Ultrastructure of the parathyroid gland of fetal and pregnant golden hamsters subjected to hypergravity environment

The ultrastructure of the parathyroid glands of fetal and pregnant golden hamsters exposed to 5-gravity environment was studied. In the centrifuged fetal animals the Golgi complexes associated with some prosecretory granules were significantly increased compared with those of the control fetal animals, and several secretory granules were located in a peripheral position just beneath the plasma membrane. In the centrifuged pregnant animals the Golgi complexes associated with numerous prosecretory granules were significantly increased, cisternae of the granular endoplasmic reticulum appeared to be increased compared with those of the control pregnant animals, many secretory granules were located in the peripheral cytoplasm and several granules were situated close to the plasma membrane. These findings suggest that in the parathyroid glands of the fetal golden hamsters as well as the pregnant animals the synthesis and release of parathyroid hormone may be stimulated in response to a hypergravity environment.

Elevation of resting fluid secretion precedes trophic responses in the rat pancreas following a single oral administration of Camostat

A single dose of the synthetic proteinase inhibitor, Camostat (FOY-305; 100 mg/kg), was administered orally to rats. Pancreata were isolated and then perfused to examine the change in the level of resting fluid secretion. As early as 6 h after administration of the single dose of Camostat, the resting fluid secretion was significantly elevated. Twelve hours after administration, resting fluid secretion was maximally elevated, whereas contents of trypsinogen, chymotrypsinogen, and amylase per DNA in the pancreas were significantly decreased. After 12 h, the level of resting fluid secretion gradually decreased to the control resting level in contrast to significant increases in contents of the pancreatic enzyme and zymogens, and wet weight in acinar cells. We further examined the mechanism mediating the elevated resting fluid secretion. Our results are compatible with the view that the elevation of resting fluid secretion may be maintained by spontaneous activation of ion transporters: an ouabain-sensitive Na-K ATPase, an amiloride-sensitive Na-H antiporter, and a unique Cl transporter that is insensitive to furosemide, bumetanide, SITS, and DNDS.

Electron-microscopic study of the parathyroid gland of epinephrine-treated golden hamsters subjected to hypergravity environment

The ultrastructure of the parathyroid glands of golden hamsters subjected to 5-gravity environment after administration of epinephrine was studied. In the epinephrine-treated animals exposed to a hypergravity environment, the Golgi complexes associated with numerous prosecretory granules were significantly increased compared with those of the control, centrifuged and epinephrine-treated animals, as well as the cisternae of the granular endoplasmic reticulum compared with those of the control and centrifuged animals. In addition, many secretory granules were situated close to the the plasma membrane of the chief cells in the epinephrine-treated animals exposed to a hypergravity environment. Those observations suggest that the secretory activity of the parathyroid gland may be markedly stimulated in the epinephrine-treated animals exposed to a hypergravity environment.

Complete external ophthalmoplegia in a patient with congenital myopathy without specific features (minimal change myopathy)

An 11-month-old female infant with mild asphyxia at birth had severe generalized muscle hypotonia and weakness, predominantly in the neck flexors, a high-arched palate and a funnel chest from early infancy. Her facial muscles were also markedly involved. In addition, she showed striking non-progressive, complete external ophthalmoplegia and mild ptosis. A muscle biopsy specimen showed non-specific myopathic changes, including mild variation in fiber size, mild type 1 fiber predominance, type 2B fiber deficiency and slightly increased acid phosphatase activity. Complete ophthalmoplegia may thus be seen not only in myotubular myopathy but also in various forms of congenital non-progressive myopathy.

