Polyhydroxylated C(60), fullerenols, as glutamate receptor antagonists and neuroprotective agents

Derivatives of C(60) have been shown to be effective free radical scavengers. Hence, many of the biological functions of fullerene are believed to be due to their antioxidant properties. Here we present evidence to show that fullerenols, that are caged fullerene oxides, exert their neuroprotective functions by blocking glutamate receptors and lowering the intracellular calcium, [Ca(2+)](i). In neuronal cultures, fullerenols reduce glutamate-induced neurotoxicity by about 80% at 50microM. No significant effect was observed on H(2)O(2)/Fe(2+)-induced neurotoxicity under the same conditions. Fullerenols were found to inhibit glutamate receptor binding in a dose-dependent manner inhibiting 50% of glutamate binding at 50 microM. Furthermore, AMPA receptors were found to be more sensitive to fullerenols than NMDA and KA receptors. On the other hand, GABA(A) receptors and taurine receptors were not significantly affected by fullerenols at the same concentrations used, suggesting that fullerenols inhibit primarily the glutamate receptors. In addition, fullerenols were also found to lower glutamate (Glu) receptor-induced elevation of [Ca(2+)](i), suggesting that the underlying mechanism of neuronal protective function of fullerenols is likely due to its ability to block the glutamate receptors and to reduce the level of [Ca(2+)](i).

Prolonged swimming exercise training induce hypophosphatemic osteopenia in stroke-prone spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHRSP)

Stroke-prone spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHRSP) induce spontaneous osteoporosis. To elucidate the specific characteristics of bone metabolism, the SHRSP was compared with age matched Wistar-Kyoto (WKY) rats. We investigated the effects of prolonged swimming exercise training on bone mineral density (BMD) and metabolism in the SHRSP. Seven-week-old male SHRSP and WKY were divided into three groups; the sedentary control WKY group (n = 6, WKY), the sedentary control SHRSP group (n = 6, SP) and the swimming exercise training SHRSP group (n = 6, SWIM) (in pool with 60 min./day, 5 days/week for 12 weeks). The femoral BMD, bone mineral content (BMC), strength, Ca and P contents (%) of SHRSP were approximately 17, 27, 25, 20 and 9%, respectively, lower than that of WKY (p < 0.001). Serum alkaline phosphatase (AlP) had not changed between both of SP and WKY, but tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase (TrAcP) of SP approximately 3-fold higher than that of WKY (p < 0.05). Both serum calcium (Ca) and intact parathyroid hormone (i-PTH) were similar between SP and WKY. However, serum phosphate (P) of SP was approximately 18% lower than that of WKY (N.S.). These results suggested that SHRSP induces osteopenia by the bone turnover of the promoted osteoclast activity with disturbed phosphate homeostasis. On the other hand, the femoral BMD and strength were approximately 7% and 20%, respectively, decreased in the SWIM (p < 0.001), and femoral bone Ca and P contents (%) were also approximately 11% and 14%, respectively, lower than that of SP (p < 0.001). There were no significant difference between SWIM and SP on serum Ca, but serum P of SWIM was significantly lower than that of SP (p < 0.05). These results suggested that the prolonged swimming exercise training in the SHRSP induces more cruelly hypophosphatemia, and leading to osteopenia eventually. We conclude that SHRSP induces osteopenia with disturbance of phosphate homeostasis, and the prolonged swimming exercise in the SHRSP might deteriorate hypophosphatemia and osteopenia.

Effects of indoor environmental factors on risk for atopic eczema in a subtropical area

The objective of this study was to examine the relationship between indoor environmental factors and atopic eczema in a subtropical area. A case-control study was performed using participants from a survey that included 144 school children with atopic eczema and 144 age- and gender-matched controls. The study was confined to 4,164 primary school children aged 6-12 yr attending 8 primary schools in Kaohsiung rural municipalities who participated in the study. Cases of atopic eczema were ascertained by asking whether a physician had ever diagnosed this condition in the child. Information regarding the home environment was obtained using a structured written questionnaire, completed by the parents of the children. Of the many indoor environmental factors included in this study, such as dampness and smoking, none was found to be associated with atopic eczema.

