Interaction of some plant heterocyclic beta-substituted alanines with rat brain N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptors

The neuropharmacological actions of some plant heterocyclic beta-substituted alanines on rat brain N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptors were studied. Of the compounds tested, 3-N-oxalyl-L-2,3-diaminopropanoic acid (beta-ODAP), the causal agent of human neurolathyrism, exhibited an inhibitory activity on the NMDA receptor binding assay at a relatively high concentration (IC50: 4.7 x 10(-5)M). The biochemical precursor of beta-ODAP, beta-(isoxazolin-5-on-2-yl)-L-alanine (BIA) was inactive in this assay. These results suggest that beta-ODAP, the neurotoxin of Lathyrus sativus, in addition to its excitatory action on alpha-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methylisoxazole-4-propanoic acid (AMPA) receptors, also has neurotoxic potential through its action on NMDA receptors.

Thallium-201 uptake in eosinophilic granuloma of the frontal bone: comparison with technetium-99m-MDP imaging

An 11-yr-old female presented with a 6-wk history of left upper lid tenderness and left eye lacrimation. Left lateral supraorbital mass and left preauricular lymph node were the only significant physical examination findings. On skull x-ray, a left frontal bone defect was noted. CT and MRI showed a soft-tissue mass in the area of the bone defect. Bone scintigraphy exhibited peripheral uptake within the central photon deficient area. With 201TI SPECT, high uptake was noted on early and delayed images. Diagnosis of eosinophilic granuloma was performed by biopsy. Since thallium uptake was seen in the area where photon deficiency was exhibited by 99mTc-MDP scintigraphy, we speculate that thallium SPECT could detect eosinophilic granuloma when radiographic skeletal survey or radionuclide bone scan are equivocal. It could also rule out multiple bone involvement and recurrence or regrowth after therapy.

Discovertebral junction of the spine--a cadaveric study by spin-echo MR imaging

To evaluate the MR appearance of the discovertebral junction (DVJ) of the spine, we examined 161 DVJs in 27 cadaveric spines using superconductive MR imaging. T1-, proton density-, and T2-weighted spin-echo imaging were used. With a small surface coil, higher resolution and more sharply defined contours of the DVJ were obtained than when using a head coil. Cortical bone had very low signal intensity in all sequences. Cartilaginous end-plate (CP) was of low to intermediate signal intensity on T1-weighted images, and of low signal intensity on proton density- and T2-weighted images. MR images were able to reveal the gross CP appearances, Schmorl's nodules, and adjacent bone marrow pathology. We conclude that MR imaging is valuable for assessing abnormalities of the DVJ.

Intraspinal gas associated with intestinal necrosis detected by CT

We report the case of a 63-year-old woman with necrosis of the small intestine and intraspinal collections of gas, which were detected using computed tomography (CT). Abdominal CT revealed extensive collections of gas in the portal and mesenteric veins and within the intestinal walls. Gas radiolucencies were also noted in the epidural spaces of her spine. This gas was considered to have migrated from the pelvic venous system into the internal venous plexus of the spine. Intestinal necrosis should be included in the differential diagnosis of intraspinal gas collections during CT.

Corynebacterium pseudodiphtheriticum: a respiratory tract pathogen

From January 1986 through February 1993, there were 16 episodes of respiratory infection due to Corynebacterium pseudodiphtheriticum in 13 patients. The ages of patients ranged from 24 to 77 years; the ratio of male to female patients was 3:1. One patient had three episodes of infection, and another patient had two. In one patient, who died of disseminated intravascular coagulation, the level of IgG was low. One patient was receiving prednisolone when the infection occurred. In two cases a mixed infection with Streptococcus pneumoniae was noted. Sputum cultures yielded C. pseudodiphtheriticum (> or = 10(7) cfu/mL). An increased neutrophil response in the sputum of infected patients was observed. Gram staining and electron microscopy of sputum showed phagocytosis of C. pseudodiphtheriticum by the neutrophils. ELISAs also showed an increase in the level of immunoglobulin against C. pseudodiphtheriticum after infection. Tests for determination of MICs of antibiotics revealed that C. pseudodiphtheriticum isolates were susceptible to ampicillin, amoxycillin/clavulanic acid, cefazolin, cefuroxime, ceftazidime, and imipenem. All strains were resistant to nalidixic acid; borderline susceptibility to ofloxacin, norfloxacin, and ciprofloxacin was noted. We suggest the use of beta-lactam antibiotics in the treatment of infection with C. pseudodiphtheriticum.

