The ability of amine production by argyrophil cell adenocarcinoma of the endometrium

The ability of amine production of argyrophil cell adenocarcinoma of the endometrium was studied by wet-histofluorescence method. The intense green and yellow fluorescence was detected for the first time in the cytoplasm of a few tumor cells by injecting amine precursor (L-Dopa) 3mg intraperitoneally to nude mice, who were transplanted serially with argyrophil cell adenocarcinoma of the endometrium. Similar fluorescence was also located in a few epithelial cells of the small intestine prepared from the same nude mice. These findings strongly suggested that these fluorescent products were amines. In order to specify the sorts of amines, the microspectrophotometric analyses are now in progress.

Influence of pantethine on platelet volume, microviscosity, lipid composition and functions in diabetes mellitus with hyperlipidemia

The in vivo effects of pantethine were investigated on serum lipids and platelet lipid and platelet functions in 31 diabetic patients with hyperlipidemia. Pantethine decreased cholesterol from 236 +/- 62 mg/dl (M +/- SD) to 217 +/- 51 mg/dl (p less than 0.01) and increased high density lipoprotein cholesterol from 40 +/- 11mg/dl to 43 +/- 15 mg/dl. The diabetic platelets were larger when accompanied by higher microviscosity that healthy platelets. The characteristics of lipid composition in diabetic platelets were high levels of free cholesterol, phospholipid, triglyceride, cholesterol ester, palmitoleic acid, linoleic acid and palmitoleic acid/palmitic acid and low levels of the molar ratio of free cholesterol/phospholipids, phosphatidylethanolamine, oleic acid, arachidonic acid and oleic acid/stearic acid. Pantethine normalized these values of fatty acids to the control levels, and concomitantly reduced significantly the hyperaggregation of platelets induced by 10(6) M ADP and the hyper-ADP release reaction from platelets when exposed to 2 microgram of collagen, and made the volume smaller and the microviscosity lower after oral administration. From these data, it was concluded that pantethine normalized the abnormalities of serum lipids as well as platelet lipid compositions and subsequently reduced the hyper-aggregation and hyper-release reactions through the changes of volume and microviscosity of the platelets in diabetes mellitus with hyperlipidemia.

The value of prostaglandin E1 and selective angiography in the territorial definition of axial pattern flaps of the buttock

The definition of the cutaneous vascular territory in axial pattern flaps has been studied by intravital injection of dye or fluorescein, or by post mortem dissections and injection. This paper illustrates the use of selective angiography and the intra-arterial injection of Prostaglandin E1 in the definition of axial pattern flaps in the buttock. The technique is safe, with no side effects and can be repeated. Its clinical application in the discovery and selection of axial pattern flaps is obvious.

Changes in endocrine activities relative to obesity in patients with essential hypertension

The possible role of obesity in the development of hypertension was investigated in two study groups. In a population study of 961 subjects, 739 were found to be normotensive and 222 hypertensive. The prevalence of hypertension was 18.7 percent in the nonobese, and 33.2 percent in the obese subjects. Systolic and diastolic blood pressures increased progressively with the increase of relative body weight in both normotensive and hypertensive subjects. In addition, an endocrinologic study was made of 97 patients with essential hypertension; in 82, plasma renin activity (PRA) was inversely correlated with the increase of relative body weight but not with urinary Na excretion. Despite this decrease of PRA, the level of serum aldosterone was not influenced by relative body weight. Thus, the aldosterone/PRA ratio ratio increased progressively with the increase of relative body weight. Thiazide therapy normalized this inappropriately high ratio, and reduced body weight and blood pressure. Restriction of dietary calories and salt intake had a similar effect. With a high-salt intake in an obese subject, the aldosterone/PRA ratio is unduly increased. Apparently aldosterone contributes to the additional retention of sodium and water and thereby promotes hypertension in the presence of an expanded fluid volume.

T lymphoreceptopathy in systemic lupus erythematosus

Decreases in numbers and functions of SLE T lymphocytes as a form of lymphoreceptopathy were investigated using T lymphocytes and sera obtained from both SLE patients and healthy subjects with respect to the effects of suppressor T cells and Con A induced suppressor factor against antibody formation, changes in the membrane microviscosity and the ultrastructure of membrane associated particles (MAPs) of T lymphocytes. The lymphoreceptopathy of SLE T lymphocytes was induced by decreased microviscosity and abnormalities of distribution, size and density of MAPs on the T lymphocyte membrane which can be modulated by serum factors consisting mainly of IgG as T cell membrane binding antibody and partially of IgM as cytotoxic antibody.

Lipid content of human platelets quantitated by thin-layer chromatography in combination with flame ionization detection

The lipid contents of human platelets from twenty-one healthy adults were analysed using thin-layer chromatography in combination with flame ionization detection. The weight per cent of neutral lipids in human platelets was 14.6%, which consisted mainly of free cholesterol, that of phosphatidylethanolamine 24.9%, phosphatidylserine plus phosphatidylinositol 6.8%, phosphatidylcholine 35.2% and sphingomyelin 18.6%. Free cholesterol in 10(8) platelets was estimated as 7 micrograms and phospholipids as 46 micrograms from calibration standards. The reproducibility was satisfactory and the procedure could be performed quickly and simply.

