Effect of thromboxane A2 antagonists on bronchial hyperresponsiveness induced immediately after interleukin-8 inhalation in guinea-pigs

1. Although repeated intranasal administration of interleukin-8 (IL-8) causes bronchial hyperresponsiveness (BHR) mediated via thromboxane A2 (TXA2) and airway neutrophil accumulation in guinea-pigs, the acute effect of inhaled IL-8 is unclear. We performed this study to clarify the acute effect of IL-8 on bronchial responsiveness and the role of TXA2. 2. The effects of inhaled IL-8 on bronchial responsiveness and of the TXA2 antagonists, S-1452 (0.01 and 0.1 mg kg-1) and ONO-NT-126 (1.0 or 10 micrograms kg-1), on IL-8-induced BHR were examined by use of a modified Konzett-Rössler method in guinea-pigs. 3. Inhaled IL-8 at 100 ng ml-1, which failed to induce significant changes in Pao (pressure at the airway opening), enhanced an increase in Pao induced by subsequent inhalations of ascending doses (50-200 micrograms ml-1) of methacholine and histamine, suggesting the potentiating effect of IL-8 on bronchial responsiveness. No significant leukocyte infiltration was observed histologically sixteen minutes after the IL-8 inhalation. Both S-1452 and ONO-NT-126 reduced the IL-8-induced BHR. 4. In conclusion, IL-8 rapidly causes BHR via TXA2 release in guinea-pigs.

Pivotal role of interleukin-8 in the acute respiratory distress syndrome and cerebral reperfusion injury

Neutrophil recruitment is one of the hallmarks of acute inflammation. A potent neutrophil chemotactic and activating factor, interleukin-8 (IL-8), has been demonstrated to be elevated in body fluids in various human diseases and experimental animal models. Recent investigations on animal disease models using blocking antibodies to IL-8 have revealed the essential involvement of IL-8 in acute inflammation. We previously reported that the administration of a neutralizing antibody against IL-8 prevented the neutrophil infiltration and neutrophil-mediated tissue injury in several animal studies. In addition, we have recently demonstrated that anti-IL-8 treatment is also effective in prevention of two models that are very relevant to clinical situations: cerebral reperfusion injury and endotoxemia-induced acute respiratory distress syndrome-like lung injury. These results further support the hypothesis that IL-8 has a pivotal role and is a novel target for therapeutic intervention in neutrophil-mediated injury.

Neutrophil behavior in pancreas and liver and the role of nitric oxide in rat acute pancreatitis

The behavior of neutrophils in a rat acute pancreatitis model was observed in the pancreas and liver using fluorescence microscopy with an image analyzing system after labeling with a specific fluorescent reagent. Nonviable cells of both organs were also labeled and quantified. The role of nitric oxide in neutrophil accumulation and organ damage was estimated by administering a relatively selective inhibitor of constitutive nitric oxide synthase, N-nitro-L-arginine (L-NNA). The animal model of acute pancreatitis was induced by cerulein injection (80 mg/kg). Two groups were created, one given and the other not given L-NNA (2.5 mg/kg) prior to the induction of pancreatitis. The number of accumulated neutrophils in the pancreas and liver increased in a time-dependent manner. There was a close relation between the distribution of the neutrophils and inviable acinar cells or hepatocytes. When pretreated with L-NNA, the numbers of accumulated neutrophils and nonviable cells increased significantly in the pancreas. In the liver, a more pronounced accumulation of neutrophils was observed after treatment with L-NNA. Although hepatocyte injury was mild despite the neutrophil accumulation in the control, such injury was marked in the group treated with L-NNA. This suggests that neutrophils serve an important role in exacerbating acute pancreatitis and that nitric oxide provides a defense mechanism against neutrophil accumulation in pancreas and liver.

