Effects of a low-protein diet on glomerular endothelin family gene expression in experimental focal glomerular sclerosis

1. The present study was designed to assess whether glomerular expression of mRNAs for endothelin-1 and endothelin-3, as well as endothelin receptors A and B is affected by a low-protein diet during the course of focal glomerular sclerosis. 2. Focal glomerular sclerosis was induced in rats by injection of puromycin aminonucleoside on days 0, 27, 34 and 41 in conjunction with unilateral nephrectomy on day 22. Control rats were subjected to nephrectomy or sham operation on day 22. 3. Animals were divided into six groups. In group 1, the puromycin aminonucleoside-injected rats were fed a standard diet containing 22% protein. In group 2, the puromycin aminonucleoside-injected rats were fed a low-protein diet containing 6% protein, which was initiated on the day of the first puromycin aminonucleoside injection. In group 3, the nephrectomized rats without puromycin aminonucleoside were fed a standard diet. In group 4, the nephrectomized rats without puromycin aminonucleoside were fed a low-protein diet. In group 5, the sham-operated rats were fed a standard diet. In group 6, the sham-operated rats were fed a low-protein diet. 4. The percentage of sclerotic glomeruli in group 1 rats increased markedly with time, reaching 77% on day 80. 5. The glomerular mRNA levels for endothelin-1 and endothelin receptors A and B increased significantly as glomerular sclerosis progressed, whereas no endothelin-3 mRNA was detected in the glomeruli of any group. The endothelin-1 production in isolated glomeruli from group 1 increased significantly as glomerular sclerosis progressed.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Characterization of three erythropoietin (Epo)-binding proteins in various human Epo-responsive cell lines and in cells transfected with human Epo-receptor cDNA

Molecular cloning of a cDNA for a mouse erythropoietin (Epo) receptor (EpoR) has facilitated the understanding of the structure of this receptor. However, there is, as yet, no explanation for the discrepancy between the protein recognized by specific antibodies against mouse EpoR and the unexpectedly larger species that can be cross-linked to labeled Epo. It is unclear whether the product of an unidentified gene is included in the EpoR complex. In the present study, we directly compared the cross-linking patterns for human EpoR that were endogenously expressed in three types of Epo-responsive cell, and that was artificially expressed in nonhematopoietic cells after transfection with cDNA for human EpoR. We observed that 85-kD and 105-kD proteins formed ligand-receptor complexes in all the human Epo-responsive cells and, furthermore, that the formation of a complex derived from the 70-kD protein was dependent on the level of expression of the cloned EpoR mRNA in these cells. By contrast, a prominent cross-linked band derived from the 70-kD protein and a weaker band derived from the 80- to 85-kD protein, but no band derived from the 105-kD protein, could be shown in the case of nonhematopoietic cells transfected with the human EpoR cDNA. These observations suggest that the cloned cDNA for human EpoR alone does not allow generation of the complete EpoR in nonhematopoietic cells and that the 105-kD Epo-binding protein may represent the product of an as yet unidentified gene that is expressed in hematopoietic cells.

How safe are the xenogeneic hemostats?--Report of a case of severe systemic allergic reaction

We report herein the unusual case of a 55-year-old woman who developed a severe systemic allergy to Avitene (microfibrillar collagen hydrochloride), a xenogeneic agent sometimes used for topical hemostasis in laparoscopic cholecystectomy. The patient developed fever, general fatigue, mild liver dysfunction, and prominent eosinophilia postoperatively. A skin allergy test confirmed that these abnormal findings were attributable to an allergic reaction to Avitene.

Enalapril attenuates increased gene expression of extracellular matrix components in diabetic rats

This study was designed to assess whether the glomerular expression of mRNA for extracellular matrix (ECM) components including alpha 1 (I), alpha 1 (III), and alpha 1 (IV) collagen chains, laminin B1 and B2 chains, metalloproteinases (MMP), and tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinases (TIMP) is affected by enalapril in 12- and 24-wk-old rat after streptozotocin injection. Animals were divided into three groups; untreated diabetic rats, enalapril-treated diabetic rats, and control rats. Enalapril treatment was continued for 24 wk. Enalapril reduced both creatinine clearance (P < 0.01) and urinary protein excretion (P < 0.01) in diabetic rats. In diabetic rats, mRNA levels for alpha 1 (IV) collagen chain, laminin B1 and B2 chains, and alpha 1(I) and alpha 1(III) collagen chains increased significantly at 24 wk compared with those in controls [alpha 1(IV): 3.8-fold (P < 0.01); laminin B1: 6.2-fold (P < 0.01); laminin B2:5.4-fold (P < 0.01), alpha 1(i): 4.8-fold (P < 0.01) and alpha 1(III): 3.8-fold (P < 0.01)]. At 24 wk, mRNA levels for MMP-1 and MMP-3 fell to 40% (P < 0.01) and 20% (P < 0.01), respectively, in the glomeruli of diabetic rats compared with levels in controls. In contrast, mRNA levels for TIMP-1 and TIMP-2 increased significantly at 24 wk after streptozotocin injection (TIMP-1: 8.0-fold (P < 0.01) and TIMP-2: 6.4-fold (P < 0.01)).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Osteotropic drug delivery system (ODDS) based on bisphosphonic prodrug. I: synthesis and in vivo characterization of osteotropic carboxyfluorescein

