[Synthesis of 4-[(4-chlorophenyl) (5-fluoro-2-hydroxyphenyl) methylene amino]butyrates and its anticonvulsant activity]

It is known that gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) plays an important role in the pathophysiology of epilepsy. Under physiological conditions it is very difficult for GABA to cross the blood-brain barrier. It is likely that the esters of GABA, Which easily enter the brain, will have useful therapeutic properties. With this in mind, we have designed and synthesized 8 derivatives (IVa to IVh) of gamma-aminobutyric acid with an imine to link a lipophilic carrier in order to facilitate the passage of gamma-aminobutyric acid to cross the blood-brain barrier. All the eight synthesized title compounds were evaluated as anticonvulsants in mice via the Antiepileptic Drug Development Program of NIH. The compounds IVb and IVf showed anticonvulsant activity.

[The phase analyses of radionuclide angiographic images in patients with right bundle branch block, left bundle branch block and Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome]

The phase analysis of the radionuclide angiographic images in normal subjects, RBBB, LBBB, WPW syndrome of 21, 23, 10, 17 cases respectively was reported. The results of the abnormal conduction groups showed that the parameters of the mean phase angle were delayed as compared with that in the normal group. The mean phase angles were 52.6 +/- 13.4 degrees in the normal group and 85.7 +/- 24.8 degrees, 84.5 +/- 17.4 degrees, 70.0 +/- 40.5 degrees, 78.3 +/- 35.6 degrees in the RBBB, LBBB, WPW-A and WPW-B groups respectively. There was a significant difference between the normal and abnormal conduction groups except for the WPW-A group. Furthermore, the sequential activation of cardiac wall showing the abnormal cardiac conduction could be seen by this method. It seems that phase analysis may be taken as a good noninvasive and adjunctive method for the evaluation of patients with WPW syndrome.

The reverse-flow posterior tibial artery island flap: anatomic study and 72 clinical cases

Based on anatomic, dye injection, and angiography observations since 1984, 72 patients with tissue defects of the foot (due to injury or surgery) have been reconstructed using a reverse-flow posterior tibial artery island flap. In the 72 patients, etiology has included extensive crushing (40 patients), burn scars (10 patients), and tissue loss following tumor or chronic ulcer resection (22 patients). Only two flaps developed necrosis. The survival rate was 97.2 percent, including seven cases of distal marginal necrosis. This procedure, therefore, offers a useful alternative in the repair and reconstruction of extensive tissue defects in the foot, whether caused by accidental injury or surgery.

Efficient plant regeneration from rice protoplasts in general medium

We established an efficient and reproducible procedure for protoplast propagation and fertile plant regeneration of rice (Oryza sativa L.) cultivars Nipponbare and Taipei 309. Selection of scutellum-derived secondary calli, the use of General medium and nurse culture were all found to be critical in the procedure. When 5 basal media (Murashige and Skoog, RY-2, modified R2, Amino Acid and General media) were compared, suspension callus growth rate, protoplast yield and plating efficiency were all about 30% higher in General medium than in the second-best R2 medium. Only one month was required to develop suspension cultures for protoplast isolation using General medium. A plating efficiency as high as 17% and a plant regeneration frequency of 67% were achieved by the improved procedure. Agronomic traits of protoplast- and seed-derived plants were found to be similar.

A polyethylene glycol-mediated protoplast transformation system for production of fertile transgenic rice plants

We have established an efficient procedure for protoplast transformation and regeneration of fertile transgenic plants of rice (Oryza sativa L.) cultivars Nipponbare and Taipei 309. Protoplasts were mixed with a plant-expressible hygromycin resistance gene and treated with 25% (w/v) polyethylene glycol. Stringent selection of transformed colonies was applied to 14-day-old regenerated protoplasts in the presence of 95 micromolar of hygromycin B for 12 days. After selection, 450 and 200 resistant colonies were recovered per million treated Taipei 309 and Nipponbare protoplasts, respectively. Southern hybridization analysis of hygromycin-resistant cell lines and regenerated plants indicated that 1 to 10 copies of transferred DNA were integrated at 1 to 4 loci of the rice genome. Southern DNA analysis suggests that the introduced plasmid DNA may form concatemers by intermolecular recombination prior to integration. Four Taipei 309 and 39 Nipponbare transgenic rice plants were regenerated and grown to maturity in the greenhouse. Two Taipei 309 and 35 Nipponbare plants set viable seeds. Agronomic traits of Taipei 309 transgenic plants and inheritance of the hygromycin resistance trait by progeny of the selfed transgenic plants were analyzed.

