Detection of nephritogenic antigen from the Lewis rat renal tubular basement membrane

Immunopathogenicity of trypsin-solubilized or non-solubilized renal tubular basement membrane (TBM) of the Lewis (LEW) rat was investigated. Autoimmune tubulointerstitial nephritis (TIN) was induced in BALB/c mice by immunization with trypsin-solubilized LEW rat TBM, while immunization with non-solubilized TBM did not produce the disease. Based on this preliminary experiment we studied the characterization of immunogenic and nephritogenic TBM antigen of the LEW rat. TIN was characterized by severe mononuclear cell infiltrates with multi-nucleated giant cells in the interstitium, tubular destruction and intensive IgG and C3 deposits along the TBM. Anti-TBM antisera and eluate from the nephritic mouse kidneys reacted with the TBM of normal LEW rat kidney by immunofluorescence. LEW rat TBM was also detected immunofluorescently by using antisera from BALB/c mice immunized with autologous trypsin-solubilized TBM. A competitive inhibition test revealed a higher titer of anti-TBM antibody in the eluate than in the adsorption-treated antisera per microgram IgG. Immunoblotting showed one reactive band with a molecular weight of 45,000 daltons, and the blotting patterns in tryptic TBM of the Brown Norway (BN) and LEW rats appeared similar. Amino acid analysis of nephritogenic LEW rat tryptic TBM showed that it contained no hydroxyproline and hydroxylysine, suggesting that this TBM preparation was not collagenous. These findings suggest that tryptic digestion contributes to the release of nephritogenic antigen from the LEW rat TBM and that this antigen system might participate in the immune system involved in the anti-TBM associated TIN that is well known to be induced by non-digested TBM of TBM antigen positive animals.     

Acute hemodynamic effects of intravenous bolus injection of isosorbide dinitrate in aged patients with congestive heart failure]

In order to investigate whether intravenous bolus injection of isosorbide dinitrate (ISDN) is a safe and efficient therapy in aged patients with congestive heart failure, we studied acute hemodynamic effects in 11 patients. Peak effects on preload were observed after 5 to 10 minutes of bolus injection and unloading effects continued effectively for 60 minutes. At peak effect, pulmonary systolic pressure decreased from 50.2 +/- 2.6 to 36.2 +/- 2.6 mmHg (-28.5%, p less than 0.01) and pulmonary end diastolic pressure decreased from 25.0 +/- 2.2 to 18.5 +/- 2.1 mmHg (-26.0%, p less than 0.01). Mean pulmonary artery wedge pressure decreased from 23.4 +/- 2.2 to 16.0 +/- 2.1 mmHg (-31.6%, p less than 0.01). Mean right atrial pressure decreased from 10.5 +/- 1.8 to 7.4 +/- 2.0 mmHg (-29.5%, p less than 0.01). Blood pressure, heart rate, cardiac index, systemic and pulmonary vascular resistance showed no significant changes. Thus, intravenous bolus injection of ISDN showed a potent vasodilator effects on preload, and may be a safe and useful treatment for aged patients with acute congestive heart failure.     

Recent trends in bagassosis in Japan.

The only workers presently exposed to bagasse dust in Japan are the employees of sugar refineries and lacquerware factories. A follow up study of six former cases of bagassosis from among the retired employees of a paper board factory, closed since 1973, showed that none of the subjects still had bagassosis. Examinations of 70 employees of a sugar refinery for allergic reactions also showed no case of bagassosis. Seven cases with suspicious shadows of bagassosis on chest radiographs and four cases with positive serum precipitin to stored bagasse were, however, found among those 70 subjects. The results show the disappearance of a past episode of bagassosis and the possibility of a new occurrence of bagassosis among the employees of sugar refineries and lacquerware factories in the near future in Japan.     

A case of renal pelvic carcinoma in situ]

A 72-year-old female visited our hospital with the complaint of macroscopic hematuria on Jan. 29, 1990. Cystoscopic examination revealed hematuria flowing out from the left ureteral orifice. A 1 cm mass was found in the left upper calyx by retrograde pyelography (RP). Urine cytology obtained by RP was class IIIb. Later, the mass was found in the left middle calyx by CT. Repeated RP revealed no mass and the wall of the left upper calyx was irregular. Washing cytology from the left renal pelvis was class V. Left total nephroureterectomy was performed on Feb. 2, 1990. Macroscopically, no tumor mass was apparent. Microscopically, transitional cell carcinoma in situ was widely spread from the left renal pelvis to the middle ureter. The preoperative upper calyceal mass was thought to have been a blood clot. At twelve months after the operation, there has been no evidence of tumor recurrence.     

