Hyperuricemia induced by some antihypertensives and uricosuric drugs in oxonate-treated rats

Effects of antihypertensive and uricosuric drugs were studied on the plasma and urinary levels of uric acid in oxonate-treated rats. We made use of animals with a catheterized aorta to successfully collect blood samples and this procedure simplified the evaluation of progressive changes of plasma uric acid, under successive loading with potassium oxonate. The plasma uric acid level of the oxonate-treated rats was increased even with a single administration of diuretic chlorothiazides, furosemide, diazoxide and also uricosuric drugs such as tienilic acid and probenecid. On the other hand, a wellmaintained plasma uric acid level was also produced by exogenously administered uric acid in rats which had been given allopurinol and potassium oxonate. Diazoxide, tienilic acid and probenecid increased the plasma uric acid, while diuretic chlorothiazides did not. Furosemide tended to decrease the plasma uric acid level at the early stage of administration to rats treated with allopurinol, oxonate and uric acid, but increased these levels several hours later when the effect was studied by uric acid loading test wit rats treated with allopurinol and oxonate. These effects also appeared as changes in the urine-excreted uric acid. Thus, the oxonate-treated rats demonstrated an acutely induced hyperuricemia not only with certain antihypertensives, but also with uricosuric drugs. The utility of these procedures for evaluating the hyperuricemic and uricosuric effects of drugs is discussed.

Structure of the asparagine-linked sugar chains of alpha-fetoprotein purified from human ascites fluid

alpha-Fetoprotein purified from human serum was found to contain an asparagine-linked sugar chain in one molecule. The sugar chain was quantitatively released from the polypeptide moiety by hydrazinolysis and recovered as oligosaccharides after N-acetylation. The oligosaccharide mixture was separated into a neutral (N) and two acidic (A-1 and A-2) fractions by paper electrophoresis. By combination of sequential exoglycosidase digestion, methylation analysis, and concanavalin A-Sepharose column chromatography, the structures of these fractions were determined to be: Gal beta 1 leads to 4GlcNAc beta 1 leads to 2Man alpha 1 leads to 6(Gal beta 1 leads to 4GlcNAc beta 1 leads to 2Man alpha 1 leads to 3)Man beta 1 leads to 4GLcNAc beta 1 leads to 4(+/- Fuc alpha 1 leads to 6)GlcNAc; Gal beta 1 leads to 4GlcNAc beta 1 leads to 2Man alpha 1 leads to 6(NeuAc alpha 2 leads to 6Gal beta 1 leads to 4GlcNAc beta 1 leads to 2Man alpha 1 leads to 3)Man beta 1 leads to 4GlcNAc beta 1 leads to 4(+/- Fuc alpha 1 leads to 6(GlcNAc; and NeuAc alpha 2 leads to 6Gal beta 1 leads to 4GlcNAc beta 1 leads to 2Man alpha 1 leads to 6(NeuAc alpha 2 leads to 6Gal beta 1 leads to 4GlcNAc beta 1 leads to 2Man alpha 1 leads to 3)Man beta 1 leads to 4GlcNAc beta 1 leads to 4(+/- Fuc alpha 1 leads to 6)GlcNAc.

Polarization microscopic investigation of subarachnoid fibrosis after subarachnoid haemorrhage

The author used the polarization microscope and topo-optical reactions such as phenol reaction, collagen-specific sulphation, and picrosirius red F 3 BA staining to investigate the nature of subarachnoid fibrosis after experimental subarachnoid haemorrhage. It is strongly suggested that the subarachnoid fibrotic deposits--which here analysed in a previous study by scanning electronmicroscopy--contain a high amount of collagen as a main component both three weeks and three months after the SAH.

[Birth-weight distribution in the city of São Paulo, Brazil]

Através de levantamento amostral dos nascimentos ocorridos nas maternidades do município de São Paulo, Brasil, em 1976, foi estimada a distribuição do peso ao nascer dos nascidos vivos em São Paulo. As incidências de nascimentos abaixo de 2.501 g. e entre 2.501 e 3.000 g., 9,7% e 28,4%, foram duas vezes superiores às esperadas em uma cidade desenvolvida e concentraram-se mais nas maternidades públicas do que nas privadas.

