1291 cases of cholelithiasis treated with electric shock on otoacupoints

Since 1985, the authors began to use electric shock on otoacupoints of varying electric resistance for the treatment of cholelithiasis. The instrument used was the Channel Therapeutic Instrument made in China, and the otoacupoints of varying electric resistance were Sympathetic, Pancreas--Gall Bladder, Stomach, Liver, Sanjiao, Endocrine, and Ermigen. In the 1291 cases treated, the total effective rate was 99.69%, the rate of calculus excretion was 91.32%, and the rate of total excretion was 19.51%. The composition of the calculi was cholesterol crystals (31.25%), bilirubin crystals (28.17%), and mixed crystals (40.58%). The largest calculus excreted was an extrahepatic biliary duct calculus of 1.75 cm X 1.5 cm; the largest number of calculi excreted was 152 cholecystic stones 0.3 cm X 0.5 cm in size. In 100 random cases, the biliary system was shown to manifest vigorous dilations and constrictions under Ultrasonic B-scan when the relevant otoacupoints were stimulated with electric shock. Among the 78 control cases, no cholecystic stones were excreted, inspite of the Magnesium Sulfate, Folium Cassiae and fatty meals administered to many cases with constipation.

[Expression of blood group antigens(BGA) in esophageal carcinoma and its prognostic significance]

Five monoclonal antibodies directed against BGA of ABH and Lewis systems and sensitive immunohistochemical SABC method were used to study the expression of these antigens and analyze its significance in prognosis. The results showed: 1. The normal esophageal mucosa in most cases expressed positive BGA; 2. BGA were deleted or lost in most esophageal carcinomas, and the incompatibility of antigens and precursor accumulation were also found. 3. Expression of three or more BGA simultaneously in the same specimen might indicate better prognosis than those which expressed less than two BGA. Incompatibility of antigens also had prognostic significance.

Trigonal crystals of porin from Escherichia coli

Trigonal crystals of the integral membrane protein porin from Escherichia coli have been grown and characterized. They belong to space group P321 with unit cell constants a = b = LL8.4, c = 52.7 A, alpha = beta = 90 degrees, gamma = 120 degrees. The crystals grow as well-defined hexagonal prisms to a size of 0.25 mm in all dimensions, and diffract to 2.7 A. The molecular symmetry coincides with 3-fold crystallographic symmetry, giving two trimers per unit cell (1 monomer/asymmetric unit). This corresponds to VM = 2.9 A3/Da. Native X-ray data to 3.0 A resolution have been collected on a FAST area detector and a search for heavy atom derivatives is underway.

[A preliminary survey on the growing tempo of Chinemys reevesii (Gray)]

The growing tempo of tortoises is closely related with the temperature and intake of food. In suitable temperature range (20-28 degrees C), the intake increases with the rise of temperature and the growth accordingly accelerates. In the dormant period, the tortoise consumes more energy as ambient temperature rises.

Glibenclamide relaxes vascular smooth muscle constriction produced by prostaglandin F2 alpha

The present study has demonstrated: (1) glibenclamide can reduce resting tension in canine cerebral arteries but has no effect on resting tension in the rat aorta; (2) glibenclamide can relax prostaglandin F2 alpha-induced contractions in the rat aorta, and in canine femoral, mesenteric, renal, coronary, basilar and middle cerebral arteries; (3) the relaxation produced by glibenclamide in rat aorta is comparable to that of glyceryl trinitrate and stronger than that of papaverine; (4) canine femoral arteries are less sensitive to glibenclamide than the other arteries; (5) in cerebral arteries glibenclamide was as effective as papaverine, but less effective than glyceryl trinitrate; (6) the actions of glibenclamide on cerebral arteries are not mediated by cGMP as they were not blocked by methylene blue, an inhibitor of guanylate cyclase; (7) the effects of glibenclamide are not endothelium-dependent. The mechanism by which glibenclamide produces relaxation is not clear; while the drug is known to block ATP-dependent potassium channels, in vascular smooth muscle this would cause contraction, not dilation. The action of glibenclamide may be at the level of the receptor or the signal transduction process.