Chlorination of drinking water and sex ratio at birth in Taiwan

Chlorination has been the major strategy for disinfecting drinking water in Taiwan. The objective of the present study was to determine whether the chlorination of drinking water was associated with abnormal sex ratios, an indicator of exposure to pollutants. A "chlorinating municipality" (CHM) was defined as one in which more than 90% of the municipality population was served with chlorinated water. A "nonchlorinating municipality" (NCHM) was one in which less than 5% of the municipality population was served with chlorinated water. The results of this study found no association between the use of chlorinated drinking water and abnormal sex ratios at birth in Taiwan. The imbibing of chlorinated water may not reflect contaminant exposure using sex ratio as a biomonitor.

Association between chlorination of drinking water and adverse pregnancy outcome in Taiwan

Chlorination has been the major means of disinfecting drinking water in Taiwan. The use of chlorinated water has been hypothesized to lead to several adverse birth outcomes, including low birth weight and preterm delivery. We performed a study to examine the relationship between the use of chlorinated water and adverse birth outcomes in Taiwan. The study areas included 14 chlorinating municipalities (CHMs), which were defined as municipalities in which > 90% of the municipal population was served by chlorinated water, and 14 matched nonchlorinating municipalities (NCHMs), defined as municipalities in which < 5% of the municipal population is served by chlorinated water. The CHMs and NCHMs were similar to one another in terms of level of urbanization and sociodemographic characteristics. The study population comprised 18,025 women residing in the 28 municipalities who had a first parity singleton birth between 1 January 1994 and 31 December 1996 and for which complete information on maternal age, education, gestational age, birth weight, and sex of the baby were available. The results of our study suggest that there was no association between consumption of chlorinated drinking water and the risk of low birth weight.

Association of L-glutamic acid decarboxylase to the 70-kDa heat shock protein as a potential anchoring mechanism to synaptic vesicles

Recently we have reported that the membrane-associated form of the gamma-aminobutyric acid-synthesizing enzyme, l-glutamate decarboxylase (MGAD), is regulated by the vesicular proton gradient (Hsu, C. C., Thomas, C., Chen, W., Davis, K. M., Foos, T., Chen, J. L., Wu, E., Floor, E., Schloss, J. V., and Wu, J. Y. (1999) J. Biol. Chem. 274, 24366-24371). In this report, several lines of evidence are presented to indicate that l-glutamate decarboxylase (GAD) can become membrane-associated to synaptic vesicles first through complex formation with the heat shock protein 70 family, specifically heat shock cognate 70 (HSC70), followed by interaction with cysteine string protein (CSP), an integral protein of the synaptic vesicle. The first line of evidence comes from purification of MGAD in which HSC70, as identified from amino acid sequencing, co-purified with GAD. Second, in reconstitution studies, HSC70 was found to form complex with GAD(65) as shown by gel mobility shift in non-denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis. Third, in immunoprecipitation studies, again, HSC70 was co-immunoprecipitated with GAD by a GAD(65)-specific monoclonal antibody. Fourth, HSC70 and CSP were co-purified with GAD by specific anti-GAD immunoaffinity columns. Furthermore, studies here suggest that both GAD(65) and GAD(67) are associated with synaptic vesicles along with HSC70 and CSP. Based on these findings, a model is proposed to link anchorage of MGAD to synaptic vesicles in relation to its role in gamma-aminobutyric acid neurotransmission.

