Topographic mapping of P300 and frontal cognitive function in Parkinson's disease

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the relationship between P300 that is one of the event-related potentials and frontal cognitive functions in Parkinson's disease (PD) without clinically apparent dementia. Subjects were 20 PD cases 48 to 79 years of age, all of whom were within normal limits on the Mini-Mental State examination, and 55 age-matched healthy adults. P300 was elicited with an auditory oddball paradigm and recorded at 15 sites on the scalp. Cognitive functioning of the frontal lobe was evaluated using the New Modified Wisconsin Card Sorting Test (WCST) and the Letter Pick-Out Test (LPOT) which reflects selective attention and semantic categorization. P300 latency was delayed in 30.0% of P300 demonstrated abnormal distribution in 20.0%. the WCST and the LPOT were abnormal in 15.0%, P300 latency significantly correlated with number of subcategories achieved on the WCST. P300 amplitude correlated with scores on the LPOT. These results suggest that cognitive dysfunction which linked partly to the frontal lobe might begin in PD even without clinically apparent dementia.

Influence of ventricular morphology on aerobic exercise capacity in patients after the Fontan operation

OBJECTIVES

This study investigated the influences of ventricular morphology, hemodynamics and clinical findings on exercise capacity in patients after the Fontan operation.

BACKGROUND

Determinants of exercise capacity after the Fontan operation remain unclear.

METHODS

Peak oxygen uptake (PVo2) was determined in 105 patients by exercise test and compared to hemodynamics and clinical findings. Patients were divided into three groups based on ventricular morphology: those with a right ventricle (group RV), a biventricle (group BV) and a left ventricle (group LV).

RESULTS

Ten patients with atrioventricular valve regurgitation (AVVR) or hypoxia exhibited a low PVo2. After excluding these patients, although PVo2 did not correlate with hemodynamics, except ventricular ejection fraction (p < 0.02), it correlated with age at the Fontan operation and exercise test (p < 0.002). The PVo2 was higher in group LV (63+/-9%) than in groups RV (55+/-9%) and BV (55+/-12%) (p < 0.01), while an inverse correlation between PVo2 and age at operation was demonstrated only in group RV (p < 0.05). Groups RV or BV and age at exercise test were associated with a lower PVo2, whereas group LV was an independent predictor of a higher PVo2 (p < 0.01). During 4.2 years of follow-up, a decrease in peak heart rate was related to a decrease in PVo2 (p < 0.05). The PVo2 decreased in group RV (p < 0.01).

CONCLUSIONS

In addition to AVVR, hypoxia, and heart rate response, ventricular morphology is related to exercise capacity. Early Fontan operation may be beneficial in terms of exercise capacity, especially in the group RV patients.

Roles of acyl-coenzyme A:cholesterol acyltransferase-1 and -2

Acyl-coenzyme A:cholesterol acyltransferase (ACAT) is an intracellular enzyme that produces cholesteryl esters in various tissues. In mammals, two ACAT genes (ACAT1 and ACAT2) have been identified. Together, these two enzymes are involved in storing cholesteryl esters as lipid droplets, in macrophage foam-cell formation, in absorbing dietary cholesterol, and in supplying cholesteryl esters as part of the core lipid for lipoprotein synthesis and assembly. The key difference in tissue distribution of ACAT1 and ACAT2 between humans, mice and monkeys is that, in adult human liver (including hepatocytes and bile duct cells), the major enzyme is ACAT1, rather than ACAT2. There is compelling evidence implicating a role for ACAT1 in macrophage foam-cell formation, and for ACAT2 in intestinal cholesterol absorption. However, further studies at the biochemical and cell biological levels are needed in order to clarify the functional roles of ACAT1 and ACAT2 in the VLDL or chylomicron synthesis/assembly process.

