Involvement of noradrenergic and dopaminergic neurons in shock-induced jumping in rats

The role of central noradrenergic and dopaminergic neurons in shock-induced jumping behavior in the rat was examined using specific stimulants and blockers of the respective receptors. The administration of the alpha-noradrenergic receptor stimulant, clonidine, increased jumping frequency (10-100 micrograms/kg) and reduced latency (100-500 micrograms/kg). The effects of clonidine were counteracted by the postsynaptic alpha-adrenoceptive blocking agent, phenoxybenzamine (20 mg/kg). The dopaminergic receptor stimulant, apomorphine (0.1-5.0 mg/kg), did not increase jumping frequency, but prolonged jumping latency. On the other hand, combined administration of clonidine (30, 500 micrograms/kg) and apomorphine (2 mg/kg) increased jumping behavior more remarkably than did clonidine alone. The blockers of postsynaptic alpha-noradrenergic and dopaminergic receptors, phenoxybenzamine (20 mg/kg) and pimozide (2 mg/kg) respectively, had little effect on jumping when used alone, but each drug counteracted the enhanced jumping response caused by clonidine plus apomorphine. Combined administration of phenoxybenzamine and pimozide depressed jumping. These data suggest that excitation of dopaminergic neurons exerts a positive modulating effect on the noradrenaline-mediated jumping behavior induced by foot-shock.

[Comparative studies of urinary electrolyte excretion, the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system and plasma dopamine-beta-hydroxylase activity in patients with idiopathic edema and normal subjects during the menstrual cycle (author's transl)]

The changes of circumferential size of legs, urine output, the amount of urinary Na and K excretion, tubular rejection fraction of Na (TRF Na), urinary Na/K ratio, plasma renin activity (PRA), plasma aldosterone concentration (PAC), the amount of urinary aldosterone excretion (UAE) and plasma dopamine-beta-hydroxylase activity (DBH) were studied in 7 patients with idiopathic edema and 5 normal subjects from the recumbent to upright positions by a water loading test (oral ingestion of 1 L of water) in the follicular and luteal phase of the menstrual cycle. The increase in circumferential size of legs in the patients with idiopathic edema was greater than in normal subjects. The percent reduction in urine output, urinary Na excretion, TRF Na and urinary Na/K ratio (upright versus supine) in patients with idiopathic edema tended to be greater than that in normal subjects. However, these indices showed no significant differences between the follicular and luteal phase both in patients with idiopathic edema and normal subjects. PRA and PAC, on the subjects' being tilted to the upright position after water loading, were not significantly different between patients with idiopathic edema and normal subjects during the menstrual cycle, while increases in PAC and UAE were noted in patients with idiopathic edema in the upright position, especially in the follicular phase. Interestingly, plasma DBH activity in patients with idiopathic edema was significantly lower than that in normal subjects in both the follicular and luteal phases. These results indicate that posturally induced anti-diuresis and anti-natriuresis seems not to be related to the phase of the menstrual cycle, and abnormal mechanisms of the dopaminergic autonomic nervous system might exist in this disorder.

[Two-dimensional echocardiographic findings of a right ventricular diverticulum: a case report (author's transl)]

A 11-month-old boy with a right ventricular diverticulum was reported. To our knowledge, this is the 18th case in the literature and the first case observed by two-dimensional echocardiography. Using our systematic two-dimensional echocardiographic approach, the three dimensional structure of this anomaly was reconstructed correctly. On the short-axis view of the ventricle, an abnormal septal echo was revealed in the right anterior region of the interventricular septum, forming an another cavity from the right ventricle, and was observed to have proper own motion by real-time two-dimensional echocardiography. From apical four chamber view, the abnormal cavity was detected on the right side of the small right ventricle. By contrast echocardiography, a contrast echo appears in the right ventricle and then in the abnormal cavity. The diagnosis was confirmed by cardiac catheterization, angiography and operation.

Studies on cholesterol esterase in the rat adrenal

We have investigated the characteristics and properties of cholesterol esterase (CEase) in the rat adrenal to clarify the mechanism of synthesis of free cholesterol from esterified cholesterol. CEase activity was estimated using substrate vesicles which were sonicated mixtures of cholesteryl oleate and phosphatidylcholine (PC). CEase showed two optima at around pH 4.5 and pH 8.25. The acid CEase was found mainly in the lysosomal fraction, and the alkaline CEase was found mainly in the microsomal fraction. Both acid and alkaline CEase activities were markedly enhanced by increasing the concentration of PC, but not by phospholipids. The activities were not increased by the addition of cAMP, ATP, and MgCl2, when the molar ratio of cholesteryl oleate to PC was 1:0.2, but were increased when the molar ratio was 1:2. Thus, it is suggested that free cholesterol for steroidogenesis may be supplied by two different organelles (lysosome and microsome), and that the composition of the substrate complex, such as the ratio of esterified cholesterol to phospholipids, may play a crucial role in the regulation of adrenal CEase. Increases in both acid and alkaline CEase activities were observed in adrenal homogenates prepared from hypophysectomized rats treated with an iv injection of ACTH when the molar ratio of cholesteryl oleate to PC used as a substrate vesicle was 1:0.2, but not when the ratio was 1:2. Therefore, the present observation indicate that activation of CEase by ACTH is dependent on the substrate state, especially that of the cholesterol ester droplet in vivo.

