Seroepidemiology of human enterovirus71 and coxsackievirusA16 in Jiangsu province, China

Background

The major etiology of hand, foot and mouth disease (HFMD) is infection with human enterovirus A (HEV-A). Among subtypes of HEV-A, coxsackievirusA16 (CoxA16) and enterovirus 71 (EV71) are major causes for recurrent HFMD among infants and children in Jiangsu Province, mainland China. Here, we analyzed maternal antibodies between prenatal women and their neonates, to determine age-specific seroprevalence of human EV71 and CoxA16 infections in infants and children aged 0 to 15 years. The results may facilitate the development of immunization against HFMD.

Methods

This study used cross-section of 40 pairs of pregnant women and neonates and 800 subjects aged 1 month to 15 years old. Micro-dose cytopathogenic effects measured neutralizing antibodies against EV71 and CoxA16. Chi-square test compared seroprevalence rates between age groups and McNemar test, paired-Samples t-test and independent-samples t-test analyzed differences of geometric mean titers.

Results

A strong correlation between titers of neutralizing antibody against EV71 and CoxA16 in prenatal women and neonates was observed (r_EV71 = 0.67, r_CoxA16 = 0.56, respectively, p < 0.05). Seroprevalence rates of anti-EV71 antibody gradually decreased with age between 0 to 6 months old, remained low between 7 to 11 months (5.0–10.0%), and increased between 1 and 4 years (22.5–87.5%). Age-specific seroprevalence rates of anti-EV71 antibody stabilized in >80% of children between 5 to 15 years of age. However, seroprevalence rates of anti-CoxA16 antibody were very low (0.0–13.0%) between 0 to 6 months of age, gradually increased between 7 months to 4 years (15.0–70.0%), and stabilized at 54.0% (108/200) between 5 to 15 years. Seroprevalence rates against EV71 and CoxA16 were low under 1 year (0.0–10.0%), and showed an age dependent increase with high seroprevalence (52.5–62.5%) between 4 and10 years of age.

Conclusions

Concomitant infection of EV71 and CoxA16 was common in Jiangsu Province. Therefore, development of bivalent vaccine against both EV71 and CoxA16 is critical. The optimal schedule for vaccination may be 4 to11 months of age.

[A prospective study on the association between dyslipidemia and hypertension]

OBJECTIVE

To discuss the risks of hypertension development with relation to the level of lipid variables among populations who had normal blood pressure at baseline study.

METHODS

In April 2000, under the support of project "prevention of metabolic syndrome and multi-metabolic disorders in Jiangsu province", a cohort study was performed to obtain the baseline data among 8685 persons from age 34 to 74. In June of 2006, a follow-up investigation was carried out among those who had been in the study for 5 years after the baseline study started. 2603 persons who met the selection criteria and showed normal blood pressure during baseline study, were recruited in this investigation. The interval from the baseline to the follow-up studies was 6.38 years on average. Relationship between the risk of developing hypertension and the baseline level of lipid variables were analyzed.

RESULTS

Relations between baseline lipid levels and the incidence of hypertension during the follow-up was discovered. In gender and age adjusted model, the lipid variables were all associated with hypertension (trend test, P<0.01). In multivariable-adjusted model, HDL-C [aRR=0.71 (95%CI: 0.61-0.99)], non-HDL-C [aRR=1.28 (95%CI: 1.14-1.83)], TC/HDL-C ratio [aRR=1.41 (95%CI: 1.25-2.03)] and TG [aRR=1.49 (95%CI: 1.30-2.13)] were again associated with hypertension (trend test, P<0.05). Even the aRR was much weakened after the baseline SBP, DBP were adjusted with Cox model, the significant relation of hypertension to HDL-C, TC/HDL-C ratio and TG still existed. Excluding the two factors of obesity (BMI> or =28) and diabetes which had been recognized in marked linking with hypertension, lipid variables were still associated with hypertension.

CONCLUSION

Dyslipidemia might occur before being hypertensive. Hypertension was associated with HDL-C, TC/HDL-C and TG or even exclusion of obesity, diabetes and factors of smoking and drinking or baseline level of SBP, DBP were adjusted.

