Multifocal microinvasive squamous cell carcinoma with extensive spread of squamous cell carcinoma in situ (CIS) into the uterine corpus, vagina, and left salpinx diagnosed five years after conization of cervical CIS

BACKGROUND

Multifocal microinvasive squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) with extensive spread of squamous cell carcinoma in situ (CIS) into the uterine corpus, salpinx, and vagina is extremely unusual.

CASE

The authors present a case of 69-year-old woman with hydrometra who was found to have multifocal microinvasive SCC in the endometrium. The CIS had spread superficially throughout the entire endometrium up to the fundus, completely replacing the epithelium. The uterine cervix, vaginal surface and left salpingeal mucosa were involved. She had previously undergone conization due to cervical CIS five years prior. The pathologic reports showed clear resection margins at that time.

CONCLUSION

The present case suggests that CIS in the endometrium spread back to the cervix and vagina, although the definite origin of the first CIS was not determined.

A decision tree-based approach for identifying urban-rural differences in metabolic syndrome risk factors in the adult Korean population

AIM

The purpose of this study was to explore the difference in the pattern of metabolic syndrome (MetS) in urban and rural populations in Korea using data mining techniques.

SUBJECTS AND METHODS

In total, 1013 adults >30 yr of age from urban (184 males and 313 females) and rural districts (211 males and 305 females) were recruited from Gyeongsangnam-do, Korea. Modified National Cholesterol Education Program Adult Treatment Panel III criteria were used to identify individuals with MetS. We applied a decision tree analysis to elucidate the differences in the clustering of MetS components between the urban and rural populations.

RESULTS

The prevalence of MetS was 33.2% and 35.2% in urban and rural districts, respectively (p=0.598). The decision-tree approach revealed that the combination of high serum triglycerides (TG) + high systolic blood pressure (SBP), high TG + low HDL cholesterol, and high waist circumference (WC) + high SBP + high fasting plasma glucose (FPG) were strong predictors of MetS in the urban population, whereas the combination of TG + SBP + WC and SBP + WC + FPG showed high positive predictive value for the presence of MetS in the rural population.

CONCLUSIONS

Although no significant difference was found for the prevalence of MetS between the two populations, the differences in the clustering pattern of MetS components in urban and rural districts in Korea were identified by decision tree analysis. Our findings may serve as a basis to design necessary population-based intervention programs for prevention and progression of MetS and its complications in Korea.

Association of the interferon-γ gene (CA)n repeat polymorphism with endometriosis

OBJECTIVE

To investigate whether the interferon-γ (IFN-γ) gene (CA)(n) repeat polymorphism is associated with susceptibility to endometriosis.

DESIGN

Case-control study.

SETTING

University Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology.

POPULATION

Women with (n = 622) and without (n = 442) endometriosis.

METHODS

Genotyping was performed by fluorescent polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and gene-scan analysis.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES

Genotype distribution and allele frequency of the dinucleotide (CA)(n) repeat polymorphism in the IFN-γ gene.

RESULTS

Seven alleles (12-18 repeats) of the IFN-γ gene (CA)(n) repeat polymorphism were found. In both patients with endometriosis and controls the most common allele was composed of 13 repeats, followed by an allele of 15 repeats, and then by an allele of 12 repeats. Patients with endometriosis had a significantly higher incidence of genotypes with alleles composed of fewer repeats (12-13 repeats), compared with the controls (92.0 versus 84.4%, respectively, P < 001).

CONCLUSIONS

Our results suggest that the (CA)(n) repeat polymorphism in the IFN-γ gene may be associated with a risk of endometriosis in the South Korean population.

Anti alpha-gal immune response following porcine bioprosthesis implantation in children

BACKGROUND AND AIM OF THE STUDY

Porcine bioprostheses have been widely used in cardiac surgery in the treatment of valvular heart disease. However, in younger patients, their use has been limited by early failures known to be associated with an immune response and subsequent degeneration. The natural antibodies directed at Galalpha1, 3-Galbeta1-4GlcNAc-R(alpha-Gal), have been thought to initiate an immune response in humans transplanted with porcine organ xenografts. The study aim was to determine the anti alpha-Gal immune response following commercial porcine bioprosthesis implantation in children.

