[Lectin histochemistry in psoriasis, lichen planus and keratosis seborrheica]

Using 14 different biotinyl lectins and avidin horseradish peroxidase, we studied the lectin binding patterns in the epidermis of the lesions in 37 cases of psoriasis, 9 cases of lichen planus and 18 cases of keratosis seborrheica. In comparison with normal human skin, epidermal lectin binding patterns in these diseases showed considerable qualitative and quantitative abnormalities, among which some were characteristic. These findings revealed significant changes in keratinocytic glycoconjugates in these diseases, providing clues to their pathogeneses. The detected changes suggest that the maturation pathway of the keratinocytes in psoriasis differs qualitatively from the normal cases and is not merely a result of rapid transit of the cells.

Regulation of steroidogenesis of infant and adult rhesus monkey granulosa cells in vitro

The present studies have demonstrated that infant monkey granulosa cells, like the adult ones, have the potential of responding markedly in vitro to human FSH, cyclic-AMP and forskolin, resulting in the increase of progesterone and estrogen production. Exogenous hCG was also capable of increasing FSH-stimulated progesterone biosynthesis in both infant and adult granulosa cells, but did not stimulate the infant granulosa cells to secrete estrogen. Addition of a synthetic estrogen, diethylstilbestrol, to the culture of monkey granulosa cells enhanced the FSH-stimulated progesterone and estrogen production. The steroidogenesis of monkey granulosa cells was also dramatically stimulated by a gonadotropin-releasing hormone agonist. Monkey granulosa cells, unlike the other animal cells, secrete measurable amount of estrogen in the absence of androgen substrate. The findings reported here are significant in regard to understanding of the mechanism of hormonal regulation of primate ovarian function.

Treatment of functional headache with Chinese herbal inhalant--a report of 496 cases

Headaches of the neurofunctional type, blood vascular type, neuro-vascular type, and musculotonic type are commonly encountered clinically. The authors report a nasal inhalant of Chinese herbal drugs which has been effective in the treatment of these varieties of headache.

Purification, characterization, and gene cloning of thermopsin, a thermostable acid protease from Sulfolobus acidocaldarius

A thermostable, acid proteolytic activity has been found to be associated with the cells and in the culture medium of Sulfolobus acidocaldarius, an archaebacterium. This acid protease, which has been named thermopsin, was purified to homogeneity from the culture medium by a five-step procedure including column chromatographies on DEAE-Sepharose CL-6B, phenyl-Sepharose CL-4B, Sephadex G-100, monoQ (fast protein liquid chromatography), and gel filtration (high pressure liquid chromatography). The purified thermopsin produced a single band on sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and the proteolytic activity was associated with the band. Thermopsin is a single-chain protein as indicated by gel electrophoresis and by a single NH2-terminal sequence. It has maximal proteolytic activity at pH 2 and 90 degrees C. A genomic library of S. acidocaldarius was prepared and screened by an oligonucleotide probe designed from the NH2-terminal sequence of thermopsin. Five positive clones were isolated. From these clones the thermopsin gene was mapped and sequenced. The nucleotide sequence showed that the thermopsin structure is encoded in 1020 bases. In the deduced protein sequence, there are 41 amino acid residues (including the initiation Met) preceding the NH2-terminal position of thermopsin. Most of these residues appear to be characteristic of a leader sequence. However, the presence in this region of a short pro sequence cannot be ruled out. Thermopsin contains a single cysteine at residue 237 that is not essential for activity (Fusek, M., Lin, X.-L., Tang, J. (1990) J. Biol. Chem. 265, 1496-1501. Thermopsin has no apparent sequence similarity to aspartic proteases of the pepsin family nor to pepstatin-insensitive acid protease (Maita, T., Nagata, S., Matsuda, G., Murata, S., Oda, K., Murao, S., and Tsura, D. (1984) J. Biochem. 95, 465-475) and thus may represent a new class of acid proteases. Also absent is the characteristic active site aspartyl sequence of aspartic proteases. There are 11 potential N-glycosylation sites on each thermopsin molecule. The molecular weight estimated from gel filtration (45,000) is larger than that calculated from the sequence (32,651), suggesting that thermopsin is the sequence (32,651), suggesting that thermopsin is glycosylated at at least some of these 11 sites.

[A study of the quality of Fujian native Magnolia officinalis Rehd. et Wils. var. biloba Rehd. et Wils]

This study reports on the connexion of the content of the efficacious constituents, magnolol and honokiol of Magnolia officinalis var. biloba with age, diameter of the trunk and various parts of the tree, thus presenting a basis for its collection, quality control and clinical applications.

Pulmonary corpora amylacea in sheep

Pulmonary corpora amylacea (PCA) were found in 36 per cent of lambs with chronic non-progressive pneumonia. They were spheroidal or ovoid, concentrically lamellar, and commonly found in the alveoli. The components of PCA were complex and variable but staining reactions indicated that most of them contained deoxyribonucleoproteins, glycoproteins and ribonucleoproteins. Electron microscopy showed that they were composed of a fine granular material with an occasional vesicular pattern. There are a number of differences in the morphology and staining reaction of ovine PCA compared with those described in man. Some of these differences may be related to their age. Ovine PCA are closely associated with chronic non-progressive pneumonia and it is postulated that they may result indirectly from bronchiolar stenosis and stagnation of exudate.

[Long-term results of an operation alone and postoperative adjuvant chemotherapy in advanced gastric cancer--report of 265 patients]

During the period from June 1973 to December 1978, 338 patients with advanced gastric cancer were treated in our hospital. By retrospective grouping, 142 out of 265 patients with tumor resected received postoperative adjuvant chemotherapy (MMC + 5FU + Ara-C), 123 operated alone were taken for comparison. These two groups were similar in: age, sex, location of tumor, mode of resection, histological type, clinical stage and follow-up rate. The results indicated that the 1, 3 and 5 year survival rates of the combined group were much higher than those of the operation only group. Further analysis showed that the supplementary chemotherapy was particularly valid in stages III and IV. In stage III patients, the 5 year survival rate was increased by 27.8%. In stage IV patients, the 3 and 5 year survival rates of the combined group were 16.3% and 9.8% but none survived over 3 years in the operation only group. The authors believe that postoperative adjuvant chemotherapy plays an important role in controlling the micrometastatic and residual cancer foci.