Sequence dependent hypermutation of the immunoglobulin heavy chain in cultured B cells

The variable (V) regions of immunoglobulin heavy and light chains undergo high rates of somatic mutation during the immune response. Although point mutations accumulate throughout the V regions and their immediate flanking sequences, analysis of large numbers of mutations that have arisen in vivo reveal that the triplet AGC appears to be most susceptible to mutation. We have stably transfected B cell lines with gamma2a heavy chain constructs containing TAG nonsense codons in their V regions that are part of either a putative (T)AGC hot spot or a (T)AGA non-hot spot motif. Using an ELISA spot assay to detect revertants and fluctuation analysis to determine rates of mutation, the rate of reversion of the TAG nonsense codon has been determined for different motifs in different parts of the V region. In the NSO plasma cell line, the (T)AGC hot spot motif mutates at rates of approximately 6 x 10(-4)/bp per generation and approximately 3 x 10(-5)/bp per generation at residues 38 and 94 in the V region. At each of these locations, the (T)AGC hot spot motif is 20-30 times more likely to undergo mutation than the (T)AGA non-hot spot motif. Moreover, the AGA non-hot spot motif mutates at as high a rate as the hot spot motif when it is located adjacent to hot spot motifs, suggesting that more extended sequences influence susceptibility to mutation.

[Clinical and experimental study on improving cellular immunological function of uterine myoma patients by xiaoliu tablet]

OBJECTIVE

To explore the effect of Xiaoliu Tablet (XLT) in treating uterine myoma (UM) and the relationship between effect and the cellular immunological function of the UM patients.

METHODS

Seventy-one UM patients by treatment with XLT was observed. The activities of natural killer (NK) cells of 50 patients and 30 normal women were determined.

RESULTS

There were good effect in reducing the volume of myoma and improving the menses by XLT, especially in patients whose myoma were singly and small. The activity of NK cells of these patients (24.61 +/- 6.04%, n = 50) was significantly different from that of normal women (45.42 +/- 9.05%, n = 30), P < 0.01. There was a notable rise of NK cells of the patients (37.54 +/- 5.01%, n = 39), after the treatment of six months by XLT (P < 0.01).

CONCLUSION

Improving the immunological function might be one of the mechanisms of the effect of XLT.

Effect of human vitreous and hyalocyte-derived factors on vascular endothelial cell growth

PURPOSE

In the present study we have examined the effects of human vitreous and hyalocyte-conditioned medium on human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVEC).

METHODS

Human umbilical vein endothelial cells were cultured and treated in quadruplicate with human vitreous and hyalocyte-conditioned medium at different concentrations. Cell numbers were counted on days 1, 3, 5 and 7. Morphological changes and the viability of cells after treatment were also monitored.

RESULTS

The results indicate that both human vitreous and hyalocyte-conditioned medium inhibit proliferation and reduce the viability of HUVEC in vitro. These inhibitory effects were dose- and time-dependent.

CONCLUSIONS

The observations suggest that human hyalocytes and vitreous contain anti-angiogenic factors that influence vascular endothelial cell-growth. These results, combined with those of previous studies, may yield important information about the functional role of vitreous and hyalocytes in intraocular vascular regression.

Functional interactions between neuronal AT1 and AT2 receptors

Angiotensin II (Ang II), via the activation of the AT1 and AT2 receptors regulates electrophysiological responses of catecholaminergic neurons. This study was designed to determine if functional interactions between AT1 and AT2 receptors exist in a single neuron. Ang II caused two unique electrophysiological responses characteristic of receptor crosstalk. First, Ang II elicited an AT1 receptor-mediated decrease in I(K) followed by an AT2 receptor-mediated increase in I(K). Second, Ang II elicited an AT2 receptor-mediated increase in I(K) followed by an AT1 receptor-mediated decrease in I(K). AT1 and AT2 receptors were co-localized on the catecholaminergic neurons. These observations suggest, for the first time, the existence of a crosstalk between Ang II receptor subtypes that may be significant in the physiological activity of catecholaminergic neurons.

