Effect of nonionic surfactants on the percutaneous absorption tenoxicam

The effect of 14 types of nonionic surfactants on the permeation of Tenoxicam (TEN) through guinea pigs from propylene glycol solution was investigated in vitro. The flux of TEN was significantly enhanced by polyoxyethylene alkyl ether and polyoxyethylene monoalkyl carboxylate as hydrophilic surfactants, and by polyglyceryl trialkylate, glyceryl monoalkylate, sorbitan monoalkyl carboxylate and sorbitan trialkyl carboxylate as hydrophobic surfactants. In the presence of these surfactants, the flux was increased about 2 to 4 times, as compared to the flux without them. The mechanism of nonionic surfactant action was analyzed and classified by recent methods. the including HLB of surfactants, the solubility of the drugs in vehicle and the hemolysis of erythrocytes. The results suggested that vital factors in the enhancement of skin permeation by nonionic surfactants include the affinity of the surfactants to the stratum corneum, the solubility of the drugs in vehicle and the penetration of surfactants to the stratum corneum.

Correlation of histopathological factor of brain tumor and high thallium-201 uptake in single photon emission computed tomography

This study was undertaken to investigate the relationship between several histological features and the degree of TI-201 uptake in brain tumors. T1-201 SPECT was performed on 52 patients with intracranial lesions. Histological examinations were carried out to determine the gradation of tumor cell density, vascularization, small-cell density, and matrix loosening, and the presence of necrosis, atypia, mitoses, and endothelial proliferation. The histological findings were classified into three categories. While the early uptake of T1-201 depended on the degree of necrosis of glial tumor, the delayed T1-201 uptake was closely related to the degree of necrosis, tumor cell density, and small-cell density, and may thus be of value for estimating the viability and degree of malignancy of glial tumors. In the non-glial tumors, the early and delayed T1-201 uptakes were closely related to all histological parameters, with the increase of necrosis and vascularization in the tumor tissue being particularly closely related to high uptake levels.

[Augmented ability of spleen cells to produce interferons and prevention from lethal infection of herpes simplex virus in mice orally treated with Enterococcus faecalis preparation, FK-23]

Effects of the oral or intraperitoneal administration of an Enterococcus preparation, FK-23, to mice on the interferon (IFN) production by their spleen cells and on the host defense against the infection with herpes simplex virus (HSV)-1 were examined. Spleen cells were obtained from the mice intraperitoneally treated with cyclophosphamide (CY) and subsequently orally administered FK-23 preparation, and then cultured with phytohemagglutinin-P or bacterial lipopolysaccharide in vitro. They produced higher titers IFN than those obtained from control mice which were not treated with the FK-23 preparation. The IFN activity was neutralized mainly by antiIFN-beta antibody. Correspondingly, oral (5 mg/mouse) or intraperitoneal (1 mg/mouse) administration of the FK-23 preparation protected some of the CY-pretreated mice from death by HSV-1 infection.

Identification of basic fibroblast growth factor-like immunoreactivity in panax ginseng extract: investigation of its molecular properties

Basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF)-like immunoreactivity was detected in extracts of Panax ginseng root by using a sensitive two-site enzyme immunoassay specific for human bFGF (hbFGF). In an investigation of the molecular properties of this bFGF-like molecule (bFGF-LI), the bFGF-LI and hbFGF were found to be equivalent with respect to antigenicity, molecular weight, isoelectric point, affinity for binding to heparin, and mitogenic activity toward BALB/c3T3 fibroblasts. The identification of this bFGF-LI molecule in Panax ginseng root helps to explain various activities of the traditional Chinese medicine ginseng.

[A pediatric case of cerebral infarction following minor head injury presenting interesting neuroradiological findings]

We reported a case of juvenile cerebral infarction following minor head injury. The patient, a 12-year-old girl, developed right hemiparesis and aphasia almost immediately after having fallen from about 1 meter height during the exercise class at school. CT and MRI study showed lacunar lesions bilaterally and almost symmetrically in the paraventricular deep white matter on both sides. A new stroke area, responsible for the symptoms, was recognized about 24 hours later on CT scan just next to the lacuna of the left side. Although angiography revealed a rare anomaly of the right side aortic arch, associated with subclavian steal phenomenon, presumably of congenital in nature, no abnormality was found in the intracranial vessels. She made a rapid recovery during her hospital stay and showed no more than a slight motor weakness in her right upper extremity on discharge. The literature was reviewed on the embryology of the aortic arch and brachiocephalic arteries. We speculate that the lacunar lesions found bilaterally are dilated large normal Virchow-Robin space, and the pathogenesis of the stroke in this patient was discussed.

