A novel enzyme immunoassay for conidia of Fusarium oxysporum f.sp. cucumerinum F504

This study was undertaken to develop a new tool to study fusarial diseases of plants. Micro- and macro-conidia of a strain (F504) of Fusarium oxysporum were isolated and antiserum against the conidia was elicited in rabbits. A highly specific and sensitive competitive-type enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) for conidia of the strain was developed using the antiserum with beta-D-galactosidase-labeled anti-rabbit IgG as the secondary antibody and conidia fragments of the strain as antigen attached to Amino-Dylark solid-phase balls. The assay was highly specific to conidia of the strain F504, while conidia-free hypha of the strain F504 as well as all other microorganisms tested including nine other strains of Fusarium species showed little cross-reactivity. Application of the ELISA to following the growth rates of conidia in hyphae of the strain F504 under several conditions are also reported.

[Determination of the blood pressure level in mild hypertension. Significance of 20 minute resting blood pressure measurement comparing to 24 hour ambulatory blood pressure monitoring]

Determination of the blood pressure (BP) level in patients with mild hypertension (MHT) is quite difficult, since ulcerations of BP are tremendously exaggerated in the doctor's office. It has been well known that casual BP is less reliable to estimate LVH than BPs obtained at home or work-site. Although 24 hour ambulatory BP monitoring (ABPM) has been widely accepted to overcome this problems, it is still controversial whether this method is applicable to all hypertensive subjects with special regards to its cost and effect. Therefore, our study has dealt mainly with the development of more convenient and less expensive method to get reasonable BPs. Twenty two nonmedicated patients with MHT were selected for the study. After taking casual BP in the office, the resting 20 minute BP measurements at every 2 minute interval were performed with Dynamap 950. Ten BP values thus obtained were divided into two categorical phases; early and late. The mean systolic and diastolic pressures (Ps & Pd) in the early phase were significantly higher than those in the late phase. Beside mean Ps and Pd obtained from 24 hour ABPM, 4 categorical phases based on the time of a day were defined; morning (from awaking to noon), afternoon (from noon to 6 pm), evening (from 6 pm to bed time) and night (during sleeping). Mutual correlation coefficients of these categorical BPs were calculated and compared to identify reasonably high significant correlations. The results revealed the highest BP at the office and the lowest one during sleeping. The office BPs closely resembled to the ones during afternoon period.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Resonance Raman characterization of hog thyroid peroxidase. An SERRS study

Resonance Raman (RR) spectra of hog thyroid peroxidase (TPO) were observed for the first time and compared with those of lactoperoxidase (LPO) and horseradish peroxidase (HRP). Since TPO purified by monoclonal antibody-assisted immunoaffinity chromatography was strongly fluorescent, the surface enhancement technique using Ag colloid adsorption was used for the oxidized form, but ordinary RR spectra could be obtained for the reduced form. The RR spectra of TPO were distinct from those of HRP in both the oxidized and reduced states and indicated the presence of six-coordinated iron-protoporphyrin.

Comparative study of complete and incomplete Freund's adjuvants for immunization of a drug immunogen using enzyme immunoassay methods

Highly sensitive and accurate enzyme immunoassays (EIAs), a sandwich EIA for mouse immunoglobulin G (IgG) and an enzyme linked immunosorbent assay for mouse antibody specific to viomycin (VM), were developed. Accuracy and specificity of the assay results were confirmed before their application. The changes of total IgG and antibody specific to VM in mice, immunized with a VM-immunogen with or without two types of Freund's adjuvants under various conditions, were assessed by means of the newly developed EIA methods. Both methods were very useful tools to follow the immunization processes of mice, and complete and incomplete Freund's adjuvant were found to have similar adjuvant activities for production of antibody specific to VM, judging from the amounts of anti-VM antibody formed. It seems to be important that too many booster injections should be avoided in the immunization of mice with a hapten immunogen.

A supernumerary valvula in the pulmonary semilunar valve

A supernumerary valvula of the pulmonary semilunar valve was found in a 51-year old, male Japanese. The valve was composed of three equal-sized valvulae and one smaller one with numerous fenestrations present. The supernumerary valvula was located between the anterior and right valvulae. We found this condition in one of 1407 cadavers examined.

