Three acyclic bis-phenylpropane lignanamides from fruits of Cannabis sativa

Three new acyclic bis-phenylpropane lignanamides, named cannabisin E, F and G were isolated from the fruits of Cannabis sativa. Their structures have been elucidated based on spectral and chemical evidence.

Accumulation of distinct T cell clonotypes in human solid tumors

Tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TIL) have been described in a variety of human solid tumors. It is unknown whether such T cells are nonspecific inflammatory cells or a subset of specific host immune responses. To examine this question, we have analyzed the clonotypes of TCR beta-chain messages expressed in TIL, draining lymph nodes, and PBL of 10 patients with uterine or ovarian tumors. We report here that TIL bears distinct T cell clonotype accumulations only in patients without obvious metastasis. In contrast, accumulations of clonally expanded T cells were also found in lymph nodes and PBL of patients with metastatic cancer. The numbers and locations of the accumulated T cell clonotypes seemed to correlate with the stage of tumor invasion and the degree of metastasis. These data support the existence of Ag-driven immune responses to solid tumors in vivo.

Accumulation of distinct T cell clonotypes in human solid tumors

Tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TIL) have been described in a variety of human solid tumors. It is unknown whether such T cells are nonspecific inflammatory cells or a subset of specific host immune responses. To examine this question, we have analyzed the clonotypes of TCR beta-chain messages expressed in TIL, draining lymph nodes, and PBL of 10 patients with uterine or ovarian tumors. We report here that TIL bears distinct T cell clonotype accumulations only in patients without obvious metastasis. In contrast, accumulations of clonally expanded T cells were also found in lymph nodes and PBL of patients with metastatic cancer. The numbers and locations of the accumulated T cell clonotypes seemed to correlate with the stage of tumor invasion and the degree of metastasis. These data support the existence of Ag-driven immune responses to solid tumors in vivo.

Tissue expression of rat ciliary neurotrophic factor (CNTF) mRNA and production of the recombinant CNTF

We used the polymerase chain reaction to show that CNTF mRNA is widely expressed in the brain, heart, lung, liver, kidney and testis of the rat, in addition to preferential expression in the sciatic nerve. We produced the recombinant CNTF in E. coli using rat sciatic nerve cDNA and obtained high yields of pure CNTF. The biological activity of the recombinant protein was comparable to that of native rat CNTF in its support of the survival of cultured embryonic day-8 chick ciliary ganglions. Western Blot analysis using antibody against the recombinant CNTF clearly showed the presence of CNTF protein (25kD) in rabbit sciatic nerve.

Isolation of an antioxidant from Penicillium roquefortii IFO 5956

In the search for antioxidants from microbial organisms, we found that Penicillium roquefortii IFO 5956 produced an antioxidant. This antioxidant was isolated from a culture broth of the strain, and its structure was identified to be 2,3-dihydroxy benzoic acid (1). The antioxidative activity of 1 was nearly equal to that of tert-butyl-4-hydroxyanisol (BHA).

Cardiopulmonary effects of medetomidine, medetomidine-midazolam and medetomidine-midazolam-atipamezole in dogs

Cardiopulmonary effects of medetomidine (20 micrograms/kg)-midazolam (0.3 mg) (Me-Mi) were compared with those of medetomidine alone (80 micrograms/kg) (Me80) in dogs. The intramuscular administration of this combination caused bradycardia and transient mild pressor response. Heart rate decreased soon after the administration and remained significantly below the baseline value with average values of 50-70 beats/min. Blood pressure increased to its maximum within 5 to 10 min then decreased gradually. Cardiac index decreased corresponding the decrease in heart rate. However these changes were less profound than those of Me80 indicating significantly higher values in cardiac index and lower values in systemic vascular resistance. Effects on the respiratory function were slight. The reduction of the dose of medetomidine to one-fourth in Me-Mi was effective to reduce the adverse effect of medetomidine, especially in peripheral vasoconstriction. Atipamezole effectively reversed cardiopulmonary effects induced by medetomidine-midazolam. Heart rate and cardiac index increased and systemic vascular resistance decreased significantly after administration of atipamezole. The possible use of an antagonist as a reversal agent might enhance the value and availability of medtomidine-midazolam as a chemical restraint agent in dogs.

