, TZP-4238 but not E2 increased the physical strength of the femoral diaphysis assessed by a three-point bending test. Histomorphometric analyses of the cross-sections of the tibia revealed that TZP-4238 increased but E2 reduced the periosteal bone formation rate compared with OVX rats. In addition, TZP-4238 caused an increase in serum bone alkaline phosphatase with only a mild and transient decrease in urinary deoxypyridinoline excretion, while E2 reduced both of these parameters. These results demonstrate that TZP-4238 increases the dimension, BMD, and physical strength of the rat long bones by enhancing cortical bone formation, while estrogen maintains trabecular BMD by inhibiting bone resorption. Because the physical strength of long bones is affected by cortical bone mass and geometry, the effect of TZP-4238 on cortical bone may have a potential for the treatment of osteoporosis with reduced cortical bone formation.

Inhibition of spinal monosynaptic reflex in newborn rats by aurintricarboxylic acid

The effect of aurintricarboxylic acid (ATA), an inhibitor of nuclease, on glutamatergic synaptic transmission was examined electrophysiologically in the isolated spinal cords of newborn rats. Monosynaptic reflex (MSR) was depressed about 20%, 50 min after exposure to 100 microM of ATA. Pretreatment with APV, a N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) type receptor antagonist, depressed MSR by about 10%, but additional application of ATA did not affect the MSR further. In contrast, the remaining MSR following treatment with DNQX, a non-NMDA type receptor antagonist, in the Mg2+-free medium was almost completely inhibited by addition of ATA. ATA depressed NMDA- but not D,L-alpha-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxalone propionic acid (AMPA)- or kainate-induced depolarization in the medium containing normal ionic composition. Thus it is concluded that the reduction of MSR by ATA is due to blockade of NMDA type but non-NMDA type glutamate receptors. The present study also confirmed the previous conclusion that Ia monosynaptic transmission in the spinal cord of the newborn rat is mediated by NMDA as well as non-NMDA type glutamate receptors.

A dynamic population model incorporating a variety of urban functions

"This paper aims to investigate the theoretical background of Allen and Sanglier's model, slightly modifying it. We construct a dynamic two-city population model in which there are different types of urban functions in the cities. Population dynamics of both cities are expressed in terms of a system of differential equations of the logistic type, taking account of spatial interaction between them. For this model, both the existence condition and the globally asymptotic stability of the equilibrium state are theoretically explored. Then configurations of equilibrium population distribution that correspond to different combinations of the numbers of types of urban functions in two cities are also examined. Finally, some numerical simulations are done in order to supplement the theoretical considerations."

[A case of paraganglioma of urinary bladder in a 96-year-old female]

A 96-year-old woman was referred to our hospital with gross hematuria. Cystoscopy, computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging revealed a submucosal bladder tumor. Incomplete transurethral resection was performed with no intraoperative complications. The histopathological diagnosis of nonmalignant paraganglioma was confirmed by immunohistochemical staining. This patient is the oldest of the 49 patients with paraganglioma of the urinary bladder reported in the Japanese literature.

An Alu-linked repetitive sequence corresponding to 280 amino acids is expressed in a novel bovine protein, but not in its human homologue

A novel protein harboring a 280-amino acid region from an Alu-linked repetitive sequence (bovine Alu-like dimer-driven family) was isolated from a bovine brain S-100 fraction using monoclonal antibodies against a rat GTPase-activating protein that shares the same epitope. The protein has an apparent molecular mass of 97 kDa (p97). Western blot analysis using extracts prepared from various tissues showed p97 to be predominantly detected in brain and moderately in liver and lung. From sequence analysis of the cDNA encoding p97, it was found that the 840-base pair sequence homologous to a part of the bovine Alu-like dimer-driven family, which has never been shown to be expressed, occurs in the middle of the protein coding region. The protein also contains a pair of intramolecular repeats composed of 40 highly hydrophilic amino acids at the C terminus. Human cDNA homologous to p97 was cloned, and its nucleotide sequence demonstrates that the 840-base pair repetitive sequence and one of the intramolecular repeats are missing. We named p97 bovine BCNT after Bucentaur. These results show that bovine BCNT is a unique molecule and suggest that an analysis of the relationship between bovine bcnt and its human homologue may help further the understanding of gene organization and evolution.

