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Our purpose was to investigate developmental alterations of human alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) oligosaccharides in maternal serum by lectin affinity electrophoresis and to compare the AFP glycoforms in maternal serum with those in umbilical cord serum and amniotic fluid. AFP glycoforms were separated by affinity electrophoresis with concanavalin A (Con A), lentil lectin (LCA), erythroagglutinating phytohemagglutinin (E-PHA) and Allomyrina dichotoma lectin (allo A) and detected by sensitive antibody affinity blotting. In maternal serum, increased proportions of Con A-nonreactive AFP (AFP-C1), LCA strongly-reactive AFP (AFP-L3) and E-PHA-reactive AFP (AFP-P4 and AFP-P5) decreased gradually during the early gestational weeks. Allo A-nonreactive AFP (AFP-A1 and asialo-AFP) were found only in amniotic fluids during early gestational weeks. The percentages of these glycoforms at full term were almost the same among those body fluids. Since the glycoforms of maternal serum AFP were close to those of umbilical cord serum AFP, lectin-affinity electrophoretic analysis of maternal serum AFP may be useful for evaluating the developmental state of fetus by examining the nature of AFP sugar chain.

A double-masked, randomized, placebo-controlled study was conducted to evaluate the effectiveness of lodoxamide tromethamine 0.1% eyedrops in preventing inflammatory cell accumulation in the tear fluid of patients with vernal conjunctivitis. A 1-week baseline period was followed by 4 weeks of treatment with either lodoxamide tromethamine 0.1% ophthalmic solution or placebo in 30 symptomatic subjects with vernal conjunctivitis. Cytological evaluation of tear fluid was performed before and after the treatment. In the lodoxamide-treated group, but not in the placebo-treated group, the number of neutrophils (P = 0.051) and eosinophils (P = 0.020) in the tears significantly decreased at the end of 4 weeks when compared with baseline (Wilcoxon-signed rank test). It was concluded that lodoxamide treatment was significantly more effective than the placebo in terms of reducing inflammatory cells in the tear fluid in vernal conjunctivitis. This objective inhibition of inflammatory cells may be associated with clinical relief.

Serum levels of total amylase, pancreatic type (P-type) isoamylase, and salivary type (S-type) isoamylase were measured in obese children (153 subjects; mean age, 10.1 years old; 86 boys and 67 girls) before and after weight reduction therapy. Serum amylase activities were determined using p-nitrophenylmaltoheptaoside as a substrate, with or without an antibody added to inhibit the S-type isoamylase. Serum levels of total amylase, P-type isoamylase and S-type isoamylase activities were significantly decreased in obese children with an obesity index more than 50%. S-type and P-type isoamylases showed negative correlation with the obesity index, the correlation coefficient being slightly larger in S-type than in P-type isoamylase. Analysis of the serum amylase activities in obese children who underwent weight reduction treatments showed a negative correlation only between the differences in S-type isoamylase activity and the differences in the obesity index. It may be concluded that the S-type isoamylase activity in serum of obese children is decreased and that it can be increased by reducing their body weight.

We developed a reliable system for the irradiation of xenografted tumors in mice which allows for accurate local irradiation under specific pathogen-free conditions. The system presented here consists of acrylic supports for mice and an acrylic box connected to a pump through 0.22 microns pore-sized filters. Mice with xenotransplanted tumors growing on their right hind legs were set on the supports and put into the box in a laminar flow hood. The tumors of 7 mice were irradiated simultaneously with X-rays of 6 and 10 MV generated by a linear accelerator at a dose rate of 3.1-4.7 Gy/min. The air was ventilated through filters during irradiation in the closed box. Microorganism tests confirmed that no bacteria entered or left the box. One of the significant characteristics of this setup is that it allows for irradiation under conditions of acute hypoxia, which is obtained using an integrated tourniquet. The dose variation among 7 tumors was less than 1%. The rest of the mouse's body was shielded effectively by a half-field technique and a lead block. As a result, the whole body dose for the mice was 0-4% of the total dose absorbed by the tumor. Due to the high dose rate and the ability to irradiate 7 mice simultaneously under specific pathogen-free conditions, this new system can be considered a time-saving and valuable tool for radiation oncology research.

The relationship between past and present lifestyle and urinary excretion of type I collagen cross-linked N-telopeptides (NTx) was studied in 61 Japanese females aged 34-59, with a view toward using NTx excretion rates as a predictor of future osteoporosis. Bone mineral density (BMD) of the lumbar spine, the speed of sound (SOS) and broadband ultrasound attenuation (BUA) of the os calcis, urinary NTx, serum osteocalcin (BGP) and bone-specific alkaline phosphatase (BAP) were measured. Stiffness index (stiffness) was calculated from SOS and BUA. The subjects were asked whether they took regular exercise in their childhood and teen years (in elementary, junior-high, senior-high school and college), the past (20-40 years of age) and present adulthood. Regular calcium intake, smoking habits, alcohol and other beverage consumption and milk consumption were also covered in the questionnaire. The mean NTx values of premenopausal and postmenopausal group were 22.2 and 56.0 nM bone collagen equivalents (BCE)/mM urinary creatinine (Cr), respectively. The group which did not exercise regularly between the ages of 20 and 40 had a higher mean NTx value (40.9 nMBCE/mMCr) than the group which did exercise regularly (22.7 nMBCE/mMCr). In multiple regression analyses, age, stiffness and exercise in past adulthood could explain 43.5% of the NTx variance. For prevention of bone metabolic increases around menopause, habitual exercise in early adulthood seems to be effective.

Ischemic preconditioning has been acknowledged as a powerful method of decreasing ischemic injury. However, the antiarrhythmic mechanism of ischemic preconditioning during ischemia is unclear. We studied the effects of ischemic preconditioning on arrhythmias and cardiac electrophysiology during ischemia in Langendorff rat hearts (n = 44). In the non-preconditioned group (PC(-); n = 24), the hearts underwent 5-min zero-flow global ischemia without any prior ischemic preconditioning. In the preconditioned group (PC(+); n = 20), the hearts were preconditioned by three cycles of 3-min zero-flow global ischemia and 5-min reperfusion before undergoing 5-min global ischemia. Ischemic preconditioning reduced the incidence of ischemia-induced arrhythmias (PC(-); 38.9%, PC(+): 8.3%, p < 0.05), shortened monophasic action potential duration (MAPD, P < 0.05), attenuated conduction delay (conduction time; PC(-): 234.2%, PC(+): 173.4%, P < 0.05) and increased the ventricular fibrillation threshold. Although the shortening of MAPD in PC(-) hearts was not influenced by the presence or absence of arrhythmias, conduction time prolongation at 3-min was more obvious in PC(-) hearts with arrhythmia than in PC(-) hearts without arrhythmia (PC(-) with arrhythmia: 220.2%, PC(-) without arrhythmia: 190.7%, P < 0.05). We concluded that ischemic preconditioning could protect the rat hearts from ischemia-induced arrhythmias and postulated that attenuation of conduction delay during ischemia might be an important factor in the antiarrhythmic action of ischemic preconditioning.

The pharmacodynamic effects of cisdiamminedichloroplatinum(II) (CDDP) in vitro have been reported, but the dosage and exposure time in vitro have not been based on clinical observations of the drug's actions in vivo. In this study, the authors attempted to evaluate the pharmacodynamic effects of CDDP in vitro in terms of cell survival and DNA crosslinking by simulating unbound CDDP administration at varying concentrations to a rat mammary adenocarcinoma line (known as line 66). CDDP exposure was conducted by both constant concentration procedures and a simulated in vivo procedure. Colony formation assay for the surviving fraction and alkaline elution assay for DNA crosslink measurement were performed in order to evaluate the pharmacodynamics of CDDP. Cell survival was a function of the area under the drug concentration time curve (AUC) of unbound CDDP (R2 = 0.77, P < 0.002) for all drug exposure procedures as analyzed by the analysis of covariance test. There was a strong correlation between the surviving fraction and the crosslink index of the total amount of DNA crosslinks (R2 = 0.85, P < 0.0005). Both the total amount of DNA-DNA crosslinks and the DNA-protein crosslinks, of which the latter were dominant, were affected not by the exposure procedures, but by the AUC value (P < 0.002). The thresholds of cytocidal effect were 1.59 mg.h/l for the AUC and 0.008 for the crosslink index. The pharmacodynamic effects in vitro by simulated in vivo exposure were identical to those of constant.

To investigate the correlation between nuclear medicine parameters determined by technetium-99m-DTPA-galactosyl-human serum albumin (Tc-99m-GSA) and liver function tests, canonical correlation analysis was performed. Tc-99m-GSA studies were performed on 47 patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) who had undergone transcatheter arterial embolization (TAE). The nuclear medicine parameters LU15, HH15 and LHL15, which are results of nuclear imaging tests, were chosen in combination with the following liver function tests: the serum bilirubin level (T.Bil), the serum albumin level (Alb), serum cholinesterase activity (Ch-E), the clearance rate of indocyanine green (KICG), the hepaplastin test (HPT) and the prothrombin time (PT). The canonical correlation coefficient was 0.7345 and the upper tail probability was 0.00167. A significant correlation was observed between the two sets of variables. The high structural coefficients of Ch-E, KICG and HPT indicated a close relationship with the nuclear medicine parameters, supporting the notion that these nuclear medicine parameters are useful for the estimation of liver damage. The structural coefficients of the nuclear medicine parameters were also high, with LU15 being a parameter as useful as both HH15 and LHL15. T.Bil may evaluate a liver function that is not measured by nuclear imaging techniques, so we should take T.Bil results into account before considering TAE.

In order to assess short-term exposures to ethylene oxide, formaldehyde and glutaraldehyde in a sterilization process, the authors conducted continuous environmental monitoring of these chemicals in the breathing zone of workers in 2 hospitals. The arithmetic mean of ethylene oxide was 1.2 ppm near unventilated cabinets housing sterilizing materials, and environmental concentrations of ethylene oxide could not be reduced under threshold limit values time weighted average by only managing general ventilation. Environmental concentration of formaldehyde was lower in a properly ventilated pathology division in which no large specimens were stored (0.3 ppm) than in the pathology division where large specimens were stored (2.3 ppm). Although environmental concentrations of glutaraldehyde in an endoscopy unit with proper general ventilation were not detectable, environmental concentration levels in an endoscopy unit without general ventilation system were 0.2 and 0.5 ppm. According to the results of environmental monitoring in the breathing zone of workers, extremely high concentrations were observed in some work practices (ethylene oxide, 300 ppm; formaldehyde, 8.6 ppm; glutaraldehyde, 2.6 ppm). In order to avoid occupational exposures to these chemicals and prevent potential chronic and acute health hazards, good communications with these chemicals, good work practices, appropriate personal protective equipment, and engineering controls should be required.

The effects of thimerosal, a sulfhydryl oxidizing agent on nitrergic, endothelium-dependent and -independent relaxations were investigated to examine the possibility that the nitrergic neurotransmitter and endothelium-derived relaxing factor (EDRF) could be S-nitrosothiol or free nitric oxide (NO) in the isolated mouse corpus cavernosum. Thimerosal (5 x 10(-6)-2 x 10(-5) M) inhibited or almost abolished electrical field stimulation--(EFS, 30V, 0.5 ms, 15 sec, 1, 2, 4, 8, 16 Hz), acetylcholine--(ACh, 5 x 10(-8)-1.25 x 10(-6) M), glyceryl trinitrate--(GTN, 3 x 10(-7)-3 x 10(-6) M), and S-nitrosoglutathione--(GSNO, 5 x 10(-6)-1.25 x 10(-4) M) induced relaxations. Thiomerosal inhibition seems to be specific to L-arginine NO pathways since it had no effect on acidified sodium nitrite--(10(-4)-5 x 10(-4) M), photoactivated sodium nitrite--(2 x 10(-4) M), isoprenaline--(10(-6) M), or papaverine--(10(-4) M) elicited relaxations. Moreover, the inhibitory effect of thimerosal on the nitrergic, ACh- or GTN-induced relaxations were partly reversed by sulfhydryl-containing compounds, L-cysteine (10(-3) M), dithiothreitol (10(-3) M), or glutathione (10(-3) M). However L-methionine (10(-3) M), which contains a methyl group on the sulphur atom, failed to restore the thimerosal inhibition. Thimerosal did not change the contraction produced by 10(-4) M NG-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester. These findings indicate that the nitrergic neurotransmitter as well as EDRF may not be free NO but NO-transferring molecules, probably S-nitrosothiols, in the mouse corpus cavernosum.

The relationship between endogenous cytokine antagonists and surgical stress is poorly understood. Surgical stress induces immunosuppression, and the reversed therapy of postoperative immunosuppression has been expected. The aim of the present study was to assess the effect of a serine protease inhibitor on postoperative immune reactivity. Twenty patients with colorectal cancer were randomly separated into experimental and control groups of 10 patients each. The experimental group received perioperative administration of a serine protease inhibitor while the control group did not. Plasma levels of cytokine antagonists, which suppress cell-mediated immunity, such as cortisol, interleukin-1 receptor antagonist, soluble interleukin-2 receptor (sIL-2R) and soluble tumor necrosis factors p55, p75 (sTNF-R55, -R75) were simultaneously measured. Significant reductions of plasma concentration of sIL-2R and sTNF-R55 were observed. Perioperative administration of a serine protease inhibitor may contribute to ameliorating immunosuppression after major surgery.

A unilateral variation in the origin and distribution of the arterial pattern of the human upper extremity on the right side is reported on. Apart from its usual branches, the third part of the right axillary artery gave origin to a common branch, the profunda brachii artery and the superior ulnar collateral artery. The right brachial artery, at a point 5.0 cm distal to its origin, bifurcated into the radial and ulnar arteries; their origin was in a position opposite the usual location. The radial artery continued on the medial side of the arm for 2.5 cm and crossed the ulnar artery anteriorly to gain a lateral position in the arm. The inferior ulnar collateral artery arose not from the brachial artery, but from the ulnar artery. A muscle variation was also observed in the right hand, which is compatible with the notion variations within one system of a limb will frequently be accompanied by variations in other systems of the same limb.

Seventy-nine shoulders suspected of rotator cuff tears were examined by ultrasonography (US) and forty-three received surgery. Long and short axis scans were performed and findings of each were separately classified according to a five-grade system, and the results were correlated with the actual extent of tear observed during surgery. Internal echogenicity and subacromial impingement were analyzed before and after surgery. A accuracy of US in detecting rotator cuff tears was analyzed. In addition, the correlation between cuff shape observed by US before surgery and actual shape observed during surgery was assessed. It was noted that cuff thinning and abnormalities in shape did not recover to normal after surgery. However, in the cases of discontinuities observed by US before surgery, US findings indicated that the torn cuff was anchored to the greater tuberosity and functional during active motion. Although post-operative US findings were not normal, clinical results were good in most cases. Sensitivity of US for detecting rotator cuff tear was 100% and specificity 94%. US is non-invasive, cost effective and allows the physician to examine the joint while it is in motion. Therefore, at this time, we use US as a screening method for detecting rotator cuff tears. Furthermore, US allows us to check for re-tears while the joint is in motion, which is essential for accurate diagnosis.

We studied the causes and treatments of delirium in 43 patients admitted to the geriatric-psychiatric ward of a hospital in Japan. Patients studied were divided into three groups according to the type of factor responsible for their delirium. We termed these causal factors precipitating, facilitating and predisposing factors. Twenty-one patients exhibited precipitating factors, the most common of which were overmedication and poisoning. Almost all these cases were treated with psychotropic drugs. Facilitating factors were judged responsible in nine cases. In six of these, admission to a hospital was thought to be the facilitating factor. Thirteen patients who had only predisposing factors were treated with psychotropic drugs while 27% of patients without precipitating factors were successfully treated for delirium without the use of such drugs.

We established a drug sensitivity panel consisting of 24 human lung cancer cell lines. Using this panel, we evaluated 26 anti-cancer agents: three alkylators, three platinum compounds, four antimetabolites, one topoisomerase I inhibitor, five topoisomerase II inhibitors, seven antimitotic agents and three tyrosine kinase inhibitors. This panel showed the following: a) Drug sensitivity patterns reflected their clinically-established patterns of action. For example, doxorubicin and etoposide were shown to be active against small cell lung cancer cell lines and mitomycin-C and 5-fluorouracil were active against non-small cell lung cancer cell lines, in agreement with clinical data. b) Correlation analysis of the mean graphs derived from the logarithm of IC50 values of the drugs gave insight into the mechanism of each drug's action. Thus, two drug combinations with reverse or no correlation, such as the combination of cisplatin and vinorelbine, might be good candidates for the ideal two drug combination in the treatment of lung cancer, as is being confirmed in clinical trials. c) Using cluster analysis of the cell lines in the panel with their drug sensitivity patterns, we could classify the cell lines into four groups depending on the drug sensitivity similarity. This classification will be useful to elucidate the cellular mechanism of action and drug resistance. Thus, our drug sensitivity panel will be helpful to explore new drugs or to develop a new combination of anti-cancer agents for the treatment of lung cancer.

A new myeloid cell line, MTT-95, was established from the bone marrow of a patient with acute myelogenous leukemia (AML, M7). MTT-95 cells differentiate into mature basophilic cells in culture medium with no chemical component or cytokine. Surface phenotypes were as follows: CD11b 79.3%, CD13 92.4%, CD33 99.8%, CD34 87.9%, CD41a 77.6% and HLA-DR 0.3%. MTT-95 cells were strongly positive for glycoprotein IIb/IIIa by immunohistochemical staining and revealed metachromatic granules. MTT-95 cells seem to possess characteristics of both megakaryocytes and basophils. These findings suggest that MTT-95 cells are basophil progenitors. MTT-95 cells might be useful in the study not only of the biological aspects of basophils, but also of the diversities of AML (M7).

The effects of levocabastine, a novel histamine H1-receptor antagonist, on lipid mediator release induced by antigen-antibody reaction from actively sensitized guinea pig lung fragments were studied. Levocabastine dose-dependently inhibited the release of leukotriene C4 from guinea pig lung fragments induced by antigen. A significant effect was observed with levocabastine at a concentration of 10(-4) M. On the other hand, levocabastine produced no effect on the release of leukotriene E4 or thromoboxane B2. From these findings, it was concluded that levocabastine may be useful for relieving the nasal obstruction in allergic rhinitis caused by inhibition of leukotriene C4 release.

Genomic sequencing and chromosomal assignment of the gene encoding rat APEX nuclease, a multifunctional DNA repair enzyme, were performed. An active Apex gene and a processed pseudogene were isolated from a rat genomic library. The active Apex gene consists of 5 exons and 4 introns spanning 2.1 kb. The putative promoter region of the Apex gene lacks the typical TATA box, but contains CAAT boxes and a CpG island having putative binding sites for several transcription factors, such as Sp1, AP-2, GATA-1 and ATF. A putative O-sialoglycoprotease (a homologue of Pasteurella haemolytica glycoprotease, gcp; abbreviated as Prsmg1/Gcpl1) gene consisting of 11 exons and 10 introns spanning 7.3 kb lies immediately adjacent to the Apex gene in a 5'-to-5' orientation. The Apex gene locus was mapped to rat chromosome 15p12 using in situ hybridization. The processed pseudogene (designated as rat Apexp1) has a nucleotide sequence 87.1% identical to that of the rat Apex cDNA, although several stop codons interrupting the coding sequences and multiple nucleotide deletions were observed. The Apexp1 is located in an inactive LINE sequence. Calculation of nucleotide substitution rates suggests that the immediate, active progenitor of Apexp1 arose 23 million years ago and that the non-functionalization occurred 15 million years ago.