[Treatment with percutaneous transluminal balloon venoplasty for superior vena cava syndrome after permanent pacemaker implantation]

Superior vena cava (SVC) syndrome after transvenous implantation of a permanent pacemaker is relatively uncommon. We present a woman whose neck and face became swollen two years after implantation of a two-chamber pacemaker. Computed tomography and digital subtraction angiography revealed severe SVC stenosis. Percutaneous transluminal venoplasty (PTV) was performed to relieve the stenosis. PTV was effective to improve the swelling of her neck and face. PTV seems to be a good method to relieve SVC stenosis after implantation of a pacemaker.

Amino acid sequence of spinach ferredoxin:thioredoxin reductase catalytic subunit and identification of thiol groups constituting a redox-active disulfide and a [4Fe-4S] cluster

Ferredoxin:thioredoxin reductase is a [4Fe-4S] protein involved in the light regulation of carbon metabolism in oxygenic photosynthesis. This enzyme catalyses the reduction of thioredoxins with light-generated electrons. Ferredoxin:thioredoxin reductase is composed of two dissimilar subunits, a catalytic subunit, and a variable subunit. The catalytic subunit of spinach ferredoxin:thioredoxin reductase, which contains the redox-active disulfide bridge, was sequenced by conventional protein sequencing techniques and the functional roles of all eight cysteine residues were examined by chemical modifications. The polypeptide chain with a calculated molecular mass of 12,959 Da consists of 113 amino acids and has a calculated isoelectric point of 5.30. Six of the eight cysteine residues are clustered as Cys-Pro-Cys and Cys-His-Cys groups. Cys19 and Cys27 are free cysteines with no catalytic function, Cys54 and Cys84 constitute the redox-active disulfide bridge of the active site, and the remaining four, Cys52, Cys71, Cys73, and Cys82 bind the Fe-S cluster.

Crystallization and preliminary crystallographic analysis of a 2,3-dihydroxybiphenyl dioxygenase from Pseudomonas sp. strain KKS102 having polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB)-degrading activity

Crystals have been obtained for a 2,3-dihydroxybiphenyl dioxygenase (conventionally called BphC) from a polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB)-degrader, Pseudomonas sp. strain KKS102. The crystals were grown using both ammonium sulfate and MPD as the precipitating agents. The crystals belonged to a tetragonal space group (I422) and diffracted to 2.5 A.

Advantage of combined treatment of CPT-11 and 5-fluorouracil

The combined chemotherapy of SN-38, active metabolite of CPT-11, and 5-FU in vitro was examined using human cell lines and primarily cultured cells obtained at surgery. The percent survival of the Suit-2 cell line treated with a single modality of SN-38 at the concentration of 0.95-61 nM was 70% to 86%, while, when treated with SN-38 and 5-FU, the percent survival of these cells decreased at even 1 microM of 5-FU. The enhanced ratios (percent survival at 0 nM SN-38/percent survival at 61 nM SN-38) at 1 microM and 4 microM of 5-FU were 1.56 and 1.33, respectively. The enhanced ratio became lower when the concentration of 5-FU was increased. When topoisomerase I activity in Suit-2 cells incubated with 5-FU was examined, 5-FU at a high dose (> or = 4 microM) in the medium caused a strong inhibition of the relaxation of Suit-2 DNA by topoisomerase I, but 5-FU at low dose (< or = 2 microM) barely inhibited topoisomerase I activity. These results indicated that topoisomerase I synthesis in the Suit-2 cell line might be suppressed by a high dose of 5-FU in the medium but not by a clinically achievable level of 5-FU. The cancer cells obtained from clinical cancer tissues were treated with these drugs at a clinically achievable dose in the medium. Judging from the results of a sensitivity test, in 7 out of 10 cases, the percent survivals under the combined treatment were lower than those estimated under the single modality treatment. Therefore, by the addition of 5-FU, the antitumor effect of CPT-11 would seem to be further enhanced.