Transcriptional activation of the thyroglobulin promoter directing suicide gene expression by thyroid transcription factor-1 in thyroid cancer cells

Gene therapy with thyroglobulin (TG) promoter and a prodrug/suicide gene combination may prove useful as a treatment for thyroid carcinoma. However, most poorly differentiated and anaplastic thyroid carcinomas have lost the ability to express the TG gene expression accompanied by loss of transcription factors [thyroid transcription factor-1 (TTF-1), TTF-2, or Pax-8] interacting with the TG promoter. In anticipation of developing transcriptionally targeted gene therapy of TG-nonproducing thyroid carcinomas, we investigated the effect of TTF-1 gene transfer on TG promoter activity and the cytotoxic effect obtained by the TG promoter-driven HSV-TK gene along with ganciclovir in thyroid carcinoma and nonthyroidal cells. Using a chimeric construct containing the 5'-flanking region of the rat TG gene between -826 and +39 bp and the luciferase gene, TG promoter activity was detected in a normal rat thyroid cell line (FRTL-5), but not in a dedifferentiated line of thyroid cells (FRT) expressing Pax-8 but not TTF-1, TTF-2, or TG [TTF-1(-)/TTF-2(-)/Pax-8(+)/TG(-)], or in a human papillary thyroid carcinoma cell line [BHP15-3; TTF-1(-)/TTF-2(-)/Pax-8(-)/TG(-)], a human pulmonary cell line [H441; TTF-1(+)/TTF-2(-)/Pax-8(-)/TG(-)], or a dog kidney epithelial cell line [MDCK; TTF-1(-)/TTF-2(-)/Pax-8(+)/TG(-)]. Cotransfection of the TTF-1 expression vector stimulated TG promoter activity in FRT and BHP15-3 dedifferentiated thyroid cells, but not in H441 pulmonary cells. Only weak activation was observed in MDCK kidney cells. We then constructed recombinant adenovirus vectors, AdTTF-1 and ADTGTK: AdTTF-1 contained cytomegalovirus promoter and rat TTF-1 cDNA; AdTGTK carried the TG promoter-driven HSV-TK gene. Infection with AdTGTK and combined with GCV treatment induced a cytotoxic effect in FRTL-5 cells but not in dedifferentiated thyroid or nonthyroid cells. Cotransduction of AdTTF-1 and AdTGTK permitted 90% cytotoxicity for BHP15-3 and >95% cytotoxicity for FRT, as well as for BHP7-13 and BHP18-21v thyroid cancer cell lines [both/TTF1(-)/TTF-2(-)/Pax-8(+)/TG(-)]. In contrast, little cytotoxicity was seen for H441 and MDCK cell lines even with 300 microg/ml of ganciclovir. These results suggest that cotransduction of a TG promoter-controlled suicide gene and the TTF-1 gene by adenoviral vectors confers transcriptionally targeted gene-mediated cytotoxicity in poorly differentiated thyroid carcinoma cells unable to express the TG gene.

Scavenger receptor class B type I-mediated reverse cholesterol transport is inhibited by advanced glycation end products

Cellular interactions of advanced glycation end products (AGE) are mediated by AGE receptors. We demonstrated previously that class A scavenger receptor types I and II (SR-A) and CD36, a member of class B scavenger receptor family, serve as the AGE receptors. In this study, we investigated whether scavenger receptor class B type I (SR-BI), another receptor belonging to class B scavenger receptor family, was also an AGE receptor. We used Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells overexpressed hamster SR-BI (CHO-SR-BI cells). (125)I-AGE-bovine serum albumin (AGE-BSA) was endocytosed in a dose-dependent fashion and underwent lysosomal degradation by CHO-SR-BI cells. (125)I-AGE-BSA exhibited saturable binding to CHO-SR-BI cells (K(d) = 8.3 microg/ml). Endocytic uptake of (125)I-AGE-BSA by CHO-SR-BI cells was completely inhibited by oxidized low density lipoprotein (LDL) and acetylated LDL, whereas LDL exerted only a weak inhibitory effect (<20%). Cross-competition experiments showed that AGE-BSA had no effect on HDL binding to these cells and vice versa. Interestingly, however, SR-BI-mediated selective uptake of HDL-CE was completely inhibited by AGE-BSA in a dose-dependent manner (IC(50) <10 microg/ml). Furthermore, AGE-BSA partially inhibited (by <30%) the selective uptake of HDL-CE in human hepatocarcinoma HepG2 cells (IC(50) <30 microg/ml). In addition, [(3)H]cholesterol efflux from CHO-SR-BI cells to HDL was significantly inhibited by AGE-BSA in a dose-dependent manner (IC(50) <30 microg/ml). Our results indicate that AGE proteins, as ligands for SR-BI, effectively inhibit both SR-BI-mediated selective uptake of HDL-CE and cholesterol efflux from peripheral cells to HDL, suggesting that AGE proteins might modulate SR-BI-mediated cholesterol metabolism in vivo.