Potentially multicentric hepatocellular carcinoma: clinicopathologic characteristics and postoperative prognosis

When multiple hepatic tumors are present, it is sometimes difficult to distinguish between metastatic and multicentric hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). To identify the important clinicopathologic features of multicentric HCC, we evaluated the clinical characteristics of patients with multicentric HCC and examined the usefulness of surgical treatment in those patients. A total of 99 patients with multiple HCCs were classified into one of the following two groups according to whether their tumors were multicentric or metastatic: Group MO consisted of 18 patients with tumors thought to have developed synchronously from multicentric origins. Group IM consisted of 64 patients with intrahepatic metastases. In this study 18% of the patients with multiple HCCs were thought to have presented with multicentric tumors. This study revealed that synchronous multicentric HCCs often affected multiple segments of the liver and responded relatively well to partial hepatectomy of individual tumor-affected areas. To appropriately treat potentially multicentric HCC, it is important to understand the histopathologic characteristics of multicentric HCC and diagnose during preoperative and intraoperative ultra-sonography, so surgical treatment may be useful.

Lymph node metastasis in carcinoma of the body and tail of the pancreas

BACKGROUND

There have been no precise reports concerning lymph node metastatic involvement in carcinoma of the body and tail of the pancreas.

METHODS

Histopathological examination of lymph node involvement in 30 specimens obtained from patients who underwent pancreatic resection and wide dissection of lymph nodes, including para-aortic lymph nodes, for carcinoma of the body and tail of the pancreas was performed.

RESULTS

Fourteen of 30 patients had lymph node involvement. The highest incidence of lymph node involvement was around the splenic artery (five of 30 patients), aorta (four of 30) and coeliac trunk (four of 30). No significant difference in survival rate between the lymph node-negative group and the lymph node-positive group was observed, but all patients in the positive group died within 2 years after surgery, and four patients with para-aortic lymph node involvement died from recurrence within 10 months after surgery. Survival rates were significantly worse in patients with histopathological extrapancreatic nerve plexus invasion, retropancreatic tissue invasion, tumour diameter more than 4 cm, histological portal system vein wall invasion and carcinoma invasion of the surgical margins.

CONCLUSION

Although aggressive extended surgery including para-aortic node dissection has been performed, the postoperative survival rate is still low in patients with carcinoma of the body and tail of the pancreas. The high incidence of liver metastasis after surgery is a prime cause of the poor outcome, and effective therapy for postoperative liver recurrence requires evaluation.

Intraoperative radiotherapy for pancreatic carcinoma with hepatic or peritoneal metastases

BACKGROUND/AIMS

The purpose of this study was to determine the efficacy of intraoperative radiotherapy (IORT) for unresectable pancreatic carcinoma associated with hepatic or peritoneal metastasis.

METHODOLOGY

Between 1991 and 1994, 53 patients with pancreatic carcinoma associated with hepatic or peritoneal metastasis underwent surgery. Twenty-four of these patients received IORT, while 29 received no radiation therapy. The efficacy of IORT on the postoperative survival and pain relief for these patients was retrospectively analyzed.

RESULTS

Postoperative survival was lowest in the subgroup of patients (n = 18) with both hepatic and peritoneal metastases, and this group did not benefit from IORT (IORT, n = 6; no IORT, n = 12) in terms of survival. Similarly, there was no significant difference in the survival rates between patients undergoing IORT (n = 10) and patients without IORT (n = 11) in the subgroup of patients with hepatic metastasis but without peritoneal metastasis. However, patients with peritoneal metastasis but without hepatic metastasis benefited significantly from IORT (IORT, n = 8; no IORT, n = 6) (p < 0.05). Pain relief following IORT was observed in 9 out of 10 patients who had experienced pain prior to surgery.

CONCLUSION

Pancreatic carcinoma associated with peritoneal metastasis but without hepatic metastasis can be palliated by IORT. In addition, pain palliation in patients who require gastrointestinal or biliary drainage can also be achieved by IORT.

