Emergent pneumonectomy for hemoptysis in a patient with previous thoracoplasty

Hemoptysis is a life-threatening episode of respiratory disease. By means of every possible treatment, hemostasis should be obtained to secure the airway as well as to prevent blood loss. We describe an emergency pneumonectomy for massive hemoptysis from destroyed lung in a patient with previous thoracoplasty. After the prolonged ventilation support postoperatively, the patient with compromised lung function recovered well.

A case of undifferentiated glioma in a 70-year-old woman

The present case involved a 70-year-old woman who was diagnosed with a right cerebral hemorrhage. Excisional surgery of the hematoma was performed. Grossly, a whitish, solid tumor (1 x 1 x 0.8 cm in size) was recognized in the hematoma. Histologically, the tumor was composed of large, polygonal cells and small undifferentiated cells in a jumbled architectural arrangement with a cartilage component. The large, polygonal cell component was conspicuous and somewhat rhabdoid in appearance and appeared to be an astrocytic tumor showing glial differentiation. The small, undifferentiated cell component resembled tumor cells of a primitive neuroectodermal tumor (PNET). Clinical follow-up of the patient for 2 months after the first operation revealed recurrence with rapid growth. A second operation was performed, but the patient died 8 months after the first operation (2 months after the second). Immunohistochemically, the tumor cells suggesting glial differentiation were positive for glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP), S-100, neuron-specific enolase (NSE), and vimentin. PNET-like components in the primary tumor were positive for NSE, GFAP, and S-100, and weakly positive for vimentin and synaptophysin. Each tumor cell was negative for epithelial membrane antigen (EMA), keratin, desmin, actin, myoglobin, neurofilament (NF), and MIC2 protein. The recurrent tumor revealed predominantly PNET-like components; however, only a few tumor cells were positive for GFAP. This appearance suggested that this brain tumor might originate from a common multipotential stem cell. Considering its histopathological and immunohistochemical characteristics, the primary tumor was finally regarded as an undifferentiated glioma with dedifferentiation of the glial component in the recurrent tumor.

Clustering and averaging of images in single-particle analysis

Single particle analysis is a straightforward method for studying the structures of macromolecules that cannot be crystallized. It builds three-dimensional structures of particles by estimating the projection angles of their randomly oriented electron-microscopic images. The existing methods divide the images into clusters, build class averages for the clusters, and estimate the projection angle of each cluster. However, the clustering and the averaged images are highly sensitive to the choice of reference images and mask patterns for each cluster. Thus, the analyses are neither robust nor automatic, and their results depend heavily on the intuition and experience of researchers who set references. We have been developing a software system for single-particle analysis with new clustering and averaging algorithms for building the three-dimensional structures of target molecules. In this paper, we focus on the algorithms for the robust image-processing of the electron microscopic images in our system.

Clinicopathological Investigation of AVMs Embolized with HEMA-MMA. A New Non-Adhesive Liquid Material

SUMMARY

We have recently developed a non-adhesive liquid embolic agent, hydroxyethylmethacrylate methylmethacrylate copolymer (HEMA-MMA), and used it for arteriovenous malformations (AVMs) in the central nervous system. To evaluate the toxicity and usefulness of this agent, we made a clinicopathological study of AVMs that were embolized with it and then excised surgically. This study includes ten cases: nine with pial AVM and one with scalp AVM. In a pathological study, special attention was paid to vascular and perivascular inflammation, angionecrosis, recanalization of the embolized vessels, and foreign body reactions. Inflammation was absent or very mild regardless of the interval between embolization and excision. There was no angionecrosis. Recanalization could be expected to occur in the partially occluded vessel. Foreign body reactions such as infiltration of monocytes or giant cells, and proliferation of fibroblasts or capillaries were also not seen in any case. It was concluded that HEMA-MMA is an excellent embolic material that is easy to handle, less vasotoxic than other agents, and highly histocompatible.

Thioredoxin-mediated reductive activation of a protein kinase for the regulatory phosphorylation of C4-form phosphoenolpyruvate carboxylase from maize

The activity of phosphoenolpyruvate carboxylase (PEPC, EC4.1.1.31) for the C4 photosynthesis is known to be regulated mainly in response to light/dark transitions through reversible phosphorylation by a specific protein kinase (PK). PEPC-PK with an M(r) of 30 kDa was purified about 1.4 million-fold to homogeneity from maize leaves and characterized. The purified PEPC-PK was readily inactivated under mild oxidative conditions, but the activity could be recovered by dithiothreitol (DTT). The recovery by DTT was strongly accelerated by thioredoxin (Trx) from E. coli. Trxs of plant origin such as Trx-m from spinach chloroplast and Trx-h from rice cytoplasm were also effective. These results suggest the possibility of PEPC-PK being redox-regulated via Trx in vivo.