Microvascular organization of human palatine tonsils

We describe the three-dimensional organization of the microvasculature of human palatine tonsils as revealed by the vascular corrosion casting/scanning electron microscope method and light microscopy of sections. The tonsillar arteries travel in the connective tissue septa and give off many branches. They further branch into arterioles which in turn enter the follicle and the interfollicular region. These arterioles, giving off capillaries en route, reach the subepithelial region where they break up into sinusoidal capillaries. The subepithelial capillary network overlying the follicle protrudes hemispherically towards the crypt, while that overlying the interfollicular region has many switch-back loops of capillaries projected towards the crypt. The subepithelial sinusoids gather into the high endothelial venules (HEVs) which, collecting capillaries in the follicle and the interfollicular region en route, course down into the interfollicular region alongside the follicle. The HEVs surround the lateral and basal surfaces of the follicle and ultimately lead into the ordinary veins in the septa. The subepithelial sinusoids seem to be involved in taking up immunoglobulins secreted by plasma cells and any other substances released by lymphocytes and/or macrophages as well as supplying the tissues with necessary oxygen and nutrients. That the HEVs are downstream to the subepithelial sinusoids suggests that some substances which are taken up into the sinusoids and transported to the postcapillary venules induce differentiation of HEVs and maintain them.

[A ten-year-old autistic girl with neuroleptic malignant syndrome caused by neuroleptic agents]

We reported a ten-year-old autistic girl who had developed neuroleptic malignant syndrome (NMS) caused by administration of neuroleptic agents, haloperidol and chlorpromazine, because of her behavioral disorders. She had fever (38.4 degrees C) and elevated CK (796 IU). Her extrapyramidal symptoms and autonomic disturbance improved gradually after discontinuation of these drugs. However, altered consciousness did not change for three months despite treatment with L-DOPA, bromocriptine, dantrolene Na, biperiden, diltiazeM HCL and diazepam. Administration of amantadine HCL dramatically cleared not only the persistent symptom but also extrapyramidal symptoms and autonomic disturbance. She recovered from NMS one month later. The study of this case indicated that these neuroleptic drugs could cause NMS also in children. Therefore, the use of them in children with behavioral problems should be carefully evaluated clinically. It was concluded that NMS in this case occurred due to a defective dopamine release from presynaptic vesicles because L-DOPA was not effective and amantadine HCL was effective against these symptoms.

Erythrocyte antioxidant enzymes are reduced in patients with rheumatoid arthritis

Superoxide dismutase, catalase, and glutathione peroxidase activities were determined in erythrocytes isolated from 17 patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and from 19 with osteoarthritis of the knee joints as controls. In a comparison of the 2 groups, it was found that the activities of these 3 antioxidant enzymes were significantly decreased in patients with RA. This indicates that erythrocytes in patients with RA might be injured more easily by oxy radicals which are endogenously generated in red blood cells.

Effect of long-term ethanol feeding on the restoration process of acute necrotizing pancreatitis induced in rats

This study was conducted to elucidate the possible influence of long-term peroral administration of alcohol on the repair process of acute necrotizing pancreatitis. Male Wistar rats fed with balanced diet were divided into two groups. The first group had free access to 15% ethanol, and the second group, the control group, has access to water instead. After fifty weeks, acute necrotizing pancreatitis was induced in rats by infusing 0.4% lysolecithin into their pancreatic duct. In the course of pancreatitis, pancreatic enzymes in serum, enzymes and protein in pancreas, and DNA synthesis in pancreas in both groups, changed in the same way. Histologically, interstitial edema, necrosis of parenchyma, infiltration of inflammatory cells, and formation of tubular complex were observed. Most of these histological changes of pancreas in both groups disappeared in twenty days and pancreas was repaired almost completely. These findings suggest that the repair process of acute necrotizing pancreatitis is not affected by preceding long-term intake of alcohol.

Immobilized anhydrochymotrypsin as a biospecific affinity adsorbent for the peptides produced by chymotryptic hydrolysis

Anhydrochymotrypsin immobilized on Sepharose specifically adsorbed various peptides containing L-tryptophan, L-tyrosine, or L-phenylalanine residues at their carboxy-termini. These peptides correspond to the specific products of chymotryptic cleavage of polypeptides. A mixture of the chymotryptic peptides once adsorbed on the column could be effectively separated by eluting them with a pH gradient. This adsorbent, on the other hand, showed no substantial affinity toward the substrate-type peptides that contain the aromatic amino acid(s) within the peptide chain, or toward the C-terminal leucine peptides. By taking advantage of this unique property of anhydrochymotrypsin-Sepharose in combination with reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography, we have succeeded in separating the C-terminal peptides from chymotryptic digests of reduced and S-carboxymethylated bovine insulin and from tryptic digests from reduced and S-carboxymethylated Streptomyces subtilisin inhibitor.