[Leu27] insulin-like growth factor II is highly selective for the type-II IGF receptor in binding, cross-linking and thymidine incorporation experiments

Insulin-like growth factor-II (IGF-II) is able to interact with three different receptors: the type-I and type-II IGF receptors, and the insulin receptor, although with a lower affinity. This cross reactivity obscures the mechanisms via which the biological activities of IGF-II are mediated. We have synthesized an IGF-II analog, [Leu27]IGF-II, that is highly selective for the type-II IGF receptor. Receptor binding experiments demonstrate a high affinity for the type-II IGF receptor, analogous to synthetic (syn) and recombinant (rec) IGF-II, but no affinity for the type-I IGF and the insulin receptor at concentrations up to 50 and 200 ng/ml, respectively. The lack of affinity for these two receptors is confirmed by biological studies which demonstrated that this analog, in contrast with synIGF-II, did not stimulate [3H]thymidine incorporation in Balb/c 3T3 cells. [Leu27]IGF-II opens new ways to identify which actions of IGF-II are mediated via the type-II receptor and which are due to cross reactivity with the type-I IGF or the insulin receptor.

A quantum biological approach to the relations of DNA methylation with gene transcription and mutation

DNA methylation may play a key role in some biological processes, as in DNA replication, transcription and recombination, gene expression, cell differentiation, and development. However, the experimental facts were elusive up to now. Using results calculated from quantum mechanics (at the electron level) we have solved some problems which existed concerning the relationship of DNA methylation and gene transcription and mutation. We think that the methylation of cytosine in eukaryotes does not lead directly to gene mutation, on the contrary, it can inhibit transcription.

Hydrogen peroxide production in ischaemic retina: influence of hyperglycaemia and postischaemic oxygen tension

Free radicals have recently been proposed to play a role in the development of diabetic retinopathy. Ischaemia and hyperglycaemia followed by recirculation have been suggested to initiate free radical production in other tissues and the aim of the present study was to examine whether this could also be the case in the retina. The present study showed retinal cell damage, as measured by pycnotic cells, to be more pronounced when ischaemia was combined with hyperglycaemia than when combined with normoglycaemia. As an indication of free radical production, catalase activity was measured, reflecting the production of hydrogen peroxide (H2O2). Small amounts of H2O2 were found to be generated in the normal retina, but did not increase during ischaemia and hyperglycaemia followed by recirculation. It thus seems, as if hyperglycaemia aggravates the harmful effects of ischaemia, but with the methods used, there does not seem to be any increase in free radical production (as measured by H2O2 production) in normal rat retina during ischaemic and hyperglycaemic conditions.

Free radical production and ischemic brain damage: influence of postischemic oxygen tension

It is now becoming increasingly clear that free radicals contribute to brain damage in several conditions, such as hyperoxia and trauma. It has been more difficult to prove that free radical production mediates ischemic brain damage, but it has often been suggested that it may be a major contributor to reperfusion damage, observed following transient ischemia. Recent results demonstrate that cerebral ischemia of long duration, particularly when followed by reperfusion, leads to enhanced production of partially reduced oxygen species, notably hydrogen peroxide (H2O2). It has also been suggested that postischemic hyperoxia, e.g. an increased oxygen tension during the recirculation period, adversely affects recovery following transient ischemia. Other data support the notion that brain damage caused by permanent ischemia (stroke) is significantly influenced by production of free radicals. The present study, however, fails to show that recirculation following brief periods of ischemia (15 min) leads to an enhanced H2O2 production, and that hyperoxia aggravates the ischemic damage. This study was undertaken to reveal whether variations in oxygen supply in the postischemic period following forebrain ischemia in rats affect free radical production and the brain damage incurred. To that end, rats ventilated on N2O/O2 (70:30) were subjected to 15 min of transient ischemia. Normoxic animals were ventilated with the N2O/O2 mixture, hyperoxic animals with 100% O2, and hypoxic ones with about 10% O2 (balance either N2O/N2 or N2) during the recirculation. At the end of this period, the animals were decapitated for assessment of H2O2 production with the aminotriazole/catalase method. This method is based on the notion that aminotriazole interacts with H2O2 to inactivate catalase; thus, the rate of inactivation of catalase in aminotriazole treated animals reflects H2O2 production. In a parallel series, animals ventilated with one of the three gas mixtures in the early recirculation period, respectively, were allowed to recover for 7 days, with subsequent perfusion-fixation of brain tissues and light microscopical evaluation of the brain damage. Animals given aminotriazole, whether rendered ischemic or not, showed a reduced tissue catalase activity, reflecting H2O2 production in the brain. Hyperoxic animals failed to show increased tissue H2O2 production, while hypoxic ones showed a tendency towards decreased production. However, all three groups (hypo, normo- and hyperoxic) had similar density and distribution of neuronal damage. These results suggest that although postischemic oxygen tensions may determine the rates of H2O2 production, variations in oxygen tensions do not influence the final brain damage incurred.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)

