Tolerance to the vascular effect of a novel nitric oxide-donating vasodilator, FK409

We investigated whether tolerance develops to the vasorelaxant effects of a new vasodilator, (+-)-(E)-4-ethyl-2-[(E)-hydroxy-imino]-5-nitro-3-hexenamide (FK409), in isolated canine coronary artery strips and to its hypotensive effect in rats, and whether FK409 activates soluble guanylate cyclase isolated from vascular tissues in the absence of L-cysteine. No tolerance to FK409 (0.46 nM to 0.46 microM or 1-1000 micrograms/kg, i.v.) or cross-tolerance between FK409 and glyceryl trinitrate was demonstrated in in vitro and in vivo experiments, whereas the tolerance to glyceryl trinitrate (0.44 nM to 4.4 microM or 1-1000 micrograms/kg, i.v.) was marked in both conditions. In addition, FK409 (0.1-10 microM) activated soluble guanylate cyclase without L-cysteine, but glyceryl trinitrate (1-100 microM) required the addition of L-cysteine (5 mM) for the activation of the enzyme. The results suggest that FK409 may be advantageous compared to tolerance-producing nitrates currently in clinical use, and that this property of FK409 is probably due to its independence of a sulfhydryl group donor.

Urinary kallikrein activity is increased during the first few weeks of exercise training in essential hypertension

OBJECTIVE

To determine whether the renal kallikrein-kinin and dopamine systems participate in lowering blood pressure during mild exercise in hypertensives.

DESIGN

After a general clinical observation period of 4 weeks, 27 essential hypertensives were divided into two groups. The exercise group underwent blood lactate threshold exercise, using a cycle ergometer for 60 min three times a week for 10 weeks. The non-exercise group was observed at the outpatient clinic. Blood pressure and humoral parameters were measured at weeks 0, 1, 2, 4 and 10 in both groups.

METHODS

Blood pressure was measured indirectly with an automatic blood pressure recorder. Twenty-four-hour urinary kallikrein activity (by kininogenase assay), total or free dopamine and total noradrenaline (by high-performance liquid chromatography) were also measured.

RESULTS

In the non-exercise group blood pressure and humoral parameters did not change. In the exercise group the change in resting blood pressure between weeks 0 and 10 was statistically significant. The change in 24-h urinary kallikrein activity of the exercise group was significantly greater than that of the non-exercise group between weeks 0 and 1 and weeks 0 and 2. Moreover, the change in systolic blood pressure (SBP) between weeks 0 and 2 was negatively correlated with the change in urinary kallikrein activity between weeks 0 and 2, the change in total dopamine between weeks 0 and 2 was negatively correlated with the change in diastolic blood pressure in the same period, and the change in SBP between weeks 0 and 10 was positively correlated with the change in total noradrenaline in the same period in the exercise group. Subjects with a relatively high baseline urinary kallikrein activity had a significantly greater change in SBP between weeks 0 and 10 than subjects with a relatively low baseline activity.

CONCLUSIONS

The renal kallikrein-kinin and dopamine systems may participate in lowering blood pressure during the first few weeks of exercise training. The subsequent reduction of sympathetic activity may be involved in maintaining the lowered blood pressure. Mild exercise is more effective in reducing blood pressure in hypertensives who have a relatively high basal renal kallikrein-kinin system activity.

Urate oxidase is imported into peroxisomes recognizing the C-terminal SKL motif of proteins

Rat liver urate oxidase synthesized from cDNA through coupled transcription and translation was incubated at 26 degrees C for 60 min with purified peroxisomes from rat liver. Urate oxidase was efficiently imported into the peroxisomes, as determined by resistance to externally added proteinase K. The amount of imported urate oxidase increased with time and the import was temperature dependent. A synthetic peptide composed of the C-terminal 10 amino acid residues of acyl-CoA oxidase (the C-terminal tripeptide is Ser-Lys-Leu) inhibited the import of urate oxidase, whereas other peptides, in which the C-terminal Ser-Lys-Leu (SKL) sequence was deleted or mutated, were not effective. Two mutant urate oxidase proteins in which the C-terminal Ser-Arg-Leu (SRL) sequence was deleted or mutated to Ser-Glu-Leu (SEL) were not imported into peroxisomes. With substitution of a lysine residue for arginine in the SRL tripeptide at the C-terminus the import activity was retained. These results show that urate oxidase is important into peroxisomes via a common pathway with acyl-CoA oxidase, and that the C-terminal SRL sequence functions as a peroxisomal-targeting signal.

