The immune-endocrine loop during aging: role of growth hormone and insulin-like growth factor-I

Why a primary lymphoid organ such as the thymus involutes during aging remains a fundamental question in immunology. Aging is associated with a decrease in plasma growth hormone (somatotropin) and IGF-I, and this somatopause of aging suggests a connection between the neuroendocrine and immune systems. Several investigators have demonstrated that treatment with either growth hormone or IGF-I restores architecture of the involuted thymus gland by reversing the loss of immature cortical thymocytes and preventing the decline in thymulin synthesis that occurs in old or GH-deficient animals and humans. The proliferation, differentiation and functions of other components of the immune system, including T and B cells, macrophages and neutrophils, also demonstrate age-associated decrements that can be restored by IGF-I. Knowledge of the mechanism by which cytokines and hormones influence hematopoietic cells is critical to improving the health of aged individuals. Our laboratory has recently demonstrated that IGF-I prevents apoptosis in promyeloid cells, which subsequently permits these cells to differentiate into neutrophils. We also demonstrated that IL-4 acts much like IGF-I to promote survival of promyeloid cells and to activate the enzyme phosphatidylinositol 3'-kinase (PI 3-kinase). However, the receptors for IGF-I and IL-4 are completely different, with the intracellular beta chains of the IGF receptor possessing intrinsic tyrosine kinase activity and the alpha and gammac subunit of the heterodimeric IL-4 receptor utilizing the Janus kinase family of nonreceptor protein kinases to tyrosine phosphorylate downstream targets. Both receptors share many of the components of the PI 3-kinase signal transduction pathway, converging at the level of insulin receptor substrate-1 or insulin receptor subtrate-2 (formally known as 4PS, or IL-4 Phosphorylated Substrate). Our investigations with IGF-I and IL-4 suggest that PI 3-kinase inhibits apoptosis by maintaining high levels of the anti-apoptotic protein Bcl-2. The sharing of common activation molecules, despite vastly different protein structures of their receptors, forms a molecular explanation for the possibility of cross talk between IL-4 and IGF-I in regulating many of the events associated with hematopoietic differentiation, proliferation and survival.

[Immunologic and clinical study of paraneoplastic limbic encephalitis]

OBJECTIVE

To probe into the pathogenic mechanisms of paraneoplastic limbic encephalitis (PLE) in patients with small cell lung carcinoma (SCLC).

METHODS

The indirect immunoperoxidase method and Western blot analysis were used for detecting anti-Hu antibodies in 16 PLE patients associated with SCLC. Autopsy and pathological study were performed on two cases.

RESULTS

Eight patients (50%) had anti-Hu antibodies (anti-Hu+) whereas eight patients (50%) no detectable antineuronal antibodies (anti-Hu-). The clinical and laboratory features of PLE and time to diagnosis of SCLC were similar in the anti-Hu+ and anti-Hu- groups. Involvement of other areas of the nervous system in seven (87.5%) patients of the anti-Hu+ group but in only one (12.5)% of the anti-Hu- group (P = 0.012).

CONCLUSIONS

The presence of this characteristic neurological disorder strongly suggested that with an accompanying SCLC, existence of anti-Hu autoantibody was in favour of an autoimmune mechanism participating in PLE.

[Determination of chemical constituents of the volatile oil from Curcuma longa by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry]

The study of chemical constituents of the volatile oil from Curcuma longa is reported. The volatile oil was extracted by steam distillation. Fifteen components in the oil were separated and identified by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry(GC/MS). The results were elucidated based on the NBS standard mass spectral data. The total ion current chromatogram showed their mass fraction by normalization method. alpha-curcumene, alpha-zingiberene, 1,8-cineole and zerumbone, which had been reported before were found in Curcuma longa volatile oil, but 1-(3-cyclopentylpropyl)-2,4-dimethylbenzene, beta-sesquiphellandrene, germacrene etc identified simultaneously in the oil had never been reported. The major chemical constituent of the volatile oil from Curcuma longa is alpha-curcumene.

Prevention by inhibitors of arachidonic acid cascade of liver carcinogenesis, cirrhosis and oxidative DNA damage caused by a choline-deficient, L-amino acid-defined diet in rats

Effects of inhibitors of arachidonic acid (AA) cascade on the development of fatty liver, cirrhosis, glutathione S-transferase placental form (GST-P)-positive preneoplastic nodules, neoplastic nodules and generation of 8-hydroxydeoxyguanosine (8-OHdG), caused by a choline-deficient, L-amino acid-defined (CDAA) diet, were examined in Fischer 344 male rats by feeding CDAA diet supplemented with the inhibitors for 12 and 30 weeks. None of the inhibitors affected fatty liver. Among cyclooxygenase (COX) inhibitors, an irreversibly acting acetylsalicylic acid and a long-acting piroxicam, and to a much lesser extent the short-acting ibuprofen but not indomethacin, inhibited the development of cirrhosis, GST-P-positive and neoplastic nodules and generation of 8-OHdG. A phospholipase A2 inhibitor p-bromophenacylbromide (BPB) also exerted similar but lesser extent of inhibitory effects. Lipoxygenase inhibitors quercetin and nordihydroguiaretic acid inhibited GST-P-positive nodules but not cirrhosis or 8-OHdG. Present results suggest that perturbed AA cascade, particularly augmented COX pathway, might play key roles in the causation of liver lesions in the CDAA diet model.

Partial TCR signals delivered by FcR-nonbinding anti-CD3 monoclonal antibodies differentially regulate individual Th subsets

Anti-CD3 mAbs with low FcR affinity prolong graft survival in the absence of the cytokine-mediated toxicity observed with conventional anti-CD3 treatment. Previous studies have shown that FcR-nonbinding anti-CD3 mAbs suppress immune responses, at least in part, by delivering a partial signal resulting in Th1 unresponsiveness. In this study, the biochemical and functional consequences of FcR-nonbinding anti-CD3 treatment for various activated T cell populations were examined. In contrast to Th1 cells, FcR-nonbinding anti-CD3-treated Th2 cells secreted IL-4 and proliferated. Furthermore, Th2 cells cultured with the mAb were not rendered unresponsive. Mixed "Th0" populations responded to FcR-nonbinding anti-CD3 by producing IL-4, and showed a selective decrease in IL-2 production following preculture with the mAb. The stimulation of IL-4-producing cells did not reflect a more complete TCR signal, since similar defects in zeta, ZAP-70, and MAP kinase phosphorylation were observed in Th1 and Th2 cells. Despite the proximal signaling defects, FcR-nonbinding anti-CD3 induced nuclear translocation of NF-ATc. Thus, Abs that deliver partial TCR signals may promote development of a Th2 phenotype during the course of an immune response via selective effects on different Th subsets.

