Acteoside, a component of Stachys sieboldii MIQ, may be a promising antinephritic agent (2): Effect of acteoside on leukocyte accumulation in the glomeruli of nephritic rats

We investigated the effect of acteoside in comparison with that of cyclosporin A on leukocyte accumulation in the glomeruli of rats with crescentic-type anti-glomerular basement membrane (GBM) nephritis. Acteoside given p.o. at a dose of 30 mg/kg once a day for 15 consecutive days after treatment with anti-GBM serum markedly suppressed the urinary protein as well as glomerular histological changes. Acteoside given p.o. for 5 or 15 consecutive days markedly suppressed the accumulation of total leukocytes, ED-1-positive cells (monocytes/macrophages), CD4-positive cells, CD8-positive cells, interleukin-2-receptor-positive cells (activated T cells) and Ia-positive cells in the glomeruli. These effects of cyclosporin A (20 mg/kg/day, p.o.) were also as potent as those of acteoside (30 mg/kg/day, p.o.). Cyclosporin A also strongly suppressed the elevation of plasma antibody level against rabbit gamma-globulin. However, in this dose, acteoside did not significantly suppress the antibody formation. It can be concluded from these results that acetoside may exert its antinephritic action by suppressing the accumulation of leukocytes in the glomeruli.

Association between anthropometric measures and spinal bone mineral density

RATIONALE AND OBJECTIVES

The relationship of vertebral bone mineral density (BMD) to various anthropometric factors, including body weight and height, vertebral volume, and muscle area was examined. The sex- and menopause-related differences in these relationships also were studied.

METHODS

Both cortical and trabecular BMD were measured using quantitative computed tomography (QCT). Integral BMD was measured using dual x-ray absorptiometry (DXA) in 74 men and in 96 premenopausal and 155 postmenopausal women. The psoas muscle area was measured using CT images. Vertebral volume was determined using CT images and CT topography.

RESULTS

Bone mineral density had the strongest relationship with age in postmenopausal women. Trabecular BMD was correlated with muscle area and vertebral volume in premenopausal women, but not in postmenopausal women. The correlation of trabecular BMD with various anthropometric factors in men was stronger than that in women. Dual x-ray absorptiometry-BMD was found to be more affected by bone volume than was QCT-BMD.

CONCLUSIONS

The association of anthropometric factors with BMD differs in men and women, as well as in premenopausal and postmenopausal women.

Traction apophysitis of the medial malleolus

We report the cases of three children with chronic injuries of the medial tibial malleolus caused by traction injuries during sport. All three had the triad of swelling of the medial malleolus, tenderness over its anterior part, and pain on forced valgus movement of the foot. Radiographs showed bilateral accessory ossification centres and MRI demonstrated partial avulsion or avulsion fracture of the apophyseal cartilage and fragmentation of the accessory centres. A review of 134 young basketball players showed that 25% had tenderness of the anterior medial malleolus. This high rate indicates that traction apophysitis of the medial malleolus is not uncommon in children as a sports-related disorder.

Induction of c-fos and c-myc oncogene expression in the pyloric mucosa of rat stomach by N-methyl-N'-nitro-N-nitrosoguanidine and taurocholate

The induction of c-fos and c-myc expression in the pyloric mucosa of 8-week-old F344 male rats after oral administration of the glandular stomach carcinogen, N-methyl-N'-nitro-N-nitrosoguanidine (MNNG), or the tumor-promoter, taurocholate, was examined by Northern blotting. MNNG at doses of 5-50 mg/kg body weight dose-dependently induced transient increase of up to 30-fold c-fos expression with a maximum after 30 min, and of 8-fold c-myc expression with a maximum after 3 h. It also induced up to 3-fold increase in S-phase cells in the proliferation zone of the pyloric mucosa after 16 h. Similar effects were observed with sodium taurocholate at doses of 200-800 mg/kg body weight. These results suggest that c-fos and c-myc oncogenes play a role in stomach carcinogenesis.

