[The correlation of serum parathyroid hormones among patients with dementia of vascular type, hemodialysis, and bone-joint disorders]

PTH levels were analysed in sera of patients receiving maintenance hemodialysis, with the vascular type of dementia and orthopedic patients with bone-joint disorders, using PTH assay kits. There were significant interrelationship among all kinds of PTH levels in the hemodialysis patients, but not in patients with the vascular type of dementia and the bone-joint disorders. Renal functions might be responsible for fragmentation of PTH in blood stream. These results suggested that the measurement of PTH levels is needed to examine various kinds of amino-sequence of PTH levels in keeping normal function of kidney.

Establishment of a human megakaryoblastic cell line (T-33) from chronic myelogenous leukemia in megakaryoblastic crisis

A megakaryoblastic cell line, termed T-33, was established from the peripheral blood of a patient with Philadelphia chromosome-positive chronic myelogenous leukemia in megakaryoblastic crisis. T-33 cells have been maintained in RPMI 1640 medium containing 10% fetal calf serum in a single cell suspension with a doubling time of 24-36 h for over 2 years. Giemsa-banded karyotypes were female hyperdiploid with a modal chromosomal number of 51, all cells including Philadelphia chromosome. The cells showed strong positivity for periodic acid-Schiff and alpha-naphthyl acetate esterase, and weak for alpha-naphthyl butyrate esterase, but were negative for myeloperoxidase. Flow cytometric analysis of cell surface markers showed the existence of HLA-DR, MY-7, MY-9, and a platelet antigen (Yukb), and no markers for T- or B-lymphocytes. Most of the cells fixed with acetone were positive for Factor VIII, platelet glycoprotein IIb-IIIa, IIIa (Yukb), and Ib, but negative for glycophorin A and hemoglobin. Ultrastructural platelet peroxidase was demonstrated in 2-3% of cells and the percentage of positive cells increased up to 20% after the treatment with 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate. The cells contained small dense granules negative for platelet peroxidase, their number increasing threefold after 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate treatment. Such treated cells frequently showed a complex of the demarcation membrane in the cytoplasm. T-33 responded thrombin to exhibit calcium influx. This cell line may be useful for the study of the early stage of megakaryocytic differentiation in human megakaryopoiesis.

Peripheral neuropathy with predominantly motor manifestations in a patient with carcinoma of the uterus

An autopsy case of a 56-year-old woman who had carcinoma of the corpus uteri and peripheral neuropathy with predominantly motor manifestations is described. The neurological abnormalities included subacute weakness of the limbs and loss of deep reflexes, which improved after the surgical removal of the uterine carcinoma. Neuropathologically, peripheral nerves mainly presented features of axonal degeneration with a mild loss of myelinated fibres. Anterior horns of the spinal cord showed central chromatolysis of the motor nerve cells and many spheroids without neuronal loss. Axonopathy of peripheral nerves was considered to be the main pathological process in this paraneoplastic syndrome.

Right ventricular outflow obstruction secondary to post-infarction aneurysm: a possible new syndrome

Two patients with extensive anterior myocardial infarction developed a hitherto unreported type of right ventricular outflow tract obstruction. A 71-year-old woman, who had had an acute infarction 10 years before, was admitted for sustained ventricular tachycardia. A loud ejection murmur was heard in the mid-precordium. The echocardiogram and left ventriculogram showed a septal aneurysm, with a systolic gradient of 21 mmHg between the right ventricular outflow tract and apex. The ejection murmur was detected in the outflow tract by intracardiac phonocardiography. The second patient was a 60-year-old man who had had an acute infarction at age 47. He was also referred because of ventricular tachycardia, and his clinical situation was almost the same as that of the first case. Our search of the literature failed to disclose any similar case with a loud ejection murmur confirmed by intracardiac phonocardiography to be due to an obstructive septal aneurysm.

Palytoxin induces a nonselective cation channel in single ventricular cells of rat

Palytoxin (PTX) causes a depolarization in every excitable tissue tested. We examined whether PTX induces a channel current, which might be responsible for the depolarizing action, in single ventricular cells from rat hearts using a patch-clamp technique. In cell-attached configuration, when PTX (30 pmol/l) was present in a patch pipette, a single channel current appeared, which was different from currents through known channels. When the major cation in the pipette was Na+, the amplitude of the unitary current at the resting potential level was 0.74 +/- 0.05 pA, the slope conductance was 9 pS and the reversal potential was 79 mV positive to the resting potential. The channel was little selective between cations because it was permeable not only to Na+ but also to K+, Cs+ and Li+ although it practically did not permit the passage of choline+, TEA+, Ba2+ and Ca2+. Thus PTX induces a novel, nonselective cation channel in cardiac cells, which may result in a depolarization.

