[Continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis treatment and blood glucose control in diabetics with end-stage diabetic nephropathy]

6 patients with end-stage diabetic nephropathy were treated with continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis (CAPD). The results showed that CAPD is a safe and effective therapeutic method for elderly uremic diabetics even with congestive heart failure or acute myocardial infarction. We also compared the insulin dosages and blood glucose levels in these patients treated with three routes of insulin administration. Good control of blood glucose was obtained by giving insulin subcutaneously or through dialysis tubes.

[Magnification radiography with Circlex 0.1 mm ultra-microfocus]

929 magnification radiographies of different rates of magnification were taken in 719 patients and 39 animals with the Japanese Circlex 0.1 mm ultra-microfocus tube. According to IEC 336/1982 documentation, tests on focus size, resolution, filtration effect of penumbra, filtration effect of contrast, background dispersion and space effect were done. The results showed that 0.1 mm ultra-microfocus could produce images of high quality.

A point mutation in the neu oncogene mimics ligand induction of receptor aggregation

The rat neu gene, which encodes a protein closely related to the epidermal growth factor receptor, is a proto-oncogene that can be converted into an oncogene by a point mutation. Both genes encode proteins with a relative molecular mass of 185,000 but the question of why the neu gene product, p185neu, is oncogenic, whereas the product of c-neu, p185c-neu, is not, remains unanswered. The proteins have several features common to the family of tyrosine kinase growth-factor receptors, including cysteine-rich external domains, a hydrophobic transmembrane region and a cytoplasmic tyrosine kinase domain. The oncogenic p185neu differs from p185c-neu by an amino-acid substitution in the transmembrane region of the glycoprotein: this replacement of valine by glutamic acid at position 664 induces increased intrinsic tyrosine kinase activity which is associated with transformation. Many glycoproteins with charged amino acids in the transmembrane region exist as multimeric complexes at the plasma membrane. We have therefore investigated the association state of both products of the neu gene and show that the oncoprotein p185neu is organized at the plasma membrane primarily in an aggregated form, but that p185c-neu is not. Induction of an aggregated state may mimic aspects of ligand-induced receptor aggregation resulting in enzymatic activation that leads to cellular transformation.

Rapid isolation with Sep-Pak C18 cartridges and wide-bore capillary gas chromatography of organophosphate pesticides

A simple and rapid method for isolation of eleven organophosphate pesticides with Sep-Pak C18 cartridges from human urine and plasma, is presented. The detection of the pesticides was made by wide-bore capillary gas chromatography (GC) with flame ionization detection. The pesticide-containing samples, after mixing with water, were directly applied to the cartridges and eluted with chloroform/isopropanol (9:1). The recoveries with use of the cartridges were excellent for most pesticides. Separation of each pesticide peak from each other and from impurities on the gas chromatograms was also satisfactory with use of non-polar and slightly polar capillary columns. The isolation method with use of the cartridges, together with the wide-bore capillary GC, seems very useful in forensic and environmental chemistry and clinical toxicology.

[Clinical significance of serum AKP, HSAP, LAP and gamma-GT determination in high-risk pregnancy]

Serum levels of alkaline phosphatase (AKP), heat stable alkaline phosphatase (HSAP), leucine aminopeptidase (LAP) and gamma-glutamyl transferase(gamma-GT) were determined in 249 blood samples from 202 women with normal or high-risk pregnancy at 30-42 weeks. The results showed that AKP and HSAP increased with the advance of gestational weeks (r = 0.9 259, P less than 0.01), reaching their plateau at 37-38th week. In severe hypertensive pregnant woman, AKP and gamma-GT were significantly elevated, while HSAP remained in consistent low level. A "dissociation phenomenon" between AKP and HSAP was discovered. In cases of prolonged pregnancy, oligohydramnios and IUGR with fetal distress and neonatal asphyxia, both AKP and HSAP were lower than those in normal pregnancies of same gestitional age. Serum level of HSAP might reflect the placental function, while combined with AKP and gamma-GT could also be helpful in assessing the severity of hypertension in pregnancy and in predictive feto-maternal prognosis.

