Actin, alpha-actinin, and spectrin with specific associations with the postacrosomal and acrosomal domains of bovine spermatozoa

BACKGROUND

Characteristic membrane changes in spermatozoa culminating in acrosome reaction and sperm-egg fusion, and suspected involvement of actin-containing cytoskeleton in membrane changes in general, prompted us to investigate subcellular distribution of actin and actin-binding proteins in bovine spermatozoa subjected to various extractions which sequentially denude the sperm investments.

METHODS

Spermatozoa were treated with either 1% SDS, 0.1% Triton X-100, 0.1% Hyamine, or 1 M MgCl2 or were sonicated. Immunostaining of actin, alpha-actinin, spectrin, and acrosin as well as electron microscopic analysis of extracted spermatozoa were carried out.

RESULTS

Extractions caused evagination of the acrosomal lamina which retained focal contacts with the inner acrosomal membrane. Extractions further revealed lateral prongs at the anterior border of the postacrosomal sheath. Labeling for alpha-actinin and spectrin was localized in the acrosin-positive acrosomal lamina, neck, and principal piece, the latter containing also relatively extraction-resistant oligomeric or polymerized actin. In the postacrosomal area, actin was accumulated in the extraction-resistant posterior ring structure and anteriorly at the sites apparently related to the lateral prongs. Notably, spectrin reactivity was enhanced by MgCl2 in head, neck, and principal piece, and sonication abolished cytoskeletal immuno-reactivity in the head.

CONCLUSIONS

Destabilization of membranes with selected extractions induces changes in the acrosomal lamina mimicking acrosomal vesicle formation. The lateral prongs and posterior ring structure, respectively, may serve as anterior and posterior anchors for the extraction-resistant post-acrosomal sheath. The lateral prongs may also be a merger zone for actin, alpha-actinin, and spectrin with important implication on sperm function. The latter two proteins may be involved in acrosomal vesicle formation. It is apparent that extractions have a significant effect on the detectability of sperm cytoskeletal elements.

Immunocytochemical detection of actin and 53 kDa polypeptide in the epididymal spermatozoa of rat and mouse

BACKGROUND

Presence of immunocytochemically detectable actin in the rat and mouse sperm head has been enigmatic for years. In this study, we demonstrate actin in the perinuclear theca and show that the detection of actin epitopes in the rat and mouse epididymal spermatozoa can effectively be enhanced by pre-extraction of sperm cells with SDS.

METHODS

The study with one monoclonal and one polyclonal anti-actin antibody was carried out at conventional and confocal fluorescence and electron microscope level, and by immunoblotting of proteins isolated from the head and tail fractions.

RESULTS

In the head of the control methanol-acetone fixed rat spermatozoa, the polyclonal antibody gave a stronger immunostaining in the postacrosomal area and in the perforatorium than the monoclonal antibody. In the mouse sperm head, the monoclonal antibody labeled the ventral edge of the postacrosomal area and slightly the perforatorium, whereas the polyclonal antibody stained the entire perinuclear space. In the SDS-extracted spermatozoa, an intense postacrosomal and perforatorial labeling was obtained with both antibodies but, in particular in the rat spermatozoa, the middle lateral portion of the postacrosomal segment remained unlabeled. Sonication seemed to cause structural modifications which specifically impeded staining with the monoclonal antibody. Both antibodies detected actin in the basal plate and the monoclonal antibody in the neck. Amorphous matrix of the connecting piece showed immunogold labeling. In the tail, the monoclonal antibody recognized actin and a relatively basic 53 kDa polypeptide, whereas the polyclonal antibody reacted with several protein bands. SDS-soluble actin of the tail was addressed to the midpiece and the SDS-insoluble 53 kDa protein profoundly to the outer dense fibers of the principal piece.

CONCLUSIONS

Intense labeling of actin in the SDS-extracted rat and mouse spermatozoa was presumably due to the generated demasking of actin epitopes embedded in the perinuclear cytoplasm. The results are important in confirming that actin in the rat and mouse sperm head is not lost during spermiogenesis but apparently contributes to the three-dimensional packing of the mature perinuclear cytoplasm. This study further demonstrates the importance of the methods used in sample preparation and advantages of confocal microscopy when attempting to detect cytoskeletal proteins which, as in spermatozoa, may occur in small quantities.

Flavonoids in Rosmarinus officinalis leaves

Three new flavonoid glucuronides, luteolin 3'-O-beta-D-glucuronide, luteolin 3'-O-(4"-O-acetyl)-beta-D-glucuronide, and luteolin 3'-O-(3"-O-acetyl)-beta-D-glucuronide, together with hesperidin, were isolated from 50% aqueous MeOH extract of the leaves of rosemary. The structures were established by chemical and spectroscopic methods. Their antioxidant activities were evaluated by a ferric thiocyanate method with hesperidin showing the greatest activity.

Sertoli cells in testes containing or lacking germ cells: a comparative study of paracrine effects using the W (c-kit) gene mutant mouse model

BACKGROUND

Paracrine effects of germ cells on Sertoli cell structure were examined in a mouse model with the W locus (dominant white spotting) mutation in which animals with the W/Wv genotype (referred to as mutants) lack virtually all germ cells.