[Pharmacokinetic and clinical studies on SY5555 dry syrup in children]

SY5555 is a new oral penem antibiotic. Pharmacokinetic and clinical studies using SY5555 dry syrup (powder which is dissolved before use) were performed in pediatric patients. 1. Pharmacokinetic investigation Peak plasma concentrations of SY5555 after dose of 5 mg/kg, 10 mg/kg and 15 mg/kg were, respectively, 1.58 +/- 0.37 micrograms/ml, 2.78 +/- 0.54 micrograms/ml and 5.28 micrograms/ml at 1 hour. The average half-life with 5 mg/kg administration was 0.94 +/- 0.05 hours, that with 10 mg/kg was 1.46 +/- 0.31 hours and that with 15 mg/kg was 0.88 hours. 2. Clinical investigation Enrolled in the study were 15 patients including 5 with acute otitis media, 5 with urinary tract infections and 1 each with pharyngitis, tonsillitis, bronchitis, pneumonia and subcutaneous abscess. Responses were excellent in 4 patients, good in 8 patients, fair in 2 patients and poor in 1 patient. In the assessment of the bacteriological efficacy, 8 out of 10 strains of organism identified previous to treatment were eradicated and 2 strains were unchanged, hence the eradication rate was 80.0%. 3. No adverse reactions attributable to the drug were observed and good drug compliance were obtained. From the above results, it has been concluded that SY5555 is a highly effective and safe agent for mild to moderate respiratory and urinary tract infections in children.

Construction and characterization of a chimeric beta-glucosidase

The amino acid sequences of beta-glucosidases from Cellvibrio gilvus and Agrobacterium tumefaciens show significant similarity in most of the parts. However, the pH/temperature optima and stabilities of the two enzymes are quite different. C. gilvus beta-glucosidase exhibits an optimum pH of 6.2-6.4 and temperature of 35 degrees C, whereas the corresponding values for A. tumefaciens are 7.2-7.4 and 60 degrees C respectively. To analyse these properties further, a chimeric beta-glucosidase was constructed by replacing a segment from the C-terminal region of C. gilvus beta-glucosidase gene with that of A. tumefaciens. The partially purified chimeric enzyme was characterized with respect to pH/temperature activity and stability and substrate affinity. Our results suggest that C-terminal segment(s) might be important in beta-glucosidase specificity, and shuffling of even a small segment of gene in this region might significantly alter or improve the enzymic properties such as thermal stability.

Trypsin and elastase inhibitors from bitter gourd (Momordica charantia LINN.) seeds: purification, amino acid sequences, and inhibitory activities of four new inhibitors

Serine proteinase inhibitors of the squash family were isolated from bitter gourd (Momordica charantia LINN.) seeds by the conventional purification method. Heat treatment of the extract of the seeds allowed removal of large amounts of protein without loss of trypsin and elastase inhibitory activities. From the supernatants thus obtained, the inhibitors were isolated to homogeneity by ion-exchange chromatography, gel filtration, and reversed phase chromatography. One trypsin inhibitor (Momordica charantia trypsin inhibitor-III; MCTI-III) and three elastase inhibitors (Momordica charantia elastase inhibitor-II, -III, and -IV; MCEI-II, -III, and -IV) were newly isolated in addition to trypsin inhibitors MCTI-I and -II and elastase inhibitor MCEI-I previously reported [Hara, S. et. al. (1989). J. Biochem. 105, 88-92]. The primary structures of the four new inhibitors were determined as follows. [sequence: see text] The dissociation constants, Ki, of MCTI-III complex with bovine beta-trypsin, and of MCEI-II, -III, -IV with porcine elastase were determined to be 1.9 x 10(-7) M, 9.4 x 10(-9) M, 4.0 x 10(-9) M, and 4.7 x 10(-9) M, respectively. Although MCTI-III differed from MCTI-I in only two amino acids, having Gly(3) and Gln(13) in place of Arg(3) and Arg(13), the Ki value of MCTI-III was 20-fold larger than that of MCTI-I. Addition of an amino terminal Glu residue, a dipeptide (Glu-Glu-), and a tripeptide (Glu-Glu-Glu-) to MCEI-I strengthened its elastase inhibitory activity by 200-fold.

