Cervical approach for the repair of esophageal atresia

Repair of esophageal atresia is usually performed by a thoracic approach. In cases associated with a tracheoesophageal fistula (TEF) located in a high position, however, the cervical approach is a reasonable alternative. In the literature, the authors found only three patients repaired by this approach. This report describes three additional cases of esophageal atresia successfully repaired by the cervical approach. Three neonates with esophageal atresia and TEF were confirmed as having an unusually high position of the distal TEF by the preoperative bronchoscopy and contrast study. The transcervical approach for repair was chosen. The skin was incised transversely at the right supraclavicular region, and the sternocleidomastoid muscle and the carotid sheath were retracted posterolaterally. After the division of the TEF, the suture site of the tracheal fistula was covered by a flap of the sternothyroid muscle that was inserted between the trachea and the esophagus, thus avoiding opposing suture lines. These cases emphasize that pediatric surgeons should be aware of the presence of cervical esophageal atresia in which distal TEF is located above the clavicle, and suggest that cervical repair is feasible for the patient whose distal TEF moves up above the first rib on inspiration. The most reliable methods for detecting the location of the distal TEF are telescopic bronchoscopy and contrast study.

Association of p34cdc2 and cyclin B1 during meiotic maturation in porcine oocytes

The relative levels and association of p34cdc2 and cyclin B1 have been determined in pig oocytes during meiotic progression from G2 to metaphase II (MII). Fully grown G2-arrested porcine oocytes contained large amounts of free p34cdc2 and extremely small amounts of p34cdc2-cyclin B1 complex which did not increase in amount during the GV stage. Cyclin B1 is not synthesized in measurable quantities until 23 hr after the start of maturation. During the first metaphase (MI) the amount of both cyclin B1 and the p34cdc2-cyclin B1 complex increased sharply until 35 hr. Thereafter the amount of the p34cdc2-cyclin B1 complex increased again to 45 hr, resulting in higher levels of the complex in MII than in MI. Moreover, three distinct migration forms of p34cdc2 were detected in pig oocytes by immunoblotting with anti-PSTAIRE antibody, and most of the cyclin B1-associated p34cdc2 was detected in the lower band in MI oocytes but migrated in the second band during MII. These results suggest that cyclin B1 levels in porcine oocytes differ from those in starfish, clam, and Xenopus oocytes in which considerably higher concentrations of cyclin B1 appear to be present during the GV stage and that the nature of the association between p34cdc2 and cyclin B1 changes between the first and the second metaphase.

Specific deficit of the ON response in visual transmission by targeted disruption of the mGluR6 gene

Taking advantage of the restricted expression of metabotropic glutamate receptor subtype 6 (mGluR6) in retinal ON bipolar cells, we generated knockout mice lacking mGluR6 expression. The homozygous mutant mice showed a loss of ON responses but unchanged OFF responses to light. The mutant mice displayed no obvious changes in retinal cell organization nor in the projection of optic fibers to the brain. Furthermore, the mGluR6-deficient mice showed visual behavioral responses to light stimulation as examined by shuttle box avoidance behavior experiments using light exposure as a conditioned stimulus. The results demonstrate that mGluR6 is essential in synaptic transmission to the ON bipolar cell and that the OFF response provides an important means for transmitting visual information.

Molecular cloning, expression in Streptomyces lividans, and analysis of a gene cluster from Arthrobacter simplex encoding 3-ketosteroid-delta 1-dehydrogenase, 3-ketosteroid-delta 5-isomerase and a hypothetical regulatory protein

