Airway epithelial cell changes in rats exposed to 0.25 ppm ozone for 20 months

The present study was designed to characterize and quantify morphologic changes occurring in rat intra-pulmonary airway epithelia after long-term exposure to a high ambient level of ozone. Fifteen rats were exposed to 0.25 ppm ozone for 20 months (5 hr/day, 7 days/week) and a control group of 15 rats were exposed to filtered room air. Many intra-cellular brown pigmented granules (presumed to be lipofuscin) were seen in both the control and exposed animals; however, more of these granules were observed in the bronchial and bronchiolar epithelia of the exposed animals. To detect DNA synthesis that occurred in airway epithelial cells during the repair process induced by ozone toxicity, bromodeoxyuridine (BrdU) was injected intraperitoneally one hour before animals were sacrificed; the BrdU-labeling index was evaluated immunohistochemically. There was no difference in the BrdU-labeling index between the groups, the airway epithelia of the ozone-exposed animals exhibiting tolerance to ozone toxicity. However, the epithelial populations in the airways were altered by ozone exposure, and regional differences were seen in the changes. In the exposed animals, mucous cells increased in the lobar bronchus. Calcitonin gene-related peptide-immunoreactive pulmonary endocrine cells and neuroepithelial bodies were more frequently observed in the terminal bronchioles of the exposed animals than in the controls, although there were no differences in the lobar bronchus. Moreover, one adenoma in the peripheral lung was found in the exposed animals, while no tumorous lesions were detected in the controls.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

High levels of erythrocyte aldose reductase and diabetic retinopathy in NIDDM patients

Erythrocyte aldose reductase was determined in 90 NIDDM patients by a two-site ELISA using recombinant human aldose reductase. The level of aldose reductase did not correlate with age, duration of diabetes, fasting blood glucose and HbA1c of the patients. Among 38 patients with diabetes for more than 10 years, aldose reductase in those with retinopathy (including non-proliferative and proliferative) was significantly higher than in those without, while no difference in the means of the average HbA1c, maximum and minimum blood pressure levels was observed between the two groups. The results indicate that the level of aldose reductase in the erythrocyte of diabetic patients is associated with the presence of retinopathy.

His145-Trp146 residues and the disulfide-linked loops in atrial natriuretic peptide receptor are critical for the ligand-binding activity

To define the ligand-binding site of natriuretic peptide receptor (NPR), amino acid substitutions were carried out by site-directed mutagenesis at selected residues of bovine NPR-C. The mutant receptors were expressed in COS-1 cells and the effect of the mutations on the binding of ligand was analyzed by binding assay, affinity labeling, and immunoblotting. The replacement of His145-Trp146 (HW) by Leu145-Leu146 in the extracellular domain markedly reduced binding affinity, whereas mutations at charged amino acid residues in the vicinity of HW, such as Glu133 and Asp147, had little effect. Mutation of cysteine residues forming the Cys104-Cys132 and Cys209-Cys257 loops to Ser caused a reduction in the affinity of the receptor to bind ANP. These results suggest that HW residues and the two disulfide-linked loops in the extracellular domain contribute significantly to the ligand binding to NPR.

Nucleotide sequence of the 3'-terminal region of citrus tatter leaf virus RNA

The 3'-terminal sequence of citrus tatter leaf virus lily isolate (CTLV-L) was determined from cloned cDNA. The sequence contains two open reading frames (ORFs). ORF1 encodes a protein that contains consensus sequences associated with the RNA-dependent RNA polymerase. ORF2, which is in a different reading frame within ORF1, can encode a 36 kD protein, putatively identified as a movement protein. CTLV-L coat protein (CP) was found to be located in the C-terminal region of the polyprotein encoded by ORF1. Evolutionary relationships and classification of capilloviruses is discussed.

Mitochondrial encephalomyopathy: elevated visual cortex lactate unresponsive to photic stimulation--a localized 1H-MRS study

We used localized H-magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) to study the metabolic changes in the visual cortex of patients with mitochondrial encephalomyopathy. Measurement of metabolite levels in the occipital visual cortex obtained in the dark with seven normal subjects and with four patients (all four of whom had Kearns-Sayre syndrome [KSS]) showed high lactate levels in the patients. Photic stimulation (PS) in four normal volunteers showed that lactate increased immediately after the start of PS and that it decreased to the baseline level with continued PS. Lactate in the resting state was higher in the KSS patients than in the controls, and, unlike the controls, the KSS patients showed no significant elevation of lactate with PS.