Sensory nerve endings in puborectalis and anal region: normal findings in the newborn and changes in anorectal anomalies

This study was carried out in five full-term newborn babies and 11 patients with anorectal anomalies (five of whom had high deformity, five had intermediate, and one had low), using the modified Bielschowsky method. The following four kinds of sensory nerve ending were found: muscle spindle in the puborectalis and the external anal sphincter, Pacinian corpuscle in the plane between the internal anal sphincter and the external anal sphincter and in the presacral space, globular ending in the presacral space, and free nerve ending in the epithelium of the anal canal and in the perianal skin. It was found that there were significantly fewer muscle spindles in the puborectalis and many fewer Pacinian corpuscles and globular endings in the presacral space of high and intermediate deformities than normal. No spindle was found in the external sphincteric muscles of the deformities. On the other hand, the Pacinian corpuscles and the globular endings of high and intermediate deformities lagged behind normal in development. The densities of the nerve bundles in the subepidermis and the nerve fibers in the dermis of perineal region in high and intermediate deformities were much lower than normal, and the decrease in density corresponded to the levels of the rectal pouch. The observation showed that the agenesis of sensory nerve endings in the puborectalis and the anal region was one of the most significant pathological features in high and intermediate types of anorectal anomalies, and might be responsible for the abnormalities of the reflex of the anal sphincter and the anal sensation in such patients.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

A comparative autoradiographic study demonstrating differential intratumor localization of monoclonal antibodies to cell surface (Lym-1) and intracellular (TNT-1) antigens

Autoradiography was utilized to explore the patterns of distribution of two different monoclonal antibodies (Lym-1 and TNT-1) in tumor-bearing nude mice. Lym-1 is an antibody against a cell surface B-cell antigen. In comparison, TNT-1 represents a novel approach and is an antibody against an intracellular (nuclear) antigen that is selectively revealed in degenerating tumor cells. Experimentally iodine-125-(125I) labeled Lym-1 or TNT-1 was injected intravenously into nude mice bearing either the Raji lymphoma or the ME-180 human cervical carcinoma. Qualitative autoradiographic analyses performed after injection revealed that Lym-1 accumulated at the periphery of the target tumor where vascular permeability is marked and where Lym-1 positive cells are first encountered. By contrast, TNT-1 lost its initial peripheral distribution and demonstrated progressive concentration in the center of the tumor where binding to its nuclear antigen is facilitated by the presence of cell degeneration and necrosis. These studies confirm the ability of TNT-1 to bind areas deep within tumor that traditionally are considered inaccessible to antibodies administered for imaging and therapy.

[Comparison of birth defects prevalence rates between hospital and community based surveillance data]

Birth defects surveillance (BDS) data of Cangzhou area, Hebei province in 1986 was studied to compare the prevalence rate from hospital based data (HBD) with that from community based data (CBD). Of 7,742 total births, 4,245 (55%) were born in the county hospitals and above, and 3,497 (45%) in the township hospitals and homes. The birth defects prevalence rate (BDPR) from HBD was 30.9 per 1,000 total births, while that from CBD was 10.5 per 1,000 total births. The difference was statistically significant (P less than 0.05). It was found that the higher BDPR from HBD was associated with the greater percentage of high risk pregnancies who delivered at the hospitals and who had higher risk of birth defects. The relationship of BDPRs between HBD and CBD, and others potential related factors need to be further studied.

Function and localization of high and low affinity binding sites to muscarinic receptors in longitudinal and circular smooth muscles of human stomach

The contractile response to acetylcholine (ACh) and the binding of [3H]-quinuclidinyl benzilate [( 3H]QNB) to muscarinic receptors in both longitudinal and circular muscles were examined in fundus, body and antrum of human stomach which was obtained by surgical operation for gastric cancer or ulcer. The values of pD2 and pA2 for ACh and atropine, respectively, on longitudinal muscle of fundus were similar to those of body but were larger than those of antrum. On the other hand, the values of pD2 and pA2 on circular muscles were not different among fundus, body, and antrum and were similar to those on longitudinal muscle of antrum. By Scatchard analysis of receptor binding of [3H]QNB in homogenate, at least two subclasses of binding sites, i.e. high and low affinity sites, were observed in fundus and body, while only high affinity binding site was found in antrum. Thus, we conclude that there are at least two subclasses of muscarinic receptors which regulate the contraction of smooth muscle in different regions of human stomach.

Regulatory elements of the human vimentin gene: activation during proliferation

We investigated the constitution of the vimentin regulatory region through the use of cloned deletion mutants and the nucleotide sequence analysis in order to determine the elements which are implicated in the various physiological stimulations. We report that the vimentin promoter is constituted of a juxtaposition of at least 20 different putative regulatory elements illustrating the molecular tinkering theory. Fifty-eight motifs were found, representing 20 different sequences. Each of these mini-elements displays a consensus sequence homologous to or closely related to that found in regulatory regions of different genes correlated with processes of cell activation and proliferation.