Disruption of the heme iron-proximal histidine bond requires unfolding of deoxymyoglobin

The unfolding behavior of 10 different distal heme pocket mutants of sperm whale deoxymyoglobin (deoxyMb) has been investigated. The effects of distal histidine (His 64) replacement were the primary focus; however, mutations at Leu 29, Val 68, and Ile 107 were also examined. Formation of the spectroscopically distinguishable heme intermediate (I') of deoxyMb was tracked as a function of pH and guanidinium chloride (GdmCl) concentration. The appearance of this intermediate signals cleavage of the iron-proximal histidine (His 93) bond. The key observations are as follows. (1) None of the distal heme pocket mutations investigated alter the nature of the heme intermediates that are formed under low pH unfolding conditions. (2) Unfolding of deoxyMb at high concentrations of GdmCl proceeds through the same heme intermediates that occur under low pH conditions. (3) The rate of the iron-histidine bond cleavage in an acidic medium is dramatically slowed when large hydrophobic residues (Leu and Phe) replace the distal histidine, whereas there is little correlation between the polarity of the residue at position 64 and the rate of denaturation by GdmCl. (4) However, apolar residues at position 64 enhance significantly the equilibrium resistance of deoxyMb to iron-histidine bond cleavage under both low pH and high GdmCl unfolding conditions. There is a direct correlation between the equilibrium pH and GdmCl values for maximum intermediate formation and the stabilities of the corresponding apoproteins. Collectively, these observations suggest that substantial unfolding of deoxyMb is required for Fe(II)-His 93 bond cleavage. Unlike the situation for aquometMb, heme loss from deoxyMb is not driven by protonation of the proximal histidine ligand. Instead, the process is mediated by more global unfolding of the protein that leads to solvation of the prosthetic group.

Inhibition by piroxicam of oxidative DNA damage, liver cirrhosis and development of enzyme-altered nodules caused by a choline-deficient, L-amino acid-defined diet in rats

Previously, we have reported that aspirin, a cyclooxygenase (COX) inhibitor, can prevent the fibrosis, cirrhosis and generation of oxidative DNA damage, and the associated development of glutathione-S-transferase placental form (GST-P)-positive preneoplastic liver nodules, caused by a choline-deficient, L-amino acid-defined (CDAA) diet in rats. In the present study, in order to elucidate the role of COX pathway in liver lesion-induction by a CDAA diet, the modulatory effects of other distinct chemical classes of COX inhibitors were examined. A long-acting example, piroxicam (PIRO) (at doses of 0.01, 0.02, 0.04 and 0.06%) and the short-acting ibuprofen (IBU) (at doses of 0.02, 0.04 and 0.06%) and indomethacin (IND) (at doses of 0.005 and 0.008%) were administered in the CDAA diet to male F344 rats, and animals were killed after 12 and 30 weeks. In another experiment, IND was given in drinking water at doses of 0.001, 0.002 and 0.004%. None of the inhibitors affected the development of fatty liver caused by a CDAA diet, but PIRO at doses higher than 0.04%, strongly inhibited the development of GST-P-positive and neoplastic nodules as well as fibrosis, cirrhosis and formation of 8-hydroxydeoxyguanosine (8-OHdG) adducts. IBU at the highest dose also exhibited similar but much less pronounced inhibitory effects. With IND, there was only a tendency for inhibition with no clear dose-dependence. The results together with our previous findings, indicate that relatively strong COX inhibitors, acting irreversibly like aspirin or for extended periods like PIRO, can prevent the endogenous hepatocarcinogenesis associated with a CDAA diet, although not the development of a fatty liver, suggesting that an augmented COX pathway might play key roles in the causation of liver lesions in this model.

Effects of electroosmotic flow on zone mobilization in capillary isoelectric focusing

The electroosmotic mobilization of focused protein zones in a fused-silica capillary is investigated using a mixture of model proteins, including alpha-chymotrypsinogen A (bovine pancreas), myoglobin (horse heart) and carbonic anhydrase II (bovine erythrocytes). The presence of carrier ampholytes in the entire capillary and the adsorption of carrier ampholytes onto the capillary wall almost eliminate the electroosmotic flow in the fused-silica capillary, obviating the need for polymer additives such as methylcellulose and hydroxypropylmethylcellulose. In fact, the electroosmotic displacement of focused protein zones can only be achieved by injecting a mixture of proteins and ampholytes as a plug at the inlet of a capillary that has been pre-filled with the catholyte. Various approaches for protein mobilization in the uncoated capillary completely filled with carrier ampholytes are studied. The addition of methylcellulose to the sample mixture of carrier ampholytes and protein analytes serves as an anticonvective medium during the gravity mobilization step and contributes to the reduction of protein adsorption onto the capillary wall.

Decreased retinal ganglion cell number and misdirected axon growth associated with fissure defects in Bst/+ mutant mice

PURPOSE

The autosomal semidominant mutation Bst (belly spot and tail) is often associated with small and atrophic optic nerves in adult mice and shares several important attributes with heritable optic nerve atrophy in humans. In this article, the authors present adult and developmental studies on the retinal phenotype in Bst/+ mice.

METHODS

Retinal ganglion cells in adult Bst/+ mice were labeled retrogradely with horseradish peroxidase injected into the right optic tract. Labeled ganglion cells were mapped in whole-mounted retinas ipsilateral and contralateral to the injection site. The number of axons in optic nerves of these and other cases were quantified using an electron microscopic method. Eyes of neonatal, embryonic day 15 (E15), and embryonic day 12 (E12) Bst/+ mutants were examined histologically to understand the etiology of the retinal phenotype.

RESULTS

Approximately 60% of adult Bst/+ mice have deficient direct pupillary light responses. This neurologic phenotype is associated with a reduction in the number of retinal ganglion cells from the wild-type average of 67,000 to less than 20,000 in Bst/+ mutants. Ganglion cells with crossed projections are more severely affected than those with uncrossed projections. Histologic analysis of eyes from E12 mice reveals a delayed closure of the optic fissure. Despite this abnormality, other ocular structures appear relatively normal. However, some E15 mutants exhibit marked disorganization of the retinal neuroepithelium, and ganglion cell axons are found between pigmented and neural retina. At birth, optic nerves of affected mice are smaller than those of wild-type mice, ectopic axons are found within the eyes, and the ganglion cell layer contains many dying cells.

CONCLUSIONS

The expression of the retinal phenotype in Bst/+ mutants is highly variable-ranging from a complete absence of ganglion cells to numbers comparable to that in wild-type mice. The reduction in ganglion cell number in affected adult Bst/+ mice is attributable to the failure of ganglion cell axons to reach the optic nerve head early in development. Delayed fusion of the fissure is consistently associated with the Bst/+ genotype and probably contributes to the failure of ganglion cell axons to grow out of the eye.

[Determination of pseudouridine in serum by high performance liquid chromatography]

Pseudouridine is a modified nucleoside derived from the degradation of transfer ribonucleic acid. The elevation of modified nucleosides in urine has been suggested to be caused by higher turnover rate of t-RNA in tumor tissue than in healthy tissue, rather than by cell death. A method of pseudouridine determination in serum was developed by high-performance liquid chromatography on a Nova-Pak column (Waters) with 0.04 mol/L KH2PO4 (pH 4.0) as mobile phase. The blood samples were collected and 0.6 mL of serum was treated with 0.4 mL 6% HClO4. The precipitate was centrifuged for 10 min at 3000 r/min. Five-hundred microL of the liquor was dried by air-stream at 60 degrees C. The residue was dissolved with 300 microL mobile phase and 10 microL was injected. The average recovery was 93.50 +/- 2.1%. The calibration curve was linear within the concentration range of 0.7-6.8 micromol/L. The serum pseudouridine concentrations for patients with hepatitis, lung cancer, nephritis and uremia were determined and those of patients with lung cancer and uremia were found significantly higher than those of healthy controls (p<0.05). And for patients treated with He-Ne laser no significant change of the pseudouridine hasn't been found (p<0.05).

