Low levels of chromosomal mutations in germ cells derived from doxorubicin-treated stem spermatogonia in the mouse

The mutagenic effects of doxorubicin (Adriamycin, ADR) on mouse spermatogonial stem cells were examined by analysis of spermatocyte chromosomes and of dominant lethality transmitted through the spermatozoa. The effects of ADR on mutations, cytotoxicity, and sperm head abnormalities were compared with those of radiation. The cytotoxic effect of 6 Gy of gamma-radiation on stem spermatogonia was equivalent to about 4-5 mg ADR/kg. Chromosomal translocations were observed in 0.6% of the spermatocytes of mice treated with ADR (2-6 mg/kg). In contrast, 6 Gy of radiation induced translocations in 11.1% of spermatocytes. No increase in dominant lethality was observed after treatment with ADR at doses up to 6 mg/kg, while the frequency after 6 Gy of radiation was 3.6%. Based on these results, ADR would be expected to be only a weak inducer of balanced chromosomal rearrangements. Because ADR at 4.5 mg/kg was much weaker than 6 Gy of gamma-radiation at inducing chromosomal translocations, but just as effective at inducing sperm head abnormalities, the level of sperm head abnormalities is not indicative of balanced chromosomal rearrangements induced in stem spermatogonia by cytotoxic agents.

A model for urbanizing rural population and development measures: survey of a large specialized market in Xiliu town, Liaoning province

The authors present an urbanization model using the example of Xiliu town in Liaoning province, China. Xiliu has developed from a rural commune into a large-scale clothing market during the period since 1979. "The purpose...is to show, by means of a survey conducted in the town, the characteristics and formative factors of the model and to discuss the prospect of and measures for furthering this development."

Adenomatous hyperplasia and adenomas in the lung induced by chronic feeding of butylated hydroxyanisole of Japanese house musk shrew (Suncus murinus)

A carcinogenicity study on butylated hydroxyanisole (BHA) was carried out in Japanese house musk shrews (Suncus murinus) (suncus), which have no forestomach. BHA was mixed with the basal diet and was processed into pellets. One hundred and twenty-two female and 130 male suncus were maintained with a diet containing 0, 0.5, 1.0 or 2.0% BHA for 80 weeks. All of the suncus of the 2.0% BHA groups died of bleeding in the gastrointestinal tract within 8 weeks after the commencement of the treatment. The majority of the animals in the other groups survived for greater than 52 weeks. Adenomatous hyperplasias of the lung were induced in suncus of both sexes of the 0.5 and 1.0% BHA groups at significantly higher rates than in the control groups. Lung adenomas were also induced in three suncus of the BHA groups. Pilosebaceous and musk gland tumors, mammary carcinoma, kidney hemangioma and other tumors developed in a few suncus, with no significant differences between the groups. The present study indicates that BHA induces adenomatous hyperplasia of the lung in the suncus.

Association of low levels of mannan-binding protein with a common defect of opsonisation

Failure to opsonise bakers' yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae) is a defect found in 5-7% of the general population. In this study, the presence of the defect was linked with low levels of mannan-binding protein (MBP), a calcium-dependent serum lectin. Purified MBP corrected the defect in a dose-dependent way in an in-vitro assay measuring the deposition of complement moieties on a mannan-coated surface. There was a highly significant correlation between the serum MBP level and the generation of C3b opsonins in a population of healthy blood donors. The median MBP level of ten children previously shown to have the functional opsonic defect was 4.9 micrograms/l (range 2.5-35.0 micrograms/l) compared with 143 micrograms/l (range 2.5-880 micrograms/l) for a paediatric control group.

Inhibitory effect of antibody against basic fibroblast growth factor on androgen- or glucocorticoid-induced growth of Shionogi carcinoma 115 cells in serum-free culture

Shionogi carcinoma 115 (SC115) has been accepted for 20 years as an androgen-responsive mouse mammary tumor. However, we and others recently found that the growth of SC115 cells is also stimulated by high doses of glucocorticoids. We already reported the following findings. In a serum-free medium [Ham's F-12: Eagle's minimum essential medium (1:1, v/v) containing 0.1% bovine serum albumin], greater than or equal to 10(-9) M testosterone and greater than or equal to 10(-8) M dexamethasone significantly stimulated the growth of SC-3 cells (a cloned cell line from a SC115 tumor) through androgen and glucocorticoid receptors, respectively. In the present study, we have demonstrated that higher concentrations (10(-7)-10(-6) M) of weak androgens such as 4-androstene-3,17-dione or weak glucocorticoids such as corticosterone also significantly stimulate the growth of SC-3 cells and that their relative potency is found to be in parallel with their binding affinity for their receptors, respectively. Furthermore, DNA synthesis of SC-3 cells induced by 0.1 ng/ml basic fibroblast growth factor (FGF), 10(-8) M testosterone, 10(-6) M 4-androstene-3,17-dione, 10(-7) M dexamethasone, or 10(-6) M corticosterone was found to be similarly and significantly inhibited by the addition of basic FGF neutralizing antibody IgG in the present study; approximately 70% inhibition of the basic FGF, androgen, or glucocorticoid effects was attained. We already reported findings which suggest that SC-3 cells produce FGF-like peptide for their testosterone-induced growth. Therefore, the present study presents new additive information to demonstrate that the growth-stimulatory activity of various androgens or possibly glucocorticoids on SC-3 cells is mediated through a FGF-like peptide in an autocrine mechanism.