Estimation of pS2 protein level in human body fluids by a sensitive two-site enzyme immunoassay

A sensitive two-site enzyme immunoassay (EIA) system was established for human pS2 protein, a small estrogen-inducible secretory protein of unknown function originally identified in MCF-7 human breast cancer cells. Our EIA system is based on the sandwiching of antigen between anti-recombinant (r) pS2 antibody IgG coated on a polystyrene plate and biotinylated anti-rpS2 antibody IgG. The amount of pS2 protein was quantified by measurement of the bound enzyme activity of subsequently added streptavidin-linked beta-D-galactosidase (beta-D-galactosidase, EC 3.2.1.23). pS2 protein purified from MCF-7 culture supernatants was detectable at a concentration as low as 3 pg/ml (corresponding to 60 fg/well). This EIA system revealed that the amount of pS2-like immunoreactivity (LI) in human urine was 13.6 ng/mg creatinine (median, n = 416) and that there was no correlation between the pS2-LI concentration in urine and sex or aging. pS2-LI levels in plasma and sera of the normal subjects were 392 pg/ml (median, n = 14) and 494 pg/ml (median, n = 12), respectively. The serum level of the patients with breast cancer (528 pg/ml; median, n = 67) was not statistically different from that of normal subjects, although high levels of pS2 protein in breast cancer tissues had been reported.

Corneal endothelial cell loss following phacoemulsification using the Small-Port Phaco

We studied the extent of corneal endothelial injury after phacoemulsification using the Small-Port Phaco (SPP), a new phacoemulsification instrument that allows linear aspiration during phacoemulsification. Of 72 eyes undergoing phacoemulsification, the SPP was used in 33 (group 1) and a standard phacoemulsification instrument in 39 (group 2). Endothelial cell density was examined by specular microscopy preoperatively and at 1 and 3 months after surgery, and the percentage of endothelial cell loss was evaluated. Operative factors influencing endothelial injury such as the duration of ultrasound emission, the ultrasound power expended, and the amount of irrigating solution used also were measured. The percentages of endothelial cell loss at both 1 and 3 months were significantly less (P < .05) in group 1 than in group 2 (in group 1, 4.3 +/- 3.4% at 1 month, and 5.6 +/- 3.8% at 3 months; in group 2, 6.9 +/- 4.6%, and 8.3 +/- 5.4%, respectively). The duration of emission was shorter and the ultrasound power discharged was smaller in the SPP cases. Since the total ultrasound energy emitted in the SPP cases was less than that in the standard-instrument cases, we conclude that the reduced corneal endothelial damage observed in group 1 was directly related to the smaller total ultrasound power expended in these cases.

Aortic walls in atherosclerotic rabbits--mechanical study

Mechanical properties of the descending thoracic aortae harvested from endothelial cell-denuded and/or cholesterol diet-fed rabbits were studied primarily with their pressure-diameter relationships. Male Japanese white rabbits having 3.1 to 3.5 kg initial body weight were divided into 4 groups. The rabbits in Groups A and C were fed a regular chow, while those in Groups B and D were given 1 percent cholesterol diet; the luminal surfaces of the descending thoracic aortae in the rabbits of Groups C and D were injured by drawing catheter-tip balloons. These animals were sacrificed after keeping for 4, 8, 16 or 32 weeks and, then, their descending thoracic aortae were excised for the studies of pressure-diameter relationships. Stiffness parameter (beta") and incremental elastic modulus (H theta theta were used to quantitatively represent the structural stiffness of the aortic wall and the elastic modulus of the wall material, respectively. Denudation of endothelial cells thickened the aortic walls in Group C, but induced no significant changes in beta" and H theta theta. Shape of the pressure-diameter curve changed gradually with time in Group D, and beta", H theta theta, and thickness to wall radius ratio increased significantly, while those in Group B showed no significant changes with a few exceptions. Averaged percent fraction of the luminal surface area stained with Sudan IV (As) was around 50 percent in Group B and 100 percent in Group D at 32 weeks. Even if As is over 80 percent in Group D, 50 percent (7/14) of the walls gave significantly higher beta"- and H theta theta-values at 100 mm Hg than the others. Significantly increased calcification and intimal hyperplasia were observed in the walls with high beta"- and H theta theta-values.