Competitive nephelometric immunoassay of carbamazepine and its epoxide metabolite in patient blood plasma

We have prepared anti-carbamazepine antiserum and developed a competitive nephelometric immunoassay for the determination of carbamazepine and its epoxide metabolite in patient blood plasma. The antiserum was raised by immunization of a rabbit with a carbamazepine (bovine serum albumin) conjugate. A carbamazepine-(human serum albumin) conjugate was used as an assay reagent. Carbamazepine and its epoxide inhibited competitively and almost equally the immunoprecipitation of the carbamazepine-(human serum albumin) conjugate. Therefore carbamazepine and its epoxide could be determined by the measurement of the scattered light from the immunoprecipitate in assay solution on a laser nephelometer. Patient plasma specimens were analyzed, and the values correlated well to those determined by the high-performance liquid chromatography. The epoxide concentrations were considerably lower than therapeutic carbamazepine concentrations, which was certified by the chromatographic results. This immunoassay was rapid (incubation time: within 20 min), simple and precise (coefficient of variation: less than 6%), and required as little as 6 microliters of plasma, and seemed suitable for routine monitoring of carbamazepine.

Inter-relationship of sympathetic nervous system and renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system in three renin subgroups of borderline and persistent essential hypertension

Plasma renin activity (PRA), dopamine beta-hydroxylase (DBH) activity, and plasma aldosterone concentration were determined in 51 patients categorized as borderline or persistent hypertensives and as high, normal, or low renin. Basal DBH activity correlated with diastolic blood pressure in borderline but not in persistent hypertensives. In borderline patients with normal or high renin activity standing plus furosemide caused a marked rise in diastolic blood pressure but little change in systolic and increased PRA and DBA. In contrast this stimulation procedure depressed both systolic and diastolic blood pressure and resulted in blunted PRA and DBH responses in the low renin borderline and the three groups of persistent hypertensives. After dietary sodium restriction, the decrease in systolic blood pressure correlated with the decrease in urinary sodium excretion in persistent, but not in the borderline patients. The data suggest that both borderline an persistent hypertensive patients respond to volume depletion with an increase in sympathetic and renin activity, and the increase of these two vasoconstrictive systems is greater in borderline hypertensives.

Enhancement of haloperidol-induced increase in rat striatal or mesolimbic 3,4-dihydroxyphenylacetic acid and homovanillic acid by pretreatment with chronic methamphetamine

After a drug-free period of 1 week following 2 weeks of haloperidol treatment, the increased response of striatal 3,4-dihydroxyphenylacetic acid (DOPAC) and homovanillic acid (HVA) to a challenge dose of haloperidol was significantly reduced. Tolerance to this effect was not, however, seen in the mesolimbic system. Pretreatment of the rats with methamphetamine (MAP) for 8 days prior to chronic haloperidol significantly enhanced the DOPAC and HVA increase produced by the challenge with haloperidol in both brain areas. The reduced response of striatal DOPAC or HVA after chronic haloperidol was prevented by pretreatment with MAP. The data suggest that the long-term dopamine receptor stimulation induced by MAP may antagonize the tolerance produced by chronic haloperidol treatment.

Dentinal response against carious invasion: localization of antibodies in odontoblastic body and process

The pulpal origin of dentinal immunoglobulins was demonstrated by means of immunohistological methods. Immunoglobulins were located both in the cytoplasm of odontoblasts in pulp and at odontoblastic processes in dentin. Positive reactivity of the immunoglobulins to antigens was confirmed using peroxidase-immunized rabbits. IgG, IgA, IgM, C3, and C4 were observed on some invasive bacteria in human carious dentin.

Non-IgM monoclonal gammopathy in patients with Sjögren's syndrome

Two Japanese patients with Sjögren's syndrome with non-immunoglobulin M(IgM) class monoclonal gammopathy are described. The monoclonal IgA lambda detected in the serum and saliva was confirmed to possess rheumatoid factor activity in the first patient with a hypergammaglobulinemic purpura and hyperviscosity syndrome. Idiotype specificity was present on the surface membrane of peripheral blood lymphocytes as well as in the cytoplasm of infiltrating cells in the salivary glands. Common idiotypic specificity was found in four of 60 other patients who had rheumatoid factors. In the serum and saliva of the other patient, a monoclonal immunoglobulin G, kappa type (IgG kappa), was detected. Kappa type IgG was found in most of the infiltrating cells in the salivary glands and also in the saline extract from a resected submandibular gland. Our findings indicate that non-IgM class monoclonal gammopathy is also one of the complications of Sjögren's syndrome.

