Metastases-related genes in the classification of liver and peritoneal metastasis in human gastric cancer

INTRODUCTION

With the aim of identifying metastases-related genes in gastric cancer, we performed a broad analysis of differential gene expression between low-metastatic parental cell lines and established highly metastatic sublines.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

We established novel cell lines, AZ-H5c, NUGC-3H5, and TMK-1H7, with a high potential of liver metastasis, and AZ-P7a, NUGC-3P4T, and TMK-1P4a, with a high potential of peritoneal metastasis. These cell lines were derived from low-metastatic parental AZ-521, NUGC-3, and TMK-1 cell lines, respectively. Furthermore, to investigate different levels of gene expression implicated in metastatic potentials in gastric cancer, we investigated approximately 2000 expressed genes in each cell line using a DNA microarray.

RESULTS

Varieties of genes were up-regulated or down-regulated in highly metastatic liver and peritoneal cell lines. Fifty-eight genes, including the transferrin receptor, ras-related rho, and osteopontin, and 22 genes, including apolipoprotein E and inhibin A-submit, were up-regulated and down-regulated in two or three liver metastatic sublines. On the other hand, 19 genes, the transferrin receptor, c-fos, and RANTES, and 26 genes, including MAC25, PISSLRE, and RNA polymerase, were up-regulated and down-regulated in two or three peritoneal metastatic sublines.

CONCLUSION

How gene expression is implicated in gastric cancer metastasis has never been thoroughly explained, and further studies are necessary to understand the involvement of genes in cancer metastasis more thoroughly. We hope that our highly metastatic liver and peritoneal experimental models are helpful for further study and gene therapy of human gastric cancer.

High IL-6 synthesis in cultured fibroblasts isolated from radicular cysts

OBJECTIVE

Inflammatory cytokines have been reported to be related with inflammation and expansion of jaw cysts. In this study, to examine the relationship between radicular cysts and inflammatory cytokines, it was found that there was notable unique evidence on cytokine synthesis from fibroblasts isolated from radicular cysts.

METHODS

The expression of such cytokines, namely, interleukin-1beta, IL-1beta, IL-6, IL-8, IL-10, tumour necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha), interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma), transforming growth factor-beta1 (TGF-beta1), and granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating (GM-CSF) mRNA, in nine radicular cysts was examined and compared with that detected in six specimens of healthy gingival mucosa. Furthermore, separating all fibroblasts from their respective radicular cysts, healthy gingival mucosa, and healthy periodontal ligaments, these fibroblast groups were cultured without stimulators and a supernatant for each was obtained to analyse IL-1beta, IL-6, IL-8, TNF-alpha, and IFN-gamma by ELISA.

RESULTS

Differences between radicular cysts and healthy gingival mucosa were not clearly shown by the expression of cytokine mRNA. Analysing inflammatory cytokine synthesis in fibroblast groups from these three kinds of tissues, surprisingly, the levels of IL-6 mRNA and protein were recognised to be higher in fibroblasts of radicular cysts than in those of control tissues by ELISA and a real-time RT-PCR. Significant differences in the cultured supernatants of these fibroblast groups were not recognised in the release of IL-1beta, IL-8, TNF-alpha, and IFN-gamma by ELISA.

CONCLUSIONS

From these results, it was suggested that fibroblasts inducing IL-6 production might play important roles in the expansion of radicular cysts. It is considered that fibroblasts around radicular cysts may lead to high IL-6 synthesis over time in chronic inflammation.

Beraprost sodium regulates cell cycle in vascular smooth muscle cells through cAMP signaling by preventing down-regulation of p27(Kip1)

OBJECTIVE

Beraprost sodium (BPS), a prostacyclin (PGI(2)) analogue, has been reported to exhibit beneficial effects on atherosclerosis in both human and animal models. To clarify the underlying mechanism, we investigated the effects of BPS on neointimal formation after balloon injury in the canine coronary artery. Furthermore, we determined its anti-atherosclerotic effects in cultured smooth muscle cells (SMCs).