Elastase inhibitor elafin is a new type of proteinase inhibitor which has a transglutaminase-mediated anchoring sequence termed "cementoin"

Elafin was shown to be a new type of proteinase inhibitor which has an anchoring sequence. Human elafin, a potent inhibitor specific for elastase and proteinase 3, has a unique repeating sequence in its prosegment that is rich in Gln and Lys residues. The prosegment, termed "cementoin," exhibits high homology with the repetitive element of seminal vesicle clotting protein, which is known as a good substrate for prostate transglutaminase. The cross-linking of cementoin by tissue transglutaminase showed that the cementoin moiety is indeed a preferable substrate for transglutaminase. In addition, transglutaminase-mediated cross-linking between cementoin and laminin was observed in vitro, suggesting that cementoin has the ability to covalently attach to other extracellular matrix proteins. To determine whether or not this type of covalent gluing of elafin through the cementoin moiety occurs in vivo, we determined the molecular size of cementoin-elafin in the trachea mucous epithelium by Western blotting; the rationale of this approach is that (i) the trachea is the richest source of cementoin-elafin, as shown below, and (ii) if cementoin-elafin is covalently associated with other proteins, it should migrate as a higher M(r) species on SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis; cementoin-elafin immunoreactivity was indeed detected at a position corresponding to 50 kDa, a value much higher than that of its monomeric form. RNase protection analysis and immunohistochemical staining revealed that cementoin-elafin is densely distributed in the skin and trachea, and moderately in the stomach, duodenum and small intestine. These sites of localization are consistent with the locations where elastic fibers are abundant.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

[A case of testicular tumor with a small tumor focus in the testis]

The initial symptom of a testicular tumor is painless enlargement of the testis in most cases, but in some cases can manifest itself with metastatic lesions associated with a small focus. On the other hand, a occult testicular tumor accompanied by a minimal lesion in the testis, may be included in the category of extra gonadal germ-cell tumors. We have seen a 41-year-old male with a chief complaint of swelling of a cervical lymph node, who was found to have a tumor in the testis of normal size. A CT scan revealed a tumor in the retroperitoneal space. The serum levels of HCG and AFP were markedly elevated. Biopsy of the cervical lymph node established a diagnosis of embryonal cell carcinoma. The left testis, free from a palpable mass but tender, was excised. A gonadal cell tumor approximately 7 mm in size was just below the epididymis. A stage III-a testicular tumor was diagnosed in the patient. Three courses of VAB-6 yielded partial relief in the patient. We concluded that the testis should be carefully examined with echogram whenever a extra gonadal germ-cell tumor is suspected, since a tiny lesion can exist in the testis concomitantly in some cases.

Assessment of therapeutic potential of interleukin 2 for myelodysplastic syndromes

The therapeutic potential of interleukin 2 (IL-2) for myelodsplastic syndromes (MDS) was evaluated in vitro. IL-2-induced lymphokine-activated killer (LAK) cells were prepared from 38 MDS patients and 20 normal subjects. The cytotoxicity of LAK cells against K562 and Raji cell lines and MDS blasts was significantly reduced in high-risk MDS (refractory anaemia with excess blasts (RAEB), RAEB in transformation, and leukaemic transformation of MDS), but was relatively well-preserved in low-risk MDS (refractory anaemia (RA) and RA with ringed sideroblasts). Examination of the immunophenotypes of freshly-isolated lymphocytes showed that the percentage of CD4+ cells in low-risk MDS and the percentage of CD3+, CD4+ and CD8+ cell populations in high-risk MDS was significantly reduced compared with these populations in normal subjects. After cultivation with IL-2, these three cell populations were still reduced in the corresponding MDS groups and the percentage of CD3-CD56+ cells were significantly reduced in high-risk MDS. There was a positive correlation between the percentage of K562 cells lysed by MDS LAK cells and the percentage of CD3-CD56+ lymphocytes in MDS LAK cells. These aberrant lymphocyte subpopulations appeared to explain, at least in part, the reduced LAK cell cytotoxicity in MDS. These results present a possibility that IL-2 and LAK therapies are ineffective for most high-risk MDS patients, whereas they have potential value for low-risk MDS patients whose lymphocyte cytotoxicity is usually preserved.

