Plasma histamine levels in normal and atopic children

Plasma histamine was measured in 258 children by using a sensitive high performance liquid chromatographic method. A normal level of histamine, which was high at a lower age and low at a higher age, was determined. Atopic children had higher levels than normal children. The extent of atopic disease had a relationship with higher levels. The correlations between plasma histamine and basophil count and between plasma histamine and IgE were significant in atopic children but not in normal children.

Antiproliferative and cytotoxic effects of newly discovered halogenated coral prostanoids from the Japanese stolonifer Clavularia viridis on human myeloid leukemia cells in culture

The antiproliferative and cytotoxic activities of newly discovered halogenated coral prostanoids (chlorovulone, bromovulone, and iodovulone) from the Japanese stolonifer Clavularia viridis and their related compounds were determined in HL-60 cells in culture. The order of antiproliferative and cytotoxic activities of naturally occurring marine prostanoids against HL-60 cells was chlorovulone I greater than bromovulone I = iodovulone I greater than clavulone I or II greater than prostaglandin A2. The IC50 (concentrations required to inhibit cell growth by 50%) value (0.03 microM (0.01 microgram/ml)) and cytotoxic effects (greater than 0.3 microM (0.1 microgram/ml)) of chlorovulone I were about 200 and 100 times stronger than those of prostaglandin A2, respectively, on the molar basis. From our data on the structure-activity relationship of the halogenated coral prostanoids and the related compounds, we elucidated that 1) the alkylidencyclopentenone structure in these prostanoids was essential for the antiproliferative and cytotoxic activities against HL-60 cells and the introduction of halogen function at C-10 position in the structure enhanced the activities (C1 = F greater than Br = I greater than H); 2) the stereospecificity of the 12-hydroxyl group in the chlorovulone molecule was not required for the activities; 3) the presence of dienone (C5-6 and C7-8) in the structure potentiated the activities. Bivariate DNA/bromodeoxyuridine analysis with a flow cytometer showed that chlorovulone I transiently arrested the cell cycle progression from G1 to S after 24-hr exposure to the nontoxic concentrations (0.03 and 0.09 microM) and caused the lasting blockade of leukemia cells in G1 at the cytotoxic concentration. These results suggest that these coral prostanoids and related compounds may be a promising antileukemic agent.

[Clinico-pathological study of thyroid carcinomas detected by mass screening]

Ultrasound examination is a useful diagnostic procedure in mass screening for thyroid tumors. Between September 1983 and September 1985, we found many cases of nodular lesions in the thyroid, in which we frequently detected small carcinomas by echo-guided aspiration cytology. Nineteen thousand eight hundred twenty-four samples were examined, and echo-guided aspiration cytology was carried out in 1,169 persons, from which 115 positive cases were obtained. Seventy-four patients were operated upon, and 71 of them (96%) were found to have carcinomas, including 40 cases of small papillary carcinomas less than 10 mm in largest diameter. These small carcinomas were classified into four types histologically. Echogram patterns were different from each other and corresponded to histological types. Cytological figures of the small papillary carcinomas were also varied.

Rat pancreas contains the proglucagon(64-69) fragment and arginine stimulates its release

Rat proglucagon(64-69) corresponding to the C-terminal hexapeptide of putative rat glicentin sequence in the precursor was synthesized. A glicentin C-terminal hexapeptide specific radioimmunoassay, using the synthetic hexapeptide as standard, demonstrated the presence in rat pancreas of a peptide identified with the synthetic rat proglucagon(64-69): H-Asn-Arg-Asn-Asn-Ile-Ala-OH. The hexapeptide was released concomitantly with glucagon by arginine stimulation from the isolated perfused rat pancreas. The results indicate that the pancreas co-stores and possibly co-releases the hexapeptide with glucagon as one of the processing products of proglucagon.

A case of colon cancer metastasizing to the spleen

A case of colon cancer metastasizing to the spleen is reported. The patient was a 43-year-old man who was laparotomized under the diagnosis of colon cancer. The tumor of the transverse colon showed a small ulcer and polypoid projections. Poorly differentiated adenocarcinoma was noted in the mucosa. Marked tumor metastasis was found in the parenchyma of the spleen and the peripancreatic, portohepatic, mesenteric and periaortic lymph nodes. The literature on the incidence and mechanism of metastasis to the spleen was reviewed, and metastasis to the spleen was found to be not infrequent at a late or advanced stage of cancer.

Immunochemical study on PHI/PHM with use of synthetic peptides

We have synthesized PHI and PHM (human PHI) as well as their fragments, PHI (1-6), PHI (1-15), PHI (14-19), PHI (14-27), PHI (20-27), PHM (1-15) and PHM (13-27), by the solution or solid-phase method for peptide synthesis. Using the highly purified synthetic peptides as immunogens or haptenic immunogens, five kinds of PHI/PHM specific antisera were produced. The major antibody-recognition sites of the five antisera were located respectively in the PHI C-terminal (R8201), in the PHI N-terminal (R8403), in the PHM C-terminal (R8502), and in the PHM whole molecule (R8702 and R8703). Radioimmunoassays (RIAs) with antisera R8201, R8403 and R8502, respectively, showed a wide distribution of immunoreactive (IR) PHI/PHM in porcine and human gastrointestinal and brain tissues. The concentrations of IR-PHI in the porcine gastrointestinal tissues, however, differed between the R8201 and R8403 RIAs employed for measurement. By using these two different PHI RIAs, the IR-PHI in the porcine brain tissue extract was shown to be almost a single component coeluting with synthetic PHI in gel filtration. The IR-PHI in the extract of porcine lower intestine on the other hand, contained, besides a PHI-like component, unidentified component(s) eluting immediately after synthetic PHI in gel filtration; this crossreacted with the PHI C-terminal specific R8201 antiserum but not with the N-terminal specific R8403 antiserum, suggesting the presence of the C-terminal-related fragment(s) of PHI in the tissues.