The Arthrobacter simplex gene coding for 3-ketosteroid-delta 1-dehydrogenase, a key enzyme in the degradation of the steroid nucleus, was cloned in Streptomyces lividans. Nucleotide sequence analysis revealed that the gene for 3-ketosteroid-delta 1-dehydrogenase (ksdD) is clustered with at least two more genes possibly involved in steroid metabolism. Upstream of ksdD, we found a gene, ksdR, encoding a hypothetical regulatory protein that shows homologies to KdgR, the negative regulator of pectin biodegradation in Erwinia, and GyIR, the activator for glycerol metabolism in Steptomyces. A helix-turn-helix DNA-binding domain can be predicted at similar positions near the N-terminal of KsdR, KdgR and GyIR. ksdl adjoining downstream to ksdD codes for a protein that has strong similarities to 3-ketosteroid-delta 5-isomerases. The highly conserved Tyr and Asp residues are present in the active-centre motif of the enzyme. The translated ksdD gene product was found to be similar to the 3-ketosteroid-delta 1-dehydrogenase of Pseudomonas testosteroni and to the fumarate reductase of Shewanella putrefaciens. A region highly conserved between the two steroid dehydrogenases can be aligned to the active-centre motif of the fumarate reductase. S. lividans strains carrying the ksdD gene overexpressed 3-ketosteroid-delta 1-dehydrogenase. The expression of 3-ketosteroid-delta 5-isomerase, however, was barely detectable in recombinant S. lividans strains carrying the ksdl gene, or in the parental Arthrobacter strain.

Wernicke encephalopathy with symmetric pericentral involvement: MR findings

MR imaging of a 67-year-old woman with Wernicke encephalopathy (WE) demonstrated symmetrical hyperintense lesions along the central and precentral sulci bilaterally besides the usual diencephalic and brain stem abnormalities. Postmortem examination confirmed that the lesions in the cerebral cortex were necrotizing and similar to those in typical WE.

Molecular mechanisms of the activation of maturation-promoting factor during goldfish oocyte maturation

Oocyte maturation is triggered by the activation in the oocyte cytoplasm of maturation-promoting factor (MPF), which consists of cdc2 (a catalytic subunit) and cyclin B (a regulatory subunit). Immature goldfish oocytes contain only inactive monomeric 35-kDa cdc2 and do not stockpile cyclin B. In maturing oocytes, activation of cdc2 is associated with its Thr161 phosphorylation and mobility shift on SDS-PAGE from 35 to 34 kDa after binding to cyclin B. Using mutant cdc2, we show that Thr161 phosphorylation is required for both the downward shift and the kinase activation. Since cdc2 Tyr15 is not phosphorylated after binding to cyclin B, it does not require dephosphorylation. This situation is obviously different from that in immature Xenopus oocytes, in which the cdc2-cyclin B complex preexists with cdc2 phosphorylated on both Tyr15 and Thr161, thereby requiring Tyr15 dephosphorylation catalyzed by cdc25 phosphatase for MPF activation. These results indicate that these species employ different mechanisms of MPF activation during oocyte maturation, although the final molecular structure of the active MPF (cdc2 bound to cyclin B and phosphorylated on Thr161) is identical.

Amphibian amplexus in microgravity

We report here on the amplectic behavior of the Japanese treefrog (Hyla japonica) in microgravity. Treefrogs were exposed to 35 cycles of altered gravity, including approximately 1.5 sec of G < 0.1 every 3 min and 15 sec, on the FreeFall "G.0" ride at Space World amusement park in Kitakyushu, Japan. During this period a pair of frogs spontaneously entered and maintained amplexus for 1 hr 20 min, before being removed from the ride. In freefall, the pair extended their hindlimbs in the characteristic posture of treefrogs in microgravity. This is the first report of a vertebrate entering and sustaining a copulatory or amplectic posture under gravitational extremes, including true freefall. These observations bode well for the potential of anurans to breed in microgravity and to be used for biological research in space.

A case of pituitary apoplexy in a child

A case of pituitary apoplexy is reported in a 14-year-old girl who presented with headaches and progressive visual disturbance. Magnetic resonance imaging demonstrated subacute hemorrhage into a pituitary adenoma. Transsphenoidal removal of the tumor was performed successfully. Pituitary apoplexy in children is rare. Thus we will discuss the clinical features and neuroradiological findings.

