A light and electron microscope study of the connections between the preganglionic fibers and the intralingual ganglion cells in the rat

The topographical distribution of the preganglionic neurons sending projection fibers to the tongue, and the connections between their fibers and the intralingual ganglion cells, were examined in the rat. When horseradish peroxidase injections were made into the anterior two-thirds of the tongue, labeled neuronal cell bodies were distributed mainly in the lateral reticular formation at the level between the rostral part of the facial nucleus and the caudal part of the superior olivary complex. On the other hand, after horseradish peroxidase injections into the posterior one-third of the tongue, labeled neuronal cell bodies were found mainly in the rostromedial part of the nucleus of the solitary tract, and additionally in the lateral reticular formation just ventral to the rostral part of the nucleus of the solitary tract. In both cases, labeled neuronal cell bodies were always found in the hypoglossal nucleus. The anterograde tracing study with Phaseolus vulgaris-leucoagglutinin or Fluoro-ruby confirmed the topographical organization suggested by the retrograde tracing study; when the tracer injections were centered on the lateral reticular formation at the level of the rostral part of the facial nucleus or on the rostral part of the nucleus of the solitary tract, labeled fibers distributed mainly in the anterior or posterior part of the tongue, respectively. It was also shown that the axon terminals of the preganglionic fibers labeled with Fluoro-ruby made close contacts with the intralingual ganglion cells immunopositive for neuron specific enolase. The electron microscopy combined with the anterograde tracing method with biotinylated dextran amine further indicated that the preganglionic fibers made synaptic contacts with the soma and dendritic processes of the intralingual ganglion cells.

Pain and satisfaction with pain control in seriously ill hospitalized adults: findings from the SUPPORT research investigations. For the SUPPORT investigators. Study to Understand Prognoses and Preferences for Outcomes and Risks of Treatmentm

OBJECTIVES

To evaluate the pain experience of seriously ill hospitalized patients and their satisfaction with control of pain during hospitalization. To understand the relationship of level of pain and dissatisfaction with pain control to demographic, psychological, and illness-related variables.

DESIGN

Prospective, cohort study.

SETTING

Five teaching hospitals.

PATIENTS

Patients for whom interviews were available about pain (n = 5,176) from a total of 9,105 patients in the Study to Understand Prognoses and Preferences for Outcomes and Risks of Treatments (SUPPORT).

INTERVENTIONS

None.

MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS

Patients were interviewed after study enrollment about their experiences with pain. When patients could not be interviewed due to illness, we used surrogate (usually a family member) responses calibrated to patient responses (from the subset of interviews with both patient and surrogate responses). Ordinal logistic regression was used to study the association of variables with level of pain and satisfaction with its control. Nearly 50% of patients reported pain. Nearly 15% reported extremely severe pain or moderately severe pain occurring at least half of the time, and nearly 15% of those patients with pain were dissatisfied with its control. After adjustment for confounding variables, older and sicker patients reported less pain, while patients with more dependencies in activities of daily living, more comorbid conditions, more depression, more anxiety, and poor quality of life reported more pain. Patients with colon cancer reported more pain than patients in other disease categories. Levels of reported pain varied among the five hospitals and also by physician specialty. After adjustment for confounding variables, dissatisfaction with pain control was more likely among patients with more severe pain, greater anxiety, depression, and alteration of mental status, and lower reported income; dissatisfaction with pain control also varied among study hospitals and by physician specialty.

CONCLUSIONS

Pain is common among severely ill hospitalized patients. The most important variables associated with pain and satisfaction with pain control were patient demographics and those variables that reflected the acute illness. Pain and satisfaction with pain control varied significantly among study sites, even after adjustment for many potential confounders. Better pain management strategies are needed for patients with the serious and common illnesses studied in SUPPORT.

Structure and organization of the gene encoding human selenoprotein

We have isolated a genomic clone encoding human selenoprotein P including the putative promoter region. The gene spans 12 kb and consists of five exons with a start codon in the second exon. A typical TATA sequence, the recognition motifs for a GATA-binding factor and the liver-specific factors, HNF-1 and HNF-3, were detected upstream from the transcription start point.