Mechanical and dimensional adaptation of rat aorta to hypertension

To investigate mechanisms of the mechanical adaptation of soft biological tissues to load, effects of hypertension on the mechanical properties and wall dimensions of thoracic aortas were studied in rats. Goldblatt hypertension was induced in male Wistar rats aged 8 to 9 weeks by constricting their left renal arteries. Two, 4, 8, or 16 weeks after the operation, thoracic aortas were excised and used to determine static pressure-diameter relations and wall dimensions. Wall thickness correlated significantly with the systolic blood pressure before sacrifice, Psys, at each period. The aortic hoop stress became almost constant at all Psys 2 weeks after the operation. On the other hand, the stress calculated for 100 and 200 mmHg correlated negatively with Psys. The incremental elastic modulus of the wall at Psys had a significant correlation with Psys having a positive slope at each period, although the correlation disappeared at 16 weeks after the operation. These results imply that: 1) thickness of the aortic wall increases very rapidly in response to hypertension; 2) wall stress developed by the in-situ blood pressure is kept constant at a normal level irrespective of hypertension; 3) elastic modulus of the wall of the hypertensive rats at the in-situ blood pressure becomes equal to the normal value after relatively long period of time; 4) in response to the alteration of the applied force, dimensional change appears much earlier than the change in the elastic properties.

Vertebral measurements for assessment of osteoporosis

We measured the vertebral heights and spinal bone mineral density (BMD) of healthy women, and morphometrically evaluated the physiological features of the vertebrae to investigate the relationship of BMD to types of spinal deformity as well as the radiographic detection rate for decreased vertebral bone density. Vertebral BMD was measured from L1 to L4 using dual X-ray absorptiometry and from L1 to L3 using quantitative computed tomography in 245 healthy women ranging in age from 22 to 81 years. The vertebral heights, anterior (Ha), middle (Hm), and posterior (Hp), were measured from T12 through L5, and the Ha/Hp and Hm/Hp ratios were calculated. Although the age-related reduction of vertebral height was not as marked as that of BMD, the vertebral heights, especially the Ha and Hm from T12 to L5 vertebrae, and the Ha/Hp and Hm/Hp from T12 to L3, significantly decreased with age. The presence of a wedge-shaped deformity was strongly related to cortical BMD, and biconcave deformity to trabecular BMD. Although investigation of the sensitivity and specificity of several criteria revealed that vertebra-specific dimension criteria are useful in the detection of decreased bone density, the detection of decreased BMD using vertebral measurements is considered to be limited.

[The pulmonary air meniscus sign in a case of sclerosing hemangioma]

A 57-year-old woman was admitted to our hospital because of a slowly growing pulmonary tumor with a 34 year history. Chest roentgenogram on admission showed a 42 mm sharply demarcated solitary tumor in the left upper lobe. Chest CT revealed a slit-like pulmonary air meniscus. Left upper lobectomy was performed. A specimen from the resected lung histologically showed solid, papillary and hemorrhagic patterns, and the diagnosis of pulmonary sclerosing hemangioma was therefore made. Pulmonary air meniscus sign in pulmonary sclerosing hemangioma is rare. We think one possible mechanism in the production of an air meniscus sign in sclerosing hemangioma is bleeding in communication with a bronchus.