Cytotoxicity of CPT-11 for gastrointestinal cancer cells cultured on fixed-contact-sensitive plates

The cytotoxicity of SN-38, the major metabolite of CPT-11 (7-ethyl-10-[4-(1-piperidino)-1- piperidino]carbonyloxycamptothecin, was compared among gastrointestinal carcinomas of every organ, and between primary and metastatic lesions of every organ-originated gastrointestinal carcinoma, by an in vitro anticancer drug sensitivity test using fixed-contact-sensitive plates. The rates of cases having a high response (percent survival 75% or lower) to SN-38 but a low response (percent survival above 75%) to cisplatin, mitomycin C (MMC), adriamycin (ADM) and 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) were 14.6, 19.4, 15.6 and 27.0%, respectively. While, the rates of cases having a high response to cisplatin, MMC, ADM and 5-FU but a low response to SN-38 were 7.3, 2.8, 9.4 and 13.5%, respectively. Each of the former rates were higher than each of the latter rates. In particular, the former rate for MMC was significantly higher than the latter rate (p = 0.04). Two cases with colon cancer showed a high response only to SN-38. The percent survival of primary lesions in colon cancer was significantly lower than that in stomach cancer. The rates of hepatocellular carcinoma cases having a high response to SN-38 but a low response to cisplatin, MMC, ADM and 5-FU were 16.7, 16.7, 0 and 25%, respectively. Only one case had a high response to 5-FU but a low response to SN-38. The percent survival of metastatic lesions in pancreatic cancer was significantly lower than that of primary lesions. From this study, we recommend the further clinical trial of CPT-11 for colon and hepato-cellular cancers.

Role of cathepsin B as prorenin processing enzyme in human kidney

Renin is synthesized from an inactive precursor, prorenin, through cleavage at a pair of basic amino acids catalyzed by prorenin processing enzyme (PPE). A lysosomal protease, cathepsin B, has been suggested to be a strong candidate for PPE. However, there still remains a possibility that other protease(s) can also catalyze prorenin processing. We studied the subcellular distribution of PPE in human renal cortex using pure recombinant prorenin as a PPE assay substrate. PPE and renin activities, and cathepsin B activity and protein were colocalized in the lysosomal fraction. The PPE activity was completely inhibited by a cathepsin B specific inhibitor, CA074. Taken together with the immunohistochemical data showing that cathepsin B and PPE are colocalized in dense secretory granules of juxtaglomerular cells of kidney, we conclude that cathepsin B is the authentic PPE in human kidney.

Effects of aprindine on electrophysiological properties of the atrial muscle in man

The effects of aprindine on atrial vulnerability were studied in 11 patients; 9 with paroxysmal atrial fibrillation (PAF), and 2 with Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome, aged 19 to 69 (55.9 +/- 16.5; mean +/- SD). Before and 10 min after the intravenous injection of aprindine (1.5 mg/kg), programmed extrastimulation was performed from the right atrial appendage. Atrial vulnerability was assessed by evaluating the repetitive atrial firing zone (RAFZ), conduction delay zone (CDZ), maximum conduction delay (Max. CD) and fragmented atrial activity zone (FAAZ). After the injection, the duration of the P wave and QTc interval was significantly prolonged without any change in blood pressure or heart rate. RAF was observed in 8 patients under control conditions. However, after the injection of aprindine, the RAFZ completely disappeared in 2 patients, was narrowed in 4, and became wider in 1. AF was induced in the remaining patient. The zone significantly reduced (p < 0.01) without any change in CDZ or Max. CD. While FAA was observed in 5 patients under control conditions, it completely disappeared in 2 patients, was narrowed in 1, and did not change in the remaining 7 after the injection of aprindine. In patients whose RAFZ narrowed after administration of aprindine, the wavelength, as determined from the atrial effective refractory period and conduction velocity, was augmented. These results indicate that aprindine suppresses atrial vulnerability with an augmentation of the wavelength. However aprindine exaggerated atrial vulnerability in some patients, such that atrial fibrillation was induced.

Characterization of biphenyl catabolic genes of gram-positive polychlorinated biphenyl degrader Rhodococcus sp. strain RHA1

