Cholecystokinin alterations and effects of levodopa administration in the MPTP-treated mouse brain

To clarify the effects of levodopa administration on MPTP-induced alterations in neuropeptides, we examined the effects of repeated levodopa injections (200 mg/kg i.p.) for 2 weeks starting 4 weeks after 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine (MPTP) treatment (30 mg/kg i.p. twice/day for 5 days) on cholecystokinin-octapeptide (CCK-8), substance P (SP) and thyrotropin-releasing hormone (TRH) concentrations at 6 weeks after the MPTP treatment. In the striatum, CCK-8 significantly but slightly decreased in the MPTP-treated mice, coinciding with the MPTP-induced marked reduction of dopamine (DA). This considerable reduction of striatal CCK-8 may result from the selectivity of MPTP since the mesolimbic DA neurons coexisting with CCK-8 are intact with the MPTP treatment. Furthermore, this MPTP-induced decrease in CCK-8 persisted with repeated levodopa administration; therefore, the ineffectiveness of the levodopa treatment may have been be due to the degeneration of the nigrostriatal DA neurons. SP and TRH contents showed little or no change with levodopa treatment in the MPTP-treated mouse brain. The CCK-8 level decreased in the thalamus+midbrain, hippocampus and hindbrain of the MPTP+levodopa-treated group, although there were no changes in the MPTP-treated controls. These results suggest that DAergic neurons, except those in the nigrostriatum, strongly interact with the CCK neurons in these brain regions.

Contrast-enhanced dynamic MR imaging of postmolar gestational trophoblastic disease

Conventional spin-echo (SE) and contrast-enhanced dynamic MR imaging were performed on a 1.5 T superconductive unit for evaluation of myometrial lesions in postmolar gestational trophoblastic disease (GTD) in 10 women. MR imaging was done at the time of the initial examination (n = 10), during (n = 6), and after repeated courses of chemotherapy (n = 10). The T2-weighted SE image revealed an enlarged uterus (n = 7), disappearance of zonal anatomy (n = 6), and heterogeneous signal intensities (n = 8) with prominent flow voids (n = 7). However, these abnormalities remained after repeated courses of chemotherapy, when the S-beta-HCG level returned to the normal range. Myometrial lesions characteristically had marked enhancement with areas of unenhancement on dynamic MR images in patients with highly elevated S-beta-HCG. Areas of contrast enhancement correlated with changes in S-beta-HCG level. The enhancement was reduced with decrease in S-beta-HCG level after repeated courses of chemotherapy. Six of 8 masses seen on T2-weighted images proved to be active trophoblastic lesions and 2 masses proved to be hematoma or necrosis. In 2 patients, abnormal myometrial lesions were detected only on contrast-enhanced dynamic MR imaging. These preliminary data indicate that contrast-enhanced dynamic MR imaging more clearly demonstrates myometrial involvement of postmolar GTD than conventional SE imaging.

Enhancement of murine serum amyloid A3 mRNA expression by glucocorticoids and its regulation by cytokines

Macrophages are regulated by hormones, cytokines, and other substances. We examined the effects of glucocorticoids (GC) on serum amyloid A (SAA) mRNA expression using an antisense SAA3 probe, and found that dexamethasone (DEX) and triamcinolone (TC) increased SAA3 mRNA expression by macrophage cell lines in a time- and concentration-dependent manner. Both an RNA polymerase II antagonist, alpha-amanitin, and a specific GC antagonist, RU38486, inhibited the enhancement of SAA3 mRNA expression by DEX. These results show that GC lead to enhanced SAA3 mRNA transcription. Nuclear run-on experiments supported these results. Enhanced expression of SAA3 mRNA by DEX was accompanied by production of SAA3 protein. Interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma) alone showed any effect on SAA3 mRNA expression. Enhanced SAA3 expression by DEX was inhibited by treatment with IFN-gamma in a dose-dependent manner. Either transforming growth factor (TGF)-beta 1 or interleukin (IL)-4 alone showed no effect on SAA3 mRNA expression, but suppressed DEX-induced SAA3 expression. The timing of the effects of IFN-gamma and TGF-beta 1 on DEX-induced SAA3 expression differed: IFN-gamma showed its effect between 30 h before and 18 h after DEX administration, whereas TGF-beta 1 showed an effect when administered concomitantly with DEX and in the late stages after DEX administration. IL-4 mildly suppressed DEX-induced SAA3 expression when given 12 h before and after DEX administration.