Lipid peroxidation in the rat brain after CO inhalation is temperature dependent

We reported previously that 7-hydroperoxycholesterols, 7 alpha- and 7 beta-hydroperoxycholest-5-en-3 beta-ol (7 alpha-OOH and 7 beta-OOH), indicated lipid peroxidation. In the present study, we measured not only 7-hydroperoxycholesterols but also oxysterols (7 alpha- and 7 beta-hydroxycholesterol, 7 alpha-OH, and 7 beta-OH) and 3 beta-hydroxycholest-5-en-7-one (7-keto) in the brains of rats that underwent either a sham operation (control), hypoxia, or CO inhalation (1005 ppm) at 37 degrees C for 90 min followed by 48 h of recovery. The levels of 7-hydroperoxycholesterols, 7 beta-OH, and 7-keto were low in the hypoxia group, while the levels were unaltered in the CO group compared with the controls. Among the three groups of CO inhalation, these levels were high in the hyperthermia group (39 degrees C), and the 7-hydroperoxycholesterols were low in the hypothermia group (32 degrees C), compared with the control group. The blood O(2) saturation was almost normal in the hypothermia group, while it was similarly low in the hyperthermia and normothermia groups. The temperature-dependent lipid peroxidation in the brain after CO inhalation and recovery can not be explained by hypoxia due to CO-hemoglobin formation, but may contribute to the delayed neuronal death following CO inhalation. Hypothermia may be applicable to treat patients after CO inhalation.

Microbial community in anaerobic hydrogen-producing microflora enriched from sludge compost

Hydrogen production by thermophilic anaerobic microflora enriched from sludge compost was studied by using an artificial medium containing cellulose powder. Hydrogen gas was evolved with the formation of acetate, ethanol, and butyrate by decomposition of the cellulose powder. The hydrogen production yield was 2.0 mol/mol-hexose by either batch or chemostat cultivation. A medium that did not contain peptone demonstrated a lower hydrogen production yield of 1.0 mol/mol-hexose with less formation of butyrate. The microbial community in the microflora was investigated through isolation of the microorganisms by both plating and denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE) of the' PCR-amplified V3 region of 16S rDNA. Sixty-eight microorganisms were isolated from the microflora and classified into nine distinct groups by genetic fingerprinting of the PCR-DGGE or by a random amplified polymorphic DNA analysis and determination of the partial sequence of 16S rDNA. Most of the isolates belonged to the cluster of the thermophilic Clostridium/Bacillus subphylum of low G+C gram-positive bacteria. Product formation by most of the isolated strains corresponded to that produced by the microflora. Thermoanaerobacterium thermosaccharolyticium was isolated in the enrichment culture with or without added peptone. and was detected with strong intensity by PCR-DGGE. Two other thermophilic cellulolytic microorganisms, Clostridium thermocellum and Clostridium cellulosi, were also detected by PCR-DGGE, although they could not be isolated. These findings imply that hydrogen production from cellulose by microflora is performed by a consortium of several species of microorganisms.

Three years experience of operating and selling recovered struvite from full-scale plant

The adoption of phosphorus removal at sewage treatment works (STW) creates two main problems. Firstly large amounts of sludge are produced and secondly the quantity of the effluent deteriorates due to the increase in the phosphorus load of the sidestream. Furthermore, these processes do not remove phosphorus in a form that would enable it to be recycled. Therefore in order to control these process difficulties and produce a recyclable phosphorus product a sidestream struvite crystallisation reactor was developed. The struvite was produced in a fluidised bed reactor using dewatered filtrate from anaerobic sludge digestion. Magnesium hydroxide was added in a magnesium to phosphate ratio of 1:1 and the pH was adjusted to between 8.2-8.8 with the addition of sodium hydroxide. A retention time of 10 days alowed the growth of pellets between 0.5-1.0 mm in size. The recovered struvite contained only minute traces of toxic substances and was sold to fertiliser companies for 27,000 yen tonne(-1). It is used to enhance existing fertilisers, which are widely used on paddy rice, vegetables and flowers.