METHODS

Adult beagle dogs (10-12 kg) were fed on a high-cholesterol diet (10 g/day) and underwent balloon-denudation of the coronary artery. The dogs were divided into two groups: a BPS-treated group (20 microg/kg per day) and a control group. Twenty-eight days after injury, the dogs were killed and the coronary arteries were examined morphometrically. Three days after injury, the proliferative activity in the medial layer of the coronary artery was evaluated by 5-bromo-2'-deoxyuridine (BrdU) incorporation, and p27(Kip1), a cyclin-dependent kinase (cdk) inhibitor, expression was examined by immunohistochemistry. We also examined the effects of BPS on SMC proliferation based on BrdU incorporation and cell cycle analysis. In addition, p27(Kip1) regulation was evaluated in primary-cultured SMCs.

RESULTS

BPS administration decreased the intima/media ratio (I/M) by 88% in the control group. Three days after injury, BPS attenuated the proliferation rate of the cells in the media of the coronary artery by 35%, and maintained p27(Kip1) expression, which declined in the control cells. In the cultured proliferating SMC, BPS prevented the down-regulation of p27(Kip1). The 8-bromo-cyclic adenosine monophosphate (8-br-cAMP), a cAMP analogue, had similar actions as BPS in the regulation of p27(Kip1). The proliferation of cultured SMC was inhibited in a dose-dependent manner, and cell cycle arrest in the G1 phase was induced by BPS.

CONCLUSIONS

Our data suggest that BPS inhibits neointimal formation after balloon denudation in the coronary artery through its inhibitory effect on SMC proliferation by preventing p27(Kip1) down-regulation.

Tubular adenoma of the breast in a 73-year-old woman

A 73-year-old woman presenting with a right breast mass is described. The patient underwent lumpectomy under a diagnosis of breast cancer. However, histopathologically the surgical specimen was tubular adenoma of the breast. This is a rare benign tumor that is difficult to differentiate from breast cancer clinically, especially in elderly patients. We describe two reported cases of tubular adenoma in patients older than 65-years in Japan, as well as the present case.

Adenosquamous carcinoma of the colorectum: report of two cases

Adenosquamous carcinomas of the colorectum are rare neoplasms. Our experience with two cases is presented in this paper. One patient, who complained of bloody stool, was found to have adenocarcinoma in the sigmoid colon. He received a laparoscopy-assisted sigmoidectomy. The histological examination revealed that the tumor was adenosquamous carcinoma. To date, he has survived six months post operatively without evidence of recurrence. The other patient, who complained of anal bleeding, was found to have rectal adenocarcinoma and received a low anterior resection. Histological examination revealed that the tumor was an adenosquamous carcinoma. He remains alive, with no evidence of recurrence, nine years post operatively. Both cases showed paracolic lymph node metastasis. Because of its very low incidence, the histogenesis, malignancy and prognosis of this disease remain unclear. Thus, further clinical and histological study of this disease entity is required.

Increased migration in late G(1) phase in cultured smooth muscle cells

Migration and proliferation of smooth muscle cells (SMC) contribute to neointimal formation after arterial injury. However, the relation between migration and proliferation in these cells is obscure. To discriminate between migration and proliferation, we employed a migration assay of SMC at different phases of the cell cycle. Serum-deprived SMC were synchronized in different phases of the cell cycle by addition of serum for various periods of time. Migration induced by platelet-derived growth factor B-chain homodimer was maximal in SMC that were predominantly in the late G(1) (G(1b)) phase. In addition, in nonsynchronized SMC, 65-75% of SMC that had migrated were in the G(1b) phase. Phosphorylated myosin light chain was enriched around the cell periphery in SMC in the G(1b) phase compared with SMC in the other cell cycle phases. Interestingly, the Triton X-100-insoluble fraction of myosin was remarkably decreased in G(1b)-enriched SMC. These findings suggest that migratory activity of SMC may be coupled with the G(1b) phase. The phosphorylation and retention of myosin might explain some of the properties responsible for increased migration.