Determination of 8-methyl ether of xanthurenic acid in human urine by high-performance liquid chromatography

We developed a simple and sensitive assay for the urinary 8-methyl ether of xanthurenic acid (XA-OMe) by high-performance liquid chromatography with fluorescence detection (excitation at 340 nm; emission at 450 nm). Urine samples were diluted with 0.03 M potassium phosphate buffer (pH 6.0) and applied to an octadecylsilane-bonded column (Nucleosil 5C18, 150 x 4 mm I.D.). The mobile phase used was a mixture of this same buffer and acetonitrile (1000:140, v/v). Both direct injection of urine and solvent extraction prior to HPLC were tested and showed a good correlation and sensitivity, although the peak of XA-OMe was occasionally less distinguishable from close peaks in urine from normal controls by the direct injection method. The quantification limit was 5 x 10(-14) mol which was sensitive enough to detect XA-OMe in urine from normal subjects. The method was applied to samples from patients with a deficiency in tryptophan catabolism, xanthurenic acid/3-hydroxykynurenine-uria and showed a striking elevation in urinary XA-OMe excretion.

[A case of liver metastasis of leiomyosarcoma of residual stomach successfully treated by TAE and intra-hepato-arterial chemotherapy with infusion-a-port with administration of epirubicin]

A 60-year-old man who had a partial gastrectomy for gastric cancer 10 years ago was referred to our hospital for further examination for liver tumor. He was diagnosed as leiomyosarcoma of residual stomach associated with liver metastases. After preoperative transarterial embolization (TAE) with epirubicin of the anterior branch of right hepatic artery, residual stomach was resected, and the reservoir catheter and infusion arterial port were implanted. He was treated by intra-hepato-arterial chemotherapy of epirubicin. The patient has remained well for 2 years and 3 months without apparent complications.

Identification of a biochemical lesion, and characteristic response to lipopolysaccharide (LPS) of a cultured macrophage-like cell mutant with defective LPS-binding

We have previously isolated a lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-resistant mutant (named LR-9) of a cultured macrophage-like cell line, J774.1. This mutant had defective LPS binding [Hara-Kuge, S., Amano, F., Nishijima, M., and Akamatsu, Y. (1990) J. Biol. Chem. 265, 6606-6610]. In this study, we found that: (1) LPS-binding to parental J774.1 cells was dependent on a serum factor with a molecular weight of about 60 kDa, probably LPS binding protein (LBP); (2) LPS-binding to J774.1 cells was markedly reduced by treating the cells with phosphatidylinositol-specific phospholipase C (PI-PLC); (3) mutant LR-9 cells were defective in LPS-binding even in the presence of serum; (4) LR-9 cells lacked CD14 protein on flow cytometric and immunoblot analyses, but retained normal CD14 mRNA levels on RNA blot analysis; (5) small amounts of LPS (1 to 10 ng/ml) activated J774.1, but not LR-9 cells, to secrete tumor necrosis factor-alpha and to release arachidonate metabolites, whereas both J774.1 and LR-9 were activated by large concentrations of LPS (100 to 1,000 ng/ml). These results provide genetic evidence that CD14 molecules in J774.1 cells play a crucial role in LPS-binding and in LPS-triggered signal transduction, and indicate that large amounts of LPS can activate J774.1 cells without the participation of CD14 molecules.

Amidase activity of human Bence Jones proteins

Bence Jones proteins purified from urine of patients with multiple myeloma were found to be capable of hydrolyzing carbobenzoxy-L-valyl-glycyl-L-arginine p-nitroanilide (Chromozym TRY) and benzoyl-L-arginine p-nitroanilide (BApNA), synthetic chromogenic substrates for trypsin. The amidolytic activity obeyed classic Michaelis-Menten kinetics, exhibiting optimal activity around pH 8.4 and apparent Km of 140-730 microM and 18-27 microM for Chromozym TRY and BApNA, respectively. No activity was detected with intact IgG or Fab fragment, whereas the activity comparable to those of Bence Jones proteins was found with light chain derived from inactive IgG. Several lines of circumstantial evidence indicate that the observed activity was not due to contaminating enzyme.