Using a heavy chain-loss hybridoma 26.4.1LL for studying the structural basis of immunoglobulin chain association

One of the mechanisms contributing to antibody diversity is created by the association of different heavy and light chains. The combinability of heavy and light chains has been studied previously in two systems: in vitro chain recombination and hybrid hybridoma. Here, a novel in vivo chain combination assay system involving a heavy chain-loss variant, 26.4.1LL, producing two kappa light chains (L(DEX) and L(MPC)) different in size is described. In conjunction with DNA transfection, immunoprecipitation and SDS-PAGE, the structural basis of noncovalent interaction between heavy and light chains can be elucidated systematically by examining the relative association tendency of a heavy chain with two light chains. To demonstrate the usefulness of this system, three stably transfected 26.4.1LL cell lines expressing gamma2b heavy chains, designated as H(DEX), H(CHI) and H(ARS), respectively, with structural interrelated variable regions were generated: H(DEX) differs from H(CHI) only in framework regions whereas H(CHI) differs from H(ARS) in complementarity-determining regions. The relative amounts (R values) of L(DEX) and L(MPC) associated with the heavy chains H(DEX), H(CHI) and H(ARS) in the assembled immunoglobulin molecules were found to be 1.02, 0.64 and 0.05, respectively, suggesting that the complementarity-determining regions and framework regions contribute equally to the V(L)-V(H) interaction. This conclusion is consistent with previous observations based on calculation of the buried area in the V(L)-V(H) interface, thus demonstrating the usefulness of this system.

Subject-domain approach to the study of air pollution effects on schoolchildren's illness absence

In this paper, the authors propose a new statistical modeling technique, the subject-domain approach, which is theoretically proven to be equivalent to the time-domain approach in detecting an association between exposure and response with time trends. The authors use an empirical data set from a school absence monitoring study conducted during the 1994-1995 school year in Taiwan to demonstrate this subject-domain approach's application to environmental epidemiologic studies. Because the subject-domain models can control the influential personal confounding factors in the models, they show greater statistical power than the traditional time-domain approaches in determining the relation between air pollution and illness absences. The authors' models found that the schoolchildren's risks of illness absence were significantly related to acute exposures to nitrogen dioxide and nitrogen oxides with a 1-day lag (p < 0.01) at levels below the World Health Organization's guidelines. By contrast, the authors could not detect significant associations between air pollution and schoolchildren's absenteeism using time-domain approaches. Such findings imply that the models built on subject domain may be a general solution to the problem of the ecologic fallacy, which is commonly encountered in environmental and social epidemiologic studies.

Nitric oxide mediates depressor responses by activation of N-methyl-D-aspartate receptors in the nucleus tractus solitarius of cat

Nitric oxide (NO) is involved in cardiovascular regulation and sympathetic nerve activity of the central nervous system (CNS). The nucleus tractus solitarius (NTS) is important to cardiovascular regulation. However, the physiological role of NO in cardiovascular regulation effecting through the NTS remains unclear. The purpose of this study is to investigate the effect of NO measured by in vivo voltammetry on the cardiovascular responses in NTS induced by N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) in anesthetized cats. Extracellular NO concentration was monitored through a Nafion- and porphyrin-coated carbon fiber electrode, which has previously been demonstrated sensitive and selective to NO responses. Microinjection of NMDA into NTS elicited a dose-dependent decrease in cardiovascular responses associated with NO release. Following the dose-response curve, a dose of 3 nmol of NMDA was selected. Microinjection of NMDA into NTS produced depressor responses and NO release. These responses in NTS to NMDA were attenuated by pretreatment with a competitive antagonist, 2-amino-5-phosphonopentanoat (AP-5, 1 nmol), and methylene blue (MB, 1 nmol), an inhibitor of guanylate cyclase. These results suggest that NO is formed from NMDA activation in NTS and that NO diffuses out of neurons into the nearby target neurons to produce depressor response and NO release through cyclic guanosine monophosphate (cGMP) formation. In conclusion, NO mediates depressor response consequent to activation of NMDA receptors in neurons of NTS.