A comparative study of 123I-IMP SPET and CT in the investigation of chronic-stage head trauma patients

The aims of this study were (1) to compare N-isopropyl-p-[I-123]-iodoamphetamine (123I-IMP) SPET with computed tomography (CT) in chronic-stage head trauma patients with neurological abnormalities and (2) to quantify regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF) in patients with chronic-stage head trauma. 123I-IMP SPET and CT were performed in 23 patients with chronic-stage head trauma and 12 normal controls. Both types of imaging were evaluated visually. In addition for the SPET images, the rCBF in 12 regions (bilateral frontal cortex, temporal cortex, parietal cortex, occipital cortex, perilolandic area, cerebellum: total 276 regions) was analysed quantitatively using a reference sampling method. In total, 39 focal lesions related to neurological abnormalities were detected. Although 22 (56.4%) lesions were observed using both CT and SPET, another 17 (43.6%) were detected by SPET only. The mean rCBF in the localized lesions of each lobe, which correspond to low-density areas (LDAs), were lower on CT than those of each lobe seen only on SPET. These rCBF values were lower than the mean rCBF values in the lobes of the controls. The mean rCBF values in each lobe with visually normal tracer uptakes were also significantly lower in the 23 patients than in the controls. 123I-IMP SPET is useful for demonstrating brain dysfunction in morphologically intact brain regions and for providing objective evidence to account for the clinical presentation of patients presenting with chronic traumatic brain injury.

De novo development and self-replenishment of B cells

Previous studies distinguished two murine B cell lineages: the conventional lineage, which comprises the majority of B cells, and the Ly-1 B lineage (B-1a), which represents a small percentage of total adult B cells. A third subset, B-1b cells, shares many properties with B-1a cells, including the characteristic ability to self-replenish, but does not express Ly-1 (CD5). Reconstitution studies presented here show that (i) although the B220- population in adult spleen and bone marrow contains very little progenitor activity for B-1a cells, it can reconstitute roughly half the normal number of B-1b cells; (ii) B-1 progenitors present in adult bone marrow and spleen function at low levels in adult animals; (iii) peritoneal B-1 cells (principally B-1b) that develop following bone marrow transfer, like B-1 cells from normal animals, are capable of substantial self-replenishment; and (iv) conventional B cells do not expand (self-replenish) in adoptive recipients, although they can persist for long periods. Collectively, these progenitor and self-replenishment characteristics provide a developmental base for distinguishing B-1a, B-1b and conventional B cells.

Effect of anti-ICAM-1 and anti-LFA-1 antibodies on rat liver transplantation

The effect of the anti-cell adhesion molecule antibodies, anti-ICAM-1 (1A29) and anti-LFA-1 (WT1), on rat liver transplantation was investigated. Livers from ACI rats were transplanted into Lewis rats by Kamada's method and during the recipient operation 1A29 1 mg/kg, and WT1 1 mg/kg were administered intravenously to one group of rats (treated group). The survival time of the treated group was significantly longer than that of the untreated group, but permanent unresponsiveness could not be induced. Postmortem examination revealed little histological evidence of acute rejection in treated rats, in which the main cause of death was thought to be chronic rejection.

Hemodynamic effects and pharmacokinetics of oral milrinone for short-term support in acute heart failure

The present study evaluated the acute hemodynamic response, effects on subjective symptoms and physical findings, and the pharmacokinetics of a single oral dose (2.5, 5, or 10 mg) of milrinone in 31 patients with acute or decompensated heart failure. We found a significant increase in cardiac index (29, 31, and 29%, respectively, p < 0.01) and a significant decrease in pulmonary capillary wedge pressure (39, 43, and 47%, respectively, p < 0.01) accompanied with improvement in subjective symptoms and physical findings. These hemodynamic effects persisted for 4-8 h after each dosage of milrinone. Dose-dependent hemodynamic response was observed between the drug concentration and percent maximum changes in pulmonary capillary wedge pressure (peak milrinone concentration, 2.5 mg: 99.99 +/- 57.49, 5 mg: 187.11 +/- 71.37, and 10 mg: 300.94 +/- 158.5 ng/ml). The finding, together with results of the Prospective Randomized Milrinone Survival Evaluation (PROMISE) study, suggests lower dose of milrinone will be useful for the short-term inodilator support in patients with acute or decompensated heart failure.

