TNF-alpha augments the expression of RhoA in the rat bronchus.

While nonspecific airway hyperresponsiveness (AHR) is a central feature of allergic bronchial asthma, the mechanism underlying the development of AHR is not clearly understood. We have previously demonstrated in vitro hyperresponsiveness of bronchial smooth muscle to acetylcholine (ACh) in rats that were actively sensitized and repeatedly challenged with aerosolized antigen. It has also been demonstrated that the ACh-induced, RhoA-mediated Ca(2+) sensitization is markedly augmented concomitantly with an increased expression and activation of RhoA protein in the bronchial smooth muscle of the antigen-treated rats. In the present study, we have investigated whether TNF-alpha, a proinflammatory cytokine which is involved in bronchial asthma, causes upregulation of RhoA mRNA and protein in the rat bronchus. Treatment of rat bronchial smooth muscle preparations with TNF-alpha (300 ng/ml for 24 hr) significantly shifted the concentration-response curve to ACh upwards, but did not alter the response to high K(+), when compared to that of control tissues. Levels of RhoA mRNA and protein in the TNF-alpha-treated bronchus were significantly greater than those in the control group. In conclusion, it is suggested that the augmentation of the ACh-induced contractile response evoked by TNF-alpha might be mediated by an upregulation of RhoA in rat bronchial smooth muscle.     

Synergistic suppression of the clonogenicity of U937 leukemic cells by combinations of recombinant human interleukin 4 and granulocyte colony-stimulating factor.

The actions and interactions of purified recombinant human (rh) interleukin 4 (IL-4) and granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF) on the clonogenicity of human leukemic cell line U937 were studied in vitro. Parameters analyzed were the suppression of stem cell generation using sequential clonal cultures, alterations of surface antigen expression, and morphological changes. IL-4 alone (10 U/ml) and G-CSF alone (1000 U/ml) only slightly reduced colony numbers (80% +/- 7% and 87% +/- 7% of control colonies, respectively). However, IL-4 interacted synergistically with G-CSF to further reduce the colony number (46% +/- 8% of control colonies) and suppress the self-renewal ability (clonogenicity) of U937 cells. This synergistic effect was not eliminated by cultures containing neutralizing concentrations of anti-granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (anti-GM-CSF), anti-interleukin 6 (anti-IL-6), anti-interferon-alpha (anti-IFN-alpha), anti-IFN-gamma, anti-transforming growth factor-beta (anti-TGF-beta) serum, and anti-tumor necrosis factor-alpha (anti-TNF-alpha) serum. The coexistence of IL-4 and G-CSF was required for at least 48 h to reveal the synergistic action as assessed by preincubation and delayed addition experiments. Combinations of IL-4 and G-CSF showed a significant increase in CD11b expression on U937 cells. This action was not observed with HL60, K562, ML-1, or KG-1 leukemic cell lines, and IL-4 did not show any synergistic suppression of clonogenicity of U937 leukemic cells in combination with other cytokines tested in this study. These results suggest that IL-4 in combination with G-CSF may have some capacity to synergistically suppress human leukemic cells of specific types with loss of clonogenicity.     

A case report of paraplegia following an operation for thoracic aortic aneurysm--with special reference to pathological findings of the spinal cord

A 60-year-old man suffered from paraplegia after the operation for thoracic aortic aneurysm and died 10 months after the operation. Detailed examination on the distribution of spinal cord lesions and of the locations of anterior radicular arteries revealed that the spinal cord ischemia occurred at the mid-thoracic segments between T-6 and T-10; the artery of Adamkiewicz entered at T-12; another radicular artery entered at T-4. We concluded that the spinal cord ischemia was caused by the interruption of the radicular artery at T-4 and that the segments nourished by the blood flow of the artery of Adamkiewicz were intact. We suggest that in some patients important radicular arteries other than the artery of Adamkiewicz are essential to preserve blood flow to the upper or middle thoracic spinal segments.     

Tissue renin content in superficial, midcortical, and juxtamedullary afferent arterioles in rabbits]

Tissue renin content within the kidney decreases from outer to inner cortex. However, it is not known whether this gradient is due to a decrease in the number of afferent arterioles from the outer to inner cortex or the decrease in renin content per afferent arteriole. Furthermore, it is still controversial whether sodium depletion increases or decreases this gradient. According to Taugner et al., sodium depletion induces the extension of renin positive part of afferent arterioles from vascular pole toward interlobular artery. Since the length of extension may differ among superficial, midcortical, and juxtamedullary afferent arterioles, the observed gradient may vary depending on whether the entire afferent arteriole or only the vascular pole is examined. In the present study, we microdissected the entire afferent arterioles from superficial, middle, and juxtamedullary cortex of rabbit kidney, and examined tissue renin content. We studied: 1. whether tissue renin content per afferent arteriole decreases from the outer to inner cortex. 2. whether sodium depletion affects the gradient of tissue renin content within the cortex. In result, we reached the conclusions, as follows: 1. Tissue renin content per afferent arteriole decreases steeply from superficial to midcortical to juxtamedullary afferent arterioles. 2. The absolute difference in renin content among the three types of afferent arterioles becomes greater during sodium depletion. The internephron heterogeneity of tissue renin content may contribute to functional heterogeneity.     