Ras p21 expression in relation to histopathological variables and prognosis in colorectal adenocarcinoma

Ras gene protein products (p21) reacting with the monoclonal antibodies ras 11, DWP, R256 and E184 were studied with an immunohistochemical method which was applied to 17 normal and 79 colorectal adenocarcinoma specimens. Normal colorectal epithelium showed positive staining for ras 11 in 35% of the cases, but not for DWP, R256 and E184. The antibodies showed positive staining in colorectal adenocarcinomas in 76, 53, 29 and 35% of the cases respectively. The degree of staining for ras 11 was significantly related to the grade of differentiation and increased from Dukes stage A to C. Strong staining for ras 11 predicted a significantly shorter recurrence-free interval (p less than 0.001). In Cox's regression analysis, the degree of staining for ras 11 was a prognostic factor independent of the grade of differentiation and Dukes stage (p less than 0.01). The results indicate that the enhanced expression of pan ras p21 may provide an important biological marker for determining prognosis in colorectal adenocarcinomas.

Anticonvulsant actions and interaction of GABA agonists and a benzodiazepine in pars reticulata of substantia nigra

In a previous study, infusion of flurazepam and midazolam, but not GABA or muscimol into the pars reticulata of substantia nigra (SNpr), blocked the tonus induced by a high dose of pentylenetetrazol (PTZ). It was hypothesized that the divergence of GABAA agonist and benzodiazepine (BZ) actions might be due to a complex action of the GABAA agonists in SNpr that is not shared by the BZs, and which is specific for certain experimental seizures. This was tested in the present study in which GABA, muscimol, midazolam, and combinations of midazolam with GABA and with muscimol were tested against seizures induced by PTZ (40 or 100 mg/kg, i.p.), bicuculline (0.5 mg/kg, i.v.) and maximal electroshock (MES). Intranigral midazolam was effective against PTZ, bicuculline and MES seizures. Intranigral GABA or muscimol, infused together with midazolam, prevented midazolam from blocking tonus induced by the high dose of PTZ. For bicuculline seizures, midazolam alone had a better overall anticonvulsant effect than did the combination of midazolam plus muscimol. Intranigral muscimol, midazolam and a combination of two were equally effective against the low dose PTZ (40 mg/kg, i.p.) and MES seizures. Since the effect of intranigral drugs was model-specific, it was suggested that different populations of nigral output neurons were involved in regulating the generalization of these seizures.

Increases in phosphatidic acid levels accompany sphingosine-stimulated proliferation of quiescent Swiss 3T3 cells