An osteotropic drug delivery system (ODDS) based on a bisphosphonic prodrug was designed as a novel method for site-specific and controlled delivery of drugs to the bone. Due to the chemical adsorption of bisphosphonic promoiety to the mineral component, hydroxyapatite, a bisphosphonic prodrug is predominantly taken up into the bone. To verify the concept, bisphosphonic promoiety was chemically introduced into 6-carboxyfluorescein (CF) as a model compound and the disposition after intravenous injection was studied in rats. The bisphosphonic prodrug of CF, disodium (fluorescein-6-carbonyloxy) acetoaminomethylene bisphosphonate (CF-BP) was highly taken up to the skeleton (62.1% of dose) and the remainder was excreted into the urine (35.9% of dose). Subsequently, regeneration of CF by hydrolysis of CF-BP in the bone was observed. The microscopic observation showed that CF-BP was buried into the bone with a calcification of the bone. According to the remodeling of the bone, bisphosphonic prodrug buried was supposed to be released in the vicinity of the osteoclast or resorption surface of the bone. Thus, it is suggested that ODDS has a potential to achieve osteoclast-specific or resorption surface-specific targeting of the drugs.

Cellular and subcellular localization of transforming growth factor-alpha and epidermal growth factor receptor in normal and diseased human and hamster pancreas

Four normal pancreas, 8 chronic pancreatitis specimens, and 30 non-endocrine pancreatic tumors from humans and 6 normal and 6 induced pancreatic cancers in hamsters were examined immunohistochemically by antibodies against human transforming growth factor-alpha (TGF-alpha) and epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR). Two normal pancreas and two pancreatic cancer specimens from each species were also studied immunoelectron microscopically by the immunogold method. In chronic pancreatitis, the reactivity and intensity of the staining with both antibodies were much greater in ductal/ductular cells than in the normal pancreas. All 30 pancreatic cancers reacted with both antibodies with a variable degree of reactivity and staining intensity. No correlation was found between the histological type of tumors, the degree of tumor differentiation, and the incidence and patterns of reactivity of either antibody. Immunoelectron microscopically, both EGFR and TGF-alpha were demonstrated primarily on the basal membrane. In the normal hamster pancreas, TGF-alpha was overexpressed in the alpha-cells but not in any other islet cells. Both TGF-alpha and EGFR were marginally detectable in the exocrine pancreas and in induced pancreatic lesions. This is the first demonstration of subcellular localization of TGF-alpha and EGFR in the normal and diseased human and hamster pancreas.

Canine pulmonary hypertension model induced by pulmonary artery embolization of gelatin sponges

We attempted to develop a pulmonary hypertension model in dogs by gelatin sponge embolization. We then monitored right-ventricular pressure overload by echocardiography. Gelatin sponges (Spongel, Yamanouchi, Tokyo) were homogenized and mixed in normal saline (0.6 mg/ml). The mixture was administered via the jugular vein to general pulmonary emboli. Repeated administration of the sponges increased the mean pulmonary arterial pressure and caused right ventricular pressure overload. The degree of pulmonary hypertension was proportional to the volume of gelatin sponge injected. Echocardiography, performed both before and after embolization, proved useful assessing for the degree of right-ventricular pressure overload.

Rapid and accurate method for delineating cancer lesions in laparoscopic colectomy using activated carbon injection

The aim of our study was to evaluate the clinical efficacy of preoperative injection of activated carbon in delineation of cancer location in laparoscopic colectomy. Activated carbon particles were injected during endoscopy into the normal colonic wall surrounding cancer lesions in five cases of early colon cancer, prior to laparoscopic surgery. The carbon-stained area was clearly recognizable as a blackened patch on the serosal surface of the colon. Using the carbon-stained area as a reference point, partial colectomies were successfully performed on all five patients. The preoperative injection of activated carbon assisted in the intraoperative delineation of early colonic cancer lesions. This method is recommended for the rapid and accurate delineation of early colonic cancers in laparoscopic surgery.

