Characteristic of antinociceptive effect of a tetrapeptide, Asn-Ala-Gly-Ala (NAGA)

The characteristic of the antinociceptive effect of a tetrapeptide, Asn-Ala-Gly-Ala (NAGA), was examined. Intracisternal (i.cist.) administration of NAGA to mice produced dose-dependent and long-lasting antinociceptive effect as evaluated by the hot plate and tail flick methods. NAGA-induced antinociception was reversed by naloxone (2 mg/kg), reserpine (2 mg/kg X 2 d) and alpha-methyl-p-tyrosine (100 mg/kg). NAGA (10 microM) did not significantly affect the actions of opioid peptides on the electrically evoked twitches of the myenteric plexus-longitudinal muscle strips from the guinea-pig esophagus and strips of the mouse vas deferens. NAGA-induced antinociception was scarcely affected by p-chlorophenylalanine (PCPA, 300 mg/kg X 2 d) and methysergide (2 mg/kg). From the above results, it was suggested that the antinociceptive effect of NAGA may involve the participation of endogenous opioid peptides and endogenous catecholamines.

Correlations between proton nuclear magnetic resonance imaging and retrospective histochemical images in experimental cerebral infarction

Evaluation of ischemic brain injury in experimental cerebral infarction in gerbils and rats was performed by means of both proton nuclear magnetic resonance imaging ([1H]NMR-CT) and various histochemical analyses. In vivo nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) imaging was carried out employing saturation recovery, inversion recovery, and spin echo pulse sequences. Spatial resolution of the images was excellent. The ischemic lesions were detected with a remarkable contrast in inversion recovery and spin echo images within a few hours after insult. Those changes in NMR images consistently corresponded with the various retrospective histochemical observations, especially with methods related to brain edema (K+ staining) rather than structural (enzymatic) studies. Calculated T1 and T2 relaxation times indicated the evolution of the edema state in the brain in situ. They correlated excellently with the retrospective water content measurement. As a result, detailed characterization of the edema state induced by cerebral ischemia was possible in vivo using [1H]NMR imaging.

Intranuclear compartmentalization of DNA-dependent RNA polymerases: association of RNA polymerase I with nucleolar organizing chromosomes

The compartmentalization of chromatin-bound RNA polymerases was examined with HeLa chromosomes fractionated according to their size in sucrose/glycerol gradients. There was a good correlation between the enrichment of nucleolus-organizing chromosomes, i.e., D and G group chromosomes, and the level of chromosome-associated RNA polymerase form I activity. A profile of DEAE-Sephadex chromatography of enzymes solubilized from chromosome fractions also supported the view that form I was associated with D and G group chromosomes. The amount of form I associated with unfractionated chromosomes was nearly identical to that of nuclei, indicating that this enzyme is probably quantitatively conserved even when chromatin undergoes extensive condensation. Since the chromatin-bound form I enzyme can be reactivated with heparin, it seems that this enzyme is in the initiated state, probably being bound to rDNA throughout the mitotic cycle. Thus, the absence of rRNA synthesis in mitosis is due to neither unavailability of enzyme to rDNA nor to the release of some factors necessary for transcriptional processes. Form II enzyme was associated uniformly with all chromosome fractions. Taken together, the present findings suggest that the intranuclear compartmentalization of RNA polymerases persists not only in interphase stages, but also in mitosis, during which most other nuclear proteins are released into the cytoplasm.

[Two cases of giant vesical diverticulum in females]

Two rare cases of giant vesical diverticulum without infravesical obstruction in female are presented. The first case, a 58-year-old female, was admitted because of diverticulum with continuous urinary infection, which was diagnosed by urological examinations for hematuria. The second case, a 58-year-old female, was admitted with the diagnosis of diverticulum, which was done by the gynecologist during laparotomy for the suspicion of a right ovarian cyst. Neither patient complained of difficulty in urination in spite of remarkable residual urine and no neurologic abnormalities were detected. The cystograms of the two cases revealed over-goose-egg sized diverticula and vesical capacity was over 800 ml, in both cases. The other urograms and endoscopy showed no evidence of vesical trabeculation or any obstructive changes of bladder neck or urethra in either case. Therefore, mucosal diverticulectomy in the first and total diverticulectomy in the second, was performed for the residual urine. Each surgical specimen showed the muscle layer of the walls. In the post-operative course, urination was improved in spite of the underactive detrusor pattern of the cystometry in the first case. But residual urine volume was not decreased after the operation in the second case. These two cases seem to be congenital vesical diverticulum. But it is hard to rule out the possibility of secondary diverticulum due to neurogenic disorders of urinary bladder.