RESULTS

Morphometric determination of Sertoli cell parameters in mutant and control (+/+) animals showed that although the testes of mutant animals were about eight times smaller than controls, the numbers of Sertoli cells in the two groups did not differ. Sertoli cell volume, Sertoli cell cytoplasmic and nuclear volumes, and Sertoli cell surface area in mutant animals were significantly smaller than in control animals. Organelle volumes and surface areas, expressed per cell, did not differ significantly in the two groups with one exception: the volume and surface area of smooth endoplasmic reticulum was significantly reduced in mutant animals. Plasma testosterone levels and tissue testosterone levels/testis were normal, indicating that the effects observed in the mutant animal were not a consequence of androgen insufficiency. Plasma FSH was elevated, probably as a consequence of germ cell depletion, and was thought not to affect Sertoli cell parameters observed.

CONCLUSIONS

The data suggest that paracrine interactions with germ cells do affect Sertoli cells by modifying the amount of smooth endoplasmic reticulum. These data focus attention on the function of this abundant Sertoli cell organelle in promoting spermatogenesis.

Relationship between lipophilicity and skin permeability of various drugs from an ethanol/water/lauric acid system

The in vitro skin permeability of 16 drugs with a wide range of lipophilicity (log P; -0.95-4.40) was evaluated by the use of an ethanol/water (60/40) binary vehicle with or without lauric acid as a permeation enhancer. The enhancing effect by the addition of lauric acid to the ethanol/water (60/40) binary vehicle could be observed from the aspect of both permeation rate and lag time. The permeation rate increased with an increase in the hydrophilicity of the drugs. It was considered that lauric acid exerts an effect on both the polar and nonpolar regions of lipids of the stratum corneum, and the cooperative interaction of ethanol and lauric acid increases the participation of the polar pathway of drugs. The relationship between lipophilicity and skin permeability of the drugs from the ethanol/water (60/40) binary vehicle with lauric acid showed a parabolic shape, with its peak at a more hydrophilic range (log P; 0.19) compared with other past references (log P; 2-3). The ethanol/water (60/40) binary vehicle with lauric acid appears to be a good candidate as a vehicle for transdermal therapeutic systems for hydrophilic drugs.

Effects of tanshinone VI derivatives on post-hypoxic contractile dysfunction of perfused rat hearts

The present study was undertaken to elucidate the effects of sodium tanshinone VI 1-phenolate (1), 1'-O-hydrogen succinyltanshinone VI 1-O-hydrogen succinate (2), and disodium 1'-O-succinyltanshinone VI 1-O-succinate (3), water-soluble derivatives of tanshinone VI, on post-hypoxic contractile recovery of isolated perfused rat hearts. The effects were compared with those of tanshinone VI as tested previously. The hearts were perfused for 20 min under hypoxic conditions, followed by 45 min reoxygenation, and their cardiac performance was determined. Changes in tissue sodium, potassium, calcium, and magnesium contents after reoxygenation, and release of creatine kinase and purines and bases (ATP metabolites) during hypoxia/reoxygenation were also examined. The derivatives were dissolved in a Krebs-Henseleit buffer and administered at concentrations of 42 nM into the buffer. Hypoxia/reoxygenation resulted in slight recovery of cardiac contractile force, significant alterations in tissue ion concentrations, and pronounced release of creatine kinase and ATP metabolites, suggesting hypoxia/reoxygenation-induced functional and morphological damage. The tanshinone VI derivatives improved post-hypoxic contractile recovery, which was associated with restoration of tissue ionic concentrations, and diminishment of the release of creatine kinase and ATP metabolites from the hypoxic/reoxygenated hearts. The efficacy of these compounds was similar to that of tanshinone VI. The results suggest that water-soluble tanshinone VI derivatives, like tanshinone VI itself, are beneficial for hypoxia/reoxygenation injury.

trans- and cis-linalool 3,6-oxide 6-O-beta-D-xylopyranosyl-beta-D-glucopyranosides isolated as aroma precursors from leaves for oolong tea

New glycosidic aroma precursors (1 and 2) of the main volatile constituents, trans- and cis-linalool 3,6-oxides (linalool oxides I and II), were isolated from oolong tea leaves (Camellia sinensis var. sinensis cv. Maoxie). The isolation was guided by an enzymatic hydrolysis with acetone powder prepared from fresh tea leaves (cv. Yabukita) followed by GC or GC-MS analyses. Chromatographic purification of hot water extracts of the tea leaves on active charcoal, Amberlite XAD-2, and Sephadex LH-20 columns as well as HPLC gave two new glycosides, trans- and cis-linalool 3,6-oxide 6-O-beta-D-xylopyranosyl-beta-D-glucopyranosides (1 and 2).

Linalyl and bornyl disaccharide glycosides from Gardenia jasminoides flowers

(R)-Linalyl 6-O-alpha-L-arabinopyranosyl-beta-D-glucopyranoside and bornyl 6-O-beta-D-xylopyranosyl-beta-D-glucopyranoside were isolated as aroma precursors of linalool and borneol from flower buds of Gardenia jasminoides, guided by enzymatic hydrolysis followed by GC and GC-MS analyses.