HTLV-I from Iranian Mashhadi Jews in Israel is phylogenetically related to that of Japan, India, and South America rather than to that of Africa and Melanesia

A new endemic focus of human T-lymphotropic virus type I (HTLV-I) was recently reported among Mashhadi Jews, a group of immigrants from northeastern Iran to Israel. We extracted DNAs from fresh peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) and/or gargle mouthwash from 10 HTLV-I carriers, who consisted of members of one family, and HTLV-I-associated myelopathy (HAM) and adult T-cell leukemia (ATL) patients. Long terminal repeat (LTR) regions of proviral DNAs were sequenced and analyzed phylogenetically. In a phylogenetic tree, all the Mashhadi HTLV-I isolates belonged to subtype A, one of the three subtypes of the cosmopolitan type of HTLV-I, and made a tight cluster distinct from the other isolates of subtype A from Japan, India, the Caribbean Basin, and South America. Although a few nucleotide substitutions were observed among the clones sequenced, no characteristic sequence variation was found in different disease manifestations, even in one family or different sources of DNA preparation.

Synthesis of deuterated 7-(5'-deoxy-5'-methylthio-beta-D-ribofuranosyl)adenine-d3

Synthesis of 7-(5'-deoxy-5'-methyl-thio-beta-D-ribofuranosyl)-adenine(7-MTA) has been developed from imidazole through 7-beta -D-ribofuranosyladenine. Deuterated 7-MTA-d3 was also synthesized by this synthetic procedure using deuterium labelled dimethyl disulfide-d6. The deuterium content of 7-MTA-d3 was 98.28%. The spectral and chemical properties of 7-MTA were defined.

Regulation of oocyte growth and maturation in fish

This chapter has briefly reviewed the current status of investigations on the hormonal regulation of oocyte growth and maturation in fish (see Figs. 4 and 9). Pituitary gonadotropins are of primary importance in triggering these processes in fish oocytes. In both cases, however, the actions of gonadotropins are not direct, but are mediated by the follicular production of steroidal mediators, estradiol-17 beta (oocyte growth) and 17 alpha,20 beta-DP or 20 beta-S (oocyte maturation). Investigators have established that both estradiol-17 beta and 17 alpha,20 beta-DP are biosynthesized by salmonid ovarian follicles via an interaction of two cell layers, the thecal and granulosa cell layers (two-cell-type model). The granulosa cell layers are the site of production of these two steroidal mediators, but their production depends on the provision of precursor steroids by the thecal cell layers. A distinct steroidogenic shift from estradiol-17 beta to 17 alpha,20 beta-DP, occurring in salmonid ovarian follicles immediately prior to oocyte maturation, is a prerequisite for the growing oocytes to enter the maturation stage, and requires a complex and integrated network of gene regulation involving cell specificity, hormonal regulation, and developmental patterning. The cDNAs for most of the steroidogenic enzymes responsible for estradiol-17 beta and 17 alpha,20 beta-DP biosynthesis have been cloned from rainbow trout ovaries. Our next task is to determine how gonadotropin and other factors act on ovarian follicle cells to turn the expression of these specific genes on and off at specific times during oocyte growth and maturation. Increasing evidence now suggests that a variety of neuromodulatory, autocrine, and paracrine factors may also be involved in the regulation of steroidogenesis in fish ovarian follicles. Molecular biological technologies should be applied to identify these substances. Of considerable interest is the finding that MIH, unlike most steroid hormones, acts on its receptors at the surface of oocytes. Further studies of the association of the MIH-MIH receptor complex with a Gi protein, probably resulting in the inactivation of adenylate cyclase, should lead to a discovery of a new mechanism of steroid hormone action. The early steps following MIH action involve the formation of the major cytoplasmic mediator of MIH, MPF. Fish MPF, like that of Xenopus and starfish, consists of two components: cdc2 kinase and cyclin B. Nevertheless, the mechanism of MIH-induced MPF activation in fish oocytes differs from that in Xenopus and starfish because the appearance of cyclin B protein is a crucial step for 17 alpha,20 beta-DP-induced oocyte maturation in fish.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)

A comparative study of direct hemoperfusion and hemodialysis for the removal of glufosinate ammonium