The role of galectin-3 in endocytosis of advanced glycation end products and modified low density lipoproteins

Galectin-3, a member of beta-galactoside-binding lectin family, is suggested to be an AGE-receptor. To examine this possibility, we prepared CHO cells overexpressing human galectin-3 (galectin-3-CHO cells). Galectin-3-CHO cells showed a specific and saturable binding to (125)I-AGE-BSA with Kd of 3.1 microg/ml. (125)I-AGE-BSA was endocytosed by galectin-3-CHO cells and underwent lysosomal degradation. The endocytosis of (125)I-AGE-BSA was inhibited not only by unlabeled AGE-BSA but also by acetylated LDL and oxidized LDL, ligands for the scavenger receptor family. Furthermore, (125)I-oxidized LDL and (125)I-acetylated LDL were actively endocytosed by galectin-3-CHO cells and the incubation with acetyl-LDL led to intracellular accumulation of cholesteryl esters, indicating the role of galectin-3 in endocytosis of AGE-proteins and modified LDLs. Since galectin-3 was localized and up-regulated in foam cells at human atherosclerotic lesions, the present results suggest that galectin-3 plays an important role in formation of atherosclerotic lesions in vivo, by modulating endocytic uptake of AGE-proteins and modified LDLs.

Induction of acyl-coenzyme A:cholesterol acyltransferase-1 by 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D(3) or 9-cis-retinoic acid in undifferentiated THP-1 cells

We have previously shown that acyl-coenzyme A: cholesterol acyltransferase-1 (ACAT-1) protein content increases significantly during the human monocyte-macrophage differentiation process. To gain further insight, we used undifferentiated human monocytic THP-1 cells as a model system with which to examine whether ACAT-1 mRNA and protein content can be increased by treating cells with 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D(3) [1,25-(OH)(2)D(3)] or with 9-cis-retinoic acid (9-cis-RA), two agents known to upregulate the expression of various genes during the monocyte-macrophage differentiation process. Immunoblot analysis with anti-human ACAT-1 antibodies revealed that ACAT-1 protein was increased by 2.6-fold, using 1,25-(OH)(2)D(3) at a physiological concentration (100 pM). ACAT-1 protein was also increased when using 9-cis-RA, but only at relatively high concentrations (0.1;-1 microM). Northern blot analysis revealed that among the four ACAT-1 mRNA transcripts (2.8, 3.6, 4.2, and 7.0 kb) examined, only the 2.8- and 3.6-kb transcripts were selectively increased. On the basis of enzyme assays in vitro, ACAT activity was increased 3.0-fold by using 100 nM 1,25-(OH)(2)D(3), and 1.8-fold by using 1 microM 9-cis-RA. Together, our results suggest that 1,25-(OH)(3) participates in ACAT-1 gene expression during the monocyte-macrophage differentiation process.

Enamel matrix derivative in the treatment of human intrabony osseous defects

BACKGROUND

There is limited information available from clinical trials regarding the performance of enamel matrix derivative (EMD) in the treatment of periodontal intrabony defects. This randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, split-mouth study was designed to compare the clinical and radiographical effects of EMD treatment to that of placebo-controlled treatment for intrabony defects.

