Comparison of the hypervariable region of hepatitis C virus genomes in plasma and liver

Nucleotide sequences of the hypervariable region of hepatitis C virus genomes obtained from plasma change rapidly during the course of infection and are believed to play a part in immunological escape and consequently in the development of persistent infection. It is not known, however, whether these changes also occur in the liver. To clarify this aspect, RNA was extracted from the plasma and liver tissue of eight patients with chronic hepatitis C. After cDNA synthesis, DNA fragments that included the hypervariable region were amplified by the polymerase chain reaction. Consensus nucleotide sequences were determined directly from the polymerase chain reaction products by the dideoxy chain termination method. The diversity of the hypervariable region was analyzed further by the polymerase chain reaction-single strand conformation polymorphism analysis. Consensus nucleotide sequences of the hypervariable region were identical between the plasma and the liver in each patient. The polymerase chain reaction-single strand conformation polymorphism analysis showed multiple DNA bands that represented different hypervariable region sequences. Comparison of the single strand conformation polymorphism patterns revealed that the number, the mobility, and the density of bands were the same between the plasma and the liver. It is concluded that the population and the diversity of hepatitis C virus quasispecies as detected by the hypervariable region sequence are the same between the plasma and the liver despite rapid mutations, indicating that rapid changes in the population of hepatitis C virus quasispecies also occur in the liver.

Effects of glucose and SNK-860, an aldose reductase inhibitor, on the polyol pathway and chemiluminescence response of human neutrophils in vitro

An in vitro incubation study was conducted to investigate whether increased activity of the polyol pathway in human neutrophils under diabetic conditions resulted in a decrease of superoxide anion produced by NADPH oxidase on the membrane of neutrophils. Lucigenin-enhanced chemiluminescence (CL) to phorbol myristate acetate as respiratory burst and sorbitol levels in neutrophils after incubation with glucose and an aldose reductase (AR) inhibitor, SNK-860 (SNK) were measured. Sorbitol levels increased from 0.210 +/- 0.029 nmol 10(7) cells-1 in 5 mmol l-1 glucose to 0.446 +/- 0.036 nmol 10(7) cells-1 in 40 mmol l-1 glucose, while CL decreased from 0.542 +/- 0.034 cpm cell-1 in 5 mmol l-1 glucose to 0.430 +/- 0.018 cpm cell-1 in 40 mmol l-1 glucose. The addition of 10 mumol l-1 SNK normalized the increased sorbitol levels in neutrophils exposed to 40 mmol l-1 glucose and improved, but did not normalize, the decrease in CL induced by 40 mmol l-1 glucose (p < 0.001). Galactose (40 mmol l-1) also reduced CL, which was improved by the addition of SNK (p < 0.01). These results suggest that impaired respiratory burst induced by high-glucose concentrations is caused by competition for NADPH resulting from increased polyol pathway activity and/or glycation and that an AR inhibitor may be capable in part of preventing increased susceptibility to infection in diabetic patients.

Effects of an aldose reductase inhibitor, epalrestat, on diabetic neuropathy. Clinical benefit and indication for the drug assessed from the results of a placebo-controlled double-blind study

The clinical efficacy of epalrestat (150 mg/day, 50 mg tid, po; A group), an aldose reductase inhibitor, was evaluated in 196 patients with diabetic neuropathy by a double-blind study using placebo (9 mg/day, 3 mg tid, po; P group) as a control for 12 weeks. The disappearance rates of upper limb spontaneous pain were 42.9% and 12.0% in the A and P groups, respectively, and those of lower limb spontaneous pain 48.6% and 22.6%, thus being significantly higher in the A group (p < 0.05, logrank-test). The motor nerve conduction velocity of the peroneal nerve significantly increased only in the A group (delta 1.6 +/- 0.6 m/sec, p < 0.01, paired t-test), and the extent of increase in that of the median nerve was significantly greater in the A group than in the P group (p < 0.05). Thresholds of vibratory sensation and autonomic nerve function were also significantly improved in the A group (p < 0.05). The data were reanalyzed by dividing patients into two groups according to their HbA1c values. The improvement ratings of subjective symptoms and of nerve function tests for cases with HbA1c > or = 7.5% were both significantly different between the A and P groups, with the improvement rate being higher in the A group, and also higher as compared to the analysis for cases with HbA1c < 7.5%.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