Prevention of cerebral edema and infarct in cerebral reperfusion injury by an antibody to interleukin-8

Reperfusion after a transient ischemia is a frequently encountered clinical condition that often causes greater tissue damage than persistent ischemia itself. Reperfusion to rabbit brain, after a transient focal ischemia, induced neutrophil infiltration and aggregation--neither of which were observed in rabbit brain rendered ischemic alone for the same time interval--thereby leading to severe brain edema and infarct. Brain tissue levels of interleukin-8 (IL-8), a potent neutrophil chemotactic cytokine (chemokine), increased significantly at 6 hours after reperfusion, but without a noticeable elevation of plasma IL-8 levels. Moreover, we detected IL-8 protein immunohistologically in the vascular wall and, to a lesser degree, in infiltrated neutrophils, suggesting a local production of IL-8 in reperfused brain tissues. Furthermore, a neutralizing anti-IL-8 antibody significantly reduced brain edema and infarct size in comparison to rabbits receiving a control antibody. These results implicate locally produced IL-8 as a pivotal mediator of cerebral reperfusion and suggest that IL-8 is a novel target for the intervention of this injury.

Structures and Magnetic Properties of Dimeric Copper(II) Benzoylformates

Structures of six dimeric copper(II) benzoylformates (I)–(VI) have been determined by single-crystal X-ray diffraction and the magnitudes of the spin-exchange interaction (H = −2JS1S2) have been determined based on the magnetic susceptibility measurement. (I): Tetrakis(\mu-benzoylformato-O,O′)bis(pyridine)dicopper(II), [Cu(C8H5O3)2C5H5N]2, −2J = 648 cm^{-1}. (II): Tetrakis(\mu-benzoylformato-O,O′)bis(2-methylpyridine)dicopper(II), [Cu(C8H5O3)2C6H7N]2, −2J = 656 cm^{-1}. (III): Tetrakis(\mu-benzoylformato-O,O′)bis(3-methylpyridine)dicopper(II) monobenzene solvate, [Cu(C8H5O3)2C6H7N]2.C6H6, −2J = 649 cm^{-1}. (IV): Tetrakis(\mu-benzoylformato-O,O′)bis(4-methylpyridine)dicopper(II), [Cu(C8H5O3)2C6H7N]2, −2J = 625 cm^{-1}. (V): Bis(2,3-dimethylpyridinium) tetrakis(\mu-benzoylformato-O,O′)bis(chloride)dicopper(II) dibenzene solvate, 2C7H10N.[Cu(C8H5O3)2Cl]2.2C6H6, −2J = 618 cm^{-1}. (VI): Tetrakis(benzoylformato-O,O′)bis(caffeine)dicopper(II) dibenzene solvate, [Cu(C8H5O3)2C8H10N4O2]2.2C6H6, −2J = 651 cm^{-1} (caffeine = 3,7-dihydro-l,3,7-trimethyl-1 H-purine-2,6-dione). In the binuclear cage structure the coordination geometry around the CuII atoms is typical square pyramidal with Cu...Cu distances 2.725 (1)–2.843  (1) Å. An ab initio molecular orbital calculation for the benzoylformate ion indicates that the unusually strong antiferromagnetic interaction in dimeric copper(II) benzoylformates is attributed to the electronic effect of the \alpha-keto group in the bridging carboxylate moiety. This is in accordance with a positive linear relationship between −2J of the copper(II) carboxylates and the diagonal part of the 2p x orbital population of the carboxylate C atom in the symmetrical HOMO, highest occupied molecular orbital (x is parallel to the C—R bond axis in the RCOO^{-} ion).

Lymph node metastasis in carcinoma of the body and tail of the pancreas

BACKGROUND

There have been no precise reports concerning lymph node metastatic involvement in carcinoma of the body and tail of the pancreas.

METHODS

Histopathological examination of lymph node involvement in 30 specimens obtained from patients who underwent pancreatic resection and wide dissection of lymph nodes, including para-aortic lymph nodes, for carcinoma of the body and tail of the pancreas was performed.

