Muscle layer and regional differences in autonomic innervation and responsiveness to transmitter agents in swine myometrium

1. To clarify possible regional and muscle layer differences in adrenergic innervation of swine myometrium, functional, biochemical and histochemical experiments were performed on longitudinal (LM) and circular (CM) muscle isolated from non-pregnant uteri of 84 gilts. 2. Transmural stimulation (TMS) in the presence of propranolol evoked tetrodotoxin-sensitive contractions in a frequency-dependent manner (2-20 Hz) in LM and CM. The cornual LM contractions were attenuated by phentolamine (1 microM) and by guanethidine (10 microM) though unaffected by atropine (1 microM). Contractions in cervical LM were diminished by atropine but not by phentolamine, and the corpus LM contractions were reduced incrementally by atropine and phentolamine when added sequentially. In CM, the TMS-induced contractions were abolished by tetrodotoxin and atropine in all three regions. 3. In response to noradrenaline (NA) and acetylcholine (ACh), LM contractile intensity was the most potent in cornua, slightly weaker in the corpus and weakest in the cervix. CM was insensitive to NA, and contractile responses elicited by ACh indicated no regional variation. 4. NA content, significantly greater in LM than in CM, was most highly concentrated in cornual LM. Nerves exhibiting glyoxylic acid-induced histofluorescence occurred in both LM and CM, though more abundantly in LM and with notable density in the cornual LM. Cholinesterase activity, distributed evenly throughout the three myometrial regions studied, was more intense in LM than in CM. 5. These results show that, in swine myometrium, innervation in cornual LM is predominantly noradrenergic, cervical LM is mostly cholinergic, and throughout the myometrium the CM layers are principally cholinergic.

Bcl-2 expression in the thymus and periphery

Bcl-2 proto-oncogene is expressed in normal lymphoid tissues and its role has been suggested to involve the selection of B and T cells. Here we report three-color flow cytometric studies on the expression of bcl-2 protein in the thymus and periphery. Bcl-2 was expressed in the majority of T and B cells and down-regulated only in the CD1+, CD3- to low, CD4+8+ thymocytes, and the B cells that are in cell cycle in the tonsil and lymph node. In contrast, the CD2+, CD1-3-4-8-19-, early T cells, and mature single positive cells in the thymus, as well as the tonsilar and lymph node T cells, irrespective of their cell cycle status, expressed bcl-2. These results are consistent with the notion that bcl-2 is down-regulated in the T and B cells that are in the process of generating new antigen receptors and subject to subsequent positive selection.

Liver tissue damage by ultrasound in combination with the photosensitizing drug, Photofrin II

We have investigated whether ablation of normal rat liver by ultrasound can be enhanced after administration of a photosensitizing agent (Photofrin II). After laparotomy and administration of Photofrin II (30 mg/kg), ultrasound (210 kHz, 1.3 W/cm2) was directed directly to the surface of the liver for a total duration of 3 min by a plane type unfocused transducer (6 mm x 6 mm). The depth of tissue damage was histologically compared to rats exposed to ultrasound alone. The mean maximum lesion depth on rats applied with ultrasound and Photofrin II was 5.7 +/- 0.9 mm (mean +/- SD) whereas in rats treated with ultrasound alone this was 3.0 +/- 0.4 mm. There was a significant difference between the two groups (P < 0.05). The present study suggests the possible use of a photosensitizing agent as an enhancer for the treatment of liver tumors by ultrasound.

Correlation of seminal plasma transferrin concentration and hypoosmotic swelling of the sperm

To investigate whether there is a relationship between seminal plasma transferrin concentration and hypoosmotic swelling of the sperm, semen samples from 46 infertile patients were examined. Seminal plasma transferrin concentration in oligozoospermic subjects (sperm concentration < 20 x 10(6)/mL) was significantly lower than that in normozoospermic subjects (sperm concentration > or = 20 x 10(6)/mL) (p < .05). Patients with > or = 50% swollen sperm showed significantly higher transferrin concentration in seminal plasma than those with < 50% swollen sperm (p < .05), while in oligozoospermic patients no difference was observed between seminal plasma transferrin concentration and hypoosmotic swelling. No relationship between seminal plasma transferrin concentration and serum gonadotropin levels was demonstrated. The results indicate that transferrin synthesis is important to sperm membrane integrity and functional competence. However, subsequent fertility must be examined to determine whether seminal plasma transferrin levels are predictive of fertilizing capacity.