Recycling of waste tyre rubber into oil absorbent

The abundant and indiscriminant disposal of waste tyres has caused both health and environmental problems. In this work, we provide a new way to dispose off waste tyres by reusing the waste tyre rubber (WTR) for oil absorptive material production. To investigate this feasibility, a series of absorbents were prepared by graft copolymerization-blending method, using waste tyre rubber and 4-tert-butylstyrene (tBS) as monomers. Divinylbenzene (DVB) and benzoyl peroxide (BPO) were employed as crosslinker and initiator, respectively. The existence of graft-blends (WTR-g-tBS) was determined by FTIR spectrometry and verified using thin-layer chromatography (TLC). In addition, the thermal properties of WTR-g-tBS were confirmed by a thermogravimetric analyzer (TGA). Oil absorbency of the grafted-blends increased with increases in either feed ratio of WTR to tBS or DVB concentration. This absorbency reached a maximum of 24.0gg(-1) as the feed ratio and DVB concentration were 60/40 and 1wt%, respectively, after which it decreased. At other ratios and concentrations the absorbency decreased. The gel fraction of grafted-blends increased with increasing concentration of DVB. Oil-absorption processes in pure toluene and crude oil diluted with toluene were found to adhere to first-order absorption kinetics. Furthermore, the oil-absorption rate in diluted crude oil was observed to be lower than pure toluene.

[Pharmacokinetics and bioavailability of clinafloxacin in rats]

AIM

To study the pharmacokinetics and bioavailability of clinafloxacin in rats.

METHODS

The drug concentration was determined by HPLC. The main pharmacokinetic parameters were obtained by 3P87 program. An RP-C18 was used as the stationary phase. The mobile phase was a mixture of acetonitrile-0.05 mol.L-1 citric acid triethylamine (pH 2.5) (20:80). The flow rate was 1.0 mL.min-1. The UV absorbance detector was set at 300 nm.

RESULTS

A good linearity was obtained from 0.03-20 micrograms.mL-1 of clinafloxacin in rat plasma with gamma = 0.9998. The plasma concentration--time curve of clinafloxacin conformed to one compartment open model. After ig administration of 50 mg.kg-1 and 100 mg.kg-1 dose of clinafloxacin in six rats, mean Cmax and AUC values increased in proportion to dose. Mean T1/2 appeared to be independent of dose. Mean AUC was 65 +/- 6 and 27 +/- 4 micrograms.h.mL-1 respectively after i.v. and ig administration of 100 mg.kg-1 dose. The extent of bioavailability (F) of clinafloxacin was 42%.

CONCLUSION

The results of the pharmacokinetic study of clinafloxacin showed that it exhibited first order kinetic characteristics and the bioavailability is low.

RU486-induced growth inhibition of human endometrial cells

OBJECTIVE

To determine the direct action of RU486 on endometrial cell proliferation and to differentiate whether the antioxidant or the antiprogesterone property of RU486 is predominately responsible for its effect on cell growth.

DESIGN

In vitro study comparing the effects of RU486 (antiprogesterone and antioxidant), reduced RU486 (antioxidant), ZK112,993 (antiprogesterone), and lazaroid U74,500A (antioxidant) on endometrial cell growth. The human endometrial cell line EM42 was used in transient transfection assays to confirm the relative antiprogesterone potency of the various compounds.

SETTING

Academic medical center

PATIENT(S)

Women presenting with pelvic pain or infertility and diagnosed with endometriosis at time of surgery or women desiring tubal ligation with a normal pelvis (controls).

INTERVENTION(S)

Endometrial cell cultures were treated with RU486, reduced RU486, lazaroid U74,500A, and ZK112,993.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE(S)

Tritiated thymidine incorporation was used to assess cell growth. Inhibition of progesterone induction of transiently transfected reporter plasmids was used to measure antiprogesterone activity of compounds studied.

RESULT(S)

RU486 reduced cell growth in a dose-dependent fashion of the endometrial cell lines EM42 and RL95-2 and of endometrial and endometriosis cells from primary culture. After being reduced, RU486 lost most of its antiprogesterone activity but retained its antiproliferative properties. ZK112,993 was similar in potency to RU486 as a progesterone antagonist but did not significantly modify endometrial cell growth. Lazaroid U74,500A was devoid of antiprogesterone activity but was shown to be a potent antiproliferative agent.