Binding affinity of proteins to hsp90 correlates with both hydrophobicity and positive charges. A surface plasmon resonance study

The 90 kDa heat shock protein (hsp90) is a major cytoplasmic molecular chaperone associating with numerous other proteins including steroid receptors. Here we provide the first numerical analysis of hsp90-target associations using surface plasmon resonance. Binding affinities of histones, the "native molten globule", casein and calmodulin to hsp90 decrease in the order of Kd = 70 +/- 24, 220 +/- 70 and 1800 +/- 600 nM, respectively. Analysis of the structure of binding proteins revealed that their binding affinity depends on both hydrophobicity and positive charges making the discriminative features of hsp90 similar to those of other molecular chaperones.

Evaluation of the radiosensitizing effects of RK28 intravenous, intraarterial, and intratumoral injections on the rabbit VX2 tumor system

PURPOSE

To evaluate the differences in the radiosensitizing effects of intravenous (i.v.) injection, intraarterial (i.a.) injection, and intratumoral (i.t.) injections of the hypoxic cell radiosensitizer RK28 ([1-(4'-hydroxy-2'-butenoxy)methyl-2-nitroimidazole], a 2-nitroimidazole with an acyclic sugar analogue substituted at the N-1 position of the imidazole ring) using an animal experimental system.

METHODS AND MATERIALS

Rabbit VX2 tumors, which were implanted in the muscle of left hind legs and grown to 3 cm in diameter, were treated with RK28 (80 mg/kg x b.wt.) before 15 Gy of local x-ray irradiation. The auricular vein and the left saphenous artery were used for systemic injection and regional injection, respectively. For i.t. injection, a 21-gauge needle with three lateral holes was positioned in the central area of the tumor. Tumor regression was precisely evaluated by computed tomograpy (CT), and survival time was also studied. Using high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), pharmacokinetic studies for RK28 and its seven major metabolites were performed in tumor and serum at 0, 10, 20, 30, and 60 min after drug injection was completed.

RESULTS

Radiosensitizing effects of RK28 were considered present after i.a. injection (p < 0.05) and i.t. injection (p < 0.05) after analyzing tumor volumes on day 21 after treatment. Increased survival was not observed in any group with RK28 injection compared with survival in the group treated by x-ray irradiation alone. Pharmacokinetic studies showed the average concentration of RK28 in the tumor during x-ray irradiation was 1.3 times higher after i.a. injection and 3.5 times higher after i.t. injection than that after i.v. injection. The time modifying factor50 (TMF50: ratio of time for tumor to decrease by 50%, radiation alone vs. radiation plus drug) was calculated to be 1.5 after i.v. injection, 1.7 after i.a. injection, and 2.3 after i.t. injection. The values of TMF50 correlated to the average concentrations of RK28 in the tumor. As to metabolites of RK28, beta-glucuronated compound and cysteine conjugate were highly detected. The concentrations of cysteine conjugate were higher in the tumor than in serum via i.v. injection.

CONCLUSIONS

Radiosensitizing effects of RK28 were observed on the rabbit VX-2 tumor system after i.a. or i.t. injection. Pharmacokinetic studies proved that radiosensitizing effects depended on the concentration in the tumor, though the administration routes were different. Combined forms with nonprotein thiols were detected. However, survival benefits were not obtained by RK28. For clinical applications of RK28, i.a. or i.t. injection could facilitate better local control of cancer.

Increased sensitivity of EBNA2-transformed rat fibroblasts to ionizing radiation

To clarify whether expression of Epstein-Barr virus(EBV) nuclear antigen 2 (EBNA2) correlates with sensitivity to ionizing radiation, we tested EBNA2-transformed rat fibroblast clones for their radiosensitivity to X-rays. These transformed clones reproducibly generated tumors in mice. X-irradiation suppressed the growth of the tumors, and irradiated mice survived longer than non-irradiated ones. In contrast, tumors formed by activated H-ras or E6-E7 genes of human papillomavirus type 16 (HPV16) were strongly resistant to the same dose of X-irradiation. In in vitro culture, these EBNA2-expressing clones also showed higher radiosensitivity than cell lines transformed by activated H-ras and E6E7 genes. The averaged D(o) of EBNA2-expressing clones was 2.3 times lower than that of non-expressing and control clones. These results suggest that expression of EBNA2 is responsible for the radiosensitivity.

