Simultaneous quantification of prostaglandins in human synovial cell-cultured medium using liquid chromatography/tandem mass spectrometry

A liquid chromatographic-tandem mass spectrometric (LC/MS-MS) method was developed for the simultaneous quantification of prostaglandin (PG) E(2), PGF(2alpha), 6-keto-PGF(lalpha) and thromboxane (TX) B(2). These eicosanoids and their deuterium derivatives, using as internal standards, were extracted by solid-phase extraction and analyzed using LC/MS-MS in the selected reaction-monitoring (SRM) mode. A good linear response over the range of 10 pg to 10 ng for each eicosanoid was demonstrated. The accuracy of added eicosanoids ranged from 94.1 to 106.6% and coefficients of variation ranged from 0.62 to 7.8%. Furthermore, we applied this method for the determination of eicosanoids in the human synovial cell-cultured medium, stimulated by lipopolysaccharide (LPS). LPS produced each eicosanoid and they increased in a time-dependent manner. The production levels after 24 h stimulation were 6-keto-PGF(1alpha) > PGE(2) > TXB(2) >> PGF(2alpha). This simultaneous quantification method is so useful to clarify the function of synovial cells in rheumatoid arthritis (RA).

Cancer-associated myofibroblasts possess various factors to promote endometrial tumor progression

Myofibroblastic invasion associated with malignant epithelial cells of endometrial cancer as well as other cancers is often found in the interstitium. To assess the myofibroblastic-epithelial interaction, frozen sections from a total of 10 endometrial cancers with or without invasive myofibroblasts were immunohistochemically examined. Interestingly, the invasive myofibroblasts adjacent to malignant epithelial cells showed frequently intensive positive staining of several growth factors such as vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), insulin-like growth factor I, and epidermal growth factor, the cognate receptors such as Fetal liver kinase-1/Kinase Insert Domain-containing receptor/VEGF receptor-2, fms-like tyrosine kinase-1/VEGF receptor-1, and epidermal growth factor receptor, several cell cycle regulators such as cyclins and cyclin dependent kinases, and estrogen receptor alpha. Moreover, we indicated that the majority of the myofibroblasts as well as cancer epithelial cells are proliferating because of their positive staining of proliferating cell nuclear antigen and Ki-67. Furthermore, the myofibroblasts were also positive of hypoxia-inducible factor 1 alpha, which is a marker protein of hypoxia, probably followed by activation of VEGF-Flk-1 and VEGF-fms-like tyrosine kinase-1 signals, which could initiate angiogenesis. These findings suggest directly that the myofibroblasts might participate in the progression of tumor cells in terms of cancer cell growth stimulation and also activated initiation of angiogenesis.

Influence of anesthesia on brain distribution of [(11)C]methamphetamine in monkeys in positron emission tomography (PET) study

We investigated the influence of anesthesia on the brain distribution of [11C]methamphetamine (MAP) obtained by the positron emission tomography (PET) using the normal rhesus monkeys. We clarified that the brain uptake of [11C]MAP under halothane anesthesia was faster and higher than that under pentobarbital. The difference of the effect of anesthesia is an important problem in pharmacokinetic study in PET with experimental animals.

Concise synthesis of ciguatoxin ABC-ring fragments and surface plasmon resonance study of the interaction of their BSA conjugates with monoclonal antibodies

Monoclonal antibodies (mAbs), 4H2 and 6H7, were prepared previously using a protein conjugate of a 1:1 epimeric mixture of the synthetic ABC-ring fragments of ciguatoxin (CTX), 3 and 4. Here, the interactions of these mAbs with the fragments of CTX and CTX3C, 3 and 5, were investigated by surface plasmon resonance (SPR) spectroscopy in an attempt to clarify an antigenic determinant. Compared with the previous synthesis, the fragment 3 possessing the 2S configuration was synthesized from tri-O-acetyl-D-glucal much more effectively. The mAb 4H2 was already known to show a dose-dependent binding to the bovine serum albumin (BSA) conjugate of 3, but not to that of 5. The present SPR study of 4H2 demonstrates that the A-ring side chain of 3 plays a decisive role as an epitope. Therefore, SPR can effectively replace the ELISA method for the analysis of mAbs.

