[Immunopharmacological actions of lumin (I): Anti-allergic actions of lumin]

We used lumin (4,4'-(3[2(1-ethyl-4-(1-H)quinolidene) ethylidene]) propenylene [bis(1-ethyl quinolinium iodide)]) as a photosensitive cyanin dye and studied its effects on various allergic reactions. We obtained the following results: Lumin slightly inhibited the production of IgE antibody, but showed no effect on the production of IgM and IgG antibodies. Lumin slightly inhibited homologous rat PCA at 48 hr. It also showed some inhibitory activity against histamine (His) release caused by in vitro antigen-antibody reaction. Lumin significantly inhibited the acceleration of the delayed-type hypersensitivity (DTH) reaction by cyclophosphamide (CY). The above results suggest that lumin shows anti-allergic activity through the mediation of immunopharmacological activity.

[Immunopharmacological actions of lumin (II): Effect of lumin administration in NZB X NZW (B/W) F1 mice]

Lumin was administered at doses of 0.1 to 100 micrograms/kg for 5 months to NZB/W F1 mice as the model animal for studying systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), a human autoimmune disease. The increase in anti-thymic autoantibody level was significantly inhibited at doses of 1 to 100 micrograms/kg. Also, the induction of suppressor T cells by concanavalin A was significantly promoted. In addition, recovery activity was significantly observed, over-coming the reduction in plaque-forming cell (PFC) response of anti-sheep erythrocytes at a dose of 100 micrograms/kg, as well as the reduction in PFC response of anti-trinitrophenylated-lipopolysaccharide at doses of 0.1 to 100 micrograms/kg. The above results prove that lumin exhibits an immunomodulating effect against immune disease in mice.

In situ hybridization analysis of HPV 16 DNA sequences in early cervical neoplasia

The authors examined 18 cervical intraepithelial neoplasms (CIN) for the presence of human papillomavirus (HPV) DNA sequences by Southern blot hybridization and DNA-DNA in situ hybridizations for HPV DNA sequences and compared the epithelial distribution of HPV 16 DNA sequences with HPV 6/11 sequences in selected condylomas. Fifteen of the 18 CIN lesions contained HPV 16 DNA as determined by Southern blot hybridization. With the use of biotinylated HPV 16 DNA probes, 10 of the 18 were positive by in situ hybridization, 9 of which were also positive by Southern blot hybridization. In situ hybridization to HPV 16 probes was found primarily in areas of CIN which contained either maturation or koilocytotic atypia, although in two cases hybridizing sequences were detected in superficial cells from epithelium with no discernible maturation. Staining in both condylomas and CIN lesions varied in distribution and intensity. However, in some CIN lesions staining from cell to cell varied considerably. This greater variability in staining appeared to correlate with greater morphologic variations which characterize CIN, and which may influence greater variation in HPV DNA replication. Thus, some differences in patterns of hybridization for HPV DNA between CIN and condylomas may be explained by morphologic differences in the two classes of lesions. Differences in viral gene expression between condylomas and CIN and their relationship to morphologic findings remain to be clarified.

[Electron microscopic study on the structure and the function of the granulosa cell in the human ovary--in vitro electron microscopic autoradiography on the localization of 17 beta-estradiol receptor complex, DNA synthesis and protein synthesis]

In order to investigate the effect of E2 on the DNA synthesis, the localization of E2-receptor complex at different temperature, and protein synthesis in the granulosa cell of the human ovary, in vitro studies were made using the electron microscopic autoradiography of 10 muCi/ml of 3H-thymidine, 10(-8)M 3H-E2 and 100 muCi/ml of 3H-leucine. In particular, a dry-mounting autoradiographic technique was applied to detect the localization of E2-receptor complex because E2 is a soluble compound. Control incubation was done in the medium containing 10(-8)M 3H-E2 and 500-fold of unlabeled E2. In addition, as to the morphological barriers among granulosa cells, we observed the ovary treated with the 1% fixative containing 1000ppm. of ruthenium red. The labeling index was 27.6 +/- 3.9% in the medium containing E2, while it was 13.1 +/- 2.2% in the control medium (p less than 0.001). The percentage distribution of silver grains in the nucleus indicating the localization of E2-receptor was 77.4 +/- 8.6% at 37 degrees C and 25.4 +/- 9.3% at 4 degrees C respectively (p less than 0.001). The silver grains on the protein synthesis were increased in number with the passage of time and localizaed mainly on the rough endoplasmic reticulum, mitochondria and nucleus. Ruthenium red entered among the granulosa cells. From the data presented here, it is suggested that there are no morphological barriers among granulosa cells showing active protein synthesis, the nuclear transport of E2-receptor complex is dependent upon its temperature, and E2 stimulates DNA synthesis.

