[Transdermal nitroglycerin in stable effort angina. II. Administration of continuous high doses and alternate high-low doses. Absence of tolerance]

Aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of 2 different schedules of nitroglycerin (N), given by means of transdermal therapeutic system (TTS): continuous (20 mg patch at 8.00 am and at 8.00 pm NTTS/c) and high/low doses therapy (20 mg patch at 8.00 am and 10 mg at 8.00 pm NTTS/a), respectively. Eighteen volunteers, gave informed, written consent; male patients, aged 57 +/- 2 years, with stable effort angina pectoris, were randomly given, in double-blind condition, NTTS/c, NTTS/a or placebo (PL), each for 1 week period, according to a 3 x 3 latin square design. Bicycle exercise tests were performed on the first and on the last day of each period of the study, 12 hours after the last patch. NTTS/c and NTTS/a increased ischemic threshold and decreased the ischemic depression ST at maximal common work, compared to placebo, without differences between tests performed at 1 and 7 day. In conclusion, NTTS/a showed antiischemic activity after 7 days, so no tolerance was observed in those patients.

Assessment of Package Integrity Using a Spray Cabinet Technique

A novel spray cabinet technique was developed to determine the microbial integrity of aseptically filled juice packages as an alternative to immersion techniques. The spray cabinet was constructed to include two pumps and 32 nozzles to achieve complete coverage over all surfaces of the test packages. A cell culture of Lactobacillus cellobiosus was sprayed onto the packages during testing. Standard pinhole orifices were used to determine the efficiency of the spray cabinet technique, 10-μm holes and 5-μm holes were detectable after 15 and 30 min of spraying, respectively. Aseptically filled juice packages were subjected to an abusive handling procedure designed to create package defects in order to compare package integrity by the spray cabinet technique and an immersion method. The spray cabinet technique provided better detectability than the immersion method.

An extended family of protein-tyrosine kinase genes differentially expressed in the vertebrate nervous system

We have used PCR to identify 13 novel protein-tyrosine kinase genes (tyro-1 to -13), six of which (tyro-1 to -6) are preferentially expressed in the developing vertebrate nervous system. The tyro-2 and tyro-9 genes encode kinase domains that exhibit strong amino acid sequence similarity to the equivalent regions of the receptors for EGF and FGF, respectively, and may encode novel receptors for these or related polypeptide ligands. The tyro-1 to -6 genes are all expressed during central nervous system neurogenesis and exhibit distinct and highly regionalized patterns of expression in the adult brain. Together with recent studies in invertebrates, these data are consistent with the hypothesis that protein-tyrosine kinases play a central role in neural development.

Bone-inducing activity of mature BMP-2b produced from a hybrid BMP-2a/2b precursor

The human osteoinductive proteins BMP-2a and BMP-2b have been cloned and expressed in mammalian cells. In order to improve expression levels we examined the role of the proregion in assembly and export. Use of the BMP-2a proregion combined with the mature region of BMP-2b leads to dramatically improved expression of mature BMP-2b. Mature BMP-2b has been purified to near homogeneity from the BMP-2a/2b hybrid, and its structural properties and biological activity determined. Recombinant mature BMP-2b homodimer elicits bone formation in vivo.

[Effects of indenolol on left ventricular mass in patients with essential arterial hypertension]

This study evaluated the effect of long-term antihypertensive therapy with indenolol, a beta blocking agent with beta 2 stimulating activity, its antihypertensive hemodynamic mechanism and its effect on hypertensive left ventricular (LV) hypertrophy. Fourteen hypertensive patients, mean age of 48 years, were serially studied during 12- month therapy with indenolol (60-120 mg daily), by recording blood pressure, electrocardiogram and echocardiogram. Blood pressure, heart rate and cardiac output significantly decreased after 1 months of therapy, LV posterior wall thickness decreased after 6 months, interventricular septum thickness and LV mass decreased after 12 months. LV fractional shortening did not change throughout the study. Blood pressure normalized (less than or equal to 140/90 mmHg) in 50% of the patients; LV mass normalized in 40% of the patients. In conclusion, indenolol was an effective antihypertensive agent, also in the long-term treatment. Its antihypertensive hemodynamic effect seems to be due mainly to a reduction in cardiac output. Indenolol caused a regression of LV hypertensive hypertrophy without impairment of LV systolic function.