T cell receptor-gamma/delta cells protect mice from herpes simplex virus type 1-induced lethal encephalitis

Increased numbers of T cell receptor (TCR)-gamma/delta cells have been observed in animal models of influenza and sendai virus infections, as well as in patients infected with human immunodeficiency virus and herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1). However, a direct role for TCR-gamma/delta cells in protective immunity for pathogenic viral infection has not been demonstrated. To define the role of TCR-gamma/delta cells in anti-HSV-1 immunity, TCR-alpha-/- mice treated with anti- TCR-gamma/delta monoclonal antibodies or TCR-gamma/delta x TCR-alpha/beta double-deficient mice were infected with HSV-1 by footpad or ocular routes of infection. In both models of HSV-1 infection, TCR-gamma/delta cells limited severe HSV-1-induced epithelial lesions and greatly reduced mortality by preventing the development of lethal viral encephalitis. The observed protection resulted from TCR-gamma/delta cell-mediated arrest of both viral replication and neurovirulence. The demonstration that TCR-gamma/delta cells play an important protective role in murine HSV-1 infections supports their potential contribution to the immune responses in human HSV-1 infection. Thus, this study demonstrates that TCR-gamma/delta cells may play an important regulatory role in human HSV-1 infections.

[The development of 'ECU-1' environmental control units for disabled individuals in their home]

The 'ECU-1' environmental control units are applied to severely disabled individuals for operating home electrical equipments without other's help. They can freely turn on (off) lights, switch on (off) fan, watch on TV and give alarm for help. The circuit principle of 'ECU-1' is described in detail.

Spontaneous occurrence of early region 1A reiteration mutants of type 5 adenovirus in persistently infected human T-lymphocytes

Mutants of type 5 adenovirus (Ad5) with reiterated DNA sequences in the E1a region appeared in a human T-lymphocyte cell line, Molt-4, persistently infected with H5sub304, a deletion/substitution mutant that has a wild-type phenotype in viral replication. Endonuclease analyses and DNA sequencing revealed DNA reiteration in each mutant. In the four representative mutants investigated, the DNA reiterations all started within a six-base-pair consensus sequence, G(or C)CTGTG, located in the second exon of the E1a region (at nt 1333, 1367, or 1419). There was not any DNA homology between the breakpoints in the second exon and the inserting sequences (starting at nt 532, 710, or 792). Northern analyses suggested that the reiterated splicing sites of the representative mutants were all used in RNA splicing, and the closest donor and recipient joints were used most frequently. These observations imply that during persistent infection Ad5 underwent spontaneous mutations by sequence-specific breakage and nonhomologous end-end joining recombination events. These E1a reiteration mutants could be propagated in HeLa, A549, and KB cells; they were genetically stable; and they killed CREF cells at a strikingly high frequency. Preliminary observations tend to correlate this CREF cell killing with the accumulation of the early viral proteins and/or viral DNA in the infected cells. This degree of cell damage was not observed in Ad5wt or H5sub304 infection of CREF cells. The observed E1a reiterations provide a model to gain insight into understanding the evolutionary events of some, if not all, adenovirus types during many years of symbiotic, persistent relationship in human tonsils and adenoids and possibly other lymphoid organs.

The adenovirus E1A repression domain disrupts the interaction between the TATA binding protein and the TATA box in a manner reversible by TFIIB

The human adenovirus E1A 243 amino acid oncoprotein possesses a transcription repression function that appears to be linked with its ability to induce cell cycle progression and to inhibit cell differentiation. The molecular mechanism of E1A repression has been poorly understood. Recently, we reported that the TATA binding protein (TBP) is a cellular target of E1A repression. Here we demonstrate that the interaction between TBP and the E1A repression domain is direct and specific. The TBP binding domain within E1A 243R maps to E1A N-terminal residues approximately 1 to 35 and is distinct from the TBP binding domain within conserved region 3 unique to the E1A 289R transactivator. An E1A protein fragment consisting of only the E1A N-terminal 80 amino acids (E1A 1-80) and containing the E1A repression function was found to block the interaction between TBP and the TATA box element as shown by gel mobility and DNase protection analysis. Interestingly, a preformed TBP-TATA box promoter complex can be dissociated by E1A 1-80. Further, TFIIB can prevent E1A disruption of TBP-TATA box interaction. TFIIB, like TBP, can overcome E1A repression of transcription in vitro. The ability of the E1A repression domain to block TBP interaction with the TATA box and the ability of TFIIB to reverse E1A disruption of the TBP-TATA box complex implies a mechanism for E1A repression distinct from those of known cellular repressors that target TBP.

[Determination of degradation level of antifungal agent in mice serum by high performance liquid chromatography]

L-4-oxalysinyl-norvalinyl-N3-4-methoxyfumaroyl-L-2,3-diaminopropanoic acid (I-677-Nva-FMDP) is a new tripeptide synthesized in our group. This peptide exhibits potent anticandida Albicans activity. In the presence of serum, the antifun gal activity of I-677-Nva-FMDP decreases after incubating over 1h. In order to investigate the relationship between the degradation and antifungal activity of I-677-Nva-FMDP, the concentrations of I-677-Nva-FMDP and N3-methoxyfumaroyl-L-2,3-diaminopropanoic acid (FMDP) were determined at different incubating time in mice serum. The incubating time range was from 0 to 300 min and the incubating samples were measured at intervals of 30 min. For this measurement reversed-phase HPLC was used and the mobile phase was composed of 8% methanol and 0.1% trifluoroacitic acid-triethyl amine buffer (pH 3). In this condition the retention time of FMDP and I-677-Nva-FMDP were 3.9 min and 16.5 min respectively. Methanol was superior to other reagents for the removal of protein from the incubating medium and there was not any interference peak before the retention time of I-677-Nva-FMDP. A decrease in concentration of I-677-Nva-FMDP was observed from 0 min to 180 min and no I-677-Nva-FMDP could be detected at 210 min whereas the concentration of FMDP incresed from 30 min to 2h and reached a maximum at 120 min. The results showed that the half life (t1/2) of I-677-Nva-FMDP was 70 min. This result coincided with the antifungal test in vitro.

Proinflammatory functions of IL-2 in herpes simplex virus corneal infection

Herpes simplex virus type 1 infection of corneas can lead to blinding inflammation in the corneal stroma, which is referred to clinically as herpes stromal keratitis. In our mouse model of this prevalent human disease, a heavy polymorphonuclear neutrophil (PMN) infiltration of the infected cornea leads to progressive tissue destruction. This inflammatory process can be abrogated by in vivo depletion of CD4 T lymphocytes and by neutralization of the cytokines IL-2 and IFN-gamma. The goal of this study was to define the mechanisms by which IL-2 mediates the corneal inflammation. Systemic neutralization of IL-2 after the onset of corneal disease resulted in a rapid regression of inflammation and complete resolution in 50% of the treated mice. The disease remission was associated with loss of IFN-gamma expression in the cornea, as determined by immunohistochemistry, and a significant reduction of IFN-gamma mRNA, as measured by a semiquantitative reverse transcription-PCR analysis. Within 48 h after anti-IL-2 mAb administration, the PMN chemotactic gradient in the infected corneas was abolished, and those PMN that were already present in the central cornea exhibited clear signs of apoptotic cell death. Our results demonstrate that IL-2 mediates corneal inflammation by 1) regulating local IFN-gamma production in an autocrine or a paracrine fashion, 2) establishing a PMN chemotactic gradient, and 3) maintaining PMN viability in the cornea. These results suggest that IL-2 might be targeted for therapeutic intervention in this blinding disease.

