[A research of acute hemodynamics and hormonal changes of intravenous captopril in patients with cor pulmonale and pulmonary hypertension]

In 20 patients of cor pulmonale with heart failure and respiratory failure and in 11 healthy men, after intravenous captopril injection, acute hemodynamic and hormonal change were observed. The results indicated that intravenous captopril injection rapidly reduced cardiac preload and afterload, reduced pulmonary arterial pressure, increased cardiac output, inhibited renin system activity, decreased plasma level of thyroxin and atrial natriuretic peptide. A rapid symptomatic improvement in patients with acute or severe cor pulmonale was shown and there was no significant effect on blood gas immediately.

Molecular cloning, sequencing, and expression in Escherichia coli of the chalcone synthase gene

Flavonoids form a class of secondary metabolites that are abundant in all higher plants. They serve important functions in flower pigmentation. Chalcone Synthase (CHS) is a key enzyme in the biosynthesis of all classes of flavonoids; therefore, variation of the expression of CHS might change the color of flowers. We cloned CHS-A gene from Petunia hybrida, which has 99% sequence homology with those that have been cloned abroad. The sequence of the coding region is 1170bp and encodes a protein of 39kDa. CHS-A gene is also expressed high-efficiently in E. coli. All this work establishes a sound basis for future research on the impact of the CHS-A gene on flower pigmentation.

[Microdissection of human chromosome 1]

This work began with chromosome preparation and microdissection. Booster IRS-PCR was developed to amplify DNA dissected form human chromosome 1. The accuracy of microdissection was demonstrated by chromosomal in situ suppression (CISS)-hybridization. The amplified DNA fragments were ligated to pUC 18 vector at SmaI site and the average size of the inserts was about 450bp.

A study on the clinical effect and immunological mechanism in the treatment of Hashimoto's thyroiditis by moxibustion

71 cases of Hashimoto's thyroiditis were treated by moxibustion and their immune function and thyroid function were observed. It was found that moxibustion was able to reduce the thyroid antibodies in the peripheral blood of the patients with hypothyroidism and to recover their thyroid function. It was also found that moxibustion could lower the thyroid antibody secretory levels and ADCC (antibody-dependent cell-mediated cytotoxicity) activities of the lymphocytes. In addition, the action of moxibustion in reducing the secretion of thyroid antibodies was related to its action of regulating the proportions of T lymphocyte subsets. The results indicate that the treatment of Hashimoto's thyroiditis by moxibustion is probably accomplished through its effect in regulating the relationship among the T lymphocyte subsets.

Ubiquitin immunoreactivity in corticotrophs following glucocorticoid treatment and in pituitary adenomas

Ubiquitin involved in nonlysosomal protein degradation was studied in 31 nontumorous pituitary glands and 133 pituitary adenomas by immunocytochemical techniques. Normal nontumorous hypophyses were immunonegative for ubiquitin. Ubiquitin immunoreactivity was present in 3% to 30% of corticotrophs containing Crooke's hyaline in 10 of 12 glucocorticoid-treated patients. Fifty-eight adenomas showed ubiquitin-immunoreactive cells. Ubiquitin immunoreactivity was found in cytokeratin immunopositive filamentous inclusions of Crooke's cell adenomas and in fibrous bodies of somatotroph adenomas. Forty-five adenomas showed a diffuse cytoplasmic immunopositivity. No correlation was revealed between ubiquitin immunoreactivity, hormone content, and bromocriptine and octreotide treatments. The results are consistent with the interpretation that ubiquitin immunoreactivity in nontumorous corticotrophs containing Crooke's hyaline and in various adenomas is secondary to glucocorticoid excess or to altered metabolic activity. Whether ubiquitin expression reflects increased ubiquitin synthesis or decreased breakdown of ubiquitinated conjugates remains to be elucidated.

Human pituitary null cell adenomas and oncocytomas in vitro: effects of adenohypophysiotropic hormones and gonadal steroids on hormone secretion and tumor cell morphology

Human pituitary null cell adenomas and oncocytomas are not associated with evidence of excess hormone secretion in vivo; their cellular derivation has not been clarified by morphologic investigation. In this study we examined 41 null cell adenomas and 58 oncocytomas in vitro to determine hormone release and its response to several adenohypophysiotropic hormones and gonadal steroids. In vitro, 96/99 tumors released LH, FSH, and/or alpha-subunit of glycoprotein hormones. TSH was released by 11 tumors. GH, PRL, and ACTH were found in small quantities in 11, 8, and 5 tumors, respectively. Only 3 tumors released no detectable hormones. Incubations with test substances were examined at 2- and 24-h periods for up to 72 h. All but 3 of 53 tumors showed marked and persistent increases in the release of LH, FSH, and/or alpha-subunit in response to GnRH in short and long duration experiments. Secretion of LH, FSH, or alpha-subunit was stimulated to more than 150% of control by TRH in 37/48 tumors, by CRH in 10/20, by GRH in 7/20. Estradiol, progesterone, and testosterone increased release of FSH, LH, and/or alpha-subunit in 23/32, 3/12, and 3/12 tumors, respectively, and reduced their release in 6/32, 5/12, and 7/12, respectively. In tumors which showed no response to gonadal steroids, GnRH in combination with estradiol, progesterone, or testosterone yielded the same result as GnRH alone; in tumors inhibited by gonadal steroids, GnRH in combination with one of those substances reduced the response to GnRH. No secretion of GH, PRL, ACTH, or TSH was detected after incubation with GRH, estradiol, CRH, or TRH except in the tumors which initially released GH, PRL, or TSH. Ultrastructural examination of cultured cells from 15 cases revealed morphologic alterations that correlated with changes in hormone release and could be quantified by morphometry. This study represents the largest analysis of hormone production and release in vitro and morphologic correlation of clinically nonfunctioning pituitary adenomas. The responsiveness of gonadotropin secretion by null cell adenomas and oncocytomas to GnRH and gonadal steroids resembles that of gonadotroph adenomas. However, the unexpected increases in gonadotropin release attributable to several other adenohypophysiotropic hormones and the release of multiple hormones suggests that null cell adenomas and oncocytomas may represent neoplasms derived from uncommitted or committed precursor cells that can undergo differentiation towards several cell lines.

