Intratumoral pyrimidine nucleoside phosphorylase (PyNPase) activity predicts a selective effect of adjuvant 5'-deoxy-5-fluorouridine (5'DFUR) on breast cancer

BACKGROUND

Pyrimidine nucleoside phosphorylase (PyNPase) is the enzyme that converts 5'-deoxy-5-fluorouracil (5'DFUR) to 5-fluorouracil (5FU). Its activity in cancer tissue may correlate with the selective antitumor activity of 5'DFUR in breast cancer.

METHODS

Two hundred and sixteen T2 breast cancer patients were treated consecutively with surgery followed by 5'DFUR (600 mg/body/day) + tamoxifen (20 mg/body/day) for 2 years. PyNPase activity in breast cancer tissue, determined by high-performance liquid chromatography, ranged from 4.2-626.0 micrograms FU/mg protein/hr (mean +/- SD, 203.5 +/- 122.4), and the examined patients were divided into two groups: group A (high PyNPase group), cases with the PyNPase activity equal to or more than the mean value of 203.5 micrograms FU/mg protein/hr, and group B (low PyNPase group), cases with activity less than the mean value.

RESULTS

Although there was no difference in relapse-free survival (RFS) between groups A and B, among node-positive patients (n = 83) those in group A tended to have a longer RFS. When divided into subgroups according to estrogen receptor (ER) status, among node-positive and ER-positive tumors (n = 49), the RFS was significantly better in group A than in group B (p < 0.05).

CONCLUSION

Intratumoral PyNPase activity might be of use as a predictor of the effect of adjuvant 5'DFUR on breast cancer.

Mammographic and clinicopathological features of mucinous carcinoma of the breast

BACKGROUND

We attempted to improve the effectiveness of diagnostic techniques in mammographic imaging of mucinous carcinoma of the breast by defining the characteristics of mammographic images and investigating correlations between these images and various clinicopathological findings.

METHODS

Clinicopathological investigations of 92 lesions in 90 cases of mucinous carcinoma of the breast were made. Mammography demonstrated 80 lesions with identical tumor shadow characteristics and these were divided into three patterns, circumscribed, indistinct and blended. Correlations between clinicopathological findings and mammographic images were investigated.

RESULTS

Patients with mucinous carcinoma of the breast usually present with a palpable mass. The lymph node metastasis rate in this study was low and prognosis in the early postoperative period was satisfactory. On mammograms, the circumscribed pattern was the most frequent. The investigation of the correlation between histological sub-type and mammographic pattern showed a high percentage of pure type lesions exhibited in the circumscribed pattern while those of mixed histologic type often showed the indistinct pattern. Calcification frequency demonstrated on mammography was 75% for the indistinct and mixed patterns, and approximately 50% for the circumscribed pattern. A high rate of calcification seen outside the tumor shadow suggested a high frequency of invasion and the spread of cancer to neighboring tissues. The circumscribed pattern was least frequently associated with lymph node metastasis, followed by the indistinct and blended patterns in that order.

CONCLUSION

Investigation of clinicopathological factors and mammographic findings in mucinous carcinoma of the breast suggests that mammography provides clinically valuable information for the treatment of this disease. These findings indicate the importance of careful mammographic observation at the time of diagnosis.

Fiber connections of the corpus mamillare in a percomorph teleost, tilapia Oreochromis niloticus

The hypothalamus and perhaps its function appear to be similar among vertebrates. Thus, studying the teleostean hypothalamus could be a good model for understanding common neural circuits and mechanisms retained through the vertebrates. However, connections of the inferior lobe, which is considered the hypothalamus in teleosts, is poorly known. The corpus mamillare (CM) is a nucleus of the inferior lobe named after the mammalian mamillary body based on similarities in external morphology. Afferent connections of the CM have been reported only in cypriniform teleosts. These include projections from the nucleus pretectalis superficialis pars magnocellularis, a nucleus lacking in percomorph teleosts, and projections from the secondary gustatory nucleus. Efferent connections of the CM have not been reported in teleosts. In the present study, the CM and its subdivisions and the connections of these subnuclei were identified in isolated and maintained brains of tilapia Oreochromis niloticus by local DiI and biocytin injection. Afferent connections confirmed by reciprocal injections were from the nucleus diffusus lobi inferioris (NDLI) and the nucleus diffusus tori lateralis (NDTL). Efferent connections of each CM subnuclei were also reciprocally confirmed. These connections were to the area dorsalis pars medialis of the telencephalon, the nucleus ventromedialis (NVM) of the thalamus, the tectum opticum (TO), and the nucleus posterioris periventricularis. Because the NDLI is known to receive gustatory information in tilapia, the CM could relay gustatory inputs to multisensory areas, the TO and NVM, for which there are no current reports regarding gustatory inputs.