Prokaryotic expression of an immediate-early gene of human herpesvirus 6 and analysis of its viral antigen expression in human cells

Segments of an immediate-early (1E) protein (1E03; 958 amino acids (aa)), encoded by clone pSTY03, of human herpesvirus 6 (HHV-6) variant B strain HST were expressed as beta-galactosidase fusion proteins in Escherichia coli. Using Western blot analysis, and the serum of a patient having high titer anti-HHV-6 antibodies, an antigenic region of the IE03 protein was mapped between residues 340 and 505 (pUE03IE-M). The fusion protein expressed in E. coli harboring plasmid pUE03IE-M was purified after electrophoresis in SDS-PAGE, and then immunized in mice to obtain a monospecific antibody. Monospecific antibody raised against the fusion protein reacted with IE03 protein species with apparent molecular weights of 155 and 170 kDa, and was detected as granular fluorescence in nuclei of infected cells by an immunofluorescence antibody test. Furthermore, this antibody reacted only with HHV-6 variant B, but did not react with HHV-6 variant A. The IE03 protein was confirmed to be an IE protein, since the synthesis of this protein was observed in infected cells that were first treated with cycloheximide, which was then replaced with actinomycin D. Further, it was also detected as early as 4 h after infection.

[Temporal modulation transfer function in normal-tension glaucoma patients]

In an attempt to detect patients in an early stage of glaucoma, a new screening test, the Flicker System, by which temporal modulation transfer function is evaluated, was performed in 64 normal-tension glaucoma patients and 65 normal eyes. The early stage of glaucoma, i.e., stage 0-1 of Aulhorn-Greve's classification, showed a significant decrease of the modulation in the range from 20 to 45 Hz in comparison with normal eyes (p value < 0.05). The moderate stage of glaucoma of stages 2-3 also revealed significantly decreased values of the modulation in the range from 14 to 55 Hz. In the range from 25 to 45 Hz, the reduction of modulation in the glaucoma with diffuse visual defect was more profound than in glaucoma with localized or mixed defects. The results seem to be compatible with the presence of diffuse visual function deficit in glaucoma.

[A case of psoas abscess associated in the elderly]

A case of psoas abscess associated with diabetes mellitus in the elderly is reported. A 81-year-old male who had been followed for cerebral thrombosis, diabetes mellitus and basal cell carcinoma was admitted to our hospital because of high fever. Leukocytosis, a positive CRP test and pyuria were seen. Proteus mirabilis and Escherichia coli were detected by urine and blood culture, respectively. He was treated with antibiotic therapy for urinary tract infection and sepsis. After starting treatment, a low grade fever continued. On the twenty first hospital day he developed pyrexia again, and a large abscess was demonstrated in the right psoas muscle by pelvic couputed tomography. The abscess was drained and a specimen from it yielded E. coli on culture. Treatment with antibiotics and drainage resulted in symptomatic improvement. In Japan, 82 cases of psoas abscess have been reported from 1990 to 1994. Four cases of these reports were above eighty years old. The experience with this case indicates the necessity of adequate care in cases of elderly diabetes complicated by psoas abscess.

Elevated local production of neopterin from alveolar macrophages in patients with internal lung diseases

1. We measured the neopterin level in the supernatant of cultured alveolar macrophages from patients with interstitial lung diseases (ILD patients) as a marker for the activation of alveolar macrophage. 2. In ILD patients, the supernatant neopterin level (40.1 +/- 7.8 pmol/ml) was significantly higher (P < 0.01) than that in control subjects (10.0 +/- 1.6 pmol/ml). 3. We also found that macrophage-colony stimulating factor (M-CSF) and interleukin-2 (IL-2) augmented neopterin production from alveolar macrophage in both ILD patients (51.6 +/- 10.4 and 60.1 +/- 10.8 pmol/ml, respectively, P < 0.01) and control subjects (28.1 +/- 6.0 and 25.7 +/- 4.9 pmol/ml, respectively). 4. These findings suggest that alveolar macrophages produce neopterin by M-CSF or IL-2.

Physical and functional association of cortactin with Syk in human leukemic cell line K562

Human leukemic cell line K562 is induced to differentiate into the megakaryocytic lineage by stimulation with 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate (TPA). We demonstrate here that TPA stimulation increases tyrosine phosphorylation of an 80-kDa protein at an early stage of megakaryocytic differentiation and that this 80-kDa protein is identical with cortactin. Since tyrosine kinase Syk was activated by TPA stimulation, we examined the possibility that cortactin is a potential substrate of Syk in K562 cells. TPA-induced tyrosine phosphorylation of cortactin was decreased profoundly by overexpression of dominant-negative Syk. Furthermore, cortactin was associated with Syk even before TPA stimulation. Since cortactin was previously referred as an 80/85-kilodalton pp60src substrate, we examined the association between Src and cortactin, whereas its association could not be detected. These data suggest that Syk phosphorylates cortactin in K562 cells upon TPA treatment.

