Metallothionein mRNA in the testis and prostate of the rat detected by digoxigenin-labeled riboprobe

Metallothionein (MT), a cysteine-rich heavy metal-binding protein, has been considered to play a role in the homeostatic control and detoxification of heavy metals, such as zinc, copper, and cadmium. In the present study, we have utilized a digoxigenin-labeled riboprobe to localize MT mRNA only by bright-field optics in the testis and prostate of the rat. In the rat testis, MT mRNA was found predominantly in primary spermatocytes and also in secondary spermatocytes and spermatids, but not in the spermatogonia, Sertoli cells, and Leydig cells. On the other hand, MT protein was present in these spermatogenic cells as well as in spermatozoa and Sertoli cells. In the prostate, MT mRNA was found predominantly in the epithelium of the dorsolateral lobes, but not in the ventral lobe, which is in agreement with the observed localization of MT protein. The utilization of both in situ hybridization and immunohistochemical staining on the same tissue specimens show MT gene expression in specific cell types in the male genital organs.

Possible role of metallothionein in the cellular defense mechanism against UVB irradiation in neonatal human skin fibroblasts

The role of metallothionein (MT) in protecting skin cells against UVB irradiation was investigated. Fibroblast strains from normal adult (HS-K) and neonatal (NB1RGB) human skins as well as keratinocyte strains from human skin (SV40-HSK) and newborn Balb/c mouse skin (Pam 212) were exposed to UVB irradiation. The sensitivity of HS-K and NB1RGB cells to UVB irradiation was similar; those of SV40-HSK and Pam 212 cells were two- and six-fold as sensitive to UVB irradiation as HS-K cells, respectively. The HS-K cells contained the greatest cellular reduced form of glutathione (GSH) levels compared to the three other skin cells: the levels were 13-, 7- and 6-fold of those in NB1RGB, SV40-HSK and Pam 212 cells, respectively. These results indicated that the sensitivity of skin cells to UVB irradiation was not always associated with their endogenous GSH levels. In particular, despite the fact that NB1RGB cells contained a relatively small amount of GSH, they were less sensitive to UVB irradiation. NB1RGB cells contained 4-30 times more MT than those in other skin cells examined. The sulfhydryl residues of MT molecules in the NB1RGB cells were estimated to be mostly unoccupied by metals, suggesting they act in a similar way to those of GSH. Moreover, NB1RGB cells in which the MT content was elevated by dexamethasone (1 microM) or Zn2+ (7 micrograms/mL) treatment were more resistant to UVB irradiation than nontreated ones. These results suggest that, at least in neonatal human skin fibroblasts, MT may play a role in protection against UVB irradiation.

Activation peptide of human factor IX has oligosaccharides O-glycosidically linked to threonine residues at 159 and 169

O-Linked oligosaccharide chains were identified in the activation peptide (AP) of human blood coagulation factor IX. The peptide obtained from human factor IX was separated into three molecular species (AP alpha, AP beta, and AP gamma) by reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography. Amino acid analysis showed that AP alpha, but not AP beta and AP gamma, contained galactosamine in addition to glucosamine, thereby suggesting the presence of an O-linked sugar chain(s) in the molecule of AP alpha. A nonapeptide (AP alpha-D4, residues 157-165) and an undecapeptide (AP alpha-D5, 166-176) derived from AP alpha contained Thr-159 and Thr-169, neither of which could be identified using a gas-phase protein sequencer. All other serine and threonine residues present in AP alpha were identified by peptide sequencing. Component sugar and sialic acid analyses of AP alpha-D4 and AP alpha-D5 revealed that they contained 1 mol each of N-acetyl-D-galactosamine (GalNAc), D-galactose (Gal), and sialic acid. Fast atom bombardment tandem mass spectrometric analysis of AP alpha-D4 suggested the existence of Gal-GalNAc-Thr, NeuNAc-(Gal-)GalNAc-Thr, and NeuNAc-Gal-GalNAc-Thr structures. On the basis of amino acid analysis after the isolation of AP alpha, it accounted for approximately 35% of the total activation peptide obtained. From these results, it was concluded that a part of the activation peptide of human factor IX in circulating blood has tri- and tetrasaccharides O-glycosidically linked to the threonine residues at 159 and 169.

