The role of Ca2+ in the time-dependent pepsinogen secretion of frog oesophageal peptic glands stimulated by bombesin

Time- and dose-related stimulation of pepsinogen secretion by bombesin was studied in perifused dispersed peptic glands from the oesophagus of the American bullfrog Rana catesbeiana. The dose response to bombesin was monophasic between 10^-10 and 10^-7 M, with an EC₅₀ of 10^-9 M. Time-dependent secretion was closely monitored at 1–2 min intervals. Though there was overlap, we could discriminate an early response at ? 2 min (phase I) and a delayed or sustained response at ± 2 min (phase II) on the basis of responses in the presence and absence of external Ca²⁺. Phase I was relatively independent of external [Ca²⁺] and coincided with ⁴⁵Ca efflux following a dose-dependent increase in cytosolic [Ca²⁺], measured by Fura-2AM. Phase II was sustained at ? 80% of control at an external [Ca²⁺] of 1–5 ,μM, but was eliminated by adding 0.5–1 Mm EGTA. Bombesin caused a sustained Ca²⁺ influx and, when this was prevented by EGTA, the response to successive stimulations by bombesin and by acetylcholine was greatly attenuated. The phorbol ester, 12–O-tetradecanoyl phorbol 13–acetate, which stimulates secretion at high concentrations, was used as background at a thresehold concentration of 10^-7 M, which did not by itself stimulate secretion. At this concentration, 12–O-tetradecanoyl phorbol 13–acetate potentiated the responses to bombesin and to acetylcholine. These results define the different Ca²⁺ dependencies of the immediate and sustained secretory responses to bombesin, but indicate a complex relationship of stimulation responses to Ca²⁺ homeostasis in various agonist-sensitive Ca²⁺ pools.     

Evaluation of human activities and sleep-wake identification using wrist actigraphy

Abstract The purpose of this study is to investigate the count-characteristics of wrist actigraphy in basic human activities and to discuss the agreement of Sleep-wake identification between polysomnography (PSG) and wrist actigraphy during nocturnal sleep. There was a distinct distribution of actigraphy counts over the studied activities. The evaluation of Sleep-wake scoring using the wrist actigraphy agreed 96.9% with the polysomnographic scoring during nocturnal sleep.     

Plasma endotoxin concentration and endotoxin binding capacity of plasma acute phase proteins in cirrhotics with variceal bleeding: An analysis by new methods

Plasma endotoxin levels in 12 cirrhotics with bleeding from oesophageal varices and 50 cirrhotics without bleeding were measured by the chromogenic assay after the pretreatment of sample by perchloric acid (HClO₄) and triethylamine. Endotoxin in cirrhotics with bleeding from varices was significantly higher than those without bleeding. In patients with bleeding, endotoxin increased for 3 days after the bleeding, first in the supernatant fraction and then in the precipitate fraction by HClO₄ treatment. Peak plasma α₁-acid glycoprotein and haptoglobin were observed 3 days after the bleeding. Alpha 1-antitrypsin gradually increased for 14 days. Transferrin did not markedly change. The endotoxin-binding capacity of transferrin and α₁-acid glycoprotein increased immediately after bleeding and thereafter decreased, but that of α₁-antitrypsin tended to increase in the recovery period. In summary, the plasma endotoxin concentration and endotoxin-binding capacity of α₁-acid glycoprotein and transferrin were shown to have increased after bleeding from varices by this new method. There may be a close relationship between endotoxaemia and acute phase reaction in this situation.     

Detection of oral streptococci with collagen‐binding properties in saliva specimens from mothers and their children

International Journal of Paediatric Dentistry 2010; 20: 254–260 Background. Approximately 10–20% of Streptococcus mutans strains have been reported to possess collagen‐binding properties, whereas other species in the oral cavity with those properties remain to be elucidated. Aim. To identify strains with collagen‐binding properties and analyse their characteristics in comparison with S. mutans. Design. A total of 110 expectorated saliva specimens were collected from 55 pairs of mothers and their children. Bacterial strains with collagen‐binding properties were isolated and the species specified. In addition, strains with collagen‐binding properties isolated from mother–child pairs were analysed using molecular biological approaches. Results. The detection frequency of strains with collagen‐binding properties was shown to be 40.9%, among which S. salivarius was the most frequently detected, followed by S. mutans. The collagen‐binding activity of the S. mutans group was the highest, followed by S. salivarius. In addition, S. mutans and S. salivarius strains from 3 and 1 mother–child pairs, respectively, were shown to be the same clones. Conclusions. Our results indicate that S. mutans and S. salivarius are major species with collagen‐binding properties in the oral cavity, and that strains with such properties may be related to mother–child transmission.     

Laparoscopic Pancreatic Biopsy in Autoimmune Pancreatitis—Report of TWO Cases

Two cases of autoimmune pancreatitis that were diagnosed by laparoscopic pancreatic biopsy are reported. Patient 1 was a 71–year-old woman with obstructive jaundice and dry eyes. Endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) revealed stenosis of the distal common bile duct and proximal main pancreatic duct. Only the head of the pancreas was enlarged. The patient had associated Sjogren's syndrome and sclerosing cholangitis. Patient 2 was a 65–year-old man with obstructive jaundice that occurred after laparoscopic cholecystectomy. ERCP revealed a diffusely irregular and narrowed pancreatic duct and stenosis of the distal common bile duct. The whole pancreas was enlarged. Both patients underwent laparoscopic pancreatic biopsy to rule out pancreatic cancer. The definitive diagnosis in each case was autoimmune pancreatitis. The postoperative course in both cases was uneventful. Both patients recovered quickly with steroid therapy undertaken soon after the biopsy. In summary, a laparoscopic approach for the pancreatic biopsy in autoimmune pancreatitis appears to be feasible and useful in determining the therapeutic strategy. (Dig Endosc 1999; 11: 250–254)