Radioimmunoassay specific for amino (N) and carboxyl (C) terminal portion of parathyroid hormone

A radioimmunoassay specific for the amino (N) terminal portion of the parathyroid hormone (PTH) molecule (N-PTH radioimmunoassay) has been developed by iodinating synthetic 1-34bovine PTH (1-34bPTH) and using commercially available bPTH antiserum. A radioimmunoassay specific for the carboxyl (C) terminal (C-PTH radioimmunoassay) has been carried out by adding enough amount of 1-34bPTH to the PTH radioimmunoassay system. The data obtained from N- and C-PTH radioimmunoassay were compared with those obtained from the PTH radioimmunoassay. It was observed that plasma levels of N-PTH, indicating biologically active PTH, were only one 8th to 32th to those of PTH and those of C-PTH were almost equal to those of PTH. These data corresponded well with those reported previously by using the antiserum specific for each terminal of the PTH molecule from the other laboratory. The half life of plasma N-PTH and C-PTH determined following the removal of parathyroid adenoma was less than 10 min and about 45 min respectively. These data indicate that the N-PTH radioimmunoassay can be done by iodinating 1-34bPTH and using commercially available antiserum.

Association of the replication terminus of the Bacillus subtilis chromosome to the cell membrane

A chromosomal segment containing several genetic markers, from metB to thyA, near the replication terminus is associated with the membranous structure of Bacillus subtilis, but markers adjacent to this region, lys, ura, and metC, are not.

Cyclic premenstrual unconjugated hyperbilirubinemia. Report of two cases

Two young women developed unconjugated hyperbilirubinemia that fluctuated with the menstrual cycle. They were otherwise healthy, and there was no evidence of hematologic or chronic liver disease. Serum unconjugated bilirubin rose concomitant with the rise of basal temperature during the premenstrual period, and it declined immediately after the end of menses. Administration of progesterone during the postmenstrual period elevated unconjugated bilirubin. A close relation of hyperbilirubinemia to female hormones was suggested. The condition may be called "constitutional unconjugated hyperbilirubinemia with a menstrual cycle.

[Pharmacology of cornary dilator agent, trapymin. (2) Analysis of its mode of action]

Trapymin (TM) relaxed excised renal, coronary, pulmonary, femoral and mesenteric arteries and this relaxation was not antagonized by propranolol. The dose-response curve of TM was parallel to that of nitroglycerin and papaverine and steeper than that of dipyridamol or adenosine. TM exerted inotropic and chronotropic actions on excised rat atrium. TM was also effective through the oral route and the effectiveness tended to decrease slightly after repeated use for ten days. TM was effective on vasopressin induced angina in rats and electrocoagulation-induced myocardial infarction. TM suppressed adrenaline-induced arrhythmia but not CaCl2-induced arrhythmia. TM reduced catecholamine content in brain, adrenals and heart but had no influence on monoamine oxidase or dopamine-beta-hydroxylase. TM revealed ganglion-blocking and neuron-blocking actions in cervical ganglion in cats. With propranolol, TM-induced hyperglycemia and reduction in glycogen content in liver and heart was antagonized but TM-induced rise in free fatty acid in serum was not antagonized. Na+-K+ dependent ATPase of bovine heart and P/O ratio of mitochondria of rat heart was not influenced by TM. ADP-induced aggregation of platelets was antagonized by TM. These data indicate that TM induced coronary dilation is partly due to a papaverine like action and also to ganglion-blocking, neuron-blocking and anti-adrenergic action. On the other hand, TM possessed catecholamine release and cardiotonic action as related to beta-receptors.

Diagnostic sonography in general surgery

Eighty-seven patients who had sonographic examinations at the Orange County Medical Center were studied retrospectively to evaluate the usefulness and reliability of this noninvasive technique, and sonographic results were compared with findings at operation or findings made using other diagnostic methods. With a variety of lesions, the overall accuracy of diagnosis by sonography was 85%. In the remaining 15% of studies, false-positive or false-negative results were observed. The accuracy varied with the organ involved, the greatest being renal and hepatic masses. Ultrasound, when used in addition to careful surgical assessment of the patient, was found to be most useful in the diagnosis and follow-up of abdominal problems in surgical patients.

Morphologic and microspectrophotometric studies on spontaneous melanomas in Xiphophorus helleri

Melanomas developed in both sexes of a strain of Tuxedo variety of the swordtail (Xiphophorus helleri) at a relative frequency of 10-15%. They did not metastasize. However, the tumor margin had infiltratitive growth and subsequently ulcerated. This feature, together with the histologic and cytologic features and apparent heteroploidy of the tumors, as revealed by their DNA content, indicated that the tumors were indeed neoplastic. Electron microscopic findings on the melanosomes in these melanomas at various stages of development were comparable with those on the Harding-Passey mouse melanoma, which contains granular premelanosomes.