Nucleotide sequence of a mouse minisatellite DNA

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Vapor compression distiller and membrane technology for water revitalization

Water revitalization for a space station can consist of membrane filtration processes and a distillation process. Water recycling equipment using membrane filtration processes was manufactured for ground testing. It was assembled using commercially available components. Two systems for the distillation are studied; one is an absorption type thermopervaporation cell and the other is a vapor compression distiller. Absorption type thermopervaporation able to easily produce condensed water under zero gravity was investigated experimentally and through simulated calculation. The vapor compression distiller was studied experimentally and it offers significant energy savings for evaporation of water.

Amplification of N-myc in a rhabdomyosarcoma

N-myc is a member of the myc oncogene family and has been thought to be specific to neurogenic cells, since it is amplified in some neuroblastomas, retinoblastomas and small-cell lung carcinomas with endocrine properties. Hybridization analyses of DNAs isolated from surgically removed tumors revealed that N-myc was amplified about 6-fold in one of the three embryonic rhabdomyosarcomas examined. The rhabdomyosarcoma containing the amplified N-myc had metastasized into bone marrow, which is preferentially involved in the metastasis of neuroblastomas but is usually not involved in the case of rhabdomyosarcomas. Since rhabdomyoblasts are derived from mesenchyme, this indicates that N-myc gene amplification is not restricted to neurogenic tumors.

A human Y-chromosome specific repeated DNA family (DYZ1) consists of a tandem array of pentanucleotides

We have determined the complete nucleotide sequence of a 3564 bp EcoRI fragment which represents a major component of the human Y-chromosome specific repeated DNA family (DYZ1). Sequencing result showed a tandem array of pentanucleotides after five nucleotides were inserted or deleted at four positions. 229 out of the 713 pentanucleotides were TTCCA, and 297 were its single-base substituents. Southern hybridization analyses of male genomic DNAs showed that several endonuclease cleavage sites were located at intervals of 3.56kb in the DYZ1 locus. This indicates that the DYZ1 repeated DNA family evolved and expanded by unequal crossovers which occurred at distances of 3.56kb. As there is a uniformly distributed array of pentanucleotides on this locus, it is not a sequence homology that determines the distance of unequal crossovers. A higher order of chromatin structure may be involved in the determination of distance in unequal crossovers.

Characterization of depolarization induced by palytoxin and grayanotoxin-I in isolated cardiac tissues from dogs and guinea pigs

The mode of depolarizing action of palytoxin (PTX) was compared with that of grayanotoxin-I (GTX-I) to examine the site of action of PTX in cardiac tissues isolated from dogs and guinea pigs: PTX at above 1 X 10(-10) mol/l depolarized the membrane of canine Purkinje fibres, canine and guinea-pig ventricular muscles regardless of stimulation. The PTX-induced depolarization was resistant to 1 X 10(-5) mol/l tetrodotoxin (TTX) but was attenuated by low Na medium. GTX-I at 1 X 10(-5) mol/l depolarized the membrane of ventricular muscles from dogs and guinea pigs only when they were stimulated. Although GTX-I caused depolarization in Purkinje fibres in both stimulated and rested conditions, the effect was greater in stimulated fibres. In the presence of GTX-I, ventricular muscles generated long-lasting action potentials as a response to stimuli. TTX antagonized the GTX-I-action. After treatment of PTX, GTX-I still induced the long-lasting action potential and TTX could antagonize it. Ouabain at 1 X 10(-6) or 3 X 10(-6) mol/l partially inhibited the PTX-induced depolarization in guinea-pig papillary muscles. The data suggest that the TTX-sensitive Na channel is intact after treatment with PTX and that PTX acts on a site different from the Na channel, possibly on the Na+, K+-ATPase in cardiac cells.

VMA mass screening program of neuroblastoma for infants in Nagoya City, Japan

In Nagoya City, Japan, VMA mass screening for detection of neuroblastoma has been performed since 1977. Filter paper strips wetted with urine are mailed to a central laboratory. Positive tests are followed up by more definitive testing. Of the 20,053 urine samples of 6-month-old infants tested, January 1977 to March 1983, five asymptomatic infants with neuroblastoma have been discovered. All have been treated and are alive as of January 1984.

Placental transfer of heavy metals in normal pregnant Japanese women

To investigate the interrelation of heavy metals and the influence on next generation, total mercury and methylmercury, lead, cadmium, manganese, copper, zinc, and iron were determined in the maternal blood, placenta, umbilical cord, and umbilical cord blood. Samples were collected at delivery from 231 pregnant women who were living in the city of Nagoya, located in the central district of Japan, during 1974 and 1978. Total mercury and methylmercury, cadmium, and iron were higher in cord blood than in maternal blood, whereas copper and zinc were lower. Significant positive correlations were observed between maternal and cord blood with regard to total mercury and methylmercury, lead, cadmium, and manganese contents. Significant correlations were also observed between many pairs of metals, particularly in umbilical cord and its blood.