Proinflammatory functions of IL-2 in herpes simplex virus corneal infection

Herpes simplex virus type 1 infection of corneas can lead to blinding inflammation in the corneal stroma, which is referred to clinically as herpes stromal keratitis. In our mouse model of this prevalent human disease, a heavy polymorphonuclear neutrophil (PMN) infiltration of the infected cornea leads to progressive tissue destruction. This inflammatory process can be abrogated by in vivo depletion of CD4 T lymphocytes and by neutralization of the cytokines IL-2 and IFN-gamma. The goal of this study was to define the mechanisms by which IL-2 mediates the corneal inflammation. Systemic neutralization of IL-2 after the onset of corneal disease resulted in a rapid regression of inflammation and complete resolution in 50% of the treated mice. The disease remission was associated with loss of IFN-gamma expression in the cornea, as determined by immunohistochemistry, and a significant reduction of IFN-gamma mRNA, as measured by a semiquantitative reverse transcription-PCR analysis. Within 48 h after anti-IL-2 mAb administration, the PMN chemotactic gradient in the infected corneas was abolished, and those PMN that were already present in the central cornea exhibited clear signs of apoptotic cell death. Our results demonstrate that IL-2 mediates corneal inflammation by 1) regulating local IFN-gamma production in an autocrine or a paracrine fashion, 2) establishing a PMN chemotactic gradient, and 3) maintaining PMN viability in the cornea. These results suggest that IL-2 might be targeted for therapeutic intervention in this blinding disease.

Capillary isoelectric focusing-electrospray ionization mass spectrometry for transferrin glycoforms analysis

On-line capillary isoelectric focusing (CIEF)-electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (ESIMS) as a two-dimensional separation system is employed for high-resolution analysis of bovine serum apotransferrin glycoforms. On the basis of their differences in isoelectric point (pI), the di-, tri-, and tetrasialotransferrins are separated and resolved in CIEF. The focused protein zones of di-, tri-, and tetrasialotransferrins are eluted by combining gravity with cathodic mobilization. At the end of CIEF capillary, the mobilized transferrin zones are analyzed by mass spectrometry coupled on-line to an electrospray interface with a coaxial sheath flow configuration. Additional transferrin variants within each of di-, tri-, and tetrasialotransferrins, differing in their molecular weights, are easily distinguished by ESIMS. In combination with sialidase digestion, the distribution of pI and molecular weight of asialo-, mono-, di-, tri-, and tetrasialotransferrin variants was obtained from the CIEF-ESIMS measurements. In addition to the differences in the number of sialic acid, the microheterogeneity of bovine serum apotransferrin glycans might be complicated by the partial fucosylated structure and the alpha-Gal (1-3)-beta-Gal on the alpha-Man-(1-6) antenna.

Interferon gamma regulates platelet endothelial cell adhesion molecule 1 expression and neutrophil infiltration into herpes simplex virus-infected mouse corneas

In a mouse model of herpes simplex virus (HSV) 1 corneal infection, tissue destruction results from a CD4+ T cell-mediated chronic inflammation, in which interleukin 2 and interferon (IFN) gamma are requisite inflammatory mediators and polymorphonuclear leukocytes (PMN) are the predominant infiltrating cells. In vivo neutralization of IFN-gamma relieved inflammation at least in part through a specific block of PMN extravasation into HSV-1-infected corneas. Intercellular adhesion molecule (ICAM) 1 and platelet endothelial cell adhesion molecule (PECAM) 1 were upregulated on the vascular endothelium of inflamed corneas. Reduced PMN extravasation in anti-IFN-gamma-treated mice was associated with a dramatic reduction of PECAM-1 but not ICAM-1 expression on vascular endothelium. PMN accumulated in the lumen of corneal vessels after in vivo IFN-gamma neutralization. PECAM-1 was readily detectable on PMN inside the vessels but was not detectable on PMN that extravasated into the infected cornea. Moreover, flow cytometric analysis revealed reduced PECAM-1 expression but elevated major histocompatibility complex class I expression on PMN that recently extravasated into the peritoneal cavity when compared with PMN in the peripheral blood. We conclude that IFN-gamma contributes to HSV-1-induced corneal inflammation by facilitating PMN infiltration; this appears to be accomplished through upregulation of PECAM-1 expression on the vascular endothelium; and PMN downregulate PECAM-1 expression during the process of extravasation.

[The value of CA125 and LDH assays in assisting diagnosis of epithelial ovarian carcinoma]

40 first-treated cases of epithelial ovarian cancer, 13 cases of cervical cancer, 13 cases of corpus cancer and 50 cases of benign tumor were included in this study from Jan. 1991 through May 1992 to evaluate the significance of the blood CA125, LDH, CR and SA levels in assisting diagnosis of epithelical ovarian cancer. The CA125 levels of the 40 canses of ovarian cancer were higher than those of cervical cancer and corpus cancer (P < 0.05); the SS, PLR and AC of CA125 in ovarian cancer were higher than those of LDH, SA and CR (P < 0.05); the SS of CA125 in ovarian cancer was higher than that of LDH isoenzyme (P < 0.05). The results show that CA125 may be the best tumor marker in assisting ovarian cancer; CA125 is more informative than LDH, CR and SA; when CA125 is used incombination with other tumor markers, SS, SP, NPV and PPV can be greatly raised.

Ex vivo model of leukocyte migration into herpes simplex virus-infected mouse corneas

We are investigating neutrophilic infiltration into herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1)-infected mouse corneas. Using a novel ex vivo corneal migration assay, we demonstrated two waves of neutrophil chemotaxis in HSV-1-infected corneas. An early chemotactic gradient developed within 48 h in concert with the appearance of HSV-1 epithelial lesions, peaked by 4 days post-infection (p.i.), and degraded by 6-8 days p.i.. A second chemotactic gradient appeared 10 days after infection, just before the initiation of chronic inflammation. The gradient was maintained in corneas that developed inflammation but rapidly degraded in corneas that failed to develop inflammation. The early chemotactic gradient was established in the absence of T lymphocytes, but the second chemotactic gradient was virtually abrogated by T cell depletion. We conclude that HSV-1 infection induces two temporally separated neutrophil chemotactic gradients in the mouse cornea: an early, transient, T cell-independent gradient; and a later, chronic, T cell-dependent gradient.

Crystallization and preliminary X-ray diffraction studies of recombinant staphylokinase

Staphylokinase, a fibrin-specific plasminogen activator, was highly expressed in Escherichia coli and purified by ion-exchange and gel-filtration chromatography. The purified recombinant staphylokinase was fully active and readily crystallized against 1.2 M sodium citrate in 100 mM Tris-HCl buffer at pH 8.0 using the hanging-drop method. Crystals of staphylokinase diffract to better than 2.2 A resolution. The crystal belongs to the tetragonal space group P4(1)2(1)2 or its enantiomorph with unit-cell parameters a = b = 67.5, c = 150.1 A. There are two molecules in the asymmetric unit. In this paper, we described the first crystallization of a kind of plasminogen activator and present the results of preliminary X-ray diffraction data from the native protein.

