Glomerulocystic kidney associated with subacute necrotizing-encephalomyelopathy

A 22-year-old man with subacute necrotizing-encephalomyelopathy (SNE; Leigh's disease) was diagnosed as having progressive renal dysfunction. The clinical diagnosis of Leigh's disease was obtained by the typical central nervous lesions, abnormalities in other organs, and increased lactate concentrations in blood and cerebrospinal fluid. We performed an open biopsy of the right kidney. Light microscopic studies of the renal specimen showed diffuse glomerulocystic kidney (GCK) with tubulointerstitial damage. Electron microscopic examination showed marked swelling and increase in the number of mitochondria of the renal tubular epithelial cells. Therefore, it is suggested that mitochondrial disease seems to play an important role in developing GCK.

[An autopsy case of systemic sclerosis with small cell carcinoma of the lung]

We report an autopsy of a 69-year-old woman who had systemic sclerosis with small cell carcinoma of the lung. She had interstitial pneumonia associated with systemic sclerosis and was admitted to our hospital because of acute on chronic respiratory failure due to a respiratory tract infection. Although she was treated with antibiotics, artificial respiration, and so on, she died 54 days after admission of exacerbation of respiratory failure. Histopathological examination at autopsy revealed intermediate cell type small cell carcinoma of the lung and usual interstitial pneumonia. It is generally said that the most common type of lung cancer associated with systemic sclerosis is adenocarcinoma or alveolar cell carcinoma, and that small cell carcinoma is rare. No autopsy case of systemic sclerosis with small cell carcinoma of the lung has ever been reported in Japan. Small cell carcinoma of the lung is more responsive to chemotherapy and radiotherapy than other histological types of lung cancer. Patients with small cell lung cancer are generally treated with chemotherapy alone or a combination of chemotherapy and radiotherapy. It is important to remember that the lung cancers that may be complicated with systemic sclerosis include not only adenocarcinoma and alveolar cell carcinoma but also small cell carcinoma of the lung, because the histological type may dictate the treatment.

QSAR model for drug human oral bioavailability

The quantitative structure-bioavailability relationship of 232 structurally diverse drugs was studied to evaluate the feasibility of constructing a predictive model for the human oral bioavailability of prospective new medicinal agents. The oral bioavailability determined in human adults was assigned one of four ratings and analyzed in relation to physicochemical and structural factors by the ORMUCS (ordered multicategorical classification method using the simplex technique) method. A systematic examination of various physicochemical parameters relating primarily to absorption, and structural elements which could influence metabolism, was carried out to analyze their effects on the bioavailabilty classification of drugs in the data set. Lipophilicity, expressed as the distribution coefficient at pH 6.5, was found to be a significant factor influencing bioavailability. The observation that acids generally had better bioavailability characteristics than bases, with neutral compounds between, led to the formulation of a new parameter, Delta log D (log D(6.5) - log D(7.4)), which proved to be an important contributor in improving the classification results. The addition of 15 structural descriptors relating primarily to well-known metabolic processes yielded a satisfactory QSAR equation which had a correct classification rate of 71% (97% within one class) and a Spearman rank correlation coefficient (R(s)) of 0.851, despite the diversity of structure and pharmacological activity in the compound set. In leave-one-out tests, an average of 67% of drugs were correctly classified (96% within one class) with an R(s) of 0.812. The relationship formulated identified significant factors influencing bioavailability and assigned them quantitative values expressing their contribution. The predictive power of the model was evaluated using a separate test set of 40 compounds, of which 60% (95% within one class) were correctly classified. Since the necessary physicochemical parameters can be calculated or estimated and the structural descriptors are obtained from an inspection of the structure, the model enables a rough estimate to be made of the prospective human oral bioavailability of unsynthesized compounds. Also, the model has the advantage of transparency in that it indicates which factors may affect bioavailabilty and the extent of that effect. This could be useful in designing compounds which are more bioavailable. Refinement of the model is possible as more bioavailability data becomes available. Potential uses are in drug design, prioritization of compounds for synthesis, and selection for detailed studies of early compound leads in drug discovery programs.