CONCLUSION(S)

RU486 has a direct inhibitory effect on human endometrial cell growth. This activity appears to be at least partly mediated through its antioxidant property.

Helicobacter pylori associated with a high prevalence of duodenal ulcer disease and a low prevalence of gastric cancer in a developing nation

This study examines the relationship between Helicobacter pylori infection and peptic ulcer disease and gastric cancer--in particular, the presence or absence of bacteria, the grading of gastritis, and the degree of inflammation in the antral and oxyntic mucosae. The grading of gastritis and the detection of H pylori were determined by histology using the Sydney system. Of the 1006 patients examined, 34.5% had duodenal ulcer disease, 3.5% gastric ulcer disease, and 2% with coexistent ulceration. Most patients (50.2%) were classified as having non-ulcer dyspepsia. Altogether 2.4% of patients had gastric cancer and two further patients had carcinoma in the gastric stump. Of the ulcer disease patients, 87.2% had histological evidence of H pylori infection. After patients who had taken antibiotics or bismuth compounds in the preceding four weeks were excluded, 98.9% of the duodenal ulcer disease, 100% of the gastric ulcer disease, and 100% of the coexistent ulcer disease patients had evidence of H pylori infection. In patients with gastric cancer who had not taken antimicrobial agents in the four weeks before endoscopy, 83.3% had evidence of H pylori infection. Thus, there was a high rate of duodenal ulcer disease and a low rate of gastric ulcer disease in southern China, an area of low gastric cancer mortality. There was a specific topographical relationship between H pylori, the histological response, and gastroduodenal disease. Our data suggest that the status of a nation as either 'developed' or 'developing' can not be used to predict the upper gastrointestinal disease profile of its population.

Gastric heterotopia in the upper esophagus (inlet patch) in endoscopic surveys in northern China

Upper esophageal gastric heterotopia (inlet patch) has not been reported in endoscopic series from China. We describe the occurrence of endoscopically and histologically typical inlet patches in two endoscopic surveys of asymptomatic adults in northern China. Because rapid endoscopic protocols were used, the 0.3-0.4% prevalence of inlet patch in these surveys probably represents a minimum figure for adults in this population.

Identification of a 12.5-kD protein from caudate-putamen nucleus as a dopaminergic neuronotrophic factor

The effect of the extract from caudate-putamen nucleus of newborn rats (CPe) on the dopaminergic (DA) neurons has been studied. An MTT colorimetric microassay measuring optical densities for the growth of DA neuron cultures reveals a significant increase in growth for cultures with CPe as compared to those without CPe (p < 0.05). Rhodamine retrograde-prelabelled DA neurons were cultured on a Phastgel containing all the electrophoretically separated protein bands from CPe, and able to fish out from it their own trophic factor, a 12.5-kD protein band. The survived neurons at the 12.5-kD protein band were immunostained positive with anti-dopamine antibody. Co-culturing the 12.5 kD-containing gel strip with explants from substantia nigra at a close distance for a week revealed anti-dopamine immunopositive neurites outgrowing from the explants only towards the 12.5-kD gel strip. These results indicate that a 12.5-kD protein from the CPe is capable of maintaining the survival of DA neurons of the substantia nigra and promoting their neurite outgrowth.

Association of Helicobacter pylori with gastric cancer and observations on the detection of this bacterium in gastric cancer cases

OBJECTIVE

The aim of the present study was to assess the prevalence of Helicobacter pylori infection in Chinese patients with advanced gastric cancer, to compare this with a matched control population, and to identify factors that may effect the detection of H. pylori in patients with gastric cancer.

METHODS

Fifty-one patients with advanced gastric cancer and 102 age/sex-matched controls were included in the study. For the detection of H. pylori, both biopsy specimens and sera were collected from the patients, whereas only sera were collected from the controls. A strong association was shown between H. pylori and both intestinal and diffuse type gastric cancer. Antibiotic intake in the month before endoscopic examination, the site of collection of biopsy specimens, and tumor size were identified as factors that may reduce the histological detection of H. pylori in gastric cancer patients.

