The chemoattractant properties of comedonal components

Acculation of clusters of polymorphonuclear leukocytes (PMN) along the periphery of the walls of comedones (predominantly of the closed variety), has been described as the first change marking the transition of quiescent, noninflamed lesions in acne, into inflammatory ones. The present study analyzed the chemoattractant properties of different comedonal components for human PMN in an effort to evaluate the potential significance of these substances in stimulating the chemotactic response of PMN in the initial phases of inflammatory acne. It was found that the lipids extracted from pooled comedones had chemotactic activity for PMN in vitro. Beyond that, all chemotactic activity in comedones was related to bacteria. Propionibacterium acnes produced low molecular weight, dialyzable, heat stable chemotactic factors which were released into culture medium during bacterial growth. In addition to the extracellular cytotaxins, P. acnes whole cells and other extracellular products were strong cytotaxigens and activated heat labile chemotactic factors in human and guinea pig serum.

A long-term survey of rotavirus infection in Japanese children with acute gastroenteritis

Human rotavirus was detected by electron microscopic examination of the stools of 320 (63%) of 506 infants and young children hospitalized with acute gastroenteritis between December 1974 and March 1977. Serologic responses to infection with the rotavirus were revealed by the complement-fixation test in 130 (70%) of 185 patients examined. During the study period three epidemics of human rotavirus infection occurred during the winter months. The peak incidences occurred in January 1975 (88% of patients positive by serologic analysis or electron microscopy of stools), January 1976 (92%), and February 1977 (96%). Rotavirus was detected in the stools of 288 (79%) of 365 patients tested during the cooler months (December to March) and 35 (25%) of 141 during the rest of the year. In the summer (June to August), rotavirus infection occurred rarely. The frequency of human rotavirus infection was highest among patients aged six to 11 months. These results indicate that human rotavirus can be regarded as a major etiologic agent of acute gastroenteritis in infants and young children, of which wintertime epidemics are common in Japan.

An observation of thromboxane A2 in arterial blood after cholesterol feeding in rabbits

Agents responsible for the entry of cholesterol-bearing lipoproteins into the arterial wall represent local risk factors in atherogenesis. In an attempt to identify these agents, we inserted a catheter into the ascending aorta of rabbits and 5 ml of arterial blood sample was withdrawn. The contraction of the aortic strip of rabbit against Piper and Vane's antagonists with application of this sample was observed. Samples obtained after feeding of 1 Gm/Kg of cholesterol and after an intravenous administration of thromboxan A2 (TXA2) contracted the aortic strip. Samples from non-treated rabbits or those obtained after intravenous administration of 10 microgram of epinephrine or norepinephrine did not contract the strip. Previous administration of 20 mg/Kg of indomethacin decreased the contraction developed after feeding of 1 Gm/Kg of cholesterol. It was suggested that TXA2 might be released into the arterial blood by the ingestion of cholesterol and might be one of the agents repsonsible for the entry of lipoproteins.

Human rotavirus infection in infants and young children with intussusception

Human rotavirus was detected by electron microscopy in 11 of 30 infants and young children with intussusception (37% of subjects under study). Serologic complement fixation tests revealed evidence of infection with the rotavirus in 70% of the patients examined who eliminated the rotavirus in their stools. These results indicate that human rotavirus, in addition to adenovirus, may be an infectious agent causing intussusception in infants and young children.

A reevaluation of fatty acids as inflammatory agents in acne

The currently widely held theory that intrafollicular free fatty acids (FA) are the primary agents instigating inflammatory changes in acne is based on circumstantial evidence. There is no direct evidence that FA in physiologic concentrations are inflammatory. In the present study the quantities of FA present in isolated pilosebaceous ducts and in isolated comedones were analyzed. Using these values, the effect of FA on intracutaneous injection into human skin was investigated. The range of FA in 257 isolated pilosebaceous ducts from skin of the upper back of 10 male subjects was 0.19 to 2.43 mug, with an average of 0.89 +/- 0.75 mug of FA per duct. The mean FA content in 45 open comedones was 63.6 +/- 24.8 mug per comedone. Fatty acids for intracutaneous testing were isolated from human skin surface lipids and from hydrolyzed triglycerides purified from pooled isolated sebaceous glands. Twenty-six subjects received 100 mug of FA intracutaneously in the upper back. The response to FA injections could not be distinguished from the response to saline control injections. By 24 hr no erythema, induration, or any visible marks of inflammation were present in the skin of any of the subjects tested. At the histologic level a mild inflammatory infiltrate consisting perdominantly of lymphocytes was slightly more marked in the FA injection site than in the saline control injection site. Increasing the amount of FA injected to 500 mug still produced no visible inflammatory response in human skin. We conclude that intracutaneous injections of FA in physiologic concentrations do not produce more than a very mild inflammatory reaction in human skin and suggest that the role of Propionibacterium acnes in the pathogeneisis of acne may be more complex than merely as a source of intrafollicular lipases.

Gas-liquid chromatography and mass spectrometry of lanthionine, lysinoalanine, and S-carboxyethylcysteine

A programmed-temperature gas-liquid chromatographic method of analysis of amino acids as their n-butyl esters of N(O)-trifluoroacetyl derivatives with a dual column system using OV-17 and Dexsil 300 GC as stationary phase is discussed. The method is particularly suitable for analysis of chemically modified amino acids in the hydrolyzates of chemically modified wool and other protein fibers. Combined gas-liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry is used to identify unequivocally the molecular structure of modified amino acids. Lanthionine, lysinoalanine, and S-(2-carboxyethyl)-cysteine in the hydrolyzates of chemically modified wool fibers can be quantitatively analyzed by the gas-liquid chromatographic method of Dexsil 300 GC. N(epsilon)-(2-Carboxyethyl) lysine was detected by the combined gas-liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry in the hydrolyzate of reduced wool treated with acrylonitrile.