Type 1 (insulin-dependent) diabetes in Japanese children is not a uniform disease

The initial course of Type 1 (insulin-dependent) diabetes mellitus was studied in two groups of Japanese children, i.e. 21 patients with abrupt onset (Group A) and 19 patients detected by urine glucose screening at school with minimal or no symptoms (Group B). There was no statistical difference in mean age at diagnosis between Group A and B (11 +/- 3 years vs 11 +/- 3 years). Group A patients revealed a rapid deterioration of pancreatic B-cell function, but there was evident recovery of the B-cell function from 3 to 9 months following initial treatment. The B-cell capacity in Group B was self maintained until 24 months after diagnosis. Thereafter, even these patients exhibited a progressive decline in the B-cell function. The two groups had a similar incidence of islet cell antibodies at diagnosis (58% vs 69%). However, human leukocyte antigen studies revealed that patients in Group A had a significantly higher prevalence of DR4 and DRW9 than those in Group B (p less than 0.01). These results suggest that in Japanese children there are two forms of diabetes, an abrupt and a slow onset form, which are clinically different and which also seemed to be genetically independent types, or possibly the same disease diagnosed at different stages.

Effects of ONO-3708, an antagonist of the thromboxane A2/prostaglandin endoperoxide receptor, on platelet aggregation and thrombosis

The beneficial effects of an antagonist of the thromboxane A2/prostaglandin endoperoxide receptor, 7-[2 alpha,4 alpha-(dimethylmethano)-6 beta-(2-cyclopentyl-2 beta- hydroxyacetamido)-1 alpha-cyclohexyl]-5(Z)-heptenoic acid (ONO-3708) on thrombosis were examined. ONO-3708 at 0.1-3 microM inhibited the human platelet aggregation induced by thromboxane A2, prostaglandin H2, collagen, ADP (secondary phase) and epinephrine (secondary phase) without affecting prostanoid synthesis and the content of cyclic AMP in platelets. The in vivo effects, on coronary thrombosis in this case, were examined in two canine models. ONO-3708, 3 to 300 micrograms/kg i.v., prevented dose dependently the coronary thrombosis induced by partial obstruction of the coronary artery. ONO-3708, 3 micrograms/kg per min i.v., significantly prevented electrically stimulated coronary thrombosis without affecting systemic blood pressure and heart rate. These results indicate that the thromboxane A2/prostaglandin endoperoxide receptor could play an important role in the pathogenesis of thrombosis and that ONO-3708 may have therapeutic advantages in preventing thrombosis.

Analysis of urinary and circulating FDP subfragments and subunits: application of the western-blot technique

We applied the Western-blot technique for qualifying fibrin/fibrinogen degradation products (FDP) subfragments and subunits. With this technique we examined urine or serum samples from patients with glomerulonephritis and disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC), in order to observe how primary or secondary fibrinolysis functioned under these pathological conditions. We also tested the antigenic recognition of several FDP antibodies with this technique. The results obtained were as follows: 1) FDP in serum samples from patients with DIC consisted of both fibrinogenolytic and fibrinolytic products; 2) Fibrinolysis was predominant in the serum from one patient with Henoch-Schönlein purpura nephritis, and its level increased after fibrinolytic therapy with urokinase; 3) Fibrinogen and fibrin polymers were always the major components of urinary FDP, although fibrinolytic products such as subfragment D-D dimer were detected in patients with glomerular disease and increased in acute exacerbation; 4) Anti-FDP D-D dimer monoclonal antibody (DD 3B6), which is usually considered to react specifically with cross-linked fibrin derivatives, also seemed to have cross-reactivity with non-crosslinked fibrin derivatives.