Comparative study of rbcL gene sequences in Fagopyrum and related taxa

Four species of Fagopyrum, two species of Persicaria and one species of Rumex were analyzed for the DNA sequences of their rbcL genes. In addition to these seven species, we analyzed the published or available sequence data of ten related taxa in Polygonales, Plumbaginales and Caryophyllales. By estimating the base substitution rate between each pair of species, and by constructing phylogenetic trees we concluded that: 1) In Fagopyrum, F. cymosum and F. tataricum are much more closely related than expected previously; this confirms the conclusion of Kishima et al. (1995). 2) The new classification of Fagopyrum species proposed by Ohnishi and Matsuoka (1996) based on morphology, isozyme and cpDNA variability is consistent with the rbcL sequences. 3) The Polygonales and the Plumbaginales should be separated from the Caryophyllales as concluded by Giannasi et al. (1992). 4) The separation of Fagopyrum from other genera in the Polygoneae has a solid molecular basis.

Reactive oxygen species involved in the glutamate toxicity of C6 glioma cells via xc antiporter system

We recently demonstrated that continuous L-glutamate exposure led to cell death in C6 glioma cells over a period of 24-36 h, due to inhibition of cystine uptake through the cystine/glutamate (XC) antiporter. The antioxidant vitamin E provided protection against this effect, supporting the hypothesis that depletion of glutathione might be responsible, resulting from insufficient cystine uptake. To clarify the content of oxidative stress after glutathione depletion, the present study was done to investigate accumulation and target molecules of reactive oxygen species induced by glutamate treatment. The accumulation of reactive oxygen species was increased three-fold as compared to a control culture. Membrane oxidation, as judged by lipid peroxidation, was increased two-fold after glutamate treatment. Cellular ATP content was significantly reduced by glutamate exposure. For the two cytosolic enzymes examined, activity of glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate dehydrogenase was slightly enhanced by glutamate treatment, while activity of glutamine synthetase was not changed. Impairment of nuclear DNA after glutamate exposure was also revealed by nuclear chromatin condensation with DNA fragmentation. Thus, the multiple targets (membrane, cytoplasm and nuclei) of oxygen radicals in glutamate toxicity through the xc antiporter system were evaluated for the first time. Furthermore, prevention from cell death and from cellular toxicity induced by oxygen radicals could be seen using three specific oxygen radical scavengers, catalase, 3,3,5,5-tetramethyl-pyrroline N-oxide and alpha-phenyl-N-t-butylnitrone, without restoring the glutathione deficit. This indicates that radical scavengers did not interact with the xc antiporter system, but directly scavenged the oxygen radicals. Taken together, the data strongly suggest that O2-, H2O2 and OH accumulate in response to oxidative stress after glutathione depletion, resulting in glutamate cell death of C6 glioma cells.

Gene transfer into human bone marrow hematopoietic cells mediated by adenovirus vectors

