Circadian fluctuations of cAMP content in the suprachiasmatic nucleus and the anterior hypothalamus of the rat

Signal transduction by second messengers has long been hypothesized to be involved in the circadian system in the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN) of the mammalian brain. The present study reports that the concentration of adenosine-3',5'-monophosphate (cyclic AMP or cAMP) in the SCN region exhibited a circadian fluctuation with two peaks during a day under constant conditions. While a sharp peak at around the end of the subjective night was observed only in the SCN region, the other peak in the late subjective day was also found in the anterior hypothalamic area. The distinct cAMP peak at the late subjective night contrasts with the daytime peaks in electrical and metabolic activity rhythms of the SCN.

General pharmacological properties of the human corticotropin-releasing hormone corticorelin (human)

General pharmacological effects of the human corticotropin-releasing hormone, corticorelin (human) (CAS 86784-80-7), on the central nervous system, somatic nervous system, autonomic nervous system and smooth muscle, respiratory and circulatory system, digestive system and miscellaneous organs were investigated. 1. The central nervous system: Corticorelin (human) had little effect on hexobarbital-induced sleeping-time, maximal electroshock-induced convulsion, acetic acid-induced writhing, rota-rod performance. Corticorelin (human) at doses of more than 10 micrograms/kg i.v. induced flush of skin and pilo-erection, at doses of more than 30 micrograms/kg i.v. decreased body temperature, delayed expression of perphenazine-induced catalepsy and indicated hunched posture, and at the dose of 100 micrograms/kg i.v. induced the rise of awake-level and decrease of the total power of EEG, and decreased the spontaneous motor activity. 2. The somatic nervous system: Corticorelin (human) did not cause muscle relaxation in mice and had little effect on neuromuscular transmission in rats. No local anesthetic activity of corticorelin (human) was exhibited through inhibition of the corneal reflex in guinea pigs. 3. The autonomic nervous system and smooth muscle: Corticorelin (human) had no effect on the contraction of isolated ileum of guinea pigs induced by histamine and acetylcholine, and on the contraction of isolated trachea of guinea pigs induced by histamine, and the pupil diameter of rabbits. Corticorelin (human) at doses more than 30 micrograms/kg i.v. decreased spontaneous motility and contractile force of uterus of non-pregnant rabbits. 4. The respiratory and circulatory system: Corticorelin (human) had no effect on the contraction of isolated aorta of rats induced by norepinephrine. Corticorelin (human) at doses of more than 3 micrograms/kg i.v. decreased the blood pressure, increased heart rates and slightly increased the number of respiration in dogs. However, corticorelin (human) had no effect on ECG and femoral blood flow in dogs. 5. The digestive system: Corticorelin (human) at doses of more than 0.3 microgram/kg i.v. increased duodenal motility and contractile force, at doses of more than 1 microgram/kg i.v. increased colonic contractile force transiently and increased antral motility. Corticorelin (human) at doses of more than 3 micrograms/kg i.v. caused diarrhea and at doses of more than 30 micrograms/kg i.v. inhibited small intestinal propulsion in mice. Corticorelin (human) at dose of 100 micrograms/kg i.v. showed an inhibition of the gastric juice secretion and decreased the excretion of Na+, Cl- and H+ in rats. Corticorelin (human) produced slight gastric damages only at the highest dose of 100 micrograms/kg i.v.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)

Two cases of glutaric aciduria type 1: clinical and neuropathological findings

We report clinical and neuropathological studies of 2 patients with glutaric aciduria type 1. A 10-month-old male with involuntary movements expired suddenly at home. The second, a 15-year-old female, died after three episodes of acute encephalopathy including a Reye syndrome-like episode and an episode of severe hypoglycemia. Hypocarnitinemia was also present. Selective involvement of type II muscle fibers was observed during the Reye syndrome-like episode. Magnetic resonance imaging of the 2 patients showed marked widening of the sylvian fissure, atrophy of the basal ganglia, and white matter lesions. Neuropathology of the 10-month-old patient showed: (1) temporal and frontal lobe hypoplasia, (2) degeneration of the putamen and the pallidum, (3) mild status spongiosus in the cerebral white matters, (4) heterotopic neurons in the cerebellum, and (5) hypoplasia of the cerebral white matter. This patient appeared to manifest a migration and/or maturation abnormality of the brain as well as previously observed basal ganglia and white matter degeneration.

Reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography assay for recombinant acidic fibroblast growth factor in E. coli cell suspensions and lysate samples

A reversed-phase HPLC assay for acidic Fibroblast Growth Factor (aFGF) expressed in E. coli is described. The assay was developed on a Polymer Labs. PLRP-S macroporous poly(styrene-benzene) column. A sample preparation procedure was developed to permit quantitation of aFGF in crude samples, such as cell suspensions and cell lysates. The assay was linear over the range of 25-140 micrograms/ml with an accuracy of 5%. By using a POROS column containing a stationary phase with "through-pores" and a superficial mobile phase velocity of 1440 cm/h, the analysis could be performed in 3 min. The polymeric supports used for this assay were durable; periodic washing with sodium hydroxide maintained column performance for extended periods.

[Ventricular endoaneurysmorrhaphy for the left ventricular aneurysm after myocardial infarction: technique and left ventricular function]

A 54-year-old male with a left ventricular aneurysm and angina after myocardial infarction underwent Cooley's ventricular endoaneurysmorrhaphy with single coronary artery bypass grafting. On cardiopulmonary bypass, an elliptial Dacron felt patch was fashioned to replace the diseased area in the left ventricular cavity, restoring normal shape, contour and volume to the ventricule and stabilizing the still viable and functioning myocardium, and sutured to transition zone between viable myocardium and the fibrotic scarred area. At this time, single coronary bypass grafting (LITA to diagonal branch) was done. His post operative course was uneventful. The left ventricular systolic and diastolic function improved significantly in each variable measured on left ventriculogram analysis.

Correlation of ultrasound-measured common carotid artery stiffness with pathological findings

To quantitatively and noninvasively evaluate common carotid atherosclerosis in a series of patients, we measured the stiffness parameter beta, which represents the mechanical properties of the vessel. beta was calculated from the relationship between blood pressure and the diameter of the artery as measured by an ultrasonic, phase-locked, echotracking system. Increases in the severity grade of atherosclerosis as subsequently determined at autopsy were correlated with increased beta values in 60 common carotid arteries (r = .68). Patients with beta values greater than 13 had a pathological diagnosis of atherosclerosis in the common carotid artery. The sensitivity of this discrimination ratio was 80%, and the specificity was 80% as well. Thus, beta shows promise as a useful diagnostic indicator for detecting asymptomatic common carotid atherosclerosis.

3'-terminal sequence of a small round structured virus (SRSV) in Japan

We determined the nucleotide sequence of about 1,000 bases from the 3'-terminus of a small round structured virus (SRSV), which caused a gastroenteritis outbreak in Chiba Prefecture, Japan, in 1987. The sequence was compared with the corresponding sequence region of Norwalk virus; it consisted of a part of the open reading frame 2 (ORF2), whole ORF3, and 3'-noncoding region (NCR). The 624-base-long ORF3 had sequence homology of 68% with the corresponding region of Norwalk virus. (The amino acid sequence homology was 74%.) The 94-base-long NCR had 65% homology with Norwalk virus. We then selected two consensus-sequence portions in the above sequence between Chiba and Norwalk viruses for primers in the reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). Using this primer set, we detected 669-bp bands in agarose gel electrophoresis of RT-PCR products from feces containing Chiba or Norwalk viruses. Furthermore, in Southern hybridization with Chiba probes which were labeled with digoxigenin-dUTP in PCR, the bands of the two viruses were clearly stained under a low stringency condition. Since both Chiba and Norwalk viruses were detected by the above primer set although they are geographically and chronologically different viruses, our primer-pair may be useful for detection of a broad range of SRSVs which cause gastroenteritis in different areas.