The surgical technique of retroperitoneal lavage for the treatment of extended necrotizing pancreatitis

For cases of extended necrotizing pancreatitis which involve the spread of infectious or hemorrhagic necrotic lesions to the retroperitoneal tissue, we recommend sequestrectomy and subsequent retroperitoneal lavage via the retroperitoneal access. For successful retroperitoneal lavage, as much liquefactive infectious necrotic tissue as possible should be removed from the retroperitoneal cavity during the operation. In addition, the necrotic cavity should be opened, adequately washed out, and catheters placed in the retroperitoneal cavity by retroperitoneal access. Although we have only applied this ideal technique in two patients so far, the details are presented herein. The significance of retroperitoneal lavage lies in the fact that it cleans the retroperitoneal foci of infection and necrosis, and that it eliminates the necrotic material, bacterial deposits, and biologically active substances produced after surgery. Ultimately, wound healing is markedly promoted, leading to improvement in the systemic condition.

[A case underwent separate operation for AAE, AR and TAA using elephant trunk method]

A 20-year-old man with Marfan syndrome was recommended emergency operation for impending rupture of TAA. Because he was in the state of acute heart failure due to coexisting AAE and AR, so the simultaneous operations for AAE, AR and TAA were needed. He underwent Bentall, arch replacement and elephant trunk operation utilizing separate extracorporeal circulation and circulatory arrest. Chest CT, taken after 5 months postoperatively, revealed only a small amount of thrombus in TAA. Anticoagulation therapy stood in the way of aneurysmal thrombo-exclusion. The second operation, grafting of descending thoracic aorta, was performed 6 months later and elephant trunk made the second operation easier. Now 12 months passed after the second operation, he is in good health.

Actions of peroxovanadate or tungstate on glucose transport by isolated rat adipocytes

The effects of peroxovanadate or tungstate on 3-O-methylglucose uptake were characterized using isolated rat adipocytes to elucidate the mechanism(s) of their actions. The stimulatory effect of peroxovanadate was observed from 1 mumol/L and reached the maximum at about 100 mumol/L. The concentration showing the half-maximal effect was approximately 16 mumol/L. The maximal response of peroxovanadate was 1.19 times higher than that of insulin significantly (P < 0.01). On the other hand, the stimulatory effect of tungstate was seen only at the higher concentrations of 10-30 mmol/L. Judging from the experiments using different tungsten compounds, tungstic acid (WO4(2-)) appeared responsible for the effect. The effects of 20 mmol/L tungstate and 20 nmol/L insulin were not additive. The stimulatory effects of 1 mmol/L peroxovanadate, 20 mmol/L tungstate or 20 nmol/L insulin were not seen in the adipocytes deprived of ATP by exposure to 2 mmol/L KCN. The adipocytes which had been stimulated with insulin and further exposed to 2 mmol/L KCN were used to test whether or not peroxovanadate works directly on the function of glucose transporters. In such cells on which GLUT4-rich transporters were rendered immobile, the effect of peroxovanadate was not observed. These results indicate that the effects of peroxovanadate or tungstate are ATP or energy dependent and may be exerted through the mechanism analogous to that of insulin action, and suggest that peroxovanadate does not directly activate the function of GLUT4.

Bilateral adrenal neuroblastoma

Two cases of bilateral adrenal neuroblastoma in infants are reported. The first patient presented with abdominal distension due to metastatic hepatomegaly and the second patient was found because of elevated urinary VMA by VMA mass-screening system. Both were under one year of age and were classified as stage IVs neuroblastoma. In each case unilateral adrenalectomy was performed and the contra-lateral adrenal tumor was observed. The remaining tumors slowly decreased in size and clinical progress was good. A review of published cases of bilateral adrenal neuroblastoma suggests that the characteristics of this disease are age less than 1 year, stage IVs, and good prognosis.

Esophageal hemangioma: endoscopic diagnosis and treatment

We report on a 72-year-old man complaining of spontaneous retrosternal chest pain in whom an esophagogram showed a filling defect in the upper esophagus. On endoscopy, a polypoid lesion with a bluish-white surface was seen, the biopsy indicating the presence of a hemangioma. Endoscopic ultrasonography demonstrated the superficial origin of the lesion and the presence of vascular structures. Endoscopic resection was performed using a combination of hemostatic clipping and snare polypectomy, with excellent results. Follow-up for ten months did not reveal any recurrence.