Rhodococcus sp. strain RHA1 is a gram-positive polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) degrader which can degrade 10 ppm of PCB48 (equivalent to Aroclor1248), including tri-, tetra-, and pentachlorobiphenyls, in a few days. We isolated the 7.6-kb EcoRI-BamHI fragment carrying the biphenyl catabolic genes of RHA1 and determined their nucleotide sequence. On the basis of deduced amino acid sequence homology, we identified six bph genes, bphA1A2A3A4, bphB, and bphC, that are responsible for the initial three steps of biphenyl degradation. The order of bph genes in RHA1 is bphA1A2A3A4-bphC-bphB. This gene order differs from that of other PCB degraders reported previously. The amino acid sequences deduced from the RHA1 bph genes have a higher degree of homology with the tod genes from Pseudomonas putida F1 (49 to 79%) than with the bph genes of Pseudomonas sp. strains KF707 and KKS102 (30 to 65%). In Escherichia coli, bphA gene activity was not observed even when expression vectors were used. The activities of bphB and bphC, however, were confirmed by observing the transformation of biphenyl to a meta-cleavage compound with the aid of benzene dioxygenase activity that complemented the bphA gene activity (S. Irie, S. Doi, T. Yorifuji, M. Takagi, and K. Yano, J. Bacteriol. 169:5174-5179, 1987). The expected products of the cloned bph genes, except bphA3, were observed in E. coli in an in vitro transcription-translation system. Insertion mutations of bphA1 and bphC of Rhodococcus sp. strain RHA1 were constructed by gene replacement with cloned gene fragments.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Sudden death, impaired glucose tolerance, and diabetes in Japanese American men

BACKGROUND

Diabetes and glucose intolerance have been shown to increase the risk of cardiovascular mortality in a number of different populations. Most studies have been based on short follow-up periods, and few have had sufficient numbers to allow researchers to look at sudden death as an outcome.

METHODS AND RESULTS

The relation of sudden death, defined as unexpected death occurring within either 1 or 24 hours of first symptoms, to glucose intolerance measured by a nonfasting 1-hour postload measurement made in 1965 or history of diabetes was examined by use of 23 years of follow-up on the 8006 participants enrolled in the Honolulu Heart Program. After adjustment for baseline body mass index, hypertension, cholesterol, triglycerides, smoking, alcohol consumption, and left ventricular hypertrophy or strain, the relative risks for sudden death within 24 hours in individuals with high-normal (151 to 224 mg/dL), asymptomatic high glucose values (> or = 225 mg/dL), and diabetes compared with those with lower glucose values (< 151 mg/dL) were 1.59, 2.22, and 2.76, respectively. All these relative risks were statistically significant (P < or = .05). Trends for sudden death in 1 hour were similar. Among men with sudden death < 1 hour after onset of symptoms, the strength of the association between diabetes and sudden death was stronger among those classified as having died of unknown causes who thus were more likely to have died of an arrhythmia than among those classified as having died of coronary heart disease.

CONCLUSIONS

The relations seen in these analyses indicate that individuals with glucose intolerance or diagnosed diabetes are at increased risk for sudden death.

Replication factor encoded by a putative oncogene, set, associated with myeloid leukemogenesis

DNA replication of the adenovirus genome complexed with viral core proteins is dependent on the host factor designated template activating factor I (TAF-I) in addition to factors required for replication of the naked genome. Recently, we have purified TAF-I as 39- and 41-kDa polypeptides from HeLa cells. Here we describe the cloning of two human cDNAs encoding TAF-I. Nucleotide sequence analysis revealed that the 39-kDa polypeptide corresponds to the protein encoded by the set gene, which is the part of the putative oncogene associated with acute undifferentiated leukemia when translocated to the can gene. The 41-kDa protein contains the same amino acid sequence as the 39-kDa protein except that short N-terminal regions differ in both proteins. Recombinant proteins, which were purified from extracts of Escherichia coli, expressing the proteins from cloned cDNAs, possessed TAF-I activities in the in vitro replication assay. A particular feature of TAF-I proteins is the presence of a long acidic tail in the C-terminal region, which is thought to be an essential part of the SET-CAN fusion protein. Studies with mutant TAF-I proteins devoid of this acidic region indicated that the acidic region is essential for TAF-I activity.

Lifestyle and biologic factors associated with atherosclerotic disease in middle-aged men. 20-year findings from the Honolulu Heart Program

OBJECTIVES

To examine the association between a variety of baseline lifestyle and biologic factors in a middle-aged cohort of Japanese-American men and the 20-year incidence rates of total atherosclerotic end points and each of the initial clinical manifestations of this disease, including fatal and nonfatal coronary heart disease, angina pectoris, thromboembolic strokes, and aortic aneurysms.

DESIGN

Prospective epidemiologic study.