Heat denaturation of serum albumin monitored by 1-anilino-naphthalene-8-sulfonate

The process of heat denaturation of serum albumin, and the properties of several denatured components of albumin were studied using 1-anilino-naphthalene-8-sulfonate as a probe dye. Like native albumin, these protein species all induce fluorescence of the dye with maximum emission at 470 nm when excited at 380 nm. However, the affinity of albumin for the dye decreased on denaturation. This fluorescent dye bound competitively to both native and denatured albumin with another probe dye, 2-(4'-hydroxyphenylazo)benzoic acid, has a specific absorption band at about 480 nm on binding with native albumin. Fatty acids, such as lauric acid, inhibited the interaction of 1-anilinonaphthalene-8-sulfonate with native albumin, but had little effect on its binding with denatured albumin.

Decreased insulin binding of mononuclear leukocytes in diabetic patients with hyperlipidemia

The effects of lipoproteins on 125I-insulin binding activity of mononuclear leukocytes were investigated in 22 diabetic patients and eight healthy adults. There was a significant negative relationship between insulin binding activity and levels of plasma beta-lipoprotein (r = 0.70, p < 0.01). The inhibition of insulin binding activity was also observed by in vitro addition of LDL to the assay system of insulin binding activity of mononuclear leukocytes. Double fluorescent staining techniques demonstrated that insulin receptors and LDL receptors are located very close to each other on the cell-surface. These results indicate that LDL intereferes with insulin binding activity in mononuclear leukocytes in vivo and in vitro, presumably because of the close localization of receptors for insulin and LDL on the cell surface. It is concluded that hyperlipoproteinemia is responsible for the decrease in insulin binding activity in diabetic patients.

A new method to quantitate lipid contents in human platelets by thin layer chromatography with flame ionization detection

Lipid contents in human platelets from 21 healthy adults were analysed using thin-layer chromatography (TLC) in combination with a flame ionization detector (FID). Samples of 0.3 microliter extracted from 10(8) platelets were chromatographed on quartz rods coated with silica gel (Chromarods), and calibrated with an FID using free cholesterol and phosphatidylcholine as standards. The weight percentage of neutral lipids in human platelets obtained in this study was 14.6% which consisted mainly of free cholesterol, while that of phosphatidylethanolamine was 24.9%, phosphatidylserine plus phosphatidylinositol 6.8%, phosphatidylcholine 35.2% and sphingomyelin 18.6%. Free cholesterol in 10(8) platelets was estimated as 7 micrograms and phospholipids as 46 micrograms from standard calibrations. The minimum amount detectable by this TLC-FID method was 0.05 micrograms of standard cholesterol acetate and 0.1 microgram of lipids from 10(8) human platelets. The reproducibility was quite satisfactory and the procedure could be performed quickly and simply.

Surface properties of LDL-binding lymphocytes in human peripheral blood

Surface properties of low density lipoprotein (LDL)-binding lymphocytes were evaluated to determine whether LDL binds with a subpopulation of human peripheral blood lymphocytes (PBL). B- and T-cell rich fractions were prepared from PBL using E-rosette formation or nylon reticulum columns. Binding of FITC-labelled LDL with these cell fractions was determined with a fluorescent microscope and a fluorescence-activated cell sorter (FACS II). The specificity of the binding was evaluated by a dose-dependent inhibition of LDL binding with the addition of unlabelled lipoproteins. In parallel studies, surface properties including E-rosette formation, surface immunoglobulins, and receptors for IgG-Fc, as well as human and mouse C3 were examined. LDL binding lymphocytes were enriched in the B-cell rich fraction, and depleted in the T-cell rich fraction. In addition, FITC-LDL binding lymphocytes were selectively collected by the FACS II. These LDL binding cells restored surface immunoglobulins after incubation in serum-free medium following trypsinization. The majority of lymphocytes stimulated by PHA and PWM in vitro bound with LDL. It is concluded that LDL binds with B cells in fresh human PBL, while it binds with B and T cells in mitogen-stimulated lymphocytes. It is suggested that the selective collection of LDL binding lymphocytes by the FACS II can be applied to the evaluation of cellular interaction of these cells in various immunological reactions.

Angiographic evaluation of vascular changes in ulcerative colitis

Selective superior and inferior mesenteric angiography was carried out in 25 patients with ulcerative colitis. Vascular changes in angiography were compared with the clinical features of the patients. There was no correlation between vascular changes in angiography and the duration of illness or the extent of involvement. The vascular changes of large vessels, such as increased diameter of the inferior mesenteric artery, had better correlation with the severity or the activity of illness. However, we found that in some cases microcirculatory changes of small vessels of the intestinal wall, such as the findings of capillary brush or loss of normal tapering of vasa recta, still remain in remission of this disease. We assume that this microcirculatory disturbance plays an important role in the pathophysiology of ulcerative colitis.

Proteinuria and renal function during antihypertensive treatment for essential hypertension

In an attempt to determine the effects of antihypertensive treatment on proteinuria and renal function, these factors were studied in 155 patients with essential hypertension, before and during antihypertensive therapy. Slight renal impairment tended to increase with the progress of hypertension, as evidenced by a slight but significant increase in the levels of blood urea nitrogen (BUN) and serum creatinine, and by a progressive decrease in creatinine clearance. A decrease in proteinuria appeared as early as one month after initiation of treatment and continued for at least two years during treatment. Apparently the proteinuria was caused by increased glomerular pressure and by vascular damage in the glomerular vessels. In 7 patients, normalization of blood pressure resulted in an elevation of BUN and creatinine concentrations, although initial renal function did not differ significantly from that in other groups who did not show such derangement during treatment. Thus, a reduction of proteinuria seems to be a good criterion for predicting beneficial results from antihypertensive treatment.