METHODS

Between January 2008 and April 2008, 19 consecutive patients underwent pulmonary valve replacement (PVR) with a commercially available porcine bioprosthesis for an incompetent pulmonary valve with congenital heart diseases. The median age at surgery was 132 months (range: 14-330 months). Previous PVR with a porcine bioprosthesis had been performed in seven patients at a median of 44 months (range: 26-117 months) before surgery (re-PVR group). Sera were obtained sequentially five times: immediately before surgery, and at one day, one week, three weeks, and two months postoperatively. All serum samples were analyzed using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay to investigate the alpha-Gal immune response.

RESULTS

There were no operative deaths or complications. There was no statistically significant difference between the titers of anti alpha-Gal antibodies of the PVR and re-PVR groups. The titer of anti alpha-Gal antibodies (IgM and IgG) was decreased on the first postoperative day, but increased in the first postoperative week, regardless of the isotype. Whilst the titer of the anti alpha-Gal IgM antibody began to decrease after three weeks postoperatively, the titer of anti alpha-Gal IgG antibody remained increased after two months.

CONCLUSION

The implantation of a porcine bioprosthesis elicits the increased formation of anti alpha-Gal antibodies during the early postoperative period in children, with different patterns between the two isotypes. The IgM antibody response was rapid and transient, while the IgG antibody response was longer and more delayed.

p31comet Induces cellular senescence through p21 accumulation and Mad2 disruption

Functional suppression of spindle checkpoint protein activity results in apoptotic cell death arising from mitotic failure, including defective spindle formation, chromosome missegregation, and premature mitotic exit. The recently identified p31(comet) protein acts as a spindle checkpoint silencer via communication with the transient Mad2 complex. In the present study, we found that p31(comet) overexpression led to two distinct phenotypic changes, cellular apoptosis and senescence. Because of a paucity of direct molecular link of spindle checkpoint to cellular senescence, however, the present report focuses on the relationship between abnormal spindle checkpoint formation and p31(comet)-induced senescence by using susceptible tumor cell lines. p31(comet)-induced senescence was accompanied by mitotic catastrophe with massive nuclear and chromosomal abnormalities. The progression of the senescence was completely inhibited by the depletion of p21(Waf1/Cip1) and partly inhibited by the depletion of the tumor suppressor protein p53. Notably, p21(Waf1/Cip1) depletion caused a dramatic phenotypic conversion of p31(comet)-induced senescence into cell death through mitotic catastrophe, indicating that p21(Waf1/Cip1) is a major mediator of p31(comet)-induced cellular senescence. In contrast to wild-type p31(comet), overexpression of a p31 mutant lacking the Mad2 binding region did not cause senescence. Moreover, depletion of Mad2 by small interfering RNA induced senescence. Here, we show that p31(comet) induces tumor cell senescence by mediating p21(Waf1/Cip1) accumulation and Mad2 disruption and that these effects are dependent on a direct interaction of p31(comet) with Mad2. Our results could be used to control tumor growth.

Adoptive immunotherapy using human peripheral blood lymphocytes transferred with RNA encoding Her-2/neu-specific chimeric immune receptor in ovarian cancer xenograft model