Inhibition by acetylsalicylic acid, a cyclo-oxygenase inhibitor, and p-bromophenacylbromide, a phospholipase A2 inhibitor, of both cirrhosis and enzyme-altered nodules caused by a choline-deficient, L-amino acid-defined diet in rats

Effects of inhibitors of arachidonic acid (AA) metabolism on the development of fatty liver, cirrhosis, glutathione-S-transferase placental form (GST-P)-positive nodules and the generation of 8-hydroxydeoxyguanosine (8-OHdG) and thiobarbituric acid-reactive substances (TBARS), caused by a choline-deficient, L-amino acid-defined (CDAA) diet, were examined in male Fischer 344 rats by feeding CDAA diets supplemented with the inhibitors for 12 and 30 weeks. Acetylsalicylic acid (ASA) (at doses of 0.1 and 0.2%) and p-bromophenacylbromide (BPB) (0.1 and 0.2%) were used as inhibitors of, respectively, cyclo-oxygenase and phospholipase A2, and quercetin (QU) (0.75 and 1.5%) and nordihydroguaiaretic acid (NDGA) (0.1 and 0.2%) as inhibitors of lipoxygenase. None of the inhibitors affected the development of fatty liver caused by the CDAA diet. ASA at a doe of 0.2% almost completely prevented the appearance of cirrhosis, GST-P-positive nodules, 8-OHdG and TBARS in seven out of 11 (63.7%) rats. BPB at a dose of 0.2% also exerted inhibitory effects on all of these lesions but to a lesser extent than ASA. QU and NDGA exerted inhibitory effects limited to the GST-P-positive nodule case. The results indicate that a perturbed AA metabolism, particularly of the cyclo-oxygenase pathway, derived secondarily from depletion of labile methyl groups or phosphatidylcholine, might play key roles in the cirrhosis, hepatocarcinogenesis and oxidative stress caused by a CDAA diet. The results also indicated a possible involvement of the lipoxygenase pathway in hepatocarcinogenic processes.

[Sequencing of right terminal fragment of canine adenovirus type 1 vaccine strain DNA]

Current studies show that adenoviruses are more advantageous as expression vectors than other viruses. Canine adenovirus type 1 (CAV-1) vaccine strain, CLL (cannaught laboratory limited), as vectors will play more important role for the prophylaxis of zoonosis than human adenoviruses. Studies on molecular biology of CAV-1 or CLL are necessary for construction of vectors of CLL. In this paper, the right terminal of CLL DNA cleaved by Hind II was sequenced. Authors found that it contained a 238 bp inverted terminal repeats (ITR). There are three copies of 40 bp short repeat sequences in the ITR. According to the DNA structural model of human adenovirus type 2, the 40 bp short repeats are the sites that are combined with nuclear factor 1 (NF-1) that is an initiation factor of DNA replication of virus, so they are essential structure of CLL DNA.

Inflammatory infiltration of the trigeminal ganglion after herpes simplex virus type 1 corneal infection

Following herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) infection of the cornea, the virus is transmitted to the trigeminal ganglion, where a brief period of virus replication is followed by establishment of a latent infection in neurons. A possible role of the immune system in regulating virus replication and maintaining latency in the sensory neurons has been suggested. We have investigated the phenotype and cytokine pattern of cells that infiltrate the A/J mouse trigeminal ganglion at various times after HSV-1 corneal infection. HSV antigen expression in the trigeminal ganglion (indicative of the viral lytic cycle) increased until day 3 postinfection (p.i.) and then diminished to undetectable levels by day 7 p.i. The period of declining HSV antigen expression. was associated with a marked increase in Mac-1+ cells. These cells did not appear to coexpress the F4/80+ (macrophage) or the CD8+ (T cell) markers, and none showed polymorphonuclear leukocyte morphology, suggesting a possible early infiltration of natural killer cells. There was also a significant increase in the trigeminal ganglion of cells expressing the gamma delta T-cell receptor, and these cells were found almost exclusively in very close association with neurons. This period was also characterized by a rapid and equivalent increase in cells expressing gamma interferon and interleukin-4. The density of the inflammatory infiltrate in the trigeminal ganglion increased until days 12 to 21 p.i., when it was predominated by CD8+, Mac-1+, and tumor necrosis factor-expressing cells, which surrounded many neurons. By day 92 p.i., the inflammatory infiltrate diminished but was heaviest in mice with active periocular skin disease. Our data are consistent with the notion that gamma interferon produced by natural killer cells and/or gamma delta T cells may play an important role in limiting HSV-1 replication in the trigeminal ganglion during the acute stage of infection. In addition, tumor necrosis factor produced by CD8+ T cells and macrophages may function to maintain the virus in a latent state.

Optical implementation of neural networks for face recognition by the use of nonlinear joint transform correlators

We describe a nonlinear joint transform correlator-based two-layer neural network that uses a supervised learning algorithm for real-time face recognition. The system is trained with a sequence of facial images and is able to classify an input face image in real time. Computer simulations and optical experimental results are presented. The processor can be manufactured into a compact low-cost optoelectronic system. The use of the nonlinear joint transform correlator provides good noise robustness and good image discrimination.

Molecular cloning and characterization of a cellular protein that interacts with the human immunodeficiency virus type 1 Tat transactivator and encodes a strong transcriptional activation domain

The mechanism by which human immunodeficiency virus type 1 Tat transactivates the long terminal repeat promoter is not understood. It is generally believed that Tat has one or more transcription factors as its cellular target. One might expect a cellular target for Tat to possess several properties, including (i) the ability to bind to the Tat activation region, (ii) the possession of a transcriptional activation domain, and (iii) the ability to contact the cellular transcription machinery. Here we describe the cloning, expression, and characterization of a human protein, termed TAP (Tat-associated protein), which possesses some of these properties. TAP is highly conserved in eukaryotes and is expressed in a variety of human tissues. The major intracellular species of TAP is a highly acidic 209-amino-acid protein that likely is formed by removal of a highly basic 70-amino-acid N-terminal segment from a primary translation product. By deletion analysis, we have identified a TAP C-terminal region rich in acidic amino acids and leucine residues which acts as a strong transcriptional activator when bound through GAL4 sites upstream of the core long terminal repeat promoter, as well as flanking sequences that mask the activation function. Amino acid substitution of two leucine residues within the core activation region results in loss of the TAP activation function. Two lines of evidence suggest that Tat interacts with TAP in vivo. First, promoter-bound Tat can recruit a TAP/VP16 fusion protein to the promoter. Second, transiently expressed Tat is found associated with endogenous TAP, as demonstrated by coimmuno-precipitation analysis. As shown in an accompanying report, the TAP activation region binds the Tat core activation region and general transcription factor TFIIB (L. Yu, P.M. Loewenstein, Z. Zhang, and M. Green, J. Virol. 69:3017-3023, 1995). These combined results suggest the hypothesis that TAP may function as a coactivator that bridges Tat to the general transcription machinery of the cell via TFIIB.