A unique murine CD43 epitope Lp-3: distinct distribution from another CD43 epitope S7

In foregoing studies, we found a unique B cell differentiation antigen Lp-3 which is expressed on pre-B and premature B cells in the bone marrow, but is negative on bone marrow mature B cells and peripheral resting B cells. Nonetheless, Lp-3 was clearly positive on the majority of CD5 B(B1) cells. When we examined the biochemical nature and partial amino acid sequences of purified 132-kDa Lp-3 molecules and the nucleotide sequence of the cDNA clones, we found that Lp-3 is an epitope of CD43. Thus, the monoclonal antibody (mAb) Lp-3 may be the first mAb to murine CD43 defined by primary target structure analysis. Comparison of tissue distribution of Lp-3 and S7, an epitope previously suggested to associate with murine CD43, showed that they were similarly distributed on thymocytes, peripheral B and T cells, granulocytes, and platelets. In the bone marrow, while both Lp-3 and S7 were negative on mature B cells, the former was positive on all B lineage cells at an early ontogeny and the latter was positive only on the minor population of pre-B cells and pro-B cells. Lp-3 and S7 epitopes also showed different distributions on basement membranes of renal glomerulus, bronchus, and endometrium, lining cells of choroid plexus and muscular cells of arterioles in a variety of tissues. As CD43 has various isoforms generated by different degrees of glycosylation of the common core peptide, it is likely that Lp-3 and S7 are associated with different CD43 isoforms.

[Angiomyolipoma of the anterior mediastinum--a case report]

An asymptomatic 22-year-old female showed an enlarged mediastinal shadow in a chest X-ray mass screening. Computed tomogram indicated a tumor with a CT-number of 7-8 in her left anterior mediastinum, adjacent to the pericardium. With MRI the tumor showed a low signal intensity of T1 weighted images and a high signal intensity of T2 weighted images. Thoracotomy revealed that the tumor was yellow-whitish, and had a size of 7 x 7 x 1 cm. It was histologically composed of fatty tissue, smooth muscle, and vascular tissue, and was diagnosed as angiomyolipoma. Although angiomyolipomas are often found in the kidney, they are very rare in the mediastinum and difficult to diagnose by image analysis.

The ability of influenza C virus to generate cord-like structures is influenced by the gene coding for M protein

We observed previously that cord-like structures which had lengths up to 500 microns or greater were protruding from the surface of HMV-II cells infected with influenza C/Yamagata/1/88 virus (Nishimura et al., 1990, Virology 179, 179-188). Comparison of the cord-forming ability among a number of influenza C isolates revealed that the C/Taylor/1233/47 strain was unique in lacking the ability. It was also found that the major structural proteins, hemagglutinin-esterase (HE), nucleoprotein (NP), and matrix (M), could each be distinguished between C/Yamagata/1/88 and C/Taylor/1233/47 viruses by SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. To determine the genes involved in the cord formation, a series of reassortant viruses were prepared between C/Yamagata/1/88 and C/Taylor/1233/47, and parental derivation of genes coding for HE, NP, and M was determined by gel electrophoresis. All reassortants which derived M gene from C/Yamagata/1/88, irrespective of derivation of genes coding for HE and NP, had the ability to generate cords, whereas none of reassortants which derived M gene from C/Taylor/1233/47 were capable of producing cords. With respect to several representative reassortants, the origins of genes encoding the polymerase proteins (PB2, PB1, P3) and the nonstructural proteins (NS1, NS2) were determined by T1-oligonucleotide fingerprinting of the isolated RNA segments. The results suggested that none of genes coding for these proteins are exclusively associated with the cord formation. Thus, it is likely that the M gene is the key determinant of the cord-forming ability of influenza C viruses. Nucleotide sequence analysis of the M genes revealed that compared to C/Yamagata/1/88, C/Taylor/1233/47 had two amino acid substitutions in the M molecule at positions 24 (Ala-->Thr) and 133 (Asp-->Asn).