Study of the transformation of weddellite to whewellite in calcium oxalate stones by x-ray diffraction

A clay film was made of the stone powder and water drops on a slide glass and dried at 100 to 110 degrees C or at room temperature in the horizontal position for 20 calcium oxalate stones which had been received between April, 1978 and August 1980. Each clay film was scanned with an X-ray diffractometer using CuK alpha radiation, stored at room temperature in a wooden sample case and analysed again by X-ray five to seven years after the first X-ray analysis. Then the recent diffractograms of 20 powder samples were compared with the previous ones regarding the peak heights at 14.2 degrees, 14.8 degrees and 25.8 degrees (2 theta), which were considered representative of weddellite, whewellite and apatite contents and designated as Iwe, Iwh and Iap, respectively. Since there was a good correlation between Iwe/Iwe + Iwh + Iap and weddellite/weddellite + whewellite + apatite that was determined by thermogravimetry (Fig. 1), the transformation rate of weddellite to whewellite can be expressed as the change of Iwe/Iwe + Iwh + Iap. One sample Iwe/Iwe + Iwh + Iap of which decreased by 48% in seven years (Fig. 3) and another sample Iwe/Iwe + Iwh + Iap of which increased by 10% in five years (Table) were excluded from this study because the clay films of these samples might have been overheated or incompletely dried before the first X-ray analysis.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)     

Periodic psychosis of puberty: a review on near-monthly episodes.

Published cases of periodic psychosis of puberty and related papers were reviewed. The clinical picture is near-monthly recurrence of episodes of stupor or excitement lasting about 1 or 2 weeks, which are accompanied by delusion and in some cases also by hallucinations or confusion. This condition was found to occur more commonly in girls than in boys, and in half of the girls reported the episodes tended to start a few days before menses. Adolescents with mental retardation were more commonly affected, and this suggests that organic brain damage may play a role in the etiology in some cases. Short-term prognosis is usually favorable, but at long-term follow-up, nearly half of them were found to be suffering from affective or schizophrenic illness. The clinical importance of recognizing this psychosis early in the course of illness is emphasized.     

Fluid-fluid levels in cavernous hemangioma of soft tissue

Five cases of cavernous hemangioma with fluid-fluid levels on magnetic resonance imaging and/or computed tomography are reported. The signal characteristics were those of blood and histological analysis of the fluid-fluid levels showed that they were blood-filled cavities in the tumor. Although this finding itself is not specific, it may help in confirming the diagnosis of cavernous hemangioma.     

The local hyperthermochemotherapy for pleural carcinomatosis]

Local hyperthermochemotherapy was performed in 17 cases to control malignant effusion and intrathoracic disseminated lesions. Of these 15 patients, 11 cases primary lung cancer, 4 cases metastatic lung cancer had pleural carcinomatosis and 2 cases were malignant diffuse mesotheliomas. The procedure was radiofrequency hyperthermia (13.56 MHz) maintaining the peripleural temperature at 42-43 degrees C for 45-60 minutes, combined simultaneously with the intrathoracic administration of cisplatin (1-2 mg/m2, bolus) through a thoracic double lumen trocar tube. The treatment was repeated from 2 to 4 times at 7-day intervals. In 14 cases (87.5%) complete or partial response according to the criteria of the Japan Lung Cancer Society were obtained. There were 2 cases of no change and one case that was impossible to evaluate. In one lung cancer case, the disappearance of pleural disseminated lesions was confirmed by flexible thoracoscopy after the procedure. In 12 cases, there were abdominal complaints due to side effects of the hyperthermochemotherapy, such as vomiting and nausea, but these symptoms were milder than those caused by intravenous injection of anti-cancer agents, for example cisplatin, in conventional chemotherapy treatment. The median survival time and 2 years survival of the patients with the present procedure were 15 months and 41.7% respectively. Although distant metastases appeared in most cases, none had local recurrence and particularly noteworthy pleural effusion was well controlled. The above experience suggested that the local hyperthermochemotherapy is useful to control pleural effusion and can improve the quality of life of patients with pleural carcinomatosis.     

Respiratory symptoms and cigarette smoking in 3,197 pulmonologist-based asthmatic patients with a highly prevalent use of inhaled corticosteroid.

The relation between smoking and risk of asthma has been well-examined; however little attention has been paid to the correlation between smoking and asthma symptoms. The aims of this study were to examine respiratory symptoms in asthmatics with a highly prevalent use of inhaled corticosteroid (ICS) and to assess the effects of smoking and its cessation. A cross-sectional study of pulmonologist-based 3197 asthmatics (men 45.2%, ages 20-97) was performed using a questionnaire about smoking habits, the incidence and frequency of symptoms (sputum, cough and wheezing, night symptoms, and shortness of breath), physical activity interference, and medication. Although 81.4% of the patients used ICS according to the international guideline, 14.9% had activity interference, and daily symptoms remained in 43.3%. At the time of the questionnaire, 21.6% were current and 25.1% were ex-smokers. In multiple logistic regression analysis, the factors of significance (p < 0.0001) were (1) smoking; for all four symptoms, (2) age and duration of asthma; for shortness of breath. Current smokers were at a risk of sputum (age-adjusted odds ratio 2.32 [95% confidence interval 1.73-3.11]; 2.09 [1.57-2.79]), of cough and wheezing (2.38 [1.81-3.14]; 1.78 [1.35-2.36]), of night symptoms (1.95 [1.41-2.60]; 1.47 [1.09-1.98]), and of shortness of breath (1.70 [1.26-2.28]; 1.30 [0.97-1.75]) in men and women, respectively. These ratios in ex-smokers decreased to the level similar to nonsmokers. Although 81.4% of asthmatic patients used ICS, 43.3% complained of daily respiratory symptoms, especially sputum. It is suggested that the effects of ICS on asthma symptoms may be interfered with by smoking and therefore more emphasis should be placed on cessation of smoking.