Disturbed lipid metabolism in patients with subclinical hypothyroidism: effect of L-thyroxine therapy

To evaluate whether patients with subclinical hypothyroidism have a disturbance in lipid metabolism, and whether supplemental L-thyroxine (L-T4) therapy would improve their lipid parameters, we measured serum levels of thyroid hormones, TSH and lipid parameters in 34 patients with subclinical hypothyroidism before and 2 months after treatment with L-T4. Before treatment, patients with subclinical hypothyroidism had elevated serum low density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) concentrations compared with control subjects (P < 0.05). Overall, L-T4 therapy significantly decreased the serum level of TSH (P < 0.01), total cholesterol (TC; P < 0.02), high density lipoprotein cholesterol (P < 0.02), LDL-C (P < 0.05), and the ratio of apolipoprotein B to apolipoprotein A1 (P < 0.05). Lipid values in patients with basal serum TSH levels below 10 mU/l were not affected by L-T4 therapy, whereas serum levels of TC and LDL-C decreases significantly (P < 0.01) in patients with serum TSH levels above 10 mU/l. Thus, the L-T4 treatment appears to have a preventive effect on the disturbance of lipid metabolism in patients with subclinical hypothyroidism, especially in patients with serum TSH levels above 10 mU/l.

Cutaneous ultraviolet radiation inhibits herpes simplex virus-induced lymphoproliferation in latently infected subjects

Exposure of herpes simplex virus (HSV) latently infected subjects to ultraviolet irradiation (UVR) (1 minimum erythema dose, 90% body surface) caused a significant inhibition of HSV and phytohemagglutinin-induced lymphoproliferation. The inhibition was observed on Day 3 post-UVR and lasted at least 9 days. UVR-induced downregulation of HSV-specific lymphoproliferation was associated with increased levels of activated transforming growth factor beta. However, the relationship between UVR-induced immune downregulation and the development of recurrent HSV lesions was incomplete.

[A randomized clinical trial of adjuvant endocrine therapy after breast conserving surgery for early breast cancer. Cooperative Study Group for Breast Conserving Therapy]

To evaluate the clinical efficacy of adjuvant endocrine therapy after breast conserving surgery for early breast cancer, we have conducted a randomized controlled study since 1989. One hundred twelve-patients having a small breast tumor, less than 2 cm in diameter, and no palpable axillary lymph node, were the subjects of this study. All these patients underwent partial mastectomy with axillary lymph node dissection and were randomly divided into two groups according to the type of postoperative adjuvant endocrine therapy: Group I, tamoxifen (20 mg/day) for 2 years; Group II, no tamoxifen administration. The median follow-up period was 32.2 months. The incidence of local recurrence in the ipsilateral breast was 1.9% in Group I, which was lower than in Group II (6.8%). Three-year disease-free survival rates were also more favorable in Group I (94.2%) than in Group II (88.9%). This difference in prognosis was evident in patients with ER-positive tumors but not related to the menopausal status. These results suggest that adjuvant endocrine therapy with tamoxifen may be recommended for patients who underwent breast conserving surgery for early breast cancer, especially in those with ER-positive tumors.

Post-translational import of 3-ketoacyl-CoA thiolase into rat liver peroxisomes in vitro

Cell-free translation products of hepatic free polysomal RNA from a clofibrate-treated rat were incubated at 26 degrees C for 0-60 min with a post-heavy mitochondrial supernatant fraction from normal rat liver. Exogenously added proteinase K-resistant precursor and mature forms of peroxisomal 3-ketoacyl-CoA thiolase were recovered in a particulate fraction and increased with time. Both forms of thiolase cosedimented with peroxisomes, when the proteinase K-treated import reaction mixture was centrifuged in a sucrose density gradient. The in vitro import and processing of thiolase precursors, types A and B, was likewise reproduced with highly purified peroxisomes. These results strongly suggest that the precursor form of 3-ketoacyl-CoA thiolase is translocated into peroxisomes, apparently without tight coupling with proteolytic processing to the mature protein.

Taurine amplifies renal kallikrein and prevents salt-induced hypertension in Dahl rats

OBJECTIVE

To determine whether taurine reduces blood pressure by stimulating the renal kallikrein-kinin system.

METHODS

The effects of taurine on blood pressure, urinary kallikrein activity and renal kallikrein gene expression were investigated in Dahl salt-sensitive (Dahl-S) rats. The specificity of the action of taurine was verified by comparison with the action of beta-alanine, a carboxylic analogue of taurine. The effect of co-administration of the specific bradykinin B2 receptor antagonist Hoe 140 was also examined.

