Isolation and fundamental characteristics of a phospholipase B inhibitor from autolyzed Torulaspora delbrueckii

Phospholipase B inhibitor was found in the autolyzate of yeast cells, Torulaspora delbrueckii. The inhibitor was purified to homogeneity by ethanol precipitation, gel filtration with Sephadex G-10, ion-exchange chromatography with DEAE-Sephacel, and gel filtration with Asahipak GS-320. On thin-layer chromatography the purified inhibitor was detected with the Hanes-Isherwood reagent, which is used to detect phosphorus. The activity of the inhibitor was not affected by heat treatment at 100 degrees C for 1 h. Heating at 100 degrees C for 1 h in 1 M HCl and 1 M NaOH lowered activity to 76 and 80% of the original values, respectively, but heating at 110 degrees C for 24 h in 6 M HCl completely abolished activity. The inhibitor was highly soluble in water, but practically insoluble in alcohol, acetone, ether, and chloroform. The degree of inhibition of enzyme activity was not proportional to the concentration of inhibitor. The inhibitor inhibited both membrane-bound and water-soluble phospholipase B activity from T. delbrueckii at the same level; however, the inhibitor did not inhibit the activity of phospholipase A2 from snake venom (Naja naja).

[Anesthesia for combined carotid endarterectomy and coronary artery bypass grafting]

The anesthesia for combined carotid endarterectomy (CEA) and coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) is mentioned in this report. Although electroencephalogram was set up to detect the sign of brain ischemia during surgery, it became unreliable because of electrical noise from the medical instruments. Another monitoring method, such as trans-cranial Doppler, was thought to be needed to avoid the electrical noise. In anesthesia, a gradual measured induction with judicious fluid loading was imperative along with a protection from the reflex response to pain stimuli. Thiopental was used to protect the brain from ischemic injury during CEA. The perfusion pressure during cardiopulmonary bypass was maintained at 55-65 mmHg, and no neurological complication was seen.

[A case of sinus arrest during a surgical operation]

A 75-year old obese female was scheduled for mastectomy due to breast tumor. At the preoperative examinations, she had premature atrial contraction on electrocardiogram. But she had no clinical signs or symptoms regarding sick sinus syndrome. She was evaluated as ASA risk II and arranged for neuroleptanesthesia. During the operation, she developed severe bradycardia and asystole lasting for 7 seconds, which was not effectively controlled by atropine sulfate. Then cardiac rhythm resumed spontaneously and she recovered with no neurological deficits. On the postoperative examination of 24 hr-Holter ECG, she showed bradycardia and sinus arrest and she was diagnosed to have sick sinus syndrome.

Cortical field potentials associated with hand movements triggered by warning and imperative stimuli in the monkey

Monkeys were trained to move the hand in response to imperative visual stimulus (IS) given 1 s after warning visual stimulus (WS). With implanted electrodes in the cortices, surface-negative (s-N), depth-positive (d-P) sustained potentials between WS and IS were recorded in the prefrontal, premotor and supplementary motor areas in both hemispheres, and gradually increasing s-N, d-P potentials were seen in the forelimb areas of motor and somatosensory cortices contralateral to the hand. It is suggested that the sustained and gradually increasing potentials are related respectively to cortical activities associated with expectation and anticipation of the IS, and to those with a preparatory process for the movement. The latter appeared to be similar to the case of self-paced movements. These potentials may correspond respectively to the early and late components of CNV in the human.

Circadian rhythms in depression. Part I: Monitoring of the circadian body temperature rhythm

In order to develop a sampling strategy and a method for analyzing the circadian body temperature pattern, we monitored estimates of the temperature in four ways using rectal, oral, axillary and deep body temperature from the skin surface every hour for 72 consecutive hours in 10 normal control subjects. Data obtained were analyzed with the least-squares method to estimate the circadian rhythm. Deep body temperature from the skin surface correlated better with rectal temperature than with either oral or axillary temperature in all subjects. The correlation coefficient between rectal and deep body temperature from the skin surface ranged between 0.66 and 0.89. The acrophases calculated from the deep body temperature from the skin surface every 2 h for 48 h were consistent with those based on the rectal temperature every 10 min for 72 h. We believe that monitoring of the deep body temperature from the skin surface, in this manner, at intervals of 2 h for a period of 2 days, is a promising method for investigating circadian body temperature rhythm, because it causes less discomfort than other measures and has greater statistical validity for data computation.