Aldosterone response to adrenocorticotrophin and furosemide in primary aldosteronism after prolonged spironolactone treatment

We evaluated the effects of prolonged spironolactone treatment on aldosterone secretion in patients with primary aldosteronism. The patients were hospitalized and underwent a furosemide test with or without dexamethasone, as well as an adrenocorticotrophin (ACTH) test. In untreated patients, neither plasma renin activity (PRA) nor plasma aldosterone showed a response in the furosemide test. In patients receiving spironolactone, furosemide increased significantly both the PRA and the plasma aldosterone concentration (from 2.6 +/- 0.8 to 7.0 +/- 2.0 micrograms.l-1.h-1 (p < 0.05) and from 345.6 +/- 55.8 to 492.7 +/- 76.8 ng/l (p < 0.05), mean +/- SEM, respectively). Dexamethasone administration had no effect on the results of the furosemide test (p > 0.1). However, dexamethasone tended to decrease the basal plasma aldosterone concentration in the untreated patients, but not in the patients receiving spironolactone. In the ACTH test, the plasma aldosterone concentration increased significantly in the untreated patients (from 549.0 +/- 69.8 to 1169.3 +/- 165.5 ng/l, p < 0.01), but there was no significant aldosterone response in the spironolactone-treated patients (from 885.5 +/- 204.9 to 1260.3 +/- 289.2 ng/l, p > 0.1). We conclude that aldosterone secretion is mainly dependent on ACTH in the untreated patients with primary aldosteronism and is more strongly regulated by the renin-angiotensin system during spironolactone treatment.

(S)-linalyl, 2-phenylethyl, and benzyl disaccharide glycosides isolated as aroma precursors from oolong tea leaves

Three glycosides, 6-O-beta-D-xylopyranosyl-beta-D-glucopyranosides (beta-primeverosides) of the aroma constituents, linalool, 2-phenylethanol, and benzyl alcohol, were isolated as aroma precursors from the tea leaves (Camellia sinensis var. sinensis cv. Shuixian and Maoxie, cultivars for oolong tea). The isolation was guided by acid or enzymatic hydrolysis, and subsequent GC and GC-MS analyses. The linalyl glycoside is the first example of naturally occurring (S)-linalyl beta-primeveroside.

Extractions reveal specific argentophilic proteins in rat and bull sperm heads

BACKGROUND

Silver-stainability (argentophilia) of cytoplasmic structures occurring in spermatids have been localized into the organizing perinuclear theca, but the biochemical nature and structural associations of these proteins with the cytoskeletal and membranous elements are unresolved and, therefore, were the aim of the present study.

METHODS

Light and electron microscopic analysis of the silver-stainability in the rat spermatids and spermatozoa was carried out in the intact testis tissue and epididymal spermatozoa and after their chemical and mechanical extraction. Correlation of argentophilia with specific proteins of rat and bovine spermatids and spermatozoa was investigated using a recently developed technique for silver nitrate staining of proteins on nitrocellulose.

RESULTS

Sequential formation of the silver-stainable domains seemed to proceed from the argentophilic acrosomal ring. Various extractions indicated that argentophilia in the spermatids and spermatozoa was mainly associated with the perinuclear theca and to some extent to the plasma membrane. Hyamine-soluble extract from spermatozoa of rat and bull revealed only a single argentophilic protein of 130 kDa. Hyamine and SDS-soluble extracts of rat testis tissue contained an additional group of argentophilic polypeptides of lower molecular weight (115, 94, 36, 23, and 21 kDa).

CONCLUSIONS

Reduction in the number of argentophilic proteins appears to be involved in a series of changes in the cyto-architecture of developing spermatids. Tentative cytoskeletal nature of argentophilic proteins remains to be identified. Nevertheless, they may have important physical relations with the higher-order organization of the sperm head cytoskeleton and overlying membranes.

Effect of a peptide from Panax ginseng on the proliferation of baby hamster kidney-21 cells

An alkaline fraction separated by ion exchange chromatographies from the water extract of Panax ginseng root stimulated the proliferation of baby hamster kidney-21 cells. Separation of the alkaline fraction by MCI-gel CHP 20P column chromatography followed by dialysis provided an active material. By a reversed-phase HPLC the active material was separated into six fractions, and an active colorless compound 1 was obtained from fraction 2 in a pure state. Compound 1 was composed of the following amino acids; Gly, Arg, Glu, Val in a ratio of 1:1:1:1, and caused 20% enhancement of proliferation of BHK-21 cells at a concentration of 3.40 microM. On the basis of physical and spectral data the structure of compound 1 was established as a tetrapeptide, Gly-Arg-gamma-Glu-Val-NH2.

A new device for indirect blood pressure measurement in rabbits

We evaluated the reliability of a new device for indirect measurement of systolic blood pressure in normal and hypertensive New Zealand White rabbits. This device consisted of an ear unit composed of an air chamber and sensitive photoelectric sensors, and was connected to an apparatus used for the tail-cuff method. Systolic blood pressure was determined by simultaneous recordings of pulse volume oscillations of the central ear artery and the chamber pressure. The blood pressure in 8 normal rabbits was 116 +/- 7/78 +/- 6 mmHg (mean +/- SEM) by direct measurement and 100 +/- 6 mmHg by indirect measurement. In a one-kidney, one-clip hypertensive model, the new device showed that blood pressure increased from 100 +/- 7 to 158 +/- 7 mmHg over 4 weeks. After nicardipine was injected, blood pressure fell from 191 +/- 10/114 +/- 10 to 117 +/- 7/72 +/- 8 mmHg as measured by the direct method, and from 158 +/- 7 to 92 +/- 6 mmHg as measured by the new device. A strong correlation (r = 0.91, p < 0.01) was observed between direct and indirect measurements. Our findings indicate that this device provides rapid, easy and reliable measurement of blood pressure in rabbits.