Latent papillomavirus and recurring genital warts

After anogenital condylomata and intraepithelial neoplasms are removed, they frequently recur. Since these lesions are related to papillomaviruses, it has been suggested that latent papillomavirus infection is responsible for recurrence. We studied 20 cases of anogenital lesions that were treated by laser therapy and analyzed biopsy specimens of margins of normal skin adjacent to the lesions for papillomavirus sequences by Southern blot hybridization. In nine cases (45 per cent), papillomavirus sequences were detected in the normal skin margin; lesions recurred in 6 of the 9 patients (67 per cent), in contrast to only 1 of 11 patients (9 per cent) whose margins were negative for the presence of papillomavirus sequences. All but one recurrence developed within 15 mm of the treatment area. Our results demonstrate that clinically and histologically latent papillomavirus exists beyond the treatment area and that its presence influences subsequent recurrences.

[Diagnostic importance of CT in early stage renal cell carcinoma]

Our experience of finding a small renal cell carcinoma by CT suggested the diagnostic importance of CT in the early stage of the tumor. The patient was a forty-year-old woman who had suffered several times from pyelonephritis. She consulted us for detailed examination. IVP showed only slight deformity like a calyceal diverticulum at the upper pole of the left kidney. Ultrasonic tomography failed to expose the region. Enhanced CT revealed a small space occupying lesion like a simple renal cyst at the region, though plain CT revealed no abnormal findings. From the comparison of these two CT, she was diagnosed to have renal cell carcinoma which was confirmed by renal arteriography. Subsequently, transabdominal left nephrectomy was performed. Pathological diagnosis was renal cell carcinoma (clear cell type). The tumor size was very small, 1.5 cm in diameter. Comparison of plain and enhanced CT were considered important to diagnose a small tumor, and CT is now the most useful examination to detect early stage renal cell carcinoma.

Vaginal hemangiopericytoma: a light microscopic and ultrastructural study

A case of a vaginal hemangiopericytoma in a 20-year-old woman was studied by light and electron microscopy. The neoplastic cells had round-to-oval nuclei with one or two nucleoli; fine chromatin; a foamy, cyanophilic cytoplasm; and an increased nuclear cytoplasmic ratio. Light microscopically, the tumor was composed of spindle-shaped or round cells proliferating around vascular spaces. Mitotic figures, necrosis, and hemorrhage were difficult to find. Electron microscopically, the neoplastic cells occurred in clusters, each of which was enclosed by a basal lamina. The cytoplasm contained abundant free ribosomes, flattened elements of rough endoplasmic reticulum, small Golgi apparatus, round or elongated mitochondria, lysosomes, glycogen particles, and sometimes pinocytotic vesicles and bundles of microfilaments with large dense spots. Desmosomes were also seen. In addition, the cytoplasmic process of the benign vascular pericytes was directly in contact with the neoplastic cells which had varying degrees of cytodifferentiation. The neoplastic cells in this lesion are consistent with an origin from pericytes, confirming the findings of this neoplasm when it arose in other sites.

[Electron microscopic study on the structure and the function of the granulosa cell in the human ovary--ultrastructure and 3 beta-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase (3 beta-HSD) activity]

