Elevated serum insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) levels in women with postadolescent acne

The purpose of this study was to measure the serum levels of IGF-1 in women with postadolescent acne compared to normal controls, and evaluate the relationship of these levels to the levels of androgens, in order to investigate the possible role of IGF-1 in the pathogenesis of acne. Eighty-two female patients with acne between 20 and 25 years of age and thirty-one age-matched control women were studied. We measured the serum levels of total testosterone (T), free testosterone (FT), dihydrotestosterone (DHT), dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate (DHEA-S), and insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1). The levels of IGF-1 in patients with acne (1.26 +/- 0.52 U/ml) were significantly (p < 0.001) increased over those of controls (0.96 +/- 0.32 U/ml). Of 82 acne patients, six (7%) had IGF-1 levels which exceeded the normal range, but there were no significant correlations between IGF-1 and T, FT, DHT or DHEA-S levels or between IGF-1 and acne severity. Since the measurement of serum IGF-1 levels is a convenient indicator of GH secretion, the increase of serum IGF-1 levels seen in some acne patients might reflect an increase of GH.

Sensitizing effect of lysophosphatidic acid on mechanoreceptor-linked response in cytosolic free Ca2+ concentration in cultured smooth muscle cells

We found that lysophosphatidic acid (LPA) sensitizes response in cytosolic free Ca2+ concentration ([Ca2+]i) to mechanical stimulation in cultured longitudinal muscle cells from guinea pig ileum. [Ca2+]i was transiently increased by spritzing of bath solution onto cells as mechanical stimulation in the presence of LPA, but not in absence of LPA. The effect was reversible and concentration-dependent (1-30 nM). Ga3+ but not nicardipine inhibited the [Ca2+]i transient in the presence of LPA. Phosphatidic acid also induced the sensitization, but the effective concentration was more than 10 times higher than in LPA. Histamine and carbachol did not have any sensitizing effect to mechanical stimulation. These results show that LPA sensitizes mechanoreceptor-linked response, suggesting that LPA may play an important role in mechanotransduction mechanisms as an endogenous regulatory factor.

Cyclin B interaction with microtubule-associated protein 4 (MAP4) targets p34cdc2 kinase to microtubules and is a potential regulator of M-phase microtubule dynamics

We previously demonstrated (Ookata et al., 1992, 1993) that the p34cdc2/cyclin B complex associates with microtubules in the mitotic spindle and premeiotic aster in starfish oocytes, and that microtubule-associated proteins (MAPs) might be responsible for this interaction. In this study, we have investigated the mechanism by which p34cdc2 kinase associates with the microtubule cytoskeleton in primate tissue culture cells whose major MAP is known to be MAP4. Double staining of primate cells with anti-cyclin B and anti-MAP4 antibodies demonstrated these two antigens were colocalized on microtubules and copartitioned following two treatments that altered MAP4 distribution. Detergent extraction before fixation removed cyclin B as well as MAP4 from the microtubules. Depolymerization of some of the cellular microtubules with nocodazole preferentially retained the microtubule localization of both cyclin B and MAP4. The association of p34cdc2/cyclin B kinase with microtubules was also shown biochemically to be mediated by MAP4. Cosedimentation of purified p34cdc2/cyclin B with purified microtubule proteins containing MAP4, but not with MAP-free microtubules, as well as binding of MAP4 to GST-cyclin B fusion proteins, demonstrated an interaction between cyclin B and MAP4. Using recombinant MAP4 fragments, we demonstrated that the Pro-rich C-terminal region of MAP4 is sufficient to mediate the cyclin B-MAP4 interaction. Since p34cdc2/cyclin B physically associated with MAP4, we examined the ability of the kinase complex to phosphorylate MAP4. Incubation of a ternary complex of p34cdc2, cyclin B, and the COOH-terminal domain of MAP4, PA4, with ATP resulted in intracomplex phosphorylation of PA4. Finally, we tested the effects of MAP4 phosphorylation on microtubule dynamics. Phosphorylation of MAP4 by p34cdc2 kinase did not prevent its binding to microtubules, but abolished its microtubule stabilizing activity. Thus, the cyclin B/MAP4 interaction we have described may be important in targeting the mitotic kinase to appropriate cytoskeletal substrates, for the regulation of spindle assembly and dynamics.