A comparison of the surface characteristics and ion release of Ti6Al4V and heat-treated Ti6Al4V

This work seeks to investigate the nanosurface characteristics and ion release for a Ti6Al4V alloy prepared by various methods (as received and heat treated at 1300 degrees C for 2 h) with three different passivation treatments (34% nitric acid passivation, 400 degrees C heating in air, and aging in 100 degrees C deionized water). The surface and nanosurface composition are not related to the surface passivation treatments and experimental materials as evaluated by energy dispersive spectroscopy and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) analyses. After passivation and autoclaving treatments, the specimens were immersed in 8.0 mM ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA) in Hank's solution and maintained at 37 degrees C for periods of time up to 16 days. The 400 degrees C treated specimens exhibit a substantial reduction in constituent release, which may be attributed to the thicker thickness and rutile structure of the surface oxides. After soaking in Hank's-EDTA solution, a significant time-related decrease in constituent release rate is observed for all kinds of specimens throughout the 0-16 day experimental period. The thicker oxides may be a factor in the improved dissolution resistance. Upon immersion, nonelemental Ca and P are both detected on the surfaces of all kinds of specimens by XPS analysis, and this could be explained by the existence of two types of hydroxyl groups (acidic and basic OH groups) on the oxide surface of the specimens.

Calcium and magnesium in drinking water and the risk of death from breast cancer

The relationship between mortality from breast cancer and the levels of calcium and magnesium in drinking water was examined using an ecological design. The study area consisted of 2.52 municipalities in Taiwan. Data on the levels of calcium and magnesium in drinking water were collected from the Taiwan Water Supply Corporation (TWSC). The age-standardized mortality rate (ASR) for breast cancer ( 1982-1991) was compared among municipalities with different levels of magnesium and calcium in drinking water. Weighted multivariate regression analysis was used, and after adjusting for fertility rates and urbanization, there was a significant inverse relationship between the levels of calcium and magnesium in drinking water and risk of death from breast cancer.

Preferential cytotoxicity of caffeic acid phenethyl ester analogues on oral cancer cells

As part of our previous search for new compounds with improved biological activities including antibiotic, antiviral, anti-inflammatory, and tumor growth inhibition activities, we synthesized some caffeic acid phenethyl ester (CAPE)-like compounds from commercially available caffeic acid. Nine chemicals were tested by the 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide assay on the growth of buccal mucosal fibroblast (BF), oral submucosus fibroblast (OSF), neck metastasis of Gingiva carcinoma (GNM), and tongue squamous cell carcinoma (TSCCa) cells. CAPE and its ethyl analogue show significant cytotoxicity on OSF, GNM, and TSCCa cells, but not on BF cells. The results suggest that CAPE-like compounds may be potential chemotherapy agents against oral cancer.

Calcium and magnesium in drinking water and risk of death from prostate cancer

The possible association between the increased risk of prostate cancer and the levels of calcium and magnesium in drinking water from municipal supplies was investigated in a matched cancer case-control study in Taiwan. All eligible prostate-cancer deaths (682 cases) of Taiwan residents from 1987 through 1993 were compared with deaths from other causes (682 controls). The levels of calcium and magnesium in the drinking water of these residents were also determined. Data on calcium and magnesium levels in drinking water throughout Taiwan were obtained from the Taiwan Water Supply Corporation (TWSC). The control group consisted of people who died from other causes, and the controls were pair-matched to the cases by year of birth and death. The adjusted odds ratios for prostate cancer death for those with higher magnesium levels in their drinking water, as compared to the lowest tertile, were 0.73 (95% CI = 0.51-1.03) and 0.64 (95% CI = 0.43-0.96), respectively. The adjusted odd ratios for the relationship between calcium levels in drinking water and prostate cancer were not statistically significant. The results of the present study show that there may be a significant protective effect of magnesium intake from drinking water and other dietary sources against the risk of prostate cancer development.