Allele frequency of HinfI restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) and dinucleotide repeat polymorphism in the Wilms tumor gene (WT1) among the Japanese

The frequency of HinfI RFLP and dinucleotide (CA) repeat polymorphism for the WT1 located to chromosome 11p13 among the Japanese were estimated. Each polymorphism showed high frequency of heterozygosity and segregated independently.

Characteristics of paralytic shellfish poisoning toxins derived from short-necked clams (Tapes japonica) in Mikawa Bay

A "red tide" bloom of Alexandrium tamarense occurred in Mikawa Bay in April 1991. In association with this, paralytic shellfish poisoning toxin was detected in short-necked clams by mouse bioassay. High performance liquid chromatography analysis demonstrated large quantities of the N-sulfocarbamoyl toxins, C1, and C2 (approximately 90% of the total toxins), whose latent potency was confirmed by treatment with boiling at low pH.

Epidermal growth factor concentrations in seminal plasma from patients with hypogonadism--changes after hormone replacement

Epidermal growth factor (EGF) content in seminal plasma of 17 patients with androgen deficiency (12 Klinefelter's syndrome and 5 hypogonadotropic hypogonadism) was determined before and after hormone replacement. No significant increase of plasma testosterone level was demonstrated after testosterone administration in Klinefelter's syndrome, although the level in 4 of 5 patients with hypogonadotropic hypogonadism reached the normal range. In 16 patients, except 1 with hypogonadotropic hypogonadism with no increase of blood testosterone level, prostate volume increased after hormone therapy, and volumes after treatment were significantly larger than those before treatment. On the other hand, EGF concentration in seminal plasma remained at the pretreatment level in most patients. It is therefore concluded that although the prostate volume increases to almost normal after treatment, prostate function does not improve in most patients, indicating that in patients with hypogonadotropic hypogonadism fertility potential may remain low, even if they obtain normal seminal parameters after treatment.

Disseminated cutaneous nodules revealing gastric carcinoma

A 39-year-old Japanese male presented with multiple erythematous nodules on the head, face and trunk. Further investigations revealed a Borrmann type II gastric carcinoma and identified disseminated bone metastases. No other metastases of internal organs, including the liver and lungs, were clinically detected in this stage. This metastatic pattern is quite unusual.

Progressive growth of rat bladder carcinomas after exposure to prolonged uracil-induced urolithiasis

Dietary uracil at the 3% level induces urinary bladder tumors in rats through urolithiasis-dependent mechanical irritation. In the present study, comparison of lesions induced by uracil administration over the different periods of 36 weeks (middle-term) and up to 103 weeks (long-term) revealed significant elevation of both incidences and multiplicity of transitional cell carcinomas (TCCs) in the long-term group. Histopathological assessment in terms of tumor biology further demonstrated significantly higher grading on the basis of the degree of cellular and structural atypia, and greater depth of invasion in the long-term group. Application of markers for cell proliferation activities including proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) and silver-binding nucleolar organizer regions (AgNORs) also revealed significantly elevated AgNOR counts in the long-term group TCC. AgNOR counts and PCNA rates in TCCs showed relation to the histological grades. Thus the present study demonstrated that prolonged uracil-induced urolithiasis causes more biologically aggressive bladder carcinomas with invasive potential. Continuous stimulation of cell proliferation presumably has the potential to facilitate multiple genetic alterations leading to development of more malignant carcinomas. However, it should be borne in mind that the difference in bladder cancer development might also be related to the fact that the animals survived longer and that the early lesions therefore had more time to progress to more advanced stages.

Evaluation of serum amyloid A protein as an acute-phase reactive protein in horses

Serum amyloid A protein (SAA) was isolated from equine acute-phase serum by repeating Sephadex G-75 gel filtration 3 times. Quantitative measurement of equine SAA was performed by the single radial immunodiffusion technique with rabbit anti-equine SAA serum. In clinically normal horses, the SAA concentration remained relatively high from immediately after birth up to 1 week of age. After this the concentration showed periodic fluctiation in the range of approximately 13 to 30 micrograms/ml. The mean (+/- SD) concentration of SAA in foals (< or = 12 months old) and in adult horses (> or = 18 months old) was 19.37 +/- 9.41 and 21.53 +/- 9.81 micrograms/ml, respectively. In mares during the perinatal period, the SAA concentration remained stable and within the normal range for 4 months before parturition. After foaling, it increased quickly and reached a peak value of 136.78 +/- 56.74 micrograms/ml on day 3 postpartum, and then began to decrease at 2 weeks postpartum returning to within the normal range by 1 month postpartum. In horses with experimentally induced inflammation, the SAA concentration increased quickly, and reached the highest value, approximately 4 to 20 times higher than pre-treatment values, on day 2 after treatment. It then returned to the base line values within 10 days to 4 weeks, concurrent with the disappearance of local inflammatory signs. The SAA concentration was very high in most horses with clinical signs of inflammation. It was concluded from these data that equine SAA was a sensitive acute-phase reactive protein which increased in the early phase of various acute inflammations.