Molecular cytogenetic study of short arm aberrations in human D, G group chromosomes

Six cases of Dp+/Gp+, 10 cases of D/G translocation, 1 case of supernumerary marker chromosome, and 1 case of Yqs were studied using molecular and cytogenetic techniques. The Ag-NOR frequencies of the Dp+ and Gp+ groups were found to be higher than those of normal controls, while their satellite association frequencies were lower. Autoradiographic silver grains were not significantly distributed along the p+ part of the marker chromosome as revealed by chromosomal in situ hybridization using an rRNA probe. This result differs from our previous report. It is suggested that there might be different mechanisms for the formation of p+ on acrocentric chromosomes. D/G translocation cases were found to have lost their NOR. A study of supernumerary marker chromosomes and Yqs cases suggested that the marker chromosome and Yqs exerted no phenotypic effect. The mechanism of their formation is discussed.

Chromosomal localization of the mouse prealbumin gene (Ttr) by in situ hybridization

Prealbumin is a serum protein which plays an important role in plasma transport of retinol and thyroxine. The accumulation of a variant prealbumin is associated with a hereditary disorder, familial amyloidotic polyneuropathy (FAP). In situ hybridization with a mouse prealbumin gene cDNA probe was carried out in mouse fibroblasts. Analysis of 114 R-banded metaphases showed that 13% of the total grains were located on chromosome 4 and 46% of the grains on this chromosome were in the region C6-D1. Linkage and syntenic group analysis showed that the prealbumin gene (Ttr) is located between two syntenic groups on mouse chromosome 4, which corresponded to two syntenic groups present on human chromosomes 1 and 9.

[Morphological study of Omsk hemorrhagic fever (OHF) virus with the electron microscope]

Morphological characterization of OHF virus was studied by means of thin section electron microscopy in the brains of mice infected with Omsk hemorrhagic fever virus. The crystals, microvesicles, vacuoles and as beehive structures were observed in the virus-infected cells. The possible relationship between the characteristic structures and virus morphogenesis is discussed. It is indicated that these characteristic structures may be important to morphological characterization of OHF virus.

Burst-mode gain switched technique for high peak and average optical energy extraction

The optical performance of a cw PIE CO(2) laser has been substantially improved through the adoption of a burst-mode gain switching technique. The approach has provided a doubling of the average beam power extractable from the device. With appropriate optimization, the process could possibly permit the attainment of pulsed energy extraction in the kilohertz range, and with average optical powers within the several tens of kilowatt category.

Beta-endorphin-like immunoreactivity increases in cerebrospinal fluid of acute head-injured patients

beta-endorphin-like immunoreactivity (beta-ELI) was measured in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) of 36 acute head-injured patients and 12 patients without head injury as controls. The mean level of beta-ELI in CSF of controls, mild cerebral contusions, and severe cerebral contusion patients were 51.9 +/- 5.6 pg/ml, 110.5 +/- 14.5 pg/ml, and 173.8 +/- 20.1 pg/ml respectively, with significant difference between them. The results also showed that beta-ELI may reflect the prognosis of acute head-injured patients.

Randomly picked cosmid clones overlap the pyrB and oriC gap in the physical map of the E. coli chromosome

Sets of overlapping cosmid clones generated by random sampling and fingerprinting methods complement data at pyrB (96.5') and oriC (84') in the published physical map of E. coli. A new cloning strategy using sheared DNA, and a low copy, inducible cosmid vector were used in order to reduce bias in libraries, in conjunction with micro-methods for preparing cosmid DNA from a large number of clones. Our results are relevant to the design of the best approach to the physical mapping of large genomes.

Annular-coupled concave-convex stable resonator for large-volume high-quality energy extraction

A theoretical investigation of a stable concave-convex resonator configuration, which appears suitable for single-mode high-power energy extraction from large volume gain media, is presented. The design features annular output coupling with a surprisingly uniform near-field intensity distribution. The computer-based analysis, supported by preliminary experimental results, suggests that acceptable alignment tolerances are provided along with an unusually small beam divergence. With proper design, a far-field divergence of 0.5 mrad, encompassing near 80% of the total laser energy, appears feasible. Operational data, recently obtained with this optical extraction approach, have revealed a further important practical advantage over an unstable resonator, being far less prone to mode degradation and hot spot formation on optical component misalignment.