CONCLUSIONS

These data provide supporting evidence of an association between H. pylori infection and gastric cancer and indicate that, in certain circumstances, histological evaluation of H. pylori infection in gastric cancer cases may be less reliable than serological evaluation.

[Active constituents of Commelina communis L]

According to the pharmacological results five compounds were isolated from the herb of Commelina communis. Based on physico-chemical constants and spectral data, four of them were identified as n-triacontanol, p-hydroxycinnamic acid, daucosteril and D-mannitol. p-hydroxycinnamic acid shows antibacterial activity and D-mannitol shows antitussive effect.

[Growth inhibitory action of RGNTF-McAb on human retinoblastoma cell line Y-79]

The monoclonal antibody against the retinal ganglion neuronotrophic factor (RGNTF-McAb) was used in immunostaining of the Western blotting membrane separated from extract of human retinoblastoma cell line Y-79 to find that the latter contained a 30KD protein which was immunologically similar to the RGNTF secreted from the tectum of rat. The effect of different concentrations of RGNTF-McAb on the growth of Rb cells in cultures of different seeding concentrations was studied, revealing that the growth inhibitory action of RGNTF-McAb increased with increasing concentrations, up to 67% inhibition. Morphologically the growth and division of Rb cells were significantly inhibited as compared to the controls. The RGNTF-anti-idiotypic antibody was used for the localization of the RGNTF receptor, which the immunoreactive positive staining indicated to be on the surface of Rb cell membrane. The RGNTF-McAb could thus neutralize the RGNTF and inhibit growth of the Rb cells. These findings support the application of RGNTF-McAb to the treatment of retinoblastoma.

Changes in rat retinal ganglion neuronotrophic factor and its mRNA during postnatal development

The monoclonal antibody specific to the retinal ganglion neuronotrophic factor (RGNTF) was used to localize and quantify the presence and amount of RGNTF during the postnatal development of the visual system in the rat. The results showed that in the 0-1-day age group, neurons at the superficial layers and deep part of superior colliculus, and as well as retinal ganglion cells were strongly stained with their RGNTF contents quantified to be 88%, 100% and 100%, respectively. In the 5-6-day age group, RGNTF contents were significantly reduced to merely 50%, 30% and 80%, respectively. The RGNTF contents reduced further to 0% as age increased to 2 years old. A 32P-DNA probe specific to the first 7 amino acid sequence of RGNTF at its N-terminal end was synthesized and used for in situ hybridization studies. The results revealed that strong hybridized signals (i.e. mRNA of RGNTF) were localized in the same neurons in the superficial layers and deep part of the superior colliculus only in the 0-1-day age group, and that no signals were found in retinae of all postnatal age groups. The significant reduction of RGNTF may be related to the RGC death during postnatal development. Neurons at the superficial layers and deep part of the superior colliculus are the sources of RGNTF for RGCs in the postnatal retina.

[Immunotherapy of human retinoblastoma with RGNTF-monoclonal antibody using nude mice as model]

Retinoblastoma in nude mice as an animal model was developed by injecting cultured human retinoblastoma cell line(Rb) Y79 into the anterior chamber of eyeball. It was treated by direct injection of RGNTF-McAb into the Rb tumor. Ten out of 30 eyeballs with Rb inoculation did not develop tumor (32% inhibition) if Rb cell suspension was mixed with the RGNTF-McAb before injection; whereas in the control, all 40 but 3 eyeballs developed tumor (7%) when Rb cell suspension alone had been injected. This 32% of inhibition of Rb tumor formation by RGNTF-McAb was very significant (T > 2.58, P < 0.01). The results of immunotherapy of 46 eyeballs with Rb tumor developed 10 days after inoculation by RGNTF-McAb for 2 months revealed that the proportion of grade III-IV tumors before and after therapy reduced from 53% to 26% and that of grade I-II tumors increased from 47% to 74%. Feulgen DNA staining of tumor sections after therapy revealed that the average DNA contents in Rb cells decreased significantly (P < 0.01) from 16.2 +/- 2.6 in grade III-IV to 5.3 +/- 1.2 in grade I-II compared to that of the untreated control 18.8 +/- 3.2. Numerous white cells infiltrating the Rb tumor, hyperplasia of fibrous tissues, and no spreading and metastasis of the tumor tissue were observed in the treated eyeballs; whereas Rb tumor was spreading to the optic nerve and superior colliculus in the untreated eyeballs. Therefore, the RGNTF-McAb can not only inhibit the growth of Rb cells but also limit their spreading and metastasis.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Oxyntic and antral gastritis in the People's Republic of China: diagnosis and relationship to Helicobacter pylori

