Studies on the response of growth hormone (GH) secretion to GH-releasing hormone, thyrotropin-releasing hormone, gonadotropin-releasing hormone, and somatostatin in acromegaly

The plasma GH response to GH-releasing hormone (GHRH), TRH, or GnRH administration was examined in 25 acromegalic patients. Plasma GH levels increased in 21 patients after GHRH, in 19 after TRH, and in 4 after GnRH. The four GHRH nonresponders had had acromegaly longer than had the GHRH responders. No specific combination of GH responsiveness to these 3 releasing hormones was found among the patients. Infusion of 1 mg GHRH for 150 min gradually increased plasma GH levels, with some fluctuations, from the beginning to the end of infusion in normal subjects and in 7 patients who were GHRH responders, but a bolus injection of 100 micrograms GHRH at the end of the infusion did not further elevate plasma GH levels. These results suggest that desensitization to GHRH occurred in the normal subjects and acromegalic patients. However, in 5 acromegalic patients who responded to both GHRH and TRH, a bolus injection of 500 micrograms TRH given at the end of the 150-min infusion of 1 mg GHRH evoked a further plasma GH rise. In 5 normal subjects and 2 patients who were responders to GHRH but not TRH, a bolus injection of 500 micrograms TRH did not cause plasma GH elevation at the end of 150-min infusion of 1 mg GHRH. These results imply that TRH and GnRH stimulate GH secretion from the adenoma cells in vivo through receptors different from those for GHRH. In vitro studies using cultured pituitary adenoma cells from 2 patients revealed that the responses of GH secretion to GHRH were similar to those in vivo. These data, therefore, suggest that the responsiveness of GH secretion to stimuli is determined by the specificity of the receptors on adenoma cells. The action of somatostatin-28 was more potent than that of somatostatin-14 in the suppression of GH secretion from adenoma cells.

The effect of glucose and free fatty acids on growth hormone (GH)-releasing factor-mediated GH secretion in rats

We have examined the effect of glucose and FFA on GH-releasing factor (GHRF)-mediated GH secretion in rats under pentobarbital anesthesia. Hyperglycemia did not affect GH secretion induced by administration of 20, 100, and 200 ng GHRF/100 g body weight. In contrast, GH response to 50 ng GHRF/100 g body weight in lipid heparin-treated rats, which showed high plasma FFA levels, was significantly suppressed compared with the control group (plasma peak GH: control, 1526 +/- 263 ng/ml; lipid-heparin group, 377 +/- 69 ng/ml P less than 0.05, mean +/- SEM). This suppressive effect of FFA on GH secretion was abolished by pretreatment with antisomatostatin serum (ASS) (GH level at 4 min after GHRF administration: ASS-saline group, 1606 +/- 210 ng/ml; ASS-lipid-heparin group, 1531 +/- 174 ng/ml; mean +/- SEM). These results suggest that hyperglycemia does not change the GH response to GHRF and that elevation of plasma FFA suppresses GHRF-induced GH secretion by the stimulation of somatostatin secretion in rats.

Monoclonal anti-gametocyte antibodies identify an antigen present in all blood stages of Plasmodium falciparum

Two polypeptides of 150 and 130 kDa present in all asexual and sexual blood stages of Plasmodium falciparum have been identified with anti-gametocyte monoclonal antibodies. The apparent molecular mass of these antigens is identical in different developmental stages of the parasite and in different isolates. These antigens are released in the culture supernatant during the process of schizogony and are also detected in the sera of patients undergoing a primary P. falciparum infection. Antibodies against these antigens occur in sera of a large percentage of children and most adults living in malaria-endemic areas, suggesting that they are highly immunogenic. The anti-gametocyte monoclonal antibodies react with a synthetic peptide (Glu-Glu-Asn-Val)4, present in antigen Pf155 [Perlmann, H. et al. (1984) J. Exp. Med. 159, 1686-1704] and in the ring-infected erythrocyte surface antigen [Coppel, R.L. et al. (1984) Nature 310, 789-792], indicating that these polypeptides are closely related. In contrast, two glycophorin-binding proteins of similar molecular mass [Perkins, M.E. (1984) J. Exp. Med. 160, 788-798] appear to be entirely distinct from the presently described antigens. We failed to observe any in vitro inhibitory activity of the monoclonal antibodies on merozoite invasion and on gametocyte infectivity.

