Natural killer cell activity against a variety of target cell lines in normal persons: NK-target sensitivity and effect of age and sex on NK levels

Natural killer (NK) cells have been implicated as first line of defence mechanism for carcinogenesis in humans. A lot of studies of depressed NK activity in patients with malignancies have supported this. Two major problems, however, in these studies are the choice of normal controls and target cells. To study this problem, peripheral mononuclear cells (PBMC) of sixty-six normal subjects from young and elderly, males and females were tested for NK function against twenty target cell lines with a microcytotoxicity assay. The result was shown that no sex or age difference existed with respect to NK function, except for a slight but significant decreased in NK activity of young female to K562 target cells. Target cells were divided into four groups by their NK sensitivity, namely, high, moderate, low and refractory sensitive. In general, NK activity of healthy persons is considered to remain stable and polyspecific in our results.

Physicochemical properties of the mouse plasmacytoma cell membranes with modified phospholipids

Earlier work from our laboratory has demonstrated that the modification of membrane phospholipid composition markedly retards secretion of immunoglobulin G1 by mouse plasmacytoma MOPC-31C cells. In the present study, we examined the physicochemical properties of lipid vesicles prepared from these cells with modified phospholipids by analyzing temperature dependence of 1H NMR signal line-widths of fatty-acyl chains. The results suggest that the export of IgG1 is affected by the local microenvironment of membranes rather than the bulk fluidity.

[Postoperative adjuvant immunochemotherapy with bestatin for stomach cancer. Randomized controlled trial: first report]

The effectiveness of Bestatin combined with Mitomycin-C, FT-207 for treating gastric cancer was investigated in a prospective randomized controlled study. All patients had undergone gastrectomy during the period from November 1980 to July 1983. Three-year survival rates revealed no difference between groups given or not given Bestatin. The effectiveness of Bestatin was confirmed by postoperative changes revealed by liver function test, especially GOT and GPT. No side effect due to Bestatin was detected.

A novel type of Chinese hamster ovary cell mutant defective in oligosaccharide-lipid synthesis

A novel type of Chinese hamster ovary cell mutant has been isolated with a constitutive defect in the synthesis of lipid-linked oligosaccharides. This mutant, designated AS15-1, incorporates 30-fold less glucosamine into an oligosaccharide-lipid fraction than the wild type. A gel filtration analysis has shown that a small amount of oligosaccharide-lipid corresponding to Man5GlcNAc2-lipid is formed in the mutant. This mutant shows temperature sensitivity for both growth and adhesion to substratum, and constitutively secretes several unusual proteins in large amounts.

A temperature-sensitive Chinese hamster ovary cell mutant pleiotropically defective in protein export

We have developed a new selection procedure for mammalian cell mutants defective in protein export by the use of diphtheria toxin, and devised a new screening method for defective protein secretion using nitrocellulose membranes. By the combination of these procedures, we have isolated a temperature-sensitive mutant clone of Chinese hamster ovary cells which shows a pleiotropic defect in protein export. This mutant, designated DS28-6, is temperature-sensitive for growth. Secretion of a series of proteins is markedly inhibited at the non-permissive temperature. These proteins seem to be normally synthesized and accumulated within the cell at the non-permissive temperature and secreted upon shift down to the permissive temperature. When this mutant is infected with vesicular stomatitis virus, oligosaccharide processing of G-protein is arrested at an endoglycosidase-H-sensitive stage at the non-permissive temperature. The lesion of this mutant appears to be in the endoplasmic reticulum or the cis Golgi or both.

[Transurethral laser surgery of the treatment of bladder tumor]

One hundred and eighteen patients with 169 bladder tumors were treated transurethrally by Nd:YAG laser surgery. In relation to the tumor staging, 79 of 103 patients of T1 (77%) underwent laser operation only, but most of the T2 cases (87%) required laser therapy with electroresection. With regard to the tumor size, 93 of the 97 small tumors (96%) were treated with laser irradiation alone, and 25 of 44 middle-sized tumors (57%) were eradicated by laser therapy, During and after the operation we never experience severe complications such as perforation of either the bladder or the intestine. Uncontrollable bleeding did appear in four cases. Tumor recurrence occurred in 25% for one year and 50% for three years. Therefore, laser surgery was limited to T1 tumor. But the indication of laser surgery would be magnified with the progress of the instrument and the technique.

[Lithogenicity of bile in patients after ileal resection]

Biliary lipid composition and lithogenicity were studied in 40 patients after ileal resection of different extent. The lithogenic index increased in extended ileal resection and ileostomy groups. There was a significant positive correlation between the lithogenic index and the length of ileal resection (r = 0.65, p less than 0.001). Total bile acid concentration and the proportion of deoxycholic acid were decreased after ileal resections as compared to controls. Especially these changes were remarkable in the extended ileal resection and ileostomy groups (p less than 0.001). Nine out of 40 patients were restudied after one month of oral ursodeoxycholic acid administration (300mg/day). Ursodeoxycholic acid consistently reduced the lithogenicity by decreasing the proportion of cholesterol in bile. Ursodeoxycholic acid was useful reducing bile lithogenicity in patients whose bile was supersaturated after ileal resection.