Unique male mammary tumors developing in the inbred soft-furred field rats Millardia meltada

Inbred lines of the soft-furred rat, Millardia meltada, were studied with special reference to spontaneous male mammary tumors. Adult males had the hyperplastic, pigmented inguinal mammary tissues and frequently developed bilateral mammary tumors. The tumors, no longer pigmented, were histologically well-differentiated adenocarcinomas associated with the myoepithelial cells and showed a variety of growth patterns depending on the stage of progression. They were transplantable to male, but not to female or castrated male nude mice. A significant number of androgen as well as estrogen binding sites were demonstrated in the nuclei of the transplanted tumor cells by in situ autoradiography. Neither virus particle nor mouse mammary tumor virus-specific antigen expression was detected in the tumor cells by electron microscopic and immunohistochemical studies. Normal females were generally free of pigment and tumor, although the androgen treatment induced marked pigmentation (deposit of nonfluorescent lipofuscin and hemosiderin) and hyperplasia of the female mammary epithelial cells, without a tumor. Possible relationships between pigmentation and tumor development were considered.

[Observation of plasma levels of antithrombin-III and plasminogen in acute cerebrovascular disease]

In 75 patients with acute cerebral vascular disease (infarction 43, TIA 4, cerebral hemorrhage 25, subarachnoid hemorrhage 3), the plasma levels of Antithrombin-III (AT-III) and plasminogen (Plg) were measured within one week stroke patient and with 27 non-stroke patient as controls. The results showed: the plasma AT-III level was of no significant difference between the patients with hemorrhagic or ischemic cerebral vascular disease group and control group; the plasma plg level was a significant decrease in ischemic cerebral vascular disease groups (cerebral infarction. TIA), and it was of significant difference between the cerebral infarction group, or the TIA group and those of the control group (P less than 0.001 and P less than 0.01) respectively. In view of these results suggest that measuring of Plasma Plg level is a valuable unspecific assays indicator for ischemic cerebral vascular diseases. Finally, the relationship between high coagulation and acute cerebral vascular disease was discussed.

Growth-stimulatory effects of androgen, high concentration of glucocorticoid or fibroblast growth factors on a cloned cell line from Shionogi carcinoma 115 cells in a serum-free medium

The effects of various kinds of growth factors or steroids on the proliferation of Shionogi carcinoma 115 (SC115) cells were investigated in cell culture. In a serum-free medium [Ham's F-12:Eagle's minimum essential medium (1:1, vol/vol) containing 0.1% bovine serum albumin], the proliferation of SC-3 cells (a cloned cell line from SC115 cells) estimated by [3H]thymidine incorporation into DNA and cell number reached a plateau at 10(-8) M testosterone (up to 200-fold), 10(-7) M dexamethasone (up to 30-fold) or 1 ng/ml of fibroblast growth factors (FGF; up to 50-fold). However, the proliferation in the serum-free medium was not significantly stimulated by the addition of low to very high concentrations of progesterone, oestradiol-17 beta, epidermal growth factor, platelet derived growth factor or insulin; transforming growth factor beta slightly stimulated the growth (up to 5-fold) but markedly inhibited the growth stimulation induced by testosterone. Furthermore, an epithelial appearance of SC-3 cells grown in the absence of growth factors or steroids was changed to a fibroblast-like appearance only by the addition of testosterone, high concentrations of dexamethasone or FGF. By investigating various kinds of growth factors or steroids, the present study demonstrates that androgen, high concentration of glucocorticoid or FGF alone significantly stimulates the proliferation of SC-3 cells with a change of morphology in the serum-free medium.

A word of a natural language has 2.718 different meanings or slightly more

The capacity of lexical decision-making in the brain conforms to the indefiniteness latent in natural languages. The average number of different meanings per word of a natural language is measured to be 2.805 +/- 0.005 irrespective of whether the language is Chinese, English or Japanese. If one can almost perfectly comprehend words and sentences written in a natural language in a context-dependent manner, the average number of different meanings per word would reduce to e (= 2.718281828459...), the base of natural or Napierian logarithms.

