Malignant mixed mesodermal tumour of the peritoneum with a complete response to cyclophosphamide

We treated a 66-year-old Japanese woman with malignant mixed mesodermal tumour of the heterologous type arising from the paracolic peritoneum. The tumour contained heterologous elements in the form of cartilage in addition to carcinosarcomatous areas. This is the third case of malignant mixed mesodermal tumours originating from the peritoneum to be documented in the literature. A complete resection of the tumour was carried out but multiple lymph nodes metastases in the left neck occurred 5 months later. Cyclophosphamide in doses of 150 mg daily by mouth was initiated, with the result of a complete regression of the malignant lesions. She died of myocardial infarction 21 months after surgery.

Macrophage-mediated N-nitrosation of thioproline and proline

Thioproline (Thiazolidine-4-carboxylic acid) and proline were nitrosated by stimulated mouse macrophages in vitro. A macrophage cell line (J774.1, 1.0 x 10(6)/well, 1 ml) was incubated with Escherichia coli lipopolysaccharide, interferon-gamma and thioproline (5 mM) or proline (5 mM). After 72 hr incubation at 37 degrees C, 4 microM N-nitrosothioproline was produced. The amount of N-nitrosoproline was much lower than that of N-nitrosothioproline. Thioproline and proline inhibited the formation of carcinogenic N-nitrosomorpholine. N-nitrosothioproline and N-nitrosoproline are found as major N-nitroso compounds in human urine. Macrophage mediated N-nitrosation may contribute to the formation of these N-nitrosamino acids in the human body.

The arterial pulse analyzer as a potential replacement for manual pulse palpation in Oriental medicine

Application of the arterial pulse analyzer now makes it possible to automatically diagnose such geriatric disorders as arteriosclerosis by using simple electrocardiograms and radial, carotid and posterior tibial artery pressure pulse wave charts. If the arterial pulse analyzer is adopted for use in Oriental medical clinics, there will no longer be a need for manual pulse palpation. In brief, applying the arterial pulse analyzer to the 8 key pulses of Oriental medicine yields the following results: 1) 'Slow' or 'rapid' pulses can be defined by the S-S interval (almost identical to the R-R interval of the ECG). 2) 'Slippery' or 'hesitant' pulses can be defined by the S-P time and the Dh/Ch% (P time & Incisura) ratio. 3) 'Floating' or 'submerged' pulses can be defined by the Ph/Ch% (pressure pulse wave to height) ratio. 4) 'Scattered' or 'moderate' pulses can be defined by the S-C- time (E time). Thus, by employing the arterial pulse analyzer, subjectivity problems inherent in the manual pulse palpation used by Oriental medicine for over 1500 years can be analyzed objectively.

Algal phycocyanins promote growth of human cells in culture

The growth-promoting substances in a non-dialyzable extract of Synechococcus elongatus var. on RPMI 8226 cells (a human myeloma cell line) were separated by gel filtration and ion exchange chromatography. By gel filtration with Sepharose 4B, the dialyzate was separated into two fractions. One fraction was green-colored (P-1) and the other was blue-colored (P-2). The P-2 fraction had a higher growth-promoting activity than P-1. By ion exchange chromatography, the P-2 fraction was separated into two blue-colored fractions of phycocyanin and allophycocyanin. Both biliproteins promoted the growth of RPMI 8226 cells; however, allophycocyanin was more active than phycocyanin.

Effect of Cyclosporin A on rat thymus: time course analysis by immunoperoxidase technique and flow cytofluorometry

