Pharmacological studies of gardenia fruit. V. Mechanisms of inhibitory effect of genipin on gastric acid secretion and its facilitatory effect on bile secretion in rats

In the experiment on continuous perfusion of rat stomach in vivo, genipin inhibited only the gastric acid secretion induced by carbachol, but not by tetragastrin, or histamine. In the experiment on isolated organs, genipin showed a weak competitive anti-acetylcholine action on the intestinal contraction. Based on these facts and results reported previously, it is conceivable that anti-cholinergic action at least partly contributes to the genipin-induced inhibitory effect on gastric functions. Erythritol clearance was increased with the increase in bile flow by administration of genipin. Genipin showed a significant choleretic action, and just then the concentration of biliary bile acid was decreased inversely. In the relationship between bile flow and biliary bile acid excretion rate, the slope of regression line obtained from genipin-treated group was not significantly different from that of control, and these lines were approximately parallel to each other. Genipin did not affect the concentration of sodium, potassium, chloride, or bicarbonate in the bile collected during the initial stage, in which bile flow was increased, after administration. It is concluded from these results that genipin-induced choleretic action proceeds by a mechanism wherein water is driven along osmotic gradient which originates in the transport of bile acid-independent fraction from hepatocytes into canaliculi, mainly through active Na+ transport.

Antigenicities of stem bromelain. Contribution of three-dimensional structure and individual amino acid residues

The contribution of three-dimensional structure and individual amino acid residues to the antigenicities of macromolecular protein was investigated for a thiol protease stem bromelain as antigen. The extent of the participation was demonstrated by a decrease in antigenicity when the enzyme was denatured in 8 M urea before and after reductive cleavage of intrapeptide disulfide bonds or modified in particular amino acid residues. The results showed that the enzyme treated with 8 M urea without reductive cleavage of disulfide bonds preserved about 90% of antigenicity to antibodies against native stem bromelain, while the enzyme denatured after the reductive cleavage of disulfide bonds brought about almost 80% disappearance of the antigenicity. Modification of individual amino acid side chains revealed that lysine was the most immunodominant amino acid, showing 2.5% contribution per residue, and tyrosine followed with 1.2%. However, acidic amino acids such as flutamic and aspartic acids were found to be as low as 0.3%, and tryptophan was 0.2%. These data suggest that most of the antigenic determinants of stem bromelain are of the steric conformation in which lysine and/or tyrosine are most frequently involved as immunodominant amino acids.

Metabolism, antitumor activity, and acute toxicity of 5-fluoro-1,3-bis(tetrahydro-2-furanyl)-2,4-pyrimidinedione by oral administration to animals

The metabolism, antitumor activity, and acute toxicity of 5-fluoro-1,3-bis-(tetrahydro-2-furanyl)-2,4-pyrimidinedione (FD-1) were investigated in animals, compared with 5-fluoro-1-(tetrahydro-2-furanyl)-2,4-pyrimidinedione (FT). It was found that after oral administration of FD-1, the level of 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) was maintained higher and longer than after administration of FT, and that a large amount of 5-FU was released from FD-1 by liver microsomal drug-metabolizing enzymes or spontaneous hydrolysis via 5-fluoro-3-(tetrahydro-2-furanyl)-2,4-pyrimidinedione (3-FT) and FT. FD-1 had a significant activity against the solid form of Ehrlich carcinoma, sarcoma-180, hepatoma AH130, Yoshida sarcoma, Walker carcinosarcoma-256, and leukemia L1210 and P388, but not the ascitic forms, and it produced greater inhibition of tumor growth than FT. The acute toxicity of FD-1 was less than that of FT.

Study on Agglutination of Mouse Mammary Carcinoma (FM3A) Cells Induced by Egg Agglutinin of <i>Rana catesbiana</i>

When mouse mammary carcinoma (FM3A) cells were incubated with egg agglutinin of <i>Rana catesbiana </i>at 25 °C, the percent total particle number (%TPN) of both cell aggregates and single cells decreased rapidly and reached its minimum within 15 min. The %TPN decreased slowly even at 4 °C for 120 min or longer. Colchicine reduced egg agglutinin-induced agglutination only by 10% in the %TPN at the most, and albumin inhibited the agglutination by 25% or more. After 15 min of treatment of FM3A cells with egg agglutinin at 25 °C, the %TPN was very closely related to the electrophoretic mobility. Therefore it seems that positively charged egg agglutinin might diminish the negative charge of the cell membrane and thus cause cell agglutination.

