Altemicidin, a new acaricidal and antitumor substance. I. Taxonomy, fermentation, isolation and physico-chemical and biological properties

Screening of new insecticidal and acaricidal antibiotics was carried out with reference to anti-brine shrimp activity from actinomycete strains isolated from marine environments. Of 200 actinomycete isolates, one isolate was found to produce a new substance, altemicidin. The strain was isolated from sea mud collected at Gamo, Miyagi Prefecture, Japan, and identified as Streptomyces sioyaensis SA-1758. Altemicidin was purified by Diaion CHP-20P and Sephadex LH-20 column chromatographies. The molecular formula was determined as C13H20N4O7S by elemental analysis, MS and 13C NMR spectrum. Altemicidin showed not only acaricidal activity but also antitumor activity. The compound showed no antimicrobial activity except the inhibitory activity to Xanthomonas strains.     

Enteral Absorption of Insulin in Rats from Mucoadhesive Chitosan-Coated Liposomes

Purpose. The mucoadhesiveness of polymer-coated liposomes was evaluated to develop a novel drug carrier system for oral administration of poorly absorbed drugs such as peptide drugs. Methods. Multilamellar liposomes consisting of dipalmitoylphosphatidylcholine (DPPC) and dicetyl phosphate (DCP) (DPPC:DCP = 8:2 in molar ratio) were coated with chitosan (CS), polyvinyl alcohol having a long alkyl chain (PVA-R) and poly (acrylic acid) bearing a cholesteryl group. The adhesiveness of the resultant polymer-coated liposomes to the rat intestine was measured in vitro by a particle counting method with a Coulter counter. The CS-coated liposomes containing insulin were administered to normal rats and the blood glucose level was monitored. Results. The existence of polymer layers on the surface of liposomes was confirmed by measuring the zeta potential of liposomes. The CS-coated liposomes showed the highest mucoadhesiveness and the degree of adhesion was dependent on the amount of CS on the surface of the liposomes. The blood glucose level of rats was found to be significantly decreased after administration of the CS-coated liposomes containing insulin. The lowered glucose level was maintained for more than 12h after administration of the liposomal insulin, which suggested mucoadhesion of the CS-coated liposomes in the intestinal tract of the rats.     

Biliary cystadenoma with mesenchymal stroma of the liver: Correlation between unusual MR appearance and pathologic findings

We reported a case of the biliary cystadenoma of the liver. The cystic mass had labulation and septation and showed marked hyperintensity on T1-weighted images and hypointensity on T2-weighted images; MR findings were very unusual for cystadenoma. The content of the cystic mass was jelly-like, thick mucinous fluid without intracystic hemorrhage. We concluded that these unusual signal intensities of the cyst were due to hyperproteinous mucinous fluid.     

Silent lacunes in the elderly Parkinson's disease correlated with ambulatory blood pressure]

Lacunes on brain MRI, causal blood pressure, 24-hour ambulatory blood pressure and common carotid blood flow measured by the doppler method were studied in 31 elderly patients with Parkinson's disease (mean age 67.5 +/- 7.3 years). Nineteen patients with Parkinson's disease (61%) had at least one lacune. Patients with lacunes (P(+)) were significantly higher in age than patients without lacune (P(-)). The difference of casual blood pressure between patients in the two groups was not significant. On the other hand, the average of ambulatory blood pressure measurements during a 24-hour period was significantly higher in the P(+) group than in the P(-) group. The average of carotid blood flow was also significantly lower in the P(+) group than in the P(-) group, however, after adjustment for age, the difference between them became insignificant. In conclusion, the incidence of silent lacunes on brain MRI was fairly common in elderly patients with Parkinson's disease. A high average 24-hour ambulatory blood pressure was suggested to be one of the risk factors of lacunar stroke in elderly cases of Parkinson's disease. The concept of "combine type" in Parkinsonism was supposed to be suitable as well as in senile dementia of Alzheimer type.     

Ultrasonic vocalizations and aggressive behavior in male rats

The aim of the present study was to know whether 22-28-kHz vocalizations have any communicatory role in the regulation of aggressive behavior in male rats of the Wistar strain. In pairs of intact rats 22-28-kHz vocalizations showed a positive correlation with the extent of aggressive behavior. The pattern of aggressive behavior during ultrasonic vocalizations was different from that just before and just after the vocalizations. However, surgically deafened rats were less active in aggressive behavior and more active in ambulatory activity in the open field than the controls. Muted rats were not different from the controls in both aggressive behavior and ambulatory activity. The present result that the deprivation of ultrasonic signals failed to increase aggressive behavior does not support the classical hypothesis that ultrasonic vocalizations inhibit the initiation of aggressive behavior. It is concluded that ultrasounds emitted during aggressive encounters may have little communicative value in male rats.     

Human anticentriole autoantibody in patients with scleroderma and Raynaud's phenomenon

Unique autoantibody was found in sera from two different patients that reacted with centrioles of both cultured mammalian cells and human peripheral leukocytes as detected by the indirect immunofluorescent method. Sera from the same individuals, one with scleroderma and the other suffering from Raynaud's phenomenon, also stained the basal bodies of rat tracheal ciliated cells by the identical technique. Data from subsequent investigations have suggested that the antigen(s) involved in the reaction are water-insoluble protein(s) or polypeptide(s) associated with centrioles and are distinct from microtubular proteins or purine nucleoside phosphorylase.     

A simple organ culture method for differentiation of melanocytes in mouse embryonic skin using “origami” membrane filter

Summary A simple organ culture method for culturing embryonic skin was developed. A piece of skin with a part of the neural tube from mouse embryo (11 to 12 d) was placed on a 25 mm d membrane filter. The filter was folded to wrap the explant and inserted into glass tubing. The explant and filter in the glass tubing were placed in a rotating tissue culture tube containing 5 ml culture medium (Ham's F12 supplemented with 15 to 20% fetal bovine serum) and filled with a mixture of 95% air:5% CO₂. In explants cultured for 6 d fully differentiated melanocytes were observed in the epidermis.