A novel mutation in the erythrocyte protein 4.2 gene of Japanese patients with hereditary spherocytosis (protein 4.2 Fukuoka)

Human erythrocyte protein 4.2 (band 4.2; pallidin) is a major membrane protein that comprises 5% of the total weight of the human erythrocyte membrane. Deficiencies of this protein have been observed in hereditary spherocytosis with anaemia, suggesting a role of protein 4.2 in erythrocyte stability and integrity. The molecular basis of this disorder remains unknown. As a first step in elucidating the pathogenesis of hereditary spherocytosis associated with protein 4.2 deficiency, we cloned and sequenced the erythrocyte protein 4.2 gene from a normal Japanese person. We prepared sets of oligonucleotide primers for polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and determined nucleotide sequences of exons and exon-intron boundaries of the protein 4.2 gene from three unrelated Japanese patients with hereditary spherocytosis due to a complete defect of protein 4.2, using PCR-related techniques. Two patients were homozygous for a missense mutation in codon 142 with the Ala (GCT)-->Thr (ACT) amino acid substitution that has been reported previously (protein 4.2NIPPON), whereas one patient was compound heterozygous for the same missense mutation in codon 142 and a guanine-adenine transition in codon 119 that changes the codon for Trp (TGG) to the termination codon (TGA) (protein 4.2Fukuoka). No additional mutation was identified in other exons of the protein 4.2 genes. Dot-blot hybridization with allele-specific oligonucleotide probes showed that homozygosity for the missense mutation in codon 142 and compound heterozygosity for the codon 142 and the codon 119 mutations were related to protein 4.2 deficiency in the families. Although two alleles of missense mutation of the codon 142 were also detected in 100 alleles of healthy Japanese, results obtained in this study indicate that the two mutations described above are closely related to the pathogenesis of hereditary spherocytosis due to protein 4.2 defect.

Use of the C64 quantitative tuning fork and the effect of niceritrol in diabetic neuropathy

We investigated the usefulness of the C64 quantitative tuning fork in assessing vibratory sensation in patients with diabetic neuropathy. The vibratory sensation scores determined by using the C64 quantitative tuning fork were significantly correlated with severity of subjective symptoms of numbness, cold, desensitization, spontaneous pain in the upper and lower extremities, and vertigo, as well as measurements of neurologic function (threshold of vibratory sensation, the coefficients of variation of the R-R intervals of the electrocardiogram at rest, and the motor nerve conduction velocity [MNCV] of the lower extremities; P < 0.05 to 0.01). Subsequently, we evaluated the effects of niceritrol on neurologic function in the same patients by using the C64 quantitative tuning fork, other neurologic function tests, and the change in severity of subjective symptoms before and after therapy. Niceritrol significantly improved measures of neurologic function (vibratory sensation scores, MNCV of the upper extremities, and sensory nerve conduction velocity of the lower extremities; P < 0.05 to 0.001), and subjective symptoms (numbness, cold, desensitization, and spontaneous pain in the lower extremities; P < 0.01 to 0.001). Our results suggest that the C64 quantitative tuning fork is a convenient and objective tool for assessing the severity of diabetic neuropathy and that niceritrol is useful for the treatment of this disease.