Existence of 7 alpha- and 7 beta-hydroperoxycholest-5-en-3 beta-ols in lipoproteins from diabetic patients and normal subjects

We report evidence for the presence of 7 alpha- and 7 beta-hydroperoxycholest-5-en-3 beta-ols (cholesterol 7-hydroperoxides, Ch 7 alpha-OOH and Ch 7 beta-OOH, respectively) in human plasma lipoproteins in vivo, which had been reported to be markers of aging in rat skin. A comparative study was carried out focusing on the detection of Ch 7-OOHs in plasma lipoproteins from diabetic patients whose plasma has been suggested to be under high oxidative stress. Blood samples were collected from healthy volunteers (control) and diabetics with and without hypercholesterolemia. Ch 7-OOHs were isolated from low and high density lipoproteins (LDL and HDL, respectively) in the plasma of these subjects, identified, and determined by high-performance liquid chromatography with a chemiluminescence detector. The percent detection of Ch 7-OOHs in LDL from diabetics without hypercholesterolemia was similar to that in the control group. However, it was significantly higher in diabetics with hypercholesterolemia than in those without hypercholesterolemia. The percent detection of Ch 7-OOHs in HDL from diabetics without hypercholesterolemia was higher than both that in LDL from the same group and that in HDL from the control group.

Effects of pentobarbital on incorporation of plasma palmitate into rat brain

BACKGROUND

Barbiturates are reported to reduce brain oxidative metabolism and brain free fatty acid release during ischemia by mechanisms that are as yet unclear. To elucidate their action on brain lipid metabolism, an in vivo method was used to quantify the effect of pentobarbital on the incorporation of radiolabeled palmitic acid from blood into lipids of the rat brain.

METHODS

[9,10(-3)H]-Palmitate was infused intravenously in an awake rat or in a rat lightly anesthetized or made comatose by pentobarbital. Twenty minutes after infusion was begun, the rat was killed and non-3H2O radioactivity in individual brain lipid compartments was determined. Incorporation coefficients (k*) were calculated by dividing the lipid compartment radioactivities by the integrated plasma radioactivity to 20 min.

RESULTS

Net brain k* for [9,10(-3)H]-palmitate was reduced by 36-40% in pentobarbital-anesthetized rats. This reduction was unrelated to depth of anesthesia or to the presence of hypercapnia and acidosis, because breathing 7.5% CO2 had no effect on k* in awake rats. Anesthesia reduced radiolabel incorporation into phospholipids by 46-53% and into neutral lipids by 20-26% but did not change the distribution of radiolabel among phospholipid or neutral lipid classes.

CONCLUSIONS

Pentobarbital has a profound effect on brain lipid metabolism. It reduces incorporation of plasma palmitate into brain, more so into phospholipids than into neutral lipids, independently of changes in cerebral blood flow. Reduced incorporation likely reflects reduced turnover of palmitate within brain lipids (mainly phosphatidylcholine), consistent with evidence that barbiturates also reduce release of free fatty acids during brain ischemia.

Measurement method of nonresonant third-order susceptibility by using off-resonant coherent anti-Stokes Raman spectroscopy