RESULTS

Administration of taurine (3% in drinking water) for 4 weeks retarded the development of salt (4% sodium chloride diet)-induced hypertension. Systolic blood pressure at the end of the experiment was significantly higher in control rats than in taurine-treated rats. Urinary sodium excretion was not decreased by the reduction in blood pressure. The heart weight:body weight ratio was significantly lower, and urinary volume and kallikrein excretion were significantly higher, in taurine-treated rats. Renal kallikrein gene expression at weeks 1 and 4 was higher in taurine-treated rats. Systolic blood pressure 3 and 4 weeks after the administration of beta-alanine was slightly, but not significantly, lower than that of untreated rats on a high-salt diet, and was accompanied by a significantly lower body weight. Urinary kallikrein excretion decreased with a high-salt diet regardless of beta-alanine administration. Continuous systemic administration of Hoe 140 did not cause any significant alteration in blood pressure in Dahl-S rats that received taurine with a high-salt diet. Taurine also showed a renoprotective effect, as judged by a reduction in proteinuria.

CONCLUSION

These results suggest that taurine is an effective antihypertensive agent for salt-induced hypertension. Although taurine activated renal kallikrein, further studies are required to confirm the participation of activated kallikrein in the antihypertensive, cardioprotective and renoprotective effects of taurine.

Verotoxin induces hemorrhagic lesions in rat small intestine. Temporal alteration of vasoactive substances

E. coli O157:H7 produces a cytotoxin active against Vero cells that has been termed verotoxin. In this study, we demonstrated that local intraarterial injection of verotoxin induced a decrease in blood flow and an increase in hemorrhagic lesions in rat small intestine. Significant increases in the area of hemorrhagic lesions were observed at 120 min after verotoxin injection. These lesions were produced by either verotoxin 1 or 2, but verotoxin 2 produced more extensive lesions. The temporal alteration of vasoactive substances in microcirculatory beds was determined after the administration of culture filtrate of E. coli O157:H7. Tissue-type plasminogen activator activity in regional plasma was significantly elevated as early as 30 min, suggesting that local fibrinolytic activation mediated by microvascular endothelium occurred. There was also early elevation of platelet-activating factor content in the ileal mucosa and its level remained significantly elevated thereafter. Intestinal blood flow, as determined by a laser Doppler flowmeter, started to decrease at about 45 min. The platelet-activating factor antagonist CV6209 was shown to attenuate the decrease in blood flow as well as the development of hemorrhagic lesions, demonstrating that platelet-activating factor is an important mediator for the microcirculatory damage. Accumulation of neutrophils demonstrated by myeloperoxidase activity in the intestinal mucosa and overproduction of oxygen-radicals from neutrophils of the mesenteric veins determined by the luminol-dependent chemiluminescence assay were observed at 60 min, corresponding with the decreased blood flow. Platelet-activating factor may be closely involved in the process of leukocyte accumulation and increased oxygen radical generation, because CV6209 also significantly attenuated these changes.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

In vivo visualization of lymphatic microvessels and lymphocyte migration through rat Peyer's patches

BACKGROUND/AIMS

In the small intestine, lymphocytes migrate through Peyer's patches. The distribution of lymphatic microvessels in rat Peyer's patches and lymphocyte traffic through them were studied.

METHODS

Vital dyes were injected via a micropipette into the Peyer's patches tissue to fill lymphatic microvessels and to stain lymphocytes in lymphatic microvessels.

RESULTS

Direct microscopic observation revealed a dense plexus of lymphatic microvessels in the perifollicular and interfollicular areas. Injection of the dyes into the germinal center failed to delineate lymphatic microvessels. The lymphatic microvessels in the perifollicular area were filled with lymphocytes. Most lymphocytes in the perifollicular lymphatics stayed in the lymphatic microvessels. Some lymphocytes became detached and drained into lymphatic microvessels in the interfollicular areas. Lymphocytes then moved toward the submucosal lymphatics beneath the villi around the Peyer's patches. The interfollicular lymphatics did not display contractile activity but had valves. Opening and closing of valves was synchronized with the respiration and the back and forth flow of lymphocytes.

CONCLUSIONS

There are numerous lymphocytes in a dense lymphatic network in the perifollicular and interfollicular areas of Peyer's patches. This well-developed lymphatic network has the potential capacity for storage of lymphocytes and modulation of lymphocyte migration.

