Normal levels of IgG subclass in childhood determined by a sensitive ELISA

Normal values of all IgG subclasses were determined using a sensitive ELISA in children aged from newborn to 14 years. The upper and lower limits of normal values of all IgG subclasses were obtained in all the age groups using 29 umbilical cord blood samples from full-term newborns and 308 venous blood samples from normal infants and children. The trends in the levels of IgG1, IgG2 and IgG3 with age were almost similar to previous reports. IgG4 levels decreased gradually until reaching the lowest level at 7 to 12 months and increased gradually with age, reaching a plateau at 12 to 14 years of age. Thus, the lower limit of serum IgG4 levels was determined using our method.     

The effect of nifedipine on monocrotaline-induced pulmonary hypertension in rats

Effective drug therapy for pulmonary hypertension has not yet been developed. This study was designed to estimate the long-term hemodynamic and histopathological effects of nifedipine on severe pulmonary hypertension using animal models. Injection of one dose of monocrotaline produced subacute pulmonary hypertension in 7 week old Sprague-Dawley rats. Nifedipine (10 mg/kg) was administered intraperitoneally every day. For 5 weeks, bodyweight and hemodynamic parameters were measured, and right ventricle (RV) and left ventricle with septum (LV + S) were weighed separately. Medial thickness of the small pulmonary arterial wall was calculated by Suwa's method. Compared with the control group, the increase in right ventricular systolic pressure, total pulmonary resistance index, weight ratio of RV/(LV + S) and medial hypertrophy in the nifedipine-treated rats were significantly limited without causing systemic hypotension. These results suggest that treatment with nifedipine may also be effective in attenuation of pulmonary hypertension when applied to humans.     

Assessment of body composition measured by bioelectrical impedance in children

Bioelectorical impedance methods have been found to be a valid and reliable way of estimating per cent body fat (%BF) in adults. We applied them to healthy children and compared them with conventional anthropometry methods. One thousand two hundred and sixteen children participated in this study. Impedance and skinfold thickness were measured, and %BF was estimated using these values. Bodyweight and height were measured, and per cent obesity (%OB) and body mass index (BMI) were obtained. The values of %BF by the bioelectrical impedance method (%BFi) were 8.6 ± 4.0% in the junior male group, 14.2±2.8% in the junior female group, 7.9±4.7% in the senior male group and 16.1 ±2.9% in the senior female group. The % BFi correlated strongly with skinfold thickness, %OB and BMI. Thus %BFi correlated strongly with variables from conventional methods. It was concluded that it is a reliable way of assessing lipid storage in children.     

Comparison of Injection Materials for the Elevation of Gastric Mucosa Prior to Endoscopic Mucosal Resection

Endoscopic mucosal resection (EMR), namely strip biopsy, to eradicate gastric mucosal lesions requires certain special techniques, including submucosal injection of appropriate agents. This experimental study using dogs was conducted to compare, with regard to the degree of duration of mucosal elevation and subsequent histologic changes of the gastric wall, three injection materials; physiological saline, hypertonic saline with epinephrine (HSE) and 10% soybean oil. The duration of mucosal elevation which should be sufficient for the EMR procedure did not differ between the three agents. The post-injection histologic changes included vessel dilatation in the peri-muscularis mucosae, dilatation of the lymphatic channels and vessel congestion. These changes appeared in all injection material groups, and the vessel congestion was found to be more conspicuous in the HSE group. All EMRs in this series were performed by single snare cutting, which was also evaluated. The margin of the stripped material was well limited to the submucosal layer in all cases, but the depth of the ulcers formed varied. The healing process of the ulcer for the first 4 weeks was delayed in the soybean oil group. Although there were few cases of perforation in this experiment and some subjects had adhesion between the gastric serosa and adjacent organs, the single snare method could be applicable for clinical use by skilled hands.     