Effects of chicken extract on the recovery from fatigue caused by mental workload

Folk wisdom suggests that chicken extract is useful for recovery from physical and mental fatigue. To explore this question, the physiological effect of Brand's Essence of Chicken (BEC), a popular chicken extract used as a traditional remedy, was assessed during recovering from mental stress. We quantitated the blood levels of stress-related substances, and examined the task performance and subjects' mood states during mental workloads. Subjects were 20, healthy male students who have never tasted BEC. They took two bottles of BEC or a placebo (70 ml/bottle) daily in the morning for 7 days. On the final experimental day, two mental workload tests were performed: (A) a mental arithmetic test (MAT; 1600 trials of two or three figure-addition or subtraction for 40 min). (B) a short-term memory test (SMT; 20 trials of memorizing 9 digit numbers). Blood was collected before and after each workload task. After the mental workload, the recovery of mean cortisol level of subjects who consumed BEC was significantly faster than that for those consuming the placebo. The task performance of subjects performing the MAT and SMT was also improved with BEC consumption compared with placebo. According to the profile of mood state questionnaire, subjects felt more active and less fatigued during the workload when they took BEC regularly. We conclude that the extract of chicken has the potential to metabolize stress-related substance in blood and to promote recovery from mental fatigue.

Eyeblinks in formation of impressions

The purpose of this study was to investigate the influence of frequency of one's eyeblinks on creating a personal impression. The subjects, 102 males and 127 females, ages 15 to 60 years, rated on a 7-point semantic differential scale a rarely blinking person or a frequently blinking person described on a question-sheet. A factor analysis of the ratings yielded three factors, interpreted as Nervousness, Unfriendliness, and Lack of intelligence. The frequently blinking person was rated as more nervous and less intelligent than the rarely blinking person. Present results provided evidence that frequency of eyeblinks may play an important role on the formation of impressions. Further implications of the findings are discussed.

[Clinical study of serum antibodies specific to Chlamydia trachomatis in patients with chronic nonbacterial prostatitis and prostatodynia]

The etiological role of Chlamydia trachomatis in chronic nonbacterial prostatitis is controversial. To assess whether C. trachomatis relates to chronic nonbacterial prostatitis, we investigated the serum levels of immunoglobulin G (IgG) and IgA antibodies specific for C. trachomatis in 41 patients with chronic nonbacterial prostatitis and 47 patients with prostatodynia. The positive rates of the IgG antibody were 29% and 28% in patients with chronic nonbacterial prostatitis and prostatodynia, respectively. There was little difference in the positive rates of the IgG and IgA antibodies for C. trachomatis, between patients with chronic nonbacterial prostatitis and prostatodynia. Also, there was no significant difference in the positive rate of the IgG antibody between 51 patients complaining of urinary symptoms and 25 complaining of referred pain. However, a high positive rate of the IgG antibody (80%) was observed in patients with hematospermia. Our findings suggest that C. trachomatis could not be etiologically responsible for chronic nonbacterial prostatitis, but that it may be related to hematospermia.

Symptomatic relief for patients with osseous metastasis treated with radiation and methylprednisolone: a prospective randomized study

A multi-institutional prospective study to evaluate the relief of symptoms for patients with osseous metastasis treated with irradiation and methylpredonisolone was performed. A total of 38 patients with osseous metastasis, treated between January 1991 and December 1992, were included in this study. Patients were randomly allocated to one of two treatments: radiation alone (RT alone) (n = 18) or radiation combined with methylpredonisolone (RT + MP) (n = 20). Symptoms were scored by patients themselves using original Quality of Life (QOL) scores. Stratification by urinary hydroxyproline/creatinine ratios (Hypro/Cr) showed no significant differences in QOL scores between RT and RT + MP in the group with good prognosis, which showed a lower Hypro/Cr (< 3.6 mg/g) during treatment. Following treatment, the score for both groups improved. On the other hand, in the group with poor prognosis, with a higher Hypro/Cr (> or = 3.6 mg/g), a significantly greater improvement in QOL scores was observed for the RT + MP group than for the RT alone group (p < 0.05). There was also a marked difference in the RTOG pain scores, evaluated by physicians before treatment and at the end of treatment, between the two treatment groups and the prognostic groups divided according to Hypro/Cr. No correlation was seen at initial presentation between urinary Hypro/Cr and serum tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase (TrACP). In conclusion, the treatment regimen of RT + MP is recommended for patients with osseous metastasis with poor prognosis who show relatively high Hypro/Cr values. Radiotherapy was equally effective in terms of RTOG pain score for both the poor and good prognostic groups. Serum TrACP was not useful for determining the prognosis of our patient groups.