Herquline B, a new platelet aggregation inhibitor produced by Penicillium herquei Fg-372

A new herquline analog, herquline B was isolated from the culture broth of Penicillium herquei Fg372. Herquline B contains one piperazine and two cyclohexenones. The pyrrolidine ring of herquline A was cleaved to yield herquline B. The IC50 value of herquline B against platelet aggregation induced by ADP and platelet-activating factor were 1.6 and 5.0 microM, respectively.

[Intraglomerular distribution of thrombomodulin in patients with various renal diseases]

We investigated the intraglomerular distribution of thrombomodulin (TM) antigen in patients with various renal diseases. The subjects enrolled in this study were 28 patients with IgA nephropathy, 26 with collagen diseases, 10 with toxemia and 4 with DIC. Normal renal cortex used as a control was obtained from the normal pole of kidneys with a tumor of the opposite pole. Intraglomerular distribution of TM antigen was detected by an immunohistochemical method using a polyclonal antibody against human TM. The following results were obtained: 1) The staining intensity of TM on endothelial cells of glomerular tufts was higher in IgA nephropathy and collagen diseases than in the controls, but was the same in toxemia and DIC as in the controls. 2) The staining intensity of TM decreased with the progression of the glomerular lesion in IgA nephropathy and lupus nephritis. These findings suggest that the intraglomerular distribution of TM may be involved in the progression of glomerular lesions and in the acceleration of intraglomerular blood coagulation in various renal diseases.

Distribution of thrombomodulin in patients with focal and segmental glomerulosclerosis (FSGS)

Thrombomodulin (TM), an endothelial cell surface glycoprotein, is a regulatory factor in the intravascular anticoagulant system. Furthermore, its plasma level is believed to reflect injury to the endothelial cell. In searching for changes in intraglomerular coagulation and endothelial cell injury during the clinical course of 14 patients with focal and segmental glomerulosclerosis (FSGS), we evaluated the distribution of thrombomodulin (TM) in the kidney by immunohistochemical methods. In the nephrotic stage, intraglomerular staining for TM was weak and segmental and occurred in 6 out of 9 patients (67%), but the incidence of TM expression was not different significantly from that in the normal kidney. Sclerotic lesion was negative for TM. In all patients with incomplete remission and with complete remission, strong and diffuse staining was seen in intra- and extraglomerular endothelial cells. Moreover, TM was scattered in sclerotic lesions. The present study suggest that the over-expression of TM in remission may be linked to recovery from endothelial cell damage and that TM may be closely involved in the repair of FSGS.

Brain perfusion abnormalities in a thinner and amphetamine abuser detected by I-123 IMP scintigraphy

MR images and three dimensional surface images (3-D images) using N-isopropyl-p-[I-123] iodoamphetamine (I-123 IMP) were obtained in a patient who acknowledged using thinner and amphetamine. While MR images could not find any definite abnormality, 3-D images with I-123 IMP demonstrated multifocal defects. 3-D images with I-123 IMP might be able to detect an early abnormality in brain perfusion in a drug abuser.

[Improvement with interferon-alpha therapy and splenectomy in hairy cell leukemia of European-American type]

A 61-year-old man was admitted to our hospital in April 18, 1988, with dyspnea and gingival bleeding. Physical examination revealed marked splenomegaly, and peripheral blood showed severe pancytopenia with 38% abnormal mononuclear cells. The abnormal cells were characterized by a hairy appearance under a phase contrast microscopy, and strong tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase activity. These cells reacted with CD19, CD25 and CD11c monoclonal antibodies by the immunostaining method. Bone marrow aspiration failed and bone marrow biopsy revealed diffuse proliferation of hairy cells (HC) with moderate fibrosis. In addition, the staining pattern of HC peroxidase is similar to that found in megakaryocyte series. He was diagnosed as HCL of the European-American type based on these findings. Interferon (IFN)-alpha was administered at a daily dosage of 3 x 10(6) IU by intramuscular injection. Although splenomegaly and hematological conditions improved gradually, he received splenectomy because of his incomplete hematological improvement. Normalization of peripheral blood cell counts and a marked decrease of HC in bone marrow were obtained. Tubuloreticular structure and tubular confronting cisternae were seen in peripheral mononuclear cells during IFN therapy.

Aerobic capacity of forestry workers and physical demands of forestry operations

The present study aimed at evaluating the aerobic capacities of forestry workers and the physical demands of their occupation. A submaximal cycle ergometer test was conducted on 22 male forestry workers and 15 male sedentary office workers aged 40-59 years. The slope of the regression line of heart rates on given exercise intensities was significantly smaller in the forestry workers than in the office workers. The mean heart rate of the forestry workers was 9 beats.min-1 less than that of the office workers at the initial exercise intensity of 50 W. This difference increased to 25 beats.min-1 at 175 W. For 6 of the 22 forestry workers, heart rates were recorded continuously during a usual workday. The metabolic rates, as multiples of basal metabolic rate (in met) of various forestry activities were estimated from the average heart rate during the activity of interest and a predicted maximal oxygen consumption of the subject obtained from a submaximal cycle ergometer test. The mean energy expenditure was 4.5 met with a range of 3.3-6.3 met for an average of 509 min at a worksite. These results indicated that the forestry workers had high aerobic capacities and this was ascribed to the high physical demands of their occupation.