Affinity chromatography on immobilized anhydrotrypsin: general utility for selective isolation of C-terminal peptides from protease digests of proteins

Recently we have succeeded in the efficient isolation of the C-terminal peptides from tryptic digests of the tail sheath protein (with C-terminal Gly) and the tube protein (with C-terminal Glu) of bacteriophage T4, by taking advantage of a unique property of immobilized anhydrotrypsin, that is, a strong specific affinity for peptides containing Arg or Lys residues at their C-termini. In this study, the utility of affinity chromatography on immobilized anhydrotrypsin was further demonstrated in the cases of Streptomyces subtilisin inhibitor (as a reduced and S-carboxymethylated form, with C-terminal Phe) and alpha 1-antitrypsin (with C-terminal Lys). By subjecting a tryptic digest of the former protein and a chymotryptic digest of the latter protein to the affinity chromatography, the C-terminal peptides were specifically recovered in the breakthrough fraction and in the adsorbed fraction, respectively. It was further shown that immobilized anhydrotrypsin can also adsorb peptides with C-terminal S-aminoethyl-Cys residues and exerts adsorptive ability even toward the peptides in solution containing urea at a high concentration if appropriate precautions are taken. These findings suggest the general utility of this simple method for C-terminal peptide isolation, which is extremely helpful for studies to confirm amino acid sequences deduced from nucleotide sequences of the cDNA (or genomic DNA) of proteins.

[Functional improvement produced by transplantation of fetal neuronal cell suspensions in the rat striatum with 6-hydroxydopamine lesions]

Behavior improvement from apomorphine-induced rotation, morphological features of nerve cells and in vivo release of dopamine (DA) were examined after the implantation of neuronal cell suspensions into the striatum of female rats with 6-hydroxydopamine lesions. Apomorphine-induced rotation was significantly suppressed in 11 out of 26 rats from two through ten weeks after the implantation. In 3 out of 26 rats, the rotation was significantly suppressed for four weeks after the implantation, although the suppression was reversed by the fifth week. In the remaining 12 rats, the rotation was not inhibited after the implantation. Behavior improvement was concurrent with extension of neurites from anti-DA immunopositive cells to the host caudate. Anti-DA cells were very scant in the absence of behavior improvement. In vivo release of DA and the metabolites, 3,4-dihydroxyphenylacetic acid and homovanillic acid, was detected in the perfusates of the striatum of the animals that were functionally improved by the transplant. Methamphetamine caused an increase in DA release and a decrease in the release of the metabolites in those animals. These results suggest that grafted neuronal cells which are sensitive to methamphetamine probably innervate neuronal elements in the host caudate, and the release of DA from these grafted cells functionally affects behavior improvement.

The differential diagnosis of Reye syndrome: muscle biopsy evaluation

To evaluate the usefulness of muscle biopsy to obtain a diagnosis of Reye syndrome (RS), muscle biopsies were performed in 10 patients, with definite RS (1 patient) and mimicking RS (9 patients) (Table 1). The muscle biopsy results were compared with those of liver biopsies in 7 patients including one patient with definite RS and 6 with mimicking RS. In 3 clinical RS patients, only a muscle biopsy was performed. In the patient with definite RS, oil red O positive lipid droplets were mildly increased in type 1 fibers, with no morphological abnormality of muscle mitochondria, whereas the liver biopsy specimen showed both centrinuclear fatty metamorphosis and mitochondrial abnormality, i.e., a typical RS pathology. Marked lipid accumulation in type 1 fibers and morphological abnormality of muscle mitochondria were observed in two patients with systemic carnitine deficiency and one of two patients with fulminant hepatitis without jaundice who showed mimicking RS clinically. Therefore, it is difficult to make a diagnosis of RS simply on the basis of the clinical findings and muscle morphology.