Serial transcranial Doppler flow velocity and cerebral blood flow measurements for evaluation of cerebral vasospasm after subarachnoid hemorrhage

Serial transcranial Doppler (TCD) and cerebral blood flow (CBF) examinations were performed in 73 patients with subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) due to ruptured intracranial aneurysm to evaluate cerebral vasospasm. Twenty-six (35.6%) of the 73 patients developed ischemic neurological symptoms associated with cerebral vasospasm, which were reversible in all except four patients (5.5%) who demonstrated low-density areas associated with vasospasm on computed tomographic scans. In general, the flow velocities in the middle cerebral arteries began to increase soon after onset of SAH, reaching the maximum between days 8 and 10, subsequently decreasing gradually. There was no significant difference in the highest value and the time course of flow velocities between symptomatic vasospasm and asymptomatic vasospasm patients. Patients with symptomatic vasospasm demonstrated two typical time courses of flow velocities: rapid increases in flow velocities that preceded the clinical manifestations of vasospasm (16 patients, 61.5%), and no rapid increases in flow velocities despite the presence of ischemic symptoms (10 patients, 38.5%). In the latter, angiograms demonstrated vasospasm in segments distal to those evaluated by TCD examination. These results showed that the degree of cerebral vasospasm cannot be assessed only by the absolute flow velocities. CBF was measured two to 10 (mean 4.7) times within 3 weeks of SAH using the 133Xe intravenous injection method. The CBF value remained stable even during the period of major risk of vasospasm. However, the CBF was significantly lower in patients with symptomatic vasospasm on days 8, 9, 10, 13, 14, and 15, when compared with patients without symptomatic vasospasm.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

[A case of coccidioidomycosis that was extirpated under thoracoscopy]

We report a case of coccidioidosis, which occurred in a 49-year-old Japanese man. He came back to Japan in 1994 after living in California in the U.S. for 2 years, and showed a round shadow in the left lower lung field on chest X-ray. A tumor was 1.4 cm in diameter and located in the left S8 showed by chest CT and the bronchography. It was extirpated under thoracoscopy. Histology of the tumor revealed chronic inflammation of the lung tissue, that contained a spherule of a diameter of 20-60 microns and endospores of a length of 2-6 microns. These structures were identified morphologically as coccidioides immitis. Only 3 cases of benign residual coccidioidal lesions have been reported in Japan including this case.

[Clinical significance of galactosyltransferase associated with tumor (GAT), a new tumor marker for ovarian cancer--with special reference to the discrimination between ovarian cancer and endometriosis]

We examined GAT, a newly developed tumor marker, in serum samples collected from 1,503 females in six institutions: 387 healthy females, 1,052 patients with gynecological diseases including 311 ovarian cancers, and 64 with nongynecological diseases. Based on the mean value + 2 SD for the healthy females, the cut-off value was set at 16 U/ml. The positive rate of GAT was 2.6% for the healthy females, 7.1% for patients with benign ovarian tumor, 5.6% for those with endometriosis, 47.9% for those with ovarian cancers, 9.3% for those with cervical cancer, and 13.3% for those with endometrial cancer. The false-positive rate of GAT for endometriosis was very low compared with that of the other markers such as CA 125, CA 602, CA 54/61, CA 72-4, STN, SLX examined in this study. The positive predictive value between ovarian cancer and endometriosis was the highest with GAT among the evaluated markers. In the cases in which the CA 125 (CA 602) value is relatively low, discrimination between ovarian cancer and endometriosis is difficult, because these cases include many patients with endometriosis. GAT showed the highest positive predictive value in such cases, so GAT proved to play a complementary role with CA 125 (CA 602). Combination assay with GAT and CA 54/61/CA 72-4/STN or SLX showed higher diagnostic efficiency between ovarian cancer and endometriosis. These results suggest the usefulness of GAT for discrimination between ovarian cancer and endometriosis.