Human bone marrow mononuclear cells (BMMNCs) and enriched CD34 positive (CD34+) cells were transduced with adenovirus vectors encoding Escherichia coli beta-galactosidase gene. Tranductions were carried out by 24-hour coincubation with adenovirus vectors at different multiplicities of infections (moi). Efficacy of gene transfer into BM cells and expression of the gene product (ie, beta-galactosidase) were studied using X-Gal histochemical staining and flow cytometric analysis. X-Gal staining demonstrated that the percentage of positive cells at mois of 5 to 500 was 3.4% to 34.5% for BMMNCs and 6.0% to 20.0% for enriched CD34+ cells. Similar results (1.5% to 35.7% for BMMNCs and 5.4% to 24.2% for enriched CD34+ cells) were obtained with flow cytometric analysis using fluorescein di-beta-D-galactopyranoside (FDG). Multicolor flow cytometry analysis, which included FDG, demonstrated that BM progenitors (CD34+ or CD34+CD38-), T cells (CD2+), B cells (CD19+), natural killer cells (CD56+), granulocytes, and monocytes all expressed the adenovirus transgene. To ascertain the effects of adenovirus vectors on normal BM progenitors, the numbers of colony forming unit-granulocyte/macrophage (CFU-GM), burst-forming unit-erythrocyte (BFU-E), and high-proliferative potential-colony-forming cells (HPP-CFC) after 24-hour coincubation with adenovirus vectors were determined. When BMMNCs or enriched CD34+ cells were incubated with adenovirus vectors at mois of 5 and 50, no significant differences in the numbers of CFU-GM, BFU-E, and HPP-CFC were observed compared with the uninfected control cells. However, the numbers of CFU-GM were significantly (P < .01) decreased when BMMNCs or enriched CD34+ cells were incubated with adenovirus vectors at a moi of 500, compared with the uninfected control cells. The adenovirus infected cells, purified by cell sorting for FDG expression, were capable of growing in culture and gave rise to various colonies (ie, CFU-GM, BFU-E, and HPP-CFC). These data indicate that recombinant adenovirus vectors can be used to transfer genes to human BM hematopoietic cells with expression of the exogenous gene at a high transduction efficiency.

Crigler-Najjar syndrome type II is inherited both as a dominant and as a recessive trait

Crigler-Najjar syndrome type II (CN-II) is caused by a severely reduced hepatic activity of bilirubin UDP-glucuronosyltransferase (UGT). Recently, by the analysis of the genetic background of CN-II patients, it has been clarified that the patients carry homozygous missense mutations or nonsense plus missense mutations on the gene for UGT, and CN-II was inherited as an autosomal recessive trait. We encountered a new case which had a nonsense mutation caused by a single nucleotide substitution on one allele. This indicates that CN-II is also inherited as a dominant trait as well as a recessive trait. Expression study in vitro strongly suggests that the disease in this case is caused by a dominant negative mutation by forming a heterologous subunit structure.

A nigro-rubro-bulbar pathway to the parvicellular reticular formation in the rat

A possible pathway from the substantia nigra pars reticulata (SNr) to the parvicellular reticular formation (RFp) via the red nucleus (RN) was examined light and electron microscopically by combining anterograde and retrograde tracing techniques. After contralateral injections of biotinylated dextranamine (BDA) into the dorsolateral part of the SNr and cholera toxin B subunit (CTb) into the RFp, many CTb-labelled neurones were distributed contralaterally in the dorsal part of the RN, where numerous BDA-labelled axon terminals originating from the ipsilateral SNr were found. After contralateral injections of BDA into the dorsolateral part of the SNr and wheat germ agglutinin-horseradish peroxidase (WGA-HRP) into the RFp, ipsilateral axons labelled with BDA were found to make synaptic contacts with the somata and dendrites of contralateral neurones labelled with WGA-HRP in the dorsal part of the RN.

Distribution of nitric oxide synthase-containing nerves in the aganglionic intestine of mutant rats: a histochemical study

We examined the distribution of nerves containing nitric oxide synthase in the intestine of congenitally aganglionic rats, using a reduced nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate diaphorase histochemical method for whole-mount and cryostat specimens. A constricted intestinal segment extends from the terminal ileum to the anus in this mutant. No nerve elements with the activity were found in the affected terminal ileum, cecum and proximal colon. Although intrinsic ganglionic neurons were absent along the constricted intestine, nerve fibers with the activity were found in both the submucous and intermuscular layers distal to the proximal colon. These fibers increased in density towards the rectum, forming hypertrophic nerve bundles and unusual fiber networks. However, positive fibers were never seen within the circular and longitudinal musculature of the constricted lesion. Some of these hypertrophic nerve bundles were continuous with ectopic ganglia that were situated in the adventitial connective tissue around the lower rectum and in the submucosa near the anus. The hypertrophic nerve bundles seemed to have an extrinsic origin; some of them may have originated from ectopic ganglia. These results suggest that the defective distribution of nerves containing nitric oxide synthase may be involved in the pathogenesis of congenital colonic aganglionosis.