HTLV-II non-integrated malignant lymphoma induction in Japanese white rabbits following intravenous inoculation of HTLV-II-infected simian leukocyte cell line (Si-IIA)

Lymphoma induction in rabbits by an unknown factor derived from an HTLV-II-producing simian (Cynomolgus) leukocyte cell line (Si-IIA) is reported. Thirteen of 17 male Japanese white rabbits (76%) inoculated intravenously with Si-IIA cells developed malignant lymphoma including Hodgkin-like lymphoma between 62 and 167 days after inoculation. Histologically, there was extensive diffuse or nodular infiltration of either large cell type or mixed type lymphoma cells in many organs, frequently involving the spleen, liver, lymph nodes and kidneys, and less frequently the thymus, bone marrow, lungs, heart, skin and gastrointestinal tract. Hodgkin-like lymphoma was also observed in two rabbits. Chromosomal analysis of five cell lines established from tumor-bearing rabbits revealed the male rabbit karyotype. The immunophenotype of these tumor cells was usually T-cell (CD5+ or -, RT1+, RT2+ or -, CD45+, CD4-, RABELA- and MHC class II-DQ+) except for Hodgkin-like lymphoma cells which expressed only CD45. However, integration of the HTLV-II provirus genome could not be demonstrated in the tumor tissues or any of the rabbit cell lines by polymerase chain reaction or Southern blot analysis. Moreover, no lymphoma was induced by inoculation of HTLV-IIC, MOT (other HTLV-II-producing human cell lines) or TALL-1 (control). Two of four rabbits injected with cell-free pellets from Si-IIA cultures died of malignant lymphoma (15-20 days). Five irradiated rabbit cell lines were inoculated but only one (Ra-SLN) induced lymphoma in 1 of 3 rabbits at 27 days. Neither Herpesvirus saimiri nor Herpesvirus ateles (simian oncogenic viruses) was detected in Si-IIA cells by immunofluorescence testing. These data suggest that the high rate of lymphoma induction in rabbits may be caused not by only HTLV-II or well known simian oncogenic viruses, but rather by an unknown passenger agent derived from Si-IIA or HTLV-IIA, with which Si-IIA was established.

[Prevention of coronary spasm during and shortly after coronary revascularization in patients with variant angina]

From June 1990 to March 1993, 9 patients undergoing coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG), 4.4% of all CABG cases at our hospital during this period, had significant perioperative coronary spasm. For 4 patients who underwent CABG before May 1992 (Group 1), preventive and suppressive procedures for the coronary spasm were the addition of diltiazem in the cardioplegic solution and the continuous intravenous infusion of nitroglycerin. Perioperative myocardial infarction (PMI) occurred in all 4 patients in Group 1, with the mean peak MB-CPK of 356 +/- 197 IU/l. One patient had delayed sternal closure because of his unstable hemodynamic status. Thereafter, we changed our protocol as follows: 1) Ergometrine loading (intracoronary infusion) test was performed in all candidates for CABG, aiming at finding out patients with a high risk. And for the high-risk patients, in addition to the measures done in Group 1, 2) intraaortic balloon pumping was performed through the perioperative period, and 3) a pig-tail catheter was dwelled in the Valsalva sinus, through which bolus doses of isosorbide dinitrate were injected frequently in this period. 4) Additionally nifedipine was periodically administered through the nasogastric tube. With these intensive preventive/suppressive measures, the perioperative spasm in 5 patients (Group 2) with variant angina were successfully managed, with no resultant PMI nor operative death (The occurrence of PMI was significantly less frequent in Group 2 than in Group 1, with the p value < 0.05). For patients with variant angina undergoing CABG, combined intensive preventive/suppressive measures for perioperative coronary spasm as listed above proved effective.

Nerve growth factor and epidermal growth factor rescue PC12 cells from programmed cell death induced by etoposide: distinct modes of protection against cell death by growth factors and a protein-synthesis inhibitor

A rat pheochromocytoma cell line (PC12 cells) died within 24 h in the presence of etoposide (1-40 micrograms/ml), an inhibitor of topoisomerase II. This cytotoxic effect was prevented by either nerve growth (NGF) or epidermal growth factor (EGF). Cycloheximide and actinomycin D also suppressed the cell death as well. Furthermore, a difference among protective modes against etoposide-induced death by growth factors and a protein-synthesis inhibitor was observed: the protective effect of either NGF or EGF remained rather constant as a function of incubation time with etoposide whereas that of cycloheximide declined. These results indicate that etoposide induces programmed death in PC12 cells and that prevention of the programmed cell death by both NGF and EGF is mainly due to inactivation of molecules involved in the death processes rather than suppression of specific protein and/or mRNA synthesis.