Quinolinic acid-induced increases in calbindin D28k immunoreactivity in rat striatal neurons in vivo and in vitro mimic the pattern seen in Huntington's disease

In Huntington's disease striatal neurons undergo marked changes in dendritic morphology and coincidently exhibit an increase in immunoreactive calbindin D28k (calbindin), a cytosolic calcium-binding protein which is highly abundant in these neurons. Previous studies in the rat striatum have shown that excitotoxic injury, which is linked to a rise in intracellular Ca2+, mimics many of the neurochemical and neuropathological characteristics of Huntington's disease. We speculated, therefore, that the apparent increase in calbindin labeling in Huntington's disease spiny neurons may signal the response to an excitotoxic process. To investigate this possibility, we compared the cellular features of calbindin immunoreactivity in grade 1-4 Huntington's disease cases with those seen in rat striatal neurons in vivo and in vitro following treatment with N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptor agonist, quinolinic acid. In human post mortem control cases calbindin immunoreactivity was seen primarily in the somata and proximal dendrites of striatal neurons. In the Huntington's disease cases, calbindin labeling was markedly increased throughout the second and third order dendrites and in spines, and this change was more prevalent in advanced cases (grades 3-4). In the rat brain, two weeks after intrastriatal injection of quinolinic acid (6-20 ng), surviving medium-spiny neurons in the transition zone around the lesion core exhibited a marked increase in calbindin immunoreactivity similar to that seen in Huntington's disease spiny neurons. In more peripheral areas away from the lesion and on the contralateral unlesioned side, calbindin immunostaining was confirmed to somata and proximal dendrites. In situ hybridization histochemistry with an 35S-labeled oligonucleotide probe showed no change or a decrease in calbindin mRNA levels in neurons within the transition zone, suggesting that the observed increase in calbindin staining was not the result of increased transcription. In 12 day old postnatal striatal cultures, 2-6 h exposures to quinolinic acid (0.5 mM) significantly increased the length of neurites exhibiting calbindin immunoreactivity when compared to untreated controls. This effect was blocked by the selective NMDA receptor blocker (+/-)-2-amino-5-phosphonopentanoic acid (AP-5), indicating that an NMDA receptor-mediated mechanism contributed to the change in staining pattern. Results in rats suggest that the subcellular redistribution of calbindin immunoreactivity observed in Huntington's disease spiny neurons may be related to an NMDA receptor-induced excitotoxic process. An increased availability of calbindin protein at dendrites and spines may reflect a greater demand for Ca2+ buffering precipitated by an abnormal rise in in intracellular Ca2+.

Huntington's disease gene: regional and cellular expression in brain of normal and affected individuals

Huntington's disease (HD) is an autosomal dominant disorder characterized by involuntary movements, dementia, and progressive, global, but regionally accentuated, brain atrophy. The disease affects the striatum most severely. An expansion of a trinucleotide repeat on chromosome 4p16.3 within the coding region of a gene termed IT15 has been identified as the mutation causing HD. The normal function of IT15 and the mechanisms by which the presence of the mutation causes HD are unknown. Although IT15 expression has been detected in the brain, as well as in other organ tissues, by Northern blot and in situ hybridization, it is not known whether a preferential regional or cellular expression of IT15 exists within the central nervous system of normal, affected, and presymptomatic individuals. Using quantitative in situ hybridization methods, we examined extensively the regional and cellular expression of IT15. In controls, IT15 expression was observed in all brain regions examined with the highest levels seen in cerebellum, hippocampus, cerebral cortex, substantia nigra pars compacta, and pontine nuclei. Expression in the striatum was intermediate and expression in the globus pallidus was low. IT15 was expressed predominantly in neurons; a low but significant level of expression was seen in glial cells. Analysis of grain counts per square micrometer in neurons showed that the regional differences in the level of mRNA expression were related to density and size of neurons in a given region and not primarily to differences in levels of mRNA expression in individual cells after correction for cell size. Neurons susceptible to degeneration in HD did not selectively express high levels of IT15 mRNA. In HD brains (grades 2-4), the distribution and levels of IT15 mRNA were comparable with controls in all areas except in neostriatum where the intensity of labeling was significantly reduced. Presymptomatic HD brains had a striatal expression similar to controls and surviving striatal neurons in more advanced HD had an expression of IT15 within normal limits. It is apparent from these results that the presence of expanded trinucleotide repeats in HD does not result in the absence of IT15 mRNA expression or in altered patterns or levels of expression. The lack of correlation between the levels of IT15 mRNA expression and susceptibility to degeneration in HD strongly suggests that the mutant gene acts in concert with other factors to cause the distinctive pattern of neurodegeneration in HD.