Inhibitory effect of tannic acid on human immunodeficiency virus promoter activity induced by 12-O-tetra decanoylphorbol-13-acetate in Jurkat T-cells

We investigated the effect of tannic acid, a potent inhibitor of poly(ADP-ribose) glycohydrolase, on human viral gene transcription, by using chloramphenicol acetyl transferase (CAT) assay experiments transfecting Jurkat cells with CAT reporter constructs that contain the promoter region of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) or of human T-cell leukemia virus type I (HTLV-1). The activity of HIV promoter induced by treatment with 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate was suppressed by the addition of tannic acid. On the other hand, HTLV-1 promoter activity induced by the p40(tax) expression plasmid was not affected by tannic acid treatment. Deletion analysis of the HIV promoter revealed that a 30-bp element located immediately upstream of NF-kappa B motifs was responsible for the suppressive effect of tannic acid. This was supported by the observations that the negative effect of tannic acid was introduced to tannic acid-non-responsive thymidine kinase promoter by the insertion of this element 5'-upstream of the promoter.

The ankyrin repeats but not the PEST-like sequences are required for signal-dependent degradation of IkappaBalpha

The nuclear activity of Rel/NFkappaB transcription factors is tightly regulated from the cytoplasmic compartment by an inhibitory subunit called IkappaBalpha. IkappaBalpha is rapidly phosphorylated and degraded in response to the stimulation through tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNFalpha) receptor, interleukin-1 receptor or CD40. To explore the molecular mechanisms of signal-induced depletion of IkappaBalpha, we have delineated the domain in IkappaBalpha that is required for TNFalpha-induced phosphorylation and rapid degradation of IkappaBalpha. In contrast to the previous reports, the PEST-like sequences, which are present in the carboxyl-terminal region of IkappaBalpha, are demonstrated here to be dispensable for TNFalpha-induced degradation but could be required for signal-independent degradation, as in the case of Cactus, Drosophila homologue of IkappaB. Furthermore, the ankyrin repeats, which are essential for forming a complex with Rel and RelA, are required for TNFalpha-induced degradation suggesting that the putative IkappaB protease could interact with IkappaBalpha in complex with RelA or could recognize the structure of ankyrin repeats. Our data also indicate that neither the ankyrin repeats nor the PEST-like sequences, are essential for TNFalpha-induced phosphorylation.

Prenatal diagnosis of congenital myotonic dystrophy in two Japanese families: direct mutation analysis by a non-radioisotope PCR method and haplotype analysis with flanking DNA markers

The prenatal diagnosis of congenital myotonic dystrophy in two Japanese families was reported. The CTG repeat size in the myotonin/protein kinase gene was determined by a nonradioisotope PCR method. Polymorphisms of the DNA markers (ApoCII, X75b-VSSM and KLK-1) flanking the CTG repeat were analyzed from normal Japanese and were used to determine the risk haplotype. Two pregnant women with myotonic dystrophy requested prenatal diagnosis. The first case was diagnosed as having myotonic dystrophy at 36 weeks of pregnancy. The CTG repeat size in the cord blood from the fetus was not expanded and the risk for the disease was judged to be low by haplotype analysis with the X75b-VSSM marker. In the second case, the chorionic villus was sampled in the pregnant mother who had already had two children with congenital myotonic dystrophy. The small expanded allele (36 repeats) from the mother and a normal allele from the father were detected in the chorionic villus. The risk for the disease was not determined by haplotype analysis with ApoCII and X75b-VSSM, only being judged as low by haplotype analysis with KLK-1 in the second case. These babies from two families were born and developed normally. DNA diagnosis for direct CTG repeat expansion combined with haplotype analysis has been useful for pregnant women with myotonic dystrophy who are at high risk of having severely affected babies.

Insulin-like growth factor-II as a prognostic factor in pulmonary adenocarcinoma

We stained resected specimens from 117 patients with pulmonary adenocarcinoma for insulin-like growth factor-II (IGF-II) by the avidin-biotin-peroxidase (ABC) method and evaluated the usefulness of IGF-II as a prognostic factor. The patients were classified into the IGF-II (+) groups showing staining of 1% or more cancer cells (60 patients) and the IGF-II (-) groups showing staining of <1% (57 patients). The 5-year survival rate was 22% in the IGF-II (+) group and 54% in the IGF-II (-) group (P<0.01). Our results suggest the usefulness of IGF-II stainability as a prognostic factor of pulmonary adenocarcinoma.