Nonlinear magneto-optical properties of colossal magnetoresistive manganites

Pr(1--x)CaxMnO(3) and Nd(1--x)SrxMnO(3) were investigated with three-photon difference frequency generation (DFG). This method allows one to determine both the crystalline and the magnetic symmetry. In the highly ordered low-temperature phase of Nd(0.50)Sr(0.50)MnO(3), a DFG contribution coupling simultaneously to antiferromagnetic and charge ordering was observed and used to reveal the formation of domains. Thus, magnetically induced three-photon processes are introduced into the fields of both nonlinear magneto-optics and colossal magnetoresistance as a powerful new method.

Jahn-Teller phonon anomaly and dynamic phase fluctuations in La0.7Ca0.3MnO3

Inelastic neutron scattering was used to study the temperature (T) dependence of the lattice excitations in La 0.7Ca 0.3MnO (3). An optical Jahn-Teller phonon exhibits continuous but anomalous damping with increasing temperature in the ferromagnetic-metallic phase and collapses above the Curie temperature T(C) (240 K). We attribute this anomaly to the growing dynamic phase segregation as T-->T(C), thus providing evidence of local fluctuations associated with the short-range polaron or charge/orbital ordering in the ferromagnetic-metallic state.

cDNA cloning and expression of swine IL-7 from neonatal intestinal epithelium

Swine IL-7 (sIL-7) cDNA has been isolated from neonatal intestinal epithelium by reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) with designated primers based on the conserved sequences of the other mammalian IL-7. Recombinant sIL-7 was able to induce the bone marrow cell proliferation like human IL-7. The complete open reading frame contains 531 bp coding deduced 176 amino acid residues, with a calculated molecular mass of 20.1 kDa. The observed similarity between swine and human IL-7 sequences (66% identical and 89% conserved) suggests that a study on the immune responses correlated with IL-7 in the gut of swine will be valuable to understand their mechanisms in human. By RT-PCR using the constructed specific primers to sIL-7, sIL-7 mRNA was confirmed to be expressed in swine intestine, thymus, kidney and skin but not in the heart.

Detection of human papillomavirus type 33 DNA in extragenital Bowen's disease with the polymerase chain reaction

BACKGROUND

Data on the association of human papillomavirus (HPV) infection with extragenital Bowen's disease are very scarce.

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate the prevalence of HPV infection in extragenital Bowen's disease showing histologically a number of koilocytes in the lesional epidermis, we studied formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded tissues of 9 such cases.

METHODS

HPV DNA was studied in such samples by the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and in situ hybridization.

RESULTS

Despite negative results with in situ hybridization, the PCR with HPV type 33 primer detected the presence of virus DNA in 2 out of 9 cases.

CONCLUSION

As far as we know, this is the first report of the detection of HPV type 33 DNA in the lesional skin of extragenital Bowen's disease. The prevalence of HPV infection in extragenital Bowen's disease may be higher than expected, especially in cases histologically showing many koilocytes in the lesional epidermis.

Short-range polaron correlations in the ferromagnetic La1-xCaxMnO3

We use neutron scattering to demonstrate the presence of lattice polarons and their short-range correlations for several samples of La1-xCaxMnO3 in the Ca doping range 0.15</=x</=0.3. We establish the doping dependence of the orientation, commensuration, and coherence length of the polaron correlations and show that the populations of correlated and uncorrelated polarons are intimately related to the transport properties of the materials.

Ultrafast spin dynamics and critical behavior in half-metallic ferromagnet: Sr2FeMoO6

Ultrafast spin dynamics in ferromagnetic half-metallic compound Sr2FeMoO6 is investigated by pump-probe measurements of the magneto-optical Kerr effect. The half-metallic nature of this material gives rise to anomalous thermal insulation between spins and electrons and allows us to pursue the spin dynamics from a few to several hundred picoseconds after the optical excitation. The optically detected magnetization dynamics clearly shows the crossover from microscopic photoinduced demagnetization to macroscopic critical behavior with universal power law divergence of relaxation time for a wide dynamical critical region.