POPULATION

Japanese-American men (N = 2710) between the ages of 55 and 64 years at the time of the initial clinical examination of the Honolulu Heart Program (1965 through 1968) free from evidence of coronary heart disease, cerebrovascular disease, cancer, or aortic aneurysms.

RESULTS

Among the men studied, 602 atherosclerotic events developed during the 23-year period of follow-up (1965 through 1988). After adjustment for each of the baseline characteristics examined, significant positive associations between quartile cutoffs of body mass index, systolic blood pressure, serum levels of cholesterol, triglycerides, glucose, and uric acid, as well as cigarette smoking, and the occurrence of any atherosclerotic end point were seen, while an inverse association with alcohol consumption was observed. Characteristics associated with the development of other fatal and nonfatal clinical events in this cohort, including coronary heart disease, thromboembolic stroke, and aortic aneurysms are presented with accompanying relative and attributable risks.

CONCLUSIONS

The results of this prospective epidemiologic study provide insights to the long-term predictive utility of the commonly accepted risk factors for coronary heart disease in relation to the different clinical manifestations of atherosclerosis in a middle-aged male cohort followed up for approximately 20 years. These results provide additional support for risk factor modification in middle-aged men and for the encouragement of positive long-term lifestyle changes.

A new constitutively activating point mutation in the luteinizing hormone/choriogonadotropin receptor gene in cases of male-limited precocious puberty

A single point mutation that encodes an aspartic acid (Asp578) to glycine substitution in the LH/CG receptor (LH/CGR) gene, D578G, was recently found in American patients with familial male-limited precocious puberty and in a Japanese patient with a sporadic form of the disorder. Transfection of the mutant, compared to the wild-type, LH/CGR complementary DNA into COS-7 cells results in higher basal cAMP production, but a normal agonist-induced response; the mutation is, therefore, proposed to constitutively activate Leydig cells and elevate serum testosterone, despite low levels of gonadotropin. In the current study we examined two additional Japanese patients with male-limited precocious puberty without a family history of the disease. We describe a heterozygous cytosine (C) to thymine (T) transition at nucleotide 1715 in both; the mutation encodes an alanine to valine substitution in codon 572 of transmembrane helix 6, A572V. Transfected into COS-7 cells, the A572V mutant exhibited the same constitutively high basal cAMP levels and normal agonist-induced cAMP response as the D578G mutant. We conclude that the constitutively higher cAMP levels caused by the A572V mutation led to Leydig cell activation and male-limited precocious puberty, as in the previously described D578G mutation. As the mother of one of the two patients had the same heterozygous mutation, this patient represents the first recognized case of inherited male-limited precocious puberty in the Japanese population. The previously described D578G mutant did not increase basal or agonist-induced inositol phosphate production in transfected COS-7 cells, or the number of LH/CGRs or their affinity for LH/CG. In contrast, transfection of the A572V mutation in COS-7 cells exhibited significantly higher inositol phosphate levels basally and at 10(-11) mol/L hCG, but significantly lower inositol phosphate levels at 10(-7) mol/L hCG. These data suggest that the A572V mutation of the LH/CGR may have effects on the guanine nucleotide binding protein which activates phospholipase C (Gq) coupling and phospholipase-C activation in addition to its effects on Gs coupling and activation of adenylyl cyclase. A572V-transfected cells also exhibited a higher affinity, despite an apparent decrease in the number of binding sites, for [125I]hCG, compared to transfectants with the wild-type LH/CGR. We hypothesize that these differences between the A572V and D578G mutations reflect a greater impact of the A572V mutation on receptor conformation.

Highly increased insulin secretion in a patient with postprandial hypoglycemia: role of glucagon-like peptide-1 (7-36) amide

The mechanism(s) of an inappropriate secretion of insulin is poorly understood. We report a case of reactive hypoglycemia associated with an unusually exaggerated insulin secretion. The patient, a 32-year-old man, developed frequent episodes of postprandial hypoglycemia after interferon treatment was begun for chronic type C hepatitis. Oral glucose challenge test confirmed the patient's extremely high plasma IRI response, i.e., more than 1000 microU/ml, and that of plasma C-peptide 56.9 ng/ml at 90 min, followed by symptomatic hypoglycemia (plasma glucose 34 mg/dl) at 240 min. The plasma proinsulin level also was high, but the molar ratio of immuno reactive insulin (IRI)/plasma C-peptide and IRI/proinsulin was within the normal range. Antibodies to insulin or insulin-receptor were negative. Plasma IRI response was apparently greater when the glucose was given orally than when given intravenously. The response of plasma glucagon-like-peptide (GLP)-1 to oral glucose was quite high (from baseline of 45.5 to 303.2 pmol/L) and showed a close parallel with the change in the plasma IRI concentration. The greatly enhanced insulin secretion leading to reactive hypoglycemia in this patient may therefore be attributed to the increased secretion of GLP-1.