The current gene transfer technology for single chain (scFv)-based chimeric immune receptor (CIR) has relied on retrovirus and lentivirus vectors which require a long time to obtain sufficient number of transduced cells and stably incorporate into genome. To ameliorate these limitations, we applied RNA electroporation to human peripheral blood lymphocytes (PBLs) activated with anti-CD3 antibody and interleukin-2 (IL-2) for 3 days and assessed that PBL transiently expressing anti-Her-2/neu CIR (CIR-PBL) containing signaling portion of CD28 and CD3zeta could elicit strong cytotoxicity in vitro and antitumor responses in vivo. The CIR-PBL expressed high level of CIR in CD4+, CD8+ and CD56+ cells. Her-2/neu-specific stimulation induced secretion of type-I cytokines including interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma), IL-8 and granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor, and IFN-gamma secretion was mainly mediated by CD8+ T cells. CIR-PBL specifically killed SKOV3 cell line expressing Her-2/neu. Adoptive transfer of CIR-PBL in SKOV3 xenograft model led to significant inhibition of tumor growth compared with transfer of mock-transduced PBL and showed higher inhibition than those with Herceptin, humanized monoclonal antibody specific for Her-2/neu. These results provided evidence that electroporation of CIR RNA to human PBLs could be used for rapid generation and high number of therapeutic antigen-specific T cells for adoptive immunotherapy.

Characterization and quantification of anthocyanins in grape juices obtained from the grapes cultivated in Korea by HPLC/DAD, HPLC/MS, and HPLC/MS/MS

The characterization and quantification of anthocyanins in grape cultivars of Oll-Meoru (Vitis coignetiaexVitis labrusca), Neut-Meoru (Vitis coignetiaexVitis labrusca), Muscal Bailey A. (Vitis labruscana), and Campbell Early (Vitis labruscaxV. vinifera) cultivated in Korea were carried out by partial purification through XAD-7 column chromatography followed by C-18 HPLC/diode array detector (DAD), HPLC/MS, and HPLC/MS/MS analyses. The column oven temperature during the reverse phase C-18 HPLC greatly affected the separation of individual anthocyanins. The result showed that the optimum column oven temperature was 35 degrees C. Sixteen different anthocyanins (11 nonacylated and 5 acylated anthocyanins) were identified in the grape juices. Oll-Meoru, Neut-Meoru, and Muscat Bailey A (MBA) grape juices contained only nonacylated anthocyanins. Oll-Meoru and Neut-Meoru grape juices had same anthocyanins, but their proportions were considerably different. Peonidin 3,5-diglucoside and malvidin 3,5-diglucoside were the major anthocyanins in Oll-Meoru grape juice. Delphinidin 3-glucoside was, however, the major anthocyanin in Neut-Meoru grape juice. Peonidin 3-glucoside and malvidin 3-glucoside were the most abundant anthocyanins in Muscal Bailey A grape juice. Campbell Early grape juice contained both nonacylated and acylated anthocyanins. Cyanidin 3-(p-coumaroyl)glucoside-5-glucoside and peonidin 3-(p-coumaroyl)glucoside-5-glucoside were the most abundant anthocyanins in Campbell Early grape juice. Total anthocyanin contents were greatly different in different grape jucies, with the highest in Neut-Meoru juice (1043.5 microg/mL), followed by Oll-Meoru (997.7 microg/mL), MBA (390.2 microg/mL), and Campbell Early (183.9 microg/mL) juices. The total anthocyanin content in Neut-Meoru grape juice was 5.67 times higher than that in Campbell Early grape juice. This represents the 1st report on the systematic characterization and quantification of anthocyanins in the juices of these grapes cultivated in Korea.

Characteristics of early colorectal carcinoma with lymph node metastatic disease

BACKGROUND/AIMS

Endoscopic resection may safely and effectively remove early colorectal cancers. However, additional surgical treatment is needed in cases with metastatic lymph nodes for curative treatment. The purpose of this study was to investigate the correlation between lymph node metastasis and various pathological parameters in early colorectal cancers.

METHODOLOGY

The clinicopathological records of 3,557 colorectal adenocarcinoma patients who underwent surgical resection at the Samsung Medical Center from August 1995 to June 2005 were reviewed. One hundred forty seven tissue samples with early colorectal cancer were used in this study. Various parameters were studied including gender, location, macroscopic appearance, differentiation, lymphatic tumor emboli, and the depth of tumor invasion.