The cytodifferentiation, subcellular steroidogenic sites in the granulosa cell of the developing follicle were investigated using electron microscopic cytochemistry. The follicular cell in the primordial follicle already had a few lipid droplets. In the secondary follicle, the granulosa cell had a round nucleus, rough endoplasmic reticulum, lipid droplets, Golgi apparatus, microfilament, rod-shaped mitochondria with lamellar cristae and a small amount of smooth endoplasmic reticulum. In particular, the granulosa cell in the preovulatory follicle considered to be a transitional form to the steroid-secreting cell was characteristic of rough endoplasmic reticulum, lipid droplets, mitochondria with lamellar or tubular cristae and moderately well developed smooth endoplasmic reticulum. On the other hand, the granulosa cell in the postovulatory follicle revealed a typical steroid-secreting activity showing abundant lipid droplets, round mitochondria with tubular or vesicular cristae, well developed smooth endoplasmic reticulum and lysosomes. Reaction products for 3 beta-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase (3 beta-HSD) activity were localized on tubular or lamellar cristae and inner membrane of the mitochondria, and on the membrane of smooth endoplasmic reticulum in the granulosa cell of the preovulatory as well as of the postovulatory follicle. From these facts, it is suggested that the granulosa cell in the preovulatory follicle already has a steroid-secreting activity and might play an important role in human reproduction.

Classification and heredity of diabetes among Japanese patients with diabetes found before 30-year-old

Classification and family history of diabetes were examined in 551 Japanese patients whose diabetes were found before the age of thirty. These patients were treated at the Diabetes Center of Tokyo Women's Medical College from 1976 to 1981. Among those 551 diabetics, 198 patients were classified into insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (IDDM) and 337 into non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM). IDDM was found mainly in the group of diabetics whose onset of diabetes was before the age of fifteen. The number of NIDDM was significantly increased after the age of twenty. Family history of diabetes was much less in the IDDM group than in the NIDDM group in the first degree relatives. To compare the family history of IDDM with that of NIDDM, 148 diabetics were selected from those 551 patients. The selected diabetics had the onset of the disease before 20 years of age, their present age was between 20 and 40, and the duration of diabetes of these patients was three years or longer. Six of the selected 75 diabetics with IDDM had parents with NIDDM and two of these 75 patients had siblings with IDDM. Thirty-nine of the selected 73 diabetics with NIDDM had positive family history of NIDDM alone. And the selected diabetics with earlier onset of IDDM showed higher risk for IDDM case in their siblings.

[Effect of diuretic, azosemide (SK-110), in combination with antibiotic, cephaloridine, on kidney]

This study was performed to compare the acute-renal toxicity of azosemide (SK-110) or furosemide (FM) treatment in combination with cephaloridine (CER). 1) Initially, the acute-renal toxicity of CER was studied after a subcutaneous administration at dose levels of 500, 1000, 1500 and 2000 mg/kg. The values of BUN, creatinine and relative kidney weights were increased in rats given CER at dose levels above 1500 mg/kg. consequently, it was considered that the threshold of CER with regard to acute-renal toxicity was 1000 mg/kg. 2) Secondarily, the acute-renal toxicity of SK-110 or FM were studied after oral administration of 40, 80, 160 or 320 mg/kg doses alone or in combination with CER. Acute-renal toxicity was evident in the 320 mg/kg-treated rats after both SK-110 and FM alone, as revealed by analysis of a number of parameters, i.e., BUN, serum creatinine, urine sediment and composition and pathological data composing both kidney weights and studies at the microscope level. However, the increase of BUN and relative kidney weights values, elevated numbers of epithelial cells in the urine and necrosis observed in the uriniferous-tubular epithelium on histopathological examination of kidneys were noted in rats given at dose levels of only 80 mg/kg with SK-110 + CER, whereas they were seen in animals treated with FM even at the lowest applied dose of 40 mg/kg in combination with CER. In conclusion, this study showed that the minimum dose of SK-110 or FM in combination with CER which causes acute-renal toxicity were, respectively, 80 mg/kg or less than 40 mg/kg.

[Kinetics of protein synthesis in the human granulosa lutein cell during pregnancy as revealed by electron microscopic autoradiography of 3H-leucine]

Kinetics of protein synthesis in the human granulosa lutein cell during pregnancy were investigated using the electron microscopic autoradiography of 3H-leucine. The corpus luteum of early pregnancy was chased at 10 and 30 min, 1, 3, 6, 12, 24 and 48 h after pulse labelling (10 min) with 100 microCi of 3H-leucine. Although the whole silver grains were very few at 10 min postpulse, silver grains were localized mainly over the rough endoplasmic reticulum (r-ER, 34.3%) and there were no silver grains over the smooth endoplasmic reticulum (s-ER). At 30 min postpulse, the ratio of the grain number to r-ER is decreased (18.7%) and silver grains begin to appear over the s-ER (5.4%). The total number of silver grains over the cell increases with the lapse of time, the ratio of the grain number over the r-ER slightly increases and then decreases afterwards, while that over the s-ER continues to increase gradually. From these facts, it is felt that some protein synthesized on the r-ER might be transported to the s-ER in the human granulosa lutein cell during pregnancy showing steroidogenic activity.