The role of disseminated intravascular coagulation in shock induced by transfusion of human blood in dogs

Hemolytic blood transfusion reactions were produced in 20 dogs. Animals transfused with human blood twice in a two-week interval demonstrated a significant increase in anti-human red blood cell agglutination titer at the time of the second transfusion. Eighteen dogs that survived from the first transfusion reaction were divided into two groups with or without heparin treatment. The hemolytic transfusion reaction in the sensitized animals was characterized by shock and multiple coagulation abnormalities. Heparin failed to prevent shock, hemoglobinemia and thrombocytopenia, and decreased the mortality rate in heparinized animals. Pathologic examination revealed that the thrombi in the splanchnic organs were less common in the heparinized dogs.

[Studies on the refractory coating materials for preventing scale formation (author's transl)]

In casting of high-fusing alloys such as cobalt-chrome and nickle-chrome alloys, the reaction between the investing mold and high-fusing molten alloys suffers the disadvantage of the scale formation. The various coating materials are used to prevent the scale formation. The experiments have been carried out to prove the effectiveness of seven commercialized coating materials. And the reaction between the coating materials and high-fusing molten alloys was analyzed by X-ray diffractometer. Results were as follows: 1) The refractory compositions of seven commercialized coating materials were composed of alpha-quartz (SiO2), zircon (ZrSiO4) and zirconium oxide (ZrO2). 2) Dainainvest (Ohara) mainly containing zircon indicated the reduction in surface roughness due to coating. Although zircon was slightly observed on the cast surface, the product of reaction was not detected. 3) Liquid investment (Nobilium) and Paint investment (Shofu) having about equal amounts of alpha-quartz and zircon showed as reduction in surface roughness as Dainainvest. The product of reaction was not observed and the cast surface was smooth. 4) Quick request (Shiken), Pre-coat (Niranium) and Ethymay B (Kamemizu) composed of alpha-quartz had not appreciably effectiveness. The cast surface was rough due to production of picrochromite (MgCr2O4) and eskolaite (Cr2O3)in the reaction between molten alloys and coating materials. 5) Hi-coat with zirconium oxide did not point out the advantage in spite of high refractory composition and showed little reduction in surface roughness due to coating.

Semiquantitative 67Ga scanning of lung cancer by scintiscoring: its usefulness in diagnosis of localization, therapeutic effectiveness, radiation pneumo-mediastinitis and recurrence

Attempts were made to attain a semiquantitative evaluation of therapeutic effectiveness of lung cancer by scintiscoring of the liver as well as the tumor lesion. A relative counting ratio of tumor to liver was computed, and this was found useful: in areas of active tumorous growth, higher ratios were obtained. The ratios returned to the control levels following irradiation with or without an anti-inflammatory regimen including prednine. The technic is simple, and yet invaluable especially when the tumor locates in the mediastinum escaping from radiological detection. Satisfactorily frequent repetition would be competent enough in early diagnosis of developing radiation pneumo-mediastinitis and regrowths in the mediastinum and fibrotic abnormal shadows as well. The principle would be best rewarded by use of a whole-body scanner equipped with a digital computer.

Cytologic detection of malignant mesothelioma of the pericardium

We have reported a very rare case, malignant mesothelioma of the pericardium, with the initial diagnosis made by cytology from the smears of the pericardial fluid. There were numerous large clusters in the smears, in which two types of cells were mixed: adenocarcinoma-like round cells and fibrosarcoma-like spindly cells. Some round cells very much resembled benign mesothelial cells. Central collagenous stalks and brush borders with long microvilli in the round cell aggregates were specific for carcinomatous mesothelioma and differentiated the round cells from adenocarcinoma cells. On the other hand, the spindly and pleomorphic tumor cells, present both singly and in clusters, implied malignancy. Therefore, a preliminary cytologic diagnosis of probable mixed malignant mesothelioma was made. Histopathologic and electron microscopic examinations confirmed the cytologic description that this tumor was a malignant mesothelioma.

[Convexity cavernous hemangioma, its angiographic and CT findings. Report of a case (author's transl)]

A case of cavernous hemangioma which developed in the parietal convexity is reported. Angiography reveals that the mass is located extra-axially in the parietal convexity and the middle meningeal artery feeds the tumor. The feature of tumor stain is pooling or laking of contrast medium which is partially visualized even 10 minutes after injection of contrast medium. CT findings are almost identical to those of meningioma.

Lysosomal accumulation of gallium-67 in Morris hepatoma-7316A and Shionogi mammary carcinoma-115

Intracellular localization of gallium-67 was investigated in Morris hepatoma-7316A and Shionogi mammary carcinoma-115 cells by the cell fractionation method 48 hr after an intraperitoneal injection of the nuclide. When lysosomes were purified from both tumors by discontinuous sucrose density gradient centrifugation, they had a strikingly high relative specific activity of the nuclide. From these results it was confirmed that gallium-67 is concentrated most specifically in the lysosomes of both tumor cells, which consist chiefly of phagolysosomes and can engulf only limited amount of foreign materials such as Triton and gallium-67.