Comparison of subcellular proteins of normal prostate, benign prostatic hypertrophy, and prostatic cancer: presence of BPH-associated nonhistone proteins

Proteins in the cytosol, postnuclear particulate, and nuclear fractions from seven specimens of normal prostate from bladder cancer patients, 14 specimens of benign hypertrophic prostate (BPH), and three specimens of cancerous prostate were analyzed and compared by SDS-polyacrylamide slab gel electrophoresis. Abundant protein species in the cytosol fractions were 60K (species having a molecular weight of about 60,000) and 42K; their relative contents were about 35% for 60K and about 12% for 42K. In the postnuclear particulate fraction, 42K was the most abundant (about 10% of the total). The contents of these major protein species were similar in specimens of normal and diseased prostates. In addition, there are marked similarities in the electrophoretic patterns for all the protein (24-29 species) in the cytosol and postnuclear particulate fractions of the human prostate, except for four minor species in the cytosol fraction. Of the nuclear proteins, the content of core histones (H2A, H2B, H3, and H4) was fundamentally similar among all the specimens, whereas the content of H1 histone was different from one specimen to another. The most remarkable and significant difference was that the 42K-NHP (nonhistone protein having a molecular weight of about 42,000), 55K-NHP, and 190K-NHP concentrations were significantly higher in BPH than in normal and cancerous prostates.

NMR imaging for magnets with large nonuniformities

Nuclear magnet resonance (NMR) imaging in the presence of large static field nonuniformity is presented. The method involves three steps: field mapping, imaging by a conventional method, and image restoration from nonuniform field influence. Two-dimensional experiments are performed to demonstrate effectiveness of this method, as well as to clarify practical problems in employing the method. Experimental results show that, with this method, images free from distortion can be obtained using a magnet with an order of magnitude greater nonuniformity than magnets commonly used for whole-body imaging.

[A case of giant prostatic hypertrophy]

This report deals with a case of an 82-year-old male with a giant prostate that weighted 270 grams. Retropubic prostatectomy was performed successfully. The removed prostate adenoma consisted of adenomatous hyperplasia on pathology. Though the nomenclature of "giant prostatic hypertrophy" is not clear, we reviewed cases of over 200 grams of hypertrophy so far reported in Japan were as giant prostatic hypertrophy. Twenty two cases of giant prostatic hypertrophy have been reported in the Japanese literature to date and our case was the sixth heaviest ever reported in Japan.

Affinity of chromatin constituents for isopeptidase

Isopeptidase is a novel eukaryotic enzyme that cleaves a structural chromatin protein, A24, stoichiometrically into H2A and ubiquitin. To understand the rapid turnover of ubiquitin in mitosis as well as the high specific activity of the enzyme associated with metaphase chromosomes, attempts were made to determine chromatin constituents that show high affinity for this enzyme. Endogenous protease-free isopeptidase was prepared from calf thymus and applied to a Sepharose 4B affinity column on which histones, DNA, NHCP and ubiquitin were respectively immobilized. The enzyme proved to bind only histones. To further determine which of the histone fractions is involved, affinity columns with each histone fraction were also used. The enzyme showed affinity for all histone fractions. However, the strength of affinity varied in the order H2A greater than H3 greater than H2B greater than or equal to H4 much greater than H1, being inversely correlated with the ratio of basic/acidic amino acids in these molecules. These results suggest that the turnover of A24 in mitosis is controlled, at least in part, by the affinity of enzyme for histones, and also that such affinity is caused by a mechanism which cannot be explained simply by the electrostatic interaction between negatively charged enzyme molecules and positively charged histones.

[Parathyroid carcinoma--a case report and a review of the Japanese literature]

The patient, a 42-year-old female, presented with bone pain and a cervical tumor. The tumor was operated at another hospital under a diagnosis of thyroid adenoma and the bone pain subsequently disappeared. Three years later, a cervical tumor was palpated just under the operative scar; the patient experienced nausea, vomiting. The tumor and the left thyroid lobe were removed and modified radical neck dissection was performed. The histological diagnosis of the resected specimen was parathyroid carcinoma.

