Retinal correspondence under dynamic background

We examined the binocular vision of 14 patients with esotropia under a dynamic background. The objective and subjective angles of the patients were measured using a phase difference haploscope under three conditions: no background (A), a static background produced by an image slide (B), and a dynamic background produced by 8-mm movies (C). The objective angle remained the same under different backgrounds. On the other hand, the subjective angle tended to become 0 degree under condition C; that is, more harmonious abnormal retinal correspondence (HARC) was obtained under C. Therefore, it was concluded that HARC was more easily detected under the dynamic background than under the static or no background conditions.

Thalamo-olivary degeneration in a patient with laryngopharyngeal dystonia

A 67 year old woman with a two year history of laryngopharyngeal dystonia, spasmodic dysphonia, and parkinsonism succumbed to Wernicke's encephalopathy and died six months later. Necropsy showed, besides Wernicke's encephalopathy, degenerative changes in selected thalamic nuclei (dorsomedial, pulvinar, and the medial geniculate bodies) and the inferior olives and numerous cerebellar torpedoes. The substantia nigra and basal ganglia were spared. Immunostaining for prion protein was negative. This patient indicated a new type of presentation of so-called pure thalamic degeneration, or more precisely thalamo-olivary degeneration.

Cytopathologic observations of the lung of adult newts (Cynops pyrrhogaster) on-board the space shuttle, Columbia, during the Second International Microgravity Laboratory experiments

Four adult female Japanese newts, Cynops pyrrhogaster, were carried for 15 days aboard the orbiting space shuttle, Columbia, in July of 1994, as part of the Second International Microgravity Laboratory, IML-2 aquatic animal experiments. These previously fertilized newts, after stimulation with chorionic gonadotropin by a spaceflight adapted injection procedure, deposited numerous eggs for study of early development during weightlessness. The primitive saccular lungs of the two newts which survived the spaceflight revealed by TEM marked pulmonary cytopathologic changes including basal laminar separation, microvillar degeneration, and cytoplasmic granular changes in the primary granulated pneumocytes. Also, intracellular edema in the pulmonary collagenous matrix and vacuolar changes in the ciliated pulmonary lining cell type and in vascular endothelial cells were observed. These changes, triggered by the spaceflight, and not seen in controls also relying on respiration via the skin, may reflect a chronic mild hypoxia as it is known that newts undergoing oviposition are subject to increased oxygen demand.

[A case of very slowly progressive, high-cervical spondylotic myelopathy presenting with symmetric deep sensory deficits in the palms]

We report a case of very slowly progressive, high-cervical spondylotic myelopathy with symmetrical deep sensory deficits in the palms. A 76-year-old man began to feel tingling sensation in the second fingers of the bilateral hands 30 years prior to admission. The abnormal sensation spread from the first to the third fingers, and subsequently all over the palms. He noticed intermittent sharp pain in the dermatomes of C4 and 5 bilaterally from his late sixties, and later he developed clumsiness of fine finger movements. In recent years he experienced stiffness in the thighs while walking. On neurological examination, there was a mild sensory deficits in light touch over the bilateral palms, while perception of temperature and pain was normal. Vibration sense was severely and position sense mildly impaired. Discriminative sensation, including graphesthesia, stereognosis, two-point discrimination and texture recognition, was severely impaired over the bilateral palms. On the other hand, all modalities of sensation were normal in the lower limbs. Gross motor dysfunction, such as weakness of limbs, amyotrophy or gait disturbance, was not present. He did not show limb ataxia, but the dexterity of his fingers was severely impaired. Deep tendon reflexes were mildly increased except for the Achilles tendons that were hyporeactive. Plantar responses were flexor bilaterally. Nerve conduction study revealed giant F waves and H reflexes by stimulations of the median and ulnar nerves bilaterally.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 mRNA is induced by hemorrhage in endothelial and mesothelial cells of the rat liver