Skin permeability of various drugs with different lipophilicity

The in vitro and in vivo skin permeability of 16 drugs with a wide span of lipophilicity (log P ranging from -0.95 to 4.40) was evaluated with an ethanol/panasate 800 (tricaprylin) (40/60) system as a lipophilic vehicle. The ethanol/panasate 800 (40/60) binary vehicle remarkably improved the in vitro skin permeability of the drugs across excised hairless mouse skin compared with ethanol or panasate 800 as single vehicles. The in vivo skin permeability of the large majority of the drugs across abdominal rat skin also showed high permeation rates and short lag times. The relationship between lipophilicity and skin permeability of the drugs from the ethanol/panasate 800 (40/60) binary vehicle indicated parabolic shapes with their peaks at much greater hydrophilic range (log P: -0.88 for in vitro, -0.83 for in vivo) compared with other past references (log P: 2-3). The results suggest that the lipophilicity of a drug is a main factor for prediction of the skin permeability of the drug and that the ethanol/panasate 800 (40/60) lipophilic binary vehicle would be a good candidate as a vehicle for future clinical application of hydrophilic drugs.

Protective effect of ginseng saponins against impaired brain growth in neonatal rats exposed to ethanol

This study was performed to determine the active constituents of the root of Panax ginseng C. A. Mayer in the amelioration of ethanol-induced impediment of brain growth in the neonatal stage. To establish an animal model of the brain growth impediment caused by ethanol, ethanol (6 g/kg s.c.) was administered to rat pups on postnatal day 6, which corresponded to the third trimester of pregnancy for humans. Brain weight, especially cerebellar weight, was significantly reduced in the ethanol-exposed pups. In contrast, neither separation from dams nor pentobarbital treatment affected brain weight. A saponin fraction of ginseng extract prevented this ethanol-induced reduction of brain weight. Some ginseng saponins including ginsenosides Rg1, Rb2, Rd, Rf and Re effected stimulated a potent recovery of cerebellum growth in this animal model.

Exaggerated vascular response due to endothelial dysfunction and role of the renin-angiotensin system at early stage of renal hypertension in rats

We investigated whether endothelial dysfunction might contribute to the exaggerated vasoconstriction that was induced by the administration of norepinephrine at the early stage of one-kidney, one-clip renal hypertension (1K1C) in rats. We also studied the role of the renin-angiotension system in this phenomenon. Male Wistar rats were killed 48 hours after the induction of renal artery stenosis or sham operation, and ring preparations of the thoracic aorta were obtained. The isometric contraction and relaxation of aortic strips produced by norepinephrine and acetylcholine, respectively, were recorded with a force-displacement transducer. The aorta of 1K1C rats showed a significantly (P < .05) exaggerated contractile response to norepinephrine as compared with that of control rats. Rubbing the endothelium and treatment with methylene blue or NG-monomethyl L-arginine acetate augmented the contractile responses to norepinephrine to a greater extent in control rats than in 1K1C rats; therefore, the responses of the groups did not differ significantly. In the second experiment, rats received 0.05% captopril, 0.02% enalapril, or 0.02% nicardipine in the drinking water for 1 day before and for 48 hours after the induction of renal artery stenosis or sham operation. The increased contractile responses of the aorta to norepinephrine in 1K1C rats were normalized to the level of the control rats by treatment with either captopril or enalapril but not with nicardipine. These results suggest that the endothelial dysfunction may contribute to the exaggerated norepinephrine-induced vasoconstriction observed in the 1K1C rats and that angiotensin I-converting enzyme inhibitors can restore the endothelial function.

Effect of hydrophilic and lipophilic vehicles on skin permeation of tegafur, alclofenac and ibuprofen with or without permeation enhancers

The effects of an ethanol/panasate 800 (tricaprylin) (40/60) system as a lipophilic vehicle, and an ethanol/water (60/40) system as a hydrophilic vehicle, with or without permeation enhancers for in vitro skin permeation and in vivo skin absorption of tegafur, alclofenac and ibuprofen with different lipophilicity, were evaluated. The in vitro and in vivo skin permeability of tegafur, alclofenac and ibuprofen was enhanced by the use of ethanol/panasate 800 (40/60) or ethanol/water (60/40) binary vehicles as a donor composition. However, the two vehicles showed contrastive properties in relation to the extent of permeation enhancement of the three drugs: tegafur > alclofenac > ibuprofen for the ethanol/panasate 800 (40/60) system, and ibuprofen > or = alclofenac > tegafur for the ethanol/water (60/40) system. When lauric acid, as a permeation enhancer, was added to both of the binary vehicles, the in vitro and in vivo skin permeability of three drugs further increased, and the in vivo absorption rate of the drugs from the ethanol/water (60/40) system was larger than that from the ethanol/panasate 800 (40/60) system. In conclusion, it was suggested that the ethanol/panasate 800 (40/60) lipophilic binary vehicle is useful for hydrophilic drugs, and conversely, the skin absorption of lipophilic drugs can be improved by the use of the ethanol/water (60/40) hydrophilic binary vehicle with or without lauric acid as a permeation enhancer.

Geranyl 6-O-beta-D-xylopyranosyl-beta-D-glucopyranoside isolated as an aroma precursor from tea leaves for oolong tea

A new geranyl glycoside, geranyl 5-O-beta-D-xylopyranosyl-beta-D-glucopyranoside was isolated as an aroma precursor from tea leaves (Camellia sinensis var. sinensis cv Shuixian) for oolong tea. The isolation was guided by a two-phase acid hydrolysis and/or an enzymatic hydrolysis followed by GC and GC-MS analyses.