Immunocytochemical study on the immune complex and germinal center of synovial tissue of rheumatoid arthritis with special regard to complement and follicular dendritic cells

To analyze the immunological role of lymphoid germinal centers and follicular dendritic cells (FDC) in synovial tissue of rheumatoid arthritis (RA), we tried to detect the immune complex in germinal centers by light and electron microscopic immunocytochemistry with special emphasis on immunoglobulin, complement components, RA factor, and DRC-1 antigen. Immunoglobulins mainly distributed intercellularly in the germinal center in a lacy network pattern, and show partial intracytoplasmic localization in some germinal center lymphoid cells. Early complement components of classical pathway (C1q, C4, C3c, and C3d) and RA factor distributed lacily similarily to immunoglobulin, but intracytoplasmic positivity is never observed. These coexistent positive sites are identical to DRC-1 positive sites which are the surface of extended processes of FDC membrane. A similar finding is observed in primary follicles or lymphoid aggregates less often than germinal centers. These results indicate that some germinal centers trap the immune complex, including RA factor at least closely related with FDCs, and also RA factor is one of the triggers of antigen as well as developing germinal centers.

Atrial natriuretic factor is released from rat hypothalamus in vitro

In vitro release of atrial natriuretic factor (ANF) from rat hypothalamic fragment during 60 min incubation was studied using a specific and sensitive radioimmunoassay (RIA). The Sephadex G-75 gel filtration profiles of the incubation medium revealed that the majority of released ANF-like immunoreactivity (LI) had a molecular weight same as alpha-atrial natriuretic polypeptide and a small amount of ANF-LI of larger molecular size was also released. The release of ANF was increased by addition of 50 mM KCl and the release by 50 mM KCl was completely suppressed in the presence of 2 mM EGTA, a chelating agent of Ca2+. A23187, a Ca2+ ionophore, at a concentration of 2 X 10(-4) M augmented the release of ANF-LI. These results indicate that hypothalamic ANF is released in a Ca2+-dependent manner like other hypothalamic peptides. This suggests that hypothalamic ANF acts as a neurotransmitter and/or neuromodulator in the hypothalamus and possesses some role in the regulation of pituitary hormone secretion.

Rat atrial natriuretic factor suppresses proopiomelanocortin-derived peptides secretion from both anterior and intermediate lobe cells and growth hormone release from anterior lobe cells of rat pituitary in vitro

Synthetic rat atrial natriuretic factor (ANF) was found to attenuate, in a dose-dependent manner, basal and corticotropin-releasing factor-induced secretion of proopiomelanocortin-derived peptides from cultured anterior and intermediate lobe cells of rat pituitary. ANF was also found to suppress basal and growth hormone-releasing factor-stimulated secretion of growth hormone from anterior lobe cells of rat pituitary. These results, together with reports of the existence of ANF-positive neurons in the hypothalamus and ANF-positive fibers in the median eminence, suggest that hypothalamic ANF is probably involved in the regulation of pituitary hormone secretion, especially that of proopiomelanocortin-derived peptides and growth hormone.

Localization of renal kallikrein-kinin system components in the kidney

In a study using a stop-flow technique in dog kidney, the existence of kallikrein and kinin was recognized in distal tubules. The presence of kininase I was seen in both distal and proximal tubules, and also partly in the distal tubules. The presence of kininase II in the distal tubules was again confirmed by pretreatment with SQ14225. No evidence of kinin formation, however, was obtained in the proximal nephrons in stop-flow method. From these results, it was suggested that kininase I and II localized in proximal tubules may destroy the kinin filtered from glomeruli at the proximal level, while kallikrein and kininogen and also kininase I and II in the distal tubules may regulate the activity of the renal kallikrein-kinin system in the distal nephrons.

