Field trial on the spatial repellency of metofluthrin-impregnated plastic strips for mosquitoes in shelters without walls (beruga) in Lombok, Indonesia

Field trials on the spatial repellency of metofluthrin-impregnated plastic strips for mosquitoes present in shelters without walls (beruga) were carried out in Lombok, Indonesia. A major reduction in the incidence of human biting by Culex quinquefasciatus was achieved, and the use of two strips per beruga repelled >60% of the mosquitoes for at least 11 wk while four strips repelled >60% of the mosquitoes for more than 15 weeks. The technique was found to be a practical long-term solution for the prevention of mosquito bites without using electricity or heat to evaporate the metofluthrin.

Trial of spatial repellency of metofluthrin-impregnated paper strip against Anopheles and Culex in shelters without walls in Lombok, Indonesia

Trials of metofluthrin-impregnated multilayer paper strips against mosquitoes in shelters with no walls were carried out at 3 sites in Lombok, Indonesia. Major reductions in human biting by Culex quinquefasciatus, Anopheles balabacensis, and An. sundaicus were achieved. The device is a very practical measure of preventing outdoor mosquito biting, with no need for electricity or heating to evaporate its active ingredient.

Laboratory and field evaluation of spatial repellency with metofluthrin-impregnated paper strip against mosquitoes in Lombok Island, Indonesia

Spatial repellency of a new multilayer paper strip impregnated with metofluthrin, a newly synthesized pyrethroid, was evaluated in the laboratory and in the field at Kerandangan, Lombok Island, Indonesia, with the use of cow- and human-baited double nets. Spatial repellency was observed in both cow- and human-baited collections. Metofluthrin treatment reduced mosquito collection by >80% during the 1st 4 weeks. However, repellency seemed to reduce with the loss of metofluthrin by evaporation within 6 wk after treatment.

[Complications of video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery]

We introduced video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS) for chest disorders in our institution in March, 1992. At first, many of the subjects' disorders were non-malignant diseases such as spontaneous pneumothorax, but later we started to perform this procedure for lung cancer and mediastinum neoplasm, with improved result over thoracoscopic surgical procedures. Now most of the chest disorders at our institution are treated with VATS. However, many kinds of complications due to manual techniques and instrument troubles surfaced during this period. Therefore, in this article we would like to describe the complications that we have experienced in our institution using VATS and discuss how we have attempted to deal with these complications.

Indirect conductimetric assay of antibacterial activities

The applicability of indirect conductimetric assays for evaluation of antibacterial activity was examined. The minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) obtained by the indirect method was consistent with that by the direct conductimetric assay and the turbidity method. The indirect assay allows use of growth media, which cannot be used in the direct conductimetric assay, making it possible to evaluate the antibacterial activity of insoluble or slightly soluble materials with high turbidity, such as antibacterial ceramic powders.

Nippocystatin, a cysteine protease inhibitor from Nippostrongylus brasiliensis, inhibits antigen processing and modulates antigen-specific immune response

During infection, parasites evade the host immune system by modulating or exploiting the immune system; e.g., they suppress expression of major histocompatibility complex class II molecules or secrete cytokine-like molecules. However, it is not clear whether helminths disturb the immune responses of their hosts by controlling the antigen-processing pathways of the hosts. In this study, we identified a new cysteine protease inhibitor, nippocystatin, derived from excretory-secretory (ES) products of an intestinal nematode, Nippostrongylus brasiliensis. Nippocystatin, which belongs to cystatin family 2, consists of 144 amino acids and is secreted as a 14-kDa mature form. In vivo treatment of ovalbumin (OVA)-immunized mice with recombinant nippocystatin (rNbCys) profoundly suppressed OVA-specific proliferation of splenocytes but not non-antigen-specific proliferation of splenocytes. OVA-specific cytokine production was also greatly suppressed in rNbCys-treated mice. Although the serum levels of both OVA-specific immunoglobulin G1 (IgG1) and IgG2a were not affected by rNbCys treatment, OVA-specific IgE was preferentially downregulated in rNbCys-treated mice. In vitro rNbCys inhibited processing of OVA by lysosomal cysteine proteases from the spleens of mice. Mice with anti-nippocystatin antibodies became partially resistant to infection with N. brasiliensis. Based on these findings, N. brasiliensis appears to skillfully evade host immune systems by secreting nippocystatin, which modulates antigen processing in antigen-presenting cells of hosts.