RESULTS

Twenty five patients (17.0%) had lymph node metastasis. Male gender, left colon, macroscopically depressed lesions, moderately or poorly differentiated carcinoma, depth of tumor invasion (Sm2 or Sm3), and presence of lymphatic tumor emboli were the risk factors for lymph node metastasis.

CONCLUSIONS

Early colorectal cancers with male gender, location in the left colon, macroscopically depressed lesion, moderate or poor differentiation, depth in Sm2 or Sm3, and the presence of lymphatic tumor emboli have higher risk of lymph node metastasis than those without. The early colorectal cancers with these risk factors should have surgical resection.

Association of the -2510A/G chemokine (C-C motif) ligand 2 polymorphism with knee osteoarthritis in a Korean population

OBJECTIVE

To investigate the possible association between polymorphisms [the -2510A/G promoter polymorphism (rs1024611) and the Cys35Cys coding polymorphism (rs4586) in exon 2] of the chemokine (C-C motif) ligand 2 (CCL2) gene and knee osteoarthritis (OA) in a Korean population.

METHODS

DNA was obtained from 153 Korean primary knee OA patients and 270 healthy controls. CCL2 genomic variants (-2510A/G and Cys35Cys polymorphisms) were detected by polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP). In additional, the effect of -2510A/G on CCL2 transcription was examined, using a luciferase reporter gene construct transfected into HMC-1 cells.

RESULTS

The -2510A/G promoter polymorphism was associated with OA [genotype frequency, p = 0.041; allele frequency, p = 0.017, odds ratio (OR) = 1.45, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.07-1.96]. Significant association was observed between the G carrier of the -2510A/G promoter polymorphism and primary knee OA patients (p = 0.021, OR = 2.25, 95% CI = 1.12-4.52). The G carrier of the -2510A/G promoter polymorphism was also associated with both clinically subtyped OA patients (OA patients with functionally poor index and radiographically severe OA patients). However, no significant difference was found in the Cys35Cys polymorphism. Haplotype frequency analysis revealed a significant difference (chi(2) = 8.98, p = 0.030). The CCL2 serum level of subjects with the G carrier (290.0+/-87.5 pg/mL) of the -2510A/G promoter polymorphism was statistically higher than that of subjects with the non-G carrier (161.5+/-48.3 pg/mL). The luciferase activity was significantly greater from interleukin (IL)-1beta-induced cells transfected with constructs containing G at position -2510.

CONCLUSIONS

The G carrier of the -2510A/G promoter polymorphism was found to be associated with primary knee OA, and could be a susceptibility factor in the development of primary knee OA in the Korean population.

Waste polyvinylchloride derived pitch as a precursor to develop carbon fibers and activated carbon fibers

Polyvinylchloride (PVC) was successfully recycled through the solvent extraction from waste pipe with an extraction yield of ca. 86%. The extracted PVC was pyrolyzed by a two-stage process (260 and 410 degrees C) to obtain free-chlorine PVC based pitch through an effective removal of chlorine from PVC during the heat-treatment. As-prepared pitch (softening point: 220 degrees C) was spun, stabilized, carbonized into carbon fibers (CFs), and further activated into activated carbon fibers (ACFs) in a flow of CO2. As-prepared CFs show comparable mechanical properties to commercial CFs, whose maximum tensile strength and modulus are 862 MPa and 62 GPa, respectively. The resultant ACFs exhibit a high surface area of 1200 m2/g, narrow pore size distribution and a low oxygen content of 3%. The study provides an effective insight to recycle PVC from waste PVC and develop a carbon precursor for high performance carbon materials such as CFs and ACFs.

An endoscopically proven ventriculitis-type, cyst-like intraventricular primary lymphoma of the central nervous system

Primary ventriculitis form of primary CNS lymphoma (PCNSL) is very rare and difficult to diagnose from radiological findings. A 55-year-woman presented with a cystic mass in the lateral ventricle without evidence of demonstrable malignant cells in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF). The endoscopic biopsy showed a ventriculitis-like thin web on the surface of the ventricular wall around the foramen of Monro, resulting in obstruction. Pathological diagnosis was non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, B cell type. This case suggests that PCNSL should be considered as a differential diagnosis for a cystic ventricular lesion even with no malignant cells in the CSF.