Determination of serum concentrations of glycyrrhizin in humans by semi-micro high-performance liquid chromatography after administration of a therapeutic dose

A simple and sensitive semi-micro high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) was established for determining the serum levels of glycyrrhizin (GL) in humans. Butyl p-hydroxybenzoate was used as the internal standard and serum was deproteinized by methanol. The samples were separated on a Capcell Pak C18 UG120 column (150 x 1.5 mm i.d.; particle size, 5 microm). The detection limit of GL in serum was 100 ng/ml, which enables determination of serum levels of GL after administration of a therapeutic dose. The time-course study suggested that the elimination rate of GL differed between subjects for the same administered dose, although the sample was too small to allow a meaningful comment. In clinical practice, GL is used for its antiviral and anti-inflammatory effects. Excessive administration of GL can induce pseudoaldosteronism; however the optimal GL concentration in serum remains to be determined. The determination method reported here is expected to aid in the safe and efficient use of the drug in clinical practice.

Isolation of Neospora caninum from the brain of a naturally infected adult dairy cow

Neospora caninum was isolated from the brain of a 2-year-old dairy cow that had aborted confirmed N. caninum-infected fetuses on two occasions. The cow had an indirect fluorescent antibody titer of 1:1600 to N. caninum. The cow was killed 24 days after its second abortion and the brain was bioassayed for N. caninum in nude mice. Multifocal areas of perivascular cuffing and glial nodules were observed in the cerebrum and mesencephalon of the cow, but N. caninum was not identified in histological sections of the brain. All three nude mice inoculated with brain homogenate of the cow, developed emaciation and paralysis. Microscopical examination of the nude mice revealed systemic N. caninum infection with demonstrable tachyzoites in various organs. The parasites isolated from fresh mouse brain were transferred successfully into Vero cell cultures. PCR procedure on the purified tachyzoites obtained from the Vero cell cultures amplified the specific DNA sequence for N. caninum.

Mesoscopic thermodynamics of an inhomogeneous colossal-magnetoresistive phase

Equilibrium conductivity fluctuations of mesoscopic domains are found in film and bulk single-crystal manganite colossal magnetoresistive material. Temperature and field dependences of the Boltzmann factors for a collection of two-state fluctuators give measures of the magnetic moment and entropy differences between the states, and of the fluctuator volumes. The large resistance step size implies dramatic current inhomogeneities. Occasional anomalous temperature dependences indicate that the film inhomogeneous phase is stabilized by a repulsive interaction between conducting regions.

[Neoadjuvant chemotherapy with cisplatin and CPT-11 for advanced cervical cancer]

Neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC) is currently used for the treatment of advanced cervical cancer by many institutions. We investigated the value of NAC followed by radical surgery and/or radiotherapy for patients with locally advanced cervical cancer. Sixteen patients with stage Ib2-IIIb cervical cancer were enrolled in this study. CPT-11 (60 mg/m2) in 500 m/5% glucose was given intravenously on Days 1, 8, and 15, before cisplatin (60 mg/m2) in 500 ml normal saline. The treatment was repeated every 4 weeks for 2 or 3 cycles. All patients were evaluable for response and toxicity. Two achieved a clinical complete response (CR), 11 had a partial response (PR), 2 had no change (NC) and 1 had progressive disease (PD), for an overall response of 81.3%. Neutropenia was observed in 100% (> grade 3: 70.6%) and diarrhea was recorded in 55.9% (> grade 3: 5.9%). The combination of CPT-11 and cisplatin in locally advanced cervical cancer is thus an active regimen with a manageable toxicity as a neoadjuvant chemotherapy.

Fas-mediated apoptosis is enhanced by glycyrrhizin without alteration of caspase-3-like activity

We demonstrate that glycyrrhizin (GL) enhanced Fas-mediated apoptotic body formation and DNA fragmentation in T cell lines although GL alone did not induce apoptosis. The enhancement effect of Fas-mediated apoptosis by GL was dose-dependent above 0.3 microM. Time course study revealed that simultaneous co-treatment of GL and anti-Fas antibody was crucial for the enhancement of apoptosis and pretreatment with GL was not effective. Anti-Fas antibody elicited caspase-3-like activity. However caspase-3-like activity with co-treatment of GL and anti-Fas antibody was the same level as the antibody alone. Glycyrrhetic acid, the aglycon of GL, did not enhance Fas-mediated apoptosis. The amphipathic property of GL might enable it to interact with the plasma membrane and lead to the enhancement of apoptosis.