In vitro generation of human cytotoxic T lymphocytes specific for peptides derived from prostate-specific antigen

BACKGROUND

Protein antigens are presented to cytotoxic T lymphocytes as small peptides (approximately 9-10 amino acids long) bound to class I molecules of the major histocompatibility complex. The identification of tumor-associated antigens and specific peptide epitopes (i.e., antigenic determinants) may be useful in the development of anticancer vaccines. The generation of a cytotoxic T-cell response to one peptide epitope (amino acids 146-154) of human prostate-specific antigen (PSA) has been reported.

PURPOSE

Our aim was to identify novel PSA peptides capable of eliciting specific cytotoxic T-cell responses.

METHODS

Candidate peptides were identified on the basis of the following criteria: 1) they contained consensus amino acid motifs for binding to HLA-A2, which is the most common type of class I molecule; 2) they lacked strong homology with PSA-related kallikrein proteins; and 3) they were capable of stabilizing HLA-A2 class I molecules on the surface of human T2 (transport deletion mutant) cells, which are defective in antigen presentation. T-cell lines capable of killing (i.e., lysing) T2 target cells that had been pulsed with specific PSA peptides were generated from three different males (two disease-free individuals and one patient with prostate cancer) by incubating peripheral blood mononuclear cells with the peptides and interleukin 2. Specific cell lysis was monitored by the release of radioactivity from target cells that had been labeled with [111In]oxyquinoline.

RESULTS

Two novel PSA peptides capable of eliciting cytotoxic T-cell responses were identified; these peptides were designated PSA-1 (amino acids 41-150) and PSA-3 (amino acids 154-163). Four different cytotoxic T-cell lines were generated in response to these peptides-three against PSA-3 and one against PSA-1. Specific lysis of peptide-pulsed T2 cells by the T-cell lines was blocked by the addition of a monoclonal antibody directed against class I molecules. The T-cell lines were also capable of lysing PSA-positive, HLA-A2-positive LNCaP cells (human prostate carcinoma cells). The specificity of LNCaP cell lysis was shown by the following: 1) the inability of added human K562 (chronic myelogenous leukemia) cells to inhibit it, 2) the ability of added anti-HLA-A2 antibodies to block it, and 3) the inability of the T-cell lines to induce substantial lysis of PSA-negative, HLA-A2-positive human cancer cells.

IMPLICATIONS

Our studies form a rational basis for the use of PSA peptides or recombinant vectors encoding PSA in the development of anticancer vaccine immunotherapy protocols for patients with prostate cancer.

Observation of coherent transients by use of current switching of a semiconductor diode laser

We have observed optical free induction decay on the (3)H(6)(1) ? (3)H(4)(1) transition of Tm(3+) ions in LaF(3), using an external-cavity diode laser. The diode-laser frequency was switched by the application of a current step, and the resulting transient was detected by heterodyne beating with the laser at its new frequency. This provides a simple new way to measure coherent transients. The beat note shows a frequency chirp that gives a real-time measure of the diode-laser frequency. This result is attributed to changes in the laser lattice temperature on the microsecond time scale.

Plant polyphenols: biologically active compounds or non-selective binders to protein?

Twenty phenolic compounds, representatives of proanthocyanidins and gallic acid/hexahydroxyldiphenic acid esters of glucose, have been assessed for their ability to inhibit binding of specific radioligands to 16 receptors. The receptors utilized were alpha 1-, alpha 2- and beta-adrenoceptors, adenosine 1, dopamine 1 and 2, muscarinic, Ca2+ channel, sulphonylureas, 5HT1, 5HT1A, 5HT2, histamine 1, benzodiazepine, opiate and Na+/K/ATPase. These phenolic compounds failed to inhibit ligands binding to 10 of the receptors under the test conditions. The most susceptible receptors to phenolic binding were beta-adrenergic, 5HT1 and opiate. Some of the compounds tested showed selectivity for a single or for two receptors. The inhibition of binding of radioligands to receptors by the phenolic compounds cannot be explained solely in terms of phenolic-protein binding. The results indicate that the removal of tannins from plant extracts prior to screening for receptor activities may result in missing biologically active compounds with specificity of action.