Exendin-4 induction of cyclin D1 expression in INS-1 beta-cells: involvement of cAMP-responsive element

Glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) and its analog exendin-4 (EX) have been considered as a growth factor implicated in pancreatic islet mass increase and beta-cell proliferation. This study aimed to investigate the effect of EX on cyclin D1 expression, a key regulator of the cell cycle, in the pancreatic beta-cell line INS-1. We demonstrated that EX significantly increased cyclin D1 mRNA and subsequently its protein levels. Although EX induced phosphorylation of Raf-1 and extracellular-signal-regulated kinase (ERK), both PD98059 and exogenous ERK1 had no effect on the cyclin D1 induction by EX. Instead, the cAMP-elevating agent forskolin induced cyclin D1 expression remarkably and this response was inhibited by pretreatment with H-89, a protein kinase A (PKA) inhibitor. Promoter analyses revealed that the cAMP-responsive element (CRE) site (at position -48; 5'-TAACGTCA-3') of cyclin D1 gene was required for both basal and EX-induced activation of the cyclin D1 promoter, which was confirmed by site-directed mutagenesis study. For EX to activate the cyclin D1 promoter effectively, CRE-binding protein (CREB) should be phosphorylated and bound to the putative CRE site, according to the results of electrophoretic mobility shift and chromatin immunoprecipitation assays. Lastly, a transfection assay employing constitutively active or dominant-negative CREB expression plasmids clearly demonstrated that CREB was largely involved in both basal and EX-induced cyclin D1 promoter activities. Taken together, EX-induced cyclin D1 expression is largely dependent on the cAMP/PKA signaling pathway, and EX increases the level of phosphorylated CREB and more potently trans-activates cyclin D1 gene through binding of the CREB to the putative CRE site, implicating a potential mechanism underlying beta-cell proliferation by EX.

Topiramate stimulates glucose transport through AMP-activated protein kinase-mediated pathway in L6 skeletal muscle cells

The use of topiramate (TPM) in the treatment of binge-eating disorder, bulimia nervosa, and antipsychotic-induced weight gain has recently increased, however, the exact molecular basis for its effects on body weight reduction and improved glucose homeostasis, is yet to be elucidated. Here we investigated the effect and signaling pathway of TPM on glucose uptake in L6 rat skeletal muscle cells, which account for >70% of glucose disposal in the body. Intriguingly, we found that TPM (10 microM) stimulated the rate of glucose uptake up to twofold increase. And TPM-stimulated glucose transport was inhibited with the overexpression of dominant-negative form of AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK), an important mediator in glucose transport, implicating that AMPK-mediated pathway is involved. The TPM-stimulated glucose transport was blocked by SB203580, a specific inhibitor of AMPK downstream mediator, p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) protein. LY294002, an inhibitor of phosphatidylinositol (PI) 3-kinase, which is another crucial mediator in independent glucose transport pathway, did not inhibit TPM-stimulated glucose transport. We also found that TPM increased the phosphorylation level of AMPK and p38 MAPK, whereas no effect on the activity of PI 3-kinase of TPM, when assessed by PI 3-kinase assay, was observed. These results together suggest that TPM stimulates glucose transport, not via PI 3-kinase mediated, but via AMPK-mediated pathway in skeletal muscle cells, thereby contributing to the body weight regulation and glucose homeostasis.