The role of bronchoconstriction in cough reflex

To investigate the role of bronchoconstriction in the cough reflex, we compared antitussive effects of several drugs with their ability to effect the respiratory tract (i.e. bronchodilation vs. bronchoconstriction). Antitussive activities of five drugs administered either intravenously or orally on electrically-induced cough were evaluated in the non-anesthetized dog. The antitussive activities were as follows: morphine, 0.1 mg/kg (i.v.) and 0.5 mg/kg (p.o.); codeine, 1.0, 4.0; picoperidamine, 2.0, 9.8; piclobetol, 7.6, 9.0; HH-197, 12.5, 143.0, respectively. Morphine, codeine and HH-197 caused bronchoconstriction, but picoperidamine and picrobetol caused bronchodilation. The antitussive and bronchodilatation effects of isoproterenol were abolished by propranolol. Each bronchoconstricting drug (i.e. morphine, codeine and HH-197) was administered concurrently with isoproterenol (10 mug/kg, i.v., and non-antitussive activity), and the cough reflex was observed. Compared with the single administration of each drug, respiratory resistance was decreased and the antitussive effect was increased. These results indicate a strong correlation between bronchodilatation and increased antitussive activity.

[Effect of alfalfa meal on experimental hyperlipidemia]

The influence of alfalfa meal on hyperlipidemia induced by dietary cholesterol was examined and changes in serum total cholesterol (TC), triglycerides (TG) and non-esterified fatty acid (NEFA) in rabbits were recorded. Serum lipid levels of groups treated with alfalfa meal (R-1) as well as those not treated (R-2) were found to be elevated. TC of R-1 was lower than that of R-2. The inhibition effect of alfalfa meal on elevation of TC was apparent to a certain extent. The inhibition effect of alfalfa meal on elevation of TG and NEFA was greater than that of TC, thus it is suggested that alfalfa meal can be successfully utilized for experiments with lipids, when the rabbit is the experimental animal of choice. Effect of riboflavine-2,3,4,5-tetranicotinate (RN-4) on changes of TC, TG and NEFA in rats fed 1% cholesterol diet was also examined. RN-4 was mixed in the diet (0.5, 0.25 and 0.125%). TG levels in groups treated with RN-4 (Rt-2, Rt-3 and Rt-4) were lower than previously observed.

[Phamacological studies on bamboo grass (1). Acute toxicity and anti-inflammatory and antiulcerogenic activities of water-soluble fraction(Folin) extracted from Sasa albomarginata Makino et Shibata]

Folin showed no significant toxic effects in mice. The tail pressure test in mice revealed a potent analgesic effect with a hypothermic effect in rats. A significant decrease was also seen in rat dextran or carrageenin edema. There were no inhibitory effects on the formation of granulation tissue in rats. In addition, Folin administration revealed a tendency to a decrease in pylorus-ligated ulcer of the rat by inhibiting the gastric secretion. Some protective effects from aspirin or caffeine-induced gastric ulcers of the pylorus-ligated rats were also obtained in this fraction.

Regressive childhood psychosis

1) Forty-seven children were examined and treated because of psychotic signs during the last 13 years, 35 of them improved and the rest deteriorated. 2) Twelve deteriorated children had four similar symptoms in spite of different age of onset. These are fluid regressive motor play, compulsive tendency for the maintenance of sameness, autistic language disorder and body image disorder. 3) The author calls this illness regressive childhood psychosis, and it can occur between six and 10 years of age.

Studies on rat complement. II. Complement level in experimental tumor in rats

In the course of methylcholanthrene induced carcinogenesis in rats, CIA50, C4 and C3 increased as compared with control and correlation of tumor size with increase in CIA50, C4 and C3 was observed. In the course of dimethylaminoazobenzen carcinogenesis of rats, complement level and C3 level decreased but in splenectomized rats fed by dimethylaminoazobenzen showed elevated level of complement system. After Corynebacterium infection, CIA50 and C3 of rats increased. This phenomenon is considered to be one of the essential factors to induce high resistance against tumor inoculation.

Analysis of lipid composition of isolated human sebaceous gland homogenates after incubation with cutaneous bacteria. Thin-layer chromatography

The effects of specific species of skin bacteria on human sebaceous gland lipids in vitro were analyzed. Isolated dissected sebaceous glands were pooled, homogenized, and sterilized, then incorporated into peptone-yeast extract medium and used as substrate for growth of Propionibacterium acnes, P. granulosum, and Staphylococcus epidermidis subgroup II. The sebaceous lipids were analyzed by thin-layer chromatography before and after bacterial growth. The most striking effect of bacteria on sebaceous gland lipid composition was the hydrolysis of sebaceous triglycerides. The degree of hydrolysis varied with bacterial strain but was most complete with P. acnes and P. granulosum. Staphylococci were not effective in hydrolyzing sebaceous triglycerides at pH 4.5 although, when the pH of the medium was raised to pH 6.4, some strains of staphylococci were as effective as the propionibacteria in hydrolyzing sebaceous triglycerides to free fatty acids. Thus minor changes in acidity may play asignificant role in controlling the lipolytic activity of staphylococci on skin. Another effect of bacterial action on sebaceous gland lipids was the esterification of sebaceous cholesterol to cholesteryl esters. Thus, bacterial action must be taken into account in evaluating studies of alterations in cutaneous cholesterol and cholesteryl esters in skin surface lipids in normal and disease states.