Release behavior of ketoprofen from poly(acryloyl-L-proline methyl ester) gels having different crosslinked networks

In order to clarify the relationship between the crosslinked structure of thermo-responsive polymer and drug release profile, polymer gels based on acryloyl-L-proline methyl ester (A-ProOMe) were synthesized in a mixture of water and acetone by the following two methods: a simultaneously occurring process of radiation-induced polymerization and crosslinking without a crosslinker (self-bridging method), and radiation-induced polymerization in the presence of the crosslinker tetradecaethylene glycol dimethacrylate (crosslinker method). The pronounced gap in thermo-response between two A-ProOMe gels, with an apparent degree of crosslinking of 11 for 1-propanol, shows a different shrinking pattern in the initial stage of time. The gels, which were obtained with the self-bridging method and the crosslinker method, were kept constant at a swelling ratio of 17 in water at 0 degree C for all systems. However, those values fell to 0.5 and 4, respectively, at 10 min after the temperature was increased to 37 degrees C. The release mechanism of ketoprofen from two gel devices showed an anomalous (non-Fickian) transport, in which the release of ketoprofen with a low water-solubility could be directly related to the rapid release of water accompanying a gel shrinkage.

Granule-dependent killing of Toxoplasma gondii by CD8+ T cells

Immunization of mice with live bradyzoites of a low-virulent Beverley strain of Toxoplasma gondii has been shown to increase CD8+ T-cell mediated immunity against a highly virulent RH strain. We found that preimmunization with an RH homogenate further enhanced this immunity. Using this model, we investigated the mechanism of CD8+ T-cell mediated protection against T. gondii infection. Splenic cells from mice immunized with RH homogenate and live bradyzoites stimulated apoptosis of RH-infected J774A.1 macrophages in vitro, and at the same time, the immunization significantly suppressed the proliferation of parasites within macrophages, as assessed by measuring 3H-uracil uptake by the parasites. Splenic cells from the immunized mice produced larger amounts of interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma) than did naive splenic cells; however, the production of nitric oxide (NO) by RH-infected macrophages was not enhanced. The elimination of CD8+ T cells from splenic cells significantly reduced their inhibitory action on parasite proliferation as well as their cytotoxic activity against RH-infected macrophages, but it did not affect the production of IFN-gamma. Treatment of CD8+ T-enriched splenic cells from the immunized mice with concanamycin A, but not an anti-Fas ligand monoclonal antibody, significantly reduced their anti-proliferative and killing capabilities, suggesting that the CD8+ T cells induced by immunization with RH antigen and live bradyzoites of the Beverley strain may exert protection against T. gondii infection at least in part through granule-dependent cytotoxic activities.

[A case of severe systemic edema in an elderly hypertensive patient with systemic lupus erythematodes during long-term treatment with anti-hypertensive drugs]

A 71-year-old woman receiving both angiotensin II receptor antagonist and calcium antagonist suffered severe systemic edema. She had been treated for essential hypertension with amlodipine for 2 years and candesartan for 3 months, and systemic lupus erythematodes (SLE) with steroids. During treatment, severe systemic edema appeared, mainly on her face, arms, and legs. At first, we suspected drug-induced edema by candesartan, so it was halted, but the edema still continued. We then considered amlodipine to be the culprit, and finally, the severe systemic edema disappeared after cessation of amlodipine. To control her blood pressure, we recommended candesartan, but 3 months late she suffered severe systemic edema again, thus the causative we drugs of her edema were thought to be both amlodipine and candesartan. Edema is a common symptom in elderly patients and we frequently observe drug-induced edema. In this case, there was underlying acceleration of blood vessel permeability induced by SLE and steroids and moreover, vasodilatation by candesartan and/or amlodipine further accelerated blood vessel permeability, and thus might have caused severe edema. It is very difficult to determine the cause of edema, especially in elderly patients, but we should consider not only one but also two or more drugs as being involved in drug-induced edema.

Treatment with cathepsin L inhibitor potentiates Th2-type immune response in Leishmania major-infected BALB/c mice

Prior to the activation of CD4 (+) T cells, exogenous proteins must be digested by endo/lysosomal enzymes in antigen-presenting cells (APC) to produce antigenic peptides that are able to be presented on class II molecules of the MHC. Studies described here inspect the functional significance of cathepsin L inhibition for antigen processing and T (h) 1/T (h) 2 differentiation in experimental leishmaniasis. We first demonstrated using in vitro systems that cathepsin L is one of the candidate endo/lysosomal enzymes in processing of soluble Leishmania antigen (SLA) and that its specific inhibitor, CLIK148, modulated the processing of SLA. BALB/c mice are known to be susceptible to infection with Leishmania major. Interestingly, treatment of BALB/c mice with CLIK148 exacerbated the infection by enhancing the development of SLA-specific T (h) 2-type response such as production of IL-4 and generation of T (h) 2-dependent specific IgE/IgG1 antibodies. Moreover, addition of CLIK148 in incubation of a SLA-specific CD4 (+) T cell line with APC up-regulated the production of IL-4. However, CLIK148 did not exert any direct influence on the function of T cells themselves. Taken together, these findings suggest that treatment of host mice with CLIK148 affects the processing of SLA in APC, resulting in the potentiation of T (h) 2-type immune responses and thus leading to exacerbation of the infection. Furthermore, endo/lysosomal cathepsin L was found to be functionally distinct from previously described cathepsins B and D.