Monoclonal antibody against bone marrow stromal cells. Its production and characterization

Bone marrow stromal cells play an essential role in the proliferation and differentiation of hematopoietic stem cells (1, 2). As a means of analyzing of the bone marrow microenvironment immunohistochemically, we attempted to produce a rat monoclonal antibody against the murine preadipocyte line H-1 derived from long-term bone marrow culture (LTBMC) of C57BL/6 mice (3, 4). A newly established monoclonal antibody, designated R4-A9, was obtained from a hybridoma prepared by fusion of Y.B2/3.0Ag20(YO) rat myeloma cells with spleen cells of LEW rats immunized with H-1 cells. The immunofluorescence of live H-1 cells showed that the antigen reacting with this antibody was strongly expressed on the cell surface. The specificity of R4-A9 was assessed immunohistochemically on frozen sections of various tissues from normal adult mice. R4-A9 demonstrated specificity for hematopoietic stroma in bone marrow and spleen. No staining was observed in thymus, lymph nodes or other tissues examined, with the exception of Leydig cells in the testis and the endothelium of small arteries in several organs. Detailed immunohistochemical observations at both the light microscopy and electron microscopy level showed that R4-A9 selectively reacted with the sinusoidal endothelium, perisinusoidal adventitial cells (5) (adventitial reticular cells (6] and intersinusoidal reticular cells (5) and the reticular cells of the splenic red pulp. These findings indicate that reticular cells and the endothelium of the bone marrow possess the common cell surface molecules recognized by R4-A9. SDS-PAGE analysis showed that R4-A9-immunoprecipitated proteins had a molecular mass of 100 kDa under reducing conditions.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

[Two cases of nephrotic syndrome associated with hydronephrosis]

We reported two cases of nephrotic syndrome associated with hydronephrosis. A forty four year old male patient who suddenly complained of nephrotic syndrome, showed left hydronephrosis caused by lower ureteral stenosis. Renal biopsy specimen obtained from the right kidney revealed minor glomerular abnormalities. A sixteen year old female patient had a long history of proteinuria before the onset of nephrotic syndrome. She suffered from bilateral hydronephrosis of which the etiology was unclear. Renal biopsy specimen obtained from the left kidney revealed membranous nephropathy. Because in both cases urine samples collected from each ureter showed the presence of a massive protein, the other kidney was thought to be involved with the same disease. The association of nephrotic syndrome with hydronephrosis is extremely rare. The significance of this unusual combination was discussed with respect to the literature.

Acute lymphoblastic leukemia with azurophilic granules that contain ultrastructural myeloperoxidase activity

We present a case of acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) in which the leukemic cells had cytoplasmic azurophilic granules. Surface marker studies revealed that the leukemic cells expressed CD10 (CALLA), CD19, CD20, and HLA-DR antigens. Cytochemical studies by light microscopy revealed that the blasts were negative for myeloperoxidase, PAS staining, and double esterase staining, supporting the diagnosis of ALL. However, an ultrastructural study demonstrated that some of the cytoplasmic granules were myeloperoxidase (MPO) positive. Our findings suggested that leukemic transformation in this case may have taken place at a stage ontogenetically close to the pluripotent stem cell. Furthermore, the present case indicates the existence of a new form of ALL is characterized by MPO-positive granules detectable by ultracytochemistry and lymphoid-associated surface markers.

[Acute myelomegakaryocytic leukemia developed from myelodysplastic syndrome after chemotherapy against complicated small cell lung cancer]

A patient with acute myelomegakaryocytic leukemia (AMMgL), which developed from myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) after chemotherapy against complicated small cell lung cancer, is reported. The patient was a 66 year-old male, who first presented with moderate macrocytic anemia. Bone marrow aspiration showed absolute erythroid hypoplasia and morphological abnormalities were found in erythroid, granuloid and megakaryocytic lineage cells. Iron utilization studies using radioisotope showed ineffective hematopoiesis. He was diagnosed as having MDS (refractory anemia) and treated with prednisolone, fluoxymesterone, and transfusions. After 3 years, small cell lung cancer was found, but he achieved complete remission with chemotherapy. Since then, pancytopenia progressed with myelofibrosis. Abnormal blasts were found in peripheral blood and gradually increased. He finally died from a blastic crisis resulting in gastric bleeding. The blasts were peroxidase negative, platelet peroxidase positive (10%), and glycoprotein II b/III a antibody positive, indicating megakaryoblasts.