Two cases of mélanose neurocutanée with development of malignant melanoma: a microspectrophotometric and electron microscopic study

Two cases of neurocutaneous melanosis with development of malignant melanoma in the Japanese are presented. The first case was a 4-year-old boy in whom a retroperitoneal melanoma appeared with giant nevi, and cerebral and spinal melanosis. The second case was a 39-year-old man, in whom a primary leptomeningeal melanoma developed with leptomeningeal melanosis and smaller pigmented nevi. Microspectrophotometric and electron microscopic studies were made on the neoplastic and non-neoplastic melanotic tissues to elucidate the histogenesis of this rare disorder. Two different patterns of nuclear DNA histograms, corresponding to melanosis and melanoma, were obtained by microspectrophotometry, Considerable variation in the ultrastructure of the melanocytes was seen by electron microscopy.

[RI-cisternography of traumatic pneumocephalus (author's transl)]

A radionuclide, when injected intrathecally, normally does not enter into the ventricle system. In our three cases of intra cerebral-ventricular pneumocephalus the radionuclide entered into the ventricle and concentrated in the cyst. Such an abnormal movement of the radionuclide was generally caused by the obstruction of subarachnoid space and the increased C.S.F. absorption in the enlarged ventricle. Under consideration of the pre-and post-operative cisternograms of our three cases we examined the principal factor which brought on the abnormal movement of a radionuclide. Each principal factor was the excessive C.S.F. rhinorrohea in the first case, the increased C.S.F. absorption in the enlarged ventricle and the cyst in the third case. An analysis of our three cases shows that the accumulation of radionuclide into the ventricle system is not necessarily due to the obstruction of subarachnoid space, but also due to more C.S.F. absorption in the ventricle system than that in the subarachnoid space.

Studies on cyclophosphamide metabolites and their related compounds. 2. Preparation of an active species of cyclophosphamide and related compounds

A synthetic study was made on the active metabolite of cyclophosphamide. Ozonolysis of O-(3 butenyl)-N,N-bis(2-chloroethyl)phosphorodiamidate, prepared by reaction of POC13 with 3-buten-1-ol followed by treatment with N,N-bis(2-chloroethyl)amine (nor mustard) and NH3, afforded 2-[bis(2-chloroethyl)amino]-4-hydroperoxytetrahydro-2H-1, 3,2-oxazaphosphorine 2-oxide (4-hydroperoxycyclophosphamide). Deoxygenation of 4-hydroperoxycyclophosphamide by triphenylphosphine yielded 4-hydroxycyclophosphamide in a pure crystalline state. These products exhibited high cytostatic activity in both in vitro and in vivo experiments. The results give confirmatory evidence for the hypothesis that C4-hydroxylation on the 1,3,2-oxazaphosphorinane ring of cyclophosphamide is necessary for its activation.

Cysteine metabolism in vivo of vitamin B6-deficient rats

The expirations of 14CO2 from DL-[1-14C]-, DL-[3-14C]- and L-[U-14C] cysteine used as isotopic tracers were estimated in order to determine the in vivo metabolic distribution of L-cysteine in pyridoxine deficient rats. The expired 14CO2 from L-[U-14C] cysteine was increased by pyridoxine deficiency. The loading of non-physiological dose of L-cysteine resulted in remarkable increase in the expiration of 14CO2 from each tracer in deficient rats as well as in controls. The in vivo metabolic distributions of L-cysteine were calculated from the expired 14CO2 from these isotopic tracers. The in vivo metabolic distribution of L-cysteine calculated showed that the remarkable lesion in taurine pathway occurred in pyridoxine deficient rats, and when non-physiological dose of L-cysteine was loaded the catabolism of L-cysteine of controls was markedly increased in either pyruvate or taurine pathway, whereas the L-cysteine catabolism in deficient rats was increased only in pyruvate but not in taurine pathway. The urinary excretions of 35S-labeled metabolites such as sulfate or taurine were also examined in deficient and control rats.

Transformation of Bacillus subtilis in alpha-amylase productivity by deoxyribonucleic acid from B. subtilis var. amylosacchariticus

Deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) of Bacillus subtilis var. amylosacchariticus showed almost the same ability as B. subtilis Marburg to induce transfer of several genetic markers in DNA-mediated transformation. DNA-DNA hybridization data also showed an intimate relationship between the two strains. Genetic elements involved in the production of extracellular alpha-amylase (EC 3.2.1.1.) in B. subtilis var. amylosacchariticus were studied by using DNA-mediated transformation. Two Marburg derivatives, NA20(amyR2) and NA20-22(amyR1), produced about 50 and 10 U of alpha-amylase per mg of cells, respectively, whereas B. subtilis var. amylosacchariticus produced as much as 150 U of the enzyme per mg of cells. When B. subtilis var. amylosacchariticus was crossed with strain NA20-22 as recipient, transformants that acquired high alpha-amylase productivity (about 50 U/mg of cells) were obtained. Genetic analysis revealed that a regulator gene (amyR) for alpha-amylase synthesis was found in B. subtilis var. amylosacchariticus, as in the case of B. natto 1212 (amyR2) and B. subtilis Marburg (amyR1). The allele was designated amyR3; it is phenotypically indistinguishable from amyR2, but is readily distinguishable from amyR1. The presence of amyR3 was not sufficient for an organism to render production of an exceptional amount of alpha-amylase. Extra-high alpha-amylase producers could be obtained by crossing B. subtilis var. amylosacchariticus as donor with strain NA20 as recipient. The transformants produced the same or even greater amounts of the enzyme than the donor strain. Results suggest the presence of another gene that is involved in the production of the exceptional amount of alpha-amylase.