Changes of NADPH-diaphorase activity in the lumbosacral intermediolateral neurons of the rat after pelvic axotomy

Changes of nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate diaphorase (NADPH-d) activity in the lumbosacral intermediolateral (IML) neurons of the rat were examined for approximately 10 weeks after pelvic nerve transection. Both the number and the staining intensity of NADPH-d-positive neurons in the IML region increased remarkably 1 week after pelvic axotomy; the number of darkly NADPH-d-stained cells on the axotomized side was approximately 2.2-fold greater than on the control side. The number of NADPH-d-positive cells returned to the control level at 5 weeks and decreased significantly below the control level 10-11 weeks postaxotomy. In addition, using a retrograde tracing technique with Fluorogold (FG) combined with NADPH-d histochemistry, approximately 95% of the NADPH-d-positive IML neurons were found to send their axons to the pelvic nerve 1 week after axotomy, whereas nearly 25% of the FG-labeled neurons were found to be negative for NADPH-d. Thus, these results indicate that pelvic axotomy in the rat enhances NADPH-d activity transiently in the IML neurons of the lumbosacral spinal cord, and suggest that the IML region may include different neurons showing different responses in nitric oxide synthase expression after peripheral axotomy.

The vestibular nuclei of the rat project to the lateral part of the thalamic parafascicular nucleus (centromedian nucleus in primates)

To clarify the vestibular projections to the centromedian-parafascicular nuclear complex, the Phaseolus vulgaris leucoagglutinin (PHA-L) and horseradish peroxidase conjugated to wheat germ agglutinin (WGA-HRP), tracing studies have been done in rats. The data demonstrated that the lateral parafasicular nucleus received vestibular afferents mainly from the ventral part of medial vestibular nucleus, and the superior and inferior vestibular nuclei, with an ipsilateral predominance. These findings suggest the vestibular influence to the motor loop of the basal ganglia thalamocortical projections.

Characteristics of distribution of peptide-containing nerve fibres in the atrioventricular valves of the rat

The distribution of vasoactive intestinal polypeptide-, neuropeptide Y-, and calcitonin gene-related peptide-immunoreactive nerve fibres was investigated in the atrioventricular valves of the rat. These nerve fibres were visualized by immunostaining of whole-mount preparations by the avidin-biotin-peroxidase complex method. Vasoactive intestinal polypeptide-immunoreactive nerve fibres were observed mainly in the anterior cusp of the mitral valve and, to a lesser extent, in the medial cusp of the tricuspid valve. Numerous neuropeptide Y-immunoreactive nerve fibres were found covering all of the cusps. Both types of peptidergic nerve fibre formed dense networks that consisted of interlacing and anastomosing nerve fibres. Calcitonin gene-related peptide-immunoreactive nerve fibres were seen in every cusp, but did not form a fine network. These results provide detailed anatomical information for evaluation of the possible roles of each type of peptide-containing nerve fibre in the function of atrioventricular valves.

Statistical analysis of passive surveillance disease registry data

Passive surveillance disease data involve a registry of individuals who are at risk of disease and who are not under active follow up. The most serious limitations with such data are incomplete ascertainment of cases of disease and little or no follow-up information on patient vital status. This paper considers whether it is possible to estimate disease risk from such data and, if not, what additional information is required. In general, relative risks based on passive surveillance data will be biased even under the assumption that the probability of disease reporting and the hazard of death from other causes are the same for all individuals in the registry. However if the disease is rare, this bias is negligible. Methods are developed for estimating absolute disease incidence rates by combining passive surveillance data with a cohort study. Analytic approaches are proposed for the situations when death rates from all other causes are known and also unknown, and it is found that there is little loss in efficiency even if death rates are not known. There are considerable gains in efficiency for estimating absolute disease incidence rates by supplementing a cohort study with passive surveillance registry data compared to using the cohort study alone, especially if the exposure is rare and the cohort study is small relative to the size of the registry. Intuitively, the cohort data provides information about absolute rates of disease, while the passive surveillance data provides information about relative risks. The methods are applied to a registry of patients with an artificial heart valve that is at risk of breaking.