Sonic motor nucleus and its connections with octaval and lateral line nuclei of the medulla in a rockfish, Sebastiscus marmoratus

The sonic motor nucleus and its fiber connections were examined in a rockfish, Sebastiscus marmoratus by means of tracer methods using horseradish peroxidase (HRP), biocytin, and carbocyanine dye (DiI). Sebastiscus has a swimbladder and a pair of extrinsic sonic/drumming muscles. The sonic muscle is ipsilaterally innervated by the occipital nerve which is composed of two ventral roots arising from the sonic motor nucleus. The sonic motor neurons are distributed in the most ventral part of the ventral column from the caudal medulla to the rostral spinal cord, and form a ventrally located columnar nucleus. Each neuron in this nucleus possesses a long thick dendrite and several short dendrites. The long dendrite extends dorsolaterally and branches in the lateral funiculus, whereas the short dendrites branch around their cell bodies. After biocytin injections into the sonic motor nucleus, two groups of premotor neurons were retrogradely labeled bilaterally, one in the dorsomedial portion of the descending octaval nucleus (DO) and the other in the medial zone of the reticular formation (RF) in the medulla. The DO premotor neurons were multipolar with several dendrites branching near the cell bodies, and the RF premotor neurons were bipolar. One of the two dendrites of the RF premotor neurons extends laterally into the ventral portion of the DO, and the other dendrite extends into the ventromedial area in the medulla. In the ventromedial dendritic field of the RF premotor neurons, descending fibers arising from the optic tectum (TO) and torus semicircularis (TS) traverse in the tractus tectobulbaris and terminate bilaterally. After DiI insertion into the ventromedial dendritic field, retrogradely labeled neurons were found bilaterally in the TS and TO. The majority of tectal neurons were located in the stratum griseum centrale. These neurons had two short basal dendrites branching in the cell layer and a long apical dendrite extending to the stratum fibrosum et griseum superficiale and stratum opticum. The toral neurons were bipolar and were distributed throughout the TS. Furthermore, biocytin injections into the medial nucleus of the lateral line system revealed that the nucleus projects bilaterally to the RF premotor neurons. These results show that premotor neurons for the sonic motor nucleus are located in the dorsomedial portion of the DO and the medial zone of the RF in the medulla. It is suggested that the sonic motor nucleus receives auditory input via the DO premotor neurons and input from RF premotor neurons which receive lateral line input via the medial nucleus, vestibular input through the lateral dendrite extending into the ventral portion of the DO, and information from the TO and TS via the tractus tectobulbaris.

Allelic loss at 1p34, 13q12, 17p13.3, and 17q21.1 correlates with poor postoperative prognosis in breast cancer

