Neuronal histamine inhibits methamphetamine-induced locomotor hyperactivity in mice

Mianserin (5-20 mg/kg), like chlordiazepoxide (2.5-10 mg/kg), inhibits the shock-induced suppression of drinking (SSD) in rats. However, in contrast to chlordiazepoxide, the effect of mianserin is not blocked by the benzodiazepine antagonist, Ro 15-1788 (10 mg/kg). Although mianserin does not inhibit [3H]diazepam binding in vitro it has now been found to enhance [3H]flunitrazepam binding to mouse whole brain in vivo at 10-100 mg/kg p.o. These results suggest that mianserin does influence central benzodiazepine receptors, but the mechanism by which it does so differs from that of chlordiazepoxide.     

Plasmacytoma of Lymph Node Recurrent Lymphadenopathy Terminating in Plasma Cell Dyscrasia with Polyneuropathy and Endocrine Disturbances

A case with lymphadenopathy of the left side of the neck in a 38-year-old male is described. He had a history of several relapses of about 10 years duration. Swollen lymph nodes were histologically similar to those of the hyaline-vascular type of Castleman's disease, but contained clear-cut lymph sinus and a sheet-like proliferation of plasma cells. Lymph follicles showed proliferation and atrophic germinal centers, in which cellular hypertrophy in the wall of ramifying small blood vessels, called angiosclerosis, was frequently encountered. During its progress, the patient developed plasmacytoma of the lymph nodes with varied clinical manifestations such as polyneuropathy, disturbance of gait, unusual perspiration, hirsuitism, gynecomastia, bilateral papilledema, and albumino-cytologic dissociation in cerebrospinal fluid.     

Development of Harderian gland during metamorphosis in anurans

Development of Harderian gland of larvae of Rana japonica, Bufo bufo japonicus, and Xenopus laevis was studied. In the adult animals, well-developed Harderian glands were invariably present in the orbit. In Rana and Bufo, the gland first appeared at late prometamorphic stage and in Xenopus it appeared around climax stage. In thyroidectomized tadpoles of Bufo and Rana, the Harderian gland was induced by thyroxine. In hypophysectomized tadpoles of Bufo the gland developed when they were treated with thyroxine or TSH.     

Preparation of a novel polyoxime and reversible uptakes of molecular oxygen and carbon monoxide by its metal complexes

Polyketones with carbonyl groups in the polymer backbone (ethylene-carbon monoxide copolymer) have been converted into a novel polyoxime by means of C-nitrosation of the methylene groups and oximation of the carbonyl groups. The polyoxime is considered to be composed largely of 1,2-bis(hydroxyimino)trimethylene units. From the polyoxime and divalent Fe-, Co-, or Ni-salts, polymeric metal chelate complexes were prepared which are capable of combining reversibly with molecular oxygen and, especially the Fe-complex, also with carbon monoxide.     

Kinetic profiles of sequential gene expressions for chemokines in mice with contact hypersensitivity

Using cDNA microarray technology, the expression of chemokine genes in the elicitation site of 2,4,6-trinitrochlorobenzene-induced contact hypersensitivity (CHS) was examined in mice. Of the 33 genes analyzed, levels of 11 gene expressions changed, and these can be assigned to four groups based on their kinetic patterns; (1) LARC/CCL20 whose mRNA level increased rapidly at 3 h post-challenge and then gradually decreased, (2) JE/CCL2, MARC/CCL7, MIP-1gamma/CCL9, monocyte chemoattractant protein (MCP)-5/CCL12, ELC/CCL19 and BRAK/CXCL14 whose mRNA levels increased with time and reached the maximum at 6-9 h post-challenge, (3) LIX/CXCL5, Mig/CXCL9 and IP-10/CXCL10 whose mRNA levels increased gradually at least up to 12 h post challenge, and (4) SLC/CCL21 whose mRNA level decreased gradually with time after challenge. The findings suggest that sequential expression of chemokine genes is essential for orientating non-specific skin response to hapten-specific CHS response through the recruitment of inflammatory cells such as neutrophils, monocytes/macrophages and T-cells from the circulation into the tissue site.     