Metabolic response to glucose overload in surgical stress: energy disposal in brown adipose tissue

The metabolic response to total parenteral nutrition (TPN) overload was investigated in clinical studies of surgically stressed humans and in experimental studies of surgically stressed animals. In both studies, all non-protein calories were administered as glucose, and subjects were divided into two groups, classified according to the amount of caloric supplementation after surgical stress, i.e., either overfed or appropriate (groups C1 and C2, respectively, in the clinical study, and groups E1 and E2, respectively, in the experimental study). In the clinical study, the postoperative energy expenditure in group C1 increased from the preoperative value, becoming significantly more elevated than that in group C2. The respiratory quotient (RQ) in group C1 exceeded 1.0, representing lipogenesis from carbohydrate, and the plasma norepinephrine concentration was also higher in group C1, indicating that lipolysis was likely to have been enhanced in this milieu. These findings imply that lipogenesis and lipolysis can occur simultaneously, constituting a futile cycle, and that this activated cycle could be a reason for the increased energy expenditure associated with overfeeding after surgical stress. To gather further evidence, we evaluated the rate of lipogenesis and lipolytic activity in white and brown adipose tissue (WAT; BAT) in an experimental study of surgically stressed rats. In BAT, both lipogenesis and lipolysis were activated in group E1. The results of both studies suggest that glucose overload in surgically stressed individuals increases energy expenditure by activating a futile cycle and that BAT is more involved in this cycle than WAT.

Multifocal neurocytoma/gangliocytoma with extensive leptomeningeal dissemination in the brain and spinal cord

This report describes an unusual neuronal tumor detected at the autopsy of a 17-year-old boy. The tumor showed multifocal parenchymal involvement with extensive leptomeningeal dissemination. The intraparenchymal lesions were small and located mainly in the subpial region of the cerebrum, cerebellum and spinal cord. Leptomeningeal dissemination was particularly pronounced at the base of the brain and around the spinal cord and presumably took place during the relatively long clinical course. The tumor was composed of small round cells and ganglion-cell-like cells. Only neuronal differentiation, as represented by immunostaining with antisynaptophysin antibody and the presence of dense-core vesicles in the cytoplasm, was evident in both types of cells. The small round cells appeared to exhibit the features of small, relatively mature neurons rather than those of neuroblasts. Moreover, our results suggested maturation from small round cells to ganglion-cell-like cells. The tumor appears to be related to gangliogliomas or dysembryoplastic neuroepithelial tumors, and we have chosen the term neurocytoma/gangliocytoma for the unusual lesion.

[Reliability of the evaluation of the active sweat gland density on the dorsum of the foot using the silastic impression mold technique]

The evaluation of the density of the active sweat gland on the dorsum of the foot induced by iontophoresis of 1% pilocarpine was made repeatedly using the silastic impression mold technique in 83 subjects (52 normal volunteers: 24 subjects younger than 50 years of age and 28 subjects 50 years of age or older, 20 men and 32 women: 20 diabetic patients and 11 patients with other neurological disorders), from 12 to 82 years of age, and the reliability of such evaluation was assessed. After 8 to 14 days following the first evaluation, the second one was performed. The reliability was expressed as an intra-class correlation. The intra-class correlation was greater in the subjects 50 years of age or older (0.909) than in the subjects younger than 50 years of age (0.653). It was similar between males (0.921) and females (0.803). On the other hand, it was less in diabetic patients (0.543) than in the normal volunteers (0.857) and patients with other neurological disorders (0.809). The silastic impression mold technique is widely applicable in evaluating the sweat gland function. However, it should be kept in mind that the reliability is variable among the groups defined clinically and that it is low in the diabetic patients.

Hereditary onset of multiple seborrheic keratoses: a variant of Leser Trélat sign?

A 79-year-old man in a cancer-prone family developed disseminated seborrheic keratoses over his trunk and extremities over a few decades without rapid increase. His son, mother, and one of his brothers, who died of gastric cancer, also had numerous seborrheic keratoses for a long time. He had a biliary tract cancer. Histologic examination showed hyperproliferation of basaloid cells branching downwards, as if induced by surrounding stroma. No decrease of the number of seborrheic keratoses after surgical operation has been observed. Examination for the localization of epidermal growth factor receptor (EGF-R) and HER-2/neu oncoprotein by immunohistochemistry revealed positive staining on the epithelial strands branching downwards on the specimens of seborrheic keratoses. A different pattern of expression was demonstrated in normal seborrheic keratosis. These findings suggest that some unidentified growth factors may be involved in the induction of visceral and/or cutaneous neoplasms in this family.