BASTA is a herbicide containing glufosinate ammonium 18.5% and a surface-active agent. There were six fatalities in 34 cases of glufosinate ammonium poisoning reported by the Japan Poison Information Center. To evaluate efficacy in the removal of glufosinate ammonium from the blood, two bottles were prepared containing 600 mL of heparinized bovine blood with 1 mL or 3 mL of BASTA. Direct hemoperfusion or hemodialysis was performed for two hours at a flow rate of 50 mL/min. The final glufosinate ammonium concentration of the blood bottle containing 1 mL of BASTA decreased to 96.9% of the initial concentration after direct hemoperfusion and to 0.5% after hemodialysis. The final glufosinate ammonium concentration of the bottle containing 3 mL of BASTA decreased to 62.2% after direct hemoperfusion and to 0.9% after hemodialysis. Hemodialysis is more effective than direct hemoperfusion for removal of glufosinate ammonium from blood.

Pulmonary collapse and pneumonia due to inhalation of a waterproofing aerosol in female CD-1 mice

Waterproofing agents consist of mixtures of solvents, repellents and propellants. Because of a fatality and a number of acute respiratory illnesses in humans following the exposure to a waterproofing agent, the aerosol mixtures were tested in mice. Inhalation of the waterproofing agent resulted in pulmonary collapse and pneumonia in mice. By testing fractions of the waterproofing agent it was determined that the fluororesin repellents in the waterproofing agent were responsible for the acute respiratory illness. The water-repelling agent, such as fluororesin, may counteract the surfactant in the alveoli of the lung and cause diffuse pulmonary collapse followed by acute respiratory distress. The recent substitution of less toxic and environmentally more friendly solvents in waterproofing agents may facilitate fluororesin inhalation by increasing the amount of airborne aerosol and changing the diameter of the aerosol particles. This would explain the apparent recent increase of respiratory symptoms following the use of these agents. In this experiment the mice were exposed intermittently to overcome the CNS effects of the solvents.

Sinus node recovery function is relatively well preserved under halothane anaesthesia in children

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of halothane on sinus node recovery time (SNRT). Nine children with congenital heart disease scheduled for cardiac catherization were studied. After the routine procedure, the sinus node was paced at rates of 120, 150 and 180 beats per minute. SNRTs were measured with control conditions and under 1 MAC halothane anaesthesia. The absolute SNRT was standardized and expressed as '%SNRT' and 'Corrected SNRT (CSNRT)'. CSNRT was slightly prolonged by halothane (P = 0.042), while the %SNRT was not significantly prolonged. We conclude that the recovery function of the sinus node is relatively well preserved under 1 MAC halothane in children.

Sustained release of hCG minipellet for newt experiment in space

Sustained release formulation of hCG, hCG minipellet, was applied to induce oviposition of newt. Period of egg spawning was prolonged with a certain delay of its initiation. When hCG minipellet was injected to newt that was hibernating, it induced egg spawning even after one month of hibernation. Results suggest that minipellet keeps steady concentration of hCG at the effective level for longer period. For the study on early development of newt egg, it is essential to obtain egg on orbit. hCG minipellet makes it possible even at launch slip or early "late access".

An attempt to treat intractable skin ulcers with autologous dermal graft

Five patients with a total of seven chronic intractable skin ulcers and impaired peripheral blood circulation were treated with autologous dermal grafts which did not contain any epidermal component. These ulcers were refractory to conventional therapy. Results from the dermal grafting were variable, with four of the ulcers (in two patients) healing 1-8 months after 1-5 graftings. These findings suggest the possibility that dermal grafting may be a simple yet effective treatment for deep, super-infected skin ulcers in which tendons and bones have become exposed. Dermal grafting may also provide an additional method by which to treat chronic skin ulcers which do not respond to conventional surgical therapy and where amputation of affected extremities is being considered.

Random mutagenesis of pullulanase from Klebsiella aerogenes for studies of the structure and function of the enzyme

To study the structure and function of pullulanase from Klebsiella aerogenes, a method involving random mutagenesis of the entire gene for pullulanase was used. Out of 50,000 clones screened at high temperature, seven genes for mutant proteins were identified by DNA sequencing. The amino acid substitutions in the seven mutant proteins were clustered on the NH2-terminal side of the four conserved regions found in alpha-amylases. These mutant pullulanases were classified into two types: those whose catalytic activity was altered and those whose thermal stability was increased. The results presented here and in previous reports suggest that pullulanase from K. aerogenes has similar active sites to those of alpha-amylases with the four conserved regions, as well as another substrate-binding site closer to the NH2-terminus. The plate assay method used for isolation of thermostable variants may be applicable to the generation of useful variants of other enzymes.