RESULTS

Fourteen of 30 patients had lymph node involvement. The highest incidence of lymph node involvement was around the splenic artery (five of 30 patients), aorta (four of 30) and coeliac trunk (four of 30). No significant difference in survival rate between the lymph node-negative group and the lymph node-positive group was observed, but all patients in the positive group died within 2 years after surgery, and four patients with para-aortic lymph node involvement died from recurrence within 10 months after surgery. Survival rates were significantly worse in patients with histopathological extrapancreatic nerve plexus invasion, retropancreatic tissue invasion, tumour diameter more than 4 cm, histological portal system vein wall invasion and carcinoma invasion of the surgical margins.

CONCLUSION

Although aggressive extended surgery including para-aortic node dissection has been performed, the postoperative survival rate is still low in patients with carcinoma of the body and tail of the pancreas. The high incidence of liver metastasis after surgery is a prime cause of the poor outcome, and effective therapy for postoperative liver recurrence requires evaluation.

Effect of electrochemically deposited apatite coating on bonding of bone to the HA-G-Ti composite and titanium

The surfaces of hydroxyapatite-glass-titanium (HA-G-Ti) functionally gradient composite and titanium bars were treated with electrochemical apatite deposition, and a cathodic current was applied at 62 degrees C in a solution containing calcium and phosphate ions. Specimens with and without the electrochemical surface treatment were implanted in the femurs of Japanese white rabbits. The rabbits were sacrificed at 3, 6, and 9 weeks after implantation, and the bonding strengths of bone to these specimens were determined by a pull-out method. At 3 and 6 weeks after implantation the specimens with the electrochemical surface treatment showed larger values for the Weibull modulus and characteristic strengths than those of untreated specimens, whereas there was no remarkable difference in the results at 9 weeks. Especially the pull-out strengths of surface-treated specimens were significantly larger than the untreated ones at 3 weeks after implantation. Scanning electron microscopy and Fourier transform infrared absorption spectroscopy of the specimen surface after implantation demonstrated that formation of new bone was enhanced by the electrochemical surface treatment. It can be concluded that the electrochemical surface treatment undoubtedly contributes to the early stage fixation between bone and implant.

Delayed development of nervous system in mice homozygous for disrupted microtubule-associated protein 1B (MAP1B) gene

Microtubule-associated protein 1B (MAP1B), one of the microtubule-associated proteins (MAPs), is a major component of the neuronal cytoskeleton. It is expressed at high levels in immature neurons during growth of their axons, which indicates that it plays a crucial role in neuronal morphogenesis and neurite extension. To better define the role of MAP1B in vivo, we have used gene targeting to disrupt the murine MAP1B gene. Heterozygotes of our MAP1B disruption exhibit no overt abnormalities in their development and behavior, while homozygotes showed a slightly decreased brain weight and delayed nervous system development. Our data indicate that while MAP1B is not essential for survival, it is essential for normal time course development of the murine nervous system. These conclusions are very different from those of a previous MAP1B gene-targeting study (Edelmann, W., M. Zervas, P. Costello, L. Roback, I. Fischer, A. Hammarback, N. Cowan, P. Davis, B. Wainer, and R. Kucherlapati. 1996. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA. 93: 1270-1275). In this previous effort, homozygotes died before reaching 8-d embryos, while heterozygotes showed severely abnormal phenotypes in their nervous systems. Because the gene targeting event in these mice produced a gene encoding a 571-amino acid truncated product of MAP1B, it seems likely that the phenotypes seen arise from the truncated MAP1B product acting in a dominant-negative fashion, rather than a loss of MAP1B function.

Clinical application of a new monoclonal antibody (19B7) against PIVKA-II in the diagnosis of hepatocellular carcinoma and pancreatobiliary malignancies

OBJECTIVES

A new monoclonal antibody (19B7) against prothrombin induced by vitamin K absence or antagonist-II (PIVKA-II) was clinically applied in patients diagnosed with hepatocellular carcinoma and pancreatobiliary malignancies, and the results were compared with those obtained using the conventional monoclonal antibody (MU-3) against PIVKA-II.

METHODS

The assays were the standard E-1023 using MU-3, a high sensitivity kit using MU-3 and a highly sensitive avidin-biotin complex method, and a new monoclonal antibody (19B7) kit.