Cyclic nucleotide elevation preceding catecholamine release in isolated dog adrenals

Acetylcholine caused the rapid elevation of cAMP and cGMP levels with a peak within 30 sec in the medulla and in the perfusate preceding catecholamine release in isolated perfused dog adrenal glands. These responses to ACh were completely blocked by hexamethonium plus atropine. A functional role of cyclic nucleotides in catecholamine secretion mechanisms is discussed.

An evaluation of leucocyte adherence inhibition microassay using colorectal cancer cell lines

The leucocyte adherence inhibition (LAI) microassay using crude extracts from colorectal cancer cell lines (M-7609 and S-7512) was evaluated as a test of immunological antitumor reactivity in colorectal cancer patients. The optimal antigen concentration for differentiating cancer patients from control subjects was 0.05 mg/ml protein. The cut-off values of LAI index for determining reactive and nonreactive cases was -0.20. The numbers of colorectal cancer patients reactive against antigens M (derived from M-7609), S (derived from S-7512) and M + S were 9 of 19, 9 of 12 of 18, respectively, whereas against control antigens K (derived from K-7610, pulmonary cancer), SF (derived from cultured fibroblastic cells) and T (derived from fresh colorectal cancer tissue), they were only 1 of 18, 1 of 17, and 3 of 15, respectively. The mean LA indices of the Dukes A and B group, and of the Dukes C and recurrent cancer group were -0.28 and -0.24, but that of a tumor-free postoperative group, another malignant disease group and a group of healthy individuals were -0.04, -0.05, and -0.03, respectively. Judging from these results, LAI microassay using cultured human cancer cell lines as tumor antigen sources is suitable as a test for evaluating the antitumor immunmoreactivity of colorectal cancer patients.

A further study on the mechanism of deposition of plasma protein in psoriasis scale

To clarify the mechanism underlying the deposition of plasma protein in the psoriatic horny layer, extracts of psoriasis scale treated with fibrinolysin and acid citrate buffer were examined using electrophoresis and immunoelectrophoresis. Each extract showed electrophoretic and immunoelectrophoretic pattern similar to that of normal human serum, although the albumin-glublin ratio was lower than that of normal human serum. Extract after fibrinolysin treatment showed larger amount of substances than that after acid citrate buffer treatment. In each extract, high concentrations of fibrin-degrated products were found; fibrinogen was absent. These findings suggest that in the main mechanism of the deposition of plasma protein nonimmunological processes are involved, as revealed by our previous study with an immunohistochemical method, and that some fibrinolytic process occurs in psoriatic lesions.

Binding of bullous pemphigoid antibodies to basal cells

Eight out of 12 serum samples from patients with bullous pemphigoid having basement membrane zone antibodies gave positive binding not only to the basement membrane zone but also to the basal cell membrane and/or cytoplasm as observed by complement immunofluorescence. Reaction of fluorescein labeled pemphigus vulgaris gamma-globulins, binding mainly to the lower intercellular spaces of the epidermis, was greatly reduced by the prior incubation of high-titered bullous pemphigoid sera having the reactivity to the basal cells, while that of fluorescein labeled pemphigus foliaceus gamma-globulins binding mainly to the upper and middle intercellular spaces, was not influenced by the prior application of these bullous pemphigoid sera. These results indicate that bullous pemphigoid antibodies are heterogenous and can be classified into 2 types and that some cross reaction is present between pemphigus antibodies and bullous pemphigoid antibodies having the reactivity to the basal cells.

Moxalactam (6059-S), a new 1-oxa-beta-lactam: binding affinity for penicillin-binding proteins of Escherichia coli K-12

Moxalactam (6059-S) is a new beta-lactam derivative with a structure markedly different from those of penicillins or cephalosporins. The binding activity of 6059-S to penicillin-binding proteins (PBPs) in Escherichia coli K-12 was tested. [14C]benzylpenicillin- or [14C]6059-S-bound inner membrane proteins of E. coli K-12 were rapidly detected without using fluorography. 6059-S had the highest affinity for PBP-3 and -7/8, had a higher affinity than benzylpenicillin for PBP-1A, -1Bs, -4, and -5/6 and a lower affinity for PBP-2, 609134, the 1-thiacephem analog of 6059-S, showed as high an affinity for PBP-1A, -1Bs, -3, and -4 as 6059-S but a lower affinity for PBP-5/6.