Production of antiserum against antitumor protein-bound polysaccharide preparation, PSK (Krestin) and its pharmacological application

Antiserum against a protein-bound polysaccharide preparation (PSK) was produced by immunizing New Zealand White rabbits with PSK. The intestinal absorption of PSK in mice was visualized by indirect immunofluorescent staining with anti-PSK serum. The change in blood levels of 14C after oral administration of 14C-PSK and the recovery of 14C by antiserum were determined. The results indicated that antigenic epitopes in PSK are not completely destroyed during the process of digestion, absorption and distribution, but the changes of serum levels of 14C radioactivity differ from those of immunoreactive radioactivity. These results suggest that multiple processes are involved in the fate of PSK administered orally.     

Non-functioning adrenocortical adenoma in culture. Quantitative and morphological observations

This report describes the morphological responses of unstimulated and stimulated non-functioning adrenocortical adenoma in culture. The removed adrenocortical adenoma was composed mainly of clear-type cells and partially had a small area of cholesterol granuloma. These adenoma cells had many lipid droplets and round to long rod-shaped mitochondria with tubular or tubulo-lamellar cristae which were similar to those in Cushing's adenoma. The non-functioning adrenocortical adenoma cells which were incubated in vitro under ACTH (10 mIU/ml) and angiotensin II (10(-6) M/ml) stimulation, were examined by phase contrast microscopy, transmission and scanning electron microscopy, and the content of cortisol and aldosterone in the culture medium was measured by radioimmunoassay. As a result of exposure of ACTH, the cultured cells revealed the retraction response and production of cortisol and aldosterone. After administration of ACTH for many days, the cultured cells showed characteristic changes in sER and mitochondria. The sER were markedly developed and packed tightly into a network of dilated tubules. Mitochondria were larger and more numerous than in the unstimulated cells. The mitochondria appeared to be entwined by the tubules of the sER. Lipid droplets decreased in number.     

Association and crystallization of poly(ethylene oxide)

The discontinuous change of the lamellar thickness with crystallization temperature was studied for low molecular weight fractions of OH-terminated poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO). IR analyses demonstrated that almost all of the molecular chain ends were associated in the molten state, whereas a large part of their ends were free in dilute solution. Discontinuous changes were observed for low molecular weight PEO fractions crystallized from the melt, whereas continuous changes were found both for PEO's crystallized from dilute solution and those with phenylated end groups crystallized from the melt. Accordingly, it was pointed out that the association of the end groups could play an important role in the crystallization mechanism and the conformation of the resultant PEO crystals.     

Intestinal Enzyme Activities in Germfree, Conventional, and Gnotobiotic Rats Associated with Indigenous Microorganisms

Various enzyme activities involved in the active transport system, glycolysis, and digestion were assayed in various parts of the gastrointestinal tracts of germfree, conventional, and gnotobiotic rats associated with indigenous bacteria. The activity levels of alkaline phosphatase, glucose 6-phosphatase, adenosine triphosphatase, and disaccharidases in the upper small intestine were highest in all parts of the gastrointestinal tracts of various kinds of gnotobiotic, conventional, and germfree rats. Alkaline phosphatase, glucose 6-phosphatase, and adenosine triphosphatase activities in the upper small intestine of germfree rats were, respectively, 2.3-, 2.9-, and 1.7-fold higher than those in conventional rats. Similar to the results of these enzymes, sucrase, maltase, trehalase, and lactase activities in the upper small intestine of germfree rats were, respectively, 1.6-, 1.5-, 2.3-, and 1.8-fold higher than those in conventional rats. In various gnotobiotic rats, enzyme activity levels were intermediate between those in germfree and conventional rats. These findings suggest that those enzymatic activities are strongly depressed by the association with the indigenous microorganisms in the epithelial mucosa of the upper small intestine of rats. The levels of pyruvate kinase, hexokinase, and lactate dehydrogenase activities were highest, respectively, in the stomach, cecum, and the upper small intestine and cecum in all parts of the gastrointestinal tracts in various kinds of gnotobiotic, conventional, and germfree rats. It was also shown that six kinds of gastrointestinal bacteria, including lactobacilli, significantly depressed the enzyme activity levels to levels between those of the germfree and conventional rats in the upper small intestine of gnotobiotic rats.     