[Iron overload and iron deficiency regulate ED1 and ED2 expression in spleen macrophages of rats]

Monoclonal antibodies ED1 and ED2 can recognize epitopes on the spleen macrophage related with its antigen presenting activity. Immunohistochemical and histochemical methods were used to show the influence of iron overload and iron deficiency on the expression of ED1, ED2 and phagocytic functions of the macrophages in the spleen. We found that iron overloaded rats had large amounts of hemosiderin deposits in the macrophages of red and white pulp with reduced expression of ED1, ED2 and phagocytic function. It is suggested that iron concentration can regulate the expression of ED1, ED2 and phagocytic activity of the macrophage, which may in turn influence its antigen presentation and anti-infection functions.

[Clinico-pathological study of preoperative chemotherapy of esophageal cancer by combined use of three drugs--cisplatin, 5-FU and leucovorin]

We compared the clinical and pathological effects of preoperative combination chemotherapy using CDDP, 5-FU, and response rate for the primary lesion, an 81.8% response rate for intramural metastasis, 100.0% for intraepitherial spread, and a low response rate of 40.7% for lymph node metastasis. Pathological examination showed a 55.2% response rate for the primary lesion. There were seven cases in which the clinical assessment indicated that treatment was effective and pathological examination showed that it was ineffective, and three cases in which pathological examination showed a better response than clinical assessment. Cases showing a better clinical response included in which necrotic cancer lesion had disappeared due to absorption by the time of pathological examination, those with tumor regrowth after preoperative evaluation, those evaluated as showing a poor response due to residual cancer at the margin. Cases showing a better pathological response included those having remaining necrotic tissues and those having myoma beneath tumor. For intramural metastatic lesions, the pathological response rate was 42.9%, being lower than the clinical response rate. Metastasis to 209 lymph nodes showed a 23.0% response rate, with the abdominal nodes showing a poor response in comparison with those of the cervix and mediastinum. In 26 patients receiving preoperative radiotherapy, there was a significantly higher frequency of such changes as fibrous scar tissue, foreign body giant cells, vacuolation of tumor cells, and hyaloid degeneration of the lesion in comparison with the group receiving chemotherapy. Another difference was that the radiotherapy group showed a higher response of tumors with venous and lymphatic involvement.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Cloning and characterization of rat cellular nucleic acid binding protein (CNBP) cDNA

We cloned and sequenced the cDNAs which code for rat cellular nucleic acid binding protein (CNBP). In-frame insertion/deletion differences were found among the clones at two sites in the open reading frame, suggesting alternative splicing of the message or the presence of multiple genes which code for this protein. The deduced amino acid sequence revealed that one rat CNBP sequence was completely identical to its human counterpart. This striking conservation, together with the fact that homologous genes have been found in various organisms including Schizosaccharomyces pombe, suggests that CNBP plays a basic biological role in eukaryotic cells. The recombinant GST-CNBP fusion protein produced in Escherichia coli bound to a G-rich single-stranded RNA and DNA in a sequence-specific manner.

Oxidative enzyme activity in the rat soleus muscle and its motoneurons during postnatal maturation

The effect of postnatal maturation on changes in the oxidative enzyme (succinate dehydrogenase) activity in the rat soleus muscle and its motoneurons was examined at 3, 6, and 12 weeks of age. The motoneurons innervating the soleus muscle were identified using the fluorescent retrograde neuronal tracer Nuclear Yellow. An inverse relationship between soma size and oxidative enzyme activity of soleus motoneurons was observed at 3 and 6 weeks of age, whereas there was no correlation between them at 12 weeks. Although the oxidative enzyme activity in the soleus muscle increased during postnatal maturation, it showed a decrease in the soleus motoneurons. These data demonstrate that the inverse relationship between soma size and oxidative enzyme activity of rat soleus motoneurons can only be detected in the early postnatal period and that the oxidative enzyme activity in the rat soleus muscle and its motoneurons can change independently during postnatal maturation.