Intestinal metastasis and operation in ovarian cancer: a report on 62 cases

Among numerous sites of metastasis in ovarian cancer, the most common and serious one is the intestinal tract. However, reports on ovarian malignancy with special reference to intestinal metastasis and its surgical treatment have been few. This paper is a retrospective analysis of cases of ovarian cancer with intestinal metastasis treated at the Peking Union Medical College Hospital. Sixty-two cases of ovarian cancer with intestinal metastatic tumours larger than 2 cm in diameter were treated between January 1982 and October 1987, accounting for 28.2% of a total of 221 cases of ovarian cancer admitted during the same period. Twenty-seven patients were operated on for the first time, 24 were referred from other hospitals where the cancer was considered 'inoperable' during the initial surgery, and 11 were recurrent cases. Of the 62 cases, 51 had epithelial cancer and 11 had germ-cell tumours. Metastasis to the large intestine was observed in all 62 cases, of which the rectosigmoid was involved in 59 (95.2%). Metastasis to the small bowel was observed in 26 cases (41.9%). Superficial or serosal invasion occurred in 40 cases (64.5%), and deep invasion, in which the muscularis or both muscularis and mucosa were involved, occurred in 22 cases. A complete or optimal resection of the intraperitoneal tumours was achieved in 46 cases (74.2%). Resection of metastatic tumours of the intestine was performed in 40 cases, of which a repair of the perforated intestinal wall was required in 19. Resection of the bowel was carried out in 22 cases, and a colostomy was done in 6. Postoperatively, all patients were followed up for at least 6 months. During follow-up, 17 patients (27.4%) survived, 39 died and 6 had recurrent disease. The mean survival time for 17 patients achieving complete remission was 30.3 months. Of these, ten have survived for more than 2 years, and seven for more than 3 years. The survival rate was higher in patients with germ-cell tumours and in those having superficial invasion of the intestinal wall, optimal cytoreduction of tumour and relatively sufficient postoperative chemotherapy. However, only the latter two prognostic factors were found to bear statistical significance. The role and feasibility of bowel surgery in ovarian cancer are discussed.

Nucleotide sequence of a cluster of Escherichia coli enterobactin biosynthesis genes: identification of entA and purification of its product 2,3-dihydro-2,3-dihydroxybenzoate dehydrogenase

The nucleotide sequence of a region of the Escherichia coli chromosome encoding part of a cluster of genes involved in the biosynthesis of the iron chelator enterobactin has been determined. Four closely linked open reading frames, corresponding to the coding regions of entE (carboxy-terminal 144 amino acids), entB (32,554 daltons), entA (26,249 daltons), and an unidentified gene (P15) encoding a 14,970-dalton protein, were found. The lack of intergenic sequences and promoterlike elements suggests that these genes form part of the same transcription unit. We report the purification to homogeneity of the entA product, 2,3-dihydro-2,3-dihydroxybenzoate dehydrogenase. It is an octamer of native molecular weight 210,000; the amino-terminal amino acid sequence confirmed the entA coding region. No isochorismate synthase activity was associated with this polypeptide. This finding leads to the conclusion that the recent suggestion (M. S. Nahlik, T. P. Fleming, and M. A. McIntosh, J. Bacteriol. 169:4163-4170, 1987) that 2,3-dihydro-2,3-dihydroxybenzoate dehydrogenase and isochorismate synthase activities reside on a single 26,000-dalton bifunctional enzyme is incorrect, even though the entA and entC mutations map to the same genetic locus.

Generalized tomosynthesis for focusing on an arbitrary surface

Previous implementations of tomosynthesis used reconstruction algorithms that generate planar tomograms where the structures in one plane are visualized and the structures out of the plane are blurred. In many applications, however, the structures of interest do not reside in a single plane and it is desirable to generalize the reconstruction algorithm to generate a tomogram focused on the structure itself. A procedure that allows such a reconstruction is described, and its usefulness in focusing on a three-dimensional object is demonstrated.

Needling sensation receptor of an acupoint supplied by the median nerve--studies of their electro-physiological characteristics

We classified 50 receptor units from 10 acupoints supplied by the medium nerve. It was found that the needling stimulation mostly excited slowly adapting receptors and that the classification of acupoint receptors related closely to their location. For example, the Shanyang, Zhongchong, Shaoshang acupoints in the skin needling sensation receptors are touch or pressure receptor units; the receptors of Neiguan, Yuji, etc.; the acupoints located in deep tissue with abundant muscles, are mostly muscle spindles; the Daling acupoint might be a colgi tendon and/or pressure receptor unit. Besides a significant receptor, an acupoint contains one or more needling sensation receptor. The receptors and the afferent fibers of acupoints take part in forming and maintaining the needling sensations.