METHODS

Sixteen patients were included, each of whom had 1 or 2 pairs of intrabony defects located contralaterally in the same arch. Thirty-six intrabony defects were randomly assigned treatment with flap surgery plus EMD or flap surgery plus placebo. At baseline and at the 12-month follow-up evaluation visit, clinical and radiographic measurements were determined. Data were statistically analyzed using the Wilcoxon-signed rank test (alpha = 0.05).

RESULTS

At the 12-month visit, bleeding on probing for the EMD group was 0.11 +/- 0.32 compared to the placebo group, 0.61 +/- 0.50 (P <0.05). Probing depth reduction was greater in the EMD group (3.00 +/- 0.97 mm) compared to the placebo group (2.22 +/- 0.81 mm) (P <0.05). Mean values for clinical attachment gain in the EMD and the placebo groups were 1.72 +/- 1.07 mm and 0.83 +/- 0.86 mm, respectively (P <0.05). Vertical relative attachment gain was 38.5 +/- 22.6% in the EMD group and 21.4 +/- 25.2% in the placebo group (P<0.05). Radiographic bone density gain was greater in the EMD (20.2 +/- 16.6%) compared to the placebo group (-3.94 +/- 23.3%) (P<0.01).

CONCLUSIONS

Treatment with flap surgery and EMD, compared to flap surgery with placebo, produced a significantly more favorable clinical improvement in intrabony periodontal defects.

Hb Ernz [beta123(H1)Thr-->Asn] and Hb Renert [beta133(H11)Val-->Ala]: two new neutral variants revealed by reversed phase high performance liquid chromatography analysis

Analysis of globin chains by reversed phase high performance liquid chromatography, used as an additional tool for characterizing hemoglobin variants, has led to the discovery of a new class of variants that display only differences in hydrophobicity. Two such variants are here described. Hb Ernz was found in a man of Italian origin who was polycythemic, and in two of his three daughters who were hematologically normal. Hb Renert, a slightly unstable variant, was found in a man from Cape Verde who also carried Hb S and presented with chronic hemolysis. The structural abnormalities were characterized by protein structure methods involving reversed phase high performance liquid chromatographic separations of globins and peptides, followed by mass spectrometry studies (electrospray, ion trap, tandem mass spectrometry).

Glibenclamide acts as an inhibitor of acyl-CoA:cholesterol acyltransferase enzyme

Sulfonylureas are used in the treatment of non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus. Little is known, however, about their effects on cholesterol metabolism. We tested in the present study the effects of glibenclamide (GB) on cholesterol esterification (CE) in macrophage-derived cells. GB inhibited intracellular accumulation of CE induced by acetylated LDL or oxidized LDL in J774 cells, but no such effect on total cholesterol, suggesting that the target of GB was acyl-CoA:cholesterol acyltransferase (ACAT). In the cell-free reconstitution ACAT assay, GB inhibited the ACAT activity with an IC(50) value of 20 microM. Furthermore, GB effectively inhibited the ACAT activity of PMA-stimulated THP-1 cells to the undifferentiated level of THP-1. In the whole-cell ACAT assay using CHO cells overexpressed with ACAT-1 or ACAT-2, GB inhibited the activity of both isozymes with similar potency. Our in vitro data suggest that sulfonylurea could be a potential seed for a new generation of ACAT inhibitors.

Long-term (14 years) effect of LDL apheresis on obstructive changes in aortocoronary saphenous-vein bypass grafts in a case of heterozygous familial hypercholesterolemia with the LDL receptor proline664 to leucine mutation

A 61-year-old Japanese woman with heterozygous familial hypercholesterolemia (FH), type 2 diabetes mellitus and coronary artery disease underwent coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) utilizing a saphenous vein graft at the age of 46, in June 1984, 6 months before low density lipoprotein (LDL) apheresis was started. She had received LDL apheresis every two weeks, along with combined drug treatment since the age of 47 (December 1984). She had bilateral xanthelasma and Achilles tendon xanthomas. Her fasting baseline serum total cholesterol and triglyceride level were 464 mg/dl and 57 mg/dl, respectively at the age of 47 when she visited our hospital for the first time. Analysis of the genomic DNA from the patient revealed heterozygous amino acid substitution of Leu for Pro664 in the LDL receptor gene. She was diagnosed as type 2 diabetes mellitus at the age of 53. Combined treatment in the steady state yielded a pretreatment LDL cholesterol level of 230+/-14 mg/dl and a posttreatment level of 57+/-7.6. All grafts were widely patent after as long as 14 years since CABG, suggesting that LDL apheresis combined with drug therapy is highly effective in preventing the occlusion of bypass grafts in a patient with heterozygous FH and type 2 diabetes mellitus.