Single-strand conformation polymorphism analysis by perpendicular temperature-gradient gel electrophoresis

Using a newly developed temperature-gradient gel electrophoresis apparatus, mutations in the K-ras oncogene and p53 tumor suppressor gene were analyzed for single-strand conformation polymorphism (SSCP). The mobilities of single-stranded DNAs, carrying various mutations, change--depending on the gel temperature during electrophoresis. Therefore, temperature-gradient single-strand conformation polymorphism (TG-SSCP) analysis can provide useful information concerning the optimum temperature for SSCP and may also be used to screen for various mutations or polymorphisms in a single electrophoretic run.

Binding mode of phospholipase A2 with a new type of phospholipid analog having an oxazolidinone ring

Inhibition of phospholipases A2 (PLA2s) by a new type of monodispersed phospholipid analog, 3-dodecanoyl-4-phosphatidylcholinohydroxymethyl-2-oxazolidinone (oxazolidinone-PC), was investigated by the pH stat assay method using monodispersed 1,2-dihexanoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphorylcholine (diC6PC) as the substrate. The PLA2s used were those from bovine pancreas and cobra (Naja naja atra) venom (Group I) and from Japanese mamushi (Agkistrodon halys blomhoffii) venom (Group II). This new-type substrate analog was shown to inhibit competitively both types of venom and bovine pancreatic enzymes by binding to the active site in a similar manner to the carboxamide-type analog 2-dodecanoyl-amino-1-hexanol-phosphocholine (amide-PC). The binding of a stereoisomer, (R)-amide-PC, to N. naja atra (Group I) and A. halys blomhoffii (Group II) PLA2s was facilitated by the binding of Ca2+ to the enzymes. On the other hand, the binding of (R)-oxazolidinone-PC to the N. naja atra (Group I) enzyme was found to be independent of Ca2+ binding, while its binding to the A. halys blomhoffii (Group II) enzyme was markedly facilitated by the binding of Ca2+ to the enzyme. The binding of (R)-amide-PC to N. naja atra PLA2 (Group I) was markedly influenced by the ionization state of the catalytic residue His 48, whereas the binding of (R)-oxazolidinone-PC was found to be practically independent of the ionization state of this residue.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

An LDA and flow visualization study of pulsatile flow in an aortic bifurcation model

The structure of pulsatile flow in a rigid aortic bifurcation model was studied by means of a flow visualization technique and three-dimensional laser-Doppler anemometry. The model was made of glass, having the same shape as that of the average human aortic bifurcation. It was installed into a mock circulatory loop that generated physiological pulsatile flow. Flow separation was observed during accelerated and decelerated flow periods. Double helical flow existed inside the flow separation in the early accelerated flow period. In the decelerated flow period, disturbed flow appeared behind the separation zone. Flow was strongly disturbed during the back flow period, and then was gradually stabilized in the forward flow period. The flow separation and the disturbances released from the flow separation zone greatly influenced near-wall velocities along the lateral wall. The wave form of the near-wall velocity in the flow separation zone was much different from that observed in the aortic portion and behind the separation zone; for example, the magnitude of the negative peak velocity in the direction of the tube axis was larger than that of the positive one, and mean velocity in a cycle was very low. This abnormal phasic change of the near-wall velocity may be associated with atherogenesis. The three-dimensional velocity measurement is very useful for the detailed analysis of near-wall velocity patterns.