Analyses of specific and total antibody responses of rabbits to four kinds of immunogens

As a basic study to investigate suitable conditions to immunize rabbits with drug-immunogens, two highly sensitive and accurate enzyme immunoassays (EIAs) for specific antibody to viomycin (VM) and blasticidin S (BLS) were developed using the corresponding standard antibody, the solid-phase antigens, and enzyme-labeled goat anti-rabbit immunoglobulin G (IgG) antibody as immunological reagents. The accuracy of the assay results with these newly developed EIAs was demonstrated. The new EIAs as well as two previously developed EIAs, EIA for antibody specific to neocarzinostatin (NCS) and a sandwich EIA for rabbit IgG, were applied for analyses of the changes in contents of total and specific antibodies in rabbit antisera samples collected during immunizations with four antigens. Total IgG levels increased from 7.0-9.9 mg/ml to 30-50 mg/ml in all rabbits immunized under the same immunizing schedule, despite the use of four kinds of antigens. The highest level of specific antibodies, anti-BLS, anti-VM and anti-NCS, was 0.5 mg/ml in each case.

Regulation of glucose transport activity and expression of glucose transporter mRNA by serum, growth factors and phorbol ester in quiescent mouse fibroblasts

We have investigated the effects of growth factors such as serum, platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF) and fibroblast growth factor (FGF) on glucose transport activity in quiescent mouse Swiss 3T3 cells. DNA synthesis was synchronously induced by either calf serum, or platelet-poor plasma in combination with PDGF or FGF. Early stimulation of glucose transport in the quiescent cells was also caused by serum, or by either PDGF or FGF. The time courses for the stimulation of transport were identical for serum, PDGF and FGF, and the stimulated uptake in each case was associated with a 5-6-fold increase in Vmax. There were no detectable changes in apparent Km. Expression of glucose transporter mRNA was also enhanced by these growth factors. By contrast, EGF, insulin and platelet-poor plasma had little effect on glucose transport and transporter-gene expression, although uridine uptake was enhanced by all of these growth factors. These results suggest that cell cycle-dependent stimulation of glucose transport and expression of the transporter mRNA are regulated by a specific class of growth factors such as PDGF and FGF. The tumor promoter phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate (PMA) also stimulated glucose transport and expression of transporter mRNA in quiescent 3T3 cells. These stimulations were absent in PMA-pretreated cells. However, serum, PDGF and FGF were able to stimulate glucose transport as well as expression of the transporter mRNA in PMA-pretreated cells, suggesting that there are at least two independent pathways for regulating glucose transport and glucose transporter mRNA level in quiescent fibroblasts.

Characteristics in tyrosine coordinations of four hemoglobins M probed by resonance Raman spectroscopy

Resonance Raman spectra of four hemoglobins (Hbs) M with tyrosinate ligand, that is, Hb M Saskatoon (beta distal His----Tyr), Hb M Hyde Park (beta proximal His----Tyr), Hb M Boston (alpha distal His----Tyr), and Hb M Iwate (alpha proximal His----Tyr), were investigated in order to elucidate structural origins for distinctly facile reducibility of the abnormal subunit of Hb M Saskatoon in comparison with other Hbs M. All of the Hbs M exhibited the fingerprint bands for the Fe-tyrosinate proteins around 1600, 1500, and 1270 cm-1. However, Hb M Saskatoon had the lowest Fe-tyrosinate stretching frequency and was the only one to display the Raman spectral pattern of a six-coordinate heme for the abnormal beta subunit; the others displayed the patterns of a five-coordinate heme. The absorption intensity of Hb M Saskatoon at 600 nm indicated a transition with a midpoint pH at 5.2, whereas that of Hb M Boston was independent of pH from 7.2 to 4.8. The fingerprint bands for the tyrosinate coordination as well as the Fe-tyrosinate stretching band disappeared for Hb M Saskatoon at pH 5.0, and the resultant Raman spectrum resembled that of metHb A, while those bands were clearly observed for Hb M Boston at pH 5.0 and for two Hbs M at pH 10.0. These observations suggest that the unusual characteristics of the heme in the abnormal beta chain of Hb M Saskatoon result from the weak Fe-tyrosinate bond, which allows weak coordination of the proximal histidine, giving rise to the six-coordinate high-spin state at pH 7.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

[Clinicopathological correlation of young onset chronic glomerulonephritis]