Circadian rhythms in depression. Part II: Circadian rhythms in inpatients with various mental disorders

We investigated longitudinally the circadian body temperature rhythms in 65 inpatients with various mental disorders, 38 of whom had major depressive episodes, by estimating the deep body temperature from the skin surface every 2 h for a consecutive 48-h period. To estimate the circadian rhythm, the data obtained were analyzed by the least-squares method and maximum entropy spectral analysis (MEM). Circadian rhythm disturbances in patients with depression were likely to be manifested in phase variability rather than in phase advance. The amplitude of body temperature of the depressed group was significantly less than that of the control group. A positive correlation between the mesor and the severity of the depressive symptoms was found. Moreover, the body temperature of the patients with affective disorders, both in the depressive and in the manic state, tended to fluctuate so much as not only to fit poorly to sinusoid curves, but also to reduce the periodicity of the circadian rhythm. On the basis of these findings, we conclude that the essential feature of the rhythm disturbances in affective disorders is not the phase shift but the instability of the circadian temperature rhythm.

Suppression of visually initiated hand movement by stimulation of the prefrontal cortex in the monkey

Five adult monkeys (Macaca fuscata) were trained for the go/no-go hand movement task with discrimination between two different color stimuli. The go stimulus was accompanied by a reward when a monkey lifted a lever by wrist extension within the stimulus duration (500 ms). Whereas the no-go stimulus was not. The monkey revealed the potential specific to the no-go response in the prefrontal cortex, called 'no-go potential', i.e. surface-negative, depth-positive deflexions in the cortex of the dorsal bank of the principal sulcus and of the rostroventral corner of the prefrontal region. Effects of electrical stimulation of these prefrontal areas upon the go response were observed and analyzed in order to study functional significances of the no-go potential. The surface and depth (2.0-3.0 mm) electrodes chronically implanted respectively in various cortical areas of both hemispheres, originally used for recording cortical field potentials, were utilized for bipolar stimulation of the cortical area. A train of brief electrical pulses was delivered to the loci producible of the no-go potential at different times after the onset of go visual stimulus. The stimulation suppressed the go movement by cancelling and delaying. The grade of the suppressor effect depended on the timing of electrical stimulation after the onset of visual stimulus, and was maximal at around the time of appearance of the no-go potential. The suppressor effect was compared with that produced by stimulating some other areas in the prefrontal cortex and the premotor cortex, and was found rather unique in those areas producible of the no-go potential.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Morning and evening adrenocortical responses to ACTH stimulation in endogenously depressed patients: a preliminary report

Adrenocortical stimulation with ACTH both in the morning (M-test) and in the evening (E-test) and the dexamethasone suppression test were carried out in patients suffering from endogenous depression (DEP) and normal controls (NOR). A greater cortisol release in DEP was recognized than in NOR in the M-test, an earlier peak response of DEP was shown in the M-test than in the E-test, and a lack of association between hypersecretion of cortisol during depression and cortisol output after ACTH administration was noted. These findings, together with the results of DST, suggest that excessive activity of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis in depression may result, partly, from adrenocortical hyperresponsiveness.