Energy migration in allophycocyanin-B trimer with a linker polypeptide: analysis by the principal multi-component spectral estimation (PMSE) method

Energy migration processes in allophycocyanin-B trimer with a linker polypeptide were analyzed using the principal multi-component spectral estimation (PMSE) method, which does not require assumption of component number, decay function, or the spectral band shape. We determined the number of spectral components showing independent kinetic behavior by the eigen-value of an auto-correlation matrix, and further the spectra of the components and their rise and decay curves. Two decay components were resolved at 20 degrees C: one corresponded to the decay of one type of beta-84 chromophore, and the other to the decay from the thermally equilibrated state between another type of beta-84 chromophore and the alpha-allophycocyanin B chromophore. An additional slow decay process was resolved at -196 degrees C. We also compared the component spectra obtained using the PMSE method with the decay-associated spectra obtained using the global analysis.

Cloning and characterization of the human osteopontin gene and its promoter

We isolated the human osteopontin (hOP) gene and the 5' upstream region, and analysed its exon-intron structure and potential regulatory sequences of the promoter region in comparison with those of the mouse and porcine gene. The coding sequence is split into 7 exons which are similar to those of the mouse gene, although the hOP gene is longer than the mouse gene. The difference in length is mainly due to variations in intron 3, which is approximately 2.7-fold longer than that of the mouse OP gene. The 5' upstream region of the hOP, which is highly conserved up to nucleotide -250, contains a number of potential cis regulatory consensus sequences. A series of sequentially 5'-deleted chimeric clones was tested for the ability to stimulate chloramphenicol acetyltransferase (CAT). Initial CAT analysis demonstrated that nucleotides at positions -474 to -270, -124 to -80, and -55 to -39 contained cis-acting enhancing sequences in a human monocyte cell line, SCC-3, although the -124 to -80 region was much more active than other regions. Deletion of the sequences between -474 and -270 localized this cis region to the sequence at positions -439 to -410, whereas the deletion between -124 to -80 localized the regions to -124 to -115, and -94 to -80. Gel-shift analysis using as probes synthesized double-stranded DNA corresponding to the 10 and 15 bp region at positions -124 to -115 and -94 to -80 respectively revealed that each probe formed a major band complexed with nuclear proteins prepared from SCC-3 cells.

Purification and characterization of dimeric dihydrodiol dehydrogenase from dog liver

High NADP(+)-linked dihydrodiol dehydrogenase activity was detected in dog liver cytosol, from which a dimeric enzyme composed of M(r) 39,000 subunits was purified to homogeneity. The enzyme oxidized trans-cyclohexanediol, and trans-dihydrodiols of benzene and naphthalene, the [1R,2R]-isomers of which were selectively oxidized. In the reverse reaction in the presence of NADPH as a coenzyme, the enzyme reduced alpha-dicarbonyl compounds, such as methylglyoxal, 3-deoxyglucosone, and diacetyl, and some compounds with a carbonyl group, such as glyceraldehyde, lactaldehyde, and acetoin. 4-Hydroxyphenylketones and ascorbates inhibited the enzyme. The results of steady-state kinetic analyses indicated that the reaction proceeds through an ordered bi bi mechanism with the coenzyme binding to the free enzyme, and suggested that the inhibitors bind to the enzyme-NADP+ binary complex. The dimeric enzyme was detected in liver and kidney of dog, and was immunochemically similar to the dimeric enzymes from monkey kidney, rabbit lens, and pig liver. The sequences (total 127 amino acid residues) of eight peptides derived on enzymatic digestion of the dog liver enzyme did not show significant similarity with the primary structures of members of the aldo-keto reductase and short chain dehydrogenase superfamilies, which include monomeric dihydrodiol dehydrogenases and carbonyl reductase, respectively.