Morphologic features in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma of young adults in north China

BACKGROUND

North China has an adjusted annual mortality rate of more than 100 per 100,000 persons for esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (SCC). However, its occurrence in young adults is considered uncommon.

METHODS

The clinical data and surgically resected specimens of 1033 cases of esophageal SCC were analyzed from the archives of an university hospital in Hebei, North China. There were 76 (7.4%) specimens from young adults (aged 35 years younger, Group 1) in the sample, and the clinicopathologic findings of these patients were compared with those of patients older than 35 years of age (Group 2, N = 957).

RESULTS

The mean age was 31.1 years for Group 1 and 52.2 years for Group 2. The male-to-female ratio was 3.0 and 2.3, respectively (P < 0.01). The 2-year survival rates were 42.1% for Group 1 and 54.0% for Group 2 (P < 0.05). The 10-year survival rates were 9.2% and 14.5%, respectively. Group 1 patients had more diffuse infiltrative growth (P < 0.025). Poorly differentiated SCC and vessel invasion were also common in Group 1. Conversely, Group 2 had more cases with fibrocollagenous stroma around the tumor (P < 0.001) and obvious germinal center hyperplasia in the regional lymph node (P < 0.05).

CONCLUSION

The prognosis of young adults with esophageal SCC was worse than that of their older counterpart.

Molecular characterization of thirteen gyrA mutations conferring nalidixic acid resistance in Bacillus subtilis

We isolated 607 independent nalidixic acid-resistant mutants from Bacillus subtilis. A 163 bp DNA segment from a 5' portion of the gyrA gene was amplified from the DNA of each mutant strain. After heat denaturation, the product was subjected to gel electrophoresis to detect conformational polymorphism of single-strand DNA (PCR-SSCP analysis). Mobility patterns of the two DNA strands from all the mutant strains examined differed from those of the parental wild-type strains. The patterns were classified into 13 types, and the DNA sequence of each type was determined. A unique sequence alteration was found in mutants belonging to each of the 13 types, defining 13 gyrA alleles. Eight were single base pair substitutions, four were substitutions of two consecutive base pairs and one was a substitution of three consecutive base pairs. Only three amino acid residues (Ser-84, Ala-85, and Glu-88) were altered in the deduced amino acid sequences of the mutated genes. We conclude that molecular typing based on the PCR-SSCP method is a powerful technique for the exhaustive identification of allelic variants among mutants selected for a phenotypic trait.

[Occurrence of follicular small cleaved cell lymphoma following chemotherapy for diffuse large cell lymphoma]

A 59-year-old man was admitted in July, 1985 because of generalized lymphadenopathy and hypercalcemia. The biopsy specimen of the left inguinal lymph node showed diffuse large cell lymphoma. He achieved a complete remission (CR) in July, 1986 by CHOP therapy. In January, 1992, he visited the outpatient clinic with splenomegaly, and swelling of the left axillary and left supraclavicular lymph nodes. The biopsy specimen of the axillary lymph node showed follicular small cleaved cell lymphoma. Because the spleen and the lymph nodes regressed after the biopsy, he has been followed up without any specific treatment for lymphoma. Histologic change from low-grade lymphoma into more aggressive histologic pattern is well documented. However the converse phenomenon, occurrence of low-grade lymphoma after intermediate-, or high-grade lymphoma has rarely been reported. Histological examination is mandatory when a patient with diffuse large cell lymphoma is suspected to have relapsing disease after the long-term CR.