A case of disseminated extrahepatic hepatocellular carcinoma after US-guided biopsy and percutaneous ethanol injection therapy

A case of disseminated extrahepatic hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) occurring after ultrasound (US)-guided biopsy and percutaneous ethanol injection therapy is presented. A 72-year-old man with hepatitis-C-virus-related cirrhosis underwent percutanous ethanol injection therapy (PEIT) two times with complete remission: the first for moderately-differentiated HCC in segment six (S6), and the second for well-differentiated HCC in another part of S6. Imaging studies including carbon dioxide (CO(2))-US angiography, incremental computed tomography, and dynamic magnet resonance imaging showed that both HCCs were hypovascular. Twenty-one months after the first PEIT and 7 months after the second, a 5.5x4.5 cm extrahepatic mass interfaced with S6 of the liver was detected by imaging studies. The patient underwent surgery for extrahepatic HCC. Grossly, the main tumor was 5.5x4.5 cm with capsule and septum; the disseminated tumors were detected on the surface of the liver, including the right diaphragm and the falx ligamentosa. Histologically, it was moderately- to poorly-differentiated HCC, which, although not attributed to direct track seeding, was suspected of being induced by the percutaneous US-guided biopsy procedure or by PEIT, irrespective of a hypovascular tumor. Further studies may provide insight into the risk factor engendered by these procedures.

Splenic cathepsin L is maturated from the proform by interferon-gamma after immunization with exogenous antigens

The processing of foreign protein antigens into peptides requires the participation of various endo/lysosomal proteases in antigen-presenting cells (APCs). In this study, a proenzyme of cathepsin L, procathepsin L, was found to be present in the spleens of naive mice, as demonstrated by immunoblotting. Interestingly, the maturation of cathepsin L from procathepsin L was strongly induced when the host BALB/c mice were immunized with ovalbumin or soluble leishmanial antigen, despite the fact that mouse albumin, a kind of self-antigen, did not have such a potential. Furthermore, foreign antigens, but not self-antigens, could increase the activity of cathepsin L, probably being mediated by interferon-gamma, as demonstrated by in vivo and in vitro experiments. As cathepsin L matured, the efficiency of antigen processing was increased in APCs. These results suggest that endo/lysosomal cathepsin L plays an important role in the immune regulation via antigen processing even in peripheral lymphoid tissues as well as in the thymus.

Effect of cold aerobic perfusion on nonparenchymal cell viability of rat livers

We investigated the effect of oxygen supply on hepatic cellular viability during cold perfusion storage of rat livers. A perfluoro-N-methyldecahydroisoquinoline (FMIQ) emulsion is used as an oxygen carrier. The composition of the perfusate containing 20 w/v% FMIQ is essentially the same as the University of Wisconsin (UW) solution except for the exclusion of hydroxyethyl starch. Rat livers were perfused at 4 degrees C for up to 24 h with either UW solution (group I, oxygenated; group II, unoxygenated) or FMIQ solution (group III, oxygenated; group IV, unoxygenated). After perfusion storage, the livers were reperfused with warm (37 degrees C) oxygenated or cold (4 degrees C) unoxygenated Krebs-Henseleit bicarbonate buffer, and nuclear trypan blue uptake was measured as the index of cell death. With warm oxygenated reperfusion, there remained less than 2% noviable parenchymal cells up to 24 h, regardless of perfusate or oxygenation. In UW-perfused livers, the proportion of nonviable nonprenchymal cells (NPC) increased progressively regardless of oxygenation, the values in groups I and II in the periportal field at 24 h being 39.9 +/- 4.7% (mean +/- SD) and 36.5 +/- 4.2%, respectively. By contrast, in FMIQ-perfused livers, dye uptake by NPC was significantly reduced with oxygenation (16.9 +/- 5.7% and 39.4% +/- 9.1% at 24 h in groups III and IV; P < 0.001). With cold unoxygenated reperfusion, livers in groups I, II, and IV showed a significant decrease of nonviable NPC, while those in group III showed no significant changes. These data indicate that oxygen supply during perfusion storage of the liver may ameliorate lethal injury to NPC precipitated during reperfusion.

Hemilateral distribution of papular lesions on the buttock histologically resembling granuloma gluteale infantum

Two Japanese girls had small grouped papules on the buttocks without diaper dermatitis or bacterial or fungal infection. These granulomas spontaneously regressed over two weeks, even though oral antibiotics were administered. We discuss this variant of granuloma gluteale infantum of Tappeiner et al.