[Serum and tissue levels of cefodizime in the pediatric patients]

We administrated cefodizime (40 mg/kg) to 13 patients with simple herniorrhaphy in the pediatric field and determined its concentrations in tissues and serums. The mean serum and tissue levels of cefodizime after administration were 43.1 +/- 13.3 micrograms/ml, and 23.1 +/- 6.4 micrograms/g, respectively, at 3 hours. Cefodizime concentrations of the tissue and serum were maintained at relatively high levels for many hours. The ratio of cefodizime concentrations in tissue to serum became high at 3 hours after administration, and this suggests that tissue concentrations decreased more slowly than serum levels, and cefodizime concentrations in tissue were maintained at fairly high levels over a long period. No side effects caused by cefodizime were observed. From pharmacokinetic and clinical observations, cefodizime appears to be a safe and effective injectable antibiotic for the treatment of infections in children.

Photo-oxidation of membrane-bound and soluble cytochromec in the green sulfur bacteriumChlorobium tepidum

We studied the photosynthetic electron transfer system of membrane-bound and soluble cytochromec inChlorobium tepidum, a thermophilic green sulfur bacterium, using whole cells and membrane preparations. Sulfide and thiosulfate, physiological electron donors, enhanced flash-induced photo-oxidation ofc-type cytochromes in whole cells. In membranes,c-553 cytochromes with two (or three) heme groups served as immediate electron donors for photo-oxidized bacteriochlorophyll (P840) in the reaction center, and appeared to be closely associated with the reaction center complex. The membrane-bound cytochromec-553 had anE m-value of 180 mV. When isolated soluble cytochromec-553, which has an apparent molecular weight of 10 kDa and seems to correspond to the cytochromec-555 inChlorobium limicola andChlorobium vibrioforme, was added to a membrane suspension, rapid photo-oxidation of both soluble and membrane-bound cytochromesc-553 was observed. The oxidation of soluble cytochromec-553 was inhibited by high salt concentrations. In whole cells, photo-oxidation was observed in the absence of exogenous electron donors and re-reduction was inhibited by stigmatellin, an inhibitor of the cytochromebc complex. These results suggest that the role of membrane-bound and soluble cytochromec inC. tepidum is similar to the role of cytochromec in the photosynthetic electron transfer system of purple bacteria.

Molecular organization of bacteriochlorophyll in chlorosomes of the green photosynthetic bacteriumChloroflexus aurantiacus: Studies of fluorescence depolarization accompanied by energy transfer processes

Examination was made of changes in fluorescence polarization plane by energy transfer in the chlorosomes of the green photosynthetic bacterium,Chloroflexus aurantiacus. Fluorescence anisotropy in the picosecond (ps) time region was analyzed using chlorosomes suspended in solution as well as those oriented in a polyacrylamide gel. When the main component of BChlc was preferentially excited, the decay of fluorescence anisotropy was found to depend on wavelength. In the chlorosome suspension, the anisotropy ratio of BChlc changed from 0.31 to 0.24 within 100 ps following excitation. In the baseplate BChla region, this ratio decreased to a negative value (-0.09) from the initial 0.14. In oriented samples, the degree of polarization remained at 0.68 for BChlc, and changed from 0.25 to -0.40 for the baseplate BChla by excitation light whose electric vector was parallel to the longest axis of chlorosomes. In the latter case, there was a shift from 0.30 to -0.55 by excitation perpendicular to the longest axis. Time-resolved fluorescence polarization spectra clearly indicated extensive changes in polarization plane accompanied by energy transfer. The directions of polarization plane of emission from oriented samples were mostly dependent on chlorosome orientation in the gel but not on that of the polarization plane of excitation light. Orientations of the dipole moment of fluorescence components was consistent with that of absorption components as determined by the linear dichroism (Matsuura et al. (1993) Photochem. Photobiol. 57: 92-97). A model for molecular organization of BChlc anda in chlorosomes is proposed based on anisotropic optical properties.