This study investigates the relationship between gastritis and Helicobacter pylori infection in the Chinese population. Particular focus was placed upon the grading of gastritis, using the recently developed "Sydney system." Five diagnostic procedures were used to establish H. pylori status, all of which were found to be highly sensitive and specific. Histological chronic gastritis was reported in 93/108 (86.1%) of the patients examined, H. pylori infection being present in 73/93 (78.5%), and in no patient with histologically normal mucosae. There was a relatively high incidence of idiopathic antral gastritis within the gastritic population, 20/93 (21.5%). In the H. pylori-positive group, 10/73 (13.7%) had pangastritis, 57/73 (78.1%) had pangastritis-antrum-predominant, and 6/73 (8.2%) had antral-only gastritis. The level of activity was significantly higher in the antrum; however, the distribution of bacteria between the antrum and body was not significantly different. There is a need for additional studies examining the specific topographical relationship between H. pylori, the histology, and gastroduodenal disease.

Nasopharyngeal and nasal malignant lymphoma: a clinicopathological study of 54 cases

Forty-one cases of nasopharyngeal and 13 cases of nasal malignant lymphoma have been examined histologically and immunohistochemically. All of the cases were non-Hodgkin's lymphoma; one case was of follicular type and the remaining 53 were of diffuse type. Large cell lymphoma comprised 48% of cases and most of the immunoblastic lymphomas showing pleomorphism occurred in the nose. Twenty-seven cases were of T-cell and 21 of B-cell phenotype. The predominance of T-cell lymphoma was due to an increased incidence of these in the nose, the T:B ratio of 3.33:1 contrasting with a 1:1.05 ratio in the nasopharynx. Nasopharyngeal lymphomas seem to show an intermediate incidence between the T-cell predominance in the nose and a B-cell predominance in the oropharynx. Since the large cell type of lymphoma was predominant, the differential diagnosis from undifferentiated carcinoma is important and is facilitated by the use of immunostaining methods.

[Immunohistochemical study of primary gastrointestinal malignant lymphoma]

63 cases of primary gastrointestinal non-Hodgkin's malignant lymphoma (ML), including 18 cases of gastric ML, 25 cases of small intestinal ML, 12 cases of ileocaecal ML and 8 cases of large intestinal ML, were studied. Small non-cleaved cell lymphomas were most common, accounting for 25.4% which was more common in the bowel than in the stomach. In 41 cases, a panel of monoclonal antibodies including L26, UCHL-1, Leu22 and Mac387 were used on paraffin section. The result of the staining was satisfactory in 37 cases. There were 35 cases (94.6%) exhibiting B-cell phenotype and 2 cases (5.4%) exhibiting T-cell phenotype. No histiocytic type was detected. The results of this and previous studies confirm the fact that most gastrointestinal lymphomas are B-cell lymphomas.

