Evaluation of the Japanese-Chinese Herbal Medicine,Kampo, for the Treatment of Lupus Dermatoses in Autoimmune Prone MRL/Mp-lpr/lpr Mice

Kampo, a Japanese-Chinese traditional herbal medicine, has been used for the treatment of various diseases for about 3,000 years in China. Among herbal medicines, Sairei-to is well known for improving the symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and other collagen diseases. However, its immunosuppressive effects on autoimmune cutaneous phenomena are not completely understood. We investigated the effects of Sairei-to on the development of lupus dermatoses in autoimmune-prone MRL/Mp-lpr/lpr (MRL/lpr) mice, an animal model which spontaneously develops skin lesions similar to those seen in human lupus erythematosus. Virgin female MRL/lpr mice at 1 month of age, which were treated orally with Sairei-to, had reduced amounts of IgG deposition at the dermoepidermal junction, titers of anti-DNA antibodies and rheumatoid factor, and lymphoproliferation. These results support the use of traditional herbal medicines in patients with human RA and systemic lupus erythematosus.     

The effect of bile duct ligation and bile diversion on FK506 pharmacokinetics in dogs.

Mongrel or beagle dogs were submitted to bile duct ligation, or to extraenteric biliary diversion by means of choledochoureterostomy. The kinetics of intravenously administered FK506 was not changed from control status two weeks after bile duct ligation, but the bioavailability of orally administered FK506 was nearly quadrupled. Following oral administration, the absorption of FK506 was highly variable. The results indicate that in dogs FK506 is absorbed from the intestine just as efficiently in the absence of enteric bile and in presence of exogenous bile salt supplement when compared with its absorption in presence of normal bile drainage. These findings with FK506 are different from those with cyclosporine after biliary obstruction or diversion and will have important practical as well as experimental ramifications.     

Results of low- and high-dose-rate interstitial brachytherapy for T3 mobile tongue cancer.

PURPOSE: To evaluate the treatment results of low-dose-rate (LDR) and high-dose-rate (HDR) interstitial brachytherapy (ISBT) for T3 mobile tongue cancer. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Between 1974 and 1992, 61 patients with T3 mobile tongue cancer were treated with LDR ISBT using (192)Ir hairpins with or without single pins. In addition, between 1991 and 1999, 14 patients were treated with HDR ISBT. For nine patients treated with ISBT alone, the total dose was 59-94 Gy (median 72 Gy) within one week in LDR ISBT and 60 Gy/10 fractions/5 days in HDR ISBT. For 66 patients treated with a combination therapy of external beam radiotherapy (EBRT) and ISBT, the total dose was 12.5-60 Gy (median 30 Gy) of EBRT and 50-112 Gy (median 68 Gy) within 1 week in LDR ISBT or 32-60 Gy (median 48 Gy)/8-10 fractions/5-7 days in HDR ISBT. RESULTS: The 2- and 3-year local control rates of all patients were both 68%. The 2- and 3-year local control rates of patients treated with LDR ISBT were both 67%, and those with HDR ISBT were both 71%. The local control rate of patients treated with HDR ISBT was similar to those with LDR ISBT. CONCLUSIONS: ISBT for T3 mobile tongue cancer is effective and acceptable. The treatment result of HDR ISBT is almost similar to that of LDR ISBT for T3 mobile tongue cancer.     

Movement of the lateral and medial poles of the working condyle during mastication in patients with unilateral posterior crossbite.

Patients with unilateral posterior crossbite often show reverse sequential jaw movement patterns on the frontal view during mastication on the crossbite side. Recent studies show that such patients are prone to suffer from temporomandibular joint (TMJ) disc displacement, particularly the lateral portion. The purpose of this study was to examine the movement of the lateral and medial poles of the working condyle during mastication in such patients. Subjects were 12 consecutive patients with unilateral posterior crossbites and without TMJ disc displacements and 12 normal subjects. An optoelectronic jaw-tracking system with 6 degrees of freedom was used to record the motion of the lateral and medial poles of the working condyle during mastication of standardized hard, gummy jelly. The data from the first 10 cycles were analyzed. The lateral and medial poles of the condyle on the crossbite side moved more in the medial direction and less in the lateral direction during mastication in the crossbite patients than the condyle in the normal subjects. The lateral pole of the working condyle moved more in the posterior and inferior directions and less in the anterior direction than the medial pole in all subjects. These results suggest that these condylar movements in patients with unilateral posterior crossbites might be related to the susceptibility to TMJ disc displacement, particularly the lateral portion.     