The responses of plasma adrenocorticotropin and cortisol to corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH) and cerebrospinal fluid immunoreactive CRH in anorexia nervosa patients

Pituitary-adrenocortical responses to the iv injection of 100 micrograms synthetic ovine corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH) were studied in 13 patients with anorexia nervosa, and the concentrations of immunoreactive CRH in cerebrospinal fluid were measured in 7 of them. Mean basal levels of plasma ACTH and cortisol were 32 +/- 5 pg/ml (+/- SEM) and 21.1 +/- 1.5 micrograms/dl, respectively. The latter value was significantly higher than that in age-matched normal women (P less than 0.005). The mean increments of plasma ACTH and cortisol in response to CRH injection in those 13 patients were 21 +/- 5 pg/ml and 5.3 +/- 1.7 micrograms/dl, respectively, significantly lower than those in normal women (58 +/- 6 pg/ml and 15.3 +/- 7.7 micrograms/dl, respectively; P less than 0.005). When 4 patients were reexamined after weight gains of between 3 and 22 kg, their responses to the CRH injection increased. The mean concentration of immunoreactive CRH in the cerebrospinal fluid of seven patients was 30.8 +/- 3.9 pg/ml (+/- SEM), which was higher than the value of 18.4 +/- 1.1 pg/ml (P less than 0.005) in control subjects with cervical spondylosis. These findings suggest the possibility that hypersecretion of CRH may occur in patients with anorexia nervosa.

The mechanism of the hypotensive effect of captopril (converting enzyme inhibitor) with special reference to the kallikrein-kinin and renin-angiotensin systems

In order to clarify the mechanism of the hypotensive action of captopril, the acute and chronic effects of this drug on the kallikrein-kinin and renin-angiotensin systems were investigated respectively in 14 and 19 patients with hypertension. To determine the acute effect, a dose of 50 mg of captopril was administered once orally. For the chronic effect, 75-300 mg of the drug was administered daily for 14 days. In observations of the acute effect, blood pressure decreased significantly at 30 min. and maximally at 60-180 min. after administration with no change in heart rate. Significant increases in blood kinin levels and plasma renin activity (PRA), and a decrease in plasma angiotensin II levels were also observed. A marked augmentation was also found in urinary kinin excretion, but not in urinary kallikrein excretion. Moreover, the changes in blood pressure significantly correlated negatively with basal PRA, basal plasma angiotensin II and the changes in blood kinin levels, and positively with the changes in plasma angiotensin II. In our study of the chronic effect of captopril, similar changes in blood kinin levels, PRA, plasma angiotensin II levels, blood pressure and heart rate to the acute effect study were observed. Significant correlations of the changes in blood pressure were found negatively with basal PRA, basal plasma angiotensin II levels and the changes in blood kinin levels and positively with the changes in plasma angiotensin II levels. In addition, significant increases in urine volume and urinary sodium excretion occurred following administration of captopril for 14 days, and both increases negatively correlated with the changes in blood pressure.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Acupuncture in the anesthetic management of eye surgery

A study was conducted on twenty-four patients who underwent surgery for retinal detachment as to the clinical effect of acupuncture from the viewpoints of anesthetic dose, intraoperative changes in blood pressure and heart rate, postoperative analgesic state, nausea and vomiting. The patients were divided into two groups: group A, eleven patients receiving neuroleptanesthesia combined with acupuncture analgesia and group N, thirteen patients receiving usual neuroleptanesthesia without acupuncture. A significant difference was found in the dose of fentanyl, used as the narcotic, between group A (0.11 mg) and group N (0.48 mg). No difference was noted in blood pressure between the two groups, but it was high in group N in the postoperative period. There was no difference in heart rate between the two groups. Two patients from group A and five from group N required analgesics in the postoperative period. Nausea and vomiting were encountered in one patient in group A and three in group N. Therefore, it would seem that anesthesia in combination with acupuncture is capable of reducing the required dose of narcotic and offering more comfortable postoperative conditions than usual anesthesia alone.

The method of urinary total kallikrein and prekallikrein measurement, and their urinary excretions in the patients with essential hypertension

The method of measurement for urinary total kallikrein (KAL) and preKAL in human was developed, and daily excretions of urinary total KAL, KAL and preKAL were investigated in patients with essential hypertension. Forty microliter of urine samples were incubated with or without 120 micrograms of chymotrypsin-free trypsin for total KAL or KAL, respectively. KAL was measured with direct radioimmunoassay and kininogenase assay. PreKAL was calculated by the subtraction of KAL from total KAL. The subjects of this study included 7 normotensives (NT) and 8 essential hypertensives (EHT). Daily excretions of total KAL, KAL and preKAL were significantly lower in EHT than those in NT. KAL/total KAL ratio, which reflects the conversion rate from preKAL to KAL in the kidney, was not significantly different between EHT and NT. From these results, it is suggested that decreased urinary KAL excretion in EHT is mainly caused by reduced preKAL production rather than the impaired conversion from preKAL to KAL in the kidney. It is emphasized that this method of measurement for urinary total KAL and preKAL may be a very useful tool for research of the renal kallikrein-kinin system.