We have recently shown that plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 (PAI-1) mRNA is elevated after hemorrhage in various tissues including liver. In this study, we set out to identify the cell types in the liver that are responsible for the increase in PAI-1 mRNA after hemorrhage using in situ reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (in situ RT-PCR). Male Sprague-Dawley rats were cannulated and subjected to a 20 ml/kg hemorrhage within 3 min or 300 micrograms/kg of endotoxin. Four hours later, the livers were harvested, fixed, frozen, and sectioned. RT-PCR showed an increase of PAI-1 mRNA in liver 4 h after hemorrhage or endotoxin-treatment. Standard in situ hybridization could not detect PAI-1 mRNA in the livers of either the hemorrhage, endotoxin, or control groups. However, in situ RT-PCR detected PAI-1 mRNA in vascular endothelial cells and capsular mesothelial cells, but not in hepatocytes, in both the hemorrhage and endotoxin groups. No signal was found in the control rats, or when the experimental protocol was modified to 1) omit the RT step, 2) precede the RT step with RNA digestion, or 3) use an irrelevant probe. These results demonstrate that hemorrhage induces PAI-1 mRNA in endothelial and mesothelial cells of liver.

Ca2+ responses to acetylcholine and adenosine triphosphate in the otocyst of chick embryo

The action of acetylcholine and adenosine triphosphate (ATP) on cytoplasmic Ca2+ concentration ([Ca2+]i) was studied in the otocyst epithelium of embryonic day 3 chicks with Ca(2+)-sensitive fluorescence measurements. Increases in [Ca2+]i were evoked by the bath application of acetylcholine (1 microM or higher). The rise in [Ca2+]i was due to the release of Ca2+ from intracellular Ca2+ stores, since the Ca2+ response occurred even in a Ca(2+)-free medium. The Ca2+ response to acetylcholine was mediated by muscarinic receptors. Atropine of 1 microM abolished the response to 10 microM acetylcholine; muscarine and carbamylcholine (100 microM each) evoked Ca2+ rises. Increases in [Ca2+]i were also evoked by the bath application of ATP (10 microM or higher). The Ca2+ rise by ATP was evoked even in a Ca(2+)-free medium. Adenosine (500 microM) did not cause any Ca2+ response. Suramin and reactive blue 2 (200 microM each) completely blocked the Ca2+ response to 500 microM ATP. Uridine triphosphate (500 microM) caused comparable Ca2+ responses with those to 500 microM ATP. These results suggested the involvement of P2U purinoceptors. The potentiation of Ca2+ rise was observed when acetylcholine and ATP were co-applied at submaximal concentrations (10 microM and 100 microM, respectively). We conclude that undifferentiated cells in the otocyst epithelium have Ca2+ mobilizing systems activated by acetylcholine and ATP.

A new aromatase inhibitor, FR901537. I. Taxonomy, fermentation, isolation, physiochemical characteristics and biological activities

FR901537 is a new aromatase inhibitor produced by a bacterium Bacillus sp. No. 3072. Structural studies of FR901537 suggested that it was a novel naphthol derivative having pantetheine in its structure. FR901537 showed a potent inhibitory activity against aromatase from human placenta or rat ovary, but did not inhibit the activity of 11 beta-hydroxylase from bovine adrenal cortex. Lineweaver-Burk plot analysis revealed that FR901537 is a competitive inhibitor.

Sacral intervertebral approach for epidural anaesthesia in infants and children: application of "drip and tube" method

Sacral intervertebral approach to the epidural space was introduced as an alternative to the caudal approach in infants and children in 1987. We performed single-shot epidural anaesthesia in 200 infants and children with this approach using the "drip and tube" method for identification of the epidural space. Identification of the epidural space was marked by commencement of dripping in the chamber of a micro-drip infusion set which was connected to the epidural needle. With the i.v. extension tube, local anaesthetic solution was injected by the "immobile needle" technique. Overall success rate of the block was 96%. This approach to the epidural space is anatomically easy in infants and children, and application of our "drip and tube" method might make the paediatric single-shot epidural anaesthesia safer and more successful.

Molecular cloning and immunological analysis of goldfish cyclin A during oocyte maturation