Oh8dG induces G1 arrest in a human acute leukemia cell line by upregulating P21 and blocking the RAS to ERK signaling pathway

We reported previously that KG-1, a human acute leukemia cell line, has mutational loss of 8-oxoguanine (8-hydroxyguanine; oh8Gua) glycosylase 1 (OGG1) activity and undergoes apoptotic death after treatment with 7,8-dihydro-8-oxo-2'-deoxyguanosine (8-oxodeoxyguanosine, 8-hydroxydeoxyguanosine; oh8dG). In our present study, we further characterized the effects of oh8dG in KG-1 cells and found that, in addition to apoptosis, oh8dG induced the arrest of KG-1 at the G1 phase. Simultaneously, oh8dG-treated KG-1 showed an increase in the oh8Gua content of DNA, upregulation of p21 (an inhibitor of cdk), and Ras inactivation. Moreover, the upregulation of p21 was followed by the inactivations of cdk4 and cdk2, the hypophosphorylation of Rb, and a marked decline in the expression of c-myc (a gene regulated by E2F that is a transcription factor whose activity is suppressed when it is bound to hypophosphorylated Rb). Ras inactivation was also followed by the inactivation of ERK kinase (MEK) and the inactivation of AP-1, a downstream target of the Ras signaling pathway. The specific MEK inhibitors, PD98059 and U0126, also induced G1 arrest. These findings suggest that p21 upregulation and Ras inactivation contribute to G1 arrest. An increase of oh8Gua content in DNA does not seem to be a principal contributor to G1 arrest, however, because the kinetics of increases of oh8Gua content in DNA and of G1 cell number did not coincide. We report that oh8dG induces the arrest of KG-1 growth at the G1 phase mainly by upregulating p21 and inactivating Ras.

Quantitation of niflumic acid in human plasma by high-performance liquid chromatography with ultraviolet absorbance detection and its application to a bioequivalence study of talniflumate tablets

A rapid and simple HPLC method with UV detection (288 nm) was developed and validated for quantitation of niflumic acid in human plasma, the active metabolite of talniflumate. After precipitation with 100% methanol containing the internal standard, indomethacin, the analysis of the niflumic acid level in the plasma samples was carried out using a reverse phase C18 CAPCELL PAK (5 microm, 4.6 mm x 250 mm) column. The chromatographic separation was accomplished with an isocratic mobile phase consisting of a mixture of 0.1M sodium acetate in water and acetonitrile (37:63, v/v), adjusted to pH 6.4. This HPLC method was validated by examining its precision and accuracy for inter- and intra-day runs in a linear concentration range of 0.02-5.00 microg/mL. Stability of niflumic acid in plasma was excellent, with no evidence of degradation during sample processing (autosampler) and 30 days storage in a freezer. This validated method was successfully applied to the bioequivalence study of talniflunate in healthy volunteers.

Impact of IL-1 receptor antagonist gene polymorphism on schizophrenia and bipolar disorder

OBJECTIVES

Variable levels of cytokines were observed in patients with schizophrenia and bipolar disorder, and an especially high level of interleukin-1 (IL-1) was detected in schizophrenia patients. It is known that IL-1 receptor antagonist (IL-1RA) binds to IL-1 receptors and inhibits the receptor binding of IL-1alpha and IL-1beta.

METHODS

In this study, the association between the variable number of tandem repeats polymorphism of the IL-1RA gene and schizophrenia (n=269) and bipolar disorder (n=83) was investigated.

RESULTS

The genotype distribution and allele frequency were significantly different between schizophrenic patients and the control group (P<0.05); however, there were no prominent differences between bipolar patients and the control group. The carriage rate for the IL1RN*2 allele was associated with higher risk of schizophrenia (odds ratio=2.24).

CONCLUSIONS

This study indicates that IL-1RA could be a candidate gene for susceptibility to schizophrenia.

Effects of flux enhancing polymer on the characteristics of sludge in membrane bioreactor process

A newly developed membrane performance enhancer (MPE) was used to prevent membrane fouling in a membrane bioreactor (MBR) process. It transpired that 1,000 mg/l of MPE reduced polysaccharide levels from 41 mg/I to 21 mg/I on average under the experimental condition. Repeated experiments also confirmed that 50-1,000 mg/l of MPE could reduce membrane fouling significantly and increase the intervals between membrane cleanings. Depending on MPE dosages and experimental conditions, trans-membrane pressure (TMP) increase was suppressed for 20-30 days, while baseline TMP surged within a few days. In addition, MPE allowed MBR operation even at 50,000 mg/l of total solid and reduced permeate COD. However, no evidence of toxicity for sludge was found from respiratory works.