Somatic mosaicism of CAG repeat in dentatorubral-pallidoluysian atrophy (DRPLA)

An unstable expansion of CAG repeat in the coding region ofthe DRPLA gene on chromosome 12p is the mutation specific forhereditary dentatorubralpallidoluysian atrophy (DRPLA). We studiedthe CAG expansion in brain and other tissues from six unre latedDRPLA patients. The CAG repeat lengths showed distinct difterencesbetween tissues. The sizes of the CAG expansion in various regionsof the brain except the cerebellum were generally larger byseveral repeats than in other peripheral tissues. Brain samplesshowed greater variation of the expansion compared with othertissues, but neither the size of the CAG expansion nor the degreeof CAG repeat variation parallels the detailed findings of neuropathologicalinvolvement. We conclude that somatic instabilities of the CAGrepeat cause tissue variability of the CAG repeat size in DRPLAbut other region or cell type-specific factors would be involvedto explain the selectivity of cell damage in DRPLA.     

Influence of the parameters of several pulse sequences on the image contrast: comparison between the two major contrast media

We compared the influences of the parameters of several pulse sequences using two major commercially available gadolinium (Gd) contrast media for MR imaging. The phantom of Gd solutions of various concentration (0.1 - 10mmol/L) was prepared, and was scanned with a 1.5T clinical MR unit, using a spin-echo T1-weighted sequence, 2DFLASH, 3DFLASH, and 3DVIBE. The signal intensity was measured and the contrast enhancement ratio (CER) was calculated and plotted as a function of Gd concentration. The results were compared between the pulse sequences, and between the contrast media as well. Both 3DFLASH and 3DVIBE showed higher CER than other two sequences, showing similar CER curve configuration. There was no significant difference both in CER value and CER curve configuration between the two contrast media for each pulse sequence.     

Prenatal development of transient receptor potential vanilloid 1-expressing primary sensory projections to sacral autonomic preganglionic neurons

The visceral reflexes of the pelvic organs are mediated by connections between primary afferents innervating the pelvic organs and parasympathetic preganglionic neurons in the intermediolateral column of the sacral spinal cord. The present immunohistochemical study revealed many varicosities expressing transient receptor potential vanilloid 1 (TRPV1) that were closely apposed to the preganglionic neuronal perikarya at embryonic day 16 in mice. Many, but not all, varicosities expressing TRPV1 in the intermediolateral column were also immunopositive for calcitonin gene-related peptide. In contrast, no nerve fibers expressing TRPV1 projected to the sympathetic preganglionic cell column in the lumbar spinal cord in prenatal stages. The results of the present study raised the possibility that the primary afferents transmit signals elicited by the activation of TRPV1 receptors to the sacral parasympathetic preganglionic neurons. Thus, the functional circuit for pelvic spinal reflexes, such as micturition induced by urine influx, might develop in the prenatal stages in mice.     

Malacoplakia of the endometrium. An unusual case studied by electron microscopy and a review of the literature

A rare case of malacoplakia (MKP) of the endometrium in an 88-year-old Japanese woman is presented. By light microscopy, typical Michaelis-Gutmann bodies (M-G bodies) could be identified. Electron microscopic findings revealed M-G bodies in various stages of development. These features suggested that M-G bodies were derived from round electron-dense granules that coalesced to form phagolysosomes. Early-stage M-G bodies were manifested as small, irregular, needle-shaped areas of calcification in phagolysosomes. The present paper reviews 6 cases of endometrial MKP, 5 of which have previously been reported in the literature, and this case being the sixth, to our knowledge.     

In Vitro N-Nitrosodimethylamine Formation by Some Bacteria

It was found that human pathogenic bacteria and some species of intestinal bacteria in rats have the ability to catalyze the formation of N-nitrosodimethylamine from dimethylamine and nitrate in vitro.     

Radial artery running beneath the biceps tendon and its interrelation between the radial recurrent arteries

A radial artery running beneath the biceps tendon was found in the cadaver of a Japanese woman during a student dissection course at Kumamoto University School of Medicine in 2006. The brachial artery bifurcated into the radial artery and the ulnar artery in the cubital fossa, and the radial artery twisted laterally running beneath the biceps tendon, and when it was situated laterally to the tendon, twisted distally at the level of the radial tuberosity, and then twisted medially again. After the radial artery passed over the biceps tendon, it turned distally and continued as a normal radial artery. The superficial brachial artery, which coexisted with the brachial artery, was given off from the axillary artery and it continued to the final twist of the radial artery. The course of this radial artery is similar to the arterial rings surrounding the biceps tendon, found during the same dissection course. The arterial rings were formed between the brachial artery and the radial artery, and their proximal origins ran beneath the biceps tendon, while the distal origins were superficial. The present arterial variation is thought to have occurred when the normal part of the radial artery in the cubital fossa was substituted by the arterial ring, coexisting with the superficial brachial artery, which usually disappears during normal development. Furthermore, it is suggested that a part of the arterial ring always remains as a radial recurrent artery.