Survey of microcystins in water between 1995 and 1996 in Paraná, Brazil using ELISA

An enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) based on a monoclonal antibody was used to determine microcystin (MC) concentrations in water supplies and water plant samples collected between November 1995 and October 1996, from five regions of Paraná, Brazil. In addition, the presence of Microcystis sp. was monitored. Of the 50 samples obtained, 12 were from an urban lake, 8 from human water supplies, 10 from recreational lakes, 13 from farm waters used for animal pasture and 7 from aquaculture facilities. M. aeruginosa was positive in all locations. MCs were positive (>50 pg ml(-1)) in 9 samples (2 samples from human water supplies, 5 from recreational lakes and 2 from animal pasture). Heavy contamination with MCs was observed in water samples collected in May 1996 from 2 recreation (swimming-fishing sites at Itaipu dam, 6380 and 10,000 pg ml(-1)) and human supplies (6627 pg ml(-1)) samples. At these sites, a large bloom of Microcystis sp. was detected. Treatment with 1 ppm Cl- reduced MCs levels, although 267 pg ml(-1) remained in the water plant samples. Our data showed frequent occurrence of Microcystis sp., which may be a hazard to humans and animals in the state of Paraná. More detailed investigations are required to evaluate the risk of natural MC contamination in the water supplied in this region.

A new type sandwich immunoassay for microcystin: production of monoclonal antibodies specific to the immune complex formed by microcystin and an anti-microcystin monoclonal antibody

To develop an ultrasensitive immunoassay for microcystins (MCs), a group of heptapeptide hepatotoxins produced by cyanobacteria, we produced monoclonal antibodies (MAbs) which specifically recognize the immune complex (IC) formed by an anti-MC MAb (MC MAb) and MCs. The use of the anti-IC MAb (IC MAb) as the secondary antibody made it possible to develop a sandwich type immunoassay, which is theoretically superior to the widely used competitive immunoassay in sensitivity as well as accuracy. A MC MAb mixed with microcystin-LR (MCLR) to form the IC was immunized to mice. Three IC MAbs were obtained, all of which specifically reacted with the IC, but almost never reacted to MC MAb or MCLR in enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISAs). Binding kinetics study of one of the IC MAbs, 3F7, by a BIAcore biosensor technique revealed that 3F7 IC MAb could associate with free MC MAb as well as the IC, but the binding to free MC MAb was much more easily dissociated than that to the IC, thus resulting in about 300-fold higher affinity of 3F7 for the IC than for MC MAb alone (1.8 x 10(9) M(-1) and 4.6 x 10(6) M(-1) for the IC and MC MAb, respectively). Finally, 3F7 IC MAb was shown to react with the IC formed by the addition of MCLR to MC MAb-coated plates in a dose-dependent manner. Therefore, a new type sandwich immunoassay, anti-immune complex ELISA (IC ELISA) for MCs, was indeed established. The detection limit of the IC ELISA was 2 pg of MCLR ml(-1) (50 fg per assay), making it the most sensitive of all the methods for detecting MCs reported to date.

A new boronated porphyrin (STA-BX909) for neutron capture therapy: an in vitro survival assay and in vivo tissue uptake study

A new boronated porphyrin compound (STA-BX909) was developed as a possible agent for boron neutron capture therapy. The boron concentration was measured by an in vivo rat experimental brain tumor model and an in vitro cell culture study. This agent was compared to sodium borocaptate (BSH) which has been used in clinical trials of boron neutron capture therapy. In the 9L rat brain tumor model, STA-BX909 achieved a higher boron tumor/blood ratio 24 h after injection in comparison to BSH. A boron concentration study in cultured glioma cell lines (U-251, U-87, 9L) demonstrated an increased boron concentration as a function of exposure time to STA-BX909, while the boron concentration remained stable with increasing exposure time to BSH. Use of a colony forming assay with thermal neutron irradiation revealed more cytotoxicity with STA-BX909 than BSH when the same concentration of 10B was administered. We concluded that STA-BX909 may be an effective drug for use in boron neutron capture therapy and that it merits further investigation.