Activation of Ca2+-activated K+ channels in human myometrium by nitric oxide

To investigate the mechanism of human uterine smooth muscle relaxation, the activation of Ca2+-activated K+ channels in cultured myometrial cells obtained from human pregnant myometrium at term by nitric oxide was evaluated at the single cell level using the patch-clamp technique. The open probability of the K+ channel after the addition of 3 x 10(-3) M isosorbide dinitrate, a nitric oxide donor (0.116 +/- 0.048) was significantly higher than that before the addition (0.059 +/- 0.032; n = 9, p < 0.01). In myometrial cells pretreated with lipopolysaccharide, activation of K+ channels was also noted after the addition of L-arginine (10(-4) M; open probability increased from 0.179 +/- 0.076 to 0.380 +/- 0.105, n = 9, p < 0.01: 10(-3) M; open probability increased from 0.073 +/- 0.050 to 0.242 +/- 0.098, n = 12, p < 0.01). Either 10(-3) M N-nitro-L-arginine-methyl-ester, an inhibitor of nitric oxide synthase, or 10(-6) M methylene blue, an inhibitor of guanylate cyclase, abolished activation of the K+ channel by 10(-3) M L-arginine in pretreated myometrial cells with lipopolysaccharide. Application of 10(-3) M L-arginine to the intracellular surface of an excised inside-out patch in the myometrial cells pretreated with lipopolysaccharide failed to increase Ca2+-activated K+ channel activity, suggesting that the activation was mediated by intracellular messengers. These results indicate that nitric oxide should control human myometrial relaxation during pregnancy via activation of Ca2+-activated K+ channels.

A patient with cyclic neutropenia complicated by severe persistent neutropenia successfully delivered a healthy baby

We describe a 24-year-old pregnant woman complicated by cyclic neutropenia (CN), who was successfully treated with granulocyte-colony stimulating factor (G-CSF). Her white blood cell (WBC) and neutrophil count fluctuated from 2,600 to 4,600/microl, and 26 to 2,530/microl, respectively. The peak neutrophil count gradually decreased as pregnancy advanced, resulting in the disappearance of its cyclicity. At 39 weeks of pregnancy when the neutrophil count became 84/microl, the patient was started on G-CSF and her neutrophil count increased to 1,550/microl on the fourth day after delivery. She delivered a healthy baby without any complications at 39 weeks of pregnancy.

Effect of temperature on the incubation period and leaf colonization in bacterial blight of anthurium

ABSTRACT Effect of temperature on leaf colonization in anthurium blight was studied using a bioluminescent strain of Xanthomonas campestris pv. dieffenbachiae. In a susceptible cultivar, colonization of leaf tissues (monitored by detection of bioluminescence) and symptom development (assessed visually) advanced rapidly at higher temperatures. For a susceptible cultivar, there was a linear relationship between degree-days and percent leaf area colonized by the pathogen, indicating that leaf colonization in a susceptible cultivar was a direct function of the cumulative effect of temperature. The degree-day intercept of the regression line represented the time from inoculation to detection of bioluminescence, and the slope indicated the increase of leaf colonization per degree-day. There also was a linear relationship between the logarithm of degree-days and the logarithm of percent leaf area showing visible symptoms in a susceptible cultivar. The degree-day intercept of this relationship represented the incubation period (about 500 degree-days). The degree-days required to detect bioluminescence was not considerably different between susceptible and resistant cultivars. However, the subsequent rates of leaf colonization were significantly lower for a resistant cultivar than for a susceptible cultivar in all temperature regimes. The results suggest that multiplication of the pathogen in the leaf tissues is optimized in the susceptible cultivar. In contrast, in the resistant cultivar, the defense mechanisms overshadow the temperature effect. The differential response to temperatures may be an additional indicator of cultivar susceptibility.

Asymptomatic cerebrovascular lesions detected by magnetic resonance imaging in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus lacking a history of neuropsychiatric events

OBJECTIVE

To clarify the extent of asymptomatic cerebrovascular involvement in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE).