Laparoscopic CO2 laser vaporization of endometriosis compared with traditional treatments

This study reports on 108 infertile patients with endometriosis diagnosed at laparoscopy. Sixty-four patients had endometriosis and adhesions vaporized with a CO2 laser (LAS) and were prospectively compared with a control group (CON) of 44 patients who had laparoscopy. The 6- and 12-month estimated cumulative pregnancy rates for LAS were 0.32 +/- 0.07 and 0.55 +/- 0.09 respectively, and for CON 0.17 +/- 0.06 and 0.43 +/- 0.09 (Breslow P = 0.10). Monthly fecundity rates were 6.7% in LAS and 4.5% in CON. Survival analysis with fixed covariates showed that pregnancy rates were increased in patients with adhesions (P = 0.002) and other pelvic disease (P = 0.0001). Pregnancy rates were reduced by age (P = 0.02), previous adhesiolysis (P = 0.0000) and post-laparoscopy medical treatment (P = 0.0002). Our findings indicate that CO2 laser laparoscopy vaporization of endometriosis can be a safe, effective, and possibly improved modality for treating endometriosis.

Genetic resistance to mammary tumorigenesis in a mouse strain with high murine mammary tumor virus expression

Although II-TES mice release large amounts of murine mammary tumor virus (MMTV) in milk, they are resistant to mammary tumorigenesis. High mammary tumor incidence was observed in (BALB/ca X II-TES)F1 and (C57BL/6N X II-TES)F1, whereas no mammary tumors developed in BALB/ca X OZ-F)F1. Mammary tumors developed in 68% of (OZ-F X (OZ-F X II-TES)F1 and 45% of (II-TES X (OZ-F X II-TES)F1). These results suggest that the II-TES mouse carries a recessive gene for mammary tumor resistance which does not inhibit MMTV release, and two independent dominant mammary tumor promoting genes which are inhibited by the resistant gene.

Analysis of surface deposits on intrauterine contraceptive devices

Surface deposits on stainless steel contraceptive devices removed from the uterus after varying periods of insertion were examined and analyzed by means of scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray energy dispersive analysis (XEDA), Augar electron spectroscopy (AES), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and atomic absorption spectrophotometry for microquantitative analysis. The data obtained were compared with the data for copper-bearing IUDs (TCu200) obtained by the same method. The wire coils of stainless steel IUDs which had been in situ for 5 years showed no obvious changes, but copper wire coils showed varying degrees of erosion after the same period of time. Analysis clearly showed that the wire coils of both types of IUD were encrusted with deposits. Deposition began earlier on copper-bearing IUDs than on stainless steel IUDs (27 days and 3 months after insertion, respectively). This process began earlier than has previously been reported in the literature. The amount of deposit increased with duration of insertion, but there were large individual variations. The microanalysis showed that the principal component of the deposit on both types of IUD was calcium, which was present in the crystal form of calcium carbonate. The substances attaching to the crystals were similar to the nitrogenous organic compounds. We suggest that the mechanism regulating the deposited formation may be similar to that of calculus. The influence of these deposits on complications relating to IUD insertion, such as uterine bleeding and accidental pregnancy, is briefly discussed in this article. The subject should be studied in greater detail.

Oxygen quenching of sensitized terbium luminescence in complexes of terbium with small organic ligands and proteins

Oxygen does not quench the luminescence of either free Tb or of Tb bound to dipicolinate. However, sensitized Tb luminescence in complexes of that ion with elastase, thermolysin, and alpha-amylase is quenched by oxygen at rates that far exceed that with which the intrinsic fluorescence of the proteins is quenched. We infer that this more rapid quenching of Tb luminescence indicates a major role for energy transfer from tryptophan moieties in a triplet excited state.

Hepatic damage in experimental and clinical paragonimiasis

The hepatic damage induced by Paragonimus skrjabini, and the migration route of this species and that of P. westermani, were investigated in a series of animal experiments and in 34 clinical and four autopsy cases of paragonimiasis. The major symptoms and signs of an unique case reported from Sichuan Province included hepatic tenderness, disturbance of hepatic functions, remittent fever, and cough with bloody sputum. Laparotomy revealed marked adhesions surrounding the liver, spleen and duodenum. Diagnosis was made by finding P. skrjabini in a bulla on the abdominal wall about 5 months after the onset of illness. After specific treatment with bithional, body temperature and liver functions returned to normal. Twenty-three of 33 cases independently studied from Fujian Province also showed similar hepatic function disturbance. Autopsy cases showed hepatic chronic eosinophilic abscesses with Charcot-Leyden crystals. Experimentally, P. skrjabini infection caused hepatic damage in all laboratory animals used. The main pathologic changes were initially acute eosinophilic abscesses in the liver, worms being found sometimes in the necrotic cavities of the abscesses; hepatomagaly also occurred. Some cysts containing mature worms were found in the liver of dogs 3-9 months after infection. Numerous eggs were deposited in the cyst walls. The migration route of P. skrjabini was studied in young dogs. Worms appeared in the liver initially on day 3 and reached their highest level on day 14. P. westermani also migrated into liver, but their numbers were less than those of P. skrjabini.