Novel gamma-GTP isoenzyme as diagnostic tool for hepatocellular carcinoma

Out of 13 bands of gamma-GTP isoenzymes which were separated by our method, band II, II' and I' were specifically found in sera of patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), and therefore were called HCC specific novel gamma-GTP isoenzyme (novel gamma-GTP). One or more of these bands were detectable in 95 out of 178 patients with HCC. The positive ratio of novel gamma-GTP was 53% in total patients of HCC, and corresponded to 71% in patients whose serum activity of gamma-GTP was more than 100 mu/ml. In general, there was significant correlation between positivity of the novel gamma-GTP and titer of AFP. However, it was found in 33% of patients with AFP levels below 400 ng/ml which were frequently encountered in liver diseases other than HCC. From these results novel gamma-GTP can be useful also in diagnosis of HCC patients in whom serum AFP is lower or negative.

Effect of antifibrinolytic therapy on subarachnoid fibrosis in dogs after experimental subarachnoid haemorrhage

The effect of antifibrinolytic therapy on posthaemorrhagic subarachnoid fibrosis was observed experimentally in dogs with the scanning electron microscope (SEM). The subchronic subjects, given intravenous injections of tranexamic acid (1 mg/day) for 12 days and sacrificed 3 weeks after cisternal blood injection, showed residual clot with thick fibrosis, especially around the haemorrhage. The chronic subjects, to which the same procedure was applied and which were sacrificed three months after cisternal blood injection, showed significant increases in the subarachnoid fibrosis, most remarkably in the parasagittal region. Tranexamic acid is widely used for preventing the recurrence of subarachnoid haemorrhage. However, it was revealed in this study that antifibrinolytic therapy might increase chronic posthaemorrhagic subarachnoid fibrosis, which is considered to be responsible for communicating hydrocephalus by disturbing epicortical CSF flow.

C-reactive protein, ESR, and klebsiella in ankylosing spondylitis

Serum C reactive protein (CRP) and erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) were measured on 469 occasions in 149 patients with ankylosing spondylitis who had also been investigated for faecal carriage of klebsiella/enterobacter species on the same occasions. Raised values of CRP and ESR correlated with each other (P less than 0.001) as well as with clinically assessed active disease episodes (P less than 0.001). Patients with positive cultures for klebsiella were found to have higher mean values for CRP and ESR than those with negative cultures (P less than 0.025). CRP appears to be a useful marker of disease activity in ankylosing spondylitis.

[A case of extra-intracranial bypass venous graft for giant internal carotid aneurysm (author's transl)]

A male patient, aged 42, (No. 780624) was admitted to the Department of Neurosurgery of Hirosaki University Hospital, complaining recent weight loss, intolerance to cold and visual disturbance of the right eye. Ophthalmological examination revealed the optic atrophy with decreased visual acuity and concentric visual defect of the right eye. Endocrinological examination showed almost general suppression of adenohypophyseal function except abnormal high level resetting of cortisol diurnal rhythm. Radiological examination revealed the accessory middle cerebral artery and giant internal carotid aneurysm of the right side which was displayed by contrast-enhanced CT scan, with the enlarged sella turcica. Good cross filling was seen in left CAG through the anterior communicating artery. Extra-intracranial end to end anastomosis of the right internal carotid artery was performed with long venous graft under general anesthesia with hypothermia and induced hypotension, on Oct. 26 '78. Unroofing of the right optic canal was very useful to preserve the optic nerve, and the body of the giant aneurysm was opened and sutured tightly to reduce its mass effect. Interlacing suture for the anastomosis of the cervical internal carotid artery was employed successfully. The blood flow of the bypass graft, measured as enough volume with square wave flowmeter during the operation, was also confirmed with postoperative angiography. After the episodes of gastrointestinal bleeding, hypotensive attack and hemorrhagic infarction of right frontal base, the postoperative final result was successful and the patient is doing well, 6 months after the operation.

Scanning electron microscopy of the subarachnoid macrophages after subarachnoid haemorrhage, and their possible role in the formation of subarachnoid fibrosis

Sixty dogs with experimental subarachnoid haemorrhage (SAH), repeated SAH, and subarachnoid fibrosis (examined three weeks and three months after SAH, and treated with urokinase or dexamethasone) were examined by scanning electron microscope (SEM). The authors observed the resting and activated macrophages, the erythrophagocytosis, and giant cells in the subarachnoid space after SAH. They consider that the macrophages play an important role in the formation of subarachnoid fibrosis, similar to the role of macrophages in fibrosis in other sites.