[A case of middle ear adenoma]

Middle ear adenomas are rare and difficult to diagnose. Recent histological studies suggest the presence of a distinct disease entity known as a middle ear adenoma. A 16-year-old boy with a middle ear tumor was treated by partial temporal bone resection, and the tumor was removed by a combined method using the middle cranial fossa and infratemporal fossa approaches. Histological and immunohistochemical studies on this tumor showed the findings of a benign adenoma. Left facial palsy was noted postoperatively, but it subsequently recovered almost completely.

Crystal structure of Escherichia coli RNase HI in complex with Mg2+ at 2.8 A resolution: proof for a single Mg(2+)-binding site

To obtain more precise insight into the Mg(2+)-binding site essential for RNase HI catalytic activity, we have determined the crystal structure of E. coli RNase HI in complex with Mg2+. The analyzed cocrystal, which is not isomorphous with the Mg(2+)-free crystal previously refined at 1.48 A resolution, was grown at a high MgSO4 concentration more than 100 mM so that even weakly bound Mg2+ sites could be identified. The structure was solved by the molecular replacement method, using the Mg(2+)-free crystal structure as a search model, and was refined to give a final R-value of 0.190 for intensity data from 10 to 2.8 A, using the XPLOR and PROLSQ programs. The backbone structures are in their entirety very similar to each other between the Mg(2+)-bound and the metal-free crystals, except for minor regions in the enzyme interface with the DNA/RNA hybrid. The active center clearly revealed a single Mg2+ atom located at a position almost identical to that previously found by the soaking method. Although the two metal-ion mechanism had been suggested by another group (Yang, W., Hendrickson, W.A., Crouch, R.J., Satow, Y. Science 249:1398-1405, 1990) and partially supported by the crystallographic study of inactive HIV-1 RT RNase H fragment (Davies, J.F., II, Hostomska, Z., Hostomsky, Z., Jordan, S.R., Matthews, D. Science 252:88-95, 1991), the present result excludes the possibility that RNase HI requires two metal-binding sites for activity. In contrast to the features in the metal-free enzyme, the side chains of Asn-44 and Glu-48 are found to form coordinate bonds with Mg2+ in the metal-bound crystal.

Crystal structures of ribonuclease HI active site mutants from Escherichia coli

In order to investigate the relationships between the three-dimensional structure and the enzymic activity of E. coli RNase HI, three mutant proteins, which were completely inactivated by the replacements of three functional residues, Asp10 by Asn (D10N), Glu48 by Gln (E48Q), and Asp70 by Asn (D70N), were crystallized. Their three-dimensional structures were determined by x-ray crystallography. Although the entire backbone structures of these mutants were not affected by the replacements, very localized conformational changes were observed around the Mg(2+)-binding site. The substitution of an amide group for a negatively charged carboxyl group in common induces the formation of new hydrogen bond networks, presumably due to the cancellation of repulsive forces between carboxyl side chains with negative charges. These conformational changes can account for the loss of the enzymic activity in the mutants, and suggest a possible role for Mg2+ in the hydrolysis. Since the 3 replaced acidic residues are completely conserved in sequences of reverse transcriptases from retroviruses, including human immunodeficiency virus, the concepts of the catalytic mechanism deduced from this structural analysis can also be applied to RNase H activity in reverse transcriptases.