[The establishment and evaluation of abdominal aorta thrombosis model in rat]

An animal model of abdominal aorta thrombosis based on Virchow's thrombosis principle was induced by endothelium denudation with a polyethylene catheter combining severe stenosis with an aortic constriction in rats. A total of 37 rats were involved in thrombosis induction. Among them thrombus developed in 27 rats. Mean length of thrombus was 8.53 +/- 1.42 mm. The contractibility of vascular wall in the thrombotic group significantly reduced.

Integrity of p53 in hepatitis B x antigen-positive and -negative hepatocellular carcinomas

Inactivation of the tumor suppressor p53 seems to be important to the pathogenesis of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) associated with chronic hepatitis B virus infection. Although this inactivation may be due to mutations in the p53 gene, recent evidence suggests that the hepatitis B virus-encoded X antigen (HBxAg) binds to and inactivates wild-type p53. Hence, experiments were designed to test the hypothesis that there is a low frequency of p53 mutations in HBxAg-positive HCC. HBxAg and p53 were assayed by immunohistochemistry (IHC) in HCC and nontumor liver from 16 Chinese patients, half of whom were hepatitis B surface antigen carriers. HBxAg was detectable in tumor and/or nontumor cells from all patients by IHC; six of these samples also had detectable p53. To determine whether p53 detection by IHC, and hence stabilization, is associated with mutation, sequencing of p53 exons 5-8 was performed with each patient sample. Wild-type sequences were found in 13 of 16 HBxAg-positive cases (81%). Hence, HBxAg is a common marker of HCC that correlates with the persistence of wild-type p53 among both carriers and noncarriers. The low frequency of p53 mutations in HCC in these patients implies that p53 inactivation may occur predominantly by complex formation with HBxAg.

Exercise training in Otsuka Long-Evans Tokushima Fatty rat, a model of spontaneous non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus: effects on the B-cell mass, insulin content and fibrosis in the pancreas

The effects of exercise on alterations in the amount of B-cell mass, insulin content and fibrous tissue present in the pancreas were examined for a diabetic state induced by a 70% pancreatectomy and a prediabetic state in Otsuka Long-Evans Tokushima Fatty (OLETF) rat, a model for the spontaneous development of non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM). The rats (5-weeks old) were trained either by a 6-week running program or sedentary controls, and at 6-weeks of age, received either a 70% pancreatectomy or a sham-pancreatectomy (sham). As in our previous report, persistent hyperglycemia was detected after surgery for both trained pancreatectomized (Px) and sedentary Px groups. In the nondiabetic sham rats, exercise training resulted in a significantly smaller increase in body weight and beneficial effects on the pancreas as reflected by an increase in pancreatic volume, accompanied by increases in B-cell mass and insulin content as well as less connective tissue in the pancreas compared with the sedentary nondiabetic sham rats. The effect was not sufficient to improve sustained hyperglycemia in the trained diabetic Px rats. This is probably due to a decreased capacity for B-cell proliferation in response to an increased demand for insulin. Although exercise failed to improve this inherent defect in B-cell proliferation, it ameliorated the further deterioration of the pancreas which occurred with hyperglycemia, and resulted in a higher quantity of insulin stored per milligram of B-cell mass (as function of B-cell mass) and less fibrosis in the pancreas, compared with the sedentary diabetic Px rats. The findings of the present study suggest that exercise training has a beneficial effect on the pancreas in the nondiabetic state, and also exerts some positive effects in the diabetic state in this model rat.

Characterization of glutathione conjugates of pyrrolylated amino acids and peptides by liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry and tandem mass spectrometry with electrospray ionization