A 28 kDa-protein with disintegrin-like structure (jararhagin-C) purified from Bothrops jararaca venom inhibits collagen- and ADP-induced platelet aggregation

A 28 kDa-protein with inhibitory activity on collagen- and ADP-induced platelet aggregation was purified from the venom of the snake Bothrops jararaca. Its complete amino acid sequence corresponded to the carboxyl-terminal region consisting of disintegrin-like and cysteine-rich domains of jararhagin, a high molecular weight hemorrhagic metalloprotease. Sequence homology of the protein to other disintegrins and disintegrin-like proteins from various snake venoms is also presented.

Rat CINC/gro: a novel mediator for locomotive and secretagogue activation of neutrophils in vivo

The effects of rat CINC/gro, a member of the interleukin-8 family, on the endothelium-neutrophil interaction and transendothelial macromolecular leakage were studied in rat mesenteric microcirculation. Thirty minutes after superfusion with 10 nM CINC/gro, the number of neutrophils adherent to the venular endothelium and those migrated across the venules were significantly increased with a concomitant elevation of luminol-dependent chemiluminescence at the site of adhesion. Transendothelial macromolecular leakage as assessed by the relative length of venular wall stained with monastral blue B was also increased at 30 min after the start of CINC/gro superfusion. Pretreatments with a CD18-directed monoclonal antibody, WT-3 (1 mg/kg), significantly attenuated the increase in number of adherent and migrated neutrophils, the increase in luminol-dependent chemiluminescence, and the venular macromolecular leakage after the application of CINC/gro. These data suggest that CINC/gro is a novel stimulator that evokes not only locomotive but also secretagogue activation of neutrophils via a CD18-dependent mechanism in vivo.

Interaction of NADPH-adrenoferredoxin reductase with NADP+ and adrenoferredoxin. Equilibrium and dynamic properties investigated by proton nuclear magnetic resonance

NADPH-adrenoferredoxin reductase, a flavoprotein from bovine adrenocortical mitochondria, has been investigated to elucidate the equilibrium and dynamic properties of the interaction with NADP+ and adrenoferredoxin (adrenodoxin) using proton NMR spectroscopy. The line width of the signals from NADP+ depends on the presence of the reductase. The off rate constant of NADP+ from the reductase is estimated to be about 15-20 s-1 on the basis of line width measurements. No appreciable difference in off rate is detected between adenine and nicotinamide moieties of NADP+. Transferred nuclear Overhauser effect experiments for NADP+ indicate the time-dependent magnetization transfer profiles with a long lag phase. The proton NMR spectra during the titration of the reductase with adrenodoxin reveal that the reductase possesses distinct binding sites for both NADP+ and adrenodoxin. The sharp resonances in the aromatic region due to His-10 and His-62 of adrenodoxin were utilized as a probe to explore the interaction with the reductase. IN the mixture of adrenodoxin and the reductase at the mol ratio of 6:1, T1 values of the histidine residue in adrenodoxin were measured by the inversion recovery method. At low ionic strength, T1 values of the resonances are not affected in the presence or absence of the reductase. In the presence of the reductase, T1 values of resonances resulting from the histidine residues become shorter as the concentration of KCl increases because of rapid exchange between bound and free states. At low ionic strength (10 mM phosphate buffer), the off rate from the reductase is estimated to be less than about 4 s-1. The off rate of adrenodoxin from the reductase could be the rate-limiting step in cytochrome c reductase activity at low ionic strength.

Alteration of mucosal immunity after long-term ingestion of an elemental diet in rats

The effects of an elemental diet on lymphocyte transport in intestinal lymph and immune responses of gut-associated lymphoid tissue were investigated in rats. The control animals were fed a conventional diet. After 4 week of feeding, the total calorie intake and body weight gain showed no differences between the two groups. The number and total area of Peyer's patches and the ratio of height of villi to height of crypt showed no significant differences between the two groups. The rate of lymph flow in intestinal lymphatics showed no significant change in treated animals compared with the control rats. However, an elemental diet induced a significant decrease in lymphocyte flux in intestinal lymphatics compared with that in control rats. Lymphocyte subsets in intestinal lymph revealed a significant decrease in CD3-positive cells, especially CD4-positive cells in the elemental diet-treated group. A significant decrease in the number of immunoglobulin A-containing cells and a decreased CD4/CD8 ratio in T-cell subsets were observed in the lamina propria of ileal mucosa in the elemental diet-treated group by morphometric analysis in the immunohistochemical study. Specific antibody-secreting cells in intestinal lymph were also investigated after rats were intraduodenally primed with cholera toxin and challenged with the same toxin after an interval of 2 weeks. No significant difference was seen between the two groups in any of the numbers of anti-cholera toxin immunoglobulin-secreting cells in any immunoglobulin A, immunoglobulin G, or immunoglobulin M class as determined by the enzyme-linked immunospot assay.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Gastric mucosal injury: microcirculation and Helicobacter pylori