[Purification and survival of retinal ganglion cell]

We had used a specific anti-Thy 1.1 antibody binding method and a nylonmembrane sieve method to isolate and purify retinal ganglion cells from neonatal rats in order to compare the effect of tectal extract on these purified cells retinal ganglion cells. Isolated retinal cell suspension with retinal ganglion cells retrograde-prelabelled with Fast Blue were seeded on culture dishes coated with the specific anti-Thy 1.1 antibody for 30 minutes before nonadherent cells were removed. The percentage purity of the adherent retinal ganglion cells determined microscopically to be 95%. However, the percentage purity of the Fast Blue-labelled retinal ganglion cells recovered using the nylon membrane of pore size 15 microns was only 60 +/- 5%. Retinal ganglion cells purified by both methods could survive and grow into large, active neurons with neurite outgrowths in the presence of tectal extract. A MTT colorimetric microassay was used to quantify the survival growth activity of these purified retinal ganglion cells after culture for 24 hours. The result showed that the optical density ratio (+Te/-Te) of the retinal ganglion cells purified by anti-Thy 1.1 antibody binding method was 12.3 (0.111/0.009) and by the nylon membrane method was 6.4 (0.102/0.016), and the optical density ratio of the non-purified retinal cells was 3.8 (0.095/0.025), p less than 0.01 for all 3 sets of results. It was concluded that in the absence of other cells, the purified retinal ganglion cells responded specifically to the trophic activity in tectal extract, the purer the retinal ganglion cells and the clearer the effect.

Effect of a 30 kD protein from tectal extract of rat on cultured retinal neuron

For the first time we have shown here that the constituent from tectal extract (Te) which can support and promote the survival and growth of the retinal ganglion cell is a 30 kD protein. (i) Using MTT colorimetric microassay to measure the optical density for the survival and growth of the cultured retinal neuron, it was found that the optical densities for the experimental cultures with either Te, or its 10-30 kD fraction, or its greater than or equal to 30 kD fraction were 2-4 times that of the control culture without Te (P less than 0.01). This indicated that experimental cultures were more active in growth. (ii) The retinal neurons cultured on Te Phast gels showed that large retinal neurons (greater than 18 microns) grew only on the gel region containing the 30 kD protein. The retrograde prelabelled with horseradish peroxidase (HRP) for retinal ganglion cells indicated that these surviving neurons grown on Te Phast gel were HRP positive, i.e. retinal ganglion cells. (iii) The retinal explants cultured with 30 kD gels at a close distance of 1 mm apart revealed that many neurite outgrowths, up to 400 microns, extended from the retinal explants towards 30 kD gels, and that many individual cells and tissue masses migrated out from the explants and grew onto 30 kD gels. They were stained anti-neuron specific enolase and anti-Thy 1.1 positive, indicating they are retinal ganglion cells. Therefore, we concluded that the 30 kD protein is the neuronotrophic factor in the tectal extract specific for retinal ganglion cells.

[Inhibitory effect of interleukin-1 beta on follicle stimulating hormone (FSH) induced estrogen production by cultured rat granulosa cells]

Interleukin-1 beta (IL-1 beta), one of the polypeptide lymphokines released in response to antigen, toxins, injury or inflammation by nearly all cell types, has multiple systemic effects. In the present study the effect of IL-1 beta on follicle stimulating hormone (FSH)-induced estrogen production in primary culture was investigated. Granulosa cells obtained from immature estrogen-treated female rats were cultured for 3 days with increasing doses of FSH (1-30 ng/ml) with or without increasing doses of IL-1 beta (2-20 U/ml). The FSH stimulated estrogen production is dose-dependent, whereas IL-1 beta alone did not affect estrogen biosynthesis. In contrast, simultaneous treatment with IL-1 beta caused a dose-dependent inhibition of FSH action. This inhibitory effect of IL-1 beta was evident 48 h after the treatment. Furthermore, IL-1 beta inhibited forskolin (10(-5) mmol/L) and (Bu)2 cAMP (10(-2) mmol/L)-stimulated estrogen production, indicating a post-cyclic AMP site of action. The present study suggests that IL-1 beta is a potent modulator of granulosa cell steroidogenesis. Decreased estrogen formation may contribute to the follicle atresia and the impaired reproductive functions during injury and inflammation.