Hemodialysis for lithium intoxication: preliminary guidelines for emergency

In Japan, 9 cases of severe lithium intoxication have been treated by hemodialysis so far, and the usefulness and indications of this procedure are not yet understood fully. We have recently experienced a case of lithium intoxication treated by hemodialysis. Considering this case together with those reported previously, we have prepared some preliminary guidelines for the application of hemodialysis to patients with lithium intoxication. The blood concentration of lithium, renal function, the severity of consciousness disturbance and clinical symptoms such as somatic complications are, of course, important indices for the application of this therapy. We think that the signs of intoxication and the time interval between the onset and the beginning of treatment also serve as useful indices for application of hemodialysis.

Parvovirus B19-associated haemophagocytic syndrome with prominent neutrophilia

We describe a patient with both haemophagocytic syndrome and acute myocarditis probably associated with parvovirus B19 infection. The patient had a marked neutrophilia instead of neutropenia more usually observed in virus-associated haemophagocytic syndrome (VAHS). Endogenous serum concentrations of macrophage colony-stimulating factor (M-CSF), granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF), and tumour necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) were higher than normal, suggesting that these cytokines may be involved in the genesis of the observed syndrome.

Left ventricular function of the heart regressed by nifedipine in spontaneously hypertensive rats

Left ventricular (LV) performance of the pharmacologically regressed heart in hypertension is still unclear. We compared LV function of the heart regressed by nifedipine with that of the hypertrophied heart in spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR). Nifedipine (30 mg/kg/day in food) was given to 15-week-old male SHR for 20 weeks (n = 12). Age- and sex-matched SHR served as controls (n = 12). LV catheterization was performed using a micromanometer and cardiac output was determined by the thermodilution method. Hemodynamic studies were performed after washout of nifedipine (24 h), when blood pressure had returned to the untreated level. Peak pumping ability was assessed during acute volume loading with saline. Nifedipine significantly decreased blood pressure in conscious animals (222 +/- 11 to 201 +/- 12 mmHg, p < 0.01) and reduced LV weight (1.20 +/- 0.07 to 1.07 +/- 0.05g, p < 0.01). After washout of nifedipine, LV systolic and end-diastolic pressures, dp/dtmax and cardiac output determined under pentobarbital anesthesia were similar in the treated and untreated groups. Peak pumping ability during acute preload elevation was also similar in the 2 groups. Plasma norepinephrine was unaltered, and plasma renin activity was significantly lower in the treated rats (p < 0.05). These results indicate that nifedipine regressed LVH with a minimal reduction of blood pressure and without evidence of neurohumoral activation or volume retention. In conclusion, LV function of the heart regressed by nifedipine was preserved after a spontaneous rise in blood pressure and during acute preload elevation.

Extragonadal germ cell tumor of retroperitoneal origin: report of two cases

Two cases of primary extragonadal germ cell tumor of retroperitoneal origin are reported. One was a 26-year-old man complaining of back pain. He had a large retroperitoneal tumor with lung, liver and supraclavicular lymph node metastases. He was referred to us after being treated for malignant lymphoma. The serum AFP, beta-subunit of human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG-beta), CEA and CA-19-9 were elevated. The retroperitoneal disease was treated surgically and with radiotherapy. The pathological diagnosis was that of embryonal carcinoma and teratoma. The lung, liver and supraclavicular lymph node metastases disappeared completely after two courses of cisplatin-based chemotherapy. While further chemotherapy was postponed due to myelosuppression, the disease relapsed and was resistant to subsequent therapy. The patient died twelve months after he first saw us. The second case was that of a 36-year-old man complaining of edematous legs and external genitalia. He had an extensive retroperitoneal tumor with multiple pulmonary metastases. The serum AFP level was high. Suspected of having an extragonadal germ cell tumor, he was referred to us promptly. Cisplatin-based chemotherapy coupled with resection of residual retroperitoneal and pulmonary disease resulted in complete remission. The pathological diagnosis was that of possible embryonal carcinoma. Further chemotherapy was given as scheduled, using granulocyte colony-stimulating factor. The patient has been in complete remission for two years. The chemotherapeutic regimen and surgical policy in the treatment of the two patients were essentially same. Early diagnosis, adequate initial therapy and the use of granulocyte colony-stimulating factor may be relevant to the favorable prognosis in the latter case.