Characterization of CD4+ single positive cells that lack CD3 in the human thymus

In the thymus of experimental animals, single positive cells that lack surface CD3 expression (CD3-CD4+CD8- or CD3-CD4-CD8+) have been reported to have intermediate characteristics between the CD4-CD8- cells and CD4+CD8+ cells. Here we show the presence of single positive cells in the human thymus that lack CD3 by means of three-color flow cytometric analysis. CD3- cells constitute 12 +/- 7.5% of CD4 single positive cells in 10 normal thymus samples. CD8 single positive cells, on the other hand, contained only 1.5 +/- 2.2% CD3- cells. Seventeen percent of these CD3-4+8- thymocytes were in S+G2/M phase, while only 4.3% of CD4+CD8- thymocytes were in S+G2/M. The surface antigen phenotype of CD3-CD4+CD8- thymocytes was CD1(low), CD2+, alpha beta TCR-, CD29(high), LFA-1+, ICAM-1-, IL-2R-, CD45common (low), CD45RA-, and CD45R0(low). They expressed cytoplasmic CD3+ and 28% of them expressed cytoplasmic CD3 and cytoplasmic alpha beta TCR. The levels of CD2, CD29, CD45R0, cytoplasmic CD3, and cytoplasmic alpha beta TCR expression were intermediate between the CD3-4-8- and CD4+8+ populations. These results indicate that CD3-CD4+CD8- thymocytes constitute a minor but significant population in the human thymus. Their surface antigen phenotype and the high incidence of dividing cells suggest that they are immature and probably on their way to the CD4+8+ double positive thymocytes.

Enhancement of cell killing of HL-60 cells by ultrasound in the presence of the photosensitizing drug Photofrin II

Enhancement of acute cell killing of HL-60 cells by low-level ultrasound in the presence of the photosensitizing drug Photofrin II was examined. HL-60 cells were exposed to ultrasound (270 kHz) at intensities of 150, 300 and 450 mW/cm2 for 60 s in the presence of Photofrin II (200 micrograms/ml). Cell survival after treatment was 49.6 +/- 5.1%, 34.5 +/- 3.1% and 27.4 +/- 3.9%, respectively. Ultrasound exposure alone at 150, 300 and 450 mW/cm2 resulted in a decrease in cell survival to 92.9 +/- 1.5%, 82.3 +/- 2.2% and 77.9 +/- 7.2%, respectively. The cell survival rate after the addition of Photofrin II alone showed no significant cell killing. These results indicate that Photofrin II was sensitized by low-level, non-thermal ultrasound to enhance the cell killing of HL-60 cells.

New xenografts of human megakaryoblastic cell line (MEG-01) for evaluating anti-tumor agents

A human megakaryoblastic cell line (MEG-01) was successfully transplanted into athymic nude mice. MEG-01 cells (5 x 10(7)) were inoculated subcutaneously in KSN-nu/nu mice, none of which were pretreated with irradiation or chemotherapeutic agents. All mice developed solid tumors at the site of injection after incubation for 10-14 days reaching a size of 200-400 mm2 (product of cross-sectional diameters) after 30 days. These tumors, designated as MEG-01/nu, were transplanted into other nude mice. The transplanted tumors infiltrated the liver and spleen, and leukemic megakaryoblastic cells appeared in the blood of some transplanted mice. Cells resuspended from MEG-01/nu tumors exhibited almost the same megakaryocytic characteristics as the original MEG-01 cells, and underwent in vitro differentiation to a mature form of megakaryocyte upon addition of phorbol diesters. MEG-01/nu was evaluated for sensitivity to cytosine arabinoside, vincristine, and daunorubicin in vitro and in vivo. Daunorubicin exhibited significant anti-tumor activity against MEG-01/nu in vivo, while cytosine arabinoside did so in vitro. Vincristine showed no activity against these cells. This cell line may provide a useful model for testing the in vivo efficacy of anti-tumor agents and immunotoxins, and for studying the pathophysiological mechanisms of human megakaryoblastic leukemia.

Role of systematic mediastinal dissection in N2 non-small cell lung cancer patients

The surgical results in patients with non-small cell lung cancer staged as N2 disease were historically analyzed. Twenty-six patients were confirmed to have N2 disease on the basis of histologic study of suspicious nodes without systematic mediastinal dissection (PI group), 50 patients underwent systematic mediastinal dissection (R2 group), and 17 patients had bilateral mediastinal dissection, 4 of whom were N3 positive (R3+ group) and 13, N3 negative (R3- group). The difference in the 5-year survival rate between the PI and R2 groups (8% and 16.3%, respectively) was not significant. All 4 patients in the R3+ group died of recurrence within 14 months after operation. Several findings suggest that some patients with N2 disease, especially those with three or more N2-positive stations, actually have N3 disease: The 3-year survival rate was higher in the R3- group (51.3%) compared with the R2 (32.6%; p = not significant) and PI groups (24%; p = 0.01); in the R2 group, the survival rate was significantly (p = 0.017) better for patients with N2 metastases in two stations or less than in patients with three or more N2-positive stations; and the rate of early postoperative death related to cancer correlated with the number of N2-positive stations. We conclude that accurate diagnosis of N2 and N3 disease, and therefore better evaluation of survival for patients with N2 disease, is possible by bilateral mediastinal dissection.