Nonresonant third-order susceptibilities (χ(nr)) of N(2) and Ar gases by using an off-resonant coherent anti-Stokes Raman spectroscopy of the N(2) Q branch, whose spectral profile is highly sensitive to the value of χ(nr), have been measured to demonstrate the possibility of the present method. The χ(nr) of N(2) and Ar using the off-resonant coherent anti-Stokes Raman spectroscopy were 8.4 ± 0.2 and 9.7 ± 0.8 (× 10(-18)cm(3) /erg/amagat), respectively. These values are in good agreement with those of previous studies. The off-resonant spectra were theoretically calculated by using the Raman linewidth given by a modified exponential gap model, and they were compared with the experimental ones to determine χ(nr). The effects of uncertainties of the Raman linewidth of the N(2) Q branch on the determination of χ(nr) were investigated by changing the parameters in the modified exponential gap model. The determined χ(nr) value changed by only 0.05% with 50% change of the Raman linewidth. The potential advantages of this method are no requirements of high spectral resolution measurements, no accurate Raman linewidth data for each experimental condition, and no optical delay between pump beams.

Acute effect of topical carteolol on ocular pulsatile volume change

To determine whether topical carteolol affects ocular blood flow, we studied effects of carteolol 2% on the ocular pulse waves in 9 normal volunteers, and analyzed the results as variations in pulsatile volume changes (PVC) for one minute (PVCm) using the Friedenwald's pressure-volume relationship. PVC means a volume for the pressure amplitude in each pulse. The pulse waves were recorded with a pneumatonometer and analyzed by a computer. The PVCm change 15 min after the carteolol instillation was evaluated with the control performed with biological salt solution in the same manner. The data showed a net increase in the PVCm of the carteolol-instilled eyes (21.3 +/- 6.4 microliters/min: mean +/- standard error, p < 0.05, paired t-test). Considering a finding that PVCm takes 50% of the total ocular blood flow, the results suggest a possible alteration in the total flow by a carteolol instillation.

[Detection of HIV-1 proviral DNA in peripheral leukocytes by AMPLICOR HIV-1 test kit]

AMPLICOR HIV-1 test kits, which had been developed as an HIV-1 provirus detection test by PCR method, have been evaluated for its clinical diagnostic application. Sixty-six of HIV-1 antibody positive and 67 of HIV-1 antibody negative blood samples derived from hemophiliacs, who had received blood products, have been tested by AMPLICOR HIV-1. All of the results from AMPLICOR HIV-1 were consistent with those from antibody test and clinical aspects. Thirty-nine of HIV-1 antibody positive samples have been tested by AMPLICOR HIV-1 and virus isolation (culture method). Twelve of 39 (30.8%) were positive by virus isolation, and 39 of 39 (100%) were positive by AMPLICOR HIV-1. Two of new born infants from HIV-1 sero-positive mothers were tested by AMPLICOR HIV-1, and the result suggested that the kit would be useful for diagnosis of infants from sero-positive mothers. Based on these studies, AMPLICOR HIV-1 is considered as useful clinical diagnostic for HIV-1 proviral DNA detection.

[A case report of acute mid-graft occlusion of the left internal mammary artery to the left anterior descending artery after PTCA]

A 66 year-old woman underwent coronary artery bypass grafting for postinfarction angina. A left internal mammary artery graft was joined to the left anterior descending artery. Coronary and graft angiography revealed a 90% stenosis in the anastomotic site of the left internal mammary artery. During PTCA with a 2.0 mm balloon catheter, acute occlusion of the graft body occurred. Intragraft injection of isosorbide dinitrate failed to dilate the graft. Thus, careful consideration should be given to several complications such as acute occlusion of the graft when PTCA for anastomotic site of the graft is performed.

Importance of the proline-rich region following signal-anchor sequence in the formation of correct conformation of microsomal cytochrome P-450s