Converting enzyme inhibition improves congestion and survival in hypertensive rats with high-output heart failure

The effects of angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors in high-output heart failure have not yet been well established. We evaluated the effects of lisinopril (3 mg/kg/day) on hemodynamics, neurohormones, and survival in 10-week-old spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR) with aortocaval fistula. Sham-operated treated and untreated SHR served as controls. Cardiac output (CO) was determined by thermodilution method, and renal blood flow (RBF) was assessed by laser-Doppler flowmetry. In sham-operated SHR, 2-week treatment with lisinopril decreased blood pressure (BP), left ventricular (LV) weight, and total peripheral resistance (TPR) (p < 0.01 each) and increased RBF and plasma renin activity (PRA) (both p < 0.05); CO and LV end-diastolic pressure (LVEDP) were unchanged. Fistula creation induced biventricular hypertrophy and high-output heart failure [increased LVEDP, CO, pulse pressure, and plasma norepinephrine (NE) and decreased RBF] with congestive signs (ascites, tachypnea). Lisinopril decreased LVEDP (p < 0.01), increased RBF, prolonged survival (both p < 0.05), and prevented ascites (0 vs. 46%) and increased PRA (p < 0.05) and attenuated the increase in plasma NE. Heart weight, BP, and CO were not affected by lisinopril. Thus, lisinopril ameliorated congestion and improved survival in SHR with fistula without compromising cardiorenal hemodynamics. Venous and renal dilatation and attenuation of vasoconstrictive systems may have contributed to the beneficial effects.

Amoxicillin concentration in pus from abscess caused by odontogenic infection

1. Amoxicillin concentration in pus from odontogenic infection was assayed and the concentrations were compared with MIC (minimum inhibitory concentration) of alpha-hemolytic streptococci isolated from odontogenic infection. 2. Measurable amoxicillin concentrations in serum and pus were found in all instances (n = 16). 3. The mean peak concentrations in serum and pus were found at identical times, 1.5 hr after administration, which were 5.92 and 0.90 micrograms/ml, respectively. 4. The mean concentration ratio of pus/serum at the peak time was 0.15. 5. All amoxicillin concentrations in pus at the peak time exceeded the MIC for 90% of alpha-hemolytic streptococci (0.25 micrograms/ml).

Structural analysis of O-linked sugar chains in human blood clotting factor IX

Type and structural analysis of O-linked sugar chains in human blood clotting factor IX was performed by the pyridylamination method developed for O-linked sugar chains [Kuraya, N. & Hase, S. (1992) J. Biochem. 112, 122-126]. O- and N-linked sugar chains were released with hydrazine, and then N-acetylated, followed by pyridylamination. The type of sugar chain was determined by reducing-end analysis of the pyridylaminated (PA-) sugar chains. Sugar chains with PA-GalNAc at the reducing terminal and that with PA-Fuc [Nishimura, H. et al. (1992) J. Biol. Chem. 267, 17520-17525] were obtained besides known sugar chains with PA-Glc from the Xyl-Glc-Ser type and those with PA-GlcNAc from asparagine-linked sugar chains. The sugar chains with PA-GalNAc were identified as mono- and disialyl Gal beta 1-3GalNAc by two-dimensional HPLC mapping. The structure of the sugar chain with PA-Fuc was Neu5Ac alpha 2-6Gal beta 1-4GlcNAc beta 1-3Fuc, as determined by exoglycosidase digestion, methylation analysis, and Smith degradation.