PATIENTS AND METHODS

Cerebral magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) findings and ultrasonography findings of 100 patients with SLE lacking present or past clinical neurologic deficits were compared with 66 age-matched volunteers to determine the combined intima-media thickness (IMT) of the common carotid artery, and tests for anti-cardiolipin antibodies (aCL).

RESULTS

Thirty-eight patients, but only 2 controls, showed imaging abnormalities. Among 23 SLE patients with cerebrovascular lesions by MRI who underwent single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT), 14 showed hypoperfusion of the lesion. The IMT value and prevalence of aCL did not differ between the 55 SLE patients tested and controls. SLE disease activity index (SLEDAI) as assessed by a quantitative clinical index was significantly greater in patients with brain lesions than in those without.

CONCLUSION

The prevalence of asymptomatic brain lesions in SLE patients is highs and shows a relationship to disease activity.

The kinase inhibitor fasudil (HA-1077) reduces intimal hyperplasia through inhibiting migration and enhancing cell loss of vascular smooth muscle cells

Smooth muscle cell (SMC) migration plays an important role in restenosis after angioplasty. Myosin phosphorylation is necessary for cell migration. Fasudil is an inhibitor of protein kinases, including myosin light chain kinase and Rho associated kinase, thereby inhibiting myosin phosphorylation, and it has been clinically used to prevent vasospasm following subarachnoid hemorrage. Based on these findings, we examined the anti-migrative action of fasudil. In SMC (SM-3), fasudil (1-100 microM) inhibited SMC migration in a dose-dependent manner (p < 0.001). Fasudil suppressed actin stress fiber formation dose dependently. In rabbit carotid artery, fasudil (10 mg/kg/day) markedly reduced intimal hyperplasia 14 days following balloon injury. Cell kinetic study showed that fasudil did not affect proliferation but enhanced cell loss in the media after injury. We concluded that fasudil reduced neointimal formation after balloon injury through both inhibiting migration and enhancing cell loss of medial SMC.

Comparisons of single versus multiple bacterial species on biological control of anthurium blight

ABSTRACT Effects of single versus multiple biological control agents (BCAs) on suppression of bacterial blight of anthurium were studied using a bioluminescent strain (V108LRUH1) of Xanthomonas campestris pv. dieffenbachiae. When five BCAs (GUT3, GUT4, GUT5, GUT6, and GUT9) were coinoculated in various combinations with V108LRUH1 into filter-sterilized guttation fluids of anthurium plants, a mixture of all five strains or four strains without GUT9 was most inhibitory to V108LRUH1. None of the individual BCAs inhibited V108LRUH1 in the guttation fluid. When BCAs were sprayed at congruent with10(8) CFU/ml on the foliage of a susceptible cultivar 1 day prior to inoculation with V108LRUH1, GUT6 alone and any mixtures containing GUT6 were highly effective in suppressing wound invasion and subsequent leaf infection by V108LRUH1. When tested on several cultivars that differed in susceptibility to the disease, the mixture of five strains or four strains without GUT9 consistently suppressed leaf infection regardless of the cultivars. In some cultivars, BCAs completely suppressed both wound and hydathode invasion by V108LRUH1, resulting in no infection in many leaves. These results indicate that application of bacterial mixtures provides anthurium cultivars with bacterial communities suppressive to X. campestris pv. dieffenbachiae. The results also suggest that selecting an effective mixture of BCAs first and then removing ineffective strains may be a better general approach to finding the most effective BCAs than finding individual strains and combining them.

Transvaginal Doppler assessment of fetal intracranial venous flow

OBJECTIVE

To investigate physiologic blood-flow-velocity waveform patterns of the fetal cerebral venous system during normal pregnancies by transvaginal Doppler studies and to evaluate cases with abnormal venous-flow patterns.

METHODS

Internal cerebral veins and the three dural sinuses, those of the superior sagittal sinus, vein of Galen, and straight sinus, were examined in normal cephalic-presenting fetuses of 20-40 weeks' gestation. For analysis, the venous index was defined as maximum minus minimum velocity divided by maximum velocity. Different cases with intracranial abnormalities were evaluated with emphasis on abnormal venous blood-flow patterns.