Allelic losses of tumor suppressor genes (TSGs), or the chromosomal regions harboring them, in tumor DNA may become useful postoperative prognostic indicators. To examine whether specific allelic losses might correlate with postoperative survival in a 5-year prospective follow-up, we tested tumors from a cohort of 264 breast cancer patients for allelic losses of 18 microsatellite markers representing either a known TSG or a region where genetic alterations are frequent in breast tumors. Patients whose tumors had lost an allele at 1p34, 13q12, 17p13.3, or 17q21.1 had significantly higher risks of postoperative mortality than those whose tumors retained both alleles at those loci (at 1p34, a 5-year mortality rate of 29% among patients with losses vs. 7% with retentions, P = 0. 0008; at 13q12, 31% vs. 10%, P = 0.0062; at 17p13.3, 24% vs. 13%, P = 0.026; and at 17q21.1, 31% vs. 13%, P = 0.0047). Furthermore, combined losses at 13q12 and 17p13.3 increased the predicted postoperative mortality risks by a factor of 9.6 (5-year mortality rate of 42% vs. 5% with retentions, P = 0.0001), and combined losses at 1p34 and 17p13.3 raised the predicted postoperative mortality risks by a factor of 8.6 (27% vs. 3%, P = 0.0064). We conclude that allelic losses at these loci can serve as negative prognostic indicators to guide postoperative management of patients. Genes Chromosomes Cancer 26:134-141, 1999.

Widespread occurrence of alpha-synuclein/NACP-immunoreactive neuronal inclusions in juvenile and adult-onset Hallervorden-Spatz disease with Lewy bodies

Alpha-Synuclein (originally called precursor of the non-Abeta component of Alzheimer's disease amyloid-NACP) is a presynaptic nerve terminal protein and is now known to be a major component of Lewy bodies (LBs) in Parkinson's disease. Previous studies have shown that LBs are occasionally found in patients with Hallervorden-Spatz disease (HSD), a hereditary or sporadic neuroaxonal dystrophy. Therefore, an immunocytochemical examination of the brain tissues from two patients with HSD for alpha-synuclein/NACP was performed. In both cases, LBs were observed in the substantia nigra, locus ceruleus and other subcortical nuclei. These LBs were strongly immunolabelled with anti-alpha-synuclein/NACP. Moreover, abnormal alpha-synuclein/NACP-immunoreactive structures in the neuronal somata and processes were found in the cerebral neocortex, hippocampus, basal ganglia, thalamus, pontine and inferior olivary nuclei, spinal grey matter, and peripheral sympathetic ganglia. Although numerous dystrophic axons (spheroids) were found throughout the brain, either none or only a few were positive for alpha-synuclein/NACP. These findings suggest that widespread accumulation of alpha-synuclein/NACP is a pathological feature in patients suffering from HSD with LBs, and that this phenomenon is unrelated to axonal spheroid formation.

Fiber connections of the inferior lobe in a percomorph teleost, Thamnaconus (Navodon) modestus

Afferent and efferent fiber connections of the lobus inferior (LI) were studied in a percomorph teleost, Thamnaconus (Navodon) modestus. The LI of Thamnaconus is composed of the nucleus diffusus lobi inferioris (NDLI), the nucleus recessus lateralis pars lateralis et medialis (NRLl and NRLm), and the nucleus centralis lobi inferioris pars anterior et posterior (NCa and NCp). The NDLI receives projections from the secondary gustatory nucleus, preglomerular tertiary gustatory nucleus, corpus glomerulosum, dorsal region of the area dorsalis telencephali pars medialis (dDm), and area dorsalis telencephali pars lateralis. Different subdivisions of the dorsal telencephalon project to discrete regions of the NDLI. The NDLI projects to the corpus mamillare, NRLl, NCa, and NCp. Thus the NDLI could be regarded as an intrahypothalamic relay nucleus. The NCa receives projections from the NDLI and projects to the preglomerular tertiary gustatory nucleus, secondary gustatory nucleus, nucleus lateralis valvulae, and NRLl. The NCa appears to be primarily an extrahypothalamic projection nucleus. The NCp receives projections from the NDLI. Efferent connections of the NCp remain to be studied. The NRLl receives projections from the NDLI, and projects to the nucleus ruber (NR) of Goldstein [1905] and the preglomerular tertiary gustatory nucleus. Dense projections of the NR to the stratum opticum and stratum fibrosum et griseum superficiale of the optic tectum are demonstrated. The NRLm receives projections from the medial part of the dDm. Efferent connections of the NRLm remain unclear. The LI as a whole receives projections from the locus coeruleus and nucleus raphe superior. These results suggest that the LI receives gustatory and/or general visceral information from the secondary and tertiary gustatory nuclei, visual and somatosensory inputs from the corpus glomerulosum. Inputs from the dorsal telencephalic subdivisions could be of various modalities (e.g. visual, acousticolateral, gustatory and/or general visceral). The present study also suggests that information processed in the LI is transmitted to the optic tectum via the NR, to the corpus mamillare, to the secondary and tertiary gustatory nuclei, and to the cerebellum via the nucleus lateralis valvulae.