Alcoholic skeletal muscle myopathy: definitions, features, contribution of neuropathy, impact and diagnosis

Alcohol misusers frequently have difficulties in gait, and various muscle symptoms such as cramps, local pain and reduced muscle mass. These symptoms are common in alcoholic patients and have previously been ascribed as neuropathological in origin. However, biochemical lesions and/or the presence of a defined myopathy occur in alcoholics as a direct consequence of alcohol misuse. The myopathy occurs independently of peripheral neuropathy, malnutrition and overt liver disease. Chronic alcoholic myopathy is characterized by selective atrophy of Type II fibres and the entire muscle mass may be reduced by up to 30%. This myopathy is arguably the most prevalent skeletal muscle disorder in the Western Hemisphere and occurs in approximately 50% of alcohol misusers. Alcohol and acetaldehyde are potent inhibitors of muscle protein synthesis, and both contractile and non-contractile proteins are affected by acute and chronic alcohol dosage. Muscle RNA is also reduced by mechanisms involving increased RNase activities. In general, muscle protease activities are either reduced or unaltered, although markers of muscle membrane damage are increased which may be related to injury by reactive oxygen species. This supposition is supported by the observation that in the UK, alpha-tocopherol status is poor in myopathic alcoholics. Reduced alpha-tocopherol may pre-dispose the muscle to metabolic injury. However, experimental alpha-tocopherol supplementation is ineffective in preventing ethanol-induced lesions in muscle as defined by reduced rates of protein synthesis and in Spanish alcoholics with myopathy, there is no evidence of impaired alpha-tocopherol status. In conclusion, by a complex series of mechanisms, alcohol adversely affects skeletal muscle. In addition to the mechanical changes to muscle, there are important metabolic consequences, by virtue of the fact that skeletal muscle is 40% of body mass and an important contributor to whole-body protein turnover.

Heart 7-hydroperoxycholesterol and oxysterols are elevated in chronically ethanol-fed rats

Recently, cholesterol hydroperoxides have been shown to be sensitive pathogenic markers of reactive oxygen species (ROS)-mediated damage though they have never been measured in heart tissue. We hypothesized that cholesterol hydroperoxides and oxysterols, putative cardiotoxic products of cholesterol oxidation, are elevated in the hearts of alcoholics as a consequence of ROS-mediated reactions. To test this, we measured 7alpha- and 7beta-hydroperoxycholest-5-en-3beta-ol (7alpha-OOH and 7beta-OOH) by HPLC with postcolumn chemiluminescence as well as 7alpha- and 7beta-hydroxycholesterol (7alpha-OH and 7beta-OH) and 3beta-hydroxycholest-5-en-7-one (also termed 7-ketocholesterol; 7-keto) by HPLC-UV in cardiac muscle of alcohol-fed rats. Alcohol feeding was carried out using a pair-feeding protocol with 35% of total dietary energy as ethanol; controls were pair-fed isocaloric glucose. After 6-7 wk treatment with alcohol, heart 7alpha-OOH, 7beta-OOH and 7beta-OH were significantly greater than in controls. Levels of heart phospholipid 16:0 and 18:1 were lower than in controls, while 18:0 and 18:2 were greater. This is the first report of the presence of 7alpha-OOH, 7beta-OOH and 7alpha-OH in cardiac tissue. The elevations in 7alpha-OOH and 7beta-OOH as well as 7beta-OH are evidence of increased oxidative stress and possible membrane changes. Alterations in the proportions of 16:0, 18:1, 18:2 and 18:0 in heart phospholipids provide further evidence of an altered membrane domain.

Bile acid feeding increased proliferative activity and apical bile acid transporter expression in both small and large rat cholangiocytes

Bile acids (BA) enter cholangiocytes by the Na(+)-dependent apical BA transporter (ABAT). By this mechanism, taurocholate (TC) and taurolithocholate (TLC) increase cholangiocyte proliferation. No in vivo studies exist regarding the anatomical sites involved in BA-regulation of cholangiocyte growth. Specific cholangiocyte subpopulations participate in BA-regulated proliferation. Proliferation was assessed in liver sections by determining the number of proliferating cellular nuclear antigen (PCNA)-positive cholangiocytes and cytokeratin-19 (CK-19)-positive ducts. We isolated small and large cholangiocytes from rats fed for 1 week TC, TLC, or BA control diet and determined PCNA and ABAT expression and BA transport activity. We evaluated if TC and TLC induction of ABAT expression was dependent on activation of PKC alpha. DNA replication was active only in large normal cholangiocytes. TC and TLC feeding increased proliferation of large cholangiocytes, induced the de novo activation of proliferation of small cholangiocytes, overexpression of ABAT and BA transport activity in large cholangiocytes, and de novo expression of ABAT and BA transport activity in small cholangiocytes. BA-stimulated ABAT expression was dependent on PKC activation in cholangiocytes. TC and TLC stimulate proliferation of small and large cholangiocytes associated with PKC-dependent up-regulation of ABAT.

