Autoradiographic analysis of second messenger and neurotransmitter system receptors in the gerbil hippocampus following transient forebrain ischemia.

Changes in second messenger and neurotransmitter system receptor ligand binding induced by transient forebrain ischemia were studied in the gerbil hippocampus. The animals were allowed variable periods of recovery ranging from 2 h to 7 days after 5-min bilateral carotid artery occlusion. The binding of second messenger systems ([3H]inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate ([3H]IP3)to inositol 1,4,5-triphosphate, [3H]forskolin to adenylate cyclase and [3H]phorbol 12,13-dibutylate to protein kinase C) and neurotransmitter receptor systems ([3H]PN200-110 to L-type calcium channels. [3H]N6-cyclohexyl-adenosine to adenosine A1 and [3H]quinuclidinyl benzilate to muscarinic cholinergic receptor) were assayed using quantitative autoradiography. In the CA1 subfield, 2 h after ischemia, [3H]IP3, [3H]forskolin, and [3H]quinuclidinyl benzilate binding activities significantly decreased by 25, 17 and 13%, respectively, though no morphological abnormalities were obvious. Six hours after ischemia, the [3H]phorbol 12,13-dibutylate binding activity in the stratum oriens of the CA1 subfield increased by 15%. One day after ischemia, [3H]PN200-110 binding activity in this subfield decreased by 26%, and 7 days after ischemia, [3H]phorbol 12,13-dibutylate and [3H]N6-cyclohexyl-adenosine receptor binding activities decreased in this subfield. In particular, at 7 days after ischemia, [3H]IP3 binding activity in the CA1 subfield showed a complete decline. In the CA3 subfield, [3H]PN200-110 binding activity decreased 2 days after ischemia, and [3H]IP3 and [3H]N6-cyclohexyl-adenosine binding activities decreased 7 days after ischemia. In the dentate gyrus, the structure of which remained histologically intact after ischemic insult, [3H]IP3 and [3H]forskolin binding activities decreased 7 days after ischemia. In contrast, the [3H]phorbol 12,13-dibutylate binding activity increased in the molecular layer of the dentate gyrus 7 days after ischemia. These results indicate that marked alteration of intracellular signal transduction precedes neuronal damage in the hippocampal CA1 subfield and that the histologically intact CA3 and dentate gyrus also shows modulated neuronal transmission after ischemia.     

Plasma lyso-phosphatidylcholine concentration is decreased in cancer patients with weight loss and activated inflammatory status

Background  

It has been observed that ras-transformed cell lines in culture have a higher phosphatidylcholine (PC) biosynthesis rate as well as higher PC-degradation rate (increased PC-turnover) than normal cells. In correspondence to these findings, the concentrations of the PC-degradation product lyso-phosphatidylcholine (LPC) in cancer patients were found to be decreased. Our objective was the systematic investigation of the relationship between LPC and inflammatory and nutritional parameters in cancer patients. Therefore, plasma LPC concentrations were assessed in 59 cancer patients and related to nutritional and inflammatory parameters. To determine LPC in blood plasma we developed and validated a HPTLC method.     

Invasion of the skull base by carcinomas: histopathologically evidenced findings with CT and MRI

The depth and extent of the invasion of the skull base by a tumor are the most critical information for successful en bloc resection of the tumor. The only means available for the evaluation of these factors are CT or MRI images. In order to clarify the ability of these imaging modes to delineate the invasion of the skull base, preoperative images of ten patients who underwent en bloc resection of skull base tumors at Kobe University Hospital were compared with the histopathological findings of the resected specimens. CT proved to be superior to MRI for evaluating bone destruction of the skull base. On the other hand, MRI provided more useful information about intracranial invasion than CT. As a hypertrophic linear shadow on Gd-enhanced MRI represented dural invasion or thickened dura mater adjacent to the tumor, this technique should be taken into consideration to determine the dural resection. We concluded that preoperative evaluation of the depth of skull base invasion by both CT and Gd-enhanced MRI is essential for planning complete tumor resection.     

Improved high performance liquid chromatography determination of hippuric acid and methylhippuric acid isomers in urine

A study was made on the effect of detection wavelength and separation mode of HPLC on determination of urinary hippuric acid (HA) and three isomers of methylhippuric acid (MHA). The interference of other constituents of urine in the determination was effectively decreased by detection at a short wavelength of 227.6 nm. Meta and para MHAs were separated by the addition of beta-cyclodextrine to the mobile phase. Four metabolites were successfully separated from other components of urine by the combination of ODS-silica packed-column and mobile phase (method F). The detection limits were found to be 50 and 5 mg/l for HA and MHAs, respectively. MHAs could not be detected in the non-exposed subjects. Average levels (+/- SD) of HA in non-exposed males and females were 272.2 (+/- 210.8) and 393.0 (+/- 269.8) mg/l, respectively. The urinary levels of HA in females were significantly higher than those in males.     

Point mutation in the parkin gene on patients with Parkinson’s disease

Summary To investigate the distribution of possible novel mutations from parkin gene in variant subset of patients with Parkinson’s disease (PD) in China and explore whether parkin gene plays an important role in the pathogenesis of PD, 70 patients were divided into early-onset group and late-onset group; 70 healthy subjects were included as controls. Genomic DNA from 70 normal controls and from those of PD patients were extracted from peripheral blood leukocytes by using standard procedures. Mutations of parkin gene (exon 1–12) in all the subjects were screened by PCR-single strand conformation polymorphism (SSCP), and further sequencing was performed in the samples with abnormal SSCP results, in order to confirm the mutation and its location. A new missense mutation Gly284Arg in a patient and 3 abnormal bands in SSCP electrophoresis from samples of another 3 patients were found. All the DNA variants were sourced from the samples of the patients with early-onset PD. It was concluded that Parkin point mutation also partially contributes to the development of early-onset Parkinson’s disease in Chinese. WANG Tao, male, born in 1961, Associate Professor This work was supported by grants from the key program of the special scientific project of Scientific & Technologic Agency of Hubei Province (Serial No. 2001AA308B01) and the Hygienic Research Project of Hygienic Agency of Hubei province (Serial No. WJ 01529).     

T Cell Receptor Vβ Repertoires of Angioimmunoblastic Lymphadenopathy-like T Cell Lymphoma

To elucidate the pathogenesis of angioimmunoblastic lymphadenopathy-like T cell lymphoma (AILD-T) we investigated the T cell receptor Vβ gene repertoires of four AILD-Ts and compared them with those of other histological types of lymphomas and three cases with reactive disorders. All lymphoma patients had rearrangement bands detected by Southern blot analysis. Only 1 of the 4 cases of AILD-T showed a single predominant usage of Vβ 20 gene by PCR with 20 different Vβ specific primers and the others had repertoires somewhat restricted but similar to reactive lesions. Subsequent sequencing of this PCR product revealed that only 2 of 7 clones were identical. These results suggest the monoclonal malignant cells in AILD-T are scant and that the infiltrating T cells show a reactive pattern. In the only AILD-T case with a single dominant Vβ usage, the relationships of this repertoire and lymphoma cells seems to be of some consequence.