RESULTS

Internal cerebral veins had pulsatile patterns with a venous index of 0.22 in 47.6% of fetuses, whereas all fetuses had pulsations in the dural sinuses. The vein of Galen had a significantly lower venous index (0.31) than the superior sagittal sinus (0.39) and the straight sinus (0.36), indicating that the amplitude of the intracranial venous pulsation might increase as the flow runs from the periphery toward the proximal portion. Significant regression lines of venous index were obtained, indicating the stability of the pulsation during pregnancy. A flat pattern of superior sagittal sinus flow was found in three cases of hydrocephalus and one of craniosynostosis.

CONCLUSION

We showed the normal patterns of fetal cerebral venous blood-flow velocity and the abnormal patterns which might be associated with increased intracranial pressure. Doppler assessment of the intracranial venous system enabled us to evaluate intracranial abnormalities accompanied by increased intracranial pressure that might have prognostic clinical importance.

Relationship between brain atrophy estimated by a longitudinal computed tomography study and blood pressure control in patients with essential hypertension

To evaluate the relationship between blood pressure control and the progression of brain atrophy in the elderly, patients with essential hypertension and brain atrophy were longitudinally evaluated using computerized tomography (CT). The study evaluated 48 patients with essential hypertension aged 46-78 years, and 30 sex- and age-matched normotensive control subjects. The extent of brain atrophy as determined by caudate head index (CHI), the inverse cella media index (iCMI), and Evans' ratio (ER) was estimated twice at an interval of 5-9 years (mean, 6.9 years). The mean annual increases in CHI (deltaCHI), iCMI (delta iCMI), and ER (deltaER) were evaluated. Mean blood volume in the common carotid artery (BF) and the decrease in BF per year (deltaBF) were also determined. The deltaCHI, delta iCMI, and deltaER increased with age in the hypertensive subjects as well as the control group across all age groups evaluated. The deltaCHI, delta iCMI, and deltaER were significantly greater in the patients with essential hypertension in their 50 s as compared with the controls. In patients with essential hypertension aged 65 years or older, the deltaCHI, delta iCMI, and deltaER were significantly lower in the group in whom the blood pressure was controlled within the range of borderline hypertension than the groups in which it was controlled in the range of normal or mild hypertension. In the younger patients under the age of 65 with essential hypertension, blood pressure control did not affect the deltaCHI, delta iCMI, and deltaER. The deltaCHI, delta iCMI, and deltaER were significantly correlated with deltaBF in both groups. These findings indicate that control of systolic blood pressure within the range of borderline hypertension may delay the progression of brain atrophy in elderly patients with essential hypertension.

[Carotid artery atherosclerosis in patients with myocardial infarction]

This study investigated carotid artery atherosclerosis in patients with myocardial infarction. One hundred and two patients with acute myocardial infarction [Group MI: male 86, female 16, mean 62 (range 43-79) years] and 55 normal subjects matched for age and sex with negative responses to exercise electrocardiogram testing (control group: Group C) were included. Patients in Group MI were divided into 3 subgroups according to coronary angiographic findings as follows: 57 patients with one-vessel disease (Group I: mean 59 years), 34 with 2-vessel disease (Group II: mean 64 years), and 11 with 3-vessel disease (Group III: mean 64 years). Intima-media complex thickness (IMT) of the bilateral common carotid arteries (15 mm proximal to the bifurcation) and the internal carotid arteries (15 mm distal to the bifurcation) were measured by high-resolution B-mode ultrasonography, and the sum of maximum IMT of the bilateral carotid arteries (sigma IMT) were calculated. sigma IMT was significantly greater in Group MI (2.5 +/- 0.5 mm) than in Group C (1.8 +/- 0.3 mm), sigma IMT was 2.5 +/- 0.5 in Group I, 2.6 +/- 0.5 in Group II, and 2.7 +/- 0.4 mm in Group III. There was a significant positive correlation between sigma IMT and the number of involved vessels (tau = 0.45, p < 0.01). The percentage of patients with carotid artery atherosclerosis was 2% in Group C, 63% in Group MI, 54% in Group I, 68% in Group II, and 82% in Group III (p < 0.001). This study suggests that carotid artery atherosclerosis in patients with myocardial infarction is frequently complicated and severe, and more frequently complicated in patients with severe coronary artery disease.