[A case of left internal capsular infarction with auditory hallucination and peculiar amnesia and dysgraphia]

A 46-year-old businessman suddenly became to behave curiously on the morning, September 1, 1988. He forgot how to go through an automatic ticket gate, which he used every day. In his company, he also forgot how to open the cash box, and he wrote a meaningless report for his business. From the night on that day, he had experienced auditory hallucination in which whispering words of some criticism to his performance for a few days. On the next day, he was admitted to a psychiatric hospital because he was suggested to have schizophrenia. By day 6 after the onset, his curious symptoms completely disappeared. However, slight verbal memory disturbance and cognitive dysfunction still remained. Because the brain CT on day 6 showed a small localized subcortical infarction in the left hemisphere he was transferred to our clinic on day 20 to elucidate the relation between the abnormal behavior and the infarction. His blood pressure was 116/64 mmHg and pulse was regular 63/min. He was clear and did not have any neurological deficit. He kept his episodic memory regarding the events at the onset and could almost recall them precisely. Results of standard blood tests, electrocardiogram, ultrasound cardiogram, electroencephalogram as well as cerebral angiography were normal. Computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging showed an infarcted lesion in the genu of the left caudate nucleus, adjacent to the anterior part of the thalamus.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Propionyl carnitine in stable effort angina

The aim of this study was to investigate the anti-ischemic activity of propionyl carnitine (PC) in 18 informed, volunteer male patients, aged 37-70, suffering from a typical stable effort angina. The study design was randomized, balanced, crossover, and double blinded. The study lasted 75 days. In the first 15 days of washout the patients performed two maximal symptom-limited bicycle tests to verify the repeatability of the parameters examined. Then one group received PC for 30 days 500 mg three times a day, and the other group received placebo (PL) three times a day. At the end of 30 days the groups exchanged treatments. At the end of each period, 2 hours after the last oral administration, the patients performed a maximal symptom-limited bicycle exercise test with increased loads of 10 watts/min. No significant differences were observed between the two tests performed during the wash-out period, for a 1 mm ST-segment depression time, for the time to the end of exercise, and for the rate x pressure product at the same experimental time. The oral administration of PC in coronary patients increased both the 1 mm ST-segment depression time and the time to the end of exercise. Furthermore, the drug reduced the ischemic depression of ST at maximal common work and at maximal work. After PC, the rate x pressure product was not significantly different in relation to placebo at submaximal and maximal exercise. Thus PC seems to have an antiischemiclike effect, probably related to its metabolic activity.

Ofloxacin treatment of nongonococcal urethritis. A multi-center study in Asia

Ofloxacin, a new quinolone antibacterial agent, is active in vitro against gonococcal and nongonococcal urogenital pathogens. Chlamydia trachomatis infection is the most common cause of nongonococcal urethritis. In a multicenter study in seven Asian countries, 105 mal patients with chlamydial urethritis and 46 male patients with nongonococcal and nonchlamydial urethritis were treated with oral ofloxacin at a dosage of 200 mg twice daily for 5 to 10 days. The evaluation performed at day 5 and/or day 10 after treatment revealed good results in 58.2% and 96.8% of the chlamydial urethritis group, and 73.1% and 79.4% of the nongonococcal, nonchlamydial urethritis group, respectively. No severe side effects were observed. Ten-day treatment with ofloxacin showed good clinical efficacy on nongonococcal urethritis.