High-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) coupled with electrospray mass spectrometry (ES-MS) and tandem mass spectrometry (MS-MS) was used to identify the products formed upon reaction of lysine-containing peptides with the neurotoxicant 2,5-hexanedione (2,5-HD). In addition, secondary autoxidative reaction products of the resultant alkylpyrroles with the biological thiol, glutathione, were characterized. ES mass spectra of the HPLC-separated conjugates showed intense [M+H]+ ions as well as several ions formed by amide and C-S bond cleavage. The glutathione conjugates of pyrrolylated amino acids and peptides were analyzed by ES ionization and MS-MS, and product-ion spectra showed fragmentation pathways typical of glutathione conjugates. ES-MS-MS analysis of a synthetic nonapeptide modeling a sequence found in neurofilament proteins showed pyrrole formation after incubation with 2,5-HD, and sequence ions were used to assign the position of the pyrrole adduct. Subsequent reaction of the pyrrolylated peptide with reduced glutathione was evidenced by a shift in m/z of the sequence ions of the reaction products with or without prior methylation. The results demonstrate the utility of ES-MS and ES-MS-MS in the characterization of xenobiotic-modified peptides and confirm that stable pyrrole-thiol conjugates are formed by the reaction of biological thiols with pyrrolylated peptides.

Intracellular expression of single-chain variable fragments to inhibit early stages of the viral life cycle by targeting human immunodeficiency virus type 1 integrase

Integration of viral DNA into a chromosome of the infected host cell is required for efficient replication of a retroviral genome, and this reaction is mediated by the virus-encoded enzyme integrase (IN). As IN plays a pivotal role in establishing infection during the early stages of the retroviral life cycle, it is an attractive target for therapeutic intervention. However, the lack of effective antiviral drug therapy against this enzyme has led to the testing of other novel approaches towards its inhibition. In these studies, a panel of anti-human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (anti-HIV-1) IN hybridomas has been used in the construction of single-chain variable antibody fragments (SFvs). The monoclonal antibodies produced by these hybridomas, and derived SFvs, bind to different domains within IN. We now demonstrate that intracellular expression of SFvs which bind to IN catalytic and carboxy-terminal domains results in resistance to productive HIV-1 infection. This inhibition of HIV-1 replication is observed with SFvs localized in either the cytoplasmic or nuclear compartment of the cell. The expression of anti-IN SFvs in human T-lymphocytic cells and peripheral blood mononuclear cells appears to specifically neutralize IN activity prior to integration and, thus, has an effect on the integration process itself. These data support our previous studies with an anti-HIV-1 reverse transcriptase SFv and demonstrate further that intracellularly expressed SFvs can gain access to viral proteins of the HIV-1 preintegration complex. This panel of anti-HIV-1 IN SFvs also provides the tools with which to dissect the molecular mechanism(s) directly involved in integration within HIV-1-infected cells.

Application of radioligand receptor binding assays in the search for CNS active principles from Chinese medicinal plants

Extracts of Schefflera bodinieri and S. delavayi (Araliaceae), Celastrus angulatus and C. orbiculatus (Celastraceae), Clerodendrum mandarinorum and C. bungei (Verbenaceae), Periploca callophylla and P. forrestii (Asclepiadaceae), Alangium platanifolium (Alangiaceae) and Uncaria rhynchophylla (Rubiaceae) were assessed for CNS activity against 18 radioligand receptor binding assays. The receptors used were alpha 1-, alpha 2- and beta-adrenoceptors, 5HT-1, 5HT-1A, 5HT-2, opiate, adenosine-1, benzodiazepine, Ca+2 channel, sulphonylureas, dopamine-1, dopamine-2, muscarinic, histamine-1, Na+/K+ ATPase, GABAA and GABAB. The results indicate that these ligand-receptor binding assays are useful for understanding the mode of action of herbal medicines and for bioassay guided fractionation of plant active ingredients.

Pancreatic A-cell function in the partially pancreatectomized Otsuka Long-Evans Tokushima Fatty rat, a model of spontaneous non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus

We examined whether a 70% pancreatectomy changes the morphofunctionality of pancreatic A cells in a model rat (Otsuka Long-Evans Tokushima Fatty [OLETF]) with non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus. Male OLETF rats aged 6 weeks were assigned to two groups: partial pancreatectomy (Px) and sham pancreatectomy (sham). The Px group was divided into three subgroups based on treatment received after surgery, which included treatment with nicotinamide, phlorhizin, or saline. As a control, their diabetes-resistant counterparts, Long-Evans Tokushima Otsuka (LETO) rats, were similarly treated and grouped. Six weeks after surgery, plasma glucagon responses to arginine- and insulin-induced hypoglycemia were examined. In addition, the glucagon content and morphological features of pancreatic A cells in Px-remnant and remnant-equivalent pancreata were investigated 7 weeks after surgery. A sustained nonfasting hyperglycemia was evident in Px OLETF rats, which was ameliorated by administration of nicotinamide. The glucagon content and A-cell mass were not decreased significantly in the remnant pancreas of saline- and phlorhizin-treated Px animals of either strain but increased in nicotinamide-treated animals compared with those in the remnant equivalent of the respective sham rats. The areas under the response curves of plasma glucagon (zigma IRG) during an arginine infusion test and 90 minutes of insulin-induced hypoglycemia were 1,010.7 +/- 72.9, 1,083.1 +/- 95.3, 1,029.6 +/- 65.0, and 1,779.8 +/- 226.9 pmol.L-1.min-1 versus 1,997.0 +/- 283.1,2,217.0 +/- 395.0, 1,479.6 +/- 78.0, and 3,466.4 +/- 174.0 pmol.L-1.min-1 in phlorhizin-, nicotinamide-, and saline-treated Px OLETF and sham OLETF rats, respectively. A similar trend was observed for differences in the response of pancreatic A cells to both stimuli among various groups of LETO rats. There was no significant difference in sigma IRGs during both tests between OLETF and LETO rats with similar treatments, except during an insulin tolerance test (ITT) in saline-treated Px rats. The magnitude of the plasma glucagon response to both stimuli in the test animals was roughly parallel to the glucagon content in the pancreas. These findings suggest that differences in the proliferation and responsiveness of pancreatic A cells between OLETF and LETO rats after a 70% pancreatectomy are not nearly as significant as compared with B cells.

Solid-state 13C-NMR spectroscopy of adduction products of 2,5-hexanedione with ribonuclease, albumin, and rat neurofilament protein

The Paal-Knorr condensation reaction between the gamma-diketone 2,5-hexanedione (2,5-HD) and epsilon-amine moieties of proteins of various molecular weight, including ribonuclease (RNase), bovine serum albumin (BSA) and rat neurofilament (NF), has been investigated by solid-state 13C-NMR spectroscopy. These proteins all reacted with 2,5-HD with the formation of 2,5-dimethylpyrrole (2,5-DMP) derivatives. The size and complexity of the protein affected the rate of formation of 2,5-DMP derivatives. Using the selective reducing reagent NaCNBH3, the Paal-Knorr reaction intermediates were trapped by conversion into amines, which were identified by solid-state NMR spectroscopy. The secondary autoxidation reaction following the formation of 2,5-DMP derivatives was also studied by solid-state NMR spectroscopy.

Chemical and biological investigation of the root bark of Clerodendrum mandarinorum

A 70% EtOH extract of Clerodendrum mandarinorum root bark was assessed for CNS activity against 18 radioligand receptor binding assays. The results showed that the extract was able to bind to opiate, adenosine-1, alpha 2-adrenergic, 5HT-1, 5HT-2, dopamine-2, histamine-1, GABA(A), and GABA(B) receptors. Fourteen compounds were isolated and identified by El-MS, 1H-NMR and 13C-NMR spectra as known triterpenoids (friedelanone, lupeol, betulinic acid), steroids (24S-stigmata-5,25-dien-3 beta-ol,22E,24S-stigmata-5,22,25-trien-3 beta-ol), flavonoids (cirsimaritin, cirsimaritin-4'-glucoside, quercetin-3-methyl ether), tetra-hydro-alpha-pyrone and saccharides (sucrose, alpha-D- and beta-D-glucopyranose, ethyl-alpha-D-glucopyranoside, 2-ethyl-beta-D-fructofuranoside). The isolated compounds were assessed for activity by the radioligand receptor binding assays. Betulinic acid and ethyl-alpha-D-glucopyranoside showed weak activities against sulphonylureas (IC50 = 7.5 microM) and muscarinic receptors (IC50 = 5.5 microM), respectively. Cirsimaritin-4'-glucoside was weakly active in the adenosine-1 binding assay (IC50 = 3.0 microM), whereas seven structurally related flavonoids, not isolated from C.mandarinorum, were inactive.