Histologic and autoradiographic studies on the forestomach of hamsters treated with 2-tert-butylated hydroxyanisole, 3-tert-butylated hydroxyanisole, crude butylated hydroxyanisole, or butylated hydroxytoluene

The inductions of hyperplasia and neoplastic lesions in the forestomach of Syrian golden hamsters by 2-tert-butylated hydroxyanisole [(2-tert-BHA) CAS: 121-00-6], 3-tert-butylated hydroxyanisole [(3-tert-BHA) CAS: 88-32-4], crude butylated hydroxyanisole [(BHA) CAS: 25013-16-5], and butylated hydroxytoluene [(BHT) CAS: 128-37-0] were compared histopathologically and autoradiographically. In hamsters fed the 2-tert-BHA diet, severe hyperplasia developed from week 4, reaching a maximum level in week 16 of 0.56 cm/10 cm basement membrane (bm), and papillomatous lesions appeared in week 16 (0.13 cm/10 cm bm). In hamsters fed 3-tert-BHA or crude BHA, severe hyperplasia developed from week 1, which reached a maximum level in week 4 of 3.63 cm/10 cm bm with 3-tert-BHA and 5.10 cm/10 with crude BHA; it then decreased. Papillomatous lesions were found in week 3 in hamsters fed 3-tert-BHA and in week 4 in hamsters fed crude BHA; they increased to maximum levels in week 16 of 0.50 cm/10 cm bm with 3-tert-BHA and 0.29 cm/10 cm bm with crude BHA. Mild hyperplasia occurred slightly more often in hamsters fed the BHT diet than in the control group. BHT induced no severe hyperplasia and papillomatous lesions. Changes in the labeling index of the forestomach epithelium paralleled the histologic changes, except in hamsters fed the BHT diet in which no significant increase in the labeling index was observed throughout the experiment. These data suggest that the tumorigenic action of crude BHA on hamster forestomach is largely due to 3-tert-BHA and that BHT does not induce forestomach tumors in hamsters.

Effects of sodium L-ascorbate and related compounds on rat stomach carcinogenesis initiated by N-methyl-N'-nitro-N-nitrosoguanidine

The modifying effects of 3 antioxidants, sodium L-ascorbate (SA), ascorbic acid (AA) and sodium erythorbate (SE) on two-stage gastric carcinogenesis in F344 rats initiated with N-methyl-N'-nitro-N-nitrosoguanidine (MNNG) were investigated. Administration of 5% SE in the diet significantly decreased the incidence of dysplasia of the pylorus and, more marginally the incidence of papilloma of the forestomach, whereas administration of 5% and 1% SA and 5% AA in the diet was not associated with effect. These results suggest that SE exerts a weak inhibitory effect on gastric carcinogenesis.

Dexamethasone-induced changes in morphology and keratin organization of rat thymic epithelial cells in primary culture

Dexamethasone (DM)-induced changes in morphology and keratin organization of rat thymic epithelial cells (TECs) in primary culture were studied. The morphology and keratin organization of TECs were greatly altered by the addition of more than 10 nM DM. In control cultures, small slender cells were predominant and grew faster than cells of other types. Most of them had keratin bundles on day 3, but lost the bundles on day 7. In experimental cultures containing more than 10 nM DM, the morphology of TECs altered to a polygonal form and the TECs formed colonies. They had fine interlacing bundles of keratin filaments all over the cytoplasm, and the bundles were maintained or increased in number with the day of culture. Keratin proteins in TECs treated with 100 nM DM for 7 days were 2-fold for 46 500 D, 4-fold for 49 000 D, 1.7-fold for 52 000 D and 3.5-fold for 55 500 D keratins to those in control TECs, respectively. Growth of TECs was inhibited by the addition of more than 10 nM DM. The effects of DM were reversible to some extent, for the morphology and keratin organization of TECs gradually changed into the control type by the removal of DM. These results suggested that DM greatly involved the growth and differentiation of rat TECs.