Myelin-associated glycoprotein (MAG) and rat brain-specific 1B236 protein: mapping of epitopes and demonstration of immunological identity

The myelin-associated glycoprotein (MAG) and the brain 1B236 protein are 100-kDa glycoproteins containing 30% carbohydrate that exist in two developmentally regulated forms and are specific to the nervous system. Recent cDNA cloning experiments in several laboratories using primarily immunological means of identification have determined the complete primary sequence of a rat brain glycoprotein that seems to correspond to both MAG and 1B236, suggesting that these proteins are identical. However, MAG was previously considered to be an oligodendrocyte/myelin specific component in the CNS at all ages, whereas 1B236 was thought to be primarily a neuronal component in adult rats but synthesized by oligodendrocytes at the time of active myelination. The composite term 1B236/MAG was proposed to describe the molecule identified by the cDNAs. In order to explore further the relationship between MAG and 1B236, as well as their developmentally regulated forms, experiments were carried out on rat samples utilizing synthetic peptides corresponding to sequences throughout the 1B236 molecule, antisera raised to synthetic peptides in the C-terminus of 1B236 that distinguish between the two developmentally regulated forms, and well-characterized polyclonal and monoclonal antibodies raised to purified MAG. Epitope mapping demonstrated that reactive sites were distributed throughout the extracellular and intracellular domains of 1B236/MAG. Only antibodies reacting with the smaller of the two forms of 1B236/MAG detected the glycoprotein in the peripheral nervous system. Both anti-MAG and anti-1B236 antibodies revealed a drastic reduction of the level of 1B236/MAG in 25-day-old myelin-deficient rats and in adult quaking mice, and both types of antibodies revealed a slight shift of 1B236/MAG toward higher apparent Mr in quaking mice as had previously been reported for MAG. The results indicate that MAG and 1B236 are almost certainly identical since they cannot be distinguished immunologically by the reagents available and that quantitatively most of the glycoprotein is associated with oligodendrocytes and myelin rather than neurons at all ages.

A cluster analysis for threshold perimetry

Cluster analysis in perimetry is a technique used in the evaluation of localised visual field loss. It has previously been applied to suprathreshold data and, unlike the indices currently available to indicate localised loss, it is influenced by the relative positions of individual defects. This paper describes a cluster analysis for use with data from Program 31 of the Octopus perimeter. To demonstrate the technique, sensitivity values of normal 60-year-old subject were altered to simulate localised loss. Illustrative examples of clinical cases are given, showing differing degrees of localised loss that do not influence the corrected loss variance (CLV) but influence the computed cluster parameters. It is hoped that the value of this form of analysis will be demonstrated in clinical follow-up of glaucoma patients.

Tissue specificity, localization in brain, and cell-free translation of mRNA encoding the A3 isoform of Na+,K+-ATPase

The isolation of multiple Na+,K+-ATPase cDNAs from rat brain has led to the discovery of a family of alpha-isoform genes. Using A1 (alpha), A2 (alpha+), and A3 (alpha III) Na+,K+-ATPase gene probes, we have analyzed the distribution of Na+,K+-ATPase mRNAs in adult and fetal rat tissues by RNA blot and hybridization histochemistry. A1 Na+,K+-ATPase mRNA was found ubiquitously among various tissues, with highest levels in transport epithelial and neural tissues. A2 mRNA was found in adult neural and muscle tissues, and A3 mRNA was found only in neural tissues and fetal heart muscle. Both A1 and A2 mRNAs were less abundant in fetal brain than in adult brain; in contrast, A3 mRNA was abundant at both stages. In situ mapping of brain areas that contain A3 mRNA suggests that this Na+,K+-ATPase isoenzyme is expressed predominantly by neural cells. Analysis of Na+,K+-ATPase proteins generated by cell-free translation of synthetic mRNAs suggests that the A3 protein has properties similar to A2 (alpha+).