Hemangioblastoma in the cerebellar vermis: a case report

BACKGROUND

The cytologic characteristics of hemangioblastoma have not been well described, although hemangioblastoma is a common primary neoplasm in the cerebellar vermis, and its histologic feature is well known.

CASE

Hemangioblastoma was found in the cerebellar vermis of a 47-year-old male. Stamp specimens, made from the cut surface of a solid, yellow-tan tumor, showed many foamy cells considered to be stromal cells and capillaries in a hemorrhagic background. The stromal cells had round or oval nuclei with relatively fine chromatin and lacelike or granular, often vacuolated cytoplasm slightly stained light green. The stromal cells tended to gather around capillaries.

CONCLUSION

Distinguishing stromal cells from astrocytes or histiocytes was difficult in this case. Good knowledge of the cytologic characteristics, along with the clinical findings, seems necessary for an accurate diagnosis.

Characterization of serum anti-phospholipid antibodies in patients with multiple sclerosis

We measured serum antiphospholipid antibodies (aPL) in patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) using enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and examined the correlations between these antibodies and MS. This study included thirty-two patients with clinically definite MS, thirteen patients with other autoimmune neurological diseases excluding collagen diseases (disease control A), eight patients with collagen vascular diseases (disease control B) and twenty-six healthy persons (normal control). In MS group IgG antibody against cardiolipin (CL) was detected in 3 (9%); among them, cofactor (beta 2-glycoprotein I) dependency was shown in 2 but one was cofactor independent. IgM antibody was elevated in 14 of 32 patients (44%) with MS, but cofactor dependency was not determined. However, this was significantly higher in frequency than that of the disease control A (p < 0.01) and normal control (p < 0.01). Results of antibodies against phosphatidylserine were found similar to CL, but antibodies against phosphatidylcholine were in most cases negative. Each of anti-CL IgG antibody purified from four patients with diverse immunological disorders (primary antiphospholipid antibody syndrome, MS, polyarteritis nodosa and systemic lupus erythematosus) had different reactivities against DNA. In addition, the aPL positive group in MS possessed the autoantibodies such as antinuclear antibody at higher rate than the negative group. However, clinically two groups of MS were indistinguishable. The higher incidence of aPL may imply that a broad spectrum of autoantibodies might be produced in MS; some antibodies presumably related directly to MS pathogenesis are yet to be identified.

Prophylactic effect of Enterococcus faecalis FK-23 preparation on experimental candidiasis in mice

The prophylactic effects of heat-killed cells of Enterococcus faecalis FK-23 (FK-23 preparation) on experimental candidiasis were investigated in normal and leukopenic mice. In cyclophosphamide-induced leukopenic mice, oral or intraperitoneal administration of the FK-23 preparation at a daily dose of 1.25 or 5 mg/mouse for 3 consecutive days prior to Candida albicans infection significantly prolonged survival periods of the infected mice, and decreased viable counts of C. albicans recovered from their kidneys. In normal mice, the FK-23 preparation administered at dosages ranging from 0.63 to 10 mg/mouse/day for 3 consecutive days was ineffective, while in leukopenic mice, the FK-23 administered orally caused a facilitated recovery in the number of white blood cells including neutrophils. Furthermore, intraperitoneal administration of the FK-23 preparation into mice augmented the anti-Candida activity of immunocompromised peritoneal exudate cells obtained from the animals. These results suggested the potential usefulness of the FK-23 preparation as a prophylactic agent for the management of patients with opportunistic fungal infections.

Neuropathological evaluation and apolipoprotein E gene polymorphism analysis in diffuse Lewy body disease

We performed a quantitative neuropathological investigation of senile plaques and neurofibrillary tangles in the brains of 14 Japanese patients with diffuse Lewy body disease (DLBD), and examined apolipoprotein E (APOE) gene polymorphism in these patients. Most DLBD brains had as many senile plaques as those with Alzheimer-type dementia (ATD), but fewer neurofibrillary tangles. The APOE epsilon 4 allele frequency in DLBD was 39.3%, similar to that previously reported in pathologically diagnosed ATD. DLBD and ATD are clinically and pathologically distinct, but may have common mechanisms with regard to the formation of amyloid deposition based on these findings. Future investigation of the pure form of DLBD may clarify the association between Lewy body dementia and APOE.