Use of site-directed mutagenesis to identify the galactosyltransferase binding sites for UDP-galactose

Site-directed mutagenesis was utilized to identify binding sites for UDP-galactose in galactosyltransferase (EC 2.4.1.22). Mutant cDNAs were generated by a procedure based on PCR, and the mutated enzymes were expressed in E.coli cells. The mutant enzymes were purified by Ni-NTA Sephadex, and the degree of purification was judged by SDS-PAGE. Purified mutant GTs, F305L, P306V, N307S, N308S, showed dramatic decreases in activities in comparison with the activity of the wild-type GT. Enzyme kinetic analysis revealed that the Km values of F305L, P306V, N307S and N308S for UDP-galactose were, respectively, 9-, 11-, 50- and 20-fold higher than the Km of wild-type GT, but the Km values for manganese were not significantly different from that of the wild-type GT. The quartet mutant F305L/P306V/N307S/N308S showed no activity. From the results of this study it is concluded that amino acids, Phe-305, Pro-306, Asn-307 and Asn-308, in GT are most probably involved in GT catalysis or are located close to the UDP-galactose binding region but are not involved in the binding of manganese.

Involvement of LFA-1 and ICAM-1 in the herpetic disease resulting from HSV-1 corneal infection

Herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) corneal infection in immunologically normal mice results in a transient epithelial lesion followed in about 2 weeks by a potentially blinding inflammatory response in the corneal stroma, and a mild blepharitis. Similarly infected T cell-deficient mice do not develop corneal stromal inflammation, but exhibit severe periocular skin disease and succumb to viral encephalitis. The role of certain adhesion molecules in both T cell activation, and in the extravasation of inflammatory cells from the blood into inflammatory sites is now being established. These studies investigated the involvement of the adhesion pair LFA-1/ICAM-1 in the disease that results from HSV-1 corneal infection in mice. Treatment of mice with mAb to LFA-1 beginning 1 day before HSV-1 corneal infection resulted in a delay in the onset of stromal inflammation, but ultimately stromal inflammation developed to a normal extent. This treatment also caused a significant exacerbation of periocular skin disease, but did not render mice susceptible to encephalitis. Treatment with mAb to ICAM-1 beginning 1 day before HSV-1 corneal infection caused an acceleration of both stromal inflammation and periocular skin disease, and rendered mice uniformly susceptible to lethal encephalitis. Treatment with either mAb beginning 6 days after HSV-1 corneal infection did not significantly affect the clinical course of herpetic disease. Our findings suggest that LFA-1 may play a role in the early phase of corneal stromal inflammation following HSV-1 corneal infection. Both LFA-1 and ICAM-1 appear to be important for protection of the skin from HSV-1 infection.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Identification of functional cysteine residues in human galactosyltransferase

The functions of the five cysteine residues in human galactosyltransferase were investigated using site-directed mutagenesis to determine the location of the disulfide bond as well as the role of the sulfhydryl groups. The enzyme remains active when three of its cysteine residues at positions 171, 264 and 340 are mutated to serine separately. However, enzymatic activity is lost when either cysteine-129 or cysteine-245 is replaced with serine. The loss of GT activity suggests that these two cysteine residues form a disulfide bond. The three active mutated enzymes were studied kinetically. The kinetic constants of the enzymes with cysteine-171 or cysteine-264 replaced with serine are not significantly different from those of GT that does not have these substitutions. When cysteine-340 was mutated, however, the kinetic constant for UDP-galactose increased about 30 fold, while that for N-acetylglucosamine and Mn2+ remained unchanged. In addition, sulfhydryl inhibition studies reveal that cysteine-340 is the only cysteine residue that reacts with the sulfhydryl reagents. These results indicate that cysteine-340 may be involved in the binding of UDP-galactose.

Image classification with a chirp-encoded joint transform correlator

We describe a method of performing image classification with a chirp-encoded joint transform correlator. In the proposed system the reference images and the input image that is to be classified are placed in different input planes of the joint transform correlator. As a result, different output planes of the correlator are associated with each reference image. The input image is classified on the basis of the intensity and the spatial position of the correlation peak. The reference images and the input image can be positioned in one input plane with glass blocks of different thicknesses placed on each reference image. This produces the same effect as having the reference images and the input image in different planes. Analytical expressions, computer simulations, and optical experiments are presented to investigate the performance of the chirp-encoded joint transform correlator for image classification.

Prevention by acetylsalicylic acid of liver cirrhosis and carcinogenesis as well as generations of 8-hydroxydeoxyguanosine and thiobarbituric acid-reactive substances caused by a choline-deficient, L-amino acid-defined diet in rats

Effects of acetylsalicylic acid (ASA) (aspirin) on the pathogenesis of fatty liver, cirrhosis and hepatocarcinogenesis caused by a choline-deficient L-amino acid-defined (CDAA) diet were examined in male Fischer 344 rats fed a CDAA diet supplemented with 0, 0.1, 0.2, 0.4 or 0.8% ASA for 30 weeks. ASA at concentrations of > 0.2% prevented the development of both cirrhosis and preneoplastic and neoplastic nodules, but without any directly associated prevention of fatty changes. ASA also prevented hepatocyte proliferation and the generation of thiobarbituric acid-reactive substances and 8-hydroxydeoxyguanosine caused by feeding the CDAA diet, analyzed, respectively, after 1, 12 and 12 weeks. The results clearly indicate that the anti-inflammatory drug ASA, which is not a lipotropic factor, can prevent the pathogenesis of cirrhosis and hepatocarcinogenesis caused by a CDAA diet, which is possibly partly associated with the prevention of reactive oxygen species production.

trans-dominant interference of type 5 adenovirus E1a mutants in cell transformation

Two type 5 adenovirus (Ad5) early region 1a (E1a) mutants, H5in104 and H5dl105, were impaired in viral replication and cell transformation. In addition, these mutants trans dominantly inhibited the frequency with which H5sub309, a phenotypically wild-type mutant, and H5dl520, a high-frequency transformation mutant, transformed CREF cells. Inhibition of transformation varied in proportion to the input ratio of mutant to coinfecting virus. It was found that H5in104, but not H5dl105, could not complement Ad5 E1b mutants that failed to synthesize 19- or 55-kDa E1b product. H5dl105 yielded 10-fold less virus than the wild-type did in 293 cells, which constitutively express E1a and E1b products; similar low yields were also observed with H5in104 and H5dl105 in another E1a- and E1b-expressing transformed cell line, KB16. Marker rescue and DNA sequence analyses, however, indicated that the phenotypes of H5in104 and H5dl105 were the result of their respective E1a mutations. The data presented are the first to demonstrate that mutants of animal viruses can effect dominant interference with the viral function(s) that produce cell transformation.

