An in vitro study of wheat bran binding capacity for Hg, Cd, and Pb

Water-soluble dietary fiber (WSDF), water-insoluble dietary fiber (WIDF) from wheat bran, and the carboxymethylated product of WIDF (CIDF), all having low contents of protein, ash, and phytic acid, were evaluated for their scavenging capacity for three heavy metals, Hg, Cd, and Pb. The results showed that WIDF had higher BC(max) (maximum amount of bound heavy metal ions) and BC(min) values (minimum concentration of heavy metal ions below which the ions cannot be bound by dietary fibers) than WSDF at two pH conditions (pH 2.0 and 7.0). Carboxymethylation of WIDF improved its binding capacity for heavy metals (increase in BC(max) and decrease in BC(min)). The pH value significantly affected the binding capacity for heavy metals; BC(max) sharply increased and BC(min) sharply decreased for each heavy metal ion for all of the dietary fibers when the pH was raised from 2.0 to 7.0. The binding capacity of dietary fibers for heavy metals was slightly affected by amino acids, calcium, iron, and zinc but significantly affected by copper. Colon fermentation released part of the heavy metal ions from dietary fibers. From the results it can be concluded that dietary fibers from wheat bran can effectively bind all three tested metal ions to prevent the body from being affected by their toxicity.

[Early revascularization by percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty in acute myocardial infarction]

Twelve patients with acute myocardial infarction (AMI) underwent percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty (PTCA). The reperfusion blood flow of the infarct-related arteries (IRA) in eleven patients was TIMI Grade 3 with residual stenosis of 15.5 +/- 8.8%. Vascular endothelial dissection complicated by angioplasty was observed in one case and the patient died after emergency coronary artery bypass graft. It is suggested that early primary PTCA in AMI may create stable and effective revascularization which will favor reducing infarct size, improving myocardial pump function, and lowering restenosis and mortality rate.

Optimization of conditions for safflower cell culture and accumulation of cellicolous product tocopherols

The culture of calli, which were induced from cotyledon of Carthamus tinctorius L, was able to synthesize tocopherols. Results determined by NP-HPLC showed that the main component was alpha-tocopherol. When 0.1% casein was added into MS medium, and 2,4-D concentration was adjucted to 0.30 mg/L and 6-BA to 1.80 mg/L, alpha-, beta- and gamma-forms of tocopherol reached 4.1706, 0.3120 and 0.1650 microg/g fresh calli, respectively. The effective tocopherol content was 4.4091 microg/g fresh calli, and was 57 times higher than that in the control.

Tolerization of adult mice to immunodominant proteins before monoclonal antibody production

Generating monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) against one polypeptide chain of a heterodimeric protein can be difficult when the other chain is more immunogenic. To influence the immune response in favor of the less immunogenic protein, we rendered adult mice tolerant to the immunodominant protein using a procedure based on the phenomenon of high zone tolerance. We then immunized the tolerized mice with a heterodimeric protein containing the immunogenic protein and produced hybridomas in the usual way. Screening the hybridomas for reactivity against the immunodominant protein and against the heterodimer revealed that this tolerization procedure can result in an increase of hybridomas producing mAbs against the protein of interest by up to 90-fold. This method should be of general utility for the production of mAbs against weakly antigenic proteins in mixtures of antigens.

[Effects of lacidipine on serum oxygen free radicals and fasting levels of insulin in patients with essential hypertension]

Thirty patients with mild to moderate essential hypertension had received four weeks treatment with Lacidipine and serum lipid peroxide (LPO), superoxide dismutase (SOD) and insulin levels were measured before and after treatment. The results showed: (1) there were decreased in SOD activity and increased Lpo content the patients group (P < 0.01); (2) after treated with Lacidipine, the SOD acitvity increased and Lpo content decreased (P < 0.01); (3) Lacidipine had obvious antihypertensive effect with no significant changes in heart rate; (4) Lacidipine had no significant effects on insulin, blood glucose and lipids. The results suggest that lacidipine is a safe and effective antihypertensive agent and can improve the metabolic balances in free radical system.