Underdeveloped uterus and reduced estrogen responsiveness in mice with disruption of the estrogen-responsive finger protein gene, which is a direct target of estrogen receptor alpha

The biological roles of estrogen-responsive finger protein (efp) in vivo were evaluated in mice carrying a loss-of-function mutation in efp by gene-targeted mutagenesis. Although efp homozygous mice were viable and fertile in both sexes, the uterus that expressed abundant estrogen receptor alpha exhibited significant underdevelopment. When the ovariectomized homozygotes were subjected to 17beta-estradiol treatment, they showed remarkably attenuated responses to estrogen, as exemplified by decreased interstitial water imbibition and retarded endometrial cell increase, at least, attributable to the lower ratio of G1 to S-phase progression in epithelial cells. These results suggest that efp is essential for the normal estrogen-induced cell proliferation and uterine swelling as one of the direct targets of estrogen receptor alpha.

Spatially Inhomogeneous Metal-Insulator Transition in Doped Manganites

Scanning tunneling spectroscopy was used to investigate single crystals and thin films of La(1-x)Ca(x)MnO(3) (with x of about 0.3), which exhibit colossal magnetoresistance. The different spectroscopic signatures of the insulating (paramagnetic) and metallic (ferromagnetic) phases enable their spatial extent to be imaged down to a lateral scale of the order of 10 nanometers. Above the bulk transition temperature T(c), the images show mostly insulating behavior. Below T(c), a phase separation is observed where inhomogeneous structures of metallic and more insulating areas coexist and are strongly field dependent in their size and structure. Insulating areas are found to persist far below T(c). These results suggest that the transition and the associated magnetoresistance behavior should be viewed as a percolation of metallic ferromagnetic domains.

Effect of alpha 1-acidic glycoprotein in the ascitic fluid of cancer patients on human NK cells: selective suppression of interferon-induced NK activation

The in vitro effect of C-AGP (pure alpha1-acid glycoprotein from the ascitic fluid of cancer patients) on NK cell cytotoxicity was tested using normal healthy human PBMC. C-AGP had no inhibitory effect on basal NK cell activity. C-AGP selectively suppressed the augmentation of NK cell activity by rIFNalphaA and rIFNgamma, but C-AGP did not prevent the NK activation by rIL-2. NK cells in PBMC treated with C-AGP for 12 h and then washed just once, to remove the C-AGP, fully recovered the ability to respond to rIFNalphaA. However, after the treatment of PBMC with C-AGP for 5 or 6 days, NK cells failed to respond to rIFNalphaA, in spite of washing to remove C-AGP from the cultures. Monocytes were necessary for the suppressive effect of C-AGP on rIFNalphaA activation of NK cells. Indomethacin restored the ability of NK cells to respond to rIFNalphaA in C-AGP-treated PBMC. These results suggest that monocytes are able to selectively suppress the response of NK cells to IFNs in the presence of, or following treatment with C-AGP.

A 63 kDa tumor necrosis factor inhibitor released from a human monocytic leukemia cell line, THP-1

A human monocytic cell line, THP-1-S, was cultured in a serum-free medium. The effect of the culture supernatant of THP-1-S on the cytotoxicity of rTNF-alpha to three kinds of cell lines and the binding of rTNF to its receptor were tested. The supernatant inhibited the cytotoxicity of rTNF-alpha when tested by the neutral red uptake method. In addition, the supernatant blocked the binding of 125I-rTNF-alpha to its receptor. Furthermore, following precipitation with PEG we detected complexes between rTNF-alpha and the inhibitory factor which formed during incubation with the culture supernatant from THP-1-S cells. However, the supernatant did not bind to or down-regulate the receptor for TNF-alpha on the cell surface of L-M-2d6 cells. This factor eluted with an apparent molecular mass of 63,000 Da by gel filtration and did not react with antibodies against p55 and p75 TNF receptors. These data suggest that human monocytic cells are capable of releasing an inhibitory factor against rTNF-alpha in serum-free culture conditions.