Neural protein 1B236/myelin-associated glycoprotein (MAG) defines a subgroup of the immunoglobulin superfamily

We have reviewed the structure and properties of the neural protein 1B236/MAG. This molecule consists largely of five Ig-like domains separated from its carboxyl terminal tail by a single membrane-spanning region. Two forms of the protein differ in the length and sequence of the carboxyl terminus: these are encoded by alternatively spliced mRNAs that are differentially expressed during postnatal neural development. The Ig-like domains of 1B236/MAG are unusual in having structural similarities to Ig V domains but with short Cys-Cys distances characteristic of C domains. Several other Ig-like molecules exhibit this structural feature, including the cell adhesion molecule N-CAM, which is most closely related in sequence to 1B236/MAG. We have proposed 1B236/MAG as the prototype for this subgroup of the Ig family and offer a model for this type of Ig domain structure. 1B236/MAG probably acts as a cell adhesion molecule to mediate interactions between cells in a fashion similar to that proposed for N-CAM. In particular, 1B236/MAG may be involved in interactions between myelinating oligodendrocytes or Schwann cells and axons or between adjacent layers of myelin membrane during the process of myelin compaction. It is most likely that the homophilic or heterophilic interactions of 1B236/MAG occur through binding to the Ig-like domains. The structure of 1B236/MAG is therefore quite consistent with its proposed function and may serve as the model for this class of cell-cell interaction molecules. One would predict, for example, that the neuron-glia cell adhesion molecule Ng-CAM, also known as NILE or L1 (Bock et al. 1985, Friedlander et al. 1985), which mediates interactions between neurons and glial cells, would have a very similar structure to those of N-CAM and 1B236/MAG. In addition, the carboxyl terminal tails of the 1B236/MAG proteins may also be involved in interactions with cytoskeletal components, during membrane vesicle transport through the glial cytoplasm during myelination or through neuronal axoplasm or cytoplasm. The availability of full-length cDNA clones of 1B236/MAG mRNAs with the ability to express these products in vitro will enable the structure and interactions of 1B236/MAG to be tested in detail.

Splice site selection in the proteolipid protein (PLP) gene transcript and primary structure of the DM-20 protein of central nervous system myelin

Proteolipid protein (PLP) is the major myelin membrane protein of the central nervous system. We have isolated a copy of an alternatively spliced PLP gene transcript from a mouse brain cDNA library that was screened for PLP-related sequences. The encoded 241-amino acid protein differs from PLP by an internal deletion of 35-amino acid residues (116-150) from the major hydrophilic domain. This PLP variant is identical with the DM-20 protein of myelin, previously described as a brain-specific myelin component and known to be related to PLP. We determined the corresponding nucleotide sequence of the rat PLP gene and found that DM-20 mRNA results when a second 5' splice site, located 105 nucleotides within the third exon of the primary PLP transcript, is utilized in precursor mRNA (pre-mRNA) splicing. This demonstrates that alternative 5' splice site selection can determine the protein product of a cellular gene. DM-20 mRNA is expressed in rat brain with approximately 50% abundance relative to PLP mRNA and appears to be developmentally coregulated.

Two forms of 1B236/myelin-associated glycoprotein, a cell adhesion molecule for postnatal neural development, are produced by alternative splicing

The structures of two rat brain-specific 1B236 mRNAs, alternative splice products from a single gene regulated differently during postnatal brain development, were deduced from full-length cDNA clones. The 626- and 582-amino acid-long encoded proteins are indistinguishable from two forms of myelin-associated glycoprotein, a cell adhesion molecule involved in axonal-glial and glial-glial interactions in postnatal brain development, particularly in myelination. The two proteins share a single membrane-spanning domain and a glycosylated N terminus but differ in the structures of their C termini. The N terminus consists of five domains related in sequence to each other and to immunoglobulin-like molecules, especially the neural cell adhesion molecule N-CAM, suggesting a common structure for cell adhesion molecules.