Advanced periodontitis associated with Larsen's syndrome: case report

Larsen's syndrome is a genetic disorder of connective tissue characterized by multiple large-joint dislocations, abnormalities of hands and feet, and anomalous facial features. Although findings involving multiple systems have been added to its clinical and pathological entity, oral pathology besides cleft palate has not been reported. We report here advanced periodontitis with severe gingival inflammation in a 29-year-old Larsen's syndrome patient. Bacterial culture of subgingival plaque identified the periodontal pathogens that were present in numbers above the normal range. We speculate that the underlying defect in connective tissue may predispose Larsen's syndrome patients to periodontal destruction provoked by microbiological factors.

Involvement of host cell energy in the transfection of Lactobacillus casei protoplasts with phage PL-1 DNA

Transfection of Lactobacillus casei ATCC 27092 protoplasts with phage PL-1 DNA was studied under various conditions. The process of transfection was dependent on the incubation temperature, and the apparent activation energy was calculated to be about 11 kcal/mol. Transfection was inhibited by treating the cells before protoplasting either with monoiodoacetate, N,N'-dicyclohexylcarbodiimide (DCCD), or NaN3, without affecting both the viability of uninfected cells and protoplasting. The addition of DCCD after mixing protoplasts and DNA had no influence on transfection efficiencies. The transfection of L. casei protoplasts with phage PL-1 DNA was considered to require cell energy such as proton-motive force, probably in the initial stages, although the direct involvement of cell energy in the transfer of DNA across the cell membrane is still unclear.

Tumor-associated glycoantigen, sialyl Lewis(a) as a target for bispecific antibody-directed adoptive tumor immunotherapy

The KM231 mAb recognizing sialyl Lewis(a) (sLe(a)) epitope of glycoprotein or glycolipid expressed on various human cancers was used to prepare bispecific antibody (BSAb) containing anti-CD3 x anti-sLe(a) mAb. The effect of anti-CD3 x anti-sLe(a) BSAb on the induction of cytotoxicity by activated T cells was investigated. The activated CD3+ T cells expressing CD8 or CD4 were induced from human peripheral blood mononuclear cells by culture with recombinant IL-2 plus immobilized anti-CD3 mAb. The activated CD8+ and CD4+ T cells showed marginal cytotoxicity against tumor cells by themselves. However, addition of anti-CD3 x anti-sLe(a) BSAb resulted in a great augmentation of their cytotoxicity against gastrointestinal tumor cells. The BSAb also triggered IL-2 production of CD4+ helper/killer T cells during lysis of tumor cells. Moreover, the BSAb was demonstrated to have a potent in vivo antitumor activity against human colon cancer implanted in nude mice by combination with CD4+ helper/killer cells. These results demonstrated that sLe(a) antigen might be a good target molecule for BSAb-directed adoptive tumor immunotherapy.

Reconstruction of the urethral meatus with a buccal mucosa graft

A buccal mucosa graft from the lower lip was used for meatal reconstruction in 3 patients. The buccal mucosa graft was combined with a bladder mucosa graft for urethral substitution in 1 adult and 1 child, and was anastomosed to a skin tube for creating a glanular urethra in 1 child. The buccal mucosa graft obtained was approximately twice as wide as the desired urethra. Postoperatively the buccal mucosa graft became shrunken at the proximal anastomosis and urethral stricture developed in 2 children. The graft did not shrink at the meatus, but the meatus became widened in 2 patients. These results suggest that a buccal mucosa graft is useful for meatal reconstruction, but further technical improvement is necessary to avoid postoperative complications.

The ability of bovine mitochondrial transfer RNAMet to decode AUG and AUA codons

The ability of bovine mitochondrial tRNA(Met) with the anticodon f5CAU (where f5C is 5-formylcytidine) to decode AUG and AUA codons was examined in a codon-dependent ribosomal binding assay. The AUG codon stimulated the binding of Met-tRNA(Met) to mitochondrial ribosomes in the presence of EF-Tu/TSmt. In contrast, the AUA codon did not promote the binding to mitochondrial Met-tRNA to the ribosome. To investigate the translation of the AUG and AUA codons more fully, an in vitro translation system from bovine liver mitochondria was developed. The activity of this system was greatly enhanced by the addition of 1 mM spermine and reached about half the activity observed with a comparable translational system from E coli. Two types of mRNA containing either AUG or AUA codons were synthesized using T7 RNA polymerase to transcribe their chemically synthesized genes. In the E coli system, the AUG-containing mRNA was translated as Met and the AUA-containing mRNA was translated as Ile. The AUG-containing mRNA but not the AUA-containing mRNA was translated as Met by the mitochondrial translational system. The process by which the AUA codon is translated as Met in the mitochondrial system remains to be clarified.