Calcitonin gene-related peptide prevents disuse-induced sprouting of rat motor nerve terminals

Calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) coexists with acetylcholine (ACh) in motor nerve terminals. Externally applied CGRP has been shown to increase the synthesis of ACh receptors in cultured myotubes by a mechanism independent of muscle activity. Thus, CGRP is suggested to be a neurotrophic factor that may regulate the expression of several long-term events occurring at the neuromuscular junction. We have examined the effect of CGRP on the sprouting of motor nerve terminals induced by chronic block of nerve-muscle activity in adult rats. Daily treatment with CGRP suppressed the disuse-induced terminal sprouting in a dose-dependent manner, whereas the morphology of motor nerve terminals in active muscles was unaffected by CGRP. CGRP may be a possible candidate for an antisprouting agent which has been postulated to exist in nerve terminals. The disuse-induced outgrowth of terminal sprouts was accompanied by an increase in the mean quantum content of end-plate potentials, as well as in the frequency of spontaneous miniature end-plate potentials. This increased transmitter release was still maintained at the junctions in which disuse-induced terminal sprouting had been suppressed by CGRP. It is suggested that the formation of terminal sprouts per se is not responsible for the plastic change of transmitter release induced by prolonged disuse of the neuromuscular junction.

Chronic administration of tricyclic antidepressants suppresses hypothalamo-pituitary-adrenocortical activity in male rats

The effect of chronic administration of the clinically effective antidepressants, imipramine, clomipramine and desipramine, on corticosterone (CS) release in male rats was investigated. Chronic administration of imipramine, clomipramine and desipramine at a dose of 20 mg/kg b.w./day, but not at a dose of 2 mg/kg b.w./day, suppressed blood CS concentration at 2000h and abolished its circadian rhythm. The normal circadian rhythm of CS release resumed seven days after the termination of imipramine injection. The acute administration of imipramine (20 mg/kg b.w./day) at 0800h but not at 2000h elevated CS concentrations. Chronic administration of imipramine (20 mg/kg b.w./day) tended to increase the inhibitory effect of dexamethasone on CS release. Adrenocortical sensitivity to exogenous adrenocorticotropic hormone tended to be decreased by chronic administration of imipramine (20 mg/kg b.w./day). These results indicate that antidepressants have effects on the hypothalamo-pituitary-adrenocortical axis which may confound psychoneuroendocrinological tests, such as the dexamethasone suppression test, for the diagnosis of affective disorders.

Pathway of the blink reflex in the brainstem of the cat: interneurons between the trigeminal nuclei and the facial nucleus

Blink reflex responses evoked by electrical stimulation of the supraorbital nerve were examined using cats and the pathway of the blink reflex in the brainstem was elucidated. Both early response (ER) and late response (LR) were mediated by the main sensory trigeminal nucleus and the spinal trigeminal nucleus. However, a lesion of the main sensory trigeminal nucleus had less effect on the blink reflex than a lesion of the spinal trigeminal nucleus. The ER was mediated not only by the shorter disynaptic pathway of 3 neurons through the trigeminal nerve, the trigeminal nuclei and the facial nucleus but also by a polysynaptic pathway of 4 neurons. The interneurons were located between the trigeminal nuclei and the facial nucleus. Some of these interneurons participated in the production of both ER and LR. The area of the brainstem responsible for ER and LR of the blink reflex was the reticular formation from the rostral part of the medulla to the pons except the medial area around the median sulcus. The LR interneurons were distributed more widely than the ER interneurons.

Influence of voltage and ATP on ion-channel of (Na,K)ATPase incorporated into solvent-free phospholipid planar bilayers

Purified (Na,K)ATPase was incorporated into solvent free phospholipid bilayers made on patch-clamp pipettes. In the absence of ATP, the incorporated enzyme acted as an ion-channel which underwent opening and closing (switching) upon application of transmembrane potential gradient of more than 40 mV. The minimum conductance was about 40 pS. It was inhibited by ouabain from one side. ATP added to the opposite side shifted the threshold potential for switching of the channel to 80 mV. Furthermore the magnitude of minimum conductance decreased to 6-10 pS in the presence of ATP.

Monocular movement of contralateral eye following cortical stimulation in the coronal sulcus of cat

Monocular movements of the contralateral eye were demonstrated following the stimulation of the internal kneelike portion of the cortex in the coronal sulcus of the cat. The stimulation of this cortical area in the coronal sulcus yielded rapid medial or slightly oblique ventromedial movement of the contralateral eye. While ablation of the same cortical area produced contralateral eye shift toward the dorsolateral side and the shifted eye became uncontrollable. The results suggested that the control mechanism of eye movement involves unilateral innervation system to the contralateral side as seen in the extremities.