Ubiquity of the repetitive epitope of the CS protein in different isolates of human malaria parasites

Sporozoites of the human malaria Plasmodium falciparum and Plasmodium vivax obtained from a large number of endemic areas were screened with species-specific monoclonal antibodies that recognize the repeated epitopes of the respective circumsporozoite (CS) proteins. By using a two-site immunoradiometric assay, it was determined that all the parasite isolates of a given species react with a single monoclonal antibody, indicating the presence of a common repeated epitope. Polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, followed by Western blot, showed that the CS proteins of the various isolates differed in their apparent m.w.

Ubiquity of the repetitive epitope of the CS protein in different isolates of human malaria parasites

Sporozoites of the human malaria Plasmodium falciparum and Plasmodium vivax obtained from a large number of endemic areas were screened with species-specific monoclonal antibodies that recognize the repeated epitopes of the respective circumsporozoite (CS) proteins. By using a two-site immunoradiometric assay, it was determined that all the parasite isolates of a given species react with a single monoclonal antibody, indicating the presence of a common repeated epitope. Polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, followed by Western blot, showed that the CS proteins of the various isolates differed in their apparent m.w.

The inter- and intra-subject variabilities of plasma GH response to human growth hormone-releasing hormone (1-44) NH2 in men

The effects of intravenously given human growth hormone-releasing hormone (1-44) NH2 (hGRH-44) on growth hormone (GH) secretion were studied in normal men. A wide variability of intersubject GH response to hGRH-44 was observed. The peak plasma GH levels in response to 50, 100 and 200 micrograms hGRH-44 in 7 normal men were 9.1 +/- 3.2 ng/ml (Mean + SEM), 19.3 +/- 3.3 ng/ml and 22.4 +/- 4.0 ng/ml, respectively. Both the mean peak values for plasma GH response to 100 and 200 micrograms were significantly greater than that for 50 micrograms hGRH-44 injection (p less than 0.01), although there was no significant difference of the mean peak plasma GH values and mean concentrations at each time point, except for those at 120 min, when 100 or 200 micrograms hGRH-44 was administered. A significant difference in the mean amount of plasma GH secreted in response to hGRH-44 was observed only between 50 and 200 micrograms hGRH-44 injection (p less than 0.01). Furthermore, a dose-related plasma GH increase in response to hGRH-44 was not always observed in each subject. In contrast to the wide intersubject variability, the difference among responses of plasma GH to 100 micrograms or 200 micrograms of hGRH-44 given at multiple times separated by intervals of at least 1 week in each individual was relatively small.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)

The satiety effect of growth hormone-releasing factor in rats

The effect of growth hormone-releasing factor (GRF) on feeding behavior in rats was examined. Starvation-induced feeding was suppressed by intraventricular administration of 1 nmol and 4 nmol of synthetic human GRF (hGRF). Food intake was not affected when the peptide was administered by intraperitoneal injection. Furthermore, centrally administered hGRF also suppressed feeding in hypophysectomized rats. These results suggest that GRF suppression of food intake is mediated through the central nervous system independent of its effect on pituitary growth hormone secretion.

[Clinical studies on cefoxitin in the prevention of postoperative infections and the treatment of postoperative pulmonary and urinary tract infections]

This clinical trial was designed to evaluate the efficacy, safety and patient tolerance of cefoxitin (CFS) in 46 patients who were admitted to the hospitals from June 1983 to April 1984. The daily doses of CFX for 34 patients (ages ranged from 6 to 75 years old) were 2 to 8 g to prevent the infections and for 12 patients (ages ranged from 55 to 81 years old) were 2 to 6 g to treat the infections by intravenous drip infusion 1 or 3 times a day in divided doses. The following results were obtained. All of 34 patients with intracranial operation who received CFX for prevention of postoperative infections showed good results. Of 12 patients with postoperative pneumonia, infections of urinary tract and late meningitis, 11 patients showed good results. One patient was discontinued on the 3 days because of the drug eruption which improved 3 days after. The side effect was noted in only 1 patient. This was eruption which improved 3 days after the stop of the administration. The influences to the laboratory data due to CFX were not recognized. The results of this study demonstrated that CFX was an excellent drug for the prevention and treatment of the postoperative infections in the neurosurgical field because of high efficacy rate and safety.