Ozone exposure suppresses epithelium-dependent relaxation in feline airway

We examined the effect of exposure to ozone on the epithelium-dependent relaxation (EpDR) of bronchioles evoked by electrical field stimulation (EFS) in a feline model with hyperresponsive airways induced by exposure to ozone. Airway responsiveness was assessed by measuring the increases in total pulmonary resistance (RL) produced by aerosolized acetylcholine (ACh) in vivo. Airway responsiveness was also measured in vitro in dissected bronchiolar ring preparations. Exposure to ozone (3 ppm, 2h) significantly increased the airway responsiveness in vivo. The concentration of ACh required increasing RL to 200% of the baseline value, decreased from 1.97 mg/ml (GSEM 1.94) to 0.12 mg/ml (GSEM 1.77, p < 0.01) after exposure to ozone. EFS evoked atropine-, guanethidine-, and tetrodotoxin-resistant relaxations in the control bronchiolar rings precontracted by 5-hydroxytryptamine. Such relaxation was significantly suppressed by the mechanical denudation of epithelium, confirming that it was epithelium dependent. The amplitude of the EpDR was significantly suppressed in the animals exposed to ozone. These results suggest that EpDR is present in cats, and that its inhibition may contribute to the development of airway hyperresponsiveness.

An improved approach to prepare human brains for research

We describe two protocols for preparing human brains collected for research and diagnosis. In both protocols, one half brain is processed for research and the other for neuropathological evaluation. Clinical, neuropathological and tissue mRNA retention data are used for sample categorization. In protocol 1, coronal, whole hemisphere slices cut at standardized landmarks are frozen with a cooling device at -90 degrees C, which yields discrete anatomical structures. In selected instances, small blocks of brain are frozen at -160 degrees C in liquid nitrogen vapor. Cooling device or liquid nitrogen vapor frozen samples are suitable for in situ hybridization, protein blotting or immunohistochemistry. Morphological freezing artifacts are minimal. In protocol 2, one half brain is frozen en bloc on dry ice; this tissue is suitable for regional evaluation of gene expression or neurochemistry. Morphological freezing artifacts are severe. In both protocols, the other half brain is fixed in formalin prior to sectioning and diagnostic evaluation. The standardized selection of paraffin blocks from each brain allows precise diagnoses to be established, including identification of dangerous infectious processes; moreover, it makes it possible to produce a set of uniformly selected blocks and slides for comparative studies. These protocols lead to standardized tissue preparation for research and reduce variables impairing interpretation and comparison of data.

Evidence for a preferential loss of enkephalin immunoreactivity in the external globus pallidus in low grade Huntington's disease using high resolution image analysis

Previous studies have shown that in advanced cases of Huntington's disease, enkephalin-immunoreactive striatal projections to the external globus pallidus may be more affected than substance P-containing striatal projections to the inner segment of the pallidum [Reiner A. et al. (1988) Proc. natn. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 85, 5733-5737]. Other immunohistochemical [Ferrante R. J. et al. (1990) Soc. Neurosci. Abstr. 16, 1120] and neurochemical observations [Storey E. and Beal M.F. (1993) Brain 116, 1201-1222] suggest no difference in the loss of these peptide-containing pathways in Huntington's disease. In view of the potential significance of this issue for understanding the neuropathological process in Huntington's disease, we examined the globus pallidus in control and Huntington's disease brains, using a quantitative approach which involved high resolution image analysis of 7 microns frozen sections to determine the overall density of peptide-immunoreactive terminals. Results showed that in the controls there was no significant difference between the density of enkephalin- and substance P-immunoreactive terminals in the external and internal globus pallidus, respectively. In all Huntington's disease brains, including grade 1 cases, enkephalin-immunoreactive terminals in the external globus pallidus were significantly reduced compared to substance P-positive boutons in the internal segment of the adjacent section. In comparison to controls, enkephalin immunoreactivity in all Huntington's disease cases was significantly lower; substance P-immunoreactive terminals in the internal globus pallidus were significantly lower than controls in some of the grade 2 cases and in the grade 3 cases.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Retinal complications with elevated circulating plasma C5a associated with interferon-alpha therapy for chronic active hepatitis C

