Different effect of cyclosporin A on arthritides induced by a muramyl dipeptide analogue or the complete adjuvant in rats

Muramyl dipeptide-Lys(L18) given by daily subcutaneous injection for 14 days induced arthritis in male Lewis, Fischer and nude rats, to a lesser degree in the last two than in the first strain. On the other hand, a single intradermal administration of Freund's complete adjuvant induced arthritis in Lewis and Fischer but not nude rats. Cyclosporin A (CsA) co-administered for 14 days markedly exacerbated the muramyl dipeptide-Lys(L18) induced arthritis (MIA) in rats of all three strains, but completely blocked the development of the adjuvant induced arthritis (AIA) in Lewis rats. Furthermore, AIA was transferred to recipient Lewis rats through spleen cells obtained from the donors with AIA, whereas MIA was not. Antibodies against type II collagen and DNA were not detected in sera from MIA or AIA rats. These data show a clear difference between MIA and AIA in the pattern of development of arthritis and suggest that delayed hypersensitivity reactions may be involved in the pathogenetic mechanisms of AIA, but not in MIA.

[Allergic bronchopulmonary aspergillosis successfully treated with itraconazole]

A 67-year-old man was admitted to our hospital because of coughing, a low-grade fever, and abnormal shadows on a chest X-ray film. He had had asthma as a child, but had no asthmatic symptoms on admission. A CT scan showed collapse of the right middle lobe and mucoid impactions in the lingula. Bronchoscopy revealed thick mucus obstructing the right middle-lobe bronchus and the left upper-lobe bronchus. The eosinophil count and the IgE level were abnormally high. Aspergillus fumigatus was detected in his sputum. Tests for immediate skin reaction and precipitating antibody to aspergillus antigen were positive. After treatment with itraconazole he became asymptomatic. Radiographic abnormalities had resolved by 1 month after the start of treatment; a high resolution CT scan obtained after clinical improvement revealed central bronchiectasis. In this patient with allergic bronchopulmonary aspergillosis, a course of itraconazole alone was followed by satisfactory improvement.

[Clinical evaluation of sustained release preparations of cefaclor in dental infections. Comparative double blind clinical studies of sustained release preparations with a regular preparation of cefaclor]

In vitro viable cell count studies of sustained release preparations of cefaclor (CCL) conclude that the mixture of nonenteric and enteric coated granules of CCL in the ratio of 4 to 6 is the most appropriate form (4:6 form) for the sustained release preparation of CCL. In order to clinically confirm the above conclusion, comparative double blind clinical studies of 3 mixtures forms (2:8, 4:6 and 6:4 forms) with a regular preparation (CCL form) were conducted in dental infections regarding efficacy, safety, and usefulness of the 4 forms. Evaluable cases for efficacy and usefulness were 364 in total (96 cases for the 2:8 form group, 89 cases for the 4:6 form group, 89 cases for the 6:4 form group, and 90 cases for the CCL form group). Evaluable cases for safety were 404 cases in total (102 for the 2:8 form, 100 for the 4:6 form, 102 for the 6:4 form, and 100 for the CCL form). Daily dose of the 3 forms of sustained release preparations was 375 mg b.i.d. after breakfast and dinner and that of the CCL form 250 mg t.i.d. after breakfast, lunch and dinner. Following are the results of the clinical studies: There were no significant differences among the 4 patient-groups (2:8 form, 4:6 form, 6:4 form, and CCL form) regarding background factors of the patients and findings of their subjective and objective symptoms before the initiation of the administration, and it was therefore confirmed that there were no problems in conducting the comparative double blind clinical studies. Overall clinical effective rate determined by the efficacy evaluation criteria of the Japanese society of oral surgery (JSOS) were 89.5% at day 3 and 94.8% at day 5 in the 2:8 form group, 87.4% at day 3 and 95.5% at day 5 in the 4:6 form group, 86.4% at day 3 and 91.0% at day 5 in the 6:4 form group, and 93.3% at day 3 and 96.7% at day 5 in the CCL form group. The effective rate determined by the physicians who actually treated the patients were 84.4% in the 2:8 form group, 87.6% in the 4:6 form group, 84.1% in the 6:4 form group, and 87.8% in the CCL form group. In both judgments by the efficacy evaluation criteria of JSOS and the physicians, there were no significant differences among the 4 forms regarding overall clinical efficacy.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)

Five candidate genes for hamster cardiomyopathy did not map to the cardiomyopathy locus by FISH analysis

The Syrian cardiomyopathic hamster (BIO14.6), that develops both muscular dystrophy and progressive cardiomyopathy, is widely used as an animal model of autosomal recessive cardiomyopathy mimicking human hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, and five genes have been proposed as strong candidates for the cause of cardiomyopathy. We recently mapped the cardiomyopathy locus of the hamster to the centromeric region of chromosome 9qa2.1-b1 by construction of a genetic linkage map of the Syrian hamster. Thus, we analyzed the loci of the five candidate genes, alpha tropomyosin, cardiac troponin T, adhalin, calpain 3 and cardiac myosin binding protein-C, by the FISH method, and found that these genes were mapped on the distal portion of chromosome 12qa5 and 4pa2 and the proximal portion of chromosomes 9qb7, 1qc1.1 and 1qb3, respectively. These results provide strong evidence that the five candidate genes previously proposed are not related to the hamster cardiomyopathy.