The effect of Cyclosporin A (CyA) administration 20 mg/kg body weight i.p. for 3 or 7 days on rat lymphoid tissues, especially on the thymus, and the recovery after stopping CyA treatment were investigated by both immunoperoxidase technique and flow cytofluorometry using monoclonal antibodies against rat lymphocytes: OX6, OX7, OX8, OX18 and W3/25. The marked reduction of thymic medulla with CyA treatment was clearly demonstrated by staining with OX18. This change was maximal 7 to 10 days after the start of CyA administration. The obvious restitution of the thymic medulla occurred about 7 days after stopping CyA and was almost completed within 14 days. Flow-cytofluorometric analysis of the thymus showed that the percentages of positive cells labelled with OX7, OX8, OX18 and W3/25 appeared to be not changed except for OX18 during and after CyA treatment. However, the expression of each antigen per cell changed in the amount; the peak of fluorescence intensity of OX7+ cells showed a temporary shift to the right during CyA treatment. Bright positive cell populations for each OX8 and W3/25 increased relatively during CyA treatment, and reverted to the normal levels soon after stopping the CyA treatment. On the other hand, bright OX18+ cells decreased with CyA treatment, but this change recovered gradually after stopping the CyA treatment. Treatment with CyA gave no significant changes in the flow-cytofluorometric analyses for these antibodies on lymph node cells. Natural killer cell activity and the ability to cause local graft-versus-host reaction were not inhibited with CyA treatment. These results suggest that CyA inhibits the proliferation and differentiation of thymocytes, or that CyA makes thymocytes migrate rapidly from cortex to periphery.

Synthesis and assembly of H+-ATPase complex by isolated "rough" thylakoids

The synthesis and assembly of chloroplast H+-ATPase complex were studied by analyzing the incorporation of [35S]methionine into the constituent subunits with isolated intact chloroplasts and with thylakoid membranes that had been prepared from the chloroplasts so that they would retain ribosomes. The complex was isolated from thylakoids after labeling and identified by immunoprecipitation with an antiserum specific to CF1. The mechanism for the assembly of the complex was demonstrated to be active in the isolated chloroplasts by the following observations: the plastid genome-regulated subunits (alpha, beta, epsilon, I, and III) were labeled by in organello translation and recovered with the complex, and three other subunits (gamma, delta, and II) were labeled when intact chloroplasts were incubated with translation products from polyadenylated RNA. The two largest subunits, alpha and beta, were translated on thylakoid-bound ribosomes when the thylakoid membranes were incubated with soluble factors from Escherichia coli. They were recovered with the H+-ATPase complex, suggesting that they are translated on the bound ribosomes in the chloroplast, and that the isolated membranes retain the ability to assemble a complete complex. Provided that these observations are the result of de novo assembly of the complex, the imported and processed nuclear-coded subunits are presumed to be pooled not in stroma but on the membrane.

[Pseudocoarctation of the aorta associated with aortic arch aneurysm--a case report]

A twenty-nine-year old female was diagnosed as the associated aortic arch aneurysm 14 years after the initial diagnosis of the pseudocoarctation of the aorta. The aneurysm was asymptomatic and aortogram revealed that it was located just proximal to the pseudocoarctation. The aneurysmal wall was so thin that intraluminal blood stream could be visible easily during operation. Aneurysmectomy and Dacron graft implantation was successfully performed with temporary bypass procedure. In most of the cases, pseudocoarctation of the aorta has been reported to be a congenital entity without indication for any surgical intervention. However some cases in the literature were combined with formation of the aneurysm during the long term follow-up period. Careful observation must be needed for a case of pseudocoarctation of the aorta and the associated aneurysm should be treated surgically even if asymptomatic.

Gallium citrate, a new sensitizer of cells to hyperthermia

The killing effects of heat were studied on cultured mammalian cells (L5178Y) pre-incubated with gallium (Ga) citrate, which is a popular tumor-imaging diagnostic agent. The cells showed higher sensitivity to heat when they were pre-incubated with Ga-citrate. The pre-incubated cells showed decreased ATP levels, and this may be responsible for the heat-sensitizing effect.

Early change of adenosine triphosphate levels in L5178Y cells during hyperthermia

The time course of the change of cellular ATP level was studied in L5178Y cells exposed continuously to various temperatures and compared with that of cell death determined by means of a dye-exclusion test. The ATP level first increased at all temperatures tested and then decreased at temperatures higher than 42 degrees. The onset of this decrease always preceded the beginning of cell death. The results support the idea that the cellular lethality of heat treatment is well correlated with cellular ATP content in L5178Y cells.