Metallothionein expression is correlated with cisplatin resistance in transitional cell carcinoma of the urinary tract

Metallothioneins (MTs) are small cysteine-rich, metal-binding proteins involved in resistance to heavy-metal toxicity, and are known to bind cisplatin. Several experiments suggest possible involvement of MT in cellular resistance to cisplatin. To investigate the relationship between MT expression and cisplatin resistance in urinary tract transitional cell carcinoma (TCC), immunohistochemical staining for MT was performed in 31 untreated TCCs of the urinary tract. The results were compared with the sensitivity of the tumors to cisplatin as assessed by the microtiter succinate dehydrogenase inhibition (mSDI) test. Variable MT expression was observed in all 31 TCCs, but there was no specific correlation between histopathological parameters and MT expression. Fourteen (87.5%) of the 16 TCCs with less than 10% of their tumor cells positive for MT were sensitive to cisplatin. On the other hand, 6 (75.0%) of the 8 TCCs with MT expression by more than 30% of their tumor cells were resistant to cisplatin, and there was a significant correlation between MT expression and cisplatin resistance (p < 0.01). These results suggest the possible involvement of MT in the intrinsic cisplatin resistance of urinary tract TCC and that immunohistochemical investigation of MT may be useful for predicting the response of these tumors to cisplatin therapy.

Correlation between serum levels of alanine aminotransferase and ferritin in male blood donors with antibody to hepatitis C virus

Chronic hepatitis C has been demonstrated to be associated with hepatic iron overload, and the hypothesis that the disease activity of hepatitis C is associated with iron cytotoxicity was tested in male volunteer blood donors. Sera with either antibody to hepatitis C virus or hepatitis B surface antigen were selected for determination of ferritin concentration and alanine aminotransferase activity. A correlation between serum ferritin concentration (Y; microgram/l) and alanine aminotransferase activity (X; IU/l) was found in donors with antibody to hepatitis C (log Y = 0.65 x log X + 0.98, r = 0.53, and P < 0.01). The correlation was lower in donors with hepatitis B surface antigen (r = 0.37; P < 0.01). Hepatitis C virus infection probably induces time-dependent iron accumulation associated with the progression of disease activity, while hepatitis B virus infection results in a variety of iron loads with different clinical features. The high disease activity related to hyperferritinemia suggests the presence of iron-induced liver damage in donors with hepatitis C.

Effects of leukotriene D4 on myocardial blood flow and high energy phosphate concentration in anesthetized dogs

The effects of intracoronary administration of leukotriene D4 (LTD4) on myocardial blood flow (MBF) and myocardial energy metabolism in anesthetized open-chest dogs were examined, and compared with those of coronary ligation. Two series of experiments were conducted. In the first, LTD4 (0-3.0 micrograms/kg) was injected into the left anterior descending coronary artery (LAD) and MBF was measured. While no changes in MBF were observed after 0.5 microgram/kg of LTD4, a significant decrease in MBF in the LAD area was apparent after 1.0 micrograms/kg of LTD4, with a return to baseline values by within 10 min after the injection. With 3.0 micrograms/kg of LTD4, MBF remained decreased up to 15 min after the injection. In the second study, myocardial high energy phosphate concentrations in the LAD area were determined 5 min after LTD4 administration and compared to those after ligation. ATP levels in the 1.0-3.0 micrograms/kg LTD4 groups were significantly less than those in the ligation group, although there were no associated significant differences in MBF values in the LAD area. These results indicate that LTD4 brings about changes in myocardial energy metabolism which are not secondary to reduced blood flow.

Unusual splice sites in the E1A-E1B cotranscripts synthesized in adenovirus type 40-infected A549 cells