Activation of phosphoinositide-specific phospholipase C by transferrin in porcine cerebral arterial smooth muscle cells

The effect of transferrin on phosphoinositide metabolism was investigated in smooth muscle cells isolated from the porcine basilar artery. Ferric iron-bound transferrin induced a rapid increase in the level of inositol phosphates, the metabolic products of phosphoinositides through the phospholipase C pathway. Neither transferrin free of ferric iron nor ferric iron alone caused the activation of phospholipase C. This study suggests that ferric iron-bound transferrin is capable of eliciting receptor-mediated signal transduction in porcine cerebral arterial smooth muscle cells, which could result in the contraction of smooth muscle cells. Transferrin may be involved with the cerebral arterial narrowing in pathological conditions such as subarachnoid hemorrhage.

Kallikrein generates angiotensin II but not bradykinin in the plasma of the urodele, Amphiuma tridactylum

Incubation of heat-denatured plasma from the urodele, Amphiuma tridactylum (three-toed amphiuma) or from the anurans Rana ridibunda (European green frog) and Rana catesbeiana (American bullfrog) with either glass beads, porcine pancreatic kallikrein or trypsin did not generate bradykinin-like immunoreactivity. However, peptides were generated in kallikrein-treated amphiuma plasma that contracted vascular rings from the bullfrog systemic arch and had a spasmogenic action on the bullfrog urinary bladder. These peptides which were not generated in trypsin-treated plasma, were purified to homogeneity by reverse-phase HPLC and their primary structures established as: Asp-Arg-Val-Tyr-Val-His-Pro-Phe ([Asp1,Val5]angiotensin II) and Asn-Arg-Val-Tyr-Val-His-Pro-Phe ([Asn1,Val5]angiotensin II). Incubation of synthetic [Asn1,Val5]angiotensin II with amphiuma plasma resulted in deamidation to [Asp1,Val5]angiotensin II. The data suggest, therefore that amphiuma plasma contains an L-asparagine amidohydrolase (asparaginase), as previously described for the eel. Although bradykinin-related peptides have been isolated from frog skin, this study provides evidence tha the kallikrein-kinin system may be absent from the blood of amphibia.

Physical activity and incidence of diabetes: the Honolulu Heart Program

Few prospective studies have assessed the relation between physical activity and diabetes. The authors examined this relation prospectively among 6,815 Japanese-American men in the Honolulu Heart Program who were aged 45-68 years and initially free of diagnosed diabetes in 1965-1968. A physical activity index was calculated based on time spent per day in different activity levels and a weighting factor correlated with estimated oxygen consumption. Incidence of clinically recognized diabetes was based on self-reported use of diabetic medication at one of two subsequent examinations. The age-adjusted 6-year cumulative incidence of diabetes decreased progressively with increasing quintile of physical activity from 73.8 to 34.3 per 1,000 (p < 0.0001, trend) in all men and from 53.9 to 21.7 per 1,000 (p < 0.0001, trend) among men with a non-fasting glucose level < 225 mg/dl one hour after a 50-gm load, the latter group being less likely to have unrecognized diabetes at baseline. When stratified by tertile of baseline glucose, trends in incidence across physical activity quintiles were statistically significant in the low and middle tertiles but not in the high tertile. Similar inverse trends were observed for men in the lower four quintiles of body mass index, however, these trends were weaker and not significant for men in the upper quintile of body mass index. Age-adjusted odds ratios for diabetes comparing the upper with the lower four quintiles of physical activity were 0.55 (95% confidence interval (CI) 0.41-0.75) for all men and 0.50 (95% CI 0.33-0.74) for men with glucose < 225 mg/dl. After adjustment for age, body mass index, subscapular/triceps skinfold ratio, systolic blood pressure, triglycerides, glucose, hematocrit, and parental history of diabetes, odds ratios were still statistically significant and similar in magnitude. Restriction of analyses to men who remained free of cardiovascular disease during the study period produced similar results, which suggests that inactivity due to subclinical cardiovascular disease is unlikely to be responsible for these findings. Risk factor-adjusted odds ratios for older men (55-68 years) demonstrated that physical activity confers at least the same degree of protection as in younger men (45-54 years). These results indicate that physical activity is associated inversely with incident diabetes and that the beneficial effect does not appear to be mediated through improvements in other risk factors assessed in this study.