Cytoplasmic inclusions and virus-like particles in blast cells in acute lymphoblastic leukemia

Cytoplasmic inclusions and virus-like particles are described in blast cells of peripheral blood from a 16-year-old female with acute lymphoblastic leukemia. Three kinds of inclusions were identified on electron microscopy. The first type of inclusion was single membrane-bounded vacuoles, some of which contained virus-like particles, the second was lysosome-like structures, and the third appeared to be of mitochondrial origin. Virus-like particles were round in shape and had a diameter of 26 to 58 nm. They consisted of an electron-dense outer membrane and an electron-lucent core. At the present time the exact nature and significance of these virus-like particles still remain unclear.

[Tumor markers in renal cell carcinoma]

Erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), lactase dehydrogenase (LDH), carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA), haptoglobin, fibrinogen, CH50, Blc-globulin (C3), B1E-globulin (C4), T-cell, B-cell and phytohemagglutinin (PHA) were evaluated in 82 patients with renal cell carcinoma. Positive rates of ESR, LDH, CEA, haptoglobin, fibrinogen, CH50, C3, C4, T-cell, B-cell and PHA were 58.9, 27.1, 33.9, 21.9, 55.8, 34.2, 33.3, 34.8, 15.3, 8.0 and 39.1%, respectively. Positive rates of all serological tests in high stage (stage III and stage IV) renal cell carcinoma were higher than those of the low stage (stage I and stage II) group. Positive rates of ESR, fibrinogen, CEA, haptoglobin, C3 and C4 in the high stage group were 86.1, 81.8, 54.1, 57.1, 53.3 and 60.0% respectively. The level of ESR, LSH, CEA, fibrinogen, haptoglobin and CH50 were significantly elevated (p less than 0.001) above the normal value. Each serological test was not significantly elevated pre- or postoperatively, but in all serological tests, postoperative values were lower than the preoperative values. ESR (less than 100 mm/hour), and CEA in the positive group correlated significantly with poor prognosis (p less than 0.005). Haptoglobin and C3 in positive group also showed a significantly poor prognosis (p less than 0.05). In conclusion ESR and fibrinogen were thought to be useful for screening renal cell carcinoma patients ESR, CEA, haptoglobin, fibrinogen and C3 for estimation of staging, and ESR, CEA, haptoglobin and C3 for estimation of prognosis.

HO-323, a human B-lymphoblastoid cell line useful for making human-human hybridomas

A 6-thioguanine-resistant human B-lymphoblastoid cell line, HO-323, was isolated for making human-human hybridomas with high efficiency. Fusions with peripheral blood lymphocytes of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) patients and lymphocytes isolated from lymph nodes of lung and breast cancer patients yield constantly more than one hybridoma clones per 10(5) HO-323 cells plated. HO323 cells also fused with lymphocytes from normal peripheral blood to give hybridomas in the same efficiency. The HO-323 cells were diploid with 46 chromosomes and non-secretors of immunoglobulins. This parent cells doubled every 15 hr and could proliferate in serum-containing medium, even if they were plated at low cell density of less than 10(3) cells/ml. The cells could grow in serum-free medium as well as in serum-containing medium, and the resultant human-human hybridomas could also grow in the same media.

Encoding of line drawings with a multiple grid chain code

The multiple grid(MG) chain code which uses four different square grids is proposed to encode line drawings. The main processes adopted in the code are: 1) a grid selection algorithm which allocates quantization points only to the vicinity of the course of a line drawing, 2) labeling rule on quantization points which makes the frequency of some codes larger than that of other codes, and 3) quantization points allocation-not to the corners, but to the sides of a square which makes the straight line segments larger without increasing quantization error. A performance comparison of various chain codes is made from the viewpoints of the encoding efficiency, naturalness of the encoded lines, and the rate distortion measure. Also, the superiority of the MG chain code to other codes is shown. At last, application of the MG chain code to the electronic blackboard system is explained.