The adenovirus E1 DNA region consists of two transcription units, E1A and E1B. In this paper we report that the E1A-E1B cotranscripts containing sequences of both the E1A and E1B regions are synthesized during adenovirus type 40 (Ad40) infection of A549 cells. Cytoplasmic RNA was isolated from Ad40-infected A549 cells at 24, 72, and 100 h post infection (p.i.). The complementary (c) DNA was synthesized by reverse transcription using an oligo-dT primer and then amplified by the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) using primers derived from the E1A and E1B regions. The cDNAs thus amplified were sequenced either directly or after cloning into bacteriophage M13 vectors. Analysis of cDNA indicated that the E1A-E1B cotranscripts are synthesized at 72 h p.i., but not at 24 or 100 h p.i. Nucleotide sequences of three cDNAs of the E1A-E1B cotranscripts indicated that the cotranscripts originate from the E1A promoter and lack sequences for both the E1A poly(A) site and E1B cap site. The splices create open reading frames for E1A-E1B fused polypeptides around the E1A-E1B junctions in these mRNAs. Most interestingly, the sequence analysis showed that the 5' and 3' splice junctions in the two E1A-E1B cotranscripts do not conform to the splice consensus GT-AG rule. Our results thus suggest that factor(s) which lead to unusual splicing in the E1 mRNAs are present in Ad40-infected A549 cells.

Effects of adrenoceptor antagonists on the hyperthermia and hyperglycemia induced by prostaglandin F2 alpha in rats

We investigated the effects of intraperitoneal administration of adrenoceptor antagonists to the hyperthermia and hyperglycemia induced by prostaglandin F2 alpha (50 micrograms) injected into the third cerebral ventricle in anesthetized rats. Phentolamine inhibited the hyperthermia and hyperglycemia induced by prostaglandin F2 alpha. Prazosin inhibited the hyperthermia induced by prostaglandin F2 alpha, while enhancing the hyperglycemia. Yohimbine inhibited the prostaglandin F2 alpha-induced hyperglycemia without an effect on the hyperthermia. Propranolol had no effect on either prostaglandin F2 alpha-induced hyperglycemia or hyperthermia. These observations suggest that the hyperglycemia induced by prostaglandin F2 alpha is regulated by alpha 2-adrenoceptor systems while the hyperthermia is regulated by alpha 1-adrenoceptor systems in rats.

Bicuculline methiodide influences the central nervous system to produce hyperglycemia in rats

The influence of bicuculline methiodide (BMI), a gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) receptor antagonist, on central nervous system regulation of blood glucose homeostasis was studied in fed rats. Injection of BMI (1-10 nmol) into the third ventricle was found to produce hepatic venous hyperglycemia in a dose-dependent manner. This change was associated with increased secretion of epinephrine and glucagon. The role of epinephrine in hyperglycemia was then studied in bilaterally adrenalectomized (ADX) rats injected with BMI. Plasma glucose concentration was found to increase in ADX rats although the level was approximately half that for intact rats and significantly higher than for controls. The increase in epinephrine and glucagon secretion seen in intact rats, but not in ADX rats, suggests BMI induced epinephrine release is responsible for the glucagon secretion. Three possible mechanisms are suggested to account for the rise in plasma glucose in the hepatic vein after injection of BMI: 1) that epinephrine is secreted by the adrenal medulla, 2) that epinephrine secretion stimulates glucagon secretion or 3) that there may be some direct innervation of the liver in rats.

Improvement of serum aminotransferase levels after phlebotomy in patients with chronic active hepatitis C and excess hepatic iron

OBJECTIVES

Iron metabolism may be altered in patients with chronic active hepatitis C. In an attempt to evaluate whether excess iron contributes to liver injury, we used phlebotomy for removal of iron from patients with chronic hepatitis C.

METHODS

All 10 patients had histochemically detectable iron in the liver and underwent an initial period of weekly or monthly phlebotomy of 200 or 400 ml. A serum ferritin level of 10 ng/ml or less was chosen as the endpoint, and maintenance phlebotomy was performed if the level rebounded.

RESULTS

The treatment reduced mean serum alanine aminotransferase activity from 152 +/- 49 to 55 +/- 32 IU/L; this level became normal in five of the 10 patients. Anti-HCV antibodies could be detected in all patients throughout the study. Histologic abnormalities of the liver were unchanged except for disappearance of iron deposits from seven of the patients studied.