Upregulation of mouse CD14 expression in Kupffer cells by lipopolysaccharide

Western blot analysis showed that a monoclonal antibody against recombinant mouse CD14 (mCD14), designated rmC5-3, specifically reacted with mouse macrophage cell line J774, but not myeloma cell line NS1. Fluorographic and immunocytochemical analysis demonstrated specific binding of rmC5-3 with mouse resident macrophages, inflammatory monocytes and neutrophils, and macrophage cell lines. Immunohistochemical staining using rmC5-3 showed that CD14-positive Kupffer cells (KC) were small in number in the liver in nonstimulated mice. The number of stained KC, which were rich in the midzonal and periportal regions, gradually increased with time after intraperitoneal injection of lipopolysaccharide (LPS), peaked 6 h after injection, and returned to normal by 20 h after injection. Staining intensity over time was proportional to the number of KC. A slight increase in mCD14 expression was observed in peritoneal macrophages 2 h after LPS administration in vivo using flow cytometric analysis. mCD14 mRNA became detectable at 1 h after the intraperitoneal injection of LPS (20 micrograms/mice), and the level dramatically increased with time, peaking at 3 h, and sharply dropped at 6 h. The resident peritoneal macrophages demonstrated a constitutively high mCD14 mRNA expression, which slightly increased 2 h after LPS (100 ng/ml) stimulation in vitro. The level of mCD14 expression in macrophages did not increase after intraperitoneal injection of LPS (20 micrograms/mice).

Fungal metabolites. XV. Primary structures of antibiotic peptides, hypelcins B-I, B-II, B-III, B-IV and B-V, from Hypocrea peltata. Application of electrospray mass spectrometry and electrospray mass spectrometry/mass spectrometry

Hypelcin B is a mixture of antibiotic peptides produced by Hypocrea peltata. Hypelcins B-I, B-II, B-III, B-IV and B-V are components of this mixture purified by reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography. The amino acid sequences of these peptides were determined by electrospray mass spectrometry and electrospray mass spectrometry/mass spectrometry. The molecular weights of these peptides were all ca. 2000 and the structures were very similar.

Case report: new sonographic finding in renal infarction

We observed a unique sonographic finding in a patient with right global renal infarction associated with an abdominal aortic dissection. Sonography in the acute phase revealed a highly echogenic and thickened perirenal fascia without demonstrable abnormality of the renal parenchyma. This finding may be helpful in the early diagnosis of renal infarction by routine sonography.

In-vitro enhancement of mouse embryonic development by co-culture with peritoneal macrophages

The effects of peritoneal macrophages on mouse fertilization and embryonic development in vitro were examined by a co-culture method. In experiment 1, oocytes from F1 strain mice were inseminated and cultured with a monolayer of peritoneal macrophages to determine the effects of the macrophages on fertilization. In experiment 2, 1-cell embryos, fertilized in vivo from either a non-blocking or a blocking strain, were also incubated with peritoneal macrophages to determine whether these cells overcame the developmental arrest. Although the peritoneal macrophages had an adverse effect on fertilization in the F1 strain, embryonic development was significantly improved by the co-culture. This beneficial effect on embryonic development was also observed in the embryos fertilized in vivo from the strain that exhibited a 2-cell block. These results suggest that peritoneal macrophages provide an effective co-culture system for the in-vitro development of mouse embryos.

Ultrastructural localization of carbonyl reductase in mouse lung

The immunocytochemical localization of tetrameric carbonyl reductase in the mouse lung was determined by an electron-microscopical immunogold procedure using monospecific antibodies against the enzyme. The labelling of carbonyl reductase was observed within the mitochondria of the ciliated and non-ciliated cells of the bronchioles and the type II alveolar pneumocytes, and the density of labelling in the non-ciliated cells was higher than those in the other cells. No significant labelling was detected over other compartments of the epithelial cells. The labelling was undetectable in the type I alveolar cells, alveolar macrophages and connective tissue cells of the lung. These results clearly indicate the localization of carbonyl reductase to the mitochondrial matrix of these epithelial cells, of which the non-ciliated bronchiolar cells contained particularly high amounts of the enzyme.

Primary structure and transcription of genes encoding B870 and photosynthetic reaction center apoproteins from Rubrivivax gelatinosus