Angled side wall microarteriotomy scissors: a new end-to-side microvascular anastomosis instrument

Creation of a smooth side wall arteriotomy for an end-to-side microsurgical anastomosis can at times be difficult and time consuming. To facilitate this maneuver, a new end-to-side microarteriotomy scissor was designed for creation of recipient vessel openings from 0.5-2 mm in size. These new scissors and their recommended use are described.

[Comparative study on the reflex responses of carotid and aortic baroreceptors in the rabbit]

In 81 anesthetized rabbits, the baroreflex control of heart rate (HR), hind-limb vascular resistance (HVR) and renal sympathetic nerve activity (RSNA) was observed during arterial baroreceptor loading and unloading by intravenously injecting phenylephrine (PE) and nitroprusside (NP). The results were as follows: (1) An increase of arterial pressure with PE caused reduction in HR, HVR and RSNA, while a decrease of arterial pressure with NP evoked opposite responses. These reflex responses were reproducible. (2) By either carotid baroreceptor denervation (CBRX) or aortic baroreceptor denervation (ABRX), the reflex changes of HR induced by injecting PE and NP were impaired (P less than 0.01), while the reflex responses in HVP remained unchanged. Despite of the enhanced basal RSNA following ABRX or CBRX, the magnitude of reflex inhibition in RSNA during injecting NP was similar to that before denervation, whereas that of the reflex excitation in RSNA during injecting NP was reduced (P less than 0.05). (3) After complete sino-aortic denervation (SAD), the change of arterial pressure following PE or NP injection was enhanced, but the reflex changes in HR, HVR and RSNA were significantly diminished (P less than 0.001). (4) Vagotomy abolished the residual reflex changes observed after SAD. The results indicate that the aortic and carotid baroreceptors may regulate HR in a simple additive manner, while the aortic baroreceptor seems to be more important. Furthermore, both the aortic and carotid baroreceptors may play important roles for the reflex control of HVR and RSNA, and operate mutually by the way of inhibitory summation.

[Arterial baroreflex in the renal hypertensive rabbits]

In 14 anesthetized male rabbits subjected bilateral renal wrapping 12 weeks before, the baroreflex control of heart rate (HR), hindlimb vascular resistance (HVR) and renal sympathetic nerve activity (RSNA) was examined during arterial baroreceptor loading and unloading by injecting phenylephrine (PE) and nitroprusside (NP). The results were as follows: (1) The mean arterial pressure (131 +/- 9 mmHg) of the kidney-wrapped rabbits was significantly higher than that (95 +/- 10 mmHg) of the control rabbits (P less than 0.001). (2) With the buffer nerves intact, the baroreflex control of HR was obviously impaired in the hypertensive rabbits (P less than 0.01), whereas the reflex control of HVR and RSNA remained unchanged as compared with the normotensive rabbits (P greater than 0.05), indicating a dissociation of baroreflex control of HR from that of peripheral circulation. However, in response to local intraarterial injection of PE and NP, the changes in HVR showed no difference between the hypertensive and normotensive rabbits. (3) After aortic or carotid baroreceptor denervation, the reflex control of HR was further reduced in the hypertensive rabbits, and the reflex control of HVR and RSNA was also significantly reduced (P less than 0.01), suggesting an impairment of potential baroreflex regulation of the circulation. It is likely that the changes of baroreflex in hypertensive rabbits may be attributed to the abnormalities in both baroreceptor and central integrating mechanism.

Evidence for ligand-induced conformational changes in proteins from phosphorescence spectroscopy

Phosphorescence spectroscopy on mouse myeloma IgA J539 in rigid solution at 77K revealed the type of anomalous short-lived component in the tryptophan decay originally observed with lysozyme (Churchich, J.E., 1966. Biochim. Biophys. Acta. 120:406-412) and seen in a large number of Bence Jones proteins (Longworth, J.W., C.L. McLaughlin, and A. Solomon. 1976. Biochemistry. 15:2953-2958). The decay time of the anomalous component that results from the interaction between tryptophan side chains and disulfide linkages in proteins was observed to significantly lengthen in J539 in response to binding of a galactan antigen. With hen egg-white lysozyme in which the type of fluorescence enhancement on ligand binding seen with J539 has also been observed, phosphorescence measurements revealed a similar lengthening of the decay time of the disulfide-induced anomalous component in the tryptophan decay. These perturbations are interpreted as ligand-induced changes to the tryptophan-disulfide proximities that have been shown to exist in these structures. Given the short-range nature of the disulfide perturbation (see following article) the observations suggest, in particular when combined with x-ray crystallographic data, that phosphorescence decay-time measurements of disulfide perturbations can serve as a sensitive spectroscopic indicator of subtle conformational changes in immunoglobulins and other tryptophan-disulfide containing proteins.