Cyclin A belongs to a family of proteins involved in the regulation of the eukaryotic cell cycle. Although cyclin A is thought to be involved in the regulation of both S and M phase, its exact role in the cell cycle, especially in the meiotic cycle (oocyte maturation), is uncertain. We isolated cyclin A cDNA clones from a goldfish oocyte cDNA library. Monoclonal antibody raised against bacterially produced goldfish cyclin A recognized a 47-kDa protein that disappeared after egg activation. Unlike goldfish cyclin B, which is absent in immature oocytes, cyclin A was already present in immature oocytes and its protein level did not change remarkably during oocyte maturation. These results differ from the finding in Xenopus, in which cyclin A is absent, but cyclin B is present, in immature oocytes. Goldfish cyclin A was associated with cdc2 kinase in mature oocytes, but not with cdk2. Recombinant cyclin A bound to and activated cdc2 in a cell-free system, but cyclin A and cdk2 binding was not observed. The kinase activity of cyclin A-cdc2 was undetectable in immature oocytes and first appeared at about the time of germinal vesicle breakdown (GVBD). In contrast to the cyclin B-cdc2 activity that corresponded to the occurrence of GVBD, cyclin A-cdc2 activity increased only slightly until GVBD was completed and increased drastically after the completion of the first meiotic division. Furthermore, microinjection of cyclin A mRNA into immature oocytes did not cause GVBD; however, microinjection of cyclin B mRNA did. These results suggest that cyclin A-cdc2 kinase and cyclin B-cdc2 kinase play different roles in controlling oocyte maturation. The roles of cyclin A in the rapid activation of cyclin B-cdc2 kinase at meiosis I and II transition and in the maintenance of high maturation-promoting factor activity in mature unfertilized eggs are discussed.

The warm temperature acclimation-related 65-kDa protein, Wap65, in goldfish and its gene expression

cDNAs encoding a warm temperature acclimation-related protein (Wap65) were cloned from the muscle and hepatopancreas cDNA libraries of the warm temperature-acclimated goldfish Carassius auratus, and their nucleotide sequences containing 5'- and 3'-noncoding regions together with their polyadenylation signal were determined. The deduced amino acid sequence of Wap65 was 31% homologous to rat hemopexin. However, goldfish Wap65 lacked a few possible glycosylation sites and presumed functional histidine residues, implying that it may have different functions from hemopexin. Wap65 contained a leader peptide of 30 amino acids and a mature protein region of 415 amino acids. Southern blot analysis demonstrated that the protein is expressed by a single copy gene in the goldfish haploid genome. In RNA blot analysis using isolated cDNA clones, a single transcript of about 2.0 kilobases was detected in the hepatopancreas but not in brain, muscle, or hemocytes. The abundancy of this transcript markedly increased in the hepatopancreas as a result of warm temperature acclimation. Electrophoretic analysis of plasma proteins revealed a good correlation of plasma Wap65 levels to those of the corresponding transcript in the hepatopancreas, suggesting that serum Wap65 concentrations are regulated mainly by transcript levels in the hepatopancreas via the secretion process.

[Yolk sac tumor resected by transverse sternotomy: a case report]

Transverse sternotomy was performed in a 39-year-old man having bilateral lung metastatic lesions of yolk sac tumor. This approach provided an excellent operative field. Bilateral partial lobes including parietal pleura and diaphragma were readily resected. As described in this paper, transverse sternotomy is one of the beneficial method in the thorough surgical treatment for metastatic bilateral lung lesion.

Job satisfaction in Japanese nurses

This study investigated job satisfaction among nurses in Japan. The instrument for measuring occupational satisfaction of hospital nurses developed by Stamps and her associates was used. Initial items were reviewed by content experts who were familiar with measurement of work satisfaction among health professionals and nursing practice in Japan. Based on the item analysis in the cultural context, several items were reworded or eliminated from the original version. Twenty-five items were retained and translated into English by bilingual professionals. The questionnaire was administered to 613 nurses practising in a large, acute-care hospital in a southern part of Japan. The results from testing psychometric properties of the translated version of the instrument were satisfactory. It may be concluded that nurses in the study were not satisfied but not dissatisfied either. On all items, they showed relatively strong commitment to their work. However, extrinsic factors such as having little opportunities for promotion or less favourable working conditions appeared to negatively influence job satisfaction in the study. The findings support the dual factor theory of Herzberg and also Maslow's theory. Considering the lowest scored item, little opportunities for promotion, which reflects the employment system in Japan, administrators, who are usually male medical practitioners, should be made aware of a need for creating clinical ladder opportunities for nurses who would be promoted based on a merit system, instead of the current practice of a seniority system.