Retinal hemorrhage is a complication of interferon therapy of unknown pathogenesis. We report two chronic active hepatitis C patients who developed retinal hemorrhage and/or cotton wool patches during interferon-alpha therapy 4 and 12 wk after beginning treatment. At the time of the hemorrhage, plasma-activated complement 5, a known potent intravascular aggregator of granulocytes, increased to 54 ng/ml in one patient and to 29 ng/ml in the other patient. When the hemorrhage resolved, it decreased to under 5 ng/ml. Our cases suggest that complement activation occurs in patients treated with interferon-alpha and that activation of complement 5 can lead to retinal capillary infarction and retinal hemorrhage. High levels of activated complement 5 may predict retinal artery infarction or perhaps microvascular emboli in the other organs.

IT15 gene expression in fetal human brain

To examine the expression of the gene which causes Huntington's disease (HD), IT15, during development, in situ hybridization of radiolabeled riboprobes was performed in human fetal (gestational ages 20-23 weeks) and adult brain. Optical densities of autoradiographs were determined in various brain regions and compared to cell density in those regions. IT15 expression was found in all regions of the fetal and adult brain, and there was a high degree of correlation of autoradiographic signal with cell number in all regions but germinal matrix in fetal brain and white matter in adult brain. These two regions are notable for their significant proportion of glial cells, and suggest that IT15 expression is predominantly neuronal. There was no preponderance of IT15 expression in striatal compartments in fetal brain as demonstrated by acetylcholinesterase activity, nor was there differential expression of IT15 in brain regions known to be particularly affected in HD. IT15 gene expression is present by 20 weeks gestation in human brain, and at that stage of development exhibits a pattern of distribution which is similar to adult brain. If a developmentally-regulated role for IT15 exists in the pathogenesis of HD, it must occur prior to 20 weeks gestation.

A novel microtubule-based motor protein (KIF4) for organelle transports, whose expression is regulated developmentally

To understand the mechanisms of transport for organelles in the axon, we isolated and sequenced the cDNA encoding KIF4 from murine brain, and characterized the molecule biochemically and immunocytochemically. Complete amino acid sequence analysis of KIF4 and ultrastructural studies of KIF4 molecules expressed in Sf9 cells revealed that the protein contains 1,231 amino acid residues (M(r) 139,550) and that the molecule (116-nm rod with globular heads and tail) consists of three domains: an NH2-terminal globular motor domain, a central alpha-helical stalk domain and a COOH-terminal tail domain. KIF4 protein has the property of nucleotide-dependent binding to microtubules, microtubule-activated ATPase activity, and microtubule plus-end-directed motility. Northern blot analysis and in situ hybridization demonstrated that KIF4 is strongly expressed in juvenile tissues including differentiated young neurons, while its expression is decreased considerably in adult mice except in spleen. Immunocytochemical studies revealed that KIF4 colocalized with membranous organelles both in growth cones of differentiated neurons and in the cytoplasm of cultured fibroblasts. During mitotic phase of cell cycle, KIF4 appears to colocalize with membranous organelles in the mitotic spindle. Hence we conclude that KIF4 is a novel microtubule-associated anterograde motor protein for membranous organelles, the expression of which is regulated developmentally.

Ipratropium bromide protects against bronchoconstriction during bronchoscopy

Pulmonary function is reportedly impaired by fiberoptic bronchoscopy. We investigated the effect of two anticholinergic agents, intramuscular atropine and inhaled ipratropium bromide, on bronchoconstriction in 29 patients who were undergoing diagnostic bronchoscopy. The patients were divided into three groups; the first received 0.5 mg of atropine intramuscularly; the second took four puffs of 0.02 mg ipratropium bromide aerosolized by a metered-dose inhaler, and the third inhaled four puffs of a placebo. Fifteen minutes later a standardized topical anesthetic, lidocaine, was administered, and a bronchoscopic examination was performed. Pulmonary function was measured before and 15 minutes after each step. Pulmonary function was not affected by the treatment with anticholinergics or the placebo. In the placebo and the atropine groups, the topical anesthesia produced significant reductions in forced expiratory volume in 1 second (FEV1) and peak expiratory flow rate (PEFR); further reductions in these values were observed after bronchoscopy. In the group treated with ipratropium bromide there were no significant changes in FEV1 and PEFR after topical anesthesia. Bronchoscopy induced significant reductions in FEV1 and PEFR, but the changes were significantly smaller than those seen in the placebo and atropine groups. The results suggest that the deleterious effect of bronchoscopy on pulmonary function is due to topical lidocaine anesthesia and to the bronchoscopic examination itself. Inhaled ipratropium bromide protects against these deleterious effects, whereas intramuscular atropine does not.