A proline-rich region is present following the signal-anchor sequence in the amino-terminal portion of all known microsomal cytochrome P-450s. To assess the functional significance of the proline residues in this region, we systematically altered these residues of cytochrome P450(M1) (P450 2C11); one, two, and three proline residues out of the five in the region were exchanged for alanine residues. The wild-type and the mutated proteins were expressed in the fission yeast Schizosaccharomyces pombe under the control of nmt1 promoter. The wild-type and the mutated proteins were all highly expressed in the yeast cells (5-9% of the total membrane protein). The expressed wild-type P450(M1) showed a typical carbon monoxide difference spectrum of P-450 and the activity of testosterone hydroxylation, whereas all the mutated proteins constructed in the present study showed no characteristic P-450 spectrum, suggesting that the substitution of the proline residues in this region resulted in a defect of proper heme incorporation. Furthermore, the mutated proteins in which more than one proline residues had been exchanged were more sensitive to trypsin digestion than the wild type. From these results, we propose that the proline residues in the proline-rich region are crucial for the formation of the correct conformation of microsomal P-450 molecules.

Acral ichthyosiform mucinosis in association with Sjögren's syndrome: a peculiar form of pretibial myxedema?

Two Japanese women developed well-demarcated ichthyosiform plaques on the lateral aspect of their lower legs. Deposition of mucin was demonstrated throughout the papillary dermis, unlike the site of mucin deposition seen in pretibial myxedema. Their thyroid function was normal. The condition of both women was complicated by Sjögren's syndrome. One of them who presented with positive anti-microsomal and anti-thyroglobulin antibodies had goiter, suggesting that her malady was also complicated by Hashimoto's thyroiditis. Their skin manifestations differed from those described in cutaneous mucinosis including pretibial myxedema, specifically with regard to the well-demarcated ichthyosiform appearance, the mucin deposition in the papillary dermis, and the association with Sjögren's syndrome. To the best of our knowledge, our cases may thus be considered to be a previously undescribed form of cutaneous mucinosis associated with Sjögren's syndrome.

Surgery for small liver cancers

During the last 16 years, we have resected small hepatocellular carcinomas (HCCs) measuring 5 cm or less from 362 patients, 266 of whom also had liver cirrhosis. The operative and hospital mortality rate were 1.7% and 1.9%, respectively. These showed a gradual decrease year by year in parallel with reduction of intraoperative blood loss achieved by the selective vascular occlusion technique and Pringle method. In 1989, 87% of hepatectomy patients were discharged without the need for whole blood transfusion, and 5-year survival was 43.7%. Tumor size, number of tumors, intrahepatic metastasis, vascular invasion, and capsular invasion were significant prognostic factors. Edmondson grade and the operative procedure employed were significantly related to outcome. Our standard policy for selection of operative procedures and perioperative care is described, and the selection of treatment modalities is discussed.

Serotonin in the raphe nuclei: regulation by light and an endogenous pacemaker

Temporal changes of serotonin (5-HT) content in the median (MRN) and dorsal (DRN) raphe nuclei were measured in rats kept under various lighting conditions. Serotonin content in the MRN and DRN under light-dark (LD) condition showed diurnal rhythmicity, with a peak during early light phase and a trough during the dark phase. In constant dark (DD) condition, a single peak was observed and was out of phase to the 5-HT peak found under LD condition. Animals exposed to constant light (LL) after 2 days in DD showed marked increase in 5-HT after lights on. These results suggest that changes in 5-HT in the MRN and DRN are regulated by an endogenous pacemaker and by light.

Japanese patients with chronic fatigue syndrome are negative for known retrovirus infections

Although chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) is known to be the syndrome that begins with an acute flu-like illness that may be due to the exposure to an infectious agent, there has been no convincing evidence on the causative agents. Recently, human T-lymphotropic virus type II (HTLV-II)-like virus has been reported to be associated with the CFS by using HTLV Western blot analysis and polymerase chain reaction. However, some investigators could not detect HTLV-II by indirect immunofluorescence analysis. Lately, CFS patients have been reported in Japan. We detected all 30 tested patients with CFS were seronegative for HTLV-II, HTLV-I and HIV by specific peptide ELISA and Western blot. Further, PCR analysis was negative for HTLV-II and retrovirus was not detected by coculture method with patients' PBMC. Thus, known human retrovirus infections do not cause a CFS in Japan.