In a retrospective analytical study involving 98 children with primary glomerulonephritis who were seen by us at our hospital during a 2-year period from 1984 through 1985 and who had renal biopsy performed previously, attempts were made to correlate pathological findings with both clinical findings and prognosis. The results are summarized as follows: 1) Of 87 patients with asymptomatic chronic glomerulonephritis, glomerular findings were those of minimal change lesion, mesangial proliferative nephritis, MPGN, membranous nephropathy and FGS or sclerosing nephritis in 29.9%, 51.7%, 13.8%, 1.1% and 3.5%, respectively. Among the other 11 patients in whom the diagnosis was made after manifesting the nephritic symptoms, minimal change was noted less frequently and MPGN was detected more frequently than in the aforementioned asymptomatic group. IgA nephropathy was estimated to account for 44.2% of cases of asymptomatic chronic nephritis. 2) Mild mesangial proliferation was observed relatively frequently and severe mesangial proliferation or MPGN rather infrequently in hematuria cases without proteinuria while in those with severe proteinuria minimal change lesion was uncommon and severe mesangial proliferative changes, MPGN or FGS were relatively frequent. 3) In 22 patients with IgA nephropathy and 11 with non-IgA nephritis the severity of glomerular changes was related to the intensity of proteinuria at the time of renal biopsy. 4) A 3 to 5 years' follow-up study of patients with mesangial proliferative nephritis inclusive of IgA nephropathy disclosed that 26-28% of patients became free from urinary abnormalities, 27-37% had persistent hematuria without proteinuria and 24-32% still had proteinuria of 2 plus or above. Patients with milder glomerular changes had a definitely better prognosis than those with severe glomerular lesions.

Protein binding of quinolonecarboxylic acids. I. Cinoxacin, nalidixic acid and pipemidic acid

Binding of cinoxain (CINX), nalidixic acid (NA) and pipemidic acid (PPA) to serum proteins was investigated by equilibrium dialysis, ultrafiltration and circular dichroism (CD) spectroscopy. CINX and NA were found to bind mainly to albumin in human serum, the latter interacting with the protein about ten times as strongly as CINX at pH 7.4 and 37 degrees C. PPA showed little or no significant binding to human serum albumin (HSA), alpha 1-acid glycoprotein, and globulins, but showed 20-30% binding to protein in human serum. The CD results were suggestive of some weak interaction of PPA with human apotransferrin. Binding of the three drugs to HSA was found to depend on the lipophilicity of their substituents at the 7-position. The degree of protein binding for human, dog and rat sera at 37 degrees C was in the order of NA (92-97%) greater than CINX (68-90%) greater than PPA (20-30%) at drug concentrations of 10-30 micrograms/ml. CINX showed relatively large species dependence in serum protein binding, which seemed to be due to different affinities of this drug to the respective albumins. CINX was found to bind to rat serum albumin as strongly as NA.

Protein binding of quinolonecarboxylic acids. II. Spectral changes on the interaction of cinoxacin, nalidixic acid and pipemidic acid with human and rat albumins

The interaction of cinoxacin (CINX), nalidixic acid (NA), and pipemidic acid (PPA) with human and rat serum albumins (HSA and RSA) was studied by UV difference absorption and circular dichroism (CD) spectroscopy. CINX and NA bound to the albumins and generated difference absorption and induced CD (ICD) spectra. The difference absorption spectral data explained reasonably our previous observations that CINX bound to HSA more weakly than NA, but to RSA as strongly as NA. We used a quantity delta epsilon/epsilon, designated as relative molar difference absorbance, at positions corresponding to the longest wavelength peaks in the difference spectra. The quantity was found to correlate linearly with percent bound to both HSA and RSA, but with different slopes, from which the binding site for CINX and NA in RSA was supposed to provide a much more nonpolar environment than that in HSA. The magnitude of ICD bands observed at 371 nm for CINX and at 342-348 nm for NA corresponded to the binding degrees of these drugs to both albumins. Anisotropy factors for the ICD bands at 350-271 nm for CINX and 320-348 nm for NA were approximately similar between HSA and RSA, suggesting a similar ability to generate the ICD spectra in these wavelength regions upon binding to the albumins. Spectral results for PPA in albumin solutions showed little or no binding of this drug to HSA and RSA. PPA existed as a betaine form in neutral solution and its positively charged group acted as an unfavorable factor for binding to both albumins.