Facioscapulohumeral dystrophy associated with mental retardation, hearing loss, and tortuosity of retinal arterioles

A rare case of facioscapulohumeral muscular dystrophy with an early onset and progression is described. The patient had mental retardation, sensorineural hearing loss, and marked tortuosity of the retinal arterioles. On reviewing previous reports of related cases, our case and those of Small shared similar clinical manifestations, although the retinal findings in our patient were different from the typical Coats' disease of Small's patients. However, we postulate that these cases represent a specific nosological entity, although genetic transmission has yet to be proven.

Muscle regeneration and satellite cells in Fukuyama type congenital muscular dystrophy

To determine the regenerative capability of muscle fibers in Fukuyama type congenital muscular dystrophy (FCMD), muscle biopsies from nine patients were subjected to morphological examination by histochemical and electron microscopic methods. These results were compared with those from six patients with Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) and nine controls. Degenerating and regenerating fibers were not as frequent in FCMD as in DMD, whereas the number of type 2C fibers in the former was about twice that in the latter. On electron microscopy, numerous immature small fibers with disorganized myofibrils, an increased amount of intermediate filaments, large vesicular nuclei, and prominent nucleoli were observed in FCMD. Satellite cells (SCs), which are known to proliferate and contribute to muscle regeneration after myonecrosis, were not increased in number in FCMD. Their incidence, 7.7% +/- 1.8%, was significantly lower than the 16.2% +/- 4.0% in DMD (P less than 0.005). Moreover, the ratio of area of SC nucleus to the overall area of the SC in FCMD, 64.1% +/- 9.7%, was larger than that in DMD, 58.9% +/- 9.3% (P less than 0.005), suggesting that SCs of FCMD were not in an active state. These findings lead to the conclusion that in FCMD the regenerative process is delayed due to either intrinsic or extrinsic factors, such as dense interstitial fibrosis.

Functional compensation by transplantation of cell suspensions of embryonic mesencephalon into the striatum of rats with 6-hydroxydopamine lesions

Neuronal cell suspensions were implanted into the striatum of female rats that showed apomorphine-induced rotation and a reduction in striatal dopamine after intranigral treatment with 6-hydroxydopamine. The apomorphine-induced rotation was significantly suppressed by the transplantation in 12 out of 64 rats. DOPA accumulation and dopamine level (6.3 and 3.4%, respectively, compared with those of uncompensated rats) in the striatum following treatment with an amino acid decarboxylase inhibitor were slightly restored in compensated rats.

Disposition of glycyrrhetic acid and its glycosides in healthy subjects and patients with pseudoaldosteronism

As a first step to elucidate the disposition of traditional Chinese formulations which contain licorice, the disposition of plain licorice was investigated in humans. Glycyrrhetic acid (GLA) was measured by an enzyme immuno-antibody technique. Glycyrrhetic glycosides (GLA-GS), such as glycyrrhizin, were measured after acid hydrolysis to GLA by the enzyme immuno-antibody assay. Five normal subjects were orally administered a decoction of licorice containing 133 mg of glycyrrhizin. It was found that the time required for maximum serum concentration of GLA-GS was less than 4 h after the administration. Although there were large individual differences, it was found that GLA-GS was eliminated from the blood for the most part within 72 h. On the other hand, GLA reached maximum serum concentration at about 24 h after administration and in two of the five cases it was still detected in the blood even after 96 h. Urinary excretion of GLA was about 2% of the total dose of glycyrrhizin administered. This suggested that there were great differences among the subjects in the absorption and urinary excretion of GLA-GS. The serum GLA levels in two clinical cases who presented pseudoaldosteronism by licorice containing formulations were as high as 70-80 ng/ml, with GLA-GS levels being very low. This fact suggests that pseudoaldosteronism develops in association with GLA rather than with GLA-GS.