Specific immunoglobulin E for staphylococcal enterotoxins in nasal polyps from patients with aspirin-intolerant asthma

BACKGROUND

Nasal polyps infiltrated with eosinophils are commonly found in chronic asthmatic patients, more frequently in those with aspirin-intolerant asthma (AIA) than aspirin-tolerant asthma (ATA). Some studies have suggested a contribution of superantigens derived from Staphylococcus sp to nasal polyposis and eosinophilia, but their relative importance in AIA and ATA subjects is unknown.

OBJECTIVE

We investigated whether local production of specific IgE to staphylococcal enterotoxins A and B (SEA and SEB) and relationships with markers of eosinophilic inflammation differ in the nasal polyps of AIA and ATA subjects.

METHODS

Fifteen AIA subjects with positive responses to lysine-aspirin bronchoprovocation and 15 ATA subjects underwent polypectomy. Immunoassays were used to quantify eosinophil cationic protein (ECP), IL-5, mast cell tryptase, soluble IL-2 receptors (sIL-2R), total IgE, and specific IgE for SEA and SEB.

RESULTS

ECP levels in nasal polyp homogenates were higher in AIA subjects than in ATA subjects (P < 0.02), with no significant differences in tryptase, IL-5 or sIL-2R. Total IgE, and specific IgE to both SEA and SEB, were detectable in some nasal polyps from both subject groups, but median levels were markedly higher in AIA subjects than in ATA subjects (P = 0.04, 0.01, 0.05, respectively). Levels of specific IgE to SEA and SEB correlated significantly with levels of ECP and IL-5, but not those of tryptase or sIL-2R.

CONCLUSION

These findings suggest that staphylococcal superantigens may drive local eosinophilic inflammation in nasal polyp tissue, and that this is exacerbated in subjects with AIA.

Induction of the differentiation of HL-60 promyelocytic leukemia cells by L-ascorbic acid

The present study was undertaken to examine the effect of L-ascorbic acid (LAA) on the growth of HL-60 promyelocytic leukemia cells, besides induction of apoptosis. LAA (> or = 10(-4) M) was found to markedly inhibit the proliferation of HL-60 in liquid culture and clonogenicity in semisolid culture. Moreover, LAA-treated HL-60 showed activity to produce chemiluminescence and expressed CD 66b cell surface antigens, indicating that LAA induces the differentiation of HL-60 mainly into granulocytes. The results are supported by morphological changes of LAA-treated HL-60 into segmented neutrophils. Therefore, the inhibitory effect of LAA on the growth of HL-60 cells seems to arise from the induction of differentiation. To assess the potential role of LAA, cells were exposed to oxygen radical scavengers in the absence or presence of LAA. Catalase abolished and superoxide dismutase promoted LAA-induced differentiation of HL-60. Thus, H2O2 produced as a result of LAA treatment seems to play a major role in induction of HL-60 differentiation.

Site-specific localization of protein kinase C isoforms in rat pancreas

BACKGROUND

Protein kinase C (PKC), a major signal-transducing enzyme, is recognized to play an important role in the regulation of pancreatic exocrine and endocrine secretion, and yet the distribution of PKC isoforms in rat pancreas has remained unclarified.

AIM OF THE STUDY

We examined the precise localization of PKC isoforms to elucidate the role of PKC in the normal rat pancreas.

METHODS

Male Sprague-Dawley rats were used throughout the experiment. For Western blot analysis, the islet of Langerhans and the acinar tissue were separated by the collagenase digestion method. Also, the whole pancreas was taken out and immunohistochemistry performed.