The integrity of gastric mucosa is well-balanced by an array of defensive mechanisms which protect the mucosa against external aggressive factors. When excessive stimulation of autonomic nervous system (irritation) is induced, microcirculatory disturbances easily lead to the gastric mucosal damage due to the formation of vasoactive mediators and oxygen radicals. In this review, our discussion has been focused on the co-ordinating function of the autonomic nervous system as well as the microcirculation as an important defense bastion. In this context, Helicobacter pylori represents an important pathogenic factor. In particular, we have discussed the contribution of monochloramine, and active oxidant, which is formed by neutrophils in the presence of ammonia derived from H. pylori to the gastric mucosal injury. Microcirculatory disturbances may be also involved in the pathogenesis of H. pylori-induced mucosal injury. On the basis of these considerations, we should not depend solely on the use of anti-acid secretory drugs for the treatment of gastric mucosal injury, but also should be aware of beneficial effect of mucosal protective drugs which may act on microcirculation and the autonomic nervous system.

Characterization of the signal peptide at the amino terminus of the rat peroxisomal 3-ketoacyl-CoA thiolase precursor

The amino-terminal presequences of rat peroxisomal 3-ketoacyl-CoA thiolase precursors (types A and B) were reported to be cleavable signal peptides for peroxisomal protein translocation. In the present study, this was proven by immunoelectron microscopy of the cultured Chinese hamster ovary cells stably expressing fusion proteins of the amino-terminal sequences of the thiolase precursor and Escherichia coli dihydrofolate reductase. The fusion proteins were processed into mature forms of the apparently correct sizes. Site-directed mutagenesis studies of the charged residues in the B-type presequence (26 amino acid residues) revealed that arginine at position -24 and histidine at position -17 were both indispensable. Even replacement of these residues with other basic amino acids abolished the import activity. Both Arg-24 and His-17 were also required in a longer presequence (36 amino acid residues) of the thiolase A, thereby suggesting that the signal can function in an internal position. When glutamic acid at position -11 was changed to amino acids other than aspartic acid, the signal peptide became apparently effective in both peroxisomal and mitochondrial targeting. All of these data indicate that the thiolase signal peptide is a newly defined type of peroxisomal targeting signal recognized by a mechanism presumably different from that for a known peroxisomal signal, the carboxy-terminal Ser-Lys-Leu-COOH motif.

In vivo effect of chronic administration of vasoactive intestinal peptide on gut-associated lymphoid tissues in rats

The in vivo effects of chronic administration of vasoactive intestinal peptides (VIP) on the lymphoid cell traffic and the population and function of cells in intestinal lymph and gut-associated lymphoid tissues were examined in rats. VIP was continuously infused from the superior mesenteric artery in rats at a dose of 10 ng/min/kg body weight for 96 h. Lymphocyte transport through intestinal lymph was significantly reduced by VIP without any changes in lymph flow. When lymphocyte subpopulation was examined in intestinal lymph, T cell subsets were decreased with a dominant reduction in the population of helper T cells. T cell subsets were also decreased in mesenteric lymph nodes, but in this case suppressor/cytotoxic T cell subsets were mainly reduced. Despite of the decrease in lymphocyte transport through intestinal lymph and changes of lymphocyte subpopulation, proliferative response of lymphocytes from intestinal lymph and mesenteric lymph nodes to phytohemagglutinin did not show any significant alteration after administration of VIP. By histochemical study on the lamina propria of the small intestine, the population of pan T cells, especially helper T cells, was demonstrated to be significantly decreased after VIP treatment. There was also a marked decrease in the number of immunoglobulin (Ig) A-containing cells in the lamina propria of the small intestine in VIP-treated rats, while no significant changes were seen in the number of IgG and IgM-containing cells. Our present results showed the possibility that a long-term alteration of serum VIP levels could affect the dynamics of immune effector cells and IgA production in gut-associated lymphoid tissues.