Airway epithelial cells modulate cholinergic neurotransmission in dog trachea

We investigated the effects of epithelial cells on excitatory cholinergic neurotransmission in dog trachea, to shed more light on the role of airway epithelial cells in regulating airway responsiveness. Airway epithelial cells were prepared by an enzymatic dissociation of the tracheal mucosa using protease-free collagenase. Tracheal smooth muscle contractions evoked by electrical field stimulation (EFS) or acetylcholine (ACh) were measured before and after the application of epithelial cells. Isolated and dispersed epithelial cells (3 x 10(5) cells/ml) suppressed the amplitude of the twitch-like contractions evoked by EFS in the combined presence of guanethidine sulfate (10(-6) M) and indomethacin (10(-5) M). In contrast, epithelial cells did not affect the contraction evoked by exogenously applied ACh. Atropine (10(-6) M) or tetrodotoxin (10(-7) M) abolished the contraction evoked by electrical field stimulation. These findings indicate that airway epithelial cells inhibit the excitatory neurotransmission of the vagus nerve, presumably by suppressing the release of ACh. Airway epithelial cells may therefore play an important role in regulating the response of smooth muscle.

KIF3A is a new microtubule-based anterograde motor in the nerve axon

Neurons are highly polarized cells composed of dendrites, cell bodies, and long axons. Because of the lack of protein synthesis machinery in axons, materials required in axons and synapses have to be transported down the axons after synthesis in the cell body. Fast anterograde transport conveys different kinds of membranous organelles such as mitochondria and precursors of synaptic vesicles and axonal membranes, while organelles such as endosomes and autophagic prelysosomal organelles are conveyed retrogradely. Although kinesin and dynein have been identified as good candidates for microtubule-based anterograde and retrograde transporters, respectively, the existence of other motors for performing these complex axonal transports seems quite likely. Here we characterized a new member of the kinesin super-family, KIF3A (50-nm rod with globular head and tail), and found that it is localized in neurons, associated with membrane organelle fractions, and accumulates with anterogradely moving membrane organelles after ligation of peripheral nerves. Furthermore, native KIF3A (a complex of 80/85 KIF3A heavy chain and a 95-kD polypeptide) revealed microtubule gliding activity and baculovirus-expressed KIF3A heavy chain demonstrated microtubule plus end-directed (anterograde) motility in vitro. These findings strongly suggest that KIF3A is a new motor protein for the anterograde fast axonal transport.

Contraction and depolarization induced by fetal bovine serum in airway smooth muscle

We investigated the effects of fetal bovine serum (FBS) on the resting membrane potential and muscle tone of canine airway smooth muscles using tension recording and microelectrode methods. At concentrations > 0.1%, FBS induced a sustained increase in muscle tone. At concentrations > 1%, FBS depolarized the resting membrane potential of dog trachea in a dose-dependent manner. When FBS was dialyzed, it failed to induce a sustained increase in muscle tone or to depolarize the membrane, indicating that FBS contained factor(s) that induced contraction of dog airway smooth muscles. When FBS was dialyzed against distilled water, the outer solution which was freeze dried and then reconstituted (> 1% in original vol) induced a sustained increase in muscle tone, indicating that FBS contained dialyzable factor(s) that increased muscle tone and depolarized the resting membrane potential of dog airway smooth muscles. Methysergide (10(-6) M) or cyproheptadine (10(-6) M), nonspecific antagonists to serotonin receptors, 5-hydroxytryptamines (5-HT1 and 5-HT2), markedly reduced the FBS-induced increase in the muscle tone to approximately 20% of the original value but did not abolish the response. On the other hand, methysergide (10(-6) M) completely suppressed the increase in the muscle tone evoked by peak fractions obtained by application of the dialysate of FBS or 5-HT to a C18 reverse-phase column, indicating the peak fractions contained only 5-HT. These observations indicate that FBS contained 5-HT and an unknown factor(s) responsible for increase in the muscle tone of the airway smooth muscle induced by FBS.