Sustained release of basic fibroblast growth factor from the synthetic vascular prosthesis using hydroxypropylchitosan acetate

We designed a model vascular prosthesis consisting of expanded polytetrafluoroethylene (Gore Tex) loaded with basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF), and studied its in vivo bFGF release behavior. To control the release rate of bFGF, biodegradable hydroxypropylchitosan acetate (HPCHA) was also incorporated into the Gore Tex disks with bFGF. HPCHA was dissolved in bFGF solution (180 micrograms/ml) at a concentration of 4% (wt/vol). A Gore Tex tube was cut into a length of about 5 cm and one end was sealed with a vascular clamp. The tube was then filled with resulting solution under appropriate pressure until the solvents seeped through the pores. The tube loaded with bFGF solution was freeze-dried and was cut into disks (0.75 cm in diameter). bFGF content in a HPCHA-free Gore disk was 2.05 +/- 0.32 micrograms (SE, n = 5). bFGF content in a HPCHA Gore disk was 2.71 +/- 0.41 micrograms (SE, n = 5). In an in vivo study in which the bFGF loaded Gore Tex disk was implanted in rabbit skin pockets, almost 100% of bFGF from HPCHA-free disks was released within 24 h, whereas some 60% remained after 24 h in the HPCHA-loaded disks. HPCHA is a useful biodegradable carrier for controlling the release rate of the drug from the synthetic vascular prosthesis.

Cytosolic free calcium elevation in vascular smooth muscle cells induced by cerebrospinal fluid from patients with subarachnoid hemorrhage--biochemical nature of the calcium-mobilizing factor

The present study was undertaken to characterize the biochemical nature of the factor in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) from patients with subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) that induces a transient elevation of cytosolic free calcium in cultured vascular smooth muscle cells. Cell-free CSF collected from patients on days 7-10 after SAH was treated in three different ways: heating, ultrafiltration, and salting out with ammonium sulfate. The effects of the resultant solutions on the level of cytosolic free calcium in cultured vascular smooth muscle cells were then examined. Heated CSF and ultrafiltrated solution containing substances with molecular weights of less than 10,000 caused no significant elevation of cytosolic free calcium. Proteins precipitated by 50-75% saturated ammonium sulfate caused an increase in the level of cytosolic free calcium and also produced a rapid accumulation of inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate in vascular smooth muscle cells. The results indicate that the factor responsible for the increase in cytosolic free calcium in cultured vascular smooth muscle cells is a protein with a molecular weight of more than 10,000, and the factor stimulates receptor-mediated phosphoinositide breakdown.

Global structure-acute toxicity relationships for mice using structural parameter ratios: new approach to molecular design and screening

A method for a preliminary survey of the relationship between molecular structure and performance was described using 1506 random data of structure-acute toxicity for mice (intravenously dosed). The structural patterns of the weakest toxic structures (111) were extracted from the data and the patterns discriminated for 64.2% of the other structures (1395). As for the 826 structures of strongest toxicity, 78.3% were discriminated by these structural patterns. These results were obtained by using structural parameter ratios to describe the structural patterns and the exhaustive elimination process to select the best parameter ratio from many candidates. The results were summarized in the form of a chart which can be used for practical screening for the weakest toxic structures.