Carcinogenicity of heterocyclic amines for the pancreatic duct epithelium in hamsters

Effects of eight heterocyclic amines (HCAs) on pancreatic duct carcinogenesis were investigated in a rapid production model in hamsters. N-Nitrosobis(2-oxopropyl)amine (BOP) was given to effect initiation, followed by augmentation pressure consisting of four daily i.p. injections of 500 mg/kg DL-ethionine, a choline-deficient (CD) diet, a single i.p. injection of 800 mg/kg L-methionine and a s.c. injection of 20 mg/kg BOP. After two cycles of augmentation pressure, the HCAs 2-amino-1-methyl-6-phenylimidazo[4,5-b]pyridine (PhIP), 2-amino-3,8-dimethylimidazo[4,5-f]quinoxaline (MeIQx), 2-amino-3-methylimidazo[4,5-f]quinoline (IQ), 3-amino-1,4-dimethyl-5H-pyrido[4,3-b]indole (Trp-P-1), 3-amino-1-methyl-5H-pyrido[4,3-b]indole (Trp-P-2), 2-amino-9H-pyrido[2,3-b]indole (AalphaC), 2-amino-3-methyl-9H-pyrido[2,3-b]indole (MeAalphaC) or 2-amino-3,4,8-trimethylimidazo[4,5-f]quinoxaline [4,8-DiMeIQx) were administered in the diet for 50 or 70 days. The numbers of pancreatic ductal hyperplasias (H) and a total lesions including, atypical hyperplasia (AH), carcinomas in situ (CIS) and invasive carcinomas, were increased in hamsters given the diet containing 0.02% Trp-P-1 for 50 days. This result was confirmed and extended by the finding of increased numbers of invasive carcinomas in hamsters given 0.02% Trp-P-1 for 70 days. The number and incidence of invasive carcinomas were also elevated in hamsters given the diet containing 0.06% 4,8-DiMeIQx for 50 days. These results suggest a possible involvement of Trp-P-1 and 4,8-DiMeIQx in pancreatic duct carcinogenesis.

Mutations in intron 3 of GH-1 gene associated with isolated GH deficiency type II in three Japanese families

OBJECTIVE

Isolated GH deficiency (IGHD) type II is a disorder inherited in an autosomal dominant manner. Three mutations at the donor splice site of intron 3 of the GH-I gene have been identified in five families. In this report, we describe a novel mutation also at the donor splice site of intron 3 in patients with IGHD type II.

PATIENTS

Five individuals diagnosed as IGHD: two sporadic cases and one family with three affected individuals (two siblings and their father).

MEASUREMENT

Genomic DNA was extracted from peripheral mononuclear cells. All the exons and introns of the GH-I gene were amplified by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and subjected to sequence analysis.

RESULTS

A guanine to adenine transition at the fifth base of intron 3 (mutE), which has not been reported, was identified in the familial case but not in unaffected members of the family including the paternal grandparents. In the other two families with sporadic cases, a guanine to adenine transition at the first base of intron 3 (mutA) was identified in the affected subjects but not in other members of the families.

CONCLUSION

MutE has not been previously reported and is the fourth mutation associated with IGHD type II. The guanine residue mutated in mutA was the second nucleotide of a CpG dinucleotide, which is regarded as a hot spot for mutations by a methylation-deamination mechanism. Since mutA has previously been identified in three type II IGHD kindreds belonging to different ethnic backgrounds, this appears to be the most frequent GH-I gene mutation in IGHD with a dominant inheritance. Because de novo mutations appeared to have occurred in all three families analyzed in the present study and the presence or absence of these mutations can easily be tested by PCR and restriction enzyme digestion, not only the familial cases but also sporadic cases with IGHD should be examined for a possible mutation at the donor splice site of intron 3 in the GH-1 gene.