RESULTS

The rate of PIVKA-II positivity in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (n = 182) was 44% with E-1023, 55.5% with the high sensitivity kit, and 58.2% with the new monoclonal antibody kit. Small liver cancers <2 cm in diameter (n = 45) had a positivity rate of 15.6% with E-1023, 26.7% with the high sensitivity kit, and 31.1% with the new monoclonal antibody kit. The incidence of PIVKA-II positivity in patients with pancreatobiliary carcinoma (n = 91) was 29.7% with the high sensitivity kit and 52.7% with the new monoclonal antibody kit. The PIVKA-II ratio (plasma concentration with the high sensitivity kit/plasma concentration with the new monoclonal antibody kit) was calculated as > 1.0 in 89 of the 113 (78.8%) patients with hepatocellular carcinoma with the new monoclonal antibody kit assay level above 0.002 arbitrary units/ml, compared with <1.0 in almost all patients with pancreatobiliary malignancies.

CONCLUSIONS

MU-3 has much greater affinity for PIVKA-II in hepatocellular carcinoma than does 19B7, whereas 19B7 has much greater affinity for PIVKA-II in pancreatobiliary malignancies than does MU-3. The new monoclonal antibody, 19B7, is useful for diagnosing hepatocellular carcinoma and can also distinguish patients with hepatocellular carcinoma from those with other pancreatobiliary malignancies when combined with a PIVKA-II assay using the conventional monoclonal antibody, MU-3.

Intracavity frequency doubling of a diode-pumped 946-nm Nd:YAG laser with bulk periodically poled MgO LiNbO(3)

We report what we believe is the first cw quasi-phase-matched intracavity frequency doubling of a diode-pumped 946-nm Nd:YAG laser by use of bulk periodically poled MgO-LiNbO(3). A maximum second-harmonic power of 5.9 mW was obtained at a laser diode power of 500 mW. The blue beam profile showed a TEM(00) single spatial mode of low ellipticity (1:1) because there was no walk-off problem. Bulk periodic domain inversion was accomplished by a corona discharge method with a first-order modulation period of 4.75 microm for a wavelength of 946 nm over a 2-mm interaction length in Z-cut 0.4-mm-thick MgO-LiNbO(3).

Hepatic resection for hepatocellular carcinoma with a tumor thrombus extending to inferior vena cava

The significance of hepatic resection for hepatocellular carcinoma with a tumor thrombus in the inferior vena cava (IVC) is clarified. We operated on 4 patients with HCC who had a tumor thrombus extending to the IVC through the hepatic vein under hepatic vascular exclusion (HVE). In all patients the hepatic resections and thrombectomies were successful without major complication. One patient accompanied with a tumor thrombus in the portal vein had a rash recurrence in the remnant liver and died 6 months after operation. However, three patients without tumor thrombus in the portal vein survived relatively longer post-operatively. Hepatic resection for HCC with tumor thrombus in IVC is acceptable treatment as it is safe. It is considered that better prognoses can be maintained when a tumor thrombus is located only in the hepatic vein, and not in the portal vein.

Tumor necrosis factor receptor p55 is essential for intrahepatic granuloma formation and hepatocellular apoptosis in a murine model of bacterium-induced fulminant hepatitis

Accumulating evidence implicates tumor necrosis factor (TNF) and Fas systems in liver injury, although the interaction between these two systems remains to be investigated. In this study, we examined Propionibacterium acnes-primed TNF receptor p55-deficient (TNFRp55-/-) or Fas-deficient MRL/MpJ Lpr/Lpr mice challenged with lipopolysaccharide (LPS). Priming with P. acnes caused mononuclear cell infiltration into the hepatic lobules and granuloma formation in the livers of TNFRp55 wild-type mice. Subsequent LPS challenge caused massive liver injury and a marked increase in transaminase levels, leading to acute lethality in control wild-type mice. In contrast, the same treatment caused few pathological changes in livers of TNFRp55-/- mice, and all animals survived. P. acnes and subsequent LPS challenge induced granuloma formation and apoptotic changes, respectively, in livers of MRL/MpJ Lpr/Lpr mice. However, liver injury was 50% of that in control MRL/MpJ +/+ mice, suggesting some role of the Fas-Fas ligand system in this liver injury model. On the other hand, an agonistic anti-Fas antibody caused massive apoptosis and hemorrhagic changes of the liver without any priming with P. acnes, leading to death in both TNFRp55-/- and control wild-type mice. These results suggest that TNFRp55 but not Fas was involved in P. acnes-induced granuloma formation as well as subsequent LPS-induced liver injury and that TNFRp55 and Fas independently induced apoptosis of hepatocytes in vivo.