Female lung cancer mortality and sex ratios at birth near a petroleum refinery plant

This study was conducted to assess whether female mortality from lung cancer is associated with residence in communities adjacent to a petroleum refinery plant and whether petroleum air pollution could affect the sex ratios of births. The Kaohsiung Refinery of the Chinese Petroleum Corp. is the oldest oil refinery in Taiwan and is located between the Tso-Ying and the Nan-Tzu municipalities. Standardized mortality ratios (SMRs) for female lung cancer and sex ratios of births were calculated for each municipality for the years 1971-1996. Cumulative-sum techniques were used to detect the occurrence of changes in the SMRs. The study results show that mortality from female lung cancer rose gradually about 30 to 37 years after the operation of a petroleum refinery plant began. However, the association between exposure to the petroleum air pollution and abnormal sex ratios at birth was not significant.

An enhanced process for encapsulating aspirin in ethyl cellulose microcapsules by solvent evaporation in an O/W emulsion

An enhanced process for microencapsulating aspirin in ethylcellulose was demonstrated using an oil-in-water emulsification/solvent evaporation technique. Methylene chloride (CH2Cl2) was used as the dispersed medium and water as the dispersing medium. The recovered weight, particle size distribution, aspirin loading efficiency, and the aspirin release rate of microcapsules were analysed. The addition of appropriate amounts of non-solvent (n-heptane) prior to the emulsification increases the recovered weight, but decreases the size of the formed microcapsules. The addition of non-solvent also changes the microcapsule characteristics, resulting in a coarser surface and an increased release rate. Increasing the polymer (ethylcellulose) concentration in the dispersed phase increases the size of the microcapsules, the recovered weight, and loading efficiency, but decreases the release rate. The release rate follows first-order kinetics during the first 12 h, suggesting a monolithic system with aspirin uniformly distributed in the microcapsule.

Fixed erythrodysaesthesia plaque due to intravenous injection of docetaxel

Docetaxel (Taxotere), a semisynthetic taxoid, acts as an antimicrotubule agent and is considered to have great potential in the treatment of non-small cell lung cancer, advanced breast cancer, ovarian cancer and some other tumours. Well-recognized side-effects include dose-limiting neutropenia, fluid retention, myalgia, neuropathy, hypersensitivity reaction, alopecia, mucositis, nail changes and cutaneous reactions such as acral erythema. We describe a unique docetaxel-induced cutaneous reaction presenting as fixed erythematous plaque(s) unrelated to extravasation or previous skin injury; histopathological studies were performed in three of the four cases.

Grandparents in the United States and the Republic of China: a comparison of generations and cultures

Grandparent behaviors in the United States and the Republic of China are examined to identify curriculum themes for helping them adjust to their changing role. The 3,286 non-consanguineous subjects included Chinese (n = 751), African Americans (n = 777), Caucasian Americans (n = 1,086), and Mexican Americans (n = 672). Analyses were performed using 1) Generation with three levels (grandparent, parent, and grandchild) and 2) Culture with four levels (Chinese, African American, Caucasian American, and Mexican American). The results revealed significant differences in perceptions about grandparents across cultures as well as between generations within cultures. All three generations reported grandparent strengths and needs. Specific guidelines and curriculum topics are recommended for education to support grandparent development.

Down's syndrome with mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue, thyroid lymphoma and cerebral infarction