The DIMINUTO gene of Arabidopsis is involved in regulating cell elongation

We have isolated a recessive mutation named diminuto (dim) from T-DNA transformed lines of Arabidopsis thaliana. Under normal growth conditions, the dim mutant has very short hypocotyls, petioles, stems, and roots because of the reduced size of cells along the longitudinal axes of these organs. In addition, dim results in the development of open cotyledons and primary leaves in dark-grown seedlings. The gene for DIM was cloned by T-DNA tagging. DIM encodes a novel protein of 561 amino acids that possesses bipartite sequence domains characteristic of nuclear localization signals. Molecular and physiological studies indicate that the loss-of-function mutant allele does not abolish the response of seedlings to light or phytohormones, although the inhibitory effect of light on hypocotyl elongation is greater in the mutant than in wild type. Moreover, the dim mutation affects the expression of a beta-tubulin gene, TUB1, which is thought to be important for plant cell growth. Our results suggest that the DIM gene product plays a critical role in the general process of plant cell elongation.

Squamous cell carcinoma of the uterine cervix: radiation therapy for patients aged 70 years and older

PURPOSE

To evaluate the usefulness of radiation therapy for elderly patients with squamous cell carcinoma of the uterine cervix.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Two hundred ninety-three patients with squamous cell carcinoma of the uterine cervix underwent external pelvic irradiation and three sessions of low-dose-rate intracavitary irradiation. One hundred twenty-six patients were aged 70 years or older (elderly group), and 167 patients were aged 69 years or younger (younger group). Survival rates, pattern of failure, local control rates, and complications for the two groups were compared.

RESULTS

The 5-year, cause-specific survival rates for the elderly group with stage I, II, III, or IV disease were 100%, 81%, 73%, and 54%, respectively. Corresponding rates for the younger group were 100%, 92%, 74%, and 32%. Differences in survival curves, patterns of failure, recurrence rates, and incidences of radiation complications for the two groups were not statistically significant.

CONCLUSION

Age did not influence the effectiveness of radiation therapy for the elderly patients.

Current status of renal replacement therapy in Japan

The study of the current status of renal replacement therapy in Japan is based on the analysis of data from the registry reports for regular dialysis therapy and kidney transplantation. The total number of patients receiving regular dialysis therapy was 123,926 at the end of 1992: 117,809 (95.1%) on hemodialysis and 6,117 (4.9%) on peritoneal dialysis. The primary diseases of newly accepted patients were chronic glomerulonephritis (42.2%), diabetic nephropathy (28.4%), nephrosclerosis (5.9%), polycystic kidney disease (2.7%), chronic pyelonephritis (1.6%), and others. The number of kidney transplant patients in Japan was 8,384 at the end of 1991: 6,154 (73.4%) received a living donor transplantation and 2,230 (26.9%) received a cadaver donor transplantation. Overall 5-year survival rates of dialysis patients were 60.4%: 69.7% for chronic glomerulonephritis, 41.7% for diabetic nephropathy, 39.6% for nephrosclerosis, 73.6% for diffuse polycystic kidney disease, and 66.6% for chronic pyelonephritis. The causes of death of dialysis patients were heart failure (31.1%), cerebrovascular accident (13.6%), infectious diseases (11.3%), malignancies (7.1%), cachexia/uremia (6.7%), myocardial infarction (5.8%), and others. The gross mortality rate of dialysis patients was increased in cases of less than 4 hours of the average length of each dialysis session, less than 4% and more than 9% of the average weight loss during each dialysis session, less than 1.0 of Kt/V, and less than 0.9 and more than 1.7 g/kg/d of protein catabolic rate. Overall 5-year patient and graft survival rates of kidney transplant patients since 1964 were 82.7% and 60.3%: 84.4% and 65.0% in living donor cases, and 77.4% and 46.2% in cadaver donor case, respectively. Those since 1983 were 90.1% and 68.2%: 91.3% and 72.6% in living donor cases, and 87.8% and 59.3%, respectively. Graft survival rates were superior in cases treated with combined steroid, cyclosporine and azathioprine or mizoribine, to those treated with other immuno-suppressive regimens, and they decreased as the number of HLA-A, -B and -DR increased.