Differential Susceptibility of Anthurium Cultivars to Bacterial Blight in Foliar and Systemic Infection Phases

Susceptibility of anthurium cultivars to systemic infection by the bacterial blight pathogen, Xanthomonas campestris pv. dieffenbachiae, was examined using a bioengineered bioluminescent strain (V108LRUH1) and compared with susceptibility to foliar infection. Eight cultivars with different levels of susceptibility to foliar infection were evaluated for their susceptibility to systemic infection. Petioles of second youngest leaves cut near the main stem were inoculated with strain V108LRUH1, and subsequent movement of this bacterium into other petioles was monitored by observing bioluminescence from the plants. The actual extent of systemic movement was determined by reisolating V108LRUH1 from dissected segments of the remaining petioles. In susceptible cultivars, the pathogen advanced very rapidly and nearly reached the distal end of petioles. In resistant cultivars, the pathogen was detected in none (or very few) of the petiole segments. However, the susceptibility ranking among the tested cultivars for systemic infection did not always correspond to the ranking determined for foliar infection: i.e., one cultivar that was susceptible to foliar infection was highly resistant to systemic infection, and vice versa. This suggests that cultivar susceptibility of anthuriums to bacterial blight may differ depending on the phase of disease progression, and thus evaluation for both disease phases is essential for complete understanding of cultivar susceptibility.

Transvaginal sonography of the fetal brain: detection of abnormal morphology and circulation

AIM

To analyze the incidence, transvaginal detection age, sonographic appearance, clinical course, and outcomes of pregnancy in cases with abnormal fetal brain structure and/or circulation, and to evaluate the clinical significance of sonographic abnormalities.

METHODS

Serial observation of the fetal brain and intracranial Doppler assessment by transvaginal approach at four-week intervals were performed in 306 singleton fetuses from the first trimester and 13 referral cases at our ultrasound units from January 1996 to December 1997. Detection of abnormalities was followed by subsequent serial scans every one or two weeks.

RESULTS

Morphological abnormalities were found in 66 cases: open neural tube defect (9 cases), disorders of prosencephalic development (2), ventriculomegaly with cerebellar hypoplasia (1), hydrocephalus (1), craniosynostosis (1), unclassified brain anomaly (1), brain atrophy (1), isolated choroid plexus cysts (19), choroid plexus cysts with cerebellar hypoplasia (2), lateral ventricular asymmetry (26), and subependymal cyst (3). Chromosomal aberration was found in 4 cases. Artificial abortion was performed in 10 cases and fetal demise occurred in 2 cases. Isolated choroid plexus cysts, isolated ventricular asymmetry and subependymal cyst were not clinically significant. Two abnormal flow patterns of superior sagittal sinus, sharp doubled pulsatile pattern, and disappearance of normal pulsatile pattern were found in different situations.

CONCLUSION

Serial transvaginal observation of the fetal brain provided evidence of hitherto unreported intracranial abnormalities: subependymal cyst, craniosynostosis, medullary kink in Chiari malformation, brain damage, and abnormal venous flows. Venous flow assessment may be of great potential in predicting fetal neurological well-being.