Hepatic copper accumulation in patients with primary biliary cirrhosis

Liver biopsy specimens from 18 patients with primary biliary cirrhosis were examined histochemically and by energy-dispersive x-ray microanalysis. Using two indices, we classified hepatic copper accumulation into three stages based on the Cu x-ray intensity of cuproproteins that had accumulated in hepatocyte lysosomes and on the binding ratio of postulated copper transfer proteins between the cytosol and lysosomes. Eight patients were in stage 1 with an initial accumulation of lysosomal cuproproteins, mediated by transfer proteins not saturated with copper. Two patients were in stage 2, in which transfer proteins were saturated with copper. The first two stages gave negative results for histochemical copper. The remaining eight patients were in stage 3, in which copper accumulation detected by histochemical included transfer proteins saturated with copper and large amounts of lysosomal cuproproteins. Five patients (one each in stages 1 and 2, and three in stage 3) underwent a second liver biopsy after treatment with 600 mg of ursodeoxycholic acid daily for 14 to 39 months. Results of blood chemistry tests improved, but liver histologic findings and copper accumulation were unchanged in all five patients. It seems likely that ursodeoxycholic acid does not affect the copper accumulation in hepatocyte lysosomes that reflects the state of cholestasis in patients with primary biliary cirrhosis.

Cuproproteins of hepatocyte lysosomes in normal and fatty liver

The pathophysiological significance of cuproproteins in hepatocyte lysosomes was studied in 7 patients with structurally normal livers and 13 patients with fatty livers by energy-dispersion X-ray microanalysis. In most patients, in both groups, copper and sulfur coexisted in hepatocyte lysosomes. The correlation between copper and sulfur indicated that copper transfer between the cytosol and lysosomes was mediated by a cuproprotein. The copper indices of the lysosomal proteins and transfer proteins were high in some fatty livers. These observations suggest that cuproproteins in hepatocytes are not necessarily pathological, but are present in greater amounts in some fatty livers, probably because of impaired bile drainage.

Negative brain potentials elicited by an unexpected color patch or word

The purpose of this study was to examine whether a physical stimulus that deviates from a semantic context can elicit the N400 component of event-related brain potentials (ERPs). ERPs were recorded while 12 students judged the veracity of a simple statement (e.g., red/is not/blue) presented with the order of subject (S), object (O), and verb (V), which is normal in Japanese grammar. In one condition, S was a color patch and O was a word representing the color, while in the other condition, S was a color name and O was a patch. In both conditions, a late additional negative potential was elicited by the O stimulus when it was mismatched with S. In addition, the negativities elicited by the incongruous color patch and word had the same morphology and scalp distribution. The results indicate that not only a word but a physical stimulus which deviates from a semantic context can elicit the N400 component.

Localization of actin, alpha-actinin, and tropomyosin in bovine spermatozoa and epididymal epithelium

Actin, alpha-actinin, and tropomyosin were localized in the testicular, epididymal, and ejaculated spermatozoa and in the epithelium of the bovine epididymis by means of specific antibodies using an indirect immunofluorescence technique. Immunocytochemical results were confirmed by the western blot analysis. Independent of the method of fixation, washing, or sonication, actin, alpha-actinin, and tropomyosin were all consistently localized in the neck of the spermatozoa. Actin and tropomyosin present in the postacrosomal area could be removed by sonication, whereas alpha-actinin in the basal plate appeared to be resistant to the treatment. In the unwashed spermatozoa alpha-actinin-specific immunofluorescence was seen over the acrosomal area, whereas in the washed sperm it appeared as a narrow cap at the margin of the head. In the latter location, its distribution was similar to that of tropomyosin. In the majority of preparations, tropomyosin could be localized in the principal piece of the tail. Even though some actin-specific immunofluorescence could be identified in the principal piece of the tail of the testicular and epididymal spermatozoa, a strong immunoreaction appeared only in the ejaculated spermatozoa. In the principal cells of the epididymal epithelium, specific fluorescence for actin, alpha-actinin, and tropomyosin occurred in the apical junctional complex. Basal bodies of the solitary cilia of the epididymal epithelium were labelled with antitropomyosin and anti-alpha-actinin antibodies. Besides offering new information about the cytoskeletal composition of the mammalian sperm, the present results support the hypothesized homology between the connecting piece of the sperm neck and the basal body of the cilia.

Role of norepinephrine in the lack of reflex tachycardia after angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitor treatment

Angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitors decrease blood pressure without causing reflex tachycardia in hypertensives, but do not always do so in normotensives. To investigate this phenomenon, hemodynamic changes in normotensive rabbits receiving a subpressor dose of norepinephrine were studied following captopril or diltiazem treatment. We also investigated the effect of captopril on baroreceptor reflex in relation to norepinephrine infusion; the baroreflex sensitivity was determined by the relationship between mean arterial pressure and pulse interval receiving graded doses of phenylephrine. Captopril infusion decreased mean arterial pressure and pulse interval from 84 +/- 4 to 74 +/- 5 mmHg and 244 +/- 7.4 to 216 +/- 7.6 msec, respectively. In contrast, in rabbits receiving a norepinephrine infusion captopril lowered mean arterial pressure to the same extent (92 +/- 5 to 76 +/- 3 mmHg, p less than 0.05) without producing reflex tachycardia. When diltiazem was administered, reflex tachycardia occurred in rabbits both with and without a norepinephrine infusion. There was no difference in the baroreflex sensitivity between rabbits receiving norepinephrine with and without captopril treatment. However, the baroreflex curve showed a slight shift to lower pressures after norepinephrine infusion in the rabbits receiving captopril. These results suggest that elevating circulating norepinephrine might be involved in preventing reflex tachycardia after captopril.