Comparative results with various polyclonal B-cell activators in aneuploid chronic lymphocytic leukemia

The mitotic index and number of abnormal metaphases of cells stimulated with the various B-cell polyclonal mitogens (PBA) in six B cell chronic lymphocytic leukemia (B-CLL) cases were evaluated. The PBA included tetradecanoyl-0-phorbol-13-acetate (TPA), staphylococcus bacterial strain Cowan I (Cowan I), pokeweed mitogen (PWM), Epstein-Barr virus (EBV), and lipopolysaccharide W from E. coli 0.55:B5 (LPS). TPA could stimulate only 1 of 12 samples. Even though Cowan I led to a relatively high mitotic index, abnormal clones were inconsistently obtained with this mitogen. PWM, EBV, and LPS appear to be the most desirable activators of B-CLL cells among the PBA used in this study.

Studies on concurrent alpha- and beta-adrenoceptor blocking action of S-596 (arotinolol)

The effects of a therapeutic dose of oral S-596 upon the cardiovascular response to intravenous isoproterenol and noradrenaline were studied in 2 hypertensive and 4 normotensive subjects in order to evaluate the drug's mode of action. After oral administration of S-596, mean blood pressure rose slightly and the heart rate decreased. In addition, cardiac output decreased considerably and total peripheral resistance increased. However pulmonary arterial end-diastolic pressure and right atrial pressure were not affected by S-596 administration. Before S-596, intravenous isoproterenol increased both heart rate and pulse pressure in a dose-dependent manner. Similarly, intravenous noradrenaline increased both systolic and diastolic pressures. Following 15 mg of S-596, the effects of isoproterenol were antagonized such that the cumulative log-dose-response curves of the mean isoproterenol-induced increases in heart rate and reductions in diastolic pressure were shifted in parallel to the right. At the same time, the mean noradrenaline-induced increases in blood pressure were also antagonized in a competitive manner. The mean ratio of alpha- and beta-components was calculated as: (formula: see text) From this result it can be suggested that the alpha-adrenoceptor blockade potency of this drug is approximately one-eight of its beta-adrenoceptor blockade potency.

Clonal chromosome changes in stimulated lymphocytes of untreated human B-cell leukemias

The chromosome constitution of peripheral blood lymphocytes from nine cases of B-cell chronic lymphocytic leukemia and one case of B-cell prolymphocytic leukemia were studied at diagnosis following stimulation by B- and T-cell activators. Chromosome analysis with banding techniques revealed an extra chromosome 12 (trisomy 12) in 4 B-cell chronic lymphocytic leukemia cases and complicated abnormalities, i.e., trisomy 12, 6q-, 14q+, and a translocation between chromosomes 6 and 12, [t(6; 12)] in the prolymphocytic leukemia case. These findings suggest that trisomy 12 is a prototypic change in B-cell leukemia, particularly in B-cell chronic lymphocytic leukemia. Based on sister chromatid exchange studies of unstimulated lymphocytes, it appears that some leukemia cells with a normal karyotype not only divide but also proliferate in vitro.

Hemodynamic effects of dibutyryl cyclic AMP in congestive heart failure

To evaluate the hemodynamic effects of dibutyryl cyclic AMP (DBcAMP) in congestive heart failure (CHF), right-sided cardiac catheterization was performed in 11 patients with CHF, and hemodynamic variables were investigated before and after infusion of various doses of DBcAMP at a rate of 0.025 to 0.2 mg/kg/min (mean 0.14 +/- 0.077 [standard deviation]). DBcAMP reduced total systemic vascular resistance index from 3,171 +/- 1,158 to 1,880 +/- 554 dynes s cm-5 X m2 (mean +/- standard deviation) and pulmonary arterial end-diastolic pressure from 23 +/- 13 to 20 +/- 11 mm Hg, and increased cardiac index from 2.24 +/- 0.60 to 3.41 +/- 1.02 liters/min/m2. Mean arterial blood pressure decreased from 91 +/- 14 to 84 +/- 13 mm Hg, and heart rate increased from 91 +/- 16 to 99 +/- 13 beats/min. The increase in cardiac index was accompanied by a proportional decrease in total systemic vascular resistance index in all patients except 1. In 8 patients the decrease in pulmonary arterial end-diastolic pressure was accompanied by an increase or no change in the left ventricular stroke work index. In 6 patients, DBcAMP was given in incremental doses of 0.05, 0.1, and 0.2 mg/kg/min every 20 minutes, and 5 of 6 patients tolerated the full dose and showed dose-related hemodynamic changes for the incremental doses of DBcAMP. These data suggest that DBcAMP has powerful vasodilating effects on resistance vessels in patients with CHF; hence, it can be a useful vasodilating agent for treatment of CHF.