RESULTS

According to Western blot analysis, PKC-alpha, -gamma, -delta, -epsilon, -zeta, and -lambda were detected in both acinar and islet cells while PKC-beta II were observed exclusively in the islet. PKC-beta I was not observed. On immunohistochemistry, the immunoreactivities of PKC isoforms were observed as follows: PKC-alpha, weakly in some endocrine cells and ductal epithelium; PKC-beta II, mainly in the islet center; PKC-gamma, in the islet, intrapancreatic ganglia and ductal epithelium; PKC-delta, in the islet periphery, weakly in some acinar cells and ductal epithelium; PKC-epsilon, strongly in the islet, acinar cell and ductal epithelium; PKC-zeta, in the islet, acinar cell and ductal epithelium; PKC-lambda in some endocrine cells and ductal epithelium.

CONCLUSION

These results suggest that the intrapancreatic site-specific existence of PKC isoforms may regulate pancreatic exocrine and endocrine functions via a PKC-mediated signal transduction.

Effect of ethanol on spontaneous phasic contractions of cat gastric smooth muscle

BACKGROUND

Ethanol is generally believed to inhibit extracellular Ca2+ influx, thereby inhibiting gastric muscle contraction. Recently, we observed that verapamil inhibited only the amplitude of spontaneous phasic contractions, whereas ethanol inhibited both amplitude and frequency. In our objective to investigate the mechanism of ethanol's inhibition of gastric motility, the involvement of various protein kinases in ethanol-inhibited spontaneous phasic contractions of the stomach muscle strips was tested.

METHODS

Circular muscle strips (2.0 x 0.2 cm) were prepared from the corpus of cat stomach in order to measure isometric contraction in a chamber filled with Krebs-Ringer solution (pH 7.4, temperature 36 degrees C) bubbled with 5% CO2 in O2.

RESULTS

Spontaneous phasic contraction was not affected by various receptor antagonists (I microM atropine, 1 microM hexamethonium, 1 microM phentolamine and 1 microM propranolol) or 1 microM tetrodotoxin. EGTA and verapamil dose-dependently inhibited only the amplitude of spontaneous phasic contractions and not the frequency. Ethanol dose-dependently inhibited both the amplitude and frequency of phasic contractions. The amplitude and frequency of spontaneous phasic contractions were significantly inhibited by protein kinase C and tyrosine kinase inhibitors. However, neither protein kinase C activator nor various phosphatase inhibitors blocked the inhibitory effect of ethanol.

CONCLUSIONS

Ethanol appears to inhibit spontaneous phasic contractions by a mechanism other than the inhibition of protein kinase C or tyrosine kinase or the inhibition of extracellular Ca2+ influx.

Flux enhancement with gas injection in crossflow ultrafiltration of oily wastewater

The gas injection technique was introduced to achieve flux improvement in cross-flow ultrafiltration of oil emulsion. By the nitrogen gas injection, homogeneous liquid phase oil/water emulsion was changed to heterogeneous gas- liquid phase. The injected gas causes positive effect of promoting turbulence, but it also has negative effect of decreasing the effective membrane area due to the partial occupation of membrane pores by bubbles. The efficiency of the gas injection was found out to be dependent on bubble fractions in the mixture: at sufficient bubble fractions the higher flux was observed. but at lower bubble fractions the flux rather decreased compared with that without gas injection. An attempt was made to explain the mechanisms for the dual aspects of gas injection. Turbulence dampening effect was also observed when the dependence of mass transfer coefficient on cross-flow rate was investigated with gas injection.

Improvement of tagatose conversion rate by genetic evolution of thermostable galactose isomerase

To enhance the isomerization rate of galactose into tagatose, a thermostable galactose isomerase, which was isolated from bacteria growing in a hot spring, was genetically improved using the error-prone PCR method. From 500 mutant clones, a clone showing improved conversion activity was selected. The sequence of the selected clone had five amino acid changes: His(228)-->Asp, Gly(384)-->Asp, Ser(393)-->Thr, Lys(428)-->Asn and Asp(475)-->Lys. The improved galactose isomerase had an 11-fold higher reaction rate than the original.