Three stages of copper accumulation in hepatocellular lysosomes: X-ray microanalysis of copper-loaded golden hamsters

Male golden hamsters were loaded with copper by supplying them for up to 12 weeks with drinking water containing 0.5% cupric acetate. The copper feeding increased hepatic copper to widely varying levels. Energy dispersive X-ray microanalysis could always identify a copper-sulphur complex in the hepatocyte lysosomes of copper-loaded hamsters and the X-ray intensity of copper was found to be a reliable parameter to measure in-situ copper accumulation. Combining this parameter with the copper binding ratio expressed by delta Cu/delta S enabled us to discern two stages of sub-histochemical copper accumulation. The first stage was marked by low levels of both lysosomal copper and binding ratio, which suggested that this initial copper transfer was mediated by unsaturated cuproproteins. The second stage was characterized by median amounts of lysosomal copper and a binding ratio of more than 0.50. At the third stage, histochemically detectable copper appeared in animals whose lysosomal copper was extraordinarily high in later experimental periods. With the copper binding ratio being in the same range of 0.50-0.83, it seemed that saturated cuproproteins were the main mediator of copper transport in the later two stages.

Effect of bright light in the morning on diurnal variations of pineal indoles in NZBWF1 mice

Exposure to bright light (2000 lx) for 2 h at the beginning of a 12 h light period (10 lx) resulted in about 1 h advances in the onset and termination of N-acetylserotonin (NAc5HT) synthesis in the pineal gland of NZBWF1 strain mice compared with those in mice not exposed to bright light. These effects are in contrast with the effect of exposure to bright light throughout the light period, which delayed the onset of pineal NAc5HT synthesis in NZB mice. The possible relationship of these effects with the mechanism of action of phototherapy of human affective disorder is discussed.

Negative brain potentials reflect the subjective distance between standard and deviant tones

The purpose of this study was to examine the effects on event-related brain potentials (ERPs) of occasionally presented deviants in a sequence of tones. The sequence consisted of a series of frequent standard C5 tones from the diatonic musical scale, in which three deviants (F #5, C6, and F #6) and a target (C4) were occasionally embedded. Twenty subjects were asked to detect the target. The deviants elicited frontal N2. The amplitude of the N2 was smaller for C6 than for the other two deviants, whereas peak latencies increased as a function of the frequency distance between the deviant and the standard. The smaller N2 to C6 than that to the other deviants was considered to reflect closer subjective distance due to the octave relationship between C6 and the standard C5.

Influence of intensity of illumination during the light period on diurnal variations of pineal indoles in rats and mice

The diurnal variations of pineal indoles in New-Zealand Black (NZB) mice and Wistar rats were determined by HPLC fluorometry. Pineal N-acetylserotonin (NAc5HT) in NZB mice showed a marked diurnal variation, but no melatonin (MLT) was detected at any time of day or night. The night-time increases of NAc5HT in NZB mice and MLT in Wistar rats were delayed about one hour in animals kept under illumination of high intensity (2000 lux) during the light period (12 h) compared with those in animals kept under illumination of low intensity (10 lux). These results suggest that the intensity of illumination during the light period affects the diurnal rhythms of pineal indoles in experimental animals.

Beneficial effect of tan-shen, an extract from the root of Salvia, on post-hypoxic recovery of cardiac contractile force

The present study was undertaken to elucidate the possible effects of tanshinone VI, one of the extracts from the root of Salvia, on post-hypoxic recovery of cardiac contractile force. For this purpose, rat hearts were perfused for 45 min under reoxygenated conditions following 20-min hypoxic perfusion, and changes in tissue high-energy phosphates and calcium contents, and release of ATP metabolites and creatine kinase were examined. Post-hypoxic recovery of cardiac contractile force was augmented when hearts were treated with 42 nM tanshinone VI during hypoxia. This beneficial recovery was accompanied by enhanced restoration of myocardial high-energy phosphates, depression of hypoxia- and reoxygenation-induced increase in tissue calcium content, and suppression of release of ATP metabolites such as adenosine, inosine and hypoxanthine from the perfused heart. The results suggest that tanshinone VI is beneficial for the recovery of cardiac contractility after a certain period of oxygen-deficiency, possibly through mechanisms involving improvement of myocardial energy production upon oxygen-replenishment and/or inhibition of calcium accumulation in the cardiac cell.

An outbreak of foodborne hepatitis A in a factory: a possible shift in age of patients in Japan

We investigated extensively an outbreak of hepatitis A at a factory in suburban Nagoya. Epidemiological study indicated a foodborne outbreak by a supplier of lunches. Serologically, all the employees younger than 30 years of age had been susceptible to hepatitis A virus, but the highest morbidity was observed in the 40-44 age group. The age difference in morbidity from foodborne hepatitis and susceptible populations suggests a shift in mean patient age linked to a shift in antibody prevalence to hepatitis A virus. In communities where the prevalence started shifting after development of sanitary systems, effective prophylaxis for foodborne hepatitis A will be necessary to prevent the disease in an increasing number of older patients in a few decades.

Copper-induced hypercholesterolemia of golden hamsters: enhanced synthesis of cholesterol in the liver

Effects of a subtoxic dose of copper on cholesterol metabolism were studied in male golden hamsters. Intraperitoneal injections of cupric acetate increased serum levels of cholesterol and phospholipids without liver damage. This lipidemia was associated with increased cholesterol of the liver. The participation of hemolysis was denied by peripheral red blood cell tests. Hepatic microsomal 3-hydroxy-3-methyl-glutaryl-CoA reductase was also elevated by copper administration. Biliary secretion of cholesterol increased but that of bile acids remained unchanged, suggesting no impaired degradation of cholesterol. We conclude that hepatic synthesis of cholesterol is enhanced by a subtoxic dose of copper, resulting in hypercholesterolemia.