Effects of sex, height and age on motor evoked potentials with magnetic stimulation

Magnetic stimulation of the brain and cervical and lumbar spinal roots was performed on 48 healthy subjects in order to investigate the effects of sex, height and age on motor evoked potentials (MEPs). The compound muscle action potentials were recorded from the abductor pollicis brevis and abductor hallucis muscles. The central motor conduction time (CMCT) was measured between the cerebral cortex and the cervical root and also between the cerebral cortex and the lumbar root. A multiple regression analysis was used to determine which of the physical variables, namely sex, height and age, were significant. A significant gender difference was observed in the MEP latencies and CMCT of the leg, but not in those of the hand. Both height and age had a significant effect on the leg MEP latencies with a lesser effect on the hand MEP latencies. The leg CMCT was also significantly influenced by height and age, while the hand CMCT was not. These results thus suggest that physical variables are very important in defining normal MEPs, especially in the lower limbs. Therefore, when we assess motor function in patients with neurological disorders, both the patients and control groups should be matched for sex, height and age distribution.

Inhibition of migration and proliferation of vascular smooth muscle cells by dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate

Dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) and its sulfate (DHEA-S) are the most abundant steroids in humans, and their serum concentrations progressively decrease with age. Although relationships between DHEA(-S) and many age-related illnesses have been postulated, the mechanisms for their effects remain unknown, and specific receptors for these molecules have not been identified. In this paper, to investigate the role of DHEA(-S) in atherogenesis, we studied the proliferation and migration of a rabbit vascular smooth muscle cell line, SM-3, in the presence of DHEA(-S). Cellular proliferation was inhibited by DHEA-S, and to a lesser extent by DHEA. Modified Boyden's chamber assays revealed that DHEA-S inhibited the migration of SM-3 cells toward PDGF-BB. In cell attachment assays, DHEA-S inhibited the attachment of SM3 cells to fibronectin. It was suggested that the inhibitory effect of DHEA-S for SM-3 proliferation and migration was due to the decreased interaction with fibronectin. Scatchard analysis revealed the presence of two populations of DHEA-S binding sites in the nuclear fraction, and a smaller number in the cytosolic fraction. Since the dissociation constant of the higher affinity site was similar to the serum DHEA-S concentration in humans (Kd = 5.8 microM), this binding site could be functional under physiologic conditions. These findings suggest that there may be receptor-mediated anti-atherogenic actions of DHEA-S.

[Hemodynamics of asymptomatic brain infarction determined by Doppler sonography]

We compared the usefulness of two methods for diagnosing asymptomatic brain infarction: an ultrasonic quantitative flow measurement system (QFM) and a transcranial Doppler arteriography (TCDA). A total of 137 patients (73 men and 64 women) who underwent magnetic resonance imaging of the brain, QFM, and TCDA were enrolled. Their ages ranged from 41 to 83 years (mean age, 63 years). The patients were divided into 3 groups: 45 without cerebrovascular disease (Group N); 40 with asymptomatic brain infarction (Group AS); and 52 with lacunar infarction (Group LI). The mean blood flow in the common carotid artery (CCA-BF) was measured by QFM. The mean blood velocity and Fourier pulsatility index in the middle cerebral artery (MCA-BV, MCA-PI) were measured by TCDA. In Group N, 28 patients were examined twice at a mean interval of 2 years; 19 remained without asymptomatic brain infarction (Group N1), and asymptomatic brain infarction developed in the remaining 9 (Group N2). The 3 groups differed significantly in MCA-PI (N < AS < LI), but not in CCA-BF or in MCA-BV. The MCA-PI in Group N2 was higher than that in Group N1. These results indicate that the Fourier pulsatility index determined by TCDA may be useful for detecting the onset of asymptomatic brain infarction.

[Relationship between carotid atherosclerosis and plasma endothelin-1 concentration in senile patients with hypertension]