Low incidence of hemorrhagic infarction following coronary reperfusion with nasaruplase in a canine model of acute myocardial infarction. Comparison with recombinant t-PA

An examination was made of the coronary thrombolytic effects of nasaruplase in a canine model of acute myocardial infarction. The model was produced by selective injection of an artificial thrombus into the coronary artery stenosed by laser ablation. Intravenous nasaruplase (8 U/kg/min) showed an equivalent thrombolytic effect to a recombinant tissue-type plasminogen activator (rt-PA, 10,000 IU/kg/min) as assessed by reperfusion rate (78.6 versus 79.2%) and reperfusion time (37.4 +/- 5.2 versus 37.0 +/- 2.5 min). Nasaruplase decreased the plasma alpha 2-plasmin inhibitor (alpha 2-PI) level by 28% immediately after reperfusion, but hardly altered fibrinogen or plasmin-alpha 2-plasmin inhibitor complex (PIC) levels. By contrast, rt-PA significantly decreased plasma alpha 2-PI and fibrinogen levels, by 84% and 92% respectively, and, increased PIC level more than 70-fold. Hemorrhagic infarction occurred in 2 of 14 animals in the nasaruplase group and in 9 of 19 animals in the rt-PA group. In these animals, significant correlations were found between the ratio of the hemorrhagic infarction area to total infarct area and the plasma alpha 2-PI (r = -0.740, p < 0.05) or fibrinogen (r = -0.798, p < 0.05) concentrations, as well as between the recovery rate of left ventricular regional wall motion and the plasma alpha 2-PI (r = 0.924, p < 0.01) or fibrinogen (r = 0.864, p < 0.01) concentrations. It is concluded that nasaruplase is a potent thrombolytic agent which preserves left ventricular function with a lesser rate of hemorrhagic infarction than rt-PA. Further, nasaruplase administration results in recovery of left ventricular regional wall motion and systolic function, such as Vmax.

Trabecular texture analysis of CT images in the relationship with spinal fracture

PURPOSE

To evaluate age-related changes in trabecular texture and bone mineral density (BMD) and to determine the usefulness of texture analysis in the assessment of the risk of fracture.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

The vertebral trabecular BMD was measured in 209 women aged 18-86 years. Run length analysis was applied to computed tomographic images obtained with 2-mm section thickness. The width of the trabecula (T-texture) and the width of the intertrabecular space (I-texture) were calculated.

RESULTS

I-texture significantly increased with age in women 50 years of age or older (P < .0001). Women with fracture had significantly lower BMD (P < .0001 at 60-69 years, P < .05 at 70-79 years) and significantly higher I-texture (P < .05 at 60-69 years, P < .01 at 70-79 years). For fracture risk, BMD had the highest sensitivity and I-texture had the highest specificity in women aged 60-69 years; I-texture had the highest sensitivity and specificity in women aged 70-79 years.

CONCLUSION

Texture analysis was helpful in the assessment of fracture risk, especially in elderly women.

Improvement of an EIA system for basic fibroblast growth factor by use of biotinylated antibody prepared with NHS-LC-biotin

We improved our previously devised enzyme immunoassay (FIA) system for basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) using biotinylated antibody prepared with sulfosuccinimidyl-6-(biotinamido)hexanoate (NHS-LC-Biotin, Pierce), a water-soluble biotin analogue, with an extended spacer arm. The discriminatory detection limit of the improved EIA was found to be 5 pg/ml (0.5 pg/assay tube), sixfold more sensitive than that of the previous system. The reproducibility of within- and between-assay series was 5.10-8.61% and 5.99-8.69%, respectively; and recovery of exogenous bFGF from serum was approximately 102%. Employing the improved EIA system, we investigated by chromatofocusing chromatography the isoelectric points of two immunoreactive bFGFs (high-molecular-weight bFGF-like immunoreactive substance, designated as HMW-bFGF-LI and 16-kd bFGF-LI, having the same molecular weight as recombinant bFGF) detected in serum from a breast cancer patient. As a result, the pI value of HMW-bFGF-LI was estimated to be 7.13, and that of 16 kd bFGF-LI, 9.58.