[The effect of media violence on aggression: is aggressive behavior mediated by aggressive cognitions and emotions?]

This study investigated whether cognitions and emotions elicited by media violence mediate aggressive behavior. Eighty undergraduates, 40 men and 40 women, participated in the experiment. First, subjects were exposed to one of four violent videos which varied in levels of violence and entertainment. Subjects' heart rate and eyeblink rate were continuously recorded while they watched the video. After watching it, subjects described their thoughts which occurred while watching it and rated their affective reactions to it. Finally, their aggressive behavior was measured. Results showed that (1) videos high in violence elicited more aggressive thoughts, more thoughts of negative affect, stronger negative affects, and stronger empty-powerless affects, whereas videos high in entertainment elicited stronger positive affects; (2) no significant differences were found among the videos in terms of physiological reactions and aggressive behavior; and (3) cognitions and emotions elicited by media violence did not mediate aggressive behavior.

Mechanisms of non-drowsiness after oral administration of TMK688, a novel antiallergic drug

The mechanisms of non-drowsiness after oral administration of TMK688 (1- [[5'-(3"-methoxy-4"-ethoxycarbonyloxyphenyl)-2',4'-pentadienoyl ] aminoethyl]-4-diphenylmethoxypiperidine, CAS 110501-66-1) were investigated using mice. TMK688 inhibited the histamine-induced vascular permeability at oral doses of 3.2-10 mg/kg with an ID50 value of 5.4 mg/kg. More than 100 times higher doses were needed to prolong the hexobarbital-induced sleeping. Pyrilamine, a typical antihistamine agent, showed little difference among these doses and antiallergic drugs having antihistamine activity, i.e., terfenadine, azelastine and ketotifen, had effects between TMK688 and pyrilamine. The inhibitory activity of orally administered TMK688 against ex vivo [3H]-pyrilamine binding to mouse cerebral histamine receptors appeared at the same doses as its potentiating activity against hexobarbital-induced sleeping. When given orally, TMK688 was hydrolyzed to TMK777 (CAS 101619-11-8), then conjugated with glucuronic acid to TMK777-glucuronide. No TMK688 was detected in the blood. The main metabolite TMK777-glucuronide could hardly penetrate the blood-brain barrier because of its polarity. Although the plasma concentrations of TMK777 were far lower than those of TMK777-glucuronide, TMK777 was penetrable into the brain and the cerebral concentrations of TMK777 increased in parallel with the plasma concentrations of the drug. Since intracerebroventricularly-injected TMK777 prolonged the sleeping time, and since the threshold concentration of TMK777 in the cerebral cortex to potentiate the hexobarbital-induced sleeping was consistent despite different administration routes, the drowsiness elicited by markedly high doses of TMK688 is though to be caused by intracerebral TMK777. In other words, TMK688 does not seem to cause drowsiness at effective doses because of the poor prenetrability of its main metabolites into the brain.

Cell cycle dependency of porphyrin uptake in a glioma cell line

We used a two-color analysis system to assess the porphyrin uptake and DNA content in four established cell lines of glioma employing flow cytometry (FCM). The FCM study revealed porphyrin uptake in all cells, regardless of the phase of the cell cycle they were in. However, those in the G0/G1 phase showed moderate uptake of porphyrin and those in the G2/M phase showed a higher uptake. These results indicated the advantage of using porphyrin as the carrier of tumor targeting agents as a therapeutic strategy for malignant tumors.

[The effects of media violence on affective, cognitive, and physiological reactions of viewers]

The present study investigated the effects of media violence on affective, cognitive, and physiological reactions of viewers. Eighty undergraduate student (male = 40, female = 40) participated in the experiment. First, subjects were exposed to one of four violent films whose levels of violence and entertainment were based on ratings taken in a previous study (Yoshida & Yukawa, 1996). Immediately after viewing the film, subjects described their thoughts which occurred during watching the film and rated their affective reactions toward the film. Heart rate and eyeblink rate as indicators of physiological arousal were measured continuously before, during, and after the film. Results showed that the film high in violence elicited more negative and empty-powerless affects, while the film high in entertainment evoked more positive affects.