Modulation of immunological abnormalities of growth hormone-deficient children by growth hormone treatment

We studied the immunomodulatory role of growth hormone (GH) treatment in GH-deficient children. GH potentiated natural killer (NK)-cell activity and the PHA and Con-A lymphocytoproliferative response. Two-color fluorescence using monoclonal antibodies (CD4, 2H4, CD8 and CD11) showed a moderate reduction of the helper T cells and NK cells, but no changes of suppressor T cells or cytotoxic T-cells during GH therapy. Cancer and slow viral infection in GH-deficient children have been watched for carefully before and after GH therapy.

Instability of integrated hepatitis B virus DNA with inverted repeat structure in a transgenic mouse

We established four cell lines, from the liver cells of a transgenic mouse, constructed with hepatitis B virus DNA that had an inverted repeat structure. The integrated DNA patterns of the four established cell lines were different from one another and from the original pattern. These data show that the instability of integrated hepatitis B virus DNA would also occur in somatic cells during replication, apart from meiosis, which was previously reported.

Immortal epithelial cells of normal C3H mouse liver in culture: possible precursor populations for spontaneous hepatocellular carcinoma

Long-term culture of primary hepatocytes derived from normal young male C3H/HeNJclMTV+ (C3H) and C57BL/6NJcl (C57) mice, respectively known for very high and low incidences of spontaneous hepatoma, resulted in development of multiple slowly growing epithelial colonies in the C3H case, the number of colonies being increased five-fold when 1.5 mM phenobarbital was added to the culture medium. On the other hand, the primary culture cells from C57 mouse liver gave rise to such epithelial colonies only very rarely, even with phenobarbital. Immunohistochemical investigation revealed alpha-fetoprotein and/or albumin production by the colony cells and ultrastructural analysis also revealed some hepatocytic features in them. Subculturing of individual colonies gave rise to cell lines which could be repeatedly passaged. Two of five lines implanted into athymic nude mice manifested tumorigenicity, the resultant neoplasms being diagnosed as a trabecular hepatocellular carcinoma and an adenocarcinoma. The experimental data suggest that the colony-forming immortal epithelial cells possibly represent early phase precursors of spontaneous mouse hepatocellular carcinomas. This culture system is expected to be useful for future elucidation of the mechanisms underlying spontaneous mouse hepatocarcinogenesis.

Acute skin reactions observed in fractionated proton irradiation

Between May 1985 and July 1987, 49 skin reactions of 43 patients treated by proton irradiation were observed at the Particle Radiation Medical Science Center (PARMS), The University of Tsukuba. Taking the peak skin score as an endpoint, the radiobiological effects [relative biological effectiveness (RBE) and time-dose relationships] of the proton beam in multi-fractionated treatments were estimated. Factors influencing the skin dose, such as the prescribed tumor dose, tumor site, and number of applied fields, were also analyzed. The following conclusions regarding acute skin reactions to the clinical use of proton irradiation were obtained: 1) the physical skin-sparing effect of proton irradiation in single-field irradiation, especially in superficial regions, is not large compared with that of high-energy photon irradiation; 2) multidirectional proton irradiation significantly reduced the skin dose and severity of acute reactions; 3) the radiobiological effects of the proton beam, RBE and the time factor, estimated in human skin in multi-fractional treatment were slightly smaller than those of X-rays, i.e., 0.92 and -0.25 +/- 0.09, respectively.

Generalized lymph node metastasis of early uterine cancer in an HTLV-I carrier

Generalized lymphadenopathy due to metastases of keratinizing squamous cell carcinoma developed in a 68-year-old woman who was a carrier of human T-cell leukemia Type I (HTLV-I). On her 74th hospital day, she died of massive metastases of the superficial and deep-seated lymph nodes, thyroid, lungs, pleura, liver, spleen, pancreas, kidneys, and retroperitoneum. At autopsy, the primary tumor was found in the uterine cervix. The depth of stromal invasion was approximately 4.0 mm. Such an extensive dissemination usually does not occur in cervical cancer with this type of early stromal invasion. It is conceivable that the chronic HTLV-I infection compromised the immunosurveillance against cancer and accelerated progression of the disease in this patient.