Oligonucleotide analysis by capillary polymer sieving electrophoresis using acryloylaminoethoxyethanol-coated capillaries

Capillary polymer sieving electrophoresis using dynamic sieving polymer solutions provides size-based separations of oligonucleotides. The polymer sieving system described here resolves single-stranded oligonucleotides with single-base resolution up to lengths of 30 bases within 10 min. The effect of temperature on the separation of synthetic oligonucleotide standards was examined between 20 degrees C and 40 degrees C, with optimal performance at 35-40 degrees C. By adding urea to the sieving buffer single-base resolution could be extended to 60 bases in about 40 min. Best performance was achieved with capillaries coated with a new monomer, acryloylaminoethoxyethanol. This coating provides the necessary stability to ensure long lifetimes.

Tetrahydrobiopterin biosynthesis in C6 glioma cells: induction of GTP cyclohydrolase I gene expression by lipopolysaccharide and cytokine treatment

The possibility that 5,6,7,8-tetrahydrobiopterin (BH4) biosynthesis is stimulated in glial cells by treatment with lipopolysaccharide (LPS) and tumor necrosis factor (TNF-alpha) was examined in the astrocyte-derived C6 glioma cell line. Under basal culture conditions BH4 levels were found to be at the limit of detection. Concurrent treatment with 10 micrograms/ml LPS and 50 ng/ml TNF-alpha caused a time-dependent 13-fold increase in the levels of BH4. This treatment paradigm also induced nitric oxide synthase activity, as evidenced by increased levels of nitrite, an oxidized metabolite of NO, in the culture medium. LPS and TNF-alpha treatment led to a 25-fold increase in GTPCH enzyme activity, the first and rate-limiting enzyme in BH4 synthesis, and a corresponding 23-fold increase in GTPCH protein levels. Northern blot analysis showed that increased levels of GTPCH mRNA preceded changes in GTPCH protein, GTPCH enzyme activity and BH4 levels and reached a maximal of 44-fold that was sustained for at least 48 h. These results demonstrate that LPS and TNF-alpha stimulate de-novo BH4 biosynthesis and suggest that C6 cells offer a model system for studying the molecular events that control the induction of GTPCH gene expression and BH4 synthesis in glial cells.

[A preliminary study on the relationship between Streptococcus and Neisseria,Veillonella in an artificial mouth model]

The viable cell count of monobacterial plaque of Streptococcus and mixed bacterial plaque of streptococcus and Neisseria Veillonella,also the demineralization caused by the plaques were observed.The assumption that Neisseria and Veillonella might reduce demineralization of enamel caused by streptococcus was confirmed.The relationship between streptococcus and Neisseria,Veillonella were preliminarily found out.

TAR- and Tat-independent replication of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 in human hepatoma cells

The molecular mechanisms involved in the regulation of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) replication may differ in various cell types and with various exogenous stimuli. TAR/Tat interactions play important roles in HIV-1-long terminal repeat (LTR)-directed transcription, and have become specific targets in molecular therapies for blocking HIV-1 replication. As we previously reported, astrocytic glial cells, which can support HIV-1 replication in cell culture and may be infected in vivo, provide an intracellular milieu in which TAR mutant HIV-1 viruses may replicate. In further studies of this molecular model, several divergent human cell types were analyzed for both TAR- and Tat-independent HIV-1 replication. Human hepatoma cell lines, which can be productively infected by HIV-1 after the hepatoma cells are transduced with the human CD4 receptor gene, were found to support high levels of HIV-1 replication. In these studies, utilizing a transient transfection system with wild-type and various TAR, Tat, or combined TAR/Tat mutant HIV-1 proviral constructs, we demonstrate TAR-independent replication in unstimulated human hepatoma cells. Remarkably, in human hepatoma cells, HIV-1 replication is not only independent of TAR but also can be independent of Tat expression. It is further demonstrated, using electrophoretic mobility shift assays (EMSAs) and an in situ UV cross-linking system, that human hepatoma cells contain novel endogenous cellular proteins that bind to the proviral HIV-1 5' LTR in the downstream region, between nucleotides +38 to +125 on proviral DNA. This alternative regulatory pathway of TAR- and Tat-independent viral production may provide a new system to dissect further the interactions of Tat/TAR and determine the role of the TAR element, in its DNA form, in HIV-1 replication.