Crystallographic studies on damaged DNAs IV. N( 4)-methoxycytosine shows a second face for Watson-Crick base-pairing, leading to purine transition mutagenesis

To investigate the mutation mechanism of purine transitions in DNA damaged with methoxyamine, a DNA dodecamer with the sequence d(CGCAAATTmo(4)CGCG), where mo(4)C is 2'-deoxy-N(4)-methoxycytidine, has been synthesized and the crystal structure determined by X-ray analysis. The duplex structure is similar to that of the original undamaged B-form dodecamer, indicating that the methoxylation does not affect the overall DNA conformation. Electron density maps clearly show that the two mo(4)C residues form Watson-Crick-type base pairs with the adenine residues of the opposite strand and that the methoxy groups of mo(4)C adopt the anti conformation to N(3) around the C(4)-N(4) bond. For the pair formation through hydrogen bonds the mo(4)C residues are in the imino tautomeric state. Together with previous work, the present work establishes that the methoxylated cytosine residue can present two alternate faces for Watson-Crick base-pairing, thanks to the amino<-->imino tautomerism allowed by methoxylation. Based on this property, two gene transition routes are proposed.

Sweetness and enzymatic activity of lysozyme

Hen egg lysozyme elicits a sweet taste sensation for human beings. Effects of reduction of disulfide bonds, heat treatment, and chemical modification of hen egg lysozyme on both sweetness and hydrolytic activity were investigated. Both the sweetness and enzymatic activities were lost when the intradisulfide linkage in a lysozyme molecule was reduced and S-3-(trimethylated amino) propylated. The sweetness and enzymatic activity of lysozyme were lost on heating at 95 degrees C for 18 h. These facts suggest that tertiary structures of lysozyme are indispensable for eliciting a sweet taste as well as enzymatic activity. Although the modification of carboxyl residues in a lysozyme by glycine methylester or aminomethansulfonic acid resulted in the loss of enzymatic activity by blocking the catalytic residues, the sweetness was fully retained. These results indicate that the sweetness of lysozyme was independent of its enzymatic activity. The lysozyme purified from goose egg white similarly elicited a sweet taste, although goose (g-type) lysozyme is quite different from hen egg lysozyme (c-type) on the basis of structural, immunological, and enzymatic properties. These findings indicate that a specific protein property of lysozyme is required for sweetness elicitation and that the enzymatic activity and carbohydrates produced by enzymatic reaction are not related to the sweet taste.

Microfluidic device for airborne BTEX detection

We fabricated a microfluidic device for the optical detection of airborne benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene and xylenes (BTEX). The device consists of concentration and detection cells formed of 3 cm x 1 cm Pyrex plates. The concentration cell is composed of an adsorbent to concentrate the BTEX gases and a thin-film heater todesorb the concentrated gases from the adsorbent thermally. The collected gases are introduced into the detection cell, which is connected to optical fibers, to measure their absorption spectra. We optimized the device's operating conditions by studying the thermal characteristics of the concentration cell and the time profile of the gas concentration flowing in the detection cell. We used the device under optimized operating conditions to detect toluene gas as a typical example BTEX. The gas concentration amplification rate was approximately 2 orders of magnitude, and we successfully measured parts-per-million levels of toluene gas with this device.

Changes in product formation and bacterial community by dilution rate on carbohydrate fermentation by methanogenic microflora in continuous flow stirred tank reactor

Changes in product formation during carbohydrate fermentation by anaerobic microflora in a continuous flow stirred tank reactor were investigated with respect to the dilution rate in the reactor. In the fermentation by methanogenic microflora, stable methane fermentation, producing methane and carbon dioxide, was observed at relatively low dilution rates (less than 0.33 d(-1) on glucose and 0.20 d(-1) on cellulose). Decomposition of cellulose in the medium was a rate-limiting step in the reaction, because glucose was easily consumed at all applied dilution rates (0.07-4.81 d(-1)). Intermediate metabolites of methane fermentation, such as lactate, ethanol, acetate, butyrate, formate, hydrogen, and carbon dioxide, were accumulated as dilution rate increased. Maximum yield of hydrogen was obtained at 4.81 d(-1) of dilution rate (0.1 mol/mol glucose on glucose or 0.7 mol/mol hexose on cellulose). Lactate was the major product on glucose (1.2 mol/mol glucose), whereas ethanol was predominant on cellulose (0.7 mol/mol hexose). An analysis by denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE) of PCR-amplified bacterial 16S rDNA of the microflora indicated that changes in the microbial community took place at various dilution rates, and these changes appeared to correspond to the changes in product distributions. Sequence analyses of the DGGE fragments revealed the probable major population of the microflora. A band closely related to the microorganisms of thermophilic anaerobic bacteria was detected with strong intensity on both glucose and cellulose. Differences in the production yield of hydrogen could have been caused by different populations of microorganisms in each microflora. In the case of cellulose, increasing the dilution rate brought about an accumulation of microorganisms related to Clostridia species that have cellulolytic activity, this being in accordance with the notion of cellulose decomposition being the rate-limiting reaction.