Expression of matrix metalloproteinase 2 (MMP-2), membrane-type 1 MMP and tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase 2 and activation of proMMP-2 in pancreatic duct adenocarcinomas in hamsters treated with N-nitrosobis(2-oxopropyl)amine

In order to assess the significance of changes in metalloproteinase activity in pancreatic carcinogenesis, the expression of matrix metalloproteinases 2 and 9 (MMP-2 and MMP-9, respectively), tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase-1 (TIMP-1) and TIMP-2, and membrane-type 1 MMP (MT1-MMP) and MT2-MMP in ductal lesions in a rapid-production model for pancreatic duct carcinomas (PCs) in hamsters initiated with N-nitrosobis(2-oxopropyl)amine (BOP) and in subcutaneous transplantable tumors of hamster pancreatic duct carcinoma (HPDs) was investigated. Northern analysis revealed MMP-2, MMP-9, TIMP-2 and MT1-MMP mRNAs to be overexpressed in PCs. Immunohistochemically, elevated levels of MMP-2 were apparent in early duct epithelial hyperplasias and staining increased from atypical hyperplasias to carcinomas. Gelatin zymography demonstrated clear activation of proMMP-2 but not proMMP-9 in both of primary and HPD tumors, the MT1-MMP mRNA level and proMMP-2 activation being significantly correlated (r = 0.893, P < 0.001). In our rapid production model, 0.1 and 0.2% OPB-3206, an inhibitor of MMPs, given in the diet after two cycles of augmentation pressures for 48 days decreased the incidence and number of carcinomas. Gelatin zymography demonstrated that OPB-3206 inhibited activation of proMMP-2 in pancreatic cancer tissues. These results indicate that overexpression of MMP-2, TIMP-2 and MT1-MMP, and cell surface activation of proMMP-2 by MT1-MMP, are involved in the development of PCs, and that MMP-2 expression at the protein level appears in the early phase of pancreatic duct carcinogenesis. OPB-3206 may be a candidate chemopreventive agent for pancreatic ductal adenocarcinomas.

Frequent multiplication of chromosome 1q in non-invasive and papillotubular carcinoma of the breast

Carcinogenesis is considered to be a multistep process that may involve cumulative genetic alterations; one of these mechanisms, gain of chromosomal material, has the potential to activate tumor-promoting genes in breast carcinogenesis. Using 12 polymorphic microsatellite markers on the long arm of chromosome 1 (1q), we examined 130 sporadic breast carcinomas for abnormalities in the copy numbers of these loci in tumor cells using a differential PCR method. We also sought correlations between alterations on 1q and several clinicopathological parameters. At every locus examined, a 2-3-fold increase in copy number of an allele in tumor material was observed in one third of the tumors (46 of 130, 35%), indicating 'multiplication' of 1q. This multiplication involved the entire long arm in majority of those tumors (43 cases, 93%). The multiplication of 1q was observed more frequently in non-invasive ductal and papillotubular histological types than in solid-tubular and scirrhous types (13/25, 52% vs. 27/90, 30%) (P = 0.041). The predominant chromosomal alterations on 1q in breast carcinomas are found to be multiplications rather than losses. The multiplication represents polysomy of the entire region of 1q, and may confer a growth advantage during development and/or progression of non-invasive ductal and papillotubular histologic types of breast carcinomas.

Conformationally changed cytochrome c-mediated fusion of enzyme- and substrate-containing liposomes