A quantitative extraction method for the determination of trace amounts of both butyl- and phenyltin compounds in sediments by gas chromatography-inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry

A simple and reliable extraction method was developed for quantitative determination of both butyl- and phenyltin compounds in sediments by capillary gas chromatography combined with inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (GC-ICP-MS). Both types of organotin compounds were extracted quantitatively from sediment by mechanical shaking into tropolone-toluene and HCl-methanol. After phase separation and pH adjustment, these organotins were ethylated with sodium tetraethylborate. The method was evaluated by analyzing PACS-2 and NIES No. 12 sediment certified reference materials. The dibutyltin (DBT; 1.14 +/- 0.02 micrograms g-1) and tributyltin (TBT; 1.01 +/- 0.04 micrograms g-1) values observed in PACS-2 sediment closely matched the certified values (DBT, 1.09 +/- 0.15; TBT, 0.98 +/- 0.13 microgram g-1 as tin). The monobutyltin (MBT) value was higher (0.62 +/- 0.02 microgram g-1) by more than two fold over the reference value (0.3 microgram g-1 as tin). The concentrations of TBT (0.18 +/- 0.04 microgram g-1) and triphenyltin (TPhT; 0.0099 +/- 0.002 microgram g-1) in the NIES No. 12 sediment were also in good agreement with the certified and reference values of TBT (0.19 +/- 0.03 microgram g-1 as compound) and TPhT (0.008 microgram g-1 as compound), respectively. Recoveries of TBT, tripentyltin (TPeT) and TPhT from spiked sediments were satisfactory (TBT, 102 +/- 3.4%; TPrT, 96 +/- 3.4%; TPhT, 99 +/- 8.5%). The detection limits as tin were in the range 0.23-0.48 ng g-1 for a 0.5 g sample size. It is also noteworthy that clean-up of the extract is not necessary because of the superior selectivity of ICP-MS detection. The present method was successfully applied to marine sediment samples.

Macrophage proliferation in atherosclerosis

Oxidized LDL can induce an increase in intracellular calcium concentration and the activation of protein kinase C in mouse peritoneal macrophages. The activation of protein kinase C leads to the release into the culture medium of granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor, which plays a priming role in oxidized LDL-induced macrophage proliferation. The expression of granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor in macrophages by oxidized LDL is positively regulated in the 5'-flanking region of granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor gene from sequence -169 to -160, but negatively regulated from -91 to -82. Granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor released by oxidized LDL from macrophages induces proliferation in autocrine or paracrine fashion via the activation of phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase. The capacity of oxidized LDL to induce macrophage proliferation in vitro may be involved in the enhanced progression of atherosclerosis in vivo.

[Alleviation of sadness by pleasant imagery: analyses of subjective and physiological responses]

This study examined whether elicitation of joy or relaxation would reduce intensity of formerly induced sadness by using imagery tasks. Participants (N = 10) imaged a series of four sad scenes successively in the preliminary experiment. Dependent variables were subjective emotional ratings, heart rate, and facial electromyography of the corrugator and the zygomatic muscles. The result indicated that the sadness-imageries increased heart rate, corrugator activity, and zygomatic activity, as well as sad feeling. The procedure of the main experiment (N = 19) was almost the same as that of the preliminary experiment except that the sadness-imageries were followed by one of the 3 emotional imageries, that is, relaxation, neutrality, and joy. The result indicated that the relaxation-imagery marginally significantly decreased the heart rate that had been increased by the sadness-imageries. The joy-imagery reduced sad feeling but increased the zygomatic activity more than the relaxation-imagery. No effect was found on the heart rate. These results suggested that positive emotions alleviate sadness, and that joy and relaxation alleviate different aspects of sadness.