Transuncodiscal approach to dumbbell tumors of the cervical spinal canal

A combined anterior and lateral approach to the anterior cervical spinal canal with fusion was performed on five patients with cervical dumbbell-shaped tumors. The procedure consists of anterior discectomy and ipsilateral uncectomy, and removal of the posterolateral corners and posterior transverse ridges of the upper and lower vertebral bodies at the level of the tumor. In the case of a large tumor in the spinal canal, additional removal of a limited segment from the lateral part of the vertebral body was performed. The bone defect was filled with a T-shaped iliac bone graft. Two vertebral bodies were fused in each case. The highest level of the operation was C-2 and the lowest was T-1. The authors believe that any cervical dumbbell-shaped tumor below the C-2 level can be removed via an anterolateral approach as long as no more than three levels of the spine are involved.

Combined therapy for maxillary sinus carcinoma with special reference to cryosurgery

Three hundred cases of maxillary sinus carcinoma were divided into four groups according to the initial treatment: the first group was treated by irradiation of 5,000 rad (25 fractions) for 5 weeks; the second by intra-arterial infusion of 5-FU combined with irradiation; the third by sinus curetting in accordance with Denker's operation combined with the second method; and the fourth by cryosurgery once a week during the second irradiation method followed by sinus curetting at the end of initial treatment. Histologically confirmed recurrence was removed by maxillectomy, if possible. The three year cumulative survival rates in the four groups were 27.1% (first group), 55.1% (second group), 53.5% (third group) and 53.1% (fourth group). The three year local non-recurrence rates after initial treatment without maxillectomy were 26.4%, 31.1%, 55.8% and 45.4%, respectively. The frequency of distant metastasis without local recurrence was as high as 12.3% in the third group and conversely 5.6% in the fourth. These results demonstrated the usefulness of cryosurgery.

Electron spin resonance studies on the selective labeling of N-(1-oxyl-2,2,5,5-tetramethyl-3-pyrrolidinyl)maleimide of rat liver mitochondria

N-(1-Oxyl-2,2,5,5-tetramethyl-3-pyrrolidinyl)maleimide (MSL) was incorporated into rat liver mitochondria and the nitroxide radical incorporated was found to decay considerably. The incorporation was blocked by a high concentration of NEM, but not by pCMB. Spin labeled fatty acid derivatives, 2-(3-carboxypropyl)-2-tridecyl-4,4-dimethyl-3-oxazolidinyloxyl (FSL1) and 2-(14-carboxytetradecyl)-2-ethyl-4,4-dimethyl-3-oxazolidinyloxyl (FSL2), were also incorporated and the nitroxide radical decayed. However, incorporation of FSL1 or FSL2 was not blocked by NEM or pCMB. The ESR spectrum of 3-carboxyl-2,2,5,5-tetramethyl-pyrroline-1-oxyl (CSL) did not change on reaction with the mitochondria. The labeled MSL exhibited an ESR spectrum composed of both strongly immobilized and weakly immobilized components. A similar reaction with FSL1 gave an ESR spectrum mainly composed of a strongly immobilized component, the weakly immobilized component was negligibly small, while FSL2 exhibited an ESR spectrum in which free-like signals of the nitroxide radical were predominant. The results suggest that MSL is labeled selectively in the mitochondrial membrane through those SH groups that are not reactive to pCMB, and the labeled nitroxide radical is reduced in situ. The mode of incorporation into the mitochondria differs between MSL and the other spin labeled reagents, and labeling of MSL at the binding site may precede reduction of the nitroxide radical. The incorporation of MSL was dependent on the concentration of MSL used. ADP-acceleration of mitochondrial oxygen uptake with succinate was inhibited by labeling the mitochondria with MSL without loss of the electron transferring activity.