Topographical projections from the thalamus to the putamen in the cat

Thalamic projections to the putamen (Put) in the cat were studied by the retrograde horseradish peroxidase method. Major thalamic projections to the Put originate from the midline and intralaminar nuclear regions including the centre médian-parafascicular complex (CM-Pf). The other thalamic projections to the Put arise mainly from the suprageniculate nucleus (Sg), magnocellular division of the medial geniculate nucleus (MGm), caudomedial part of the lateroposterior nucleus (LP) and ventrolateral part of the ventromedial nucleus (VM). The VM projects to the rostral Put, while the posterior thalamic regions (Sg, MGm, LP) project to the caudal Put.     

Kappa-type light chain crystal storage histiocytosis.

An autopsy case of systemic histiocytosis with excessive deposition of kappa-type light chain crystals was reported in a 58 year-old man who had consistently showed kappa-type light chain paraproteinemia, Bence Jones proteinuria and hypogammaglobulinemia for about 10 years until his death. However, no bony destruction was found by repeated X-ray examinations. At autopsy, extensive hyperplasia of crystal-storing histiocytes was observed in the bone marrow, spleen, liver, lymph nodes, interstitial tissues of visceral organs and loose connective tissues. In the bone marrow and some other tissues, mild proliferation of plasmocytoid cells containing small crystals were found. Histochemically the crystals positively stained with various methods for amino acids and proteins, especially with Weigerts' method for fibrin. Ultrastructurally intralysosomal crystal deposition was confirmed in the storage histiocytes and derivation of the crystals from Golgi's sacculi in the plasmocytoid cells was suggested. Biochemically the crystals were regarded as mainly consisting of dimers of a variable half of light chain immunoglobulin and immunochemically and immunohistochemically reacted to anti-kappa type light chain serum. Such a generalized storage histiocytosis may be secondarily induced by immunoglobulin synthesized in plasmocytoid cells.     

Increase of chemokine interferon-inducible protein-10 (IP-10) in the serum of patients with autoimmune liver diseases and increase of its mRNA expression in hepatocytes

To clarify the role of IP-10 in autoimmune liver diseases, we studied the serum levels of IP-10 in 14 patients with autoimmune hepatitis (AIH), 23 patients with primary biliary cirrhosis (PBC), and 65 patients with chronic viral hepatitis (20 type B and 45 type C). The hepatic expression of IP-10 mRNA and the correlation between the serum levels of IP-10 and clinical parameters were also evaluated. In addition to 20 healthy controls, 16 rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients were included as an extrahepatic inflammatory disease. The serum level of IP-10 was significantly (P < 0.02) higher in patients with AIH, PBC, and chronic hepatitis B and C than in healthy controls, and it was significantly correlated (P < 0.05) with the serum levels of aspartate aminotransferase and alanine aminotransferase in patients with AIH, PBC, and chronic hepatitis B and C. The serum level of IP-10 was not elevated in RA patients. After successful treatment of AIH and chronic hepatitis C, the serum level of IP-10 decreased to the same level as in healthy volunteers. As we previously showed in cases with chronic hepatitis B or C, in situ hybridization in both AIH and PBC cases demonstrated the expression of IP-10 mRNA in hepatocytes around focal or lobular necrosis surrounded by infiltrating mononuclear cells, whereas IP-10 mRNA was not expressed in areas around the damaged bile ducts in PBC cases. The present results suggest that IP-10 is specifically produced by hepatocytes in inflammatory areas irrespective of the aetiology of hepatitis, and that IP-10 may help to recruit T cells to the hepatic lesions in autoimmune liver diseases as well as in chronic viral hepatitis.     

Setting reference intervals without considering sex and age differences

We compared two sets of sex and age-specific reference intervals obtained from two large reference populations, one set calculated with data from 700,000 reference individuals by the nonlinear optimizing method of Ohgushi and Shibata and the other set calculated with data from 150,000 reference individuals from Shizuoka prefecture by the revised Hoffmann fitting method. Ten laboratory analytes used for health screening were compared. The sex- and age-specific reference intervals for total cholesterol, fasting blood sugar, uric acid, total protein, and albumin from the two large reference sample groups closely resembled each other, but reference intervals for the enzyme analytes aspartate aminotransferase, alanine aminotransferase, lactate dehydrogenase, and gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase only partly corresponded. Surprisingly, new information came from comparison of the sex- and age-specific reference intervals of alkaline phosphatase: low activities were observed in young females and higher activities were observed in older females. If a reference interval is used that does not take this observation into account, misdiagnosis of hyperthyroidism, which is frequently observed in young women, may result. Sex- and age-specific reference intervals should be used to interpret results of laboratory screening tests.