Origins of nerve fibers containing nitric oxide synthase in the rat celiac-superior mesenteric ganglion

The origin of nitric oxide synthase-containing nerve fibers in rat celiac-superior mesenteric ganglion was examined using retrograde tracing techniques combined with the immunofluorescence method. Fluoro-Gold was injected into the celiac-superior mesenteric ganglion. Neuronal cell bodies retrogradely labeled with Fluoro-Gold in the thoracic spinal cord, the dorsal root ganglia at the thoracic level, the nodose ganglion, and the intestine from the duodenum to the proximal colon were examined for nitric oxide synthase immunoreactivity. About 60% of sympathetic preganglionic neurons in the intermediolateral nucleus projecting to the celiac-superior mesenteric ganglion were immunoreactive for nitric oxide synthase, as were approximately 27% of nodose ganglion neurons and about 65% of dorsal root ganglion neurons projecting to the celiac-superior mesenteric ganglion. Neurons projecting to the celiac-superior mesenteric ganglion were found in the myenteric plexus of the small and large intestine. In the proximal colon, about 23% of such neurons were immunoreactive for nitric oxide synthase. However, in the small intestine, no immunoreactivity was found in these neurons.

High affinity interaction of mammalian DNA topoisomerase I with short single- and double-stranded oligonucleotides

The interaction of DNA topoisomerase I (topo I) with a set of single- and double-stranded oligonucleotides containing 5-27 mononucleotides was investigated. All single- and double-stranded oligonucleotides were found to inhibit competitively the supercoiled DNA relaxation reaction catalyzed by topo I. The enzyme affinity for specific sequence pentanucleotides of the scissile (GACTT, Ki = 2 microM) and non-cleaved chain (AAGTC, Ki = 110 microM) is about 2-4 orders of magnitude higher than that for non-specific oligonucleotides. This specific sequence affinity increases in several cases; lengthening of single-stranded oligonucleotides, formation of stable duplexes between complementary oligonucleotides and preincubation of the enzyme with ligands before addition of supercoiled DNA. We assume that oligonucleotides having a high affinity to the enzyme can offer a unique opportunity for rational design of topoisomerase-targeting drugs.

Establishment and characterization of IRTA17 and IRTA21, two novel acute non-lymphocytic leukaemia cell lines with t(16;21) translocation

The t(16;21)(p11;q22) translocation is an infrequent chromosomal abnormality, but seems specific to acute non-lymphocytic leukaemia (ANLL). We established two cell lines with t(16;21)(p11;q22) from the bone marrow of a patient with ANL in relapse. Their morphological, karyotypic, immunohistochemical and genetic features are examined. Although both cell lines show monocytoid features morphologically, they express only CD13 (My7) and CD34, and neither expressed monocytoid or lymphoid markers. Reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction showed that both cell lines expressed a similar TLS-ERG chimaeric mRNA as a result of the t(16;21)(p11;q22) translocation. As far as we know, there is no report of a leukaemia cell line with t(16;21). These cell lines represent a useful tool for leukaemia research.

Simultaneous determination of ascorbic acid and dehydroascorbic acid in fish tissues by high-performance liquid chromatography

An high-performance liquid chromatographic method with post-column derivatization has been developed for the simultaneous determination of ascorbic acid (AA) and dehydroascorbic acid (DHAA) in fish tissues. Extracted AA and DHAA were separated by a Shim-pack SCR-1O1H column within 20 min, reacted with sodium hydroxide containing sodium borohydride and monitored at 300 nm. The detection limits for both AA and DHAA were 0.1 microgram/ml.