One-month oral toxicity study of the new quinolone antibacterial agent (S)-10-[(S)-(8-amino-6-azaspiro[3,4]octan-6-yl)-9-fluoro-2,3-dihydro-3- methyl-7-oxo-7H-pyrido [1,2,3-de] [1,4] benzoxazine-6-carboxylic acid hemihydrate in rats and cynomolgus monkeys

One-month oral toxicity of (S)-10-[(S)-(8-amino-6-azaspiro[3,4] octan-6-yl)]-9-fluoro-2,3-dihydro-3-methyl-7-oxo-7H-pyrido[1,2,3-de] [1,4]benzoxazine-6-carboxylic acid hemihydrate (CAS 151390-79-3, DV-7751a) a new quinolone antibacterial agent was investigated in Sprague-Dawley rats at doses of 12.5, 50, 200 and 800 mg/kg/d and in cynomolgus monkeys at 10, 30 and 100 mg/kg/d. Rats receiving 200 mg/ kg showed abnormal urine crystals, enhanced deposition of lipid in hepatocytes and exacerbation of osteochondrotic lesions in the femoral condyle. In addition, dosing at 800 mg/kg induced decrease in body weight gain and increased levels of serum alkaline phosphatase (ALP), cholinesterase, leucine aminopeptidase and total cholesterol. Monkeys receiving 100 mg/kg showed abnormal urine crystals and increases in serum glutamic oxaloacetic transaminase, glutamic pyruvic transaminase and ALP levels. The non-toxic doses of DV-7751a in rats and monkeys were 50 and 30 mg/kg, respectively, under the present experimental conditions.

Application of a spray drying technique in the production of TRH-containing injectable sustained-release microparticles of biodegradable polymers

Copoly (dl-lactic/glycolic acid) microparticles for sustained release of a water-soluble drug (Thyrotropin releasing hormone: TRH) were prepared by a spray drying method. A higher entrapment ratio was achieved with the spray drying method with the in-water drying method. In order to avoid agglomeration of the microparticles, a double-nozzle spray drying method was designed using mannitol as an anti-adherent. The surface of the spray-dried microparticles was coated with mannitol, and the extent of agglomeration was decreased. Acetonitrile was the most suitable solvent for microencapsulation using the double-nozzle spray drying method because the initial burst of TRH from the microparticles during the first day was the smallest. When PLGA with a weight-average molecular weight of 14,000 was used, constant release of TRH continued for one month with a small initial burst. In conclusion, the production of biodegradable microparticles by the double-nozzle spray drying method appears to be an attractive alternative to conventional microencapsulation methods.

Coupling of the expressed cannabinoid CB1 and CB2 receptors to phospholipase C and G protein-coupled inwardly rectifying K+ channels

Signaling of the cannabinoid CB1 and CB2 receptors through phospholipase C (PLC) and G protein-coupled inwardly rectifying K+ channels (GIRK) was studied after their expression in COS7 cells and Xenopus oocytes. The CB1 or CB2 receptor was co-expressed with alpha subunits of the Galphaq family (Galphaq, Galpha11, Galpha14, Galpha15 and Galpha16) in COS7 cells. Receptor-dependent activation of PLC was observed after co-expressing the CB1 receptor with Galpha14, Galpha15 or Galpha16 but not with Galphaq or Galpha11. Co-expression of Gbeta1 and Ggamma2 abolished the activation, indicating that the activation was mediated by Galpha. PLC activation was not observed when the CB2 receptor was expressed alone or co-expressed with any of the above Galpha subunits. Coupling to GIRK was observed with both CB1 and CB2 receptors after expression in Xenopus oocytes. Significantly larger currents were induced when the receptor was co-expressed with both GIRK1 and GIRK4 than with either GIRK alone. Co-expression of Galpha transducin with the receptor significantly reduced the K+ currents, indicating that GIRK activation was mediated by Gbetagamma but not by Galpha. These findings suggest two new signaling pathways for the cannabinoid receptors.

T cell regulatory disturbances in the rheumatic diseases

Significant immunoregulatory abnormalities have been described in both SLE and RA. In SLE, deficient suppressor T cell activity may result from depletion of CD8+ suppressor precursors, depletion of CD4+ suppressor-inducer cells, or impaired lymphokine production and deficient CD4+ cell activation of suppression by CD4+ cells. The net result is an apparent failure to inhibit antibody synthesis. The defects in RA are less well defined, although in RA there also is evidence that either deficient suppression or deficient suppression-induction plays a role in the pathogenesis of disease. There is evidence for local lymphocyte activation in the synovium, with possibly impaired local immunoregulation. However, the precise nature of the immune reactions in the synovium and their relationship to systemic immunoregulatory abnormalities remain unclear.

[Mechanism of hepatocarcinogenesis by hepatitis B virus]

The X gene product of hepatitis B virus (HBV) has a trans-activation function. The AP-1, AP-2, kappa B-like, and C/EBP-like sequences, and the 26-bp element in HBV enhancer were identified as X-responsive elements. Although the X protein possesses a transcriptional activation domain, it doesn't bind to the X-responsive elements. However, CREB/ATF-2 becomes able to bind to a CRE-related sequence in the 26-bp element once it complexes with X protein. In addition, X protein was shown to have amino acid sequences homologous to the essential domain of Kunitz-type serine protease inhibitors and directly interacted with the protease, tryptase TL2. Results suggest that X protein modulates the tryptase TL2 activity, which may be involved in the proteolytic cleavage of cellular transcription factors.