[The application of intracoronary stenting to type B and C lesions of coronary arteries]

Intracoronary stenting was introduced to 4 lesions due to coronary arterial dissections and to 2 lesions owing to elastic recoil of coronary arteries and stent placement was directly performed in 6 complex coronary lesions after 12 target lesions from 7 patients with Types B and C lesions of coronary arteries had been pre-dilated with balloon. Coronary angiography showed that dissections and recoils had disappeared. Target lesions were well dilated and blood flow was well improved in all cases, one patient was complicated with hemorrhage which was cured quickly. During the follow-up period of 1 to 24 months, another case had recurrence of angina after 2 months of stenting which could be controlled with anti-angina agents. These indicate that intracoronary stenting had good therapeutic effect and is considered as a safe, fast and effective method in dealing with acute complications of coronary artery after routine PTCA.

[The analysis of Q-Tc interval changes in treadmill exercise-induced myocardial ischemia]

The Q-Tc interval before and after the treadmill exercise test in 48 normal subjects and 59 patients with coronary heart disease were compared. The Q-Tc interval was shorter in normal group at immediate moment, 2, 4 and 6 minutes after the exercise than before. In the coronary heart disease group, the Q-Tc interval at the same time points as above was longer after exercise compared to pre-exercise. There was no significant difference of exercise-induced Q-Tc changes in silent and symptomatic myocardial ischemia.

[Effects of plendil on serum oxygen free radicals and insulin resistance in patients with essential hypertension]

To evaluate the effects of plendia on oxygen free radicals and insulin resistance in patients with essential hypertension, thirty non-obesive moderate hypertensive patients were treated with plendil for 30 days. Antihypertensive effect and effects on serum lipid peroxide (LPO), superoxide dismutase (SOD), insulin sensitivity index (ISI) were studied. Results showed: 1. SOD activity and ISI decreased but contents of LPO and insulin increased in the treatment group. After a course of plendil therapy the above mentioned parameters fell to normal ranges. 2. Plendil had obvious antihypertensive effect but with no significant changes in heart rate. 3. Plendil had no significant effect on fasting blood glucose and lipids. Plendia was an effective and safe drug for treatment of essential hypertension. It also had the effects of antioxidation which improved the sensitivity to insulin.

[The changes of intraerythrocyte calcium metabolism and their responses to nifedipine in patients with essential hypertension]

The erythrocytic activity membrane ATPases, intraerythrocytic calcium concentration ([Ca2+]i), plasma renin activity (PRA), and angiotensin II (AT-II) in 18 essential hypertensive patients (EH) and matched normal controls were determined. In the EH group, Na(+)-K(+)-ATPase, Ca(2+)-ATPase, PRA were much lower than those in the controls, and [Ca2+]i, AT-II were higher. When blood pressure was become normotensive after a course of taking nifedipine therapy, the forementioned parameter alteration restored to approach the normal range, the changes were significnt. [Ca2+]i was positively correlated with MAP, and negatively correlated with PRA and AT-II. The results suggest that the increase erythrocytic membrane ATPase activity and decrease in renin-angiotensin system activity in nifedipine treatment may be another important antihypertensive mechanism besides accompanied with the rectifying of abnormal cellular calcium metabolism.

Mechanism research of cryoanalgesia

The sciatic nerves of rabbits were frozen at different temperatures (-20 degrees C, -60 degrees C, -100 degrees C, -140 degrees C, and -180 degrees C). The morphology and function of the frozen nerves were examined with light microscopy (hematoxylin and eosinophilin stain and a histochemical thiocholine method) and electron microscopy. The function of the nerve after freezing was assessed using short latency somatosensory evoked potentials, sensory conduction velocity, and electromyogram at various intervals after freezing. There were no changes in morphology or function of nerves cryolesioned at -20 degrees C. The nerve fibers cryolesioned at -60 degrees C showed signs of freezing degeneration and lost their conductive function although, these nerves all recovered. Approximately half of nerve fibers cryolesioned at -100 degrees C showed Wallerian degeneration, and although the time to remyelination was delayed, nerve regeneration was still complete. At -140 degrees C and -180 degrees C the nerve fibers showed immediate necrosis, with destruction of basal membranes and proliferation of collagen fibers. The results explained the mechanism of cryoanalgesia. Our study demonstrates that cryo-temperatures lower than -140 degrees C will cause permanent alterations in nerve morphology and function, whereas warmer temperatures do not result in permanent nerve damage and are therefore not likely to provide long-term analgesia to patients.