Poor capacity for proliferation of pancreatic beta-cells in Otsuka-Long-Evans-Tokushima Fatty rat: a model of spontaneous NIDDM

Otsuka-Long-Evans-Tokushima Fatty (OLETF) rat, a genetic model of spontaneous development of NIDDM, exhibits hyperglycemic obesity with hyperinsulinemia and insulin resistance similar to that in humans. It is still unclear whether a defect in the beta-cell proliferation per se is the primary pathogenetic event in OLETF rat. To determine whether it is, we used partially pancreatectomized rats as a model, with administration of phlorizin to control blood glucose level, to examine whether the capacity for proliferation of beta-cells during hyperglycemia or normoglycemia differs between OLETF and their diabetes-resistant counterparts, Long-Evans-Tokushima-Otsuka (LETO) rats. We also examined whether such a defect, if present, could be improved by nicotinamide. Male rats, 6 weeks of age, were allocated at random to two groups: 70% pancreatectomy (Px) and sham-pancreatectomy (sham). Each group was divided into four subgroups by date of killing after surgery: 3-day, 7-day, 28-day (treated with phlorizin, nicotinamide, or saline), and 91-day. A sustained hyperglycemia was evident in the Px OLETF rats after surgery, which was associated with insufficient proliferation of beta-cells, characterized by decrease in beta-cell labeling index in proportion to decrease in beta-cell mass and reduction in insulin content in the remnant pancreas. This defect was unaffected by restoration of normoglycemia induced by phlorizin injection. Administration of nicotinamide, however, ameliorated the sustained hyperglycemia by increasing beta-cell proliferation. These findings suggest that OLETF rats have poor capacity for proliferation of pancreatic beta-cells and that this change may be the critical pathogenetic event before the onset of overt diabetes.

Angiotensin II type 1 receptor modulation of neuronal K+ and Ca2+ currents: intracellular mechanisms

Angiotensin II (ANG II) elicits an ANG II type 1 (AT1) receptor-mediated decrease in voltage-dependent K+ current (Ik) and an increase in voltage-dependent Ca2+ current (ICa) in neurons cocultured from newborn rat hypothalamus and brain stem. Modulation of these currents by ANG II involves intracellular messengers that result from an AT1 receptor-mediated stimulation of phosphoinositide hydrolysis. For example, the effects of ANG II on IK and ICa were abolished by phospholipase C antagonists. The reduction in IK produced by ANG II was attenuated by either protein kinase C (PKC) antagonists or by chelation of intracellular Ca2+. By contrast, PKC antagonism abolished the stimulatory effect of ANG II on ICa. Superfusion of the PKC activator phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate produced effects on IK and ICa similar to those observed after ANG II. Furthermore, intracellular application of inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate (IP3) elicited a significant reduction in IK. This suggests that the AT1 receptor-mediated changes in neuronal K+ and Ca2+ currents involve PKC (both IK and ICa) and IP3 and/or intracellular Ca2+ (IK).

Gallium-67 scanning for detection of alveolitis in idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis and sarcoidosis

OBJECTIVE

To investigate 67Gallium scanning for the detection of alveolitis in idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis and sarcoidosis.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

67Ga scintigraphy was performed in 14 patients with IPF (age: mean +/- s = 58.3 +/- 10.3 years), 13 patients with sarcoidosis (age: mean +/- s = 46.9 +/- 9.0 years) and 11 controls (age: mean +/- s = 44.0 +/- 10.5 years).

RESULTS

Lung/thigh ratio was respectively 3.18 +/- 0.07 in IPF, 3.12 +/- 0.94 in sarcoidosis and 2.11 +/- 0.26 in controls. IPF and sarcoidosis groups had a significantly higher lung/thigh ratio comparing with the control group (P < 0.05). Three patients received 67Ga scanning examination after corticosteroid therapy and the 67Ga uptake decreased.

CONCLUSIONS

The 67Ga scintigraphy is useful in monitoring the activity and extent of alveolitis.