Availability of 4'galactosyllactose (O-beta-D-galactopyranosyl-(1----4)-O-beta-D-galactopyranosyl-(1----4)- D-glucopyranose) in rat

O-beta-D-Galactopyranosyl-(1----4)-O-beta-D-galactopyranosyl-(1----4)-D- glucopyranose (designated as 4'GL) is produced from lactose by Cryptococcus laurentii. The influence of chronic ingestion of 4'GL on body weight gain, organ weight, serum lipids, and liver lipids was investigated in rats. The body weight gains of the 5% and 10% 4'GL-diet groups were higher than that of the control group. Food intake and fecal dry weight were significantly increased (p less than 0.05) by 4'GL feeding. The 4'GL diet produced a significant increase (p less than 0.01) in the wet weight and contents of both the cecum and the colon. However, no significant increase was observed in the weight of the stomach, small intestine, liver, or other organs. The effects of 4'GL on serum and liver lipid levels were not observed in this experiment. The digestion of 4'GL was measured in vitro using the artificial gastric juice, alpha-amylase of human saliva, alpha-amylase of hog pancreas, and mucosa of rat intestine. 4'GL was not hydrolyzed by these enzymes. Long-term ingestion of 4'GL did not cause any induction of 4'GL hydrolyzing enzyme activity in the rat small intestine.     

Liquid crystal thermography; a reliable method for detecting soda lime exhaustion

The dynamic and functional state of soda lime can be more precisely assessed by measuring changes in wall temperatures of the absorption chambers rather than observing color change of the soda lime granules. We demonstrated in this report that the liquid crystal thermometer is an inexpensive and reliable measuring device for this purpose.     

p53 mutations in non-small cell lung cancer in Japan: association between mutations and smoking.

The p53 gene has been implicated as a tumor suppressor gene involved in the pathogenesis of lung cancer. Our previous study revealed that the p53 gene is frequently mutated with a distinct nucleotide substitution pattern in small cell lung cancer specimens in Japanese patients. In this study, we examined 30 primary, resected non-small cell lung cancer samples in Japanese patients using complementary DNA-polymerase chain reaction and sequencing. Mutations changing the p53 coding sequence were found in 14 of 30 tumor samples (47%), while G:C to T:A transversions which are uncommon in other cancers such as colon cancer were the most frequently observed mutations, in agreement with an earlier report on non-small cell lung cancer in American patients. Furthermore, the present study shows for the first time that in univariate and multivariate analyses, the presence of p53 mutations is closely associated with lifetime cigarette consumption.     

Hypertrophy of medial globus pallidus and substantia nigra reticulata in 6‐hydroxydopamine‐lesioned rats treated with L‐DOPA: Implication for L‐DOPA‐induced dyskinesia in Parkinson's disease

The medial globus pallidus plays a crucial role in generation of L‐DOPA‐induced dyskinesia in patients with Parkinson's disease. The 6‐hydroxydopamine‐lesioned rat exhibiting behavioral sensitization to L‐DOPA is one useful animal model for examining L‐DOPA‐induced dyskinesia. To determine neuropathological abnormality responsible for behavioral sensitization, the medial globus pallidus and the substantia nigra reticulata in 6‐hydroxydopamine‐lesioned rats treated with L‐DOPA were examined. Intermittent L‐DOPA treatment induced hypertrophy of the lesioned‐side of medial globus pallidus and substantia nigra reticulata of 6‐hydroxydopamine‐lesioned rats with behavioral sensitization to L‐DOPA. Additionally, coadministration of a 5‐HT_1A receptor agonist, 8‐hydroxy‐2(di‐n‐propylamino)tetralin with L‐DOPA, alleviated the hypertrophy with improvement of the behavioral sensitization. These results suggest that hypertrophy of the medial globus pallidus and substantia nigra reticulata is associated with induction of behavioral sensitization to L‐DOPA in 6‐hydroxydopamine‐lesioned rats. Therefore, neuropathological changes corresponding to hypertrophy might underlie L‐DOPA‐induced dyskinesia in patients with Parkinson's disease.     

An in vivo 19F NMR study of isoflurane elimination as a function of age in rat brain.

In vivo 19F NMR at 4.7 T has shown that the biphasic elimination of the vapor anesthetic isoflurane from rat brain is ca 15% slower in old (23-24 months) animals compared with young (5-6 months) animals. The fast kinetic component has a t1/2 of ca 7-9 min and the slow event, 100-115 min. Gas chromatographic measurement of arterial blood elimination displays age attenuation to the same extent, although a monophasic kinetic process (6-7 min). The slow wash-out from brain is thought to involve elimination from intracranial fatty tissue as postulated by others in rabbit brain. Longitudinal relaxation time measurements show monoexponential recovery and essentially identical values for young (1.09 + 0.11 s) and old (1.04 +/- 0.09 s) animals. For dipalmitoylphosphatidylcholine vesicles the monoexponential recovery also suggests rapidly exchanging averaged homogeneous lipid environments for the anesthetic, but the longer T1s (2.75 +/- 0.25 s) imply less restricted mobility compared with brain. Single T2 values were obtained in vivo, indicating either a single compartment or rapid exchange between multiple environments. These measurements were inconsistent, undoubtedly as a result of B1 inhomogeneity. The age-attenuated elimination kinetics for isoflurane are consistent with poorer cardiopulmonary function, whereas the T1 data suggest similar environments for the anesthetic in young and old brain tissue.