[A case report of corrected TGA with ventricular septal defect, tricuspid valve regurgitation and atrioventricular block]

A 61-year-old woman was admitted for heart failure. She was diagnosed as corrected TGA with tricuspid regurgitation, perimembronous ventricular septal defect and atrioventricular block by echocardiography and cardiac catheterization. We chose tricuspid valve replacement with preservation of valve leaflet and subvalvular apparatus, direct closure of ventricular septal defect and implantation of permanent pacemaker (myocardial lead). Although IABP was needed for 24 hours, after that postoperative course was uneventful. It is preferable that tricuspid valve replacement with preservation of valve leaflet and subvalvular apparatus is applied to similar adult cases from standpoint of morphological structure.

Plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 rises after hemorrhage in rats

Large hemorrhage leads to hypercoagulability, a phenomenon that has never been well explained. Because an elevation of plasminogen activator inhibitor (PAI)-1 increases procoagulant activity, we have determined whether plasma PAI activity and tissue PAI-1 mRNA are elevated after hemorrhage. Sprague-Dawley rats were bled (20 or 15 ml/kg) 4 days after cannulation. Plasma PAI activity was determined by the capacity of plasma to inhibit tissue-type plasminogen activator activity. Changes of PAI-1 mRNA in various tissues were detected by high-performance liquid chromatography after reverse transcription and polymerase chain reaction. Hemorrhage (20 ml/kg) significantly elevated plasma PAI activity at 0.5, 1, 2, 4, 6, and 8 h after hemorrhage and PAI-1 mRNA in liver at 1, 2, 4, and 6 h after hemorrhage. The PAI-1 message was also significantly elevated in lung, heart, and kidney at 4 h after hemorrhage. The increases of PAI-1 mRNA after 20 ml/kg hemorrhage were significantly greater than those after 15 ml/kg hemorrhage. These findings indicate that large hemorrhage can induce the increases in PAI activity and PAI-1 message and suggest that induction of PAI-1 may be involved in the thrombogenic responses observed after large hemorrhage.

[A case of posterior fossa hypertrophic pachymeningitis with hydrocephalus]

A 52-year-old woman was admitted to our hospital because of nausea, headache, ataxic gait, and memory disturbance. CT scans and MRI showed a markedly enhanced lesion in the dura mater of the posterior fossa, edema in the right cerebellar hemisphere, occlusion of the transverse sinus, and hydrocephalus, suggesting hypertrophic pachymeningitis. Chronic otitis media and mastoiditis were also noted. Subjective complaints diminished after steroid administration. The patient underwent right suboccipital craniectomy and biopsy. The dura mater was markedly thickened, and the cerebellar surface was edematous. Histological examination revealed the thickened dura mater to be infiltrated by chronic inflammatory cells of forming lymphatic follicles and accompanied by Langhans giant cells. Inflammatory cells were not found in the cerebellar parenchyma, but were present in the subarachnoid space. Acid-fast stain, PAS and Grocott stain were negative. The cause of the hypertrophic pachymeningitis in this patient, may have been related to the chronic otitis media, but the patient's clinical course suggested that it might represent so-called "idiopathic hypertrophic pachymeningitis".

[Postoperative infections in cardiovascular surgery: what is an appropriate prophylactic administration of antibiotics?]

Between June 1990 and March 1993, postoperative infections developed in 19 (7.6%) of 250 consecutive patients. All patients studied underwent cardiac or major vascular operations and survived more than four postoperative days. Respiratory and wound infections were the most common infections after operation. Organisms detected were Staphylococci in 11 of which 4 were methicillin resistant, gram negative rods in 6. Factors significantly associated with an increased risk of postoperative infections by univariate analysis included age (> or = 70 years), NYHA (Grade IV), diabetes mellitus, long operating time (> or = 320 min), long perfusion time (150 min), using of IABP. The ratio of postoperative infections in patients who were given broad spectrum penicillin was higher than others. The percentage of postoperative infections was 4.4% in single antibiotic group and 13.2% in double antibiotics group, the former was significantly lower than the later. It is concluded that single dose of first or second or fourth generation cephem was strongly recommended as prophylactic antibiotics after cardiovascular surgery. Twenty adult patients received 2 g of flomoxef (FMOX) in the priming solution of cardiopulmonary bypass just before operation. Serum FMOX levels in patients developed slowly and remained at high levels, showing 49.8 micrograms/ml after five hours. It seemed that no addition of drugs were necessary during cardiopulmonary bypass within five hours.