Two forms of 1B236/myelin-associated glycoprotein, a cell adhesion molecule for postnatal neural development, are produced by alternative splicing

The structures of two rat brain-specific 1B236 mRNAs, alternative splice products from a single gene regulated differently during postnatal brain development, were deduced from full-length cDNA clones. The 626- and 582-amino acid-long encoded proteins are indistinguishable from two forms of myelin-associated glycoprotein, a cell adhesion molecule involved in axonal-glial and glial-glial interactions in postnatal brain development, particularly in myelination. The two proteins share a single membrane-spanning domain and a glycosylated N terminus but differ in the structures of their C termini. The N terminus consists of five domains related in sequence to each other and to immunoglobulin-like molecules, especially the neural cell adhesion molecule N-CAM, suggesting a common structure for cell adhesion molecules.

Jimpy mutant mouse: a 74-base deletion in the mRNA for myelin proteolipid protein and evidence for a primary defect in RNA splicing

The mouse mutant jimpy carries an X chromosome-linked recessive gene defect that affects the formation of myelin in the central nervous system. To understand the molecular basis of the jimpy mutation, we have examined the expression of mRNAs encoding myelin proteolipid protein (PLP). PLP mRNAs were detectable in jimpy brain RNA at 21 days after birth but were severely reduced in abundance compared to wild-type littermates. Nucleotide sequence analysis of cDNA clones for PLP mRNA, isolated from a cDNA library of jimpy brain poly(A)+ RNA, revealed that the PLP mRNA expressed in jimpy contained a deletion of 74 nucleotides with respect to the wild-type sequence. This deletion causes a frameshift in the open reading frame resulting in an altered carboxyl terminus for jimpy PLP. Probes specific for the deleted sequence, however, hybridize with equal efficiency to genomic DNA from jimpy and wild-type littermates, suggesting that the defect in the jimpy PLP mRNA is generated by aberrant RNA processing rather than by deletion of genomic sequences. We conclude that a mutation in the gene for PLP that leads to an incorrectly spliced RNA transcript is the primary defect of this genetic disorder.

Phenylarsine oxide inhibits agonist-induced changes in photolabeling but not agonist-induced desensitization of the beta-adrenergic receptor

In the human lymphocyte, desensitization of the beta-adrenergic receptor-adenylate cyclase complex is associated with sequestration of the receptor as well as a change in photolabeling of beta-receptor proteins. Thus, desensitization of the lymphocyte beta-adrenergic receptor-adenylate cyclase system is associated with a selective reduction in the photoaffinity labeling of an Mr approximately equal to 55,000 beta-adrenergic receptor-binding site as compared to an Mr approximately equal to 68,000 beta-adrenergic receptor-binding moiety. In order to examine the relationship between sequestration and reduction in labeling of the Mr approximately equal to 55,000 peptide, we have studied the effect of phenylarsine oxide (an inhibitor of beta-receptor sequestration in astrocytoma cells) on agonist-induced desensitization of the beta-adrenergic receptor-adenylate cyclase system in circulating lymphocytes. Incubation of cells with phenylarsine oxide prior to exposure to agonists did not block the consequent reduction in isoproterenol-stimulated adenylate cyclase activity. However, sequestration of the receptor, as assessed by a decrease in accessibility of beta-adrenergic receptors on intact cells to hydrophilic receptor ligands, is blocked by phenylarsine oxide. Thus, the agonist-induced reduction in binding of the hydrophilic beta-adrenergic receptor ligand CGP-12177 was blocked by phenylarsine oxide (without phenylarsine oxide, 57 +/- 6% of control, with phenylarsine oxide, 97 +/- 3% of control). Photolabeling studies with [125I]iodocyanopindolol diazirine revealed that phenylarsine oxide pretreatment also blocked the selective loss in labeling of the Mr approximately equal to 55,000 beta-adrenergic receptor protein. These data suggest that agonist-induced alterations in the photolabeling pattern of the lymphocyte beta-adrenergic receptor that occur with desensitization closely parallel the apparent sequestration of beta-adrenergic receptors but can be dissociated from the initial desensitization phenomenon.