The presentation of a double aortic arch in adulthood in association with congestive heart failure attributed to a previously silent aortic regurgitation

This paper describes an adult case of a double aortic arch (DAA; Edwards type IA). The patient had been asymptomatic for DAA but presented difficulty in swallowing in association with congestive heart failure, which she experienced as the result of attending to her sick husband while she apparently suffered from a silent aortic regurgitation. The symptoms disappeared and the patient recovered from heart failure following medical treatment. The patient soon discontinued the outpatient treatment and, after 2 years, the identical symptoms recurred under similar circumstances. In this paper we demonstrate that an asymptomatic case of DAA has the potential to clinically manifest itself.

Results of hepatic resection for hepatocellular carcinoma

The results of 122 hepatic resections in 112 patients with hepatocellular carcinoma are described. The type of liver resection performed was selected according to the patient's liver function. Forty-nine patients underwent anatomic resections, including 1 trisegmentectomy, 5 lobectomies, 11 segmentectomies, and 32 subsegmentectomies; the remaining 63 patients had nonanatomic resections. The 1-, 2-, and 3-year survivals after liver resection for all patients, taking into account one operative and one hospital death (0.9% each), were 92.4%, 85.0%, and 78.9%, and disease-free survivals at 1, 2, and 3 years were 68.6%, 46.2%, and 32.6%, respectively. Twenty-one repeat hepatic resections (17.2% of the total of 122 resections) were performed with no hospital mortality. Cumulative survival from the time of repeat hepatectomy in these 21 patients was 84.2% and 56.3% at 1 and 2 years, respectively. Among the factors that may affect survival or disease-free survival, the absence of vascular invasion (p < 0.05) and intrahepatic metastases (p < 0.01) were significantly related to the disease-free survival time. A good outcome was obtained after liver resection in 112 patients with hepatocellular carcinoma through appropriate choice of the type of resection, careful follow-up, and a vigorous surgical approach for recurrence.

Increased prevalence of HTLV-I infection in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma associated with hepatitis C virus

The progression from chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection to hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) has been reported. We evaluated whether co-infection with the human T-lymphotropic virus type I (HTLV-I) might be associated with this transition in a cross-sectional analysis of 127 patients with HCV-chronic hepatitis (mean age = 51.7) and 43 patients with HCV-associated HCC (mean age = 62.4); the seroprevalence of anti-HTLV-I was 9.5% and 30.2%, respectively. For subjects 50 years or older, the seroprevalence of anti-HTLV-I in HCC patients was 13/41 (31.7%) which was significantly higher than that in chronic hepatitis patients (6/82, 7.3%) (P = 0.001). The relative risk (RR) of association was 12.8 (P = 0.0004) among the males, however, no association was evident among the females, RR = 1.3 (P = 0.80). The increased prevalence of HTLV-I positivity among the HCC cases could not be attributed to a higher rate of prior transfusion. These data suggest that co-infection with HTLV-I may contribute to the development of HCC among patients with HCV-induced chronic liver diseases in a highly HTLV-I-endemic area.

Comparison of bone-implant interface shear strength of hydroxyapatite-coated and alumina-coated metal implants

We performed a transcortical push-out test to determine the effect of surface roughness of hydroxyapatite (HA)-coated implants on bone-implant shear strength in a canine model. Hydroxyapatite- and alumina-coated SUS316L with the same surface roughness (roughness average: Ra = 5 microns) and HA-coated Ti-6A1-4V (Ra = 8.4 microns), sintered HA (Ra = 0.9 micron), and dense alumina (Ra = 1.3 microns) were inserted into the dog's femur. The interface shear strength of the dense alumina was significantly lower than that of other implants at both 4 and 12 weeks after implantation. At 4 weeks after implantation, the interface shear strength of the alumina-coated SUS316L was significantly lower than that of other implants (P < .05) except the dense alumina, but at 12 weeks, there was no significant difference between the implant types except the dense alumina. This indicates that the surface roughness of the HA coating affects the enhancement of the bone-implant interface shear strength at the early period after implantation, and that a surface roughness of several micrometers does not influence the bond strength between bone and HA. A scanning electron microscopic study indicated that in almost all cases at 12 weeks, the failure site after push-out testing was the coating-substrate interface, not the coating-bone interface. Therefore, protection of the coating-substrate interface from direct shear loading is needed.