Sudden death in chronic dialysis patients

METHODS

Causes of sudden death were investigated in 113 chronic dialysis patients who died during the 10-year period from July 1979 to January 1989; postmortem examination was performed on 93 of the cases (autopsy rate; 82.3%). Sudden death was regarded as death 24 h after the onset of acute illness in patients without any restriction in their daily activities. There were 35 sudden death cases out of the 93 autopsied chronic dialysis patients. We analysed the causes of sudden death for all chronic dialysis patients and for those who died suddenly.

RESULTS

The mean age of the 93 cases was 61.4 +/- 10.5 years (+/-SD). Stroke was the most frequent cause of death (24 cases, 25.8%) in the 93 autopsied cases. This was followed by cardiac disease in 18 (19.4%), infectious disease in 16 (17.2%), malignancy in 14 (15.1%), and dissecting aortic aneurysm in 5 (5.4%). The mean age of the 35 sudden death cases was 60.9 +/- 10.9 years. Of the 35 sudden death cases in chronic dialysis patients, dissecting aortic aneurysm was the most common cause of sudden death (5 cases, 14.3%), followed by cerebral haemorrhage in three (8.6%), acute subdural haematoma in three (8.6%), acute myocardial infarction in two (5.7%), cerebral infarction in two (5.7%), and subarachnoidal haemorrhage in one (2.9%).

CONCLUSIONS

Dissecting aortic aneurysm, leading frequently to stroke as a cause of sudden death in chronic dialysis patients, at least in Japan, should be carefully differentiated from other cardiac diseases in chronic dialysis patients, such as severe atherosclerosis.

Hepatic resection for hepatocellular carcinoma

BACKGROUND

The significance of pTNM staging of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) as a prognostic factor after hepatic resection was evaluated.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

The prognoses were analyzed in 262 patients treated with hepatic resection for HCC.

RESULTS

As a whole, the pTNM stages correlated well with the survival rates. The survival rates of stage I and II patients were significantly higher than those of stages III and IV. However, there was no significant difference in survivals between stage I and II, and between stage III and IV-A. The survival rates of the patients treated with segmentectomy or lobectomy in stages I and II were significantly higher than those with subsegmentectomy or smaller resection. Multivariate analysis revealed that tumor size greater than 2 cm, multiple gross tumors, surgical margin less than 1 cm, and Child C classification were independently significant factors of poor survival.

CONCLUSIONS

The results of hepatic resection for HCC should be stratified by pTNM staging and by Child classification of hepatic function before comparison.

Regional adjuvant chemotherapy after partial hepatectomy for metastatic colorectal carcinoma

The prognostic factors after hepatic resection for metastases from colorectal carcinoma were examined, and the results of adjuvant hepatic arterial chemotherapy are presented. Hepatic resection was undertaken in 57 patients with metastatic liver tumor from colorectal cancer. Adjuvant hepatic arterial chemotherapy using 5-fluorouracil, doxorubicin or epirubicin, and mitomycin C was administered to 31 patients. The 3- and 5-year survival rates for the 57 patients were 53% and 23%, respectively. The significant prognostic factors were solitary liver tumor and metachronous liver tumor. However, type of hepatectomy, surgical margin, site of the primary tumor, and histologic differentiation of the carcinoma did not relate to the prognosis. The 3- and 5-year survival rates for the patients given adjuvant arterial chemotherapy were 57% and 57%, respectively, indicating a significantly better survival rate than in the nontreated patients. These results suggest that hepatic arterial chemotherapy is effective treatment in patients with hepatic resection for metastases from colorectal carcinoma. However, recurrence in the lung is relatively high. Further improvement might be achieved by administering hepatic arterial chemotherapy as well as effective systemic chemotherapy.