CONCLUSIONS

Our findings suggest that iron removal may be beneficial for patients with chronic active hepatitis C and histochemical iron in the liver.

A deductive database system for analyzing human nucleotide sequence data

The analysis of the human genome is one of the most significant topics in both biology and medical science. There is a growing need for a well-designed database system for searching and analyzing the human genome data. We developed a deductive database system to search and analyze nucleotide sequence data derived from the GenBank primates data. A deductive database system is a next generation one and it contains an inference mechanism that can handle problems beyond the capabilities of classical database systems. Database queries are described in logical rules. These rules are simple even for molecular biologists who are not experts in computer programs because they are declarative and do not require the procedural commands that are usually used in computer programs. Furthermore, queries based on logical rules are powerful enough to express complicated biological problems. Particularly, recursive rules are suitable for examining secondary structures of nucleotide sequences. In our analysis of TfR's IRE, we noted five stem-and-loop structures.

Detection and quantification of hepatitis C virus RNA replication in the liver

To investigate the correlation between the replication of hepatitis C virus in liver and the clinical and histopathological features, we detected and quantified plus and minus strands of HCV-RNA in plasma and in livers of patients with chronic hepatitis C by a quantitative polymerase chain reaction. RNA was extracted from the plasma and liver tissue of ten patients with biopsy-proven chronic hepatitis C. The plus and minus strands of HCV-RNA were detected by a strand-specific reverse transcription with either sense or anti-sense oligonucleotide primers deduced from the hepatitis C virus genome, and a standard HCV-RNA with an enzyme restriction site was used to quantify the amount of HCV-RNA. Both plus and minus strands of HCV-RNA were detected from the liver tissue of all patients included. The amount of plus-stranded HCV-RNA in the liver was 10 times higher than that of minus-stranded HCV-RNA. Plus-stranded HCV-RNA was detected in the plasma in all patients, while the minus strand was not detected in any patient. There was a weak correlation between the amount of both strands of HCV-RNA in the liver and that of the plus strand in plasma. There was no significant correlation between the amount of liver HCV-RNA and serum alanine transaminase and aspartate transaminase levels, or histopathological findings in the liver. The present method of detecting and quantifying liver HCV-RNA is simple and sensitive; it may be used to detect residual hepatitis C virus replication after the disappearance of plasma HCV-RNA in acute hepatitis or in chronic hepatitis after interferon treatment.

Effects of long-term enalapril treatment on persistent micro-albuminuria in well-controlled hypertensive and normotensive NIDDM patients

OBJECTIVE

To determine whether long-term treatment with an angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitor has a beneficial effect on the urinary microalbumin excretion and renal function in non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM) patients, enalapril (5 mg/day) was administered for 48 months.

RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS

-Fifty-two patients with NIDDM who had persistent microalbuminuria in the range of 20-300 mg/24 h, serum creatinine < 106.1 microM (1.2 mg/dl), supine systolic blood pressure (BP) < 150 mmHg, supine diastolic BP < 90 mmHg, and HbA1c < 10% were divided into four groups. Twenty-six patients with normotension were divided at random into two groups; one group received enalapril (5 mg/day) (NE group), the other did not receive enalapril (NC group). In the same way, 26 other patients who were already well-controlled with nifedipine (30 mg/day) over a long-term period (4-6 years) were divided at random into two groups; one received enalapril (5 mg/day) (HE group), the other did not receive enalapril (HC group).

RESULTS

After 48 months, urinary albumin excretion (UAE) was markedly reduced in group NE from 102.4 x/divided by 1.3 to 55.5 x/divided by 1.3 mg/24 h (P < 0.005), whereas no significant change occurred in group NC. In the well-controlled hypertensive groups, a significant reduction in UAE occurred in group HE (P < 0.05), whereas no significant change occurred in group HC. No changes in creatinine clearance, BP, or blood glucose control were seen during the study.