The fusion between enzyme-containing liposomes and substrate-containing liposomes was studied, utilizing conformationally altered cytochrome c as fusion mediator under stress conditions. The liposomes were composed of 1-palmitoyl-2-oleoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine (POPC), and liposome aggregation and subsequent liposome fusion were induced by the addition of cytochrome c, which was partially denatured by 0.5 M guanidinium hydrochloride (GuHCl). In the presence of 0.5 M GuHCl, cytochrome c was found to have a significantly large local hydrophobicity which was determined with the aqueous two-phase partitioning method. Under these conditions, cytochrome c could efficiently bind to POPC bilayer membranes as quantitatively evaluated by immobilized liposome chromatography (ILC). The retardation of cytochrome c treated with 0, 0.5, and 1 M GuHCl on ILC could be correlated with the corresponding local hydrophobicity of cytochrome c. The enzymatic reaction triggered by liposome fusion involved the proteolytic enzyme alpha-chymotrypsin and its substrate succinyl-L-Ala-L-Ala-L-Pro-L-Phe-p-nitroanilide (Suc-AAPF-pNA), which were separately trapped in POPC liposomes. Addition of partially denatured cytochrome c (most likely in the molten globule state) to the mixture of enzyme- and substrate-containing liposomes resulted in the release of one of the hydrolysis products, p-nitroaniline, to the outer phase of the fused liposomes, indicating that the enzymatic reaction occurred during the liposome fusion process. Such a coupled fusion-reaction system may have specific advantages over the conventional fusion analysis and may find application as drug delivery system.

[Emergency coronary artery bypass grafting for ischemic heart disease]

Between June, 1988 and May 1998, 524 patients underwent isolated coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) utilizing cardiopulmonary bypass in our institution. The 74 patients who underwent CABG on emergency surgery were subjected in this study. Age was ranged 33 to 89 years (mean 65 +/- 1.1; 50 male, 24 female). Of 74 cases, 52 cases underwent emergency CABG due to UAP, and 22 cases were AMI. The hospital mortality rate in 74 cases was 19% (15/74) and 2.4% (11/450) in patients who had scheduled CABG (p < 0.0001). Mortality rate in AMI group was 41% (9/22) and 9.6% (5/52) in UAP (p < 0.005). Number of patients aged 75 years or elder was 14 (19%) in emergency CABG, and 43 (8.9%) in scheduled CABG (p < 0.05). To improve the operative results of emergency CABG, it is important to reduce the number of emergency CABG in elderly, by the careful diagnosis and aggressive surgical treatment as same as in younger patient.

Different effects of L-type and T-type calcium channel blockers on the hypnotic potency of triazolam and zolpidem in rats

We examined the effects of an L-type Ca2+ channel blocker, nilvadipine (0.5 and 2.0 mg/kg), and that of a T-type Ca2+ channel blocker, flunarizine (10.0 and 40.0 mg/kg), on the hypnotic potency of both a benzodiazepine (BZ)-hypnotic, triazolam (1.0 mg/kg), and a non-BZ hypnotic, zolpidem (20.0 mg/kg), in rats. The polysomnogram was recorded for 6 h after administration of the vehicle solution alone, or after one of the Ca2+ channel blockers, with or without one of the hypnotics. Both Ca2+ channel blockers prolonged the increased total time of non-rapid eye movement (non-REM) sleep induced by either hypnotic. In the case of triazolam, however, the non-REM sleep-enhancing effect induced by nilvadipine was greater than that induced by flunarizine. These findings indicate that the hypnotic action of triazolam is potentiated more strongly by an L-type Ca2+ channel blocker than by a T-type Ca2+ channel blocker.

Restricted occurrence of Lewy bodies in the dorsal vagal nucleus in a patient with late-onset parkinsonism

Lewy body (LB) is consistently found in the substantia nigra in Parkinson's disease. We report a 68-year-old woman with late-onset, dopa-responsive parkinsonism. Her parents were first cousins, but no other affected individuals were present in the family. Autopsy revealed moderate loss of pigmented neurons with gliosis, but neither LBs nor neurofibrillary tangles in the substantia nigra. The locus ceruleus showed neuronal loss with scarce LBs. The most striking change was found in the dorsal vagal nucleus, where marked neuronal loss and fibrillary gliosis with many LBs were evident. Despite the use of ubiquitin and alpha-synuclein immunohistochemistry, no further LBs were identified in other brain regions. These findings suggest that this case was an unusual, anatomically restricted manifestation of LB disease.