Long-term therapy with terazosin may improve glucose and lipid metabolism in hypertensives: a multicenter prospective study

The effects of long-term monotherapy with terazosin, an alpha-1 blocker, on blood pressure, glucose tolerance, and serum lipid profiles were prospectively investigated in 53 hypertensive patients: 19 with normal glucose tolerance (NGT) and 34 with impaired glucose tolerance (IGT). The plasma glucose, serum lipids, fructosamine, and glycosylated hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) levels were determined before and during long-term (6 months) therapy with terazosin. A 75-g oral glucose tolerance test was performed before and during long-term terazosin therapy. Significant falls in both systolic and diastolic blood pressure in both patient groups were maintained during the long-term therapy with terazosin. Neither fasting nor postglucose-load venous plasma glucose levels were altered in either group of patients, and diabetes mellitus did not develop in any patient with NGT during the study. There was no significant change in the insulinogenic index (delta IRI/delta BS at 30 minutes after glucose load) in either patient group. In patients with IGT, glucose intolerance was slightly improved with significant reductions in HbA1c and fructosamine during terazosin therapy. Serum total cholesterol (TC) and triglyceride levels were significantly decreased in patients with IGT. In addition, TC and low density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol were significantly decreased in patients with hypercholesterolemia (TC > 220 mg/dL). These results suggest that long-term therapy with terazosin may improve glucose and lipid metabolism in hypertensive patients and terazosin seems to be an antihypertensive agent with beneficial effects for hypertensive patients with either dyslipidemia or impaired glucose metabolism.

[Short-term intensive consolidation chemotherapy in the treatment of acute nonlymphocytic leukemia]

Thirty-four adults with AML were treated with conventional remission induction chemotherapy consisting of Ara-C and daunorubicin. The median age was 55 years. Thirty (88%) patients showing complete remission (CR) were treated with four courses of intensive consolidation chemotherapy: course 1 with 7 days Ara-C and 4 days of mitoxantrone; course 2 and 7 days Ara-C, 5 days of etoposide, vincristine day 10 and vinblastine day 12 (A-Triple-V); course 3 with 7 days Ara-C and 3 days of aclacinomycin; course 4 with 7 days Ara-C and 3 days of daunorubicin. Then patients were observed without further therapy until relapse. The median duration of relapse-free survival for patients < 60 years of age was 13 months, with 49% patients projected to continue first CR at 52 months. In contrast, only 19% of patients 60 years or older were projected to be in CR at 22 months. Most patients experienced significant side effects including fever, liver dysfunction, pneumonia and septicemia during consolidation therapies. Short-term intensive consolidation therapy appeared to be efficacious for patients < 60 years of age. The results in older individuals were worse than expected, and the use of G-CSF was suggested to improve this problem.

Changes in nerve growth factor content of the submaxillary gland in the genetically dystrophic (mdx) mouse

We evaluated the nerve growth factor (NGF) contents in the submaxillary gland of the mdx mouse, a model for Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD), and found that the NGF and NGF mRNA contents in this organ, where extraordinarily high amounts of NGF are synthesized and stored independently of development or maintenance of the nervous system, were markedly elevated in the male mdx mouse at 8 and 11 weeks of age. However, the NGF content of this organ in 4-week-old male mdx mice was lower than that of control mice although statistical significance of difference was not observed. In the mdx female mouse, the submaxillary NGF content was significantly lower than that of the normal mouse at 4 weeks of age, but was similar to that of the normal at 8 and 11 weeks of age. The amounts of epidermal growth factor (EGF), another protein that is known to be sexually and developmentally regulated in the mouse submaxillary gland like NGF, was found to be also significantly increased in this organ of the male mdx mouse at 8 and 11 weeks of age, and to be significantly decreased in that of the female mdx mouse at 4 weeks of age. The parallel changes in NGF and EGF contents during development of the submaxillary gland suggest that the mdx mouse suffers from some abnormality in the development of this organ.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Detection of bovine interleukin 1 alpha and interleukin 1 beta gene expression by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction

Interleukin 1 (IL-1) is a cytokine that mediates a variety of immunoregulatory and inflammatory activities. Its role in proliferation of helper T cells is particularly important in the initiation of immune responses. Bovine interleukin 1 alpha (IL-1 alpha) and interleukin 1 beta (IL-1 beta) mRNA expression was detected by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) technique in bovine peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs). Poly (A) + RNAs isolated from PBMCs by guanidium thiocyanate/oligo (dT)-cellulose chromatography extraction, were reverse-transcribed and the complementary DNAs amplified in a polymerase chain reaction primed with bovine IL-1 alpha and IL-1 beta sequence-specific primers. RT-PCR products were analyzed by agarose gel electrophoresis. As a result of the amplification of specific cDNAs by 35 cycles of PCR, the IL-1 alpha mRNA was detected from 0.01 ng of poly (A) + RNA, and IL-1 beta mRNA was detected from 0.1 pg of poly (A) + RNA isolated from PBMCs stimulated with lipopolysaccharide (LPS) for 4 h. Using 5 ng of poly (A) + RNA isolated from fresh bovine PBMCs unstimulated with any mitogen as template for RT-PCR, both IL-1 alpha and IL-1 beta mRNAs were detected at a low level.