[2 cases of solitary metastasis to the large intestine from gastric carcinoma]

Localized metastatic foci of the colon from gastric cancer have been reported in only a few cases. Tow cases of gastric cancer were reported. One relapsed in the form of a localized lesion at the sigmoid colon (Case 1) and the other at the rectum and the transverse colon (Case 2) after curative resection of gastric cancer. From the results of clinical examinations obtained from these cases, it may be reasonable to postulate that peritoneal dissemination and/or lymphatic invasion of cancer was the main cause of solitary metastasis to the large intestine.

A duodenal duplication cyst communicated with an accessory pancreatic duct

We treated a 49 year-old woman with acute pancreatitis, in whom there was an accessory pancreatic duct which opened into a duodenal duplication cyst. Epigastric pain associated with vomiting and fever were present. Laboratory data showed leukocytosis and hyperamylasemia. An upper G-I series revealed a stricture at the pyloric region. At operation a spherical mass of 6 cm in diameter was present between the greater curvature of the pyloric region and the head of the pancreas. The cyst was removed by hemigastrectomy and partial resection of the head of the pancreas. The accessory pancreatic duct opened into the cyst. Taking particular note of the communication with the pancreatic duct, this cyst was diagnosed as one of duodenal duplication. A duodenal duplication cyst communicating with the accessory pancreatic duct is rare and is dissimilar to any of the 20 cases of duodenal duplication reported in Japan since 1960.

Regulation of phosphatidylcholine metabolism in mammalian cells. Isolation and characterization of a Chinese hamster ovary cell pleiotropic mutant defective in both choline kinase and choline-exchange reaction activities

By means of an in situ autoradiographic assay for the base-exchange reaction of phospholipids with L-serine in Chinese hamster ovary cell colonies immobilized on filter paper ( Esko , J.D. and Raetz , C.R.H. (1978) Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 75, 1190-1193), a mutant (designated 89.1) was isolated in which the specific activity of the serine-exchange enzyme was about 2-fold less than in the parent. Unexpectedly, it was demonstrated that in extracts of the mutant the specific activities of both ATP:choline phosphotransferase (choline kinase) (EC 2.7.1.32) and the enzyme that catalyzes the base-exchange of phospholipids with choline (choline-exchange enzyme) were strikingly reduced (3- to 4-fold and 10- to 15-fold, respectively), while the specific activities of other enzymes of phosphatidylcholine synthesis were normal. Several lines of evidence presented here suggested that the partial defect of serine-exchange activity in this mutant was due to a decrease of acceptor phospholipid(s) for the reaction. The growth rates and phospholipid compositions of the mutant and parent were quite similar. However, mutant 89.1 exhibited a significant defect in its ability in vivo to synthesize phosphatidylcholine. The fact that the mutant was also defective in phosphorylcholine biosynthesis in vivo, together with the finding of an enzymatic lesion of the mutant in choline kinse in vitro as described above, clearly demonstrated that with respect to the reduced phosphatidylcholine biosynthesis the primary defect was at the level of choline kinase. In addition to the decreased synthetic rate of phosphatidylcholine, the turnover rate of phosphatidylcholine was also reduced approximately 2-fold in this mutant. These decreased rates of both synthesis and degradation of phosphatidylcholine probably account for the identical phosphatidylcholine contents between the mutant and parent. As a conclusion, it may be given that strain 89.1 is a pleiotropic mutant which possesses several alterations in phosphatidylcholine metabolism, and such mammalian mutants have not been isolated previously.

[The mechanism of unilateral spatial neglect]

We investigated a test for unilateral spatial neglect and discussed the mechanism of this symptom. Seventy eight patients with lesions on the right cerebral hemisphere were examined on line bisection, line cancellation, figure copying, clock drawing and location on the map. The statistical analysis revealed (1) there were no correlations between line bisection and clock drawing or between line bisection and location; (2) those with abnormal results on line bisection were apt to indicate normal results on line cancellation and figure copying, while in line cancellation, figure copying, clock drawing and location, normal results on one task meant normal results on the other. These results indicated clock drawing and location might include different factors from other tasks, line bisection was the most sensitive task for unilateral spatial neglect, and abnormality on line cancellation might be similar to that figure copying. Unilateral spatial neglect may be based on several disorders, and it may be assumed to have several aspects. One of these disorders may be defective searching. Unilateral spatial neglect may be more severe when there is sensory disturbance (hemianopsia) with a searching deficit. Other disorders, such as cognitive disturbance, memory disturbance and so on, may also be associated with unilateral spatial neglect, and it is necessary to consider the versatility of this symptom.