Sulfur dioxide does not acutely increase nasal symptoms or nasal resistance in subjects with rhinitis or in subjects with bronchial responsiveness to sulfur dioxide

We examined whether brief exposures to moderately high concentrations of sulfur dioxide (SO2) causes acute increases in nasal symptoms and nasal resistance in subjects with chronic rhinitis. We studied 19 subjects with allergic rhinitis and 3 subjects with chronic intermittent rhinorrhea, nasal congestion, and sneezing without any other manifestation of allergy. We found that the change in nasal resistance and symptoms caused by nasal inhalation of 4 ppm of SO2 for 10 min was no greater than the changes caused by nasal inhalation of conditioned room air. In a second set of experiments, we examined whether allergic subjects with demonstrable bronchomotor responsiveness to SO2 also had nasal responsiveness to the gas. We studied 8 subjects with a history of both asthma and allergic rhinitis. Each subject developed symptoms of dyspnea or wheezing and an increase in specific airway resistance of at least 8 L x cm H2O/L/s after breathing 1 or 2 ppm of SO2 by mouthpiece at 20 L/min, and did not develop these changes after breathing room air under the same conditions. No subject, however, developed more nasal symptoms or a greater increase in nasal airway resistance after tidally breathing SO2 through the nose than after breathing room air, even when the concentration of SO2 delivered to the nose was double the concentration delivered through the mouthpiece to the lower airways. We conclude that brief exposure to SO2 at a concentration of 4 ppm or less is unlikely to cause significant nasal dysfunction in most subjects with chronic rhinitis, and that in subjects with both allergic rhinitis and asthma, responsiveness to SO2 is not uniform throughout the respiratory tract.

Study and clinical application of a porcine biomembrane for the repair of dural defects

A biomembrane was developed from pig peritoneum treated with 0.65% glutaraldehyde. This was evaluated for use as a dural substitute in an animal model and in a patient population. After being treated with the glutaraldehyde solution, the biomembrane lost its antigenicity while its collagen underwent an irreversible cross-linking reaction, causing it to become a stable nonviable polymer resistant to absorption by the host. The biomembrane was used experimentally in 43 procedures on 20 dogs and was applied clinically in 614 patients. The results demonstrated that it is an acceptable material for the repair of dural defects, with the following advantages: 1) it is nontoxic to the body and brain tissues, with minimal tissue reaction; 2) its biophysical properties facilitate watertight closure with sutures; 3) its distensibility makes it suitable for decompressive surgical dural repair; and 4) its visceral surface is extremely smooth, causing virtually no adhesions with the brain tissue while the outer surface readily heals with the subcutaneous tissue.

Reovirus type 3 and [125I]-iodocyanopindolol bind to distinct domains on the beta-adrenergic like receptor

Antireceptor antibodies have been developed as a probe to study the cellular receptor for reovirus type 3. Using this probe, a glycoprotein with a molecular weight of 65-67 kilodaltons and a pI of 5.8-6.0 was isolated and identified as the reovirus receptor. This protein was also structurally similar to the affinity-purified beta-adrenergic receptor from calf lung. In this report, we employ [125I]-iodocyanopindolol, a high affinity beta-adrenergic antagonist, to further characterize this protein. We show that R1.1, a murine thymoma cell line, possesses about 2,000 receptors per cell with high affinity for ICYP (kD = 3.3 X 10(-11) M). Competitive inhibition studies suggest that the receptor is of the beta-2 subtype. Solubilized receptor proteins from R1.1 cells bound to the antireceptor antibody were further purified by SDS-PAGE and electroelution from the gel. Five percent of the proteins thus obtained could bind ICYP with high affinity (kD = 1.6 X 10(-10) M). This suggests that the purification procedure produced a collection of forms of this 65- to 67-kilodalton protein, some of which retained the conformation for binding the beta ligands. We also demonstrate that the isolated receptor protein was able to bind ICYP even when the virus binding site was occupied by the anti-idiotype, suggesting that reovirus type 3 and the beta ligands bind to distinct domains on the receptor protein.