Gonadotroph adenomas in men produce biologically active follicle-stimulating hormone

Gonadotroph adenomas may exhibit qualitative and quantitative defects in gonadotropin biosynthesis and secretion. Hypersecretion of immunoreactive FSH dimers by these adenomas occurs frequently; however, it has not been known whether this FSH is biologically active. Using the granulosa cell aromatase bioassay and a highly specific immunoradiometric assay for FSH, we studied the serum bioactivity and bio- to immunoactivity (B/I) ratios of 14 men with FSH-secreting adenomas and compared these values to those of 11 age-matched normal men. In addition, three adenoma patients received TRH (400 micrograms, iv). The mean basal serum FSH level (international units per L), as measured by both bio- and immunoassays, and the FSH B/I ratios were significantly higher (P less than 0.02, by Kolmogorov-Smirnov test) in the adenoma patients than in normal men (mean +/- SEM; adenoma patients: bioactivity, 68.8 +/- 10.4; immunoreactivity, 34.8 +/- 13.7; B/I ratio, 3.4 +/- 0.6; normal men: bioactivity, 5.8 +/- 1.2; immunoreactivity, 6.4 +/- 0.8; B/I ratio, 0.90 +/- 0.1). Both bio- and immunoactive FSH rose after TRH injection, resulting in maintenance of the B/I (mean +/- SEM; pre-TRH: bio-FSH, 63.7 +/- 22.4; immuno-FSH, 28.0 +/- 14.1; B/I ratio, 2.8 +/- 1.2; post-TRH: bio-FSH, 125.6 +/- 42.7; immuno-FSH, 45.8 +/- 21.8; B/I ratio, 3.5 +/- 1.6). When gonadotroph adenoma cells from three separate patients were cultured and their conditioned media (n = 3) studied, relatively large amounts of both bio- and immuno-FSH were detected. Furthermore, the major isoelectric profile of bio-FSH (pH 4.9-3.0) in the conditioned medium from two such adenomas was shown by chromatofocusing to be comparable to that of purified human pituitary FSH (pH 5.2-3.6). We conclude that gonadotroph adenomas in men secrete FSH that is biologically active, both basally and in response to TRH.

Susceptibility of irradiated bovine aortic endothelial cells to injury

Using cultured bovine aortic endothelial cells (BAEC), the authors attempted to determine whether prior irradiation would alter the susceptibility of these cells to three known injurious stimuli and, if so, whether the alteration would be related to radiation dose. BAEC were irradiated with 0, 5, or 10 Gy of gamma rays and, on the third postirradiation day, exposed to fibrin, nicotine, or bacterial endotoxin (lipopolysaccharide, LPS). Release of prelabeled 51Cr, representing cell lysis, cell detachment, or a combination of the two, was determined. Significant differences between irradiated and control cells were determined by using paired Student's t-tests. Irradiation did not appear to have altered the sensitivity of BAEC to fibrin-induced injury. Cells irradiated with 10 Gy of gamma rays, but generally not those irradiated with half this dose, showed a heightened susceptibility to nicotine. Contrary to the nicotine results, irradiated cells showed less cell detachment and lysis after exposure to LPS. These results suggest that the susceptibility of irradiated BAEC to harmful stimuli depends largely on the nature of the stimulus as well as the radiation dose.

Cellular and extracellular plasminogen activator and inhibitor in an experimental tumour

We determined plasminogen activator (PA) and PA inhibitor (PAI) activities in the intra- and extracellular compartments of an experimental pancreatic ascites tumour with indirect and direct functional assays, and partially characterized these activities on SDS-polyacrylamide gels coupled with fibrin and reverse fibrin autography. Intact tumour cells caused lysis of plasminogen-rich but not plasminogen-free fibrin clots, and the extent of lysis of the former was related to tumour cell count. Direct assay of PA with a synthetic substrate yielded an equivalent of 109 urokinase units per 10(9) tumour cells. No PAI activity was demonstrated in tumour cells with functional assays. Contrary to tumour cells, cell-free ascitic fluids caused no lysis of fibrin clots. Instead, it inhibited tumour cell- and urokinase-induced, but not plasmin-induced, clot lysis in a dose-dependent fashion. Although functional assays failed to demonstrate PA in ascitic fluid and PAI in tumour cells, both activities were detected in electrophoresed samples of cell lysates and fluids by fibrin and reverse fibrin autography. In tumour cells, a mixture of tissue-type PA (tPA) and urokinase-type PA (uPA) were present. In the fluid, uPA together with two other PAs with greater molecular weights than tPA were detected.