We determined the nucleotide sequence of the puf operon of Rubrivivax gelatinosus (formerly called Rhodocyclus gelatinosus), a photosynthetic bacterium belonging to the beta subclass of purple bacteria (proteobacteria). The operon contains two unknown open reading frames (ORFs) in addition to five photosynthetic genes which have been reported in species belonging to the alpha subclass. These genes include pufB, -A, -L, -M, and -C coding for the beta and alpha subunits of the B870 light-harvesting protein and for the L, M, and cytochrome subunits of the reaction center complex, respectively. One (ORF1) of the two unknown ORFs locates immediately upstream of pufB, while the other (ORF2) locates between pufB and pufA. The deduced product of ORF1 is a small basic protein composed of 41 amino acids that did not show homology with any other proteins reported to date. The deduced product of ORF2 was composed of 74 amino acids having a hydrophobic region able to span the membrane and showed homology with the beta subunit of B870. The deduced amino acid sequence of the cytochrome subunit of the reaction center of R. gelatinosus had significant deletions in the possible attachment site to the M subunit compared with that of Rhodopseudomonas viridis. This is consistent with the facilitated dissociation of this subunit observed with detergent treatment in R. gelatinosus. Analysis of RNA from R. gelatinosus showed that the puf operon of this bacterium has two transcripts; the major one is 1 kilobase in length and the minor one is 4 kilobase in length. These two transcripts have the same 5'-end, and their stoichiometry appeared to be controlled by a putative hairpin structure between pufA and pufL.

MR imaging of thymolipoma

A case of thymolipoma that continued from the level of the thymus gland, drooping inferiorly toward the diaphragm is described. Coronal T1-weighted MR images clearly demonstrated the location and characteristic appearances of the tumor.

Scanning electron microscopic and immunohistochemical studies of pelvic endometriosis

The pathogenesis of pelvic endometriosis has been studied by using scanning electron and light microscopy, observing the surface structure of bluish lesions obtained from 26 patients during laparotomy. Paraffin sections included another 17 tissue samples of endometriosis, based on immunohistochemical responses to epithelial membrane antigen, keratin and vimentin. Ultrastructurally, the surface epithelial cells could not be detected in 13 out of 17 pelvic peritoneal endometriosis samples. In one case in which the surface peritoneal cells were seen histologically to dip into the subperitoneal stroma, many surface peritoneal infoldings were observed, and ciliated cells were detected at the edge of these infoldings. Ovarian endometriosis was composed of three types of cells, none of which had any cilia. These findings were observed in continuity with adjacent normal mesothelial cells. No characteristic structure of the endometrial surface was observed for the bluish lesion, but the gland surface of endometriosis located in the subperitoneal stroma initially had ciliated cells. The immunoreactions in both the columnar mesothelial cells with surface peritoneal infoldings and the glands of endometriotic tissues were similar to those of normal endometrial glands, but different from those of normal mesothelial cells. Pelvic endometriosis might originate by a process of metaplasia from the pelvic peritoneum.

Purification and properties of N-acetylglucosaminidase from eggs of the ascidian, Halocynthia roretzi

In several ascidians, beta-D-N-acetylglucosaminidase (GlcNAcase) released from eggs following fertilization is proposed to play a key role in polyspermy block through its binding to the sperm receptor on the vitelline coat [C. C. Lambert (1989) Development 105, 415-420]. In the ascidian Halocynthia roretzi, GlcNAc-specific lectins inhibited the fertilization most strongly among various lectins. Furthermore, GlcNAcase activity was released from the eggs in response to the egg activation. The GlcNAcase was purified from the eggs to apparent homogeneity by chromatographies on DEAE-Toyopearl, SP-Toyopearl, Toyopearl HW-65, and Mono S. The purified enzyme gave a single band on isoelectric focusing with an isoelectric point of 7.0. It gave two bands on SDS/PAGE: the molecular masses of the bands were estimated to be 65 kDa/66 kDa, and 84 kDa/85 kDa under reducing/non-reducing conditions, respectively. The two bands were found to converge to a single band of 56 kDa after deglycosylation, which suggests microheterogeneity in the sugar moiety. The enzyme showed an oligomeric structure with an apparent molecular mass of 520 kDa, estimated by gel filtration. The optimum pH of the activity was around 4.5. The enzyme hydrolyzed both 4-methylumbelliferyl-GlcNAc and 4-methylumbelliferyl-GalNAc, suggesting that it should be characterized as a beta-D-N-acetylhexosaminidase, with Km values of 1.2 mM and 0.52 mM, respectively. The purified enzyme was found to be capable of binding to the vitelline coat in a GlcNAc-specific manner. Immunoblot analysis using antibody raised against the purified GlcNAcase revealed that the enzyme itself is released from the eggs upon fertilization. Thus, the GlcNAcase purified in this study is released from eggs following fertilization and bound to the vitelline coat in order to function in the polyspermy blocking mechanism.