Herpes simplex virus glycoproteins E and I facilitate cell-to-cell spread in vivo and across junctions of cultured cells

Herpes simplex virus (HSV) glycoproteins E and I (gE and gI) can act as a receptor for the Fc domain of immunoglobulin G (IgG). To examine the role of HSV IgG Fc receptor in viral pathogenesis, rabbits and mice were infected by the corneal route with HSV gE- or gI- mutants. Wild-type HSV-1 produced large dendritic lesions in the corneal epithelium and subsequent stromal disease leading to viral encephalitis, whereas gE- and gI- mutant viruses produced microscopic punctate or small dendritic lesions in the epithelium and no corneal disease or encephalitis. These differences were not related to the ability of the gE-gI oligomer to bind IgG because the differences were observed before the appearance of anti-HSV IgG and in mice, in which IgG binds to the Fc receptor poorly or not at all. Mutant viruses produced small plaques on monolayers of normal human fibroblasts and epithelial cells. Replication of gE- and gI- mutant viruses in human fibroblasts were normal, and the rates of entry of mutant and wild-type viruses into fibroblasts were similar; however, spread of gE- and gI- mutant viruses from cell to cell was significantly slower than that of wild-type HSV-1. In experiments in which fibroblast monolayers were infected with low multiplicities of virus and multiple rounds of infection occurred, the presence of neutralizing antibodies in the culture medium caused the yields of mutant viruses to drop dramatically, whereas there was a lesser effect on the production of wild-type HSV. It appears that cell-to-cell transmission of wild-type HSV-1 occurs by at least two mechanisms: (i) release of virus from cells and entry of extracellular virus into a neighboring cell and (ii) transfer of virus across cell junctions in a manner resistant to neutralizing antibodies. Our results suggest that gE- and gI- mutants are defective in the latter mechanism of spread, suggesting the possibility that the gE-gI complex facilitates virus transfer across cell junctions, a mode of spread which may predominate in some tissues. It is ironic that the gE-gI complex, usually considered an IgG Fc receptor, may, through its ability to mediate cell-to-cell spread, actually protect HSV from IgG in a manner different than previously thought.

cDNA cloning of c33-c antigen gene derived from NS3 region of Chinese HCV genome, expression in Escherichia coli and development of HCV EIA second-generation diagnostic kit

A cDNA fragment of about 860 bp corresponding to the c33-c gene in the non-structural region 3 (NS3) of HCV genome was obtained from one plasma derived from a Chinese HCV carrier who came from Tai' an of Shandong Province, China by the application of reverse transcription (RT) and polymerase chain reaction (PCR) techniques. After the sequence of the cDNA fragment was determined and compared with the equivalent region of the HCV-I (HCV-US) and HCV-II (HCV-BK) genomes, the nucleotide/amino acid sequence homologies were found to be 79.2%/91.3%/ and 91.3%/93.9%, respectively. The prokaryotic expression vector pBV220 was employed for the overproduction of c33-c native recombinant protein in E. coli cells. The expression products were detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and Western blotting with antisera of chronic hepatitis C patients, and a molecular weight 31 kD of c33-c viral protein was shown to account for 14% of the total cellular soluble proteins. This product was extracted from the bacterial lysate by lysozyme, Triton X-100 and urea treatment, and purified through ion exchange chromatography. The purified c33-c protein combined with a branch peptide MAP-C-19 representing immunodominant epitopes on the nucleocapsid region of HCV genome was used to develop a Chinese HCV EIA 2nd-generation diagnostic kit for the detection of anti-HCV antibodies. Its specificity, sensitivity and reproducibility were all in keeping with the indexes of the national standard for the quality control of the HCV diagnostic kit. The agreement rate between our kit and Abbott company's HCV EIA second-generation diagnostic kit was 99.33%, and the identified rate of positive anti-HCV of our kit was 2% more than that of the Abbott company's kit.

Chirp-encoded joint transform correlators with a single input plane

A method for implementing the chirp-encoded joint transform correlator with one input plane is proposed. The chirp encoding of the different images is accomplished by use of a thick glass on one of the input images.

Parkinsonism induced with 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine (MPTP) in cats: behavioral, biochemical and pathological studies

Intraperitoneal injection of 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine (MPTP) in four cats produced akinesia, bradykinesia, crouched posture, feeding difficulty, and so on, lasting for two weeks. Madopar therapy ameliorated these motor impairments. Reduction of the concentration of dopamine and its metabolites was determined in the substantia nigra and putamen by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). Depletion of noradrenaline, serotonin and their metabolites was also seen. Loss of nerve cells and proliferation of glial cells in the substantia nigra were observed under the light microscope. The results indicate that MPTP-induced Parkinsonism in the cat provides an animal model that can be used for basic and therapeutic research on Parkinson's disease.

IL-8 gene expression in cultures of human corneal epithelial cells and keratocytes

PURPOSE

To determine if human corneal keratocytes and epithelial cells synthesize and release IL-8 after stimulation with selected proinflammatory cytokines.

METHODS

Human corneal keratocytes and epithelial cells were isolated from human corneal buttons and grown independently in vitro. Epithelial cell cultures stained positive in immunofluorescent tests with antibody specific for keratin (AE1/AE3), whereas keratocyte cultures were unreactive. Both cell types reacted with anti-vimentin antibody. Cultures of the two cell types were treated with various concentrations of human recombinant interleukin-1 alpha or TNF-alpha. Culture supernatants were then assayed at timed intervals by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay for IL-8 content. Cytokine mRNA levels in cell lysates were monitored by Northern blot analysis.

RESULTS

Exposure of corneal keratocytes and epithelial cells to either interleukin-1 alpha or TNF-alpha stimulated IL-8 mRNA synthesis and IL-8 production in a dose-response fashion. It was also found that TNF-alpha stimulated the synthesis of comparable amounts of IL-8 in both cell types. However, when IL-8 synthesis between the two cell types was compared after interleukin-1 alpha stimulation it was found that keratocytes synthesized 33 times more IL-8 than did epithelial cells.

CONCLUSIONS

The results establish that pro-inflammatory cytokines can induce IL-8 synthesis in both human corneal epithelial cells and human corneal keratocytes. They also suggest that interleukin-1 alpha may play a more active role in amplifying inflammatory responses in the stroma than in the epithelial layer of the cornea.

Multiple-object detection with a chirp-encoded joint transform correlator

We investigate the performance of a chirp-encoded joint transform correlator in the presence of multiple input objects. We show that, for an input scene containing multiple targets, the chirp-encoding technique focuses the desired cross correlations between the reference signal and the input targets and the undesired self-correlations between the targets in the input scene in separate output planes. The output of the chirp-encoded joint transform correlator is mathematically analyzed for an input scene containing multiple targets. Both the linear joint transform correlator and the nonlinear joint transform correlator in the presence of multiple input targets are considered. For the nonlinear joint transform correlator, the chirp-encoding focuses the higher-order correlation terms, including the higher-order terms of the self-correlations between the targets in the input scene onto separate output planes. The separation requirements of the conventional and the chirp-encoded joint-transform correlator in the presence of multiple input targets are discussed. Computer simulations and experimental results of the chirp-encoded joint transform correlator for a scene containing multiple input targets are presented. The results are compared with a conventional joint transform correlator for an input scene containing multiple targets.

[Analysis of estrogen receptors in normal bone and bone tumor tissues]

Thirteen human normal bone and fifteen bone tumor tissues were assayed for estrogen receptor (ER) by Dextran-coated Charcoal method (Scatchard plot). The results showed that the concentrations of ER in normal bone tissues (15.12 +/- 14.68 fmol/mg pro) were higher than that of bone malignant tumors (8.04 +/- 6.71 fmol/mg pro) P < 0.05). The binding dissociation constants (Kd) of ER in bone tumors (18.46 +/- 27.10 x 10(-11) mol/L) was lower than those in normal ones (39.91 +/- 20.13 x 10(-11) mol/L) (P < 0.025). The percentages for positive score of ER in normal and tumor ones (23.1%, 26.7%) were not significantly different (P > 0.05). Our study indicated that the variations of concentration and affinity of ER in bone related to the tumor incidence. That cytosol ER content was decreased in malignant bone tumors whereas that of affinity increase suggests an impairment or change of an intact receptor mechanism in this tissues.