Isolation of cDNAs for mouse phenol and bilirubin UDP-glucuronosyltransferases and mapping of the mouse gene for phenol UDP-glucuronosyltransferase (Ugtla1) to chromosome 1 by restriction fragment length variations

The mouse gene for phenol UDP-glucuronosyltransferase (UDPGT; Ugtla1) was mapped at 42 cM on chromosome 1, a position identical to that of the gene for bilirubin UDPGT (Ugtla1), from linkage analysis of a three-point cross test with Idh-1, En-1, and Ugtla1 as marker genes. The cDNAs for mouse phenol and bilirubin UDPGTs, isolated after amplification by PCR, shared an identical 3'-half region. Our results strongly suggest that mouse bilirubin and phenol UDPGTs are expressed from a single gene and involve alternative splicing events. We also detected duplication of the gene for phenol UDPGT in all mouse strains examined with the exception of MOL-MIT and SUB-SHH.

Urinary sediment analyzed by flow cytometry

A flow cytometer for the automated analysis of urinary sediment was designed, and its performance was examined by the evaluation of 821 specimens. Auramine O, a dye for DNA and RNA, was used for the staining of the sediment. Urine (5 ml or more) was processed by the instrument for sediment analysis. Conventional microscopic analysis was done for comparison. The RBC count, the WBC count, and the number of bacterial cells, epithelial cells, and casts found by the flow cytometer and by microscopy were compared. Correlation was high for all these results. The overall sensitivity, specificity, and efficiency (accuracy) in the items analyzed were 84.7%, 57.8%, and 67.2%, respectively. One hundred specimens could be analyzed by the instrument per hour. The instrument seemed useful for screening for urinary tract disorders to identify specimens that should be analyzed microscopically in routine laboratories.

Demonstration of axon collateral projections from the substantia nigra pars reticulata to the superior colliculus and the parvicellular reticular formation in the rat

It was revealed in the rat that single neurons in the substantia nigra pars reticulata (SNr) innervated both the superior colliculus (SC) and the parvicellular reticular formation (RFp) in the pons and medulla oblongata by way of axon collaterals. After injecting Fluoro-gold into the lateral part of the SC and Fluoro-ruby into the RFp on the same side, some SNr neurons were double-labeled with both tracers. They were localized in the dorsolateral part of the caudal half of the SNr ipsilateral to the injection sites.

[Anesthesia in a patient with epidermolysis bullosa]

A 6-year-old-boy with epidermolysis bullosa underwent plastic surgeries for the scar contraction of hands. Anesthesia was induced with inhalation of sevoflurane in combination with nitrous oxide and oxygen. The tracheal was not intubated. Anesthesia was maintained with sevoflurane, nitrous oxide and oxygen with continuous intravenous infusion of ketamine. The courses of anesthesia and the operations were uneventful. The most important point in the anesthetic management of the patient with this disease is to avoid mechanical stimulation to skin and mucous membrane.

[Detected Epstein-Barr virus genome using polymerase chain reaction in peripheral mononuclear cells--subacute necrotizing lymphadenitis]

A 23-year old woman was admitted to our hospital because of fever, leukocytopenia, thrombocytopenia and cervical lymphadenopathy. From pathological findings of the cervical lymphnode she was diagnosed as subacute necrotizing lymphadenitis (SNL). Bone marrow aspiration was hypocellular with proliferation of mature histiocytes with hemophagocytosis. Lactate dehydrogenase was elevated to 1863 IU/l and mild liver dysfunction was observed. Hepatosplenomegaly, lymphnode swelling in abdominal cavity, pleural effusion and pericardial effusion were detected. After glucocorticoid therapy all such disorders were normalized. In this course, Epstein-Barr (EB) virus genome was detected by a polymerase chain reaction method from peripheral mononuclear cells. After normalization, EB virus genome became not to be detected. From present case we concluded that EB virus was expanded in clinical course and was associated with pathogenesis of SNL.