Protective effects of verapamil and adenosine treatment on high energy phosphate metabolism in ischemic and reperfused myocardium

Isolated rat hearts were subjected to retrograde perfusion to investigate the protective effects of adenosine and verapamil on the myocardium. In group 1, the perfusate was standard Krebs-Henseleit buffer solution. The perfusate was changed to Krebs-Henseleit buffer containing verapamil (100 nM) in group 2, adenosine (100 microM) in group 3 and both drugs in combination in group 4 for 30 min before ischemia and during 20 min of reperfusion. Group 2 displayed a recovery of creatine phosphate but not of ATP at the end of reperfusion. In group 4, the recovery of both ATP and creatine phosphate was significantly greater than in group 1. The coronary flow of group 4 was significantly higher than that of the other groups. Treatment with both verapamil and adenosine before and after global ischemia may protect the ischemic myocardium by improving high energy phosphate metabolism and coronary circulation.

Corneal topographic analysis of superolateral incision cataract surgery

Using corneal topography, we compared the corneal shape changes following superolateral incision cataract surgery with those following conventional superior incision surgery. In our superolateral incision procedure, a 6.5 mm limbal incision was made from the 9 o'clock to 11 o'clock meridians to avoid incising the superior limbus. One hundred four patients were divided into two groups; Group 1 comprised 66 patients who had surgery using the superolateral approach; Group 2 comprised 38 patients who had surgery using the superior approach. The corneas were examined by keratometer and topographic modeling system preoperatively, and at one week and one, three, and six months postoperatively. Keratometric measurements showed that surgically induced astigmatism (SIA) in Group 1 was significantly less than that in Group 2 throughout the six-month observation. The standard SIA deviation in Group 1 was also smaller than that in Group 2, indicating a smaller degree of variability in the superolateral incision surgery. In the corneal topographic analysis, a color-coded map averaging all the Group 1 corneas at each interval showed a slight steepening in the central cornea in the 10 o'clock meridian one week after surgery. This surgically induced steepening disappeared by one month, and the corneal shape recovered its preoperative shape. In contrast, the Group 2 averaged map showed a marked steepening of the upper and lower corneas. The steepening gradually decreased but remained until three months after surgery. Superolateral incision surgery induced a smaller degree of change in the corneal shape, as well as in SIA, than superior incision surgery. The postoperative corneal shape changes disappeared rapidly after the superolateral incision, and the corneal shape soon stabilized and recovered its preoperative shape.

Atypical appearance of adrenal pseudocysts

We report 2 cases of adrenal pseudocysts that resulted from hemorrhage into a normal adrenal gland and that showed atypical imaging features on computerized tomography and ultrasonography. The presence of a solid component within the mass and/or central calcification, which is unlike the typical features of adrenal pseudocyst, suggested a diagnosis of adrenal tumor. The solid component diminished on computerized tomography in 26 days in case 1 and in 16 days in case 2, which seemed to represent resolving hematoma. The atypical appearance of these adrenal pseudocysts, especially the changeable pattern of the solid component within the mass, should be kept in mind to ensure a correct preoperative diagnosis.

Correlative regulation of nerve growth factor level and choline acetyltransferase activity by thyroxine in particular regions of infant rat brain

Effects of thyroxine (T4) on nerve growth factor (NGF) level and choline acetyltransferase (ChAT) activity of rat brains were investigated. Repetitive intraperitoneal administration of T4 caused increases in both NGF level and ChAT activity in the frontal cortex, septum, hippocampus, and striatum and decreases in the cerebellum in 2-day-old rats. Only ChAT activity was elevated in the olfactory bulb, and the NGF level remained unchanged there. No changes were observed in the midbrain and pons/medulla. Furthermore, T4 was effective on the postnatal rats only up to day 11. These results suggest that T4 plays a role in the developmental regulation of NGF level and ChAT activity in rat brain in a region- and/or stage-specific manner. That (1) changes in NGF level and ChAT activity occurred in regions nearly identical to those that contained NGF-responding neurons, and (2) the change in NGF level in the hippocampus and frontal cortex was followed by the change of ChAT activity after a single injection of T4 suggest that the effects of T4 on cholinergic differentiation are, at least in part, mediated via NGF, which itself is quantitatively regulated by T4.