High-affinity laminin receptor is a receptor for Sindbis virus in mammalian cells

Sindbis virus is an alphavirus with a very wide host range, being able to infect many birds and mammals as well as mosquitoes. We have isolated a monoclonal antibody that largely blocks virus binding to mammalian cells. This antibody was found to be directed against the C-terminal domain of the high-affinity laminin receptor, a 67-kDa protein present on the cell surface that binds with high affinity to basement membrane laminin and that is known to be important in development and in tumor invasion. This receptor is believed to be formed from a 295-amino-acid polypeptide that is modified in some unknown way after translation. The primary sequence of this 295-amino-acid protein is highly conserved among mammals. We found the hamster amino acid sequence to be identical to a mouse sequence and to differ at only two amino acids from a human sequence and at two amino acids from a bovine sequence. To verify the importance of the laminin receptor for infection by Sindbis virus, hamster cells were stably transfected with the gene encoding the 295-amino-acid protein under the control of a high-efficiency promoter. Such transfected hamster cells overexpressed the laminin receptor at the cell surface, bound severalfold more Sindbis virions than did the parental cells, and became infected by Sindbis virus with a higher efficiency. In contrast, cells transfected with the antisense gene expressed less laminin receptor on the surface and were less susceptible to the virus. Binding of the virus varied linearly with the amount of laminin receptor on the cell surface, whereas infectivity measured with a plaque assay varied with the 1.4 power of the receptor concentration, suggesting that interaction with more than one receptor aids virus penetration. By these criteria, the laminin receptor functions as the major receptor for Sindbis virus entry into mammalian cells. We also found that the anti-laminin receptor antibody partially blocked Sindbis virus binding to mosquito cells, suggesting that the laminin receptor is conserved in mosquitoes and functions as a Sindbis virus receptor in this host. The wide distribution of this highly conserved receptor may be in part responsible for the broad host range exhibited by the virus, which infects a wide range of mammals and birds as well as its mosquito vector and can infect many different tissues within these hosts.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)

[Primary lung cancer in young adults]

Despite a recent trend of rapid increase in the incidence of lung cancer in Japan, lung cancer has been detected rarely among young patients. The findings in 15 patients under 40 years of age who underwent surgery for primary lung cancer at Cancer Institute Hospital (C.I.H.) are presented. Fourteen were located in the region of the periphery. Ten of the 14 peripheral lesions were adenocarcinoma. The chances of cure or even long survival are very small. The case report presents a case with lung cancer in a 22-year-old woman who was the youngest in C.I.H. On histological examination, the excised tumor proved to be moderately differentiated adenocarcinoma.

Replication-defective vectors of reticuloendotheliosis virus transduce exogenous genes into somatic stem cells of the unincubated chicken embryo

Replication-defective vectors derived from reticuloendotheliosis virus were used to transduce exogenous genes into early somatic stem cells of the chicken embryo. One of these vectors transduced and expressed the chicken growth hormone coding sequence. The helper cell line, C3, was used to generate stocks of vector containing about 10(4) transducing units per ml. Injection of 5- to 20-microliters volumes of vector directly beneath the blastoderm of unincubated chicken embryos led to infection of somatic stem cells. Infected embryos and adults contained unrearranged integrated proviral DNAs. Embryos expressed the transduced chicken growth hormone gene and contained high levels of serum growth hormone. Blood, brain, muscle, testis, and semen contained from individuals injected as embryos contained vector DNA. Replication-defective vectors of the reticuloendotheliosis virus transduced exogenous genes into chicken embryonic stem cells in vivo.

Germline transmission of exogenous genes in the chicken

Difficulties associated with in vitro manipulation and culture of the early chicken embryo have restricted generation of transgenic chickens to approaches that use replication-competent retroviruses. The need to produce transgenic chickens in the absence of replicating virus prompted development of a new method of gene transfer into the chicken. Microinjection of the replication-defective reticuloendotheliosis virus (REV) vector ME111 beneath unincubated chicken embryo blastoderms results in infection of germline stem cells. This vector contains genetic information exogenous to the chicken genome, including both the herpes simplex virus type 1 thymidine kinase gene and the Tn5 neomycin phosphotransferase gene. About 8 percent of male birds hatched from injected embryos contained vector DNA in their semen. All four positive males tested passed vector sequences onto their progeny. Analysis of G1 offspring showed that gonads of G0 male birds were mosaic with respect to insertion of vector provirus. Thus, primordial germ cells present in the unincubated chicken embryo blastoderm are susceptible to infection by defective REV vectors.