Effect of exercise on circulating atrial natriuretic peptide and left ventricular ejection fraction in healthy persons and patients with coronary artery disease

Radionuclide angiographic measurements of left ventricular ejection fraction were performed at rest and during exercise in 10 normal persons and 11 patients with coronary artery disease. Exercise was continued on a supine bicycle exercise table up to a symptom-limited maximum. Plasma levels of atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP) were also determined at rest and during exercise. Ejection fraction in the normal volunteers was 59 +/- 3% (mean +/- SEM) at rest and increased significantly (p less than 0.01) to 69 +/- 3% during exercise. Ejection fraction in the patients was 47 +/- 5% at rest and did not change significantly during exercise (51 +/- 7%). Plasma ANP in the normals rose significantly (p less than 0.01) from 62 +/- 16 pg/ml at rest to 454 +/- 94 pg/ml during exercise. Plasma ANP in the patients also rose significantly (p less than 0.01) from 231 +/- 102 pg/ml to 794 +/- 170 pg/ml. The response of plasma ANP to exercise was enhanced significantly (p less than 0.05) in the patients as compared with the normals in relation to ejection fraction by analysis of covariance. In both the normals and the patients, plasma ANP was inversely and significantly correlated with ejection fraction during exercise (r = -0.46, p less than 0.05, n = 21), however, not at rest. Because it has been reported that plasma ANP is correlated positively with pulmonary artery wedge pressure, the estimation of plasma ANP during an exercise stress test might be used for the evaluation of cardiac reserve in coronary artery disease.

Plasma levels of atrial natriuretic peptide in patients with borderline and essential hypertension

Plasma levels of atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP) were measured in outpatients with borderline hypertension (n = 15) and essential hypertension (n = 13) and in normotensive subject (n = 11). There were no significant differences among the three groups in age, serum protein, albumin, or electrolyte levels, plasma renin activity (PRA), or plasma concentrations of aldosterone and cortisol. The plasma ANP levels in the normotensive, borderline hypertensive, and essential hypertensive subjects were 36 +/- 6 pg/ml (mean +/- S.E.), 64 +/- 11 pg/ml, and 82 +/- 14 pg/ml, respectively. The levels in the essential hypertensive subjects were significantly (p less than 0.05) higher than those in the normotensives. In both borderline and essential hypertensives (n = 28), the plasma ANP levels were significantly correlated positively with systolic blood pressure (r = +0.385, p less than 0.05), and negatively with PRA (r = -0.484, p less than 0.05) and serum total calcium (r = -0.516, p less than 0.01). These results suggest that the elevation of circulating ANP in hypertensives is involved in the pathogenesis of hypertension.

Inhibition of mushroom-tyrosinase by aloe extract

Inhibition by ALOE extracts of L-dopa oxidation by mushroom-tyrosinase was examined. 2''- O-Feruloylaloesin and aloesin at concentrations of 0.4 microM showed inhibition of 27 and 30%, respectively. Lineweaver-Burk plots of the concentration of L-dopa in the absence and presence of 2''- O-feruloylaloesin, 0.4 and 0.8 microM, showed that this compound inhibits mushroom-tyrosinase noncompetitively. The K (i) value obtained was 8.5 x 10 (-5) M. 2''- O-Feruloylaloesin and aloesin contents were analyzed by a reversed-phase HPLC, and their seasonal variations were observed.

Sentence verification and event-related brain potentials

The purpose of this study was to examine whether the decision process affected scalp recorded event-related brain potentials (ERPs). ERPs were recorded while 10 subjects evaluated the veracity of four types of Japanese sentences; true-affirmative (TA), true-negative (TN), false-affirmative (FA), and false-negative (FN). Each sentence was presented visually, one word at a time in the following order: Subject (S); object (O); and verb (V). This order of words, which is normal in Japanese grammar, allowed the ERP waveforms associated with semantic mismatch between the S and O occurring in the middle of the sentence to be separated from those elicited by the decision concerning the sentence's truth or falsity occurring at the end of the sentence. Semantic mismatch was associated with a negative component (N310) following the O-word. In addition, P3s were elicited by sentence final words. Affirmative sentences elicited larger P3s than did negative sentences, and true sentences elicited earlier P3s than did false sentences. P3s were smaller in amplitude when they followed a mismatch between the S and O words. The result suggested that by using Japanese sentences, it may be possible to examine sentence-level rather than word-level processes.

Experimental aflatoxicosis in hybro-type chicks: sequential changes in growth and serum constituents and histopathological changes

The effects of aflatoxin B1 on Hybro-type chicks were determined. Seven day-old chicks of both sexes were fed a diet containing aflatoxin at 0.5 ppm for 4 weeks. When compared to the controls, body weights and efficiency of feed utilization were depressed in the aflatoxin-fed group. The activities of serum sorbitol dehydrogenase (SDH) and glutamic dehydrogenase (GDH) and concentrations of potassium were significantly elevated, and total protein and calcium levels were decreased in aflatoxin-fed chicks. There were no consistent differences in the concentrations of other serum constituents between the controls and test birds. Histopathological examinations of liver and kidney sections revealed typical lesions of aflatoxicosis. In the kidney, recovery was slow as indicated by the presence of vacuolation and necrosis of the cells of many renal convoluted tubules 3 weeks after withdrawal of the experimental ration.