Purification and characterization of bothrombin, a fibrinogen-clotting serine protease from the venom of Bothrops jararaca

A fibrinogen-clotting enzyme (bothrombin) was purified from the venom of Bothrops jararaca. Bothrombin showed M(r) values of 33,000 under nonreducing and 35,000 under reducing conditions on SDS polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and specific fibrinogen-clotting activity equivalent to 814-904 NIH alpha-thrombin units/mg. Diisopropyl fluorophosphate totally abolished its activity, but hirudin, a specific alpha-thrombin inhibitor, had negligible effect on bothrombin activity. Unlike alpha-thrombin, bothrombin split off fibrinopeptide A without releasing fibrinopeptide B. Bothrombin activated blood coagulation factor VIII, but its activity was about 950 times less than that of alpha-thrombin. Bothrombin did not induce aggregation or serotonin release of washed normal platelets by itself, but did aggregate platelets in the presence of exogenous fibrinogen. This latter activity was completely inhibited by either anti-glycoprotein (GP) IIb/IIIa monoclonal antibody (which blocks fibrinogen binding to GP IIb/IIIa) or anti-GP Ib monoclonal antibody (which specifically inhibits alpha-thrombin binding to GP Ib). Prostaglandin E1 (1 microM) and EDTA (10 mM) also abolished platelet aggregation without affecting clotting activity. Washed platelets from a patient with Bernard-Soulier syndrome did not respond to bothrombin even in the presence of exogenous fibrinogen, suggesting that the initial binding of bothrombin on platelets is GP Ib, but not a recently cloned thrombin receptor. The complete amino acid sequence of bothrombin was determined by analysis of (S)-pyridylethylated protein and peptides generated by digestion with cyanogen bromide and Achromobacter protease I, respectively. Bothrombin is composed of 232 amino acid residues and contains three Asn-linked oligosaccharide chains.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

[Recent advances in imaging diagnosis of pancreatic neoplasma with special reference to early diagnosis of the cancer]

Recent advance in various diagnostic imagings has enabled the early diagnosis of pancreatic tumors. In pancreatic cancer, the tumor-demonstrability by US, CT, and MRI has reached 80% in the recent 6 years, which is superior to the rate in the past decade from 1978 and 1987. However, the prognosis of pancreatic cancer is still poor even if the cancer can be resected. To improve the outcome of surgical intervention, early detection of small cancers (< or = 2 cm in diameter) and appropriate intervention based on preoperative diagnosis of the tumor extension are proposed. The tumor detectability of small pancreatic cancer by US, CT, MRI was 67%, 25%, 20%, respectively, and thus US was the most valuable tool. In the prediction of tumor extension of serosal invasion (S factor), retroperitoneal invasion (Rp factor) and vessel invasion (PV factor), both US and CT were efficacious with an accuracy of more than 70%. In conclusion, recently-advanced imaging seems to be useful for detecting a small pancreatic cancer and evaluating the tumor extension, but it remains difficult to diagnose a carcinoma in situ; a truly early cancer.

Gypsetin, a new inhibitor of acyl-CoA: cholesterol acyltransferase produced by Nannizzia gypsea var. incurvata IFO 9228. II. Structure determination

The elucidation of the structure of gypsetin, a new inhibitor of acyl-CoA: cholesterol acyltransferase, is described in this paper. By spectroscopic and X-ray crystallographic analyses, the structure of gypsetin has been determined to be 8a,16a-dihydroxy-5a,13a-bis[1,1-dimethylallyl]-[1]benzazolidine [3''' 2''':4'',5'']azolidino[1'',2'':4',5'][1,4]perhydrodiazin[1', 2':1, 5]azolidino[2,3-b]-[1]benzazolidine-7,15-dione.

Evidence of direct interaction between Kupffer cells and colon cancer cells: an ultrastructural study of the co-culture

A co-culture study of purified rat Kupffer cells and human colon cancer cells was performed, and the process of the tumor cell injury was observed under an inverted type fluorescence microscope loaded with propidium iodide, and also under an electron microscope. Ultrastructurally there was direct membrane-to-membrane interaction between Kupffer cells and colon cancer cells in time. The interaction occurred 1 h after start of the co-culture, and injured tumor cells were observed closely attached to pseudopodia of Kupffer cells at 6 h. The number of propidium iodide-positive tumor cells with damage increased in time. Pretreatment with NG-monomethyl-L-arginine reduced the number of injured tumor cells without preventing morphological interactions, but superoxide dismutase did not prevent the tumoricidal effect. Pretreatment with trypsin completely inhibited cell interaction and damage to tumor cells. In conclusion, the morphological interaction of Kupffer cells as a first step and the involvement of nitric oxide-derived free radicals as a second step seem to play a significant role in the host-defense mechanism.