Frequent multiplication of chromosomal region 8q24.1 associated with aggressive histologic types of breast cancers

Carcinogenesis is considered to be a multi-step process that may involve cumulative genetic alterations. One such alteration, gain of chromosomal material, has the potential for activating genes that promote carcinogenesis in breast tissues. Using 14 polymorphic microsatellite markers on the long arm of chromosome 8 (8q), we examined 142 sporadic breast cancers for abnormalities in the copy-numbers of these loci. At each locus examined, a 2- to 3-fold increase in intensities of bands representing single alleles was observed in 57 (40%) of the tumors, indicating that 'multiplication' of the DNA sequence had occurred on 8q. A 16-cM region on 8q24.1 was commonly multiplied among the tumors with partial multiplications. Multiplication on 8q24.1 was observed more frequently in invasive solid-tubular or scirrhous tumors (48/92, 52%) than in less aggressive histologic types (7/25, 28%, P = 0.031). Thus, multiplication of tumor-promoting gene(s) located on 8q24.1 may play a role in the development and/or progression of a substantial proportion of primary breast cancers, particularly those of the invasive histology.

Lewy body-type degeneration in cardiac plexus in Parkinson's and incidental Lewy body diseases

Heart tissues of patients with PD or incidental Lewy body (LB) disease (ILBD) were examined by light and electron microscopy. LBs and alpha-synuclein-positive neurites were identified in the hearts from 9 of 11 patients with PD and from 7 of 7 patients with ILBD. LBs were present in both tyrosine hydroxylase-positive and -negative nerve processes, which are nerves of extrinsic sympathetic and intrinsic origin, respectively. These findings provide histologic evidence that the postganglionic sympathetic and intrinsic neurons in the heart are involved in the PD disease process.

Covalent immobilization of unilamellar liposomes in gel beads for chromatography

For immobilized (proteo)liposome chromatography, unilamellar liposomes were covalently bound within gel beads that had been activated by CNBr, N-hydroxysuccinimide, tresyl, or chloroformate. Liposomes composed of phosphatidylcholine (PC) and 2 mol% of amino-containing lipid (phosphatidylethanolamine-caproylamine) were immobilized in the activated gels at 5-35 micromol lipid/ml gel and yields of 11-70%. The highest immobilized amount was found in chloroformate-activated TSK G6000PW gel, which contains large pore size (>100 nm). Liposomes composed of PC alone could also be attached to the chloroformate-activated gels at 33-42 micromol/ml gel and yields of 58-65%, probably by crosslinking of the phosphate moiety of phospholipid with the active group of the adsorbent. Liposomes prepared by various phospholipids with or without amino-containing lipids can generally be immobilized in the chloroformate-activated gels. The covalently bound liposomes were characterized by their high stability, unilamellarity, permeability of the membranes, and drug-membrane partition properties. A stable membrane phase was constructed for chromatographic experiments to be performed under extreme elution conditions.

Dynamic changes in glucose metabolism induced by thiamine deficiency and its replenishment as revealed by a positron autoradiography technique using rat living brain slices

Dynamic changes in the cerebral glucose metabolic rate (CMRglc) before and after thiamine replenishment were investigated in living brain slices obtained from pyrithiamine-treated (PT) and pair-fed control rats by use of a positron autoradiography technique. Fresh rat brain slices (300 microm thick) were incubated with [18F]2-fluoro-2-deoxy-D-glucose ([18F]FDG) in oxygenated Krebs-Ringer solution at 36 degrees C, during which serial two-dimensional images of [18F]FDG uptake in the slices were constructed on the imaging plates. The net influx constant (=K) of [18F]FDG was determined by a Patlak graphical method of the image data. Prior to thiamine pyrophosphate (TPP)-loading, the K value in the neurologically symptomatic PT was higher in all brain regions except the thalamus and mammillary body than the control, suggesting compensatory enhanced glycolysis. The rapid decrease in this heightened net influx constant immediately after TPP-loading was surmised to be due to activation of pyruvate oxidation with lactate as the substrate, with this inhibiting the glycolysis. From > or = 150 min after TPP-loading, the K value continued to show low values in the thalamus and mammillary body, which are regarded as the responsible sites for Korsakoff syndrome, whereas in all other sites recovery to control values was observed. These findings suggest that using this technique the quantitative evaluation of serial local changes in CMRglc from thiamine deficiency to after its replenishment may be useful in elucidating the pathophysiology and prognosis of Wernicke's encephalopathy.