Technique for reducing the redundant and self-correlation terms in joint transform correlators

We describe a joint transform correlator in which the reference signal and the input scene are placed in different input planes along the optical axis. We show that this system focuses the off-axis crosscorrelation functions and the on-axis autocorrelation functions in different output planes. In a conventional joint transform correlator these terms are produced in the same output plane. The effect of placing the input scene and the reference signal in different input planes is analyzed mathematically. Computer simulations and experimental results are presented to illustrate the performance of this correlator. We show that for the nonlinear joint transform correlator the higher-order correlation terms are produced in different output planes.

Inhibitory effects of inhibitors of arachidonic acid metabolism on the evolution of rat liver preneoplastic foci into nodules and hepatocellular carcinomas with or without phenobarbital exposure

Effects of inhibitors of arachidonic acid (AA) metabolism on the evolution of preneoplastic foci into nodules and of nodules into hepatocellular carcinomas were examined in F344 male rat livers with or without phenobarbital (PB) exposure. p-Bromophenacyl bromide (BPB), acetylsalicylic acid (ASA), and quercetin (QU) were used as inhibitors of phospholipase A2, cyclooxygenase and lipoxygenase, respectively. Preneoplastic liver foci were induced by initiation with N-nitrosodiethylamine (200 mg/kg, i.p.) followed by selection using the procedure of Cayama et al. For the nodule experiment, starting 1 week after completion of the selection procedure, animals bearing foci were given diets containing 0.05% PB plus 0.75, 1, or 1.5% of one of the inhibitors, 0.05% PB alone, or 0.75, 1 or 1.5% of inhibitor alone, or basal diet for 9 weeks. For the carcinoma experiment, 3 weeks after completion of the selection procedure, animals bearing nodules were given the same diets mentioned above for 29 weeks. BPB, ASA and QU either with or without PB accelerated the remodeling of preneoplastic foci, significantly decreasing the numbers of persistent nodules and hyperplastic nodules. ASA either with or without PB significantly decreased the number of hepatocellular carcinomas per rat. BPB and QU, however, significantly decreased the numbers of hepatocellular carcinomas with but not without PB. The results suggested an involvement of AA metabolism in the process of evolution of preneoplastic foci into nodules and hepatocellular carcinomas in rat liver with or without PB exposure.

Effects of oxidative stress induced by redox-enzyme modulation on the progression stage of rat hepatocarcinogenesis

Effects of oxidative stress induced by redox-enzyme modulation on the progression stage of hepatocarcinogenesis were examined by monitoring both hepatocyte injury and hepatocellular carcinoma development in F344 rats bearing preneoplastic liver nodules induced by the Cayama-Farber procedure. Redox-enzyme modulation, which included increased cytochrome P450 reductase activity induced by phenobarbital-Na (100 mg/kg, i.p. for 3 days), inhibition of DT-diaphorase by dicumarol (25 mg/kg, i.p.), depletion of glutathione by phorone (200 mg/kg, i.p.), supplementation with the Fe(III) sodium salt of EDTA (50 mg/kg, i.p.) and redox-cycling activation by menadione (50 mg/kg, i.g.), exerted no prominent hepatocyte injury within nodules but did cause slight injury in the surrounding hepatocytes in nodule-bearing rats. The same treatments induced severe hepatocyte injury in non-treated normal rats. Redox-enzyme modulation performed every other week for 33 weeks significantly reduced the number of hepatocellular carcinomas developing in nodule-bearing rats. These results indicate that preneoplastic nodules are resistant to the oxidative stress induction caused by redox-enzyme modulation treatment and that, despite toxic effects in surrounding hepatocytes, no progression pressure is exerted. Indeed, the treatment rather demonstrates an inhibitory effect of the evolution of the nodules into hepatocellular carcinomas.

Measurement and modeling of the optical transfer function for silica multicore image fibers

We present a theory of the optical transfer function of silica multicore image fiber that considers the cross talk of fiber elements. Based on the assumption of discrete input and output of light in the fibers, the optical transfer function of one- and two-dimensional silica multicore image fibers is derived systematically. This model is valid for image fibers with strong fiber element cross talk. The results of this model are compared with the experimental measurements. It is shown that this model is more accurate than the conventional model without taking into consideration fiber element cross talk. The applications of optical transfer function to image evaluation are discussed.

Jones matrix for round-trip wave propagation in nonreciprocal media

Using a communication channel model, we prove the known theorem that the Jones matrix of a system for backward propagation is the transpose of that for forward propagation. This result, together with the transformation of a coordinate system for opposite propagation directions, is shown to be useful for analyzing the round-trip wave propagation in nonreciprocal media.

Binary encoding of gray-scale nonlinearly transformed filters for optical pattern recognition

A binary-encoded nonlinear matched filter for optical correlation is described. The gray-scale matchedfilter function, transformed by a general type of nonlinearity, is represented in a binary format by a threshold function that changes as a function of the spatial frequency. The output correlation term of the binary-encoded filter is equivalent to the output correlation term of the gray-scale nonlinear matched filter.

Sensitivity of the nonlinear joint transform correlator: experimental investigations

Experiments are provided to investigate nonlinear joint transform correlator sensitivity to scaling and rotation changes of input objects for various degrees of nonlinearity applied to the joint power spectrum. The experimental results for the images used here show that a severe nonlinear transformation of the joint power spectrum increases the sensitivity of the correlation peak intensity to scaling and rotation changes of input objects. However, the correlation peak-to-sidelobe ratio of the nonlinear joint transform correlator remains higher than the linear joint transform correlator. These experiments indicate that, in the presence of input signal rotation or scale changes, the performance of the nonlinear joint transform correlator may be better than the linear joint transform correlator. The effect of the modulation transfer function of the spatial light modulator on the nonlinear joint transform correlator performance in the presence of multiple input targets is discussed.

Multiple-object binary joint transform correlation using multiple-level threshold crossing

We investigate the performance of the binary joint transform correlator (JTC) in the presence of multiple objects for two types of thresholding that are used to binarize the joint power spectrum. The first method uses the median of the joint power spectrum of the reference image and the input scene as the threshold value. The second method is a two-dimensional thresholding technique used to maximize the light intensity of the correlation peak, and it eliminates the even-order harmonic terms. The correlation performance of the binary JTC is determined for both thresholding methods. The binary JTC output is determined analytically in terms of multiple input targets. The separation requirements of the binary JTC and the conventional JTC in the presence of multiple targets are computed. Computer simulation and experiments are presented for a limited number of multiple-target images to determine the correlation peak-to-sidelobe ratio and the correlation width for both thresholding techniques. In the experiments, a hybrid optical processor with an optically addressed spatial light modulator is used to implement the binary JTC. The results indicate that, using both thresholding methods, the binary JTC produces a large peak-to-sidelobe ratio and a narrow peak for the multiple-target images used in the tests. The two-dimensional threshold function produces better correlation performance compared with the median thresholding.

Experiments on nonlinear joint transform correlator using an optically addressed spatial light modulator in the Fourier plane

Correlation experiments for the images used in the proposed setup indicate that nonlinear compression of the joint power spectrum may be necessary to produce good correlation performance and a peak-to-sidelobe ratio of larger than unity.