CONCLUSIONS

Treatment with enalapril for 48 months may have a beneficial effect on the decline of microalbumin excretion in NIDDM patients.

[DNA ploidy and proliferating cell nuclear antigen positivity rate as predictive indication of effectiveness of preoperative radiation]

We compared histological effects following radiotherapy in relation to the DNA ploidy pattern and the proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) positivity rate in 37 patients with rectal cancer who underwent preoperative radiation therapy. Twelve of 23 cases in which the PCNA positivity rate before irradiation was more than 25% showed the effectiveness of radiotherapy (52.2%), against 2 of 6 cases with a rate of less than 25%. Cases in which the rate was more than 25% tended to show more effectiveness. Seventeen of 23 cases in which the PCNA positivity rate was more than 25% showed a decrease in PCNA positivity rate (73.9%). The rate in 6 cases showed no change, and no cases had an increase. In particular, in 12 cases in which the PCNA positivity rate was more than 55%, half showed effectiveness, and the PCNA rate decreased 20% on average. The PCNA positivity rate tended to decrease as a result of irradiation, and especially in diploid cases there were significant differences in the rate before and after irradiation. We suggest that cases in which the PCNA positivity rate is more than 55% with diploid DNA pattern would show most effect. The effects of irradiation could be predicted with biopsy materials and by measuring the DNA ploidy pattern and the PCNA positivity rate.

Protein phosphatase inhibitors induce the release of serotonin from rat basophilic leukemia cells (RBL-2H3)

Effects of okadaic acid (OA) and calyculin-A (CL-A), selective inhibitors of protein phosphatases 1 (PP1) and 2A (PP2A), on the release of serotonin from the rat basophilic leukemia cell line (RBL-2H3) were investigated. Both OA and CL-A induced the long-lasting release of serotonin in an extracellular Ca(2+)-independent manner. CL-A did not increase intracellular Ca2+ concentration in the fura-2-loaded cells. CL-A was 100-fold more potent than OA in inducing the release, suggesting that PP1 is a dominant protein phosphatase in regulating RBL-2H3 cells. The CL-A-induced release of serotonin was completely inhibited by the nonselective protein kinase inhibitors, staurosporine and K-252a. CL-A induced phosphorylation of several cellular proteins in RBL-2H3 cells, which could be inhibited by staurosporine. These findings suggest that the release of serotonin is subject to tonic, Ca(2+)-independent, inhibition by PP1 in RBL-2H3 cells.

Myocardial metabolic markers of total ischemia in vitro

The influence of total ischemia on the formation of products of anaerobic metabolism was investigated in canine hearts in vitro. Contents of organic acids were quantitatively analyzed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry, and high energy phosphate compounds were determined using the luciferin-luciferase enzyme system. During a 10-min period of total ischemia, myocardial creatine phosphate significantly decreased, while ATP remained unchanged as compared with preischemic values. Both 10 min and 60 min of ischemia induced significant increase in tissue succinic acid levels. In contrast, a significant increase in myocardial lactic acid content was only induced with 60 min of ischemia. The data obtained indicate that the accumulation of succinic acid may be regarded as a potential metabolic marker of myocardial total ischemia.

Beneficial effects of iloprost on acute myocardial ischemia in dogs

The effects of intravenous administration of iloprost, a prostacyclin analogue, on myocardial energy metabolism and myocardial blood flow (MBF) were examined in anesthetized open-chest dogs subjected to 60 min of myocardial ischemia by coronary ligation. Iloprost administration at levels of 0.1 or 0.2 micrograms/kg/min was started 30 min before the commencement of ischemia and continued throughout the 90 min observation period. Since systolic aortic pressure in the iloprost 0.2 micrograms/kg/min group showed significantly lower values than that in the control group, whereas no clear effect was observed with the lower concentration (0.1 micrograms/kg/min), this latter group was further investigated. This 0.1 microgram/kg/min dose of iloprost lacked influence on MBF in both ischemic and nonischemic areas but did result in a significantly higher value for high energy phosphate contents in the ischemic myocardium. Moreover, myocardial mitochondrial respiratory function in the ischemic area was significantly improved. These results indicate that iloprost brought about preservation of myocardial energy metabolism without alteration of coronary perfusion, suggesting that it may exert a direct cardioprotective effect.