Atypical alkaline phosphatase isozymes in serum and urine of patients with renal failure

BACKGROUND

Alkaline phosphatases (ALPs) originating from different organs are frequently detected in the serum and urine of patients with renal failure.

METHODS

We investigated the characteristics of ALPs in the serum and urine of 108 patients with chronic renal failure (CRF) and of 106 healthy control subjects.

RESULTS

In polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, three atypical ALP bands in serum of patients were designated as atypical-s1, -s2 and -s3, respectively. In contrast, five atypical bands (u1, u2, u3, u4 and u5) were detected in the urine of patients. The atypical ALPs were electrophoretically isolated and assayed to determine their biochemical properties, i.e., neuraminidase sensitivity, heat stability, reactivity to anti-intestinal or anti-tissue nonspecific ALP antibodies, molecular sizes and sugar chain heterogeneities. From these results, we found that atypical-s1 and -s2 were the intestinal-type ALP, while s3 was the tissue-unspecific type ALP. Atypical-u1, -u2 and -u3 were high-molecular type ALPs, which we suggested as the ones that originated from the intestine. Atypical-u4, a tissue-unspecific type ALP, was detected with considerable frequency in the urine of patients. In patients with CRF, the appearance of these atypical ALPs was accompanied by a deterioration of the creatinine clearance.

CONCLUSIONS

The appearance of atypical ALPs in the serum and urine of patients with CRF may be a useful marker for renal disease.

Total synthesis of cyclic ADP-carbocyclic-ribose, a stable mimic of Ca2+-mobilizing second messenger cyclic ADP-ribose

The synthesis of cyclic ADP-carbocyclic-ribose (cADPcR, 4) designed as a stable mimic of cyclic ADP-ribose (cADPR, 1), a Ca2+-mobilizing second messenger, was achieved using as the key step a condensation reaction with the phenylthiophosphate-type substrate 14 to form an intramolecular pyrophosphate linkage. The N-1-carbocyclic-ribosyladenosine derivative 16 was prepared via the condensation between the imidazole nucleoside derivative 17, prepared from AICA-riboside (19), and the readily available optically active carbocyclic amine 18. Compound 16 was then converted to the corresponding 5' '-phosphoryl-5'-phenylthiophosphate derivatives 14. Treatment of 14 with AgNO3 in the presence of molecular sieves (3 A) in pyridine at room temperature gave the desired cyclization product 32 in 93% yield, and subsequent acidic treatment provided the target cADPcR (4). This represents a general method for synthesizing biologically important cyclic nucleotides of this type. 1H NMR analysis of cADPcR suggested that its conformation in aqueous medium is similar to that of cADPR. cADPcR, unlike cADPR, was stable under neutral and acidic conditions, where under basic conditions, it formed the Dimroth-rearranged N6-cyclized product 34. cADPcR was also stable in rat brain membrane homogenate which has cADPR degradation activity. Furthermore, cADPcR was resistant to the hydrolysis by CD38 cADPR hydrolase, while cADPR was rapidly hydrolyzed under the same conditions. When cADPcR was injected into sea urchin eggs, it caused a significant release of Ca2+ in the cells, an effect considerably stronger than that of cADPR. Thus, cADPcR was identified as a stable mimic of cADPR.

LL-Z1271alpha: an interleukin-1beta production inhibitor

LL-Z1271alpha, a fungal metabolite, dose-dependently inhibited interleukin-1beta (IL-1beta) production in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated human whole blood. Oral administration of LL-Z1271alpha to LPS-challenged mice caused significant lowering in the IL-1beta levels in peritoneal cavity. Data presented suggest that LL-Z1271alpha inhibits IL-1beta production by a novel mechanism as the inhibitory activity was not due to effects on caspase-1 (IL-1beta converting enzyme), the ATP-induced release mechanism or a lysosomotrophic effect.