Immunopathologic studies of pneumonitis in systemic lupus erythematosus

We performed immunohistopathologic studies on biopsied lung tissue obtained from two patients with lupus pneumonitis using immunofluorescence, immunoperoxidase, electron microscopy, and acid-microelution. In both patients, immunofluorescence showed granular deposits of IgG, the third component of complement (C3), and DNA in the alveolar walls. The immunoperoxidase technique in both and electron microscopy in one showed that these deposits were in the interstitium of the alveolar walls and in the alveolar capillary walls. The eluates obtained from cryostat sections of the biopsied lungs contained antinuclear factor of IgG class in one patient and showed anti-DNA antibody activity in both. We suggest that the deposits are immune complexes composed of DNA, anti-DNA antibody, and complement and that deposits of DNA-anti-DNA immune complex may play a role in lupus pneumonitis.

[Subarachnoid hemorrhage and circulatory disturbance of cerebrospinal fluid--scanning electron microscopid study in clinical and autopsy cases (author's transl)]

The scanning electron microscopy (SEM) gives intersting information about the changes of the subarachnoid space. In this study, specimens from 16 patients (one during surgery and others at autopsy) were examined by SEM: 11 cases of subarachnoid hemorrhage, 2 of posterior fossa brain tumor operated and 3 of control cases without CNS diseases. In cases of subarachnoid hemorrhage, there seemed to be three stages of the obstruction in the subarachnoid space: a) obstruction by blood clots mainly consisted of red blood cells, b) obstruction by subarachnoid fibrosis with thickening of arachnoid, c) obstruction by arachnoid adhesion obliterating subarachnoid space. Specimens from parietal parasagittal area, lateral cerebral fissure and temporal base on both sides were systematically examined by SEM, and the degree of the obstructive changes of the subarachnoid space were classified into five grades: 0) no changes 1) minimal changes--slight thickening of arachnoid and perivascular fibrosis in subarachnoid space 2) moderate changes--thickening of arachnoid and fibrosis in subarachnoid space with patent meshwork 3) severe obstruction of subarachnoid meshwork 4) complete obstruction of subarachnoid space--no space for CSF circulation. We found high incidence of communicating hydrocephalus after SAH in those cases in which epicortical CSF circulation was obstructed more than grade 3 in the parasagittal area bilaterally.

The effect of angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibition on regional blood flow in salt-depleted and salt-loaded normotensive conscious rats

The effect of angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibition on regional blood flow was studied in a total of 21 normotensive Wistar rats fed on either low or high salt diet. A new potent angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor (CEI), SQ 14,225 was administered intravenously in a dose of 2 mg/Kg to the conscious animals, and changes in fractional distribution of cardiac output were determined with a microsphere method. Prior to administration of CEI, there was no significant difference in mean arterial pressure (MAP) or regional blood flow between salt-depleted and salt-loaded rats. With CEI, MAP did not change significantly in either group. Fractional distribution of cardiac output increased to the kidneys (p less than 0.002), and decreased to the stomach, spleen, and skeletal muscle (p less than 0.02, p less than 0.002, and p less than 0.01, respectively) in the salt-depleted group, while a pattern of blood flow distribution was not changed in the salt-loaded group. These results suggest that angiotensin II plays an important role in regulating regional blood flow in salt-depleted conscious animals, but not in salt-loaded ones.

Stimulation by catecholamine of purine catabolism in rats and chickens

The effect of catecholamine in vivo was studied on purine catabolism in rats and chickens. Catecholamine, administered intraperitoneally in a high dose, markedly increased plasma uric acid and allantoin in rats, and an increase was also observed with intravenous infusion of a lower dose of catecholamine. The effects of catecholamine were characterized by inhibition with alpha and beta adrenoceptor antagonists. Regarding the mechanism of this catecholamine action on purine catabolism, it was shown that catecholamine stimulated degradation of tissue ATP into the end-product. Plasma allantoin, the final purine catabolite in rats, elicited by catecholamine could be maintained under conditions of renal failure, although the action of catecholamine in intact rat was short lasting. The effect of catecholamine was potentiated and/or prolonged by angiotensin-II and aminophylline, and a hyperuricemic state could be induced by catecholamine treatment in chickens. In addition, increase of plasma purine catabolite by immobilization stress in rats suggested the involvement of endogenous catecholamine. From these experimental results, it is considered that catecholamines probably play a important role in the pathogenesis of hyperuricemia.