Relationship between cholecystectomy and colonic cancer in low-risk Japanese population. A preliminary study

The relationship between colonic cancer and previous cholecystectomy was investigated in 90 Japanese patients treated surgically for colonic cancer during the period of 1971 to 1980. The patients were in an area where the inhabitants are considered to be at low risk for colonic cancer. The patients were matched for sex and age with other patients having gastric cancer or other digestive organ diseases. The results showed that previous cholecystectomy was prevalent, but the difference was not statistically significant, in the group of colonic cancer patients, compared with the groups of rectal cancer patients and matched controls. A positive association between the proximal colonic cancer and previous cholecystectomy, and between distal colonic cancer and asymptomatic gallstones found concomitantly with the cancer, was noted in the present study. To clarify the relationship between colonic cancer, and cholecystectomy and gallstones, further study of a large number of colonic cancer patients and a prospective study of the incidence of colonic cancer after cholecystectomy are proposed.

Distribution of mannosamine and mannosaminuronic acid among cell walls of Bacillus species

The distribution of mannosamine, mannosaminuronic acid, and the enzymes responsible for the formation of these saccharides was studied in nine species (18 strains) of Bacillus. Whereas UDP-N-acetylglucosamine 2-epimerase activity was detected in all of the strains examined, UDP-N-acetylmannosamine dehydrogenase, as well as the activity incorporating N-acetylmannosaminuronic acid residues from UDP-N-acetylmannosaminuronic acid into polymer, was found only in four strains of B. megaterium and one strain each of B. subtilis and B. polymyxa. The cell walls prepared from the six above-named strains were shown to contain mannosaminuronic acid in amounts of 135 to 245 nmol/mg. In contrast, mannosamine had a wide distribution. The cell walls from two strains of B. cereus and one strain each of B. circulans, B. polymyxa, B. sphaericus, and B. cereus subsp. mycoides contained mannosamine in amounts of 370 to 470 nmol/mg. In addition, the cell walls from five strains of B. subtilis, two strains of B. megaterium, and one strain each of B. cereus. B. coagulans, and B. licheniformis also contained this amino sugar in amounts as small as 10 to 35 nmol/mg. On the basis of analytical data, it is suggested that the mannosamine present in small amounts may be a common constituent of linkage units between peptidoglycan and other cell wall components such as glycerol teichoic acid.

Chemiluminescence enzyme immunoassay of dehydroepiandrosterone and its sulfate using peroxidase as label

We report a highly sensitive enzyme immunoassay for dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) and its sulfate (DHEA-S) using horseradish peroxidase as the label enzyme. Separation of free and bound DHEA-peroxidase conjugate was by insolubilized antibody, prepared by coupling purified IgG of goat anti-rabbit IgG serum with Sepharose 4B or a polystyrene tube. The enzyme activity was measured by the chemiluminescence reaction using luminol and hydrogen peroxide as substrate. The faint chemiluminescence was measured by a photon counter. The sensitivity was 25 pg/assay tube for DHEA and 100 pg/assay tube for DHEA-S. Upon comparison, results obtained by radioimmunoassay and this method showed good agreement ; r = 0.86 for free DHEA, r = 0.92 for acid-hydrolyzed DHEA-S and r = 0.91 for solvolyzed DHEA-S. The present method is applicable in the routine determination of DHEA and DHEA-S in biological fluid.

Occurrence of ribitol-containing lipoteichoic acid in Staphylococcus aureus H and its glycosylation

A ribitol-containing lipoteichoic acid was obtained from the 20,000 x g supernatant fraction of Staphylococcus aureus H by extraction with Triton X-100 followed by fractionation on Sepharose 6B and DEAE-cellulose columns. The purified lipoteichoic acid was composed of phosphate, glycerol, glucose, glucosamine, ribitol, and fatty acids in a molar ratio of 1 : 0.9 : 0.06 : 0.03 : 0.09 : 0.07. Based on the structural analysis of fragments from alkali and HF hydrolysis, the lipoteichoic acid appears to consist of three moieties, namely a ribitol phosphate oligomer, poly(glycerol phosphate) which has about 30 glycerol phosphate units, and beta-glucosyl-beta-glucosyl(1 leads to 1)diacylglycerol. N-Acetylglucosamine was linked to the ribitol residues. The lipoteichoic acid serves as an acceptor of glycosyl moieties from UDP-glucose and UDP-N-acetylglucosamine in the enzyme reaction catalyzed by the membrane preparation. The rate of enzymatic glycosylation was increased by prior treatment of the lipoteichoic acid with N-acetyl-beta-D-glucosaminidase. The glycosylation seems to occur at the ribitol residues of the lipoteichoic acid.

Biochemical studies on an acidophilic, thermophilic bacterium, Bacillus acidocaldarius: isolation of bacteria, intracellular pH, and stabilities of biopolymers

Acidophilic, thermophilic bacteria were isolated from Japanese acidic hot springs. They were spore-forming rods, identified as Bacillus acidocaldarius. DNA extracted from these acido-thermophiles showed no abnormality in chemical structure; it was instantly denatured and gradually decomposed giving rise to apurinic acid in a hot acid environment milder than the optimal conditions for the growth of the acido-thermophiles. Glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase extracted from B. acidocaldarius was not active at pH 5 or less, and was resistant to heat at neutral but not acid pH. The intracellular pH was computed to be neutral by using dimethyl-2,4-oxazolidinedione. When uncouplers or inhibitors of respiration were added to the cells suspended in hot acid solution, the estimated pH was not changed and glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase in the cells was not denatured. These results suggest that the cytoplasm of B. acidocaldarius is a hot neutral environment, and that a pH gradient across the cell envelope can be maintained even when oxidative phosphorylation or respiration is inhibited.

Comparative study on gastric secretory function between benign gastric polyp and elevated type of early stomach cancer with special reference to histological findings of gastric mucosa

In cases of elevated type of early cancer and benign polyp of the stomach, gastric analysis was performed and the results were compared with histological findings of gastric mucosa. Both clinical entities were found to show lowered acid and pepsin secretory functions reflecting severe and extensive atrophic changes of gastric mucosa. Dissociation in secretory disturbance between acid and pepsin was also noticed.