Purification and characterization of the 3-ketosteroid-delta 1-dehydrogenase of Arthrobacter simplex produced in Streptomyces lividans

The 3-ketosteroid-delta 1-dehydrogenase (KS1DH) gene of Arthrobacter simplex IFO12069 cloned in Streptomyces lividans was overexpressed, resulting in production of the enzyme both extracellularly and intracellularly. The enzyme was purified by ammonium sulfate fractionation and chromatographies using DEAE-Toyopearl, Butyl-Toyopearl and Toyopearl HW55S from the supernatant of culture broth and cell-free extracts of S. lividans, and both preparations showed the same characteristics. The N-terminal amino acid sequence of both KS1DHs was M-D-W-A-E-E-Y-D, which coincided with the amino acid sequence deduced from the nucleotide sequence. Thus, the extracellular enzyme may derived from leakage of S. lividans cells during cultivation rather than secretion by processing of the signal sequence. The molecular weight of the enzyme was about 55,000, identical with the size deduced from the nucleotide sequence (M(r) 54,329). The optimum conditions for its activity were pH 10.0 and 40 degrees C. The enzyme catalyzed the conversion of several 3-keto-steroids, but those containing 11 alpha- or 11 beta-hydroxyl group were converted at low rates. The amino acid sequence of KS1DH from A. simplex is similar to those of KS1DH of Pseudomonas testosteroni and fumarate reductase from Shewanella putrefaciens.

Predeposited autologous blood transfusion for surgery in infants and children

Homologous blood transfusions have associated infectious and immunological risks. Since 1989 the authors have conducted predeposited autologous blood transfusions (PABT) for infants and children in whom transfusions were expected to be required during an elective operation. Autologous blood was deposited in 13 patients ranging in age from 9 months to 10 years (median, 21 months) with weight from 7.3 kg to 33.6 kg (median, 10.5 kg). They included eight patients with Hirschsprung's disease, three patients with benign tumors, and two others. The volume of predeposition was calculated to maintain the patients' hematocrit at 30% after collection. Blood was deposited once or twice, 1 to 2 weeks before the operation. The actual volume of predeposited blood was 19.1 +/- 2.4 mL/kg in infants with Hirschsprung's disease, 21.8 +/- 10.0 mL/kg in children with Hirschsprung's disease, and 12.6 +/- 2.2 mL/kg in children with other diseases. Nine patients were operated on using only PABT, 2 patients required homologous blood transfusions in addition to PABT, and 2 patients did not require any blood transfusions. No complications occurred as a result of PABT except preoperative anemia. PABT is a safe and effective means of procuring blood for intraoperative transfusions in infants and children undergoing major elective general pediatric surgical procedures.

Ca2+ channel activities in the limb bud of early embryonic chick

Ca2+ channel activities were recorded in the limb bud of embryonic day 4 chick with Ca2+ sensitive fluorescence (Fura-2) measurements and patch clamp techniques. Rises in intracellular Ca2+ concentrations were evoked by depolarization with the application of 100 mM K+ and this Ca2+ response was abolished by removing extracellular Ca2+. The Ca2+ response was blocked by 10 microM nifedipine and enhanced by 5 microM Bay K 8644. Long-lasting inward currents were revealed by whole-cell patch clamp recordings from dissociated cells of the limb bud. The inward current was also blocked by 10 microM nifedipine. Our study suggested the presence of L-type Ca2+ channels in the limb bud cells.

Development of the otolith organs and semicircular canals in the Japanese red-bellied newt, Cynops pyrrhogaster

The sequence in which the otoliths and semicircular canals and their associated sensory epithelia appear and develop in the newt are described. Three-dimensional reconstruction of serial sections through the otic vesicle of newt embryos from stages 31 through 58 demonstrate the first appearance, relative position and growth of the otoliths. A single otolith is first seen in stage 33 embryos (approximately 9 days old); this splits into separate utricular and saccular otoliths at stage 40 (13 days). The lateral semicircular canal is the first to appear, at stage 41 (14 days). The anterior and posterior canals appear approximately one week later and the vestibular apparatus is essentially fully formed at stage 58 (approximately 5 weeks). The data reported here will serve as ground-based controls for fertilized newt eggs flown on the International Microgravity Laboratory-2 Space Shuttle flight, to investigate the influence of microgravity on the development of the gravity-sensing organs.