Insulin response to arginine in normal newborn infants and infants of diabetic mothers

The effect of maternal diabetes during pregnancy on insulin release of the newborn infant was examined employing arginine infusion as stimulus. At age two hours, eight normal newborn infants, six of gestationally diabetic mothers (IGDM) and four of insulin-dependent diabetic mothers (IDM) were infused with arginine hyd-rochloride 0.5 gm. per kilogram body weight for thirty minutes. Eight additional normal newborn infants were infused with isotonic saline. A small but definite rise in plasma IRI was observed in the normal newborns receiving arginine; however, the infants of gestationally diabetic mothers responded with an enhanced blood glucose and plasma insulin rise compared with the normal newborns. It seemed that intermittent or sustained hyperglycemia in utero may have potentiated the neonatal insulin response to arginine.

Genetic control of the rate of alpha-amylase synthesis in Bacillus subtilis

The level of extracellular alpha-amylase (EC 3.2.1.1) of Bacillus subtilis Marburg was increased about fivefold by introducing the amyR marker from B. natto 1212 through transformation. amyR2 of B. natto 1212 has been assumed to determine a high level of alpha-amylase of the organism. The gene acts specifically on alpha-amylase synthesis but not on the production of other extracellular enzymes. alpha-Amylase of an amyR2-carrying strain was found to be quite similar to that of an isogenic amyR1-carrying strain in the thermostability and electrophoretic behavior of whichever amylase the strain produces. Marburg-type alpha-amylase (amyEm) or B. natto-alpha-amylase (amyEn). Anti-amylase serum titration indicates that a high level of the enzyme activity in the amyR2-carrying strain is caused by the existence of more enzyme rather than the presence of an enzyme having higher efficiency. This is supported further by the fact that amyR controls the synthesis of the amyE gene product in mutant M9, which synthesizes a temperature-sensitive-alpha-amylase, and in mutant M07, which secretes cross-reacting material. The results indicate that amyR regulates the rate of alpha-amylase synthesis.

Isolation of mutants defective in alpha-amylase from Bacillus subtilis: genetic analyses

The rate of alpha-amylase (EC 3.2.1.1) synthesis in Bacillus subtilis is regulated by a gene, amyR, located near a structural gene, amyE, for the enzyme. To construct a fine map of the amyR-amyE region, we isolated 28 mutants defective in alpha-amylase activity. Eleven mutants out of 28 showed no alpha-amylase activity, whereas the other 17 showed less alpha-amylase activity than the parent. Out of 17 partially positive alpha-amylase mutants, 10 produced temperature-sensitive enzymes, and 4 produced immunologically altered enzymes, two of which are concurrently temperature-sensitive, and 5 produced smaller amounts of alpha-amylases which are indistinguishable from normal enzyme in their temperature sensitivity and immunological properties. Two out of 11 alpha-amylase-negative mutants produced material that cross-reacted with anti-amylase serum, and 3 mutants carried suppressible mutations by the suppressor described by Okubo. Mapping data indicate that all 28 mutation sites are located in the amyE region, and none of the groups of the mutants mentioned above contains lesions that are clustered in a single region of amyE. The amyR gene seems most likely to adjoin the terminal region of amyE.

Genetic and biochemical studies on cell-bound alpha-amylase in Bacillus subtilis Marburg

A small but significant amount of alpha-amylase activity was detected in the cells of Bacillus subtilis Marburg. The cell-associated activity was almost constant regardless of the level of extracellular alpha-amylase activity. The cell-bound amylase activity could be separated into three components, upon Sephadex G-75 chromatography, referred to as components A, B, and C. Component C showed the same properties as the extracellular alpha-amylases so far examined. Component A had a molecular weight greater than 70,000, as judged from the elution position on Sephadex G-75, and became smaller upon treatment with trypsin but was still larger than that of component C. An alpha-amylase mutant that lacked extracellular alpha-amylase completely because of a mutation within the structural gene of the enzyme was found to lose all three cell-bound amylase components simultaneously. These data suggest strongly that the cell-bound amylase components are precursors of the extracellular alpha-amylase and that the alpha-amylase of this organism is produced under the direction of the same gene whether the enzyme is within or outside the cell.