Computerized tomography observation of a calcifying cystic odontogenic tumor with an odontoma: case report.

The calcifying cystic odontogenic tumor is a rare benign odontogenic lesion. This report documents a case of this lesion associated with odontoma arising from the anterior maxilla in a 14-year-old boy. The diagnosis was confirmed based on computerized tomography findings, which clearly depicted the internal structures obscured in conventional images.     

The fates of trichothecene mycotoxins, nivalenol and fusarenon-X, in mice

In order to investigate the comparative fates of nivalenol (NIV) and 4-acetyl derivative of NIV (fusarenon-X, FX) in mice, ³H-FX or ³H-NIV was given p.o. to mice. Radioactivity was excreted mainly via the urine in mice given ³H-FX, but mainly via the feces in mice given ³H-NIV. The plasma radioactivity reached a peak at 30 or 60 min after the administration of ³H-FX or ³H-NIV, respectively. The plasma peak level was 5 times higher, and the area under curve (AUC) was 10 times higher, in ³H-FX-administered than ³H-NIV-administered mice. These findings clearly demonstrate that FX is absorbed from the gastrointestinal tract more rapidly and efficiently than NIV. The HPLC profile of radioactivity of acetonitrile extracts of urine and feces indicated that FX is rapidly metabolized to NIV after being absorbed from the gastrointestinal tract. In vitro incubation of tissue homogenates with ³H-FX demonstrated that the liver and kidney are the organs responsible for the FX-to-NIV conversion. Thus this study demonstrated that the higher oral toxicity of FX than NIV that has been observed in mice and rats is due to the efficient absorption of FX than NIV from the gastrointestinal tract, followed by its rapid conversion to NIV by the liver and kidney.     

A case of aberrant left pulmonary basal aneurysm arising from the descending aorta]

A 65-year-old man was referred to our hospital because of fever and abnormal shadow in the left lung. An aortogram revealed a large artery arising from the descending aorta supplying the left basal segment and, which then flowed into the pulmonary vein. This artery had an aneurysm and 30 mm in diameter. Bronchography showed compression of the left basal branch. A clinical diagnosis of an aberrant left pulmonary basal aneurysm arising from descending aorta was made, and left lower lobectomy was performed, because of the danger apprehension of the aneurysmal rupture. The procedure was successful. There are only 15 case reports of a systemic artery supplying the lung with normal bronchial branch in Japan. Differences of this anomaly from pulmonary sequestration were discussed.     

Function, molecular structure and gene expression regulation of nerve growth factor]

Nerve growth factor (NGF) is the initially discovered and best characterized target-derived neurotrophic factor. The NGF gene family includes NGF, brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), neurotrophin (NT)-3, NT-4, and NT-5. The members of this family can interact with the members of trk family of receptor-like protein-tyrosine kinases (trk, trk B and trk C), suggesting that the different trk protein serves as receptor subunits for the different neurotrophins. Meanwhile, some recent reports have shown that exogenous administration of NGF itself or a stimulator of NGF synthesis to damaged neurons have beneficial effects. These findings open the possibility of new therapy for nervous diseases, such as Alzheimer's disease.     

A new myeloblastic leukemia cell line with double minute chromosomes. Induction of methotrexate resistance and dihydrofolate reductase gene amplification.

To test the relationship between DMs and drug resistance in newly established AML cell lines, KY821, and its clone KY821A3, the latter had lost DMs during cloning, were cultured in increasing concentrations of MTX. KY821 became resistant against 2 x 10(-4) M MTX, whereas KY821A3 did against 2 x 10(-5) M MTX in a same period. Enhanced enzyme activities of DHFR were correspondent to the increased DMs numbers and DHFR gene amplification in both resistant clones. The amplified DHFR gene was located on DMs by in situ hybridization. These data indicated that the presence of DMs in KY821 would facilitate the acquisition of drug resistance.