Primary lymphoma of the thyroid gland is rare. The histopathology of most low-grade thyroid lymphomas is of a mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue (MALT) type. A typical feature of this type of lymphoma is a close lymphocyte-epithelium interaction. It tends to appear in patients with a history of autoimmune disease or chronic inflammatory disorders. A clinical picture of hypothyroidism may be present. Hyperthyroidism associated with thyroid lymphoma is also rare. Thyroid lymphoma could be misdiagnosed as lymphocytic thyroiditis or small cell anaplastic carcinoma. It is rarely reported in patients with Down's syndrome. In this report, we describe a Down's syndrome patient with MALT thyroid lymphoma and cerebral infarction. The patient, a 42-year-old man, presented with chest discomfort and bilateral leg weakness of one week's duration. Physical examination of his neck showed a right-sided mass lesion. Neurologic examination revealed decreased muscle power and hyperreflexia in both lower legs. Babinski's sign was present bilaterally. Endocrinologic studies showed subclinical hypothyroidism. A thoracolumbar radiograph showed disc space narrowing. Thyroid sonography revealed a hypoechoic mass lesion in the right lobe of the thyroid gland. Fine needle aspiration cytology of the neck mass demonstrated a large amount of lymphocyte infiltration. An I131 thyroid scan and 24-hour uptake revealed the possibility of thyroid malignancy at the upper poles of both thyroid lobes. Computerized tomography of the brain revealed a lacunar infarct in the posterior aspect of the left putamen. Magnetic resonance imaging of the lumbar spine revealed a healed L4 compression fracture with L4-5 retrolithesis. The patient later underwent a right total thyroidectomy. The pathologic finding showed MALT lymphoma. The patient received steroid suppression therapy, and after nine months of treatment and follow-up, he developed clinical hypothyroidism. Neither local tumor recurrence nor distant metastasis was found.

The normal width of anterior hip synovial recess in children

To establish the diagnostic criteria for hip joint effusion, the normal width of the anterior hip synovial recess in children and the difference between both hips of the same child were examined in this study. Eight kindergarten schools were randomly selected for study in Kaohsiung City. The width of anterior hip synovial recess of 1,568 hips in 784 children (421 boys, 363 girls) was measured by ultrasound scanner with 7.5-MHz linear probe. The age of children ranged from 2.5 to 6.6 years old. During measurement, the children were put in supine position with hips and knees in extension and patella facing up. The results revealed that the mean width of the anterior synovial recess was 7.29+/-1.15 mm. Linear correlation of the width of synovial recess to age and height was disclosed and expressed as follows: width (millimeters) equal to 6.52+0.013x age (months), or width (millimeters) equal to 3.97+0.030x height (centimeters). The mean difference between both hips of the same child was 0.611+/-0.523 mm, and the difference was independent from the factors of age, gender, height, or weight (p>0.05). Ninety-five percent of the differences should be < or =1.46 mm, so that if the difference between hips is >1.46 mm, hip joint effusion should be suspected.

Fluoride in drinking water and cancer mortality in Taiwan

The possibility that cancer risk is associated with naturally fluoridated water in Taiwan is examined. The 1982-1991 age-adjusted mortality rates for cancer for 10 municipalities whose water supplies contained the highest naturally occurring fluoride concentrations in Taiwan were compared to those rates for 10 matched municipalities with unfluoridated water. The two groups had similar urbanization levels and sociodemographic characteristics. Our study does not support the suggestion that fluoridation of water supplies is associated with an increase in cancer mortality in Taiwan.

Measurement of the total cross section for hadronic production by e(+)e(-) annihilation at energies between 2.6-5 GeV

Using the upgraded Beijing Spectrometer, we have measured the total cross section for e(+)e(-) annihilation into hadronic final states at center-of-mass energies of 2.6, 3.2, 3.4, 3.55, 4.6, and 5.0 GeV. Values of R, sigma(e(+)e(-)-->hadrons)/sigma(e(+)e(-)-->&mgr;(+)&mgr;(-)), are determined.

HRad17 colocalizes with NHP2L1 in the nucleolus and redistributes after UV irradiation

The rad17 gene of Schizosaccharomyces pombe plays an important role as a checkpoint protein following DNA damage and during DNA replication. The human homologue of S. pombe rad17, Hrad17, was recently identified, but its function has not yet been established. Using the yeast two-hybrid system, we determined that HRad17 can interact with a nucleolar protein, NHP2L1. This interaction was also demonstrated biochemically, in human cells. Immunofluorescence studies revealed that HRad17 and NHP2L1 colocalize to the nucleolus, and immunogold labeling further resolved the location of NHP2L1 to the dense fibrillar component of the nucleolus. Interestingly, the localization of HRad17 in the nucleolus was altered in response to UV irradiation. These results provide some insight into the DNA damage and replication checkpoint mechanisms of HRad17.