The heme-binding region polymorphism of cytochrome P450IA1 (CypIA1), rather than the RsaI polymorphism of IIE1 (CypIIE1), is associated with lung cancer in Rio de Janeiro

Ile-Val polymorphism in exon 7 of cytochrome P450IA1 (CypIA1) and RsaI polymorphism of cytochrome P450IIE1 (CypIIE1) were examined in a case-control study of lung cancer in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The Val-containing genotype in exon 7 of CypIA1 was found to be associated with lung cancer in this population (odds ratio, 2.26; 95% confidence interval, 1.14-4.47 for 99 cases versus 108 controls of 123 matched pairs), whereas RsaI polymorphism in CypIIE1 was not associated with lung cancer susceptibility. In squamous cell carcinoma, the degree of association of Val-containing genotype was greater in those with fewer pack-years of smoking. The RsaI polymorphism of CypIIE1 has a different distribution from the Japanese pattern and is not associated with lung cancer. When we analyzed the association of Ile-Val polymorphism to MspI polymorphism of CypIA1, the Val/Val homozygote was found only in the subpopulation with the MspI site-present homozygote. The apparent lack of association of CypIA1 MspI polymorphism with lung cancer in this area reported in our previous study and the results of the present study indicate that the "true" responsible site for lung cancer susceptibility should be the Ile-Val polymorphism in the catalytic site of CypIA1.

Host origin of follicular dendritic cells induced in the spleen of SCID mice after transfer of allogeneic lymphocytes

Follicular dendritic cells (FDC) are uniquely characterized by the ability to trap immune complexes. In a previous report, it was shown that functional FDC with the capacity to trap immune complexes via complement receptor emerged in the splenic follicle after transferring syngeneic lymphocytes into the severe combined immunodeficiency (SCID) mouse. In the present report, we have investigated whether FDC are derived from haematopoietic cells or surrounding stromal components, by transferring allogeneic lymphocytes into SCID mice. Transfer of allogeneic T and B lymphocytes (H-2k) into SCID(H-2d) mice, however, failed to induce the development of FDC in the splenic white pulp. This was due to a graft-versus-host reaction (GVHR) by allogeneic lymphocytes against host stromal cells, as revealed by the destruction of the splenic reticular meshwork. The GVHR was prevented in transfer experiments of T-cell-depleted allogeneic lymphocytes with daily administration of anti-Thy-1 antibody. This resulted in segregated lodgement of allogeneic B lymphocytes in the proper compartments and, thereafter, generation of FDC in the primary follicle of SCID spleen, as revealed by the trapped immune complexes via complement receptors. The H-2 of the newly generated FDC was examined by two-colour immunofluorescent staining. FDC were defined as the reticular cells stained with anti-CR1/2 or FDC-M1 antibodies. FDC carried host H-2, clearly indicating that newly generated FDC are host-derived. In addition, the FDC shared the BP-3 protein with the surrounding reticular cells, a specific marker of reticular meshwork in the murine lymphoid tissues, and formed a network continuous with the rest of the reticulum, suggesting that FDC and non-FDC reticular cells belong to the same cell lineage.

A highly sensitive method to quantify triazolam and its metabolites with liquid chromatography--mass spectrometry

We established a highly sensitive method to determine triazolam and its major metabolites, alpha-hydroxytriazolam and 4-hydroxytriazolam, in human plasma and urine with a liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry system which incorporates an atmospheric chemical ionization interface. A plasma sample and a urine sample after solvent extraction were injected into an ODS column of reversed phase with a mobile phase in a linear solvent gradient of initially 50 mM ammonium acetate (pH 4.0) 50%:methanol 50% and 15 min later methanol 100%; quantification limits of as low as 20 pg/mL at an SNR of 3 were obtained for each compound. With diazepam as an internal standard, recovery yields of 84, 81, and 77% were obtained for triazolam, alpha-hydroxytriazolam and 4-hydroxytriazolam, respectively.

A preliminary study on plasma concentrations of bifemelane, indeloxazine and propentofylline in aged patients with organic brain disorders

1. Plasma concentrations of cerebral metabolic activating drugs (bifemelane, indeloxazine and propentofylline) were studied in 68 patients (male 25, female 43) with dementia or other organic brain diseases. 2. The variations in plasma concentrations of these drugs were much bigger than expected. Measurements of bifemelane level with time course also disclosed that the concentrations were relatively stable for several months, but they varied very much among patients. 3. These findings suggest that drug monitoring are important in terms of evaluation of drug efficacy and prevention of side effects.