Biochemical and immunohistochemical demonstration of tissue kallikrein in the neuronal nuclei of the developing rat brains

Kallikrein content and cellular localization in the prenatal, newborn and adