[Experience of ileal neobladder for bladder cancer by Hautmann procedure]

Operative results of ileal neobladder by the Hautmann procedure were studied in the patients with bladder cancer. From 1990 to 1993, 23 patients underwent total cystoprostatectomy for transitional cell carcinomas of the bladder. In 12 of these patients, an ileal neobladder was constructed for total bladder replacement under the following criteria; patients 1) with cancer confined in the bladder (T3b, M0, N0 or less), 20 without carcinoma in situ extending to more than half of urothelium of the bladder, 3) without cancerous lesion in the bladder neck or the prostatic urethra, 4) with performance status of 0 and the age of 75 or less. Pathologically, the disease was grade 2 in 3 patients, grade 3 in 9, stage pT1b in 3, stage pT2 in 4, stage pT3a in 1 and stage pT3b in 4. Two of 3 patients with the disease of stage pT1b had multiple papillary tumors. The remaining one patient had microinvasive cancer that carcinoma in situ infiltrated into submucosal area. Radical cystoprostatectomy and total bladder replacement by Hautmann procedure was performed in all patients. The maximum neobladder capacity was 349.5 +/- 58.1 ml (mean +/- SD). The intravesical pressure at maximum capacity was 30.6 +/- 6.2 cmH2O. At half maximum capacity, the intravesical pressure was 17.1 +/- 6.8 cmH2O. the maximum urethral closure pressure and the functional urethral length were 89.2 +/- 38.1 cmH2O and 25.5 +/- 7.0 mm, respectively. One patient had stress urinary incontinence. Slight nocturnal incontinence was found in 2 patients and nocturia was 1.86 +/- 0.55 times.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

The effects of stimulus rates upon median, ulnar and radial nerve somatosensory evoked potentials

We examined the effect of stimulus rates on the somatosensory evoked potential (SEP) amplitude following stimulation of the median nerve (MN) and the ulnar nerve (UN) at the elbow or wrist, and the radial nerve (RN) at the wrist in 12 normal subjects. We measured the amplitude of frontal (P14-N18-P22-N30) and parietal peaks (P14-N20-P26-N34) at a stimulus rate of 1.1, 3.5 and 5.7 Hz. The amplitude attenuation was found at frontal P22 and N30 and to a lesser degree at parietal N20 and P26 peaks with an increasing stimulus rate from 1.1 to 5.7 Hz. The amplitude attenuation was greatest at the elbow when compared to the wrist stimulation for both MN and UN. The attenuation was least for wrist stimulation for the RN. The UN block by local anesthesia just distal to the stimulus electrode at the elbow abolished the amplitude attenuation caused by the fast stimulus rate. The observed amplitude attenuation with the faster stimulus rate is probably due, in part, to interference from the "secondary" afferent inputs. The secondary afferent inputs arise from peripheral receptor stimulation (muscle, joint and/or cutaneous) as a subsequent effect of efferent volleys initiated from the point of stimulation. The greater number of peripheral receptors being activated as more proximal sites of stimulation in a mixed nerve would result in greater attenuation of the SEP recorded from scalp electrodes. We postulate that the attenuation of frontal peaks by the fast stimulus rate is due to the frontal projection of interfering "secondary" afferent inputs.

Caudalization by the amphibian organizer: brachyury, convergent extension and retinoic acid

Caudalization, which is proposed to be one of two functions of the amphibian organizer, initiates posterior pathways of neural development in the dorsalized ectoderm. In the absence of caudalization, dorsalized ectoderm only expresses the most anterior (archencephalic) differentiation. In the presence of caudalization, dorsalized ectorderm develops various levels of posterior neural tissues, depending on the extent of caudalization. A series of induction experiments have shown that caudalization is mediated by convergent extension: cell motility that is based on directed cell intercalation, and is essential for the morphogenesis of posterior axial tissues. During amphibian development, convergent extension is first expressed all-over the mesoderm and, after mesoderm involution, it becomes localized to the posterior mid-dorsal mesoderm, which produces notochord. This expression pattern of specific down regulation of convergent extension is also followed by the expression of the brachyury homolog. Furthermore, mouse brachyury has been implicated in the regulation of tissue elongation on the one hand, and in the control of posterior differentiation on the other. These observations suggest that protein encoded by the brachyury homolog controls the expression of convergent extension in the mesoderm. The idea is fully corroborated by a genetic study of mouse brachyury, which demonstrates that the gene product produces elongation of the posterior embryonic axis. However, there exists evidence for the induction of posterior dorsal mesodermal tissues, if brachyury homolog protein is expressed in the ectoderm. In both cases the brachyury homolog contributes to caudalization. A number of other genes appear to be involved in caudalization. The most important of these is pintavallis, which contains a fork-head DNA binding domain. It is first expressed in the marginal zone. After mesoderm involution, it is present not only in the presumptive notochord, but also in the floor plate. This is in contrast to the brachyury homolog, whose expression is restricted to mesoderm. The morphogenetic effects of exogenous RA on anteroposterior specification during amphibian embryogenesis are reviewed. The agent inhibits archencephalic differentiation and enhances differentiation of deuterencephalic and trunk levels. Thus the effect of exogenous RA on morphogenesis of CNS is very similar to that of caudalization, which is proposed to occur through the normal action of the organizer. According to a detailed analysis of the effect of lithium on morphogenesis induced by the Cynops organizer, lithium has a caudalizing effect closely comparable with that of RA. Furthermore, lithium induces convergent extension in the prechordal plate, which normally does not show cell motility.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)

Dominant glycoprotein epitope of four corners hantavirus is conserved across a wide geographical area

A newly identified hantavirus, tentatively called Four Corners virus (FCV), was found to be the aetiological agent of a 1993 outbreak of hantavirus pulmonary syndrome (HPS) in the southwestern United States. Immunodominant epitopes of 43 and 31 amino acids were identified in the nucleocapsid protein and G1 glycoprotein, respectively. The G1 genes of different hantaviruses are highly divergent, suggesting that geographically diverse FCVs might fail to cross-react owing to antigenic drift. We now show that the immunodominant epitope of G1 is conserved among 18 FCVs from a broad geographical area, despite extensive nucleotide sequence heterogeneity. Antibodies from all 45 HPS patients, separated by more than 3000 km were shown to be reactive with the dominant G1 epitope. Evidence for limited cross-reactivity between the G1 antigen of a novel hantavirus of the cotton rat and that of FCV is presented.

Cytologic evaluation of phyllodes tumors as compared to fibroadenomas of the breast

In an attempt to better understand the cytopathologic features of phyllodes tumors (PTs) and to differentiate PTs from fibroadenomas (FAs) of the breast, cytologic smears prepared from 17 and 19 histologically diagnosed cases of PT and FA, respectively, were reviewed. PT cases were histopathologically graded as benign, borderline and malignant. Cytologically, hypercellularity of stromal cells with recognizable cytoplasm was observed in 6 of 7 borderline and malignant PT cases, but none of the benign PT or FA cases revealed such hypercellular stroma. Between all PT and FA cases, no statistically significant differences could be obtained in the nuclear size of stromal cells, folding of epithelial cell sheets or number of foamy macrophages. The study revealed that the abundance of stromal cells with cytoplasm, not naked nuclei, was strongly suggestive of borderline and malignant PT, but the differentiation between benign PT and FA was difficult on the basis of the cytopathologic findings.

The correlation of serum luteinizing hormone levels with the induction of Leydig cell tumors in rats by oxolinic acid

Studies were performed to examine the mechanism by which testicular Leydig cell tumors are induced in rats by administration of the antimicrobial agent oxolinic acid (1-ethyl-1,4-dihydro-6,7-methylenedioxy-4-oxo-3-quinolinecarboxylic acid). In these studies, the effects of oxolinic acid on serum levels of luteinizing hormone (LH), testosterone, and prolactin and the binding of testosterone to prostatic androgen receptors were examined. In a long-term hormonal study, male Wistar rats were fed a diet containing oxolinic acid at 0, 100, 1000, or 3000 ppm for 104 weeks. A statistically significant increase in serum LH levels was observed at 1000 and 3000 ppm, but no dose of oxolinic acid had a significant effect on serum testosterone levels. Serum LH levels were no longer elevated above control levels within 2 weeks of cessation of the administration of oxolinic acid. Oxolinic acid was found to have no effect on the rate of clearance of exogenous LH from the circulation. Serum prolactin levels were decreased by the administration of oxolinic acid. The increase in serum LH induced by oxolinic acid was completely blocked by the intraperitoneal injection of the dopamine antagonist haloperidol (2 mg/kg). In addition, no significant affinity of oxolinic acid for androgen receptors was found in an in vitro study. These findings suggest that: (1) oxolinic acid induces Leydig cell tumors in rats by chronically stimulating the release of LH from the pituitary, (2) the mechanism of stimulating the release of LH involves facilitation of the dopaminergic systems in the hypothalamus-pituitary axis, and (3) oxolinic acid has no effect on androgen-mediated feedback inhibition.

Functional analysis and modeling of a conformationally constrained Arg-Gly-Asp sequence inserted into human lysozyme

To examine the effect of a conformational constraint introduced into the Arg-Gly-Asp (RGD) sequence on cell adhesion activity, we have constructed mutant proteins by inserting RGD-containing sequences flanked by two Cys residues between Val74 and Asn75 of human lysozyme. CRGDC-, CRGDSC-, and CGRGDSC-inserted mutant lysozymes were expressed in yeast, purified, and designated as Cys-RGD3, Cys-RGD4, and Cys-RGD5, respectively. In baby hamster kidney cells, these mutants were shown to possess high cell adhesion activity by interaction with vitronectin receptor (integrin alpha v beta 3), and this activity is 2-3-fold higher than that of the RGDS-inserted mutant lysozyme, RGD4. The mutant proteins also inhibited the binding of human fibrinogen to its receptor (integrin alpha IIb beta 3) at a lower concentration than the RGD4 protein. Peptide mapping and mass spectrometric analyses showed that the two inserted Cys residues in these mutants are linked to each other without any effects on the mode of the four disulfide bonds present in native human lysozyme. These results suggest that the introduction of a conformational constraint into the RGD region significantly increases the cell adhesion activity. The conformation of the RGD region in Cys-RGD4 was modeled by a Monte Carlo simulation. Most of the sampled conformations were grouped into three classes; the first is characterized by an extended Gly conformation, the second assumes a type II' beta turn, and the third has a salt bridge between Arg and Asp.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Inheritance of immunoglobulin subclass regulator-1 (Igsr-1) in LEC mutant rats

Long-Evans Cinnamon (LEC) mutant rats were reported to exhibit a deficiency in the serum immunoglobulin (Ig) G1. The phenotype determining the basal level of IgG1 was tentatively designated as immunoglobulin subclass regulator-1 (Igsr-1), and normal rats and LEC rats were categorized into Igsr-1A (normal expression of IgG1) and Igsr-1B (low expression of IgG1), respectively. In this report we examined genetic trait of this phenotype in LEC rats. The serum IgG1 levels in F1 hybrids produced by mating LEC rats (Igsr-1B) with normal rats (Igsr-1A) were intermediate level, indicating that Igsr-1 behaves as a co-dominant genetic trait. When backcross rats were examined, serum IgG1 levels varied between those in normal and LEC rats without clear segregation, indicating that Igsr-1 is controlled by multiple genes. Furthermore, the serum IgG1 level in each backcross rat did not correlate to another recessive mutant genotype, thid (T-helper immunodeficiency). These data suggest that the deficiency in serum IgG in LEC rats is independent of the deficiency in helper T cell function, but might be due to the multiple deficiency in as-yet-unidentified mechanisms.

Enhanced expression of catalytic subunit isoform PP1 gamma 1 of protein phosphatase type 1 in malignant fibrous histiocytoma

The expression of the three catalytic subunits of protein phosphatase (PP) type 1 and 2A, PP1 alpha, PP1 gamma 1, and PP2AC, was examined in malignant fibrous histiocytoma using immunohistochemical analysis. The percentage of cells stained positively with antiserum against PP1 catalytic subunit isoform PP1 gamma 1 was significantly higher in tumorous region than in non-tumorous region of malignant fibrous histiocytoma. Furthermore, tumorous region showed markedly high S-phase fraction in the cell cycle, as compared to non-tumorous region. These results suggest that PP1 gamma 1 is involved in the accelerated growth of tumor cells in malignant fibrous histiocytoma.

Wilson's disease gene is homologous to hts causing abnormal copper transport in Long-Evans cinnamon rats

BACKGROUND/AIMS

The Long-Evans Cinnamon (LEC) mutant rat shows an excess copper accumulation in the liver and low serum ceruloplasmin activity. The disorder is controlled by a single autosomal recessive gene designated as hts. Wilson's disease is an autosomal recessive disorder of copper metabolism characterized by abnormal copper accumulation in the liver and low serum ceruloplasmin activity. The gene responsible for Wilson's disease has recently been isolated. The present study was designed to examine whether the LEC rat is an ideal animal model for Wilson's disease from a genetic point of view.

METHODS

For chromosomal mapping of hts, genetic linkage analysis using rat microsatellite marker loci was performed. Furthermore, cosegregation between hts and a rat counterpart of the Wilson's disease gene was analyzed.

RESULTS

hts was finely mapped to rat chromosome 16. Complete cosegregation between hts and a rat counterpart of the Wilson's disease gene was detected.

CONCLUSIONS

hts is likely to correspond to a rat homologue of the Wilson's disease gene. The present results allow us to propose that the LEC rat is an ideal animal model for Wilson's disease.

[Rhinogenous retrobulbar optic neuritis: a case report]

Rhinogenous retrobulbar optic neuritis is characterized by neuritis secondary to paranasal sinusitis. A case of rhinogenous retrobulbar optic neuritis that was successfully treated by surgery is reported. A 40-year-old man complained of progressive right visual disturbance. The clinical course and neurological examination suggested right retrobulbar optic neuritis. CT and MRI scans demonstrated a massive tumor-like lesion near the right optic canal. Fifteen days after the onset, decompression of the right optic nerve was performed using a right pterional approach. After surgery, visual disturbance improved, and after about 1 month, the symptom had disappeared. Operative findings, histological examination and the postoperative course were consistent with the characteristics of rhinogenous retrobulbar optic neuritis. We consider decompression of the optic nerve to be effective for the treatment of rhinogenous retrobulbar optic neuritis.

[A case of paragonimiasis with a tumor of the intrathoracic chest wall]

A case of paragonimiasis with a tumor of intrathoracic chest wall was reported. The patient was a 46-year-old male who complained of cough and showed abnormal findings on chest X-ray. After performing various examinations, the patient was diagnosis as having a tumor of the intrathoracic chest wall. On surgery, the tumor was enveloped in a thick capsule and its lumen was filled with yellow-white atheromatous material. Calcification was not found. Pathologically, an egg-like structure of a parasite was confirmed inside the sequestrum attached to the lining of the inner surface of the capsule. Past history of pleuritis and ingestion of freshwater crabs confirmed the diagnosis of paragonimiasis.

Three-dimensional analysis of human carotid atherosclerotic ulcer associated with recent thrombotic occlusion

To clarify the mechanism of ulcer formation of atherosclerotic plaques in human carotid arteries, autopsy investigations were performed on eight patients who had died of cerebral infarction due to recent carotid thrombosis. Eleven control patients who had carotid atherosclerosis without thrombosis were also investigated. Histological changes of the arteries in serial sections were reconstructed three-dimensionally. Each artery with occlusive thrombosis was found to have an intimal ulcer at the head of the thrombus on the proximal slope near the base of the thickened atheromatous plaque at the carotid sinus. Most ulcers formed obliquely or longitudinally, were parallel to the vessel axis, had a fusiform shape, and measured 7 +/- 2 x 3 +/- 1 mm (mean +/- s.d.). The ulcers arose by marginal separation of the innermost layer from the underlying layer of the stratified intima. An underlying atheroma developed along the borders of these intimal layers reaching the subendothelium, with thinning of the intimal cap to less than 150 microns. The process of ulceration may be generated by vessel injury induced by hemodynamic forces, such as tensile forces and shear stress. The ulcer may extend along the fragile region where the wall may exhibit uneven compliance due to differences in the tissue structures of each intimal layer. Furthermore, macrophages may play a key role in ulcer formation.

Training Japanese listeners to identify English /r/ and /l/. III. Long-term retention of new phonetic categories

Monolingual speakers of Japanese were trained to identify English /r/ and /l/ using Logan et al.'s [J. Acoust. Soc. Am. 89, 874-886 (1991)] high-variability training procedure. Subjects' performance improved from the pretest to the post-test and during the 3 weeks of training. Performance during training varied as a function of talker and phonetic environment. Generalization accuracy to new words depended on the voice of the talker producing the /r/-/l/ contrast: Subjects were significantly more accurate when new words were produced by a familiar talker than when new words were produced by an unfamiliar talker. This difference could not be attributed to differences in intelligibility of the stimuli. Three and six months after the conclusion of training, subjects returned to the laboratory and were given the post-test and tests of generalization again. Performance was surprisingly good on each test after 3 months without any further training: Accuracy decreased only 2% from the post-test given at the end of training to the post-test given 3 months later. Similarly, no significant decrease in accuracy was observed for the tests of generalization. After 6 months without training, subjects' accuracy was still 4.5% above pretest levels. Performance on the tests of generalization did not decrease and significant differences were still observed between talkers. The present results suggest that the high-variability training paradigm encourages a long-term modification of listeners' phonetic perception. Changes in perception are brought about by shifts in selective attention to the acoustic cues that signal phonetic contrasts. These modifications in attention appear to be retrained over time, despite the fact that listeners are not exposed to the /r/-/l/ contrast in their native language environment.

Characterization of phe B gene encoding catechol 2,3-dioxygenase

DNA sequence of the phe B gene isolated from a chromosome of the phenol degrading bacterium Pseudomonas putida BH is identical to that of the dmp B gene from the phenol degradative plasmid, pVI150. Catechol 2,3-dioxygenase encoded by phe B showed similar substrate specificity to that of xyl E. However, Phe B has much smaller Km values than Xyl E, indicating that Phe B is useful for treatment of low concentrations of catechol derivatives in waste water.

Human type 2 angiotensin II receptor gene: cloned, mapped to the X chromosome, and its mRNA is expressed in the human lung

The human type 2 angiotensin II receptor (AT2R) gene was isolated from a human genomic DNA library of adult female leukocytes. The putative coding region of the human AT2R gene is intronless. The primary structure of the human AT2R deduced from the nucleotide sequence of this putative coding region contains 363 amino acid residues and is highly homologous to the sequences of the rat and mouse AT2R. The human AT2R gene was mapped to the X chromosome using chromosomal assignment analysis with a human/rodent somatic cell hybrid panel. Northern blot analysis demonstrated a 3.0 kb mRNA in the human fetal lung and kidney and the human adult lung. These data and probes should enhance research in human AT2R biology.

Immunohistochemistry with an antibody to human liver carboxylesterase in human brain tissues

Human liver carboxylesterase (CE) is an enzyme capable of metabolizing drugs, and may also function as a regulator of lipid metabolism. We examined one isoform of CE by immunohistochemistry in the brains of neurologically normal, Alzheimer disease (AD), amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and cerebral infarction cases. In all but the infarcted brains, the anti-CE antibody stained only capillary endothelial cells in the brain and spinal cord tissues. In infarct brain areas, intense immunoreactivity of the macrophages was seen. In contrast, the macrophages in the ALS lateral columns and the reactive microglia located in the center of classical senile plaques in AD, as well as other reactive microglial cells in the grey matter, showed no immunoreactivity. In the central nervous system, CE may function as a protective factor against foreign chemicals in capillary endothelial cells, and the antibody to CE may serve as a marker for invading macrophages from the systemic circulation.

Cloning and sequencing of the groESL homologue from Porphyromonas gingivalis

The homologue of groESL from Porphyromonas gingivalis was cloned and sequenced. Nucleotide sequencing suggested an operon containing two open reading frames (ORFs) homologous to groESL operon of Escherichia coli. The upstream ORF consisted of 267 bp corresponding to 89 amino acid residues. The downstream ORF consisted of 1635 bp corresponding to 545 amino acid residues.

Functional analysis of the promoters of phenylalanine ammonia-lyase genes in pea

Pycnospore germination fluid of Mycosphaerella pinodes, a fungus pathogenic on pea, contains both an elicitor and a suppressor of the accumulation of pisatin, a major phytoalexin of pea. Transcription of the genes encoding key enzymes in the biosynthesis of pisatin, namely PAL (a gene encoding phenylalanine ammonia-lyase) and CHS (a gene encoding chalcone synthase), was shown to be activated upon the treatment of pea epicotyl tissues with the fungal elicitor and suppressed upon treatment with the fungal suppressor. To investigate the mechanisms underlying activation and suppression of plant defense genes by signal molecules secreted by a fungal pathogen and other stresses, such as ultraviolet (UV) light, we constructed chimeric genes composed of the 5'-flanking regions of two members of the PSPAL family (the genes encoding phenylalanine ammonia-lyase in Pisum sativum) fused to a bacterial gene for chloramphenicol acetyltransferase. Then, the cis-regulatory elements necessary for elicitor-mediated activation and suppressor-mediated suppression were examined in pea protoplasts. Functional analysis of 5' nested deletions of PSPAL1 and PSPAL2 suggested that an enhancer-like element is located in the TATA-distal region (-2,196 to -406) in PSPAL2. A cis-acting element(s) responsible for elicitor-mediated activation was found in the TATA-proximal region (-340 to -95 in PSPAL1; -406 to -158 in PSPAL2), in which the consensus sequence motifs known as box 1, box 2 and box 4 [Yamada et al. (1992) Plant Cell Physiol. 33: 715, Lois et al. (1989) EMBO J. 8: 1641] were present in close proximity. Furthermore, both promoters were activated by UV light but were partially suppressed in response to the fungal suppressor.