Correlation between myocardial blood flow and tissue succinate during acute ischemia

This study was performed to clarify the relationship between degree plus duration of myocardial ischemia and tissue succinate or lactate contents, and to assess whether their accumulation might be a metabolic marker of ischemic myocardium. Regional myocardial blood flow (MBF) was measured using the hydrogen gas clearance method in anesthetized open-chest dogs subjected to 10 min or 60 min of myocardial ischemia by coronary ligation. The contents of succinic acid and lactic acid in myocardium corresponding to locations of MBF measurement were quantitatively analyzed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. In severely ischemic areas with MBF less than 20 ml/min/100g, significant increases in both succinic and lactic acids were observed 10 min after coronary occlusion. Sixty min of ischemia induced significant increase in the myocardial succinic acid content not only in severely but also in moderately ischemic areas. In contrast, lactic acid was significantly increased only in the severely ischemic area 60 min after coronary occlusion. These results indicate a good correlation between degree plus duration of myocardial ischemia and tissue succinic acid content, suggesting that its accumulation in myocardium may be a reliable and sensitive metabolic marker of coronary ligation ischemia.

Effects of central GABA receptors activation on catecholamine secretion in rats

We investigated the effects of muscimol, the GABAA receptor agonist, and baclofen, the GABAB receptor agonist, injected into the third cerebral ventricle on plasma epinephrine (E) and norepinephrine (NE) levels in anesthetized rats. Baclofen (0.4-5 nmol) increased plasma NE levels in a dose dependent manner but did not affect plasma E levels. Muscimol (2.5 nmol) affected neither plasma E nor NE levels. Concomitant injection of muscimol (2.5 nmol) with baclofen (5 nmol) attenuated the baclofen (5 nmol)-induced NE secretion. These findings suggest that activation of GABAB receptors in the central nervous system (CNS) stimulates the sympathetic nervous system but not the adrenal medullary response. In contrast, activation of GABAA receptors in the CNS affects neither the sympathetic nervous system nor the adrenal medullary response, but inhibits the sympathetic neural activity induced by activation of GABAB receptors in anesthetized rats.

Proliferating cell nuclear antigen in needle biopsy specimens of prostatic carcinoma

The expression of proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) was immunohistochemically determined using a monoclonal antibody PC10 in 54 prostatic carcinoma samples. The samples were taken from needle biopsy specimens which had been paraffin-embedded after routine fixation with 10% formaldehyde solution (formalin) for less than 24 h. The PCNA index was calculated as the percentage of positive tumor cell nuclei. There was a significant difference in the PCNA index according to the growth pattern (p < 0.001), nuclear anaplasia (p < 0.001) and T stage (p < 0.01). Regarding the growth pattern, solid carcinomas showed a significantly higher PCNA index than did either separate gland carcinomas (p < 0.05) or trabecular/fused gland carcinomas (p < 0.05). The PCNA index correlated closely with either the nuclear anaplasia or T stage, and increased in conjunction with the increased nuclear anaplasia (rs = 0.641; p < 0.001) or T stage (rs = 0.435; p < 0.01). The patients in the high PCNA index (> or = 15%) group showed a significantly worse survival than did those in the lower PCNA index group (p < 0.01), and multivariate analyses indicated that the PCNA index had an independent prognostic significance. These results suggest that the PCNA index, as determined by PC 10 on needle biopsy specimens of prostatic carcinoma, can thus be an objective and quantitative means for evaluating the biological malignancy of prostatic carcinoma.