[Clinical trials of TAE using micro-coil coated with n-butyl 2-cyanoacrylate and lipiodol]

Clinical trials of TAE using microcoils (Target, USA) coated with n-butyl 2-cyanoacrylate and lipiodol were performed. The procedures were as follows. First, a small amount of lipiodol was injected into a Tracker 18 catheter. Secondly, a microcoil coated with n-butyl 2-cyanoacrylate and lipiodol was inserted into the microcatheter. Thirdly, a small amount of lipiodol was again administered into the catheter just behind the coil. Finally, the coil was pushed safely out from the catheter with a special guidewire. With this method, excellent occlusion of small arteries was obtained. There were no complications.

Simultaneous occurrence of adenomas in stomach, duodenal bulb, and colon: disappearance of gastric and duodenal adenomas during oral administration of 5'-deoxy-5-fluorouridine

The present report concerns a patient who was first diagnosed as having adenoma in the duodenal bulb and subsequently was discovered to have adenomas in the stomach and colon. Surgical procedures including endoscopic resection could not be carried out because the patient had advanced liver cirrhosis. Follow-up colonoscopy no longer detected any polyp in the colon. Ultrasonography demonstrated a slowly growing hypoechoic mass in the liver, which was indicative of hepatocellular carcinoma. Then, single chemotherapy with oral administration of 5'-deoxy-5-fluorouridine was initiated. Surprisingly, repeated esophagogastroduodenoscopy revealed gradual regression of the gastric and duodenal tumors. Findings from the endoscopy and biopsy materials 10 months after the start of therapy showed disappearance of the gastric and duodenal adenomas. Despite enlargement of the hepatic mass, no recurrence of gastric and duodenal tumors has been noted during the past 1 1/2 yr.

Early in vitro development of voltage- and transmitter-gated currents in GABAergic amacrine cells

It has been shown in previous studies that a subpopulation of neurons in monolayer cultures prepared from immature embryonic chicken retina acquired a series of functional properties which characterized them as GABAergic amacrine cells after 1 week in vitro. In the present study, we demonstrate that immature precursors of these cells were already identifiable by morphological criteria after 2 days in vitro (DIV). Using the whole cell patch-clamp technique we have studied the time-course of the expression of voltage-dependent and of glutamate and GABA receptor-associated conductances in these identified retinal interneurons developing in vitro. Recordings after 2 DIV revealed a very homogeneous pattern of membrane conductances. In all cells tested, whole cell responses to depolarizing voltage steps consisted solely of a sustained outward potassium current and 100% of the cells responded to the glutamate receptor agonist kainic acid (KA) and to GABA. Fast activating inward sodium currents first appeared after 3 DIV, whereas a transient component of outward potassium currents was not detectable before day 4 in vitro. N-Methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA)-evoked currents were first observed at 3 DIV in the GABAergic neurons. Only 1 day later they were found in all of the GABAergic neurons. Expression of responses to quisqualic acid (QU) started at 3 DIV, but remained restricted to a subpopulation of the GABAergic cells even at later stages (59% at 4 DIV, 63% at 6-9 DIV). Antagonistic effects of QU on KA responses, however, were detectable in all cells tested, independent of the developmental stage and the presence of QU-evoked currents.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

WF11899A, B and C, novel antifungal lipopeptides. I. Taxonomy, fermentation, isolation and physico-chemical properties

WF11899A, B and C, novel antifungal lipopeptide antibiotics were isolated from the culture broth of Coleophoma empetri F-11899. These compounds belong to the echinocandin type of lipopeptides. Of these compounds, WF11899A showed good solubility in water. These three antibiotics possess potent in vitro antifungal activities against Candida spp.