Incidence and predictors of diabetes in Japanese-American men. The Honolulu Heart Program

Reports on the incidence and predictors of diabetes in minority populations are infrequent. The 6-year cumulative incidence of diabetes between 1965 and 1974 was estimated among 7210 Japanese-American men aged 45 to 68 years who were enrolled in the Honolulu Heart Program and were free of clinically recognized diabetes at baseline. The incidence of "possible" diabetes (based on history, medication, or hospital diagnosis) was 12.8% and the incidence of "probable" diabetes (based on diabetic medication) was 5.7%. Estimates of incidence in subjects with a nonfasting glucose concentration less than 225 mg/dL 1 hour after a 50-g load were 9.7 and 4.0%, respectively. Multivariate adjusted odds ratios (ORs) for probable diabetes in all subjects comparing the upper quintile with the lower four quintiles combined for continuous variables indicated statistically significant direct associations with body mass index (OR, 1.69; 95% confidence interval (CI), 1.31 to 2.18), 1-hour postchallenge glucose level (OR, 5.79; 95% CI, 4.58 to 7.33), triglyceride levels (OR, 1.47; 95% CI, 1.14 to 1.91), systolic blood pressure (OR, 1.36; 95% CI, 1.05 to 1.76), and parental history of diabetes (OR, 1.73; 95% CI, 1.29 to 2.33), and an inverse association with physical activity (OR, 0.49; 95% CI, 0.34 to 0.72), using logistic regression models including these variables as well as age, subscapular/triceps skinfold ratio, and hematocrit simultaneously. Associations were similar but slightly weaker in men with glucose levels less than 225 mg/dL and in those who remained free of cardiovascular disease. When older men (55 to 68 years old) were compared with younger (45 to 54 years old) men, associations among the older group were stronger for body mass index, physical activity, and systolic blood pressure and they were weaker for glucose levels, triglyceride values, and parental diabetes. Results suggest that body mass index, physical inactivity, glucose level, and parental diabetes appear to be independent risk factors for diabetes, while triglyceride and systolic blood pressure levels may be markers for an adverse cardiovascular risk factor profile associated with diabetes and may reflect an insulin resistance syndrome.

Cardiovascular actions of frog urotensin II in the frog, Rana catesbeiana

The effects of synthetic frog urotensin II on cardiac output and arterial blood pressure and on the motility of isolated vascular smooth muscle were investigated in the bullfrog, Rana catesbeiana. Bolus injections of frog urotensin II (100 nmol/kg) into the left systemic arch produced a rapid and sustained fall in blood flow through the right branch of the truncus arteriosus (to 62 +/- 5% of preinjection values; n = 8). The response exhibited strong tachyphylaxis. There were no significant effects on heart rate and central arterial blood pressure but the fact that a fall in cardiac output was not accompanied by a fall in pressure suggests that the peptide produced an increase in peripheral vascular resistance. Rings of vascular smooth muscle from the proximal and distal regions of the left and right systemic arches responded to urotensin II with sustained and concentration-dependent contractions. The tissues from the different regions did not significantly differ in their maximum response and sensitivity to the peptide (EC50 values from 4.6 x 10(-9) to 6.5 x 10(-9) M; n = 6). Acetylcholine (3 x 10(-8) to 3 x 10(-6) M) significantly (P < 0.05) relaxed the rings in an endothelium-dependent manner but urotensin II did not produce relaxation at any concentration tested. The contractile effect of urotensin II (10(-7) M) was not affected by preincubation of the rings with atropine, tetrodotoxin, and somatostatin-14 but indomethacin produced a significant (P < 0.05) decrease in the amplitude of the contractions of the systemic arch (to 18 +/- 2% of control values; n = 6). Arachidonic acid (10(-5) M) also produced a sustained contraction of the rings. The data suggest an involvement of prostaglandin synthesis in the contractile action of urotensin II on isolated frog vascular smooth muscle but, unlike in mammals, urotensin II does not stimulate nitric oxide synthesis in this tissue.

Vitellogenin gene of the silkworm, Bombyx mori: structure and sex-dependent expression

Vitellogenin of Bombyx mori is a precursor of major yolk protein synthesized in the female fat body at larval-pupal ecdysis. The gene for B. mori vitellogenin is composed of seven exons interspersed by six introns. Developmental profile of the primary transcript of the gene indicated that the biosynthesis of B. mori vitellogenin is regulated transcriptionally in a sex- and stage-dependent manner in the fat body. The Arg-X-Arg-Arg sequence, which conforms to the recognition site of mammalian furin, occurs in a region just upstream of the putative proteolytic cleavage site of B. mori previtellogenin.

Lymphangioma of the oesophagus: a case report and review of the literature

Lymphangioma of the oesophagus is exceedingly rare. Seven cases (including our present case) have been reported in the world and are reviewed.