The relationship between carotid atherosclerosis and plasma endothelin-1 (ET-1) concentration was studied in senile patients with essential hypertension. A total of 212 patients (83 M, 129 F; mean age, 63 years) with essential hypertension (WHO stage I-II), and 109 age-matched control subjects (mean age, 61 years) were enrolled in the study. The maximum thicknesses of the intima-media complex (IMTmax) in the right common carotid artery (CCA) and the right internal carotid artery (ICA) was measured by B-mode ultrasonography, and ET-1 was measured by enzyme immunoassay. ET-1 levels were significantly higher in the hypertensive patients than in the control subjects. In middle-aged patients (35-64 years old), IMTmax values of the ICA in patients with high ET-1 concentrations (ET-1 > or = 1.71 pg/ml) were significantly higher than in patients with normal ET-1 concentrations (ET-1 < 1.71 pg/ml). However, the IMTmax of the CCA did not show a similar correlation. In senile patients (65-83 years old), both the CCA and ICA IMTmax values were significantly higher in patients with high ET-1 concentrations than in those with normal ET-1 concentrations. These results indicate that high ET-1 levels in middle-aged patients with essential hypertension may play a role in the progression of ICA atherosclerosis. High ET-1 levels in senile patients with essential hypertension may cause progression of atherosclerosis in both the ICA and CCA.

[The relationship between brain atrophy and asymptomatic cerebral lesions]

In order to clarify the relationship between brain atrophy and asymptomatic cerebral lesions, total of 235 subjects (130 males and 105 females), who had neither neurologic deficits nor organic lesions on cerebral computed tomography, were studied. The subjects' ages ranged from 40 to 86 years (mean 66). They were divided into two groups: 90 controls without hypertension or diabetes mallitus (Group C), and 145 patients with essential hypertension (Group H). Brain atrophy was diagnosed using the caudate head index (CHI). Asymptomatic cerebral lesions on magnetic resonance imaging were defined as asymptomatic lacunae and white matter lesions. Caudate head index was higher in Group H than it was in Group C, and CHI in both groups was significantly correlated with the number of asymptomatic lacunae and the severity of white matter lesions on magnetic resonance imaging. These results indicate that brain atrophy may progress along with asymptomatic cerebral lesions.

[Effects of long-term antihypertensive medication on common carotid hemodynamics in elderly patients with essential hypertension]

This longitudinal study was performed in order to clarify the effects of long-term antihypertensive medication on common carotid hemodynamics. A total of 84 patients (54 males and 30 females), who had been receiving treatment with antihypertensive medications for 5 years, were enrolled in this study. The subjects' ages ranged from 62 to 74 (mean 67). They were divided into three groups: 40 were treated with diuretics only (Group D), 28 with calcium antagonists only (Group C), and 16 with angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitors only (Group A). Mean blood flow volume (BF) and circulation resistance (Z) at the common carotid artery were measured by an ultrasonic quantitative flow measurement system. Blood flow volume, Z, and mean blood pressure (MBP) were measured twice over a 5-year period in patients and in 49 age-matched normal controls (Group N). Annual reductions in BF (delta BF) and MBP (delta MBP), and annual increases in Z (delta Z) were calculated. Blood flow volume of Group D showed larger decreases than that of the other three groups. Circulation resistance of Group C showed smaller increases than that of Group N. Reductions of BF and Z of Group A were similar to those of Group N. Reductions of Z of Group C showed a significant correlation with delta MBP. These results indicate that calcium antagonists may have beneficial effects on common carotid hemodynamics in elderly patients with essential hypertension.

Inhibition of smooth muscle cell migration by the p21 cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor (Cip1)

In vascular smooth muscle cells (SMCs), proliferation and migration contribute to lesion formation after arterial injury. In the cell cycle, several cyclin-dependent kinases (cdks) inhibitors are implicated in the regulating of cyclin-cdk activity such as p21Cip1, p16Ink4 and p27Kip1. Although Cip1 inhibits SMC proliferation, its effects on SMC migration are unknown. To test the hypothesis that Cip1 inhibits SMCs migration and proliferation, we transfected the Cip1 gene into a strain of rabbit aortic SMCs (SM3 cells). Both the spreading and the attachment of Cip1-transfected SM3 cells to extracellular matrices (ECMs) were inhibited compared to that of vector-transfected cells. In the modified Boyden's chamber assay the effect of fibronectin on the migratory activity of Cip1-transfected SM3 cells was significantly less than that of vector transfected cells in response to PDGF-BB. These data suggested that Cip1 inhibited both the migration and proliferation of SMC.