Eye movements evoked by electrical stimulation of the frontal cortex in the coronary sulcus of the cat

The frontal cortex concerned with eye movements was investigated by electrical stimulation in the cat. Stimulation of the lateral part of the frontal cortex at the coronary sulcus evoked rapid medial movement and enophthalmos of the contralateral eye. The latency of eye movement following cortical stimulation was found to be shorter in the coronary sulcus than in the medial wall of the hemisphere under the cruciate sulcus or in the presylvian sulcus.

Reactivated response of blink reflex in the cat

Three reflex responses in the orbicularis oculi muscles were observed by electrical stimulation of the trigeminal nerve in lightly anesthetized or conscious cats. The third response, following the first and second responses, was concluded as being a "reactivated response" of the blink reflex as it was set up by the trigeminal afferent input evoked by the palpebral movement of the preceding blink. The reasons for this were as follows: 1) the third response disappeared on administration of muscle relaxants and 2) was enhanced by touching the palpebral hair; 3) the palpebral movement activated the afferent discharges of the trigeminal exteroceptors which were strong enough to yield the reflex responses and 4) the latency of the first reflex response by the palpebral movement corresponded to the time lag between the preceding large reflex response and the third response; 5) the third response was hardly suppressed at all until the first response disappeared over a period of maximum reflex suppression following the conditioned stimulation of the trigeminal nerve.

Neutron activation analysis of nickel purified by floating zone-refining and anion exchange

Nondestructive neutron activation analysis was performed on the nickel purified by floating zone-refining and anion exchange. It is found that floating zone-refining in vacuum is effective to remove Na, Sc, Cr, Zn, As, Ag, Sb and Hg through vaporization in addition to elimination of Se, Sb, Ta, Sm and Tb through segregation. Anion exchange method is also effective to separate Fe, Co, Zn, Mo, Hg, Th and U usually contained in the commercial nickel sources. It is concluded that combination of these two purification methods is required to obtain high purity nickel, since floating zone-refining is known ineffective to eliminate Fe and Co, main impurities in commercial nickel sources.

[Clinico-antimicrobial evaluation of cefuroxime by observation of transitional change of micro-organisms in urine specimen (author's transl)]

Cefuroxime (CXM) was administered for 1 week to spinal cord injury patients with chronic complicated urinary tract infection and the transitional change of micro-organisms was observed. Bacterial counts and identification of isolated organisms were performed daily on the mid-stream urine for 1 week. MIC was also determined on the strains before and after CXM treatment. The results with 83 strains from 28 patients are as follows: 1. CXM's efficacy appears in line with MIC of strains. With the cases given 0.75 g twice daily intramuscularly, all the 14 strains with MIC lower than 50 micrograms/ml were eradicated, but 2 of the 14 strains were found re-growing, with only bacteriostatic action noted (in region of minimal inhibitory action). With the group of the cases given 1.5 g twice daily, all the 15 strains with MIC lower than 200 micrograms/ml were eradicated from urine 1 approximately 3 days after start of treatment (in region of bactericidal action). 2. At dose of bactericidal action CXM responded effectively with no relationship to organism species or bacterial count before CXM treatment. 3. Dose response was noted between the cases given 1.5 g daily and those given 3.0 g daily. 4. From the above result, we can presume appropriate doses in accordance with the disease conditions. From above observation, combined with correlation between organism species, bacterial count, MIC of strains, etc., CXM's efficacy was assessed quantitatively and objectively.

Study on trace impurity elements in highly purified iron and aluminum by neutron activation analysis

Activation analysis was carried out on the purified iron and aluminum to study the behavior of trace impurities on purification process, and to estimate the purity of the purified samples. Thermal neutrons with high Cd ratio through D2O column or graphite column were used for the activation of samples to reduce the interference effects by fast neutrons, the reactions, (n, p) or (n, a), from matrix elements. On the zone refined aluminum, the segregation of impurity elements was cleary observed. In the case of iron, decrease of impurity content was confirmed on superposing the various purification processes.