Peritoneal washing cytology combined with immunocytochemical staining and detecting mutant K-ras in pancreatic cancer: comparison of the sensitivity and availability of various methods

Peritoneal metastases are the second most common site of involvement, following the liver, in pancreatic cancer. Thus, we performed peritoneal washing cytology at laparotomy to diagnose accurately the intraperitoneal spread of carcinoma cells to determine the appropriate therapy. Peritoneal washings were collected at laparotomy from 20 Japanese pancreatic carcinoma patients at Nagoya University Hospital between April 1993 and December 1994. From centrifuged deposits, we examined the cytology by three methods as follows. The first method was conventional cytology, including May-Grünwald and Giemsa, Papanicolaou, periodic acid-Schiff, and Alcian blue. The second method was immunocytochemical staining, using antibodies to carbohydrate antigen (CA19-9) and carcinoembryonic antigen. After extracting DNA from the remaining pellet, we studied the last method, detecting K-ras point mutation, by two-step polymerase chain reaction and restriction fragment length polymorphism analysis. In two cases, peritoneal metastases were macroscopically recognized, and the results of all three methods were positive. In the two other cases, where peritoneal dissemination was not macroscopically recognized, the judgments of conventional cytological study and detecting K-ras point mutation were negative. However, a few malignant cells were found by the immunocytochemical staining method. Judging from their clinical course, the positively stained cells were suggestive of malignancy. At present, the immunocytochemical staining method is the most sensitive of these three methods in peritoneal washing cytology. However, preserving DNA is suitable for repeated examination, and a modified method can be applied. If the sensitivity increases, the method of detecting K-ras has the potential to become the standard for peritoneal washing cytology in pancreatic cancer.

Prevention of endotoxemia-induced acute respiratory distress syndrome-like lung injury in rabbits by a monoclonal antibody to IL-8

We have herein established an endotoxemia-induced acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS)-like lung injury administered a sublethal dose of lipopolysaccharide (LPS) intravenously 36 hours after the intratracheal instillation of heat-killed Streptococcus pyogenes (OK-432). At 36 hours after OK-432 priming, a mild infiltration into the lungs, consisting of a small number of neutrophils and macrophages, was observed without destruction of pulmonary architecture. A subsequent challenge with a sublethal dose of LPS induced pathologic changes characteristic of ARDS--such as extensive edema in alveolar lumina, marked infiltration composed of a large number of neutrophils and a few macrophages, fibrin deposit in alveolar space, and destruction of pulmonary architecture--resulting in severe hypoxemia. Concomitantly, LPS challenge after priming with OK-432 induced a marked elevation of IL-8 levels in serum and bronchoalveolar lavage fluid with local IL-8 production in lungs, as revealed by immunohistochemical analysis. An anti-IL-8 antibody treatment almost completely prevented pulmonary edema, destruction of pulmonary architecture, and impairment in gas exchange as well as neutrophil infiltration in lungs; there was also a significant reduction in the rate of acute lethality. These results provide evidence that IL-8 has a pivotal role in the induction of ARDS associated with endotoxemia, probably by recruiting and activating neutrophils locally.