Sphingosine, a breakdown product of cellular sphingolipids, has recently been shown to stimulate DNA synthesis and act synergistically with known growth factors to induce proliferation of quiescent Swiss 3T3 fibroblasts (Hong, Z., Buckley, N. E., Gibson, K., and Spiegel, S. (1990) J. Biol. Chem. 265, 76-81). The present study demonstrates that mitogenic concentrations of sphingosine induce early increases in cytosolic phosphatidic acid, which is a potent mitogen for Swiss 3T3 cells. Structurally related analogs of sphingosine, such as N-stearoylsphingosine and other long chain aliphatic amines, did not mimic the mitogenic effect of sphingosine and did not elevate phosphatidic acid levels. Sphingosine not only stimulated [3H]thymidine incorporation with similar efficiency and kinetics as phosphatidic acid, it also induced similar morphological alterations. Both sphingosine and phosphatidic acid acted synergistically with a variety of growth factors, such as, insulin, epidermal growth factor, fibroblast growth factor, and 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol 13-acetate. In sharp contrast, sphingosine and phosphatidic acid did not have additive or synergistic effects in either the presence or absence of other growth factors. Both sphingosine and phosphatidic acid stimulated DNA synthesis in cells made protein kinase C-deficient by prolonged treatment with phorbol ester and sphingosine still stimulated similar increases in phosphtidic acid in these cells. Furthermore, similar to the actions of phosphatidic acid on signal transduction in Swiss 3T3 cells, mitogenic concentrations of sphingosine also inhibit cAMP accumulation and trigger the hydrolysis of polyphosphoinositides. Our findings indicate that sphingosine and phosphatidic acid control cellular responses in Swiss 3T3 cells through a common pathway. In view of the prominent role of phosphatidic acid in signal transduction and cellular proliferation, our observations that sphingosine, at mitogenic concentrations, increases the level of phosphatidic acid and also mimics the effects of phosphatidic acid on signal transduction, have important implications for the mechanism of action of sphingosine.

[Investigation report on the resources of Chinemys reevesii (Gray)]

Our on-the-spot investigation has indicated that the tortoise population as natural resources has been on the decrease ever since the sixties. The reason for the decrease lies in some natural factors as well as the indiscriminate catching and killing by man. As a result, the female tortoises remarkably over whelm the male ones in number, which leads to a drop in the natural rate of breeding.

[Physico-chemical analysis of Ostreas gigas Thumberg from Xinghua]

This paper presents a comparative physico-chemical analysis of the ancient Ostrea gigas with the medical Ostrea gigas concha, and shows that the protein and amino acid contents in the former are obviously lower than those in the latter, but for the contents of trace elements Mn, Fe, Ni and Pb (with the exception of As), the former appears higher than the latter.

A protein factor from Xenopus oocytes with simian virus 40 large tumor antigen-like DNA supercoiling activity

The ATP-dependent movement of simian virus 40 large tumor antigen on DNA can cause positive supercoiling of template DNA in the presence of bacterial DNA topoisomerase I, which specifically relaxes negative supercoils. With such a supercoiling assay, an activity capable of ATP-dependent, positive supercoiling of DNA in the presence of bacterial DNA topoisomerase I was found in 7S particles prepared from Xenopus laevis oocytes but not in purified transcription factor IIIA. The positive supercoils accumulated during the reaction are strained, as evidenced by their sensitivity to eukaryotic DNA topoisomerase I. Purification of this activity led to the identification of a DNA-dependent ATPase. Molar excess of transcription factor IIIA or spermidine was found to strongly stimulate the supercoiling reaction of the purified ATPase. These results suggest that this DNA-dependent ATPase can interact with and translocate along closed-circular duplex DNA, producing local alterations in the supercoiled state of the DNA template in a manner analogous to that of simian virus 40 large tumor antigen.

[Detection of serum anti-salivary duct antibody and its clinical significance]

The authors developed an indirect immunofluorescence technique for the detection of Anti-salivary duct antibody (ASDA) and screened 34 patients with rheumatoid arthritis, 15 patients with Sjögren's syndrome-rheumatoid arthritis and 15 patients with primary Sjögren's syndrome, 63 cases with other connective tissue diseases, 9 cases with other diseases and 40 normal controls. The incidence of ASDA in patients with Sjögren's syndrome rheumatoid arthritis (66.67%) or rheumatoid arthritis (32.35%) was significantly higher than that in normal controls (P less than 0.001). In patients with primary Sjögren's syndrome and other CTDs, non-CTDs, no ASDA was found. However, in patients with Sjögren's syndrome-rheumatoid arthritis or rheumatoid arthritis alone, ASDA was not correlated with age, sex, disease duration or serological findings. The result suggests that the detection of serum ASDA might be useful in the differentiation of Sjögren's syndrome with rheumatoid arthritis from primary Sjögren's syndrome with arthralgia and/or arthritis.