Inhibitory effects of nisoldipine and saralasin on angiotensin II-induced antidiuresis in anesthetized dogs

Inhibitory effects of the calcium channel blocker nisoldipine on angiotensin II-induced antidiuresis were investigated in anesthetized dogs, and the findings were compared with those of saralasin. Intrarenal arterial infusion of 10 ng/kg/min angiotensin II resulted in marked decreases in renal blood flow (RBF) and urine formation, with a relatively moderate decrease in glomerular filtration rate. There were marked reductions in the fractional excretion of lithium, which is used as an index of the fractional proximal excretion of sodium, and the fractional distal excretion of sodium. Nisoldipine (50 ng/kg/min) administered intrarenally produced a partial inhibition on the decreased response of RBF to angiotensin II. The peptide-induced decreases in urine flow, urinary excretion of electrolytes and fractional excretion of electrolytes were abolished by nisoldipine. In contrast, when saralasin was administered intrarenally at 10 ng/kg/min, a dose which could partially inhibit the angiotensin II-induced decrease in RBF to the same extent as seen with nisoldipine, the antagonist attenuated, but did not abolish, the antidiuretic action of angiotensin II. Significant decreases in urine formation by angiotensin II were observed, even in the presence of saralasin. These results suggest that nisoldipine, unlike saralasin, preferentially interferes with the stimulatory effect of angiotensin II, as related to the renal tubular reabsorption of sodium and water.     

Correlation between vibration-induced white finger and symptoms of upper and lower extremities in vibration syndrome

Summary The correlation was investigated between the frequency of attacks of vibration-induced white finger (VWF) and numbness or coldness of the fingers and legs in patients with vibration syndrome. Some 1687 patients with vibration syndrome were examined and of these 342 chain-saw operators and 277 rock-drill operators had no disease other than vibration snydrome. Then subjects were matched by age and period of treatment within three years. In the last analysis, 20 in the VWF almost everyday group or in the never group, and 40 in the occasionally group were selected from the chain-saw operators, and from the rock-drill operators 32 in the VWF everyday or the never group and 64 in the occasionally group. The present study showed that, with the frequency of VWF attacks, patients had a higher prevalence of coldness not only in the fingers but also in the legs. These findings suggest a correlation between the severity of circulatory disturbances of the upper extremities and that of the lower ones in patients with vibration syndrome. Further studies on circulatory disturbances in the leg are required.     

Positron emission tomography (PET) in "pure akinesia".

Positron emission tomography (PET) studies on regional cerebral glucose metabolism and [18F]fluorodopa uptake were performed on 3 patients with "pure akinesia without rigidity and tremors", 3 progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP) patients, and 5 patients with Parkinson's disease. The "pure akinesia" and PSP patients showed a marked decrease in glucose metabolism in the frontal cortex and striatum, and a decreased uptake of [18F]fluorodopa in the striatum. While the Parkinson's disease patients had a decreased uptake of [18F]fluorodopa in the striatum but no abnormality in the glucose metabolism. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) showed atrophy of the pretectum and dorsal pons in "pure akinesia" and PSP patients, but there was no such abnormality in the Parkinson's disease patients. As described above, patients with "pure akinesia" and PSP patients revealed similar findings on PET and MRI studies, while Parkinson's disease patients showed substantially different results.     

Macrophage inflammatory protein 3alpha-CC chemokine receptor 6 interactions play an important role in CD4+ T-cell accumulation in periodontal diseased tissue

The regulatory role of chemokines and chemokine receptors on specific lymphocyte recruitment into periodontal diseased tissue is poorly characterized. We observed that lymphocytes infiltrating inflamed gingival tissue expressed marked levels of CCR6. In periodontal diseased tissue, the expression of MIP-3alpha mRNA was detected by RT-PCR and further, MIP-3alpha was distributed in the basal layer of gingival epithelial cells, microvascular endothelial cells and the areas of inflammatory cells as shown by immunohistochemistry. Moreover, CCR6-expressing cells infiltrated into periodontal diseased tissue, and the proportion of CCR6-positive CD4+ T cells was significantly elevated in periodontal diseased tissue compared with peripheral blood in the same patients. Furthermore, gingival lymphocytes isolated from patients showed migration toward MIP-3alpha in an in vitro chemotaxis assay in which migration was abrogated by specific antibody to CCR6. Thus, these findings suggested that CCR6 and the corresponding chemokine, MIP-3alpha may have an important regulatory role in specific lymphocyte migration into inflamed periodontal tissue.     

Biosynthesis and secretion of the third component of complement by human endothelial cells in vitro.

The third component of complement (C3) is synthesized and released by cultured human capillary endothelial cells. After the incubation of cells in a methionine-free medium containing 35S-methionine for 48 hr, culture supernatants were immunoprecipitated with anti-human C3 serum. SDS solubilization and 2-ME reduction of the immunoprecipitates, followed by separation with SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and autoradiography, revealed two major bands comparable to those of the alpha and beta chains of human C3. The content of C3 in the culture medium harvested at different time-intervals was determined by ELISA. The C3 secretion rate was about 250 ng/10(6) cells/5 days in the primary culture medium and 75 ng/10(6) cells/5 days after seven passages. The capillary endothelial cells described here have factor VIIIRAg specific for endothelial cells, and exhibit ring formation resembling capillary lumina, but they lack Weibel-Palade bodies.     