Manganese-metalloporphyrin (ATN-10) as a tumor-localizing agent: magnetic resonance imaging and inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectroscopy study with experimental brain tumors

OBJECTIVE

We examined whether selective tumor accumulation of a novel manganese-metalloporphyrin (ATN-10) occurs in Fisher rats bearing intracerebral 9L gliomas.

METHODS

After intravenous administration of ATN-10, magnetic resonance imaging of brains with tumors or nontumoral vasogenic brain edema was performed. Tissue manganese concentrations were measured by inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectroscopy until 48 hours after administration of ATN-10, to evaluate its uptake in tumor, normal brain, and peritumoral brain tissue.

RESULTS

In magnetic resonance imaging scans, early enhancement was observed in both tumor tissue and regions of nontumoral vasogenic brain edema at 5 minutes after ATN-10 administration. However, delayed enhancement was noted only in tumor tissue, at 24 hours after intravenous injection of ATN-10. Comparison of rat brain specimens and 24-hour magnetic resonance imaging scans revealed that only the viable portions of tumors were enhanced with ATN-10; necrotic regions and areas of peritumoral brain tissue and nontumoral vasogenic edema were not. Significantly greater uptake of ATN-10 was found in tumor samples, compared with normal and peritumoral brain tissue, at 24 hours. A high tumor/normal brain tissue ratio (10.4) was achieved at 24 hours.

CONCLUSION

ATN-10, a manganese-metalloporphyrin, is a potentially useful tumor-localizing agent that accumulates and is preferentially retained in viable tumor tissue.

Antibody to thrombin receptor inhibits neointimal smooth muscle cell accumulation without causing inhibition of platelet aggregation or altering hemostatic parameters after angioplasty in rat

An antibody was raised in rabbits against SFFLRNPSEDTFEQF peptide, which is an NH2-terminal peptide of the thrombin-cleaved rat thrombin receptor. In vitro, the antibody inhibited rat smooth muscle cell proliferation but had no effect on rat platelet aggregation or clotting time. These data indicate that the antibody is a specific blocker of the thrombin receptor-signaling pathway in rat smooth muscle cells but does not work as a blocker in rat platelets, suggesting the existence of a second thrombin receptor in the platelets. Using an in vivo balloon catheter-induced injury model in rats, we examined the effect of the anti-rat thrombin receptor IgG on intimal smooth muscle cell accumulation 2 weeks after angioplasty. Analysis of the ratio of intimal to medial cross-sectional areas showed that injection of immune IgG resulted in 43.7% and 53.1% reduction (P<0.01) of neointimal smooth muscle cell accumulation compared with saline and nonimmune IgG treatment, respectively. Moreover, the injection of immune IgG caused a significant decrease of thrombin receptor mRNA expression and also 40.5% and 43.0% decreases (P<0.01) of the proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) index in the intima compared with the PCNA index after saline and nonimmune IgG treatment, respectively. The suppression of the PCNA index was also observed in the immune IgG-treated group at an early stage after angioplasty. These results suggest that thrombin receptor activation is involved in the proliferation and accumulation of neointimal smooth muscle cells induced by balloon injury.