Prevention of adenocarcinoma colon 26-induced cachexia by interleukin 10 gene transfer

A s.c. injection of a mouse colon adenocarcinoma cell line, colon 26 clone 20, induced cachexia, as evidenced by progressive weight loss and severe hypoglycemia. Several lines of evidence indicate that a pro-inflammatory cytokine, interleukin 6 (IL-6), plays a major role, albeit partially, in the establishment of cachexia in this model. Because IL-10 can potentially inhibit the production of pro-inflammatory cytokines including IL-6, we evaluated the effects of IL-10 gene transfer on the establishment of cachexia. IL-6 transcript was detected at tumor sites of mice inoculated with parental or control vector transfectant cells, and serum IL-6 levels were markedly increased in these mice. The injection of parental cells into IL-6-deficient mice induced cachexia with elevated serum IL-6 levels comparable to wild-type mice, indicating that tumor cells are a major source of IL-6. The inoculation of IL-10-transfectant cells kept IL-10 mRNA expression at tumor sites and induced the elevation in serum IL-10 levels without affecting the growth rates of colon 26 cells both in vitro and in vivo. However, the implantation with IL-10-transfectant cells reduced the expression of IL-6 mRNA at the tumor sites and the elevation in serum IL-6 levels. Concomitantly, mice inoculated with IL-10-transfectant cells did not exhibit progressive weight loss, a reduction in food intake, or severe hypoglycemia, which was observed in mice inoculated with parental or control vector-transfectant cells. Collectively, these results suggest that IL-10 gene transfer prevented the occurrence of cachexia with a concomitant inhibition of IL-6 production at the tumor sites.

The valine catabolic pathway in human liver: effect of cirrhosis on enzyme activities

The activities of key enzymes in the valine catabolic pathway--branched-chain aminotransferase, branched-chain alpha-keto acid dehydrogenase complex, methacrylyl (MC)-coenzyme A (CoA) hydratase (crotonase), and 3-hydroxyisobutyryl-CoA (HIB-CoA) hydrolase--were measured in normal and cirrhotic human livers. Unlike rat liver, which does not contain branched-chain aminotransferase, the aminotransferase activity in the normal liver was measurable and is increased somewhat in cirrhosis of the human liver. The total activity of branched-chain alpha-keto acid dehydrogenase complex in the normal human liver was approximately 1% of that in rat liver, and 20% to 30% of the complex was in the active form in both normal and cirrhotic livers. Only the actual activity of the enzyme was significantly decreased by cirrhosis. These results suggest that human liver is less active than rat liver in the catabolism of branched-chain amino and alpha-keto acids. Activities of MC-CoA hydratase and HIB-CoA hydrolase in human liver were very high compared with that of branched-chain alpha-keto acid dehydrogenase complex, suggesting an important role for these enzymes in catabolism of a potentially toxic compound, MC-CoA, formed as an intermediate in the catabolism of valine and isobutyrate. Cirrhosis resulted in a significant decrease in HIB-CoA hydrolase activity but had no effect on the citrate synthase activity, suggesting that the decrease in HIB-CoA hydrolase activity does not reflect a general decrease in mitochondria but that it may contribute to cellular damage that culminates in liver failure.

Localization of monocyte chemotactic and activating factor (MCAF/MCP-1) in psoriasis

The monocyte chemotactic protein-1 (MCAF) also termed MCP-1, a strong chemotactic factor towards monocytes, is produced by several cell types present in the skin. The in situ presence of MCAF/MCP-1 protein in the skin has, however, not yet been established. Using immunohistochemical techniques we have investigated the distribution of MCAF in skin from patients with different types of psoriasis and normal healthy volunteers. We report the novel finding that psoriasis has strong positive immunostaining for MCAF located to all the layers of the epidermis, except the stratum granulosum, in pustular, guttate and chronic plaque psoriasis. In the dermis, infiltrating cells in the perivascular aggregates and the blood vessels stained positive for MCAF. No significant differences were observed between the different subtypes of psoriasis except that strongly positive infiltrating cells were observed in the epidermal pustules in pustular psoriasis. In normals positive staining was observed in all the layers of the epidermis and in a few perivascular cells and blood vessels in the dermis. Where present in normal and diseased skin, eccrine ducts of sweat glands and sebaceous glands stained positive for MCAF. Arrector pili muscles were in all cases negative. These findings are consistent with a role for MCAF in attracting inflammatory cells, including monocytes, into the skin in psoriasis.