"Medical oophorectomy" using a long-acting GNRH agonist--a possible new approach to the treatment of endometriosis

Five women with endometriosis were given a daily dose of a potent long-acting GnRH agonist, D-Trp6-Pro9-Net-LHRH (GnRH-A) for 28 days in an attempt to suppress ovarian estrogen secretion. The mean level of estradiol (E2) during sampling over 24 hours decreased (P less than 0.01) from 62 +/- 11 to 10 +/- 1 pg/ml at the end of treatment. Mean concentrations of androstenedione, testosterone, estrone and E2 on day 28 of therapy were similar to those measured in oophorectomized women. The level of FSH was decreased (P less than 0.001) during GnRH-a, whereas that of LH was significantly (P less than 0.001) increased, suggesting differing intracellular control mechanisms for release of the two gonadotropins. Desensitization of the pituitary was demonstrated at the end of treatment by a complete lack of acute response of FSH or LH to the daily dose of GnRH-a. "Medical oophorectomy" provides a new approach to the treatment of endometriosis.

Cloning of a yeast gene coding for arginine-specific carbamoyl-phosphate synthetase

Several recombinant plasmids containing cpaII, the gene that encodes the large subunit of yeast arginine-specific carbamoyl-phosphate synthetase [carbamoyl-phosphate synthetase (glutamine-hydrolyzing), carbon-dioxide: L-glutamine amido-ligase (ADP-forming, carbamate-phosphorylating), EC 6.3.3.5], have been isolated. The plasmids were selected by transformation of a yeast strain with a mutation in the structural gene of the large subunit of carbamoyl-phosphate synthetase. By using a recombinant pool with inserts of yeast nuclear DNA of 5-20 kilobase pairs, we obtained 13 transformants. Of five transformants studied, three have been found to have stable plasmid inserts. These plasmids could be amplified in Escherichia coli and transferred back into the yeast carbamoyl-phosphate synthetase-deficient strains with concomitant complementation of the nuclear mutation. Plasmids pJL2/T1 and pJL2/T5 contain identical nuclear DNA inserts of 5.9 kilobase pairs. Although the insert of plasmid pJL2/T3 is also 5.9 kilobase pairs long, the sequence overlap with pJL2/T1 and pJL2/T5 is only 4.5 kilobase pairs long. The T3 insert has an orientation in the vector opposite to that of the T1 and T5 inserts. The recombinant plasmids with the yeast cpaII gene fail to cross-hybridize with a cloned fragment of E. coli DNA containing the carA and carB genes for the bacterial carbamoyl-phosphate synthetase.

Diet and vitamin nutrition of the high esophageal cancer risk population in Linxian, China

In order to examine the nutritional status of the population of Linxian (in Henan, China) known to be at high risk for esophageal cancer (EC), we analyzed blood samples and conducted 3-day dietary surveys on 3 groups of normal adults, age 40-50, from Henan province. Two groups were from Linxian, where the EC mortality rate is about 138/100,000 (Group C, consisting of volunteers with a family history of EC, and Group NC, consisting of those who did not have a family history of EC). The third group, Group F, was from Fanxian, where the EC mortality rate is about 24/100,000. The average plasma retinol level was found to be about 0.27 micrograms/ml in all 3 groups; about 13%-20% of the individuals had a level less than 0.2 micrograms/ml. The average plasma carotene level of all 3 groups appeared to be adequate, ranging from 0.5-1.0 micrograms/ml. About 23% of the subjects in both Groups C and NC had low (less than 2 micrograms/ml) plasma ascorbate levels; in Group F, 16% had low ascorbate levels. Less than 12% of the individuals in each of the 3 groups had erythrocyte glutathione reductase activation coefficients less than 1.2, indicating a widely occurring riboflavin deficiency. Consumption of alcoholic beverages was not found to be a contributing factor to EC. The results of the present study reveal a deficiency of vitamins in the study populations, but do not indicate that the average nutritional status of the volunteers in Group C was worse than that of Groups NC and F with regard to vitamin A, ascorbate, and riboflavin.