Prostaglandins in enhanced pressor response in renal prehypertensive rabbits

The role of prostaglandins (PGs) in the pressor response to norepinephrine (NE) was examined in one-kidney, one clip rabbits with renal artery stenosis for 3-day's duration (3-day clipped rabbits) and in sham operated rabbits with one-kidney without renal artery stenosis. An exaggerated pressor response to NE, 800 ng/kg/min, was observed in the 3-day clipped rabbits, and it was abolished by angiotensin II antagonist, [Sar1, Ile8] angiotensin II (AIIA). Treatment with indomethacin, 10 mg/kg, induced hyperresponsiveness to NE in the sham operated rabbits and also produced a further increase in the response in the 3-day clipped rabbits: the enhanced responses with similar levels were not attenuated by AIIA in both groups. A subdepressor dose of PGE2, 800 ng/kg/min, abolished the hyperresponsiveness in the 3-day clipped rabbits, while subdepressor or depressor dose of PGI2, 10 or 20 ng/kg/min did not, but the concurrent infusion of AIIA with PGI2 attenuated it. These results indicate that PGs, in particular PGE2 might be involved in the enhanced pressor response to NE in the 3-day clipped rabbits in addition to the altered renin-angiotensin system.

Analyses on lipid-rich organelles of the rat liver after bile duct ligation

A fraction of lipid-rich organelles of rat livers was analyzed to study the effect of bile duct ligation on lipid metabolism. The lipid fraction of the control rats consisted mainly of Golgi-derived dense bodies. Three days after the ligation, myelin-like figures and increased phospholipids and cholesterol were characteristic of the fraction. Two weeks ligation resulted in proliferation of lysosomal electron dense bodies. As their volume density expanded, phospholipids and cholesterol increased. Electrophoresis indicated a reduced rate of VLDL assembly after ligation. The Golgi-dominant phase is converted to the lysosomal phase in the heavy subfraction after the bile duct ligation. This subcellular change could be a consequence of secondary lipidosis: hepatocyte lysosomes have been exhausted in sorting accumulated lipids into secretory lipoproteins.

Specific suppression of antigen-antibody reactions by a dialysate from Dermatophagoides farinae

Mite dialysate prepared from an extract of house dust mite, Dermatophagoides farinae, suppressed 48-h homologous passive cutaneous anaphylaxis (PCA) in rats caused by a non-dialyzable fraction of the mite extract (mite antigen), and the suppression was dose-dependent with a high specificity for the antigen. The mite dialysate itself slightly elicited the PCA. Fraction 3 obtained from the mite dialysate by means of DEAE-Sephadex A-25 column chromatography suppressed PCA in rats and guinea pigs more potently than mite dialysate. Histamine release from sensitized rat peritoneal exudate cells (PEC) induced by the mite antigen was suppressed in a dose-dependent manner when the PEC had been previously incubated with fraction 3. However, incubation of the PEC with fraction 3 caused a significant release of histamine compared to the spontaneous value. Fraction 3 clearly inhibited the passive hemagglutination of the mite antigen-conjugated sheep red blood cells caused by rat hyperimmunized serum. From these results it was considered that certain haptenic substances might be present in the mite dialysate.

A copper-sulfur complex in the liver of a patient with Wilson's disease

An asymptomatic 16-year-old boy was found to have Wilson's disease without Kayser-Fleischer rings. Liver biopsy showed chronic active hepatitis with 1025 micrograms copper/g dry weight. After 19 months of d-penicillamine therapy, the liver histology became almost normal and the copper content decreased to 238 micrograms/g dry weight. The liver specimens obtained before and after treatment were studied by X-ray probe microanalysis. After treatment, both copper and sulfur decreased in hepatocellular lysosomes. The estimated molar ratio of the decreased copper to the decreased sulfur was 32/100. These figures suggest that lysosomal copper exists in the form of metallothionein.

Inhibition of IgE antibody formation by n-pentyl alpha-L-sorbopyranoside

Effect of n-pentyl glycosides and alkyl alpha-L-sorbopyranosides on IgE antibody formation in rats and mice were investigated. When n-pentyl alpha-L-sorbopyranoside was given subcutaneously or orally, the IgE antibody formation in rats and mice was suppressed, while no suppression of hemagglutinin formation was observed. The study on timing of administration indicated that n-pentyl alpha-L-sorbopyranoside significantly suppressed the secondary IgE antibody response when administered before the secondary immunization.

An association of mercury with selenium in inorganic mercury intoxication

Energy dispersive X-ray analysis was performed on the renal tubular cells of two patients with inorganic mercury intoxication. Some lysosomes of these cells consisted of unusual matrices of aggregated electron-dense grains which were positive for mercury, selenium and sulphur. Though maps of the specific X-rays of both mercury and selenium coincided exactly with these lysosomes, the molecular ratio of selenium to mercury ranged between zero and 2.9. It is unlikely that the trace element of selenium and exogenous inorganic mercury are deposited in the lysosomes independent of each other, but rather their coexistence in the characteristic lysosomes strongly suggests a compound formed by binding mercury to the SeH residues of selenoprotein.

Effect of aloe lectin on deoxyribonucleic acid synthesis in baby hamster kidney cells

A homogeneous glycoprotein (mol. wt 40,000) containing 34% carbohydrate was isolated from Aloe arborescens var. natalensis. At a concentration of 5 micrograms/ml, this glycoprotein was shown to stimulate deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) synthesis in baby hamster kidney (BHK) cells and to have the properties of a lectin which reacts with sheep blood cells. The chemical and physical properties of the glycoprotein (aloe lectin) are also discussed.