INTRAUTERINE CANDIDA INFECTION IN PREMATURE BABY

An autopsy case of pulmonary candidiasis occurring in a neonatal girl was reported. The mycological examination of the lung taken at autopsy revealed only Candida albicans and followed by the elucidation under the microscopic sections prepared with special stains; periodic acid-Schiff and methenamine silver, in the lung, stomach, umbilical cord, and amnion. The presence of Candida vaginitis in her mother supported the concept that Candida albicans was the etiological agent of the pulmonary candidiasis.     

Metabolism of senile amyloid precursor and amyloidogenesis. Age-related acceleration of apolipoprotein A-II clearance in the senescence accelerated mouse.

Serum clearance kinetics of murine senile amyloid-related high-density lipoprotein (HDL) apoprotein A-II (apo A-II) was examined in the senescence-accelerated mouse, prone (SAM-P/1) and resistant (SAM-R/1), with 125I-HDL purified from both strains. In SAM-R/1, with 125I-HDL purified from both strains. In SAM-R/1, the serum half-life of apo A-II was not altered with increasing age and was practically identical to that of apo A-I. In 2-month old SAM-P/1, the serum half-life of both apo A-I and apo A-II was generally the same as observed in SAM-R/1. However, at age 6 and 12 months, in SAM-P/1, the serum half-life of apo A-II decreased significantly and was less than that of apo A-I. These age-related changes in apo A-II clearance kinetics were observed regardless of the HDL donor. The authors also examined the tissue distribution of injected apo A-II, using 125I-apo A-II reconstituted HDL, and found that several organs trapped more 125I radioactivity in old SAM-P/1 than in young mice. This evidence strongly suggests that age-related changes in the metabolic environment of apo A-II might affect senile amyloidogenesis in SAM-P/1.     

Immune responses in newly developed short-lived SAM mice. Selectively impaired T-helper cell activity in in vitro antibody response.

New short-lived strains of mice (SAM-P), which have been developed by Takeda et al. (1981), shows a defective antibody response to T dependent (TD) antigen in vitro, as demonstrated in the accompanying paper (see page 419). In the present study, we investigated the cellular site of the defect, using a cell culture system. In this paper, it is demonstrated that T-helper (Th) cell activity for the antibody response to TD antigen is impaired, while other cellular immune responses, e.g. mixed leucocyte reaction, cytotoxic T-lymphocyte response, and delayed-type hypersensitivity reaction, are normal. These results suggest that the defect in T-helper subset is limited in helper function for the antibody response, and that the helper function for the cell-mediated immune responses is intact. These two functions of the T-helper subset are apparently regulated in a different manner. The SAM-P strains of mice may thus serve as an appropriate model for studying functional heterogeneity in T-helper/inducer cell subsets.     

Spontaneous age-associated amyloidosis in senescence-accelerated mouse (SAM)

Morphological studies on spontaneous systemic amyloidosis were conducted on 222 senescence-accelerated mice (SAM) (P) and on 150 mice in the senescence-resistant series (R).Among the pathologic findings, amyloidosis showed the highest incidence in both SAM (79.7%) and R (32.7%) Although an extensive deposition of amyloid was evident in some aged mice in the R series, a more severe amyloidosis occurred with a higher incidence in the P series. There was a statistical significance between the incidence of amyloidosis and age, in both the P and R series. There were no differences in organ distribution and mode of amyloid deposition between the P and R series or between the sexes. In about 60% of the amyloid-positive cases in the 28 killed SAM and 7 mice in the R series, there were no signs of inflammation or neoplasm.The morphological features in SAM more closely resembled those seen in cases of murine spontaneous senile amyloidosis than the features seen in cases of experimentally induced amyloidosis. This model is expected to be a valuable tool with which to assess the relationship between amyloid deposition and the aging process or senescence, perhaps even cases of human senile amyloidosis.     

Anti-myeloperoxidase and anti-lactoferrin antibodies in patients with IgA nephropathy and Henoch-Schönlein purpura

Antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibodies (ANCA) for two antigens, i.e. myeloperoxidase (MPO) and lactoferrin (LF) in sera from 19 IgA nephropathy (IgAN), 3 adult Henoch-Sch?nlein purpura (HSP) and 8 child HSP patients were examined by enzyme-linked immunoabsorbent assay (ELISA) for immunoglobulin isotypes. All of child HSP patients showed negative ANCA. On the other hand, one IgAN patient and two adult HSP patients showed weak positivity for IgA class anti-MPO antibody. There was no patients who showed positivity for IgG and IgM class anti-MPO antibody. In anti-LF antibody, one IgAN and one adult HSP showed positivity in IgG class; 2 IgAN and 2 HSP in IgA class and 2 IgAN and one HSP in IgM class. These results indicate that adult HSP patients have higher prevalence of IgA class anti-MPO antibody and anti-LF antibody than IgAN or child HSP.