Familial brain tumour syndrome associated with a p53 germline deletion of codon 236

This report describes clinical, neuropathological and molecular genetic findings in a Swiss family with four brain tumours in only two generations. The neoplasms observed covered a wide range of biologic behaviour, from a slowly growing lesion already apparent at birth, to anaplastic astrocytoma in a young adult and glioblastomas at the age of less than 10 years. The only non-neural neoplasms in this family were a case of leukemia and an adrenocortical carcinoma. A germline deletion of codon 236 of the p53 tumour suppressor gene was identified as an underlying cause and detected in all affected family members. This mutation has not previously been reported as germline transmission or in sporadic tumours. The unusual accumulation of CNS tumours may be due to a certain organ-specific effect of this particular p53 mutation or it may reflect the specific genetic back-ground of this family.

A Japanese case of the fibrillar type of dermatitis herpetiformis

BACKGROUND

Although dermatitis herpetiformis (DH) is a relatively common disease in Caucasian populations, this disease is very rare in Asian populations including the Japanese.

METHODS AND RESULTS

We present a Japanese DH patient, who showed a fibrillar pattern of deposition of IgA, IgG, IgM and C3. The HLA typing revealed no B8/DR3. The survey of the Japanese literature and the comparison to studies on American or European DH revealed several interesting differences: high frequency of the fibrillar pattern, relatively high incidence of deposits of immunoglobulins other than IgA, rarity of gluten-sensitive enteropathy and HLA-B8/DR3 in Japanese DH.

CONCLUSION

The present study suggests that there may be a significant difference in pathophysiology between Caucasian and Japanese DH patients.

Ultrastructural observation of adherence of eosinophils to their surroundings

This study concerned the way in which eosinophils adhere to their surroundings. Many fibrils were seen to adhere to the cell membrane of eosinophils migrating into the submucosa. Those eosinophils migrating into the epithelial layer adhered to the epithelial cells in 2 different ways: through the thin filaments bridging 2 cells and at the top of the cell projections. Eosinophils were found to move chemotactically through this eosinophil adhesion to the surrounding filaments or epithelial cells. It is possible that eosinophil granular protein directly affected the epithelial cells as a regulatory agent of the expression of adhesion molecules on individual epithelial cells, because eosinophil peroxidase was detected in the filaments bridging 2 cells. Accordingly, the expression sites of adhesion molecules must momentarily change under the direct cross-talk between 2 cells. Adherence between the eosinophils as well as large particles stretching between 2 eosinophils were also visualized.

Serum concentrations of interleukin-5 and the production of lymphocytes in reactive eosinophilia

The concentrations of interleukin-5 (IL-5) in serum and in IL-2-stimulated lymphocyte culture medium (L-IL2-CM) prepared from patients with reactive eosinophilia were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. The serum IL-5 concentration was increased in 16 of 34 cases. The concentrations of IL-5 in L-IL2-CM were increased in 8 of 21 patients.

[Late phase II trial of RP56976 (Docetaxel) in patients with non-small-cell lung cancer]

A late phase II trial on RP 56976 (Docetaxel) was carried out against stage IIIB or IV non-resectable non-small cell lung cancer as a multicenter cooperative trial. Of 78 enrolled patients, seventy five patients were eligible and 71 were evaluable for the response. The overall response rate was 19.7% (14/71): 27.9% (12/48) of patients with adenocarcinoma and 10.0% (2/20) of patients with squamous cell carcinoma responded to docetaxel. The response rate was 15.0% (3/20) in patients with stage III B disease and 21.6% (11/51) in patients with stage IV disease. Leukopenia (neutropenia) occurred frequently, but most tended to recover in a short period of time. Other adverse reactions included nausea/vomiting, anorexia, general malaise, alopecia, all of which were not severe. Severe hypersensitivity reactions occurred in 2 patients (2.7%). The results seemed to show usefulness of docetaxel for the treatment of patients with non-small cell lung cancer.