Characteristics of obese children with low content of arachidonic acid in plasma lipids

BACKGROUND: Although there have been many studies on the relationship between obesity and long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acid (LCPUFA), the results and their interpretation are controversial, especially in children. Arachidonic acid (AA), the product of n-6 LCPUFA, is reported to be related to insulin resistance. The purpose of the present paper was to investigate the LCPUFA profile in obese children and mechanisms that contribute to reduced AA content. METHOD: An age- and sex-matched control study was performed. The study subjects were 59 obese children (mean age, 11.8 years) and 53 healthy non-obese children (mean age, 12.5 years). The study parameters included anthropometric measurements, serum lipids, leptin and fatty acid composition in plasma. RESULTS: Plasma fatty acids in obese children had lower linoleic acid (P < 0.0001) and higher dihomo-gamma-linolenic acid (P = 0.0004) than those in non-obese children. In all subjects combined, delta-6 desaturase (D6D) index (ratios of [C 18:3n-6+C 20:2n-6]/C 20:4n-6 or C 20:4n-6/C 18: 2n-6) correlated with leptin (P < 0.0001). There was no significant difference in AA content between obese and non-obese. However, the AA content was low (相似文献   

Kinetic study of racemization of aspartyl residues in model peptides of αA-crystallin

We have reported that two aspartyl (Asp-151 and Asp-58) residues in αA-crystallin in human eye lens were inverted to the D-isomer and isomerized to β-aspartyl residues with age. We report here the kinetics of the Asp racemization of three model peptides corresponding to fragments of αA-crystallin: IQTGLD¹⁵¹ATHAER (T18 peptide). TVLD⁵⁸SGISEVR (T6 peptide) and HFSPED⁸⁴LTVK (T10 peptide, as a control). The rate constants of the racemization of Asp residues in these peptides were measured at pH 7.0. at five temperatures: 50, 60, 70, 80 and 90 °C. From the Arrhenius equation, we estimated the activation energy (E) of racemization and the time required for the Asp D/L ratio to approximate to 1.0 (D/L ratio of Asp = 0.99) at body temperature. For the peptide T18, E=21.4 kcal/mol and t=13.5 yr. For the peptide T6, E= 26.8 kcal/mol and t= 49.5 yr. For the control peptide T10, E=28.3 kcal/mol and t= 78.1 yr. The racemization rate of Asp in these three peptides is parallel to that of Asp residues in αA-crystallin. The racemization rate of Asp in the T18 peptide was very rapid compared to that in the other peptides. This result also reflects the racemization rate in native αA-crystallin     

Rat‐bite fever identified by polymerase chain reaction detection of Streptobacillus moniliformis DNA

A 74‐year‐old woman presented with erythema of the extremities, a high fever and arthralgia after being bitten by a rat. The patient was diagnosed as having rat‐bite fever based on the symptoms and clinical course, as well as the polymerase chain reaction detection of Streptobacillus moniliformis DNA in the crust of the bite site. This is the first case to be diagnosed using polymerase chain reaction on a crusted skin lesion specimen. Although clinical symptoms initially remitted with minocycline therapy, they relapsed. Subsequent administration of piperacillin sodium resulted in complete disappearance of the high fever and arthralgia.     

Modifying Effect of Folinic Acid on Methotrexate-induced Embryotoxicity in Rats

Abstract Embryotoxicity of methotrexate (MTX) and modification of its effect by folinic acid (FA) were evaluated in rats. MTX was administered intraperitoneally to pregnant rats on day 9 of gestation (vaginal plug = day 0), and was followed by an intraperitoneal injection of FA after various time intervals (0-8 hours). Two dose combinations were used; 0.3 mg/kg of MTX and 1.0 mg/kg of FA, and 3.0 mg/kg of MTX and 10.0 mg/kg of FA. The dams were sacrificed on day 20 of gestation, and the fetuses were examined for visceral and skeletal development. The results are as follows: 1) A single dose of 0.3 mg/kg of MTX resulted in high embryolethality and growth retardation in all live fetuses and a single dose of 3.0 mg/kg of MTX showed 100% embryolethality. 2) A single dose of 1.0 or 10.0 mg/kg of FA showed no embryotoxicity. 3) The mitigating effect of FA on MTX-induced embryotoxicity was observed when FA was administered simultaneously with MTX, but was rapidly decreased as the time interval between MTX and FA dosings became longer. 4) Some live fetuses which escaped from MTX embryolethality showed growth retardation and dilation of the cerebral ventricles. The dilation of the cerebral ventricles was found even in the simultaneously treated groups, though the incidences were much lower than the belatedly treated groups.