Alcoholic pancreatic injury: alterations of pancreatic autonomic nerves and microcirculation

Alteration of microcirculatory status and aberration of the autonomic nervous activity are thought to play an important role in the pathogenesis of ethanol-induced organ damages. Recently, the significant roles of nitric oxide and endothelin in the regulation of the pancreatic microcirculatory system and its disturbances have also been discovered. The present study was undertaken to clarify the histochemical and biochemical alteration of the cholinergic and adrenergic nerves. NADPH diaphorase and nitric oxide synthase activities, markers of nitroxergic nerves, and endothelin immunoreactivity as well as binding sites of 125 I-endothelin, were also studied in the pancreas of rats fed for three months with the Lieber-DeCarli's ethanol-containing liquid diet. In the rats fed ethanol, the histochemical and biochemical activities of the cholinergic nerves gradually increased, compared with the control rats. Monoamine fluorescence and NADPH diaphorase histochemical activity were also markedly enhanced in the ethanol-treated group. The results suggest that the activation of cholinergic and adrenergic nerves and increased NO synthesis are involved in the pathogenesis of ethanol-induced pancreatic injury.

Abundant but inactive-state gp140proto-trk is expressed in neuroblastomas of patients with good prognosis

Steady-state levels of gp140proto-trk in cell lines and tumor tissues of neuroblastoma were examined by immunoblotting with anti-gp140proto-trk. The level of gp140proto-trk varied but showed good correlations with the stage of the tumor and the age of the patients at the time of diagnosis. Moreover, patients with higher expression of gp140proto-trk clearly had a far better survival rate than those with lower expression, suggesting that suppression of gp140proto-trk strongly correlates with the malignant conversion of the tumor. However, we found that neither autophosphorylation of gp140proto-trk nor tyrosine phosphorylation of cellular proteins was elevated in tumors of the higher expression group. These results suggest that gp140proto-trk does not actively participate in the process of transformation or the suppression of malignant conversion. Rather, the higher level of gp140proto-trk may reflect the greater level of differentiation of tumor cells.

Expression of gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase mRNA after depletion of glutathione in rat liver

Gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase (gamma-GT) is the enzyme in the gamma-glutamyl cycle which mediates the first step of glutathione degradation. Recently, it has been reported that diethyl maleate, a glutathione-depleting agent, enhanced hepatic gamma-GT activity. In this study, we examined how gamma-GT mRNA was expressed after the depletion of glutathione by using the RT-PCR method and in situ hybridization technique with digoxigenin-labeled oligonucleotide probe. We could detect hepatic gamma-GT mRNA in the epithelial cell of bile duct and the cytoplasm of hepatocytes in the periportal area, even in control rats. Furthermore, we found that the expression of gamma-GT mRNA was expanded to hepatocytes of a whole lobule 12 hr after depletion of glutathione by diethyl maleate, followed by the return to the pretreatment condition under which gamma-GT mRNA appears to be controlled in correlation with hepatic glutathione levels. These results suggest that the depletion of glutathione may induce hepatic gamma-GT activity through an increased synthesis of its mRNA.

The utility of Nitroderm TTS in angina pectoris: long-term treatment after switching from long-acting oral isosorbide dinitrate

Long-acting oral isosorbide dinitrate (ISDN) was replaced by Nitroderm TTS, and the utility of this drug in long-term treatment was assessed in 69 patients with angina pectoris. The frequency of attacks (p < 0.001) and the consumption of sublingual nitrate tablets (p < 0.01) were found to be significantly lower at 2 weeks to 6 months than in the observation period in patients who experienced attacks or received sublingual tablets during the observation period. On the other hand, no significant time-lapse changes from the observation period were noted in patients who experienced no attacks or received no sublingual tablets during the observation period. The symptoms of adverse effects were mild. The improvement rates (improved) of subjective symptoms and electrocardiogram (ECG) in Group A were about 50% after 6 months. On the other hand, the improvement rates (not aggravated) of subjective symptoms and ECG in Group B were more than 90%. Nitroderm TTS is considered a useful plaster preparation which can be used for sufficiently extended periods of time because its efficacy was as high as, or higher than, that of oral ISDN when this drug was administered over a long period of time after a switch from long-acting oral ISDN in angina pectoris patients.