Polymorphism of linoleic acid (cis-9, cis-12-octadecadienoic acid) and alpha-linolenic acid (cis-9, cis-12, cis-15-octadecatrienoic acid)

Crystallization and polymorphic properties of linoleic acid (cis-9, cis-12-Octadecadienoic acid) (LA) and alpha-linolenic acid (cis-9, cis-12, cis-15-Octadecatrienoic acid) (alpha-LNA) have been studied by optical microscopy, differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and X-ray diffraction (XRD). The DSC analyses presented three polymorphs in LA, and two polymorphs in alpha-LNA. The XRD patterns of the higher- and lower-temperature forms in LA and alpha-LNA showed orthorhombic O'(//)+O-like and O'(//) subcell, which were similar to those of alpha- and gamma-forms of mono-unsaturated fatty acids, respectively. From the solvent crystallization of LA and alpha-LNA in acetonitrile, single crystals of the higher temperature polymorphs have been obtained. The crystal habits of truncated rhombic shape were also similar to those of alpha-forms of the mono-unsaturated fatty acids. The enthalpy and entropy values of fusion and dissolution of the alpha-forms of LA, alpha-LNA and oleic acid showed that the two values decreased with increasing number of the cis-double bond.

Evaluation of aberrant bile ducts before laparoscopic cholecystectomy: helical CT cholangiography versus MR cholangiography

OBJECTIVE

The purpose of our study was to compare the accuracy of helical CT cholangiography and that of MR cholangiography in the diagnosis of aberrant bile ducts or cystic ducts before laparoscopic cholecystectomy.

SUBJECTS AND METHODS

A total of 120 consecutive patients, including 114 patients with cholecystolithiasis and six with gallbladder polyps, were treated using laparoscopic cholecystectomy between November 1996 and August 1998. Eighteen (15%) of the 120 patients were suspected of having aberrant bile ducts or cystic ducts on helical CT cholangiography, and 16 of these 18 patients were subsequently examined on MR cholangiography. For the 16 patients who underwent both imaging examinations, findings from helical CT cholangiography and MR cholangiography were compared with intraoperative cholangiography.

RESULTS

Aberrant bile ducts in 13 patients and aberrant cystic ducts in three patients were divided into six types on the basis of the results of intraoperative cholangiography. Although these types were clearly identified using helical CT cholangiography in all 16 patients, the anatomic variants were not correctly identified in seven (44%) of the 16 patients with MR cholangiography. False-negative findings were mainly a result of the insertion sites of the cystic ducts or aberrant bile ducts being obscured by aberrant bile ducts or duodenum. Two (2%) of the 120 patients developed mild adverse reactions to the contrast material, but neither required treatment.

CONCLUSION

Helical CT cholangiography clearly showed aberrant bile ducts and cystic ducts, but visualization of these structures on MR cholangiography was unsatisfactory because of overlapping duodenum and hepatic ducts.

Epithelial-mesenchymal interaction in gastric mucosal restoration

In this review article we discuss the role of growth factors in gastric ulcer healing using an in vitro wound repair model with gastric epithelial and mesenchymal cells. Several growth factors accelerate gastric epithelial and mesenchymal wound healing in vitro with acceleration of cell migration and proliferation. Epidermal growth factor, transforming growth factor-alpha (TGFalpha), hepatocyte growth factor, and insulin accelerate predominantly gastric epithelial wound healing; and TGFbeta and basic fibroblast growth factor predominantly accelerate gastric mesenchymal wound healing. Platelet-derived growth factor-betabeta and insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) accelerate both significantly. Among these growth factors, IGF-1 produced from fibroblasts plays a key role in the gastric epithelial-mesenchymal interaction during the process of gastric wound healing.