Histogenesis, cytodifferentiation, and its subcellular steroidogenic sites in the virilizing ovarian Leydig cell tumor: light microscopic dry-mounting radioautography for [3H]cholesterol and electron microscopic cytochemistry for 3 beta-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase activity

A case of a virilizing ovarian Leydig cell tumor in a 38-year-old woman with a marked elevated plasma testosterone level was investigated using light microscopic dry-mounting radioautography and electron microscopic cytochemistry. Following a total abdominal hysterectomy and bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy, the plasma testosterone level decreased abruptly. Light microscopic dry-mounting radioautography for [3H]cholesterol showed silver grains localized mainly over the cytoplasm of the neoplastic Leydig cells which were of three different cell types: fibroblast-like cells, Leydig cells (steroid-secreting cells), and transitional cells (partially or incompletely differentiated Leydig cells). Reaction products for 3 beta-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase activity were localized on the tubular or lamellar cristae and inner membranes of the mitochondria, and on the membranes of smooth endoplasmic reticulum in the transitional cell as well as in the Leydig cell. From these observations, it is suggested that the Leydig cell tumor is derived from the fibroblast-like cell and from the transitional cell, morphologically falling between the fibroblast-like cell and the Leydig cell, has fine structural evidence of steroidogenic activity, and has an ability to secrete testosterone.

[Tissue polypeptide antigen (TPA) in urological malignancies. I. S-TPA in bladder cancer patients]

Serum tissue polypeptide antigen (S-TPA) levels in 22 patients with bladder cancer were determined using a radioimmunoassay kit by the two-antibody technique to evaluate the usefulness of this parameter as an index of the presence of cancer. As S-TPA values (mean +/- SD) in 72 Japanese normal blood donors (37 male and 35 female) were in the range of 32.4-97.2 units per liter, values higher than 97.2 u/l were considered positive. We found a remarkably increased level of S-TPA in 14 out of 18 (77.8%) patients with untreated cancer and a slightly increased level of S-TPA in 3 out of 4 patients whose tumors had been removed. Elevated S-TPA levels in patients who had tumors remaining were suggested to correlate with histological stage and grade of tumors, type of growth and size of tumors, although not to correlate with number of tumors and whether tumor occurrence was initial or recurrent. Simultaneous urinary cytological examination and measurement of plasma CEA in the same patients gave the positive ratio of 7/16 (43.8%) and 0/14 (0%), respectively. It is possible that S-TPA may be one of the most useful tumor markers in the screening of cancer, diagnosis of histological characteristics, monitoring of cancer therapy and detection of recurrence.

Studies on the classification of diabetes mellitus diagnosed before the age of 30 in Japan

Since 1976, 551 patients with diabetes discovered before the age of 30 have been treated in the Diabetes Center of Tokyo Women's Medical College. Among them, 198 were classified as insulin-dependent diabetes (IDDM), 237 as non-insulin-dependent diabetes (NIDDM), 12 were unclassified, and four were classified as other types. In patients with IDDM, the number of males was lower than that of females, 80 and 118 respectively. The number of patients discovered with NIDDM over the age of 25 was much higher in males than in females. To study the influence of family history, 148 probands were selected from the 551 diabetics according to age at onset of diabetes (under 20 years old) and present age (between 20 and 40 years old). At the interview, the number of first-degree relatives and the number of diabetics among them were recorded. Six out of 75 probands (8%) with IDDM had positive family histories for NIDDM and two of the 75 (3%) had positive family histories for IDDM, although 39 out of 73 probands (53%) with NIDDM had positive family histories for NIDDM alone. There was only a slight difference in the course of retinopathy between patients with IDDM and NIDDM.