Antimutagenicity of sweetpotato (Ipomoea batatas) roots

Antimutagenicity of the water extracts prepared from the storage roots of four varieties of sweetpotato with different flesh colors was investigated using Salmonella typhimurium TA 98. The extract from the whole roots of the purple-colored Ayamurasaki variety effectively decreased the reverse mutation induced not only by Trp-P-1, Trp-P-2, IQ, B[a]P, and 4-NQO but also by dimethyl sulfoxide extracts of grilled beef. Comparison of the inhibitory activity of the extracts from the normal Ayamurasaki and its anthocyanin-deficient mutant one suggested that the anthocyanin pigment in the flesh decreases the mutagenic activity of the mutagens as heterocyclic amines. Two anthocyanin pigments purified from purple-colored sweet-potato, 3-(6,6'-caffeylferulylsophoroside)-5-glucoside of cyanidin (YGM-3) and peonidin (YGM-6) effectively inhibited the reverse mutation induced by heterocyclic amines, Trp-P-1, Trp-P-2, and IQ in the presence of rat liver microsomal activation systems.

Panic attacks in patients with chronic schizophrenia: a complication of long-term neuroleptic treatment

Panic attacks meeting the diagnostic criteria for panic disorder (DSM-III-R) were found in nine (20%) of 45 patients suffering chronic schizophrenia for more than 5 years. The scores of the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale and the Simpson Angus Scale were significantly higher in the group of patients with panic attacks. They also tended to be taking neuroleptics in larger doses than in the other group. The present report suggests that long-term treatment with neuroleptics is closely related to the manifestation of panic attacks in chronic schizophrenia. It also suggests that when panic attacks are seen frequently in patients taking high doses of neuroleptics, dose reduction of neuroleptics should be considered.

Delay in administration of CDDP until completion of AGM-1470 treatment enhances antimetastatic and antitumor effects

The efficacy of cis-diammine dichloroplatinum (CDDP) therapy in combination with continuous administration of angiogenesis inhibitor o-(chloroacetyl-carbamoyl) fumagillol (AGM-1470) was evaluated experimentally using a transplantable rat osteosarcoma line previously established in our laboratory. AGM-1470 (2.5 mg/kg body weight/week) was administered by Alzet osmotic pumps for 2 weeks starting from 7 days after tumor inplantation and CDDP (1.25 mg/kg) was given on days 21 and 24. The number of lung metastatic nodules was counted and the wet weights of the primary tumors were measured 5 weeks after tumor inplantation. Values with administration of CDDP 3 days after discontinuation of AGM-1470 were significantly lower than when the two agents were coadministered (P < 0.05). This animal model should facilitate optimization of the timing of combination therapy.

The location of positive nodes partly influences the prognostic value of the number of positive nodes in breast cancer patients

BACKGROUND

The aim was to determine whether the number of positive lymph nodes or the location of lymph node metastasis (location number) would permit a more accurate prediction of prognoses.

METHODS

We compared the survival rates of 3922 patients with primary breast cancer in relation to the location number and the number of positive lymph nodes. Survival rates were calculated by the Kaplan-Meier method and analyzed using the log rank test.

RESULTS

Within the n1 alpha group, the presence of one or two positive nodes was associated with significantly better survival than the presence of three positive nodes. These groups should therefore be distinguished. Within the n1 beta group, there was no significant difference in survival between patients with four and those with seven or more positive nodes. Comparisons of n1 beta and n2 patients after subgrouping by the number of positive nodes (4-9 and 10 or more) revealed a significantly poorer prognosis in the n2 group.

CONCLUSIONS

When the prognosis of breast cancer is considered from the viewpoint of lymph node metastasis, the location number as described in the General Rules is an excellent classification. However, we should be aware of possible differences in the prognosis depending on the number of positive nodes, as this is masked by the location number.