A comparative study on lysosomal accumulation of gallium-67 and indium-111 in Morris hepatoma 7316A

Intracellular localization of Ga-67 and In-111 was investigated in Morris hepatoma 7316A and in normal Buffalo rat liver cells by a cell fractionation method at 48 hr after an intraperitoneal injection of the nuclides. Lysosomal fractions of the tumor and normal liver cells had the highest relative specific radioactivities of the nuclides (p less than 0.001). In a gradual solubilization experiment, the release of the nuclides at the same time as the acid phosphatase from the lysosomal fractions (p less than 0.001) was thought to indicate that lysosomes are the site of accumulation for both nuclides whether in tumor or normal liver cells. Fragility of the tumor lysosomes might be inferred from the significantly greater regression coefficient in relation to the lysosomal fraction of tumor cells than that of normal liver cells when labeled with Ga-67 (p less than 0.001). The poorer confidence limit for the regression coefficient in relation to the lysosomal fraction of tumor cells labeled with Ga-67 seemed to indicate that Ga-67 determines lysosomal functions of tumor cells more precisely than In-111.

Occurrence of disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC) in obstructive jaundice and its relation to biliary tract infection

Coagulation studies were done on 78 consecutive cases of obstructive jaundice with or without biliary tract infection. Among 26 cases with biliary tract infection 20 cases showed no bleeding tendency but remarkable hypercoagulability with decreased fibrinolytic activity. Other six cases developed diffuse bleeding tendency in addition to the signs of hypotension and multiorgan dysfunction such as oliguria, respiratory distress and mental confusion. Most showed marked coagulation defects characterized by thrombocytopenia, decreased fibrinogen, antithrombin III and plasminogen levels and narrowing of maximal amplitude in thrombelastogram as well as the increase of fibrin degradation products and positive soluble fibrin monomer complexes. All except one died and three cases were autopsied. In two cases postmortem examination revealed multiple fibrin thrombi in lungs and other organs. A cause of the development of bleeding tendency in obstructive jaundice presently observed may likely to be due to the occurrence of disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC), i.e. hypercoagulability caused by the biliary tract infection is responsible.

Inhibition of acid esterase in rat liver by 4,4'-diethylamino-ethoxyhexestrol

The effect of 4,4'-diethylamino-ethoxyhexestrol (DH) on acid esterase in rat liver was studied in vivo and in vitro. The acid esterase activity in the livers of rats treated with 0.125% DH for 1 week was found to decrease more than 60% as compared with that in untreated rats. The addition of DH to the incubation medium caused considerable inhibition of the acid esterase activity in lysosome from untreated rat liver, and the inhibition type appears to be noncompetitive. The acid lipase activity in rat liver lysosome was also inhibited by DH. Some antihistamic agents and chloroquine also inhibited the acid esterase activity in rat liver lysosome.

Bone tumor imaging by scintigraphy of the skeleton, marrow reticuloendothelial system, and the proliferative tissue

Paralleled clinical studies of radioisotopic imaging or tumor metastases in the bone were undertaken with Tc99m pyrophosphate, Ga67 citrate, and Tc99m sulfur colloid. All three were capable of anticipating the bone roentgenograms. A critical analysis suggested that positive delineation with Ga67 citrate would sometimes be superior to the others. This deserves further investigation. Clinically the combined use of Tc99m pyrophosphate with Ga67 for the chest areas and extremties or with Tc99m colloid for the pelvic and abdominal areas would be more frutiful in early detection and exact localization of bone metastases.

Cell kinetics of gastric carcinoma and other gastric lesions in rats by N-methyl-N'-nitro-N-nitrosoguanidine with or without Tween 60

Male Wistar rats were divided into three groups for studying the chronic effect of N-methyl-N'-nitro-N-nitrosoguanidine (MNNG), in continuous dose of 50 mg/L in drinking water, or 50 mg/L MNNG and 0.4% Tween 60 in drinking water. From the 2nd to 50th week after the administration of MNNG, every 3 or 5 rats were sacrificed and autopsied after the intraperitoneal injection of 1 muCi 3-H-thymidine/g body weight at 2- or 3-week intervals. The resected stomachs were studied morphologically and autoradiographically. Six cases of experimental gastric cancer were produced that fulfilled Stewart's criteria. Autoradiographically, there was no significant different in the flash labeling index in the normal antral mucosa, in the non-pathologic antral mucosa, and in the cancerous lesion, but generation time and DNA synthesizing time of the cancerous lesion were 2 or 3 times longer than those of the glandular stomach of normal rats reported by Galjaard. They were also longer than those of the non-pathologic antral mucosa of rats treated with MNNG. These experiments results were discussed, comparing with cell kinetics of the gastrointestinal tracts in man.