Molecular cloning of a cystatin from parasitic intestinal nematode, Nippostrongylus brasiliensis

A novel member of the cystatin family, nippocystatin (NbCys), was identified from excretory-secretory (ES)-products of a nematode Nippostrongylus brasiliensis, and the cDNA was cloned and sequenced. The mRNA of NbCys was confirmed to be expressed in both larvae and adults of the parasite. NbCys was translated as a proform with a single domain for secretion and was detected as a 14-kDa mature form in ES-products of the adult worm. Recombinant protein of NbCys profoundly inhibited the activity of cysteine proteases such as cathepsin L and B, but not that of cathepsin D, an aspartic protease. Furthermore, the ES-products had also been confirmed to inhibit cysteine proteases. Taken together, NbCys may play a role in evasion of N. brasiliensis from host defense systems, since cysteine proteases are known to participate in immune systems of infected hosts.

Role of innate immune cells in protection against Toxoplasma gondii at inflamed site

The intraperitoneal infection with Toxoplasma gondii (T. gondii) caused accumulation of gamma delta T, NK, NK1.1+T-like (NKT) cells at inflamed sites. To clarify the roles of these cells in protection against T. gondii at the inflamed sites, BALB/c mice were depleted of gamma delta T, NK, NK and NKT cells by treatment with antibody against TCR-gamma delta, asialoGM1 or Interleukin-2 receptor beta-chain (IL-2 R beta), respectively, prior to infection. Mice treated with anti-TCR-gamma delta monoclonal antibody (mAb) became more susceptible to infection, whereas mice treated with anti-IL-2R beta mAb acquired resistance. Treatment with anti-asialoGM1 Ab showed no effect. We previously reported that heat shock protein 65 (HSP65) in macrophages induced by gamma delta T cells plays an essential role in protective immunity against T. gondii infection, by preventing apoptotic death of infected macrophages. In the present study, we showed that treatment with anti-IL-2R beta mAb, but not with anti-asialoGM1 Ab, enhanced the HSP65 induction in macrophages, and inhibited Interleukin-4 (IL-4) expression in nonadherent peritoneal exudate cells. Furthermore, neutralization of endogenous IL-4 by anti-IL-4 mAb enhanced the HSP65 induction in macrophages. These findings suggest that NKT cells, but not NK cells, negatively regulate the protective immunity against T. gondii infection possibly by producing IL-4 and suppressing HSP65 induction.

Production and Characterization of Active Soluble Human .BETA.1,4-Galactosyltransferase in Escherichia coli as a Useful Catalyst in Synthesis of the Gal .BETA.1.RAR.4 GlcNAc Linkage

An active and soluble human beta1,4-galactosyltransferase (beta-GT) was produced in Escherichia coli using a maltose-binding protein fusion system. The purified recombinant beta-GT has a K(m) value of 0.035 mM for UDP-galactose and a V(max) of 643 x 10(3) nmol/mg/h. The enzyme catalyzes the transfer of galactose from UDP-galactose to N-linked oligosaccharides. The properties of the purified enzyme were identical to those of bovine milk beta-GT.

Different cytokines are required for induction and maintenance of the Th2 type response in DBA/2 mice resistant to infection with Leishmania major

Experimental cutaneous leishmaniasis is a useful model in studying the mechanism regulating immune responses between T helper type 1 (Th1) and Th2. Mice susceptible to Leishmania major infection such as BALB/c (H-2(d)) are associated with the induction of the disease-promoting Th2 response, while the resistant mice such as DBA/2 (H-2(d)) develop the protective Th1 response. To understand the induction mechanism of Th1 and Th2 responses, it is necessary to establish an immunization scheme by which the induction of each Th response can be easily and experimentally controlled. Adjuvants are known to enhance the immune responses through the combined effect of several factors: prolonged release of antigen, migration of cells, mitogenic effect and so forth. When the genetically resistant DBA/2 mice were immunized twice with soluble leishmanial antigen (SLA), emulsified in incomplete Freund's adjuvant (IFA) before L. major inoculation, these mice mounted a Th2 cell response and suffered from progressive infection. While IL-4 and IL-13 were upregulated early after the infection in both healer and non-healer groups of mice, IL-5 and IL-10 were upregulated only in non-healer mice. From these results, IL-5 and IL-10 appear to have an important role, at least in the early phases of the infection, rather than IL-4 and IL-13 in establishing the disease-promoting Th2 response in leishmaniasis. Further, IL-9 was found to be expressed in both BALB/c and DBA/2 mice immunized with IFA/SLA. This cytokine may support the establishment of a Th2 response in these mice. Therefore it is suggested that Th2 cytokines play different roles between priming and maintaining the Th2 immune response after the infection.