Immunohistochemical localization of microcystin-LR in the liver of mice: a study on the pathogenesis of microcystin-LR-induced hepatotoxicity

The relationship between the intralobular sites of hepatotoxic injury and the distribution of microcystin-LR (MCLR), an inhibitor of protein phosphatases 1 (PP1) and 2A (PP2A), was examined using an immunohistochemical method with a monoclonal antibody specific to MCLR on the livers of mice receiving a single i.p. injection of the MCLR. Immunoblotting and high-performance liquid chromatography analyses of liver extracts were also performed to determine the binding form of MCLR to PP1 and PP2A (MCLR-PP1/PP2A adducts) and free MCLR. Immunohistochemistry revealed a discernible intensity of staining in the centrilobular regions where hemorrhage and apoptosis occurred. In these regions, immunopositivity was evident in the cytoplasm and nuclei of the hepatocytes; some apoptotic cells were also immunopositive. In contrast, coagulative necrosis, which was mainly evident in the midlobular regions, was completely negative. Analysis of liver extracts demonstrated MCLR-PP1/PP2A adducts, but free MCLR was below detection limit. These results suggest that the immunohistochemical localization of MCLR in centrilobular hepatocytes is closely associated with the onset of hemorrhage and apoptosis and is related to adduct formation. The occurrence of coagulative necrosis however might also be related to other factors such as ischemia/hypoxia.

A new spontaneous animal model of NIDDM without obesity in the musk shrew

The EDS (early-onset diabetes in suncus) colony has been developed as a new closed breeding colony of the musk shrew (Suncus murinus, Insectivora) exhibiting a high incidence of spontaneous diabetes mellitus. We investigated the characteristic features of diabetic shrews in this colony. All diabetic shrews are characterized by glycosuria (Tes-tape value > or = 3+), hyperglycemia (23.3 +/- 0.8 mmol/l) and polyuria, and they were affected by the age of 3 months. Cumulative incidence (64.1% in males and 27.8% in females) was kept intact after the age of 3 months. The growth pattern of diabetic shrews was similar to that of non-diabetic shrews, and obesity was not consistent in diabetic shrews. The intraperioneal glucose tolerance test revealed both impaired glucose tolerance and impaired insulin secretion in diabetic shrews. Insulin sensitivity of diabetic shrews decreased in the intraperioneal insulin tolerance test. Neither severe hypertrophy nor lymphocytic infiltration was observed in pancreatic islets of diabetic shrews. These facts suggested that diabetic shrews in the EDS colony should be classified as early-onset non-insulin dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM) without obesity. Early-onset of severe hyperglycemia with impaired glucose tolerance is a distinctive character compared with other non-obese NIDDM models in rodents. We concluded that the diabetic shrews in the EDS colony are a new animal model of human NIDDM without obesity.

Anti-idiotype monoclonal antibodies against anti-microcystin antibody and their use in enzyme immunoassay

Microcystins (MCs), a group of heptapeptide hepatotoxins produced by cyanobacteria, are suspected as tumor-promoter contaminants of environmental water. We have previously developed an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) for MCs based on an anti-MC MAb (MAb-mc). We describe here the production of anti-idiotype MAbs (MAb-ids) which react with MAb-mc and their use in a new ELISA for MCs. For the production of MAb-id, hybridoma cells were generated from mice immunized with MAb-mc. Two MAbs were selected for their ability to inhibit the binding of MAb-mc to microcystin-LR (MCLR)-bovine serum albumin conjugate in ELISA. The one with the higher inhibitory activity, designated Id7 (IgG1, kappa), was further characterized. ELISA and immunoprecipitation analysis revealed that Id7 specifically bound to MAb-mc but not to control IgG1, and the binding was inhibited by free MCLR. Therefore, Id7 is a MAb-id to MAb-mc and potentially possesses the structural image of MCLR. To establish MAb-id based ELISA, Id7 was tested for use in three types of competitive ELISA for MCs. The best format enabled reliable measurements of MCLR in the range of 100-1000 pg/ml with a coefficient of variation of less than 3%. In addition, microcystin-RR and microcystin-YR, principal MCs found in environmental water, were cross-reacted well (67-111% of MCLR) in the ELISA although 6(Z)-MCLR, a minor component, was less reactive (7% of MCLR). A comparative study of the MAb-id based ELISA with previously established MAb-mc based ELISA revealed good correlation (n = 14, r = 0.97) between the two methods for measurements of MCs content in freshwater samples. Thus, developed MAb-id based ELISA is an useful alternative for environmental monitoring of MCs.