Passive immunity against diarrhoea

Passive immunity against a variety of respiratory and gastrointestinal pathogens has recently been increasingly used clinically, and oral administration of antibodies of both human and non-human origin has been tried both for prophylaxis and treatment of infections. Although the former type of therapy has been shown to be effective, data on the latter are still scarce. This commentary focuses on recent studies on successful oral therapeutic administration of bovine immunoglobulins.     

Development of pancreatic exocrine function including intestinal negative feedback regulation using oral trypsin inhibitor in rats]

To investigate the development of pancreatic exocrine function and intestinal negative feedback regulation with aging in rats, we measured pancreas weight, content of amylase and trypsinogen in the rat pancreas and plasma CCK concentrations, activity of amylase and trypsin in the small intestine at an hour after oral administration of trypsin inhibitor (TI), and also examined amylase secretory response to CCK-8 in the rat pancreatic acini at various ages in vitro. As a result, amylase content per pancreas weight increased with the age and amylase activity in the small intestine at al ages showed a significant increase in TI group compared to controls. Plasma CCK concentrations were elevated after administration of TI at all ages. Amylase release from pancreatic acini stimulated by CCK-8 responded poorly on days 7, then gradually increased with age, showing a biphasic dose response curve with maximal response of 10(-10) M of CCK-8 from 14-day-old to 66-day-old. The results indicated that the mechanism of pancreatic secretory response to TI already might exist at the stage of sucking rat and secretory response to CCK-8 in vitro showed a low response, and developed with age.     

Inductions of ornithine decarboxylase and replicative DNA synthesis but not DNA single strand scission or unscheduled DNA synthesis in the pyloric mucosa of rat stomach by catechol

The possible tumor-promoting and genotoxic activities of catechol were examined. Administration of catechol by gastric intubation at doses of 10 to 90 mg/kg body weight to male F344 rats induced up to 19-fold increase in ornithine decarboxylase activity with a maximum after 8 h and up to 8-fold increase in replicative DNA synthesis with a maximum after 24 h in the pyloric mucosa of the stomach. These results suggest that catechol has tumor-promoting activity in the pyloric mucosa of rat stomach. However, its administration at doses of 37.5 to 90 mg/kg body weight did not induce DNA single strand scission in the pyloric mucosa as determined by the alkaline elution method after 2 and 6 h or unscheduled DNA synthesis examined after 2 and 12 h.     

Hemispheric asymmetries in a tactile bisection task: effects of hemispace of presentation

The validity of Bowers and Heilman's hemispace hypothesis (Neuropsychologia 18, 491-498, 1980) that "laterality effects depend upon the spatial condition in which a stimulus is presented" was examined in two tactile bisection experiments (one with adults and the other with kindergarten children). Three indices: absolute error, constant error and directional error were employed to measure the accuracy of the two hands and hemispaces. The results did not support the hemispace hypothesis, though weak spatial condition effects appeared for female subjects.     

Clinical study of postcricoid carcinoma

We had 31 patients (8 males and 23 females) with postcricoid carcinoma in the period from 1978 to 1988. This number of patients correspond to about 15.3% of patient with hypopharyngeal carcinoma we encountered in this period. There were 4 patients in the condition Stage I, 8 in Stage II, 7 in Stage III and 12 in Stage IV. Most of these patients underwent radical surgery, 5-year cumulative survival rate was 46.8% (Kaplan-Meier). The cause of death was neck metastasis in 75% of patients who died of postcricoid carcinoma. There was a significant difference in survival curve between patients with neck metastasis and patients free from it (5-year cumulative survival rate was 68.0% and 16.7%, respectively; p less than 0.01). Neck metastasis was noted in the paratracheal region in 29.0% of patients. In patients with primary tumor of not larger 2.5cm (n = 7), no metastasis was noted, nor recurrence in this series of patients.     

Chronological sequences and blood-brain barrier permeability changes in local injury as assessed by nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) images from sliced rat brain

Two experiments were done with a prototype mini-NMR imager to evaluate the potential application of nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) imaging in neuropathology. Cryo-injury-induced brain edema in brain slices from 22 adult male rats was imaged for observing the chronological sequences. Blood-brain barrier permeability changes were evaluated in 12 other brain slice images. EDTA-2Na-Mn solution was intravenously injected as an indicator of blood-brain barrier permeability. Contrast enhancement was achieved by changing the NMR imaging parameters. High resolution imaging permitted visualization of the corpus callosum, the thickness of which was only 0.2-0.4 mm. The extent of edema in gray matter was clearly shown with a striking contrast; no consistent findings were seen with slight differences in water content between edema and the surrounding normal cortex. As a result, the chronological sequences of brain edema were clearly observed. Mn-EDTA leaking from the circulating blood through the damaged capillary wall had a "paradoxical enhancement" effect on the NMR images; this effect might be suitable for evaluating blood-brain barrier permeability changes in NMR images.     

Significance of sugar chain recognition by galectins and its involvement in disease‐associated glycosylation

Galectins are β‐galactoside‐binding lectins that participate in a wide range of biological processes. Galectins are distributed both inside and outside cells and are believed to have roles in both intra‐ and extracellular milieus. One of the well‐recognized functions of galectins is stabilization of glycoproteins on the cell surface, thereby promoting stable signal transduction and transport of substances such as glucose. Glycoprotein‐associated diseases, including congenital disorder of glycosylation (CDG, previously called carbohydrate‐deficient glycoprotein syndrome), comprise a disease family established only in the last decade. Although numerous in vitro glycobiology studies have been performed, including investigation of glycan‐galectin interactions and of galectin action in cultured cells, a few in vivo studies have investigated molecular mechanisms of galectin actions in animal models. Both in vitro and in vivo studies are needed in order to better determine the biological significance of sugar chain recognition. Hitherto, some reports have focused on the role of impaired sugar chain recognition and galectin function in the development of diverse diseases, including rheumatoid arthritis, diabetes mellitus, colitis, and cancer. We recently focused on the function of galectins in immunity and embryogenesis, and in this review we summarize the diseases related to disorders of sugar chain‐galectin interaction and discuss the role of galectins as potential risk factors for some congenital and acquired diseases. These diseases are disorders of immunity, metabolism, and cell differentiation. This approach to understanding the significance of sugar chain recognition by galectins may open up a new field into the nature of glycoprotein‐related diseases, including CDG.