VIP antagonists enhance excitatory cholinergic neurotransmission in the human airway

It has been reported that a low concentration of exogenously applied vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP) suppresses the release of acetylcholine (ACh) from vagus nerve terminals in the ferret and feline trachea. There has been, however, no documentation of the prejunctional action of VIP in the human airway. We observed the effects of VIP and VIP antagonists on cholinergic excitatory neuro-effector transmission in the human bronchus to study the possible role of endogenous VIP on excitatory neurotransmission. In the human bronchus, VIP (10(-10) to 10(-7) M) showed no effect on either the contractions evoked by electrical field stimulation (EPS) or those evoked by ACh. To investigate the possible role of endogenous VIP on the human bronchus, we observed the effects of the VIP antagonists [4-Cl-D-Phe6,Leu17]-VIP and [Ac-Tyr1,D-Phe2]-GRF(1-29)-NH2 on excitatory neuro-effector transmission. Both VIP antagonists (10(-8) M) significantly enhances the contractions evoked by EFS without affecting the ACh sensitivity of smooth muscle cells. These results indicate that VIP antagonists have a prejunctional action that enhances excitatory neurotransmission. This study suggests that endogenous VIP may suppresses ACh release from the vagus nerve terminals in the human airway. It is also suggested that exogenously applied VIP may be inactivated by some mechanism in the human airway.

Effects of epithelial cell supernatant on membrane potential and contraction of dog airway smooth muscles

We investigated the effects of cultured epithelial cells and supernatants on resting membrane potential and excitatory neuroeffector transmission in smooth muscle cells of dog trachea and bronchioles. The mean resting membrane potential of the mucosa-free tracheal smooth muscle cells was -59.5 +/- 1.5 mV (+/- SD). Application of cultured epithelial cells (> 2.5 x 10(5) cells/ml) hyperpolarized the membrane, resulting in a potential of -64.5 +/- 1.7 mV. The supernatant of the cultured epithelial cells also increased the resting membrane potential of the mucosa-free tracheal smooth muscle cells by 4 to 9 mV. These hyperpolarizing actions were not modified by indomethacin (10(-5) M), l-NG-nitroarginine (10(-5) M), or oxyhemoglobin (10(-5) M), but were inhibited by glibenclamide (10(-6) M). The supernatants of the cultured epithelial cells completely or partially suppressed the contractile response of epithelium-denuded bronchioles to electrical field stimulations and suppressed the amplitude of excitatory junction potentials of the trachealis evoked by electrical field stimulations. Indomethacin prevented the inhibitory effect of supernatants on the amplitude of twitch contractions and excitatory junction potentials and markedly suppressed supernatant-associated inhibition of the excitatory neuroeffector transmission. Furthermore, indomethacin with AA861, a lipoxygenase inhibitor, completely suppressed this effect. Our findings suggest that cultured airway epithelial cells spontaneously release at least two factors. One factor selectively modulates the resting membrane potential, and the other inhibits the excitatory neuroeffector transmission.

Corticocortical and thalamocortical responses of neurons in the monkey primary motor cortex and their relation to a trained motor task

1. We studied the responsiveness of neurons in the primary motor cortex (MI) of monkeys (Macacafuscata) to electrical stimulation of the supplementary motor area (SMA), primary sensory cortex (SI), and the ventral subnucleus of the thalamus (VPLo) with chronically implanted electrodes. 2. All neurons examined in this study were characterized by their relation to a motor task performed by the animals. They responded to stimulation of the cortical or thalamic area with excitation from one area alone (n = 128) or from multiple areas (n = 84) of all combinations. In a majority of neurons, response latencies to both cortical and thalamic stimulation were within 5 ms. 3. A vast majority of neurons (80%) that were active during a preparatory period for forthcoming reaching movements were activated by SMA stimulation. They were activated only infrequently by SI or thalamic stimulation. 4. Movement-related neurons (active immediately before and during reaching movements) were activated by thalamic, SI, or SMA stimulation or by any combination of those stimuli. More than half of the movement-related neurons activated exclusively by either thalamic or SMA stimulation exhibited activity onset times earlier than those observed in the earliest muscles. By contrast, most movement-related neurons that responded only to SI stimulation were late in their activity onset. 5. These findings suggest that the SMA input to MI is important in developing a preparatory type of activity in MI, whereas the thalamus (VPLo) provides substantial inputs in movement execution. The roles played by inputs from SI and SMA in relation to motor execution are debatable and are discussed here with reference to previous reports.

Case of cough syncope with seizure

A rare case of cough syncope accompanied by seizure is presented. Interseizure electroencephalogram revealed in this 55-year-old man spikes and sharp waves over the bilateral temporal regions. Bronchodilators and antiepileptic medication effectively controlled cough syncope and seizure in this patient.

Acute interstitial pneumonitis induced by carbamazepine

A 62 year old man treated with carbamazepine for 3 months developed eczema and acute interstitial pneumonitis. A lymphocyte-stimulation test was reactive to carbamazepine. Withdrawal of the drug resulted in prompt improvement. Only 10 cases of this type of drug-induced lung disease have previously been reported.

Acute interstitial pneumonitis induced by carbamazepine

A 62 year old man treated with carbamazepine for 3 months developed eczema and acute interstitial pneumonitis. A lymphocyte-stimulation test was reactive to carbamazepine. Withdrawal of the drug resulted in prompt improvement. Only 10 cases of this type of drug-induced lung disease have previously been reported.

A case of steroid-responsive organizing pneumonia in a patient with rheumatoid arthritis showing migratory infiltration and normal glucose levels in pleural effusions

A 59-year-old Japanese man with RA was referred to us with arthralgia and pulmonary infiltration. Chest roentgenogram showed migratory infiltration and pleural effusion, the glucose levels of the pleural fluid were not reduced. Transbronchial lung biopsy showed granulation tissue plugging the alveolar ducts, indicating organizing pneumonia and interstitial inflammation. These pathological findings were identical with those for cryptogenic organizing pneumonitis (COP). There was a good clinical and roentgenographic response and the pleural effusion responded well to corticosteroids. The characteristic migratory infiltration in rheumatoid lung disease responds well to corticosteroids.

The primary structure of rat brain (cytoplasmic) dynein heavy chain, a cytoplasmic motor enzyme

Overlapping cDNA clones encoding the heavy chain of rat brain cytoplasmic dynein have been isolated. The isolated cDNA clones contain an open reading frame of 13,932 bp encoding 4644 aa (M(r), 532,213). The deduced protein sequence of the heavy chain of rat brain dynein shows significant similarity to sea urchin flagellar beta-dynein (27.0% identical) and to Dictyostelium cytoplasmic dynein (53.5% identical) throughout the entire sequence. The heavy chain of rat brain (cytoplasmic) dynein contains four putative nucleotide-binding consensus sequences [GX4GK(T/S)] in the central one-third region that are highly similar to those of sea urchin and Dictyostelium dyneins. The N-terminal one-third of the heavy chain of rat brain (cytoplasmic) dynein shows high similarity (43.8% identical) to that of Dictyostelium cytoplasmic dynein but poor similarity (19.4% identical) to that of sea urchin flagellar dynein. These results suggested that the C-terminal two-thirds of the dynein molecule is conserved and plays an essential role in microtubule-dependent motility activity, whereas the N-terminal regions are different between cytoplasmic and flagellar dyneins.

Adrenal androgen abnormalities in women with late onset and persistent acne

Androgens are an essential prerequisite for the development of acne. The present study was undertaken to characterize the androgen status of women with late onset and persistent acne only and, using the dexamethasone (dex) suppression test, to identify the source(s) of the androgen excess. We measured serum levels of total testosterone (T), free testosterone (FT), androstenedione (delta 4A), dihydrotestosterone (DHT), dehydroepiandrosterone sulphate (DHEA-S) and sex hormone binding globulin (SHBG) in 34 healthy control subjects, in 34 women with mild acne and in 29 women with moderate or severe acne. Serum FT, DHT and DHEA-S levels in patients of both acne groups were significantly higher than those in the control subjects. The other hormone levels showed no significant differences between patients and control subjects, and there were no significant differences between the two acne groups in any of the androgen levels. In order to evaluate the ovarian and adrenal contributions to serum androgens in the acne patients, the serum levels of delta 4A, T, DHT and DHEA-S were measured prior to and following 2 weeks of dex therapy. Following the dex test, the DHT and T of adrenal origin were significantly higher in the acne patients than in the control subjects. These results suggest that, in acne patients, hyperandrogenaemia is likely to develop as a result of adrenal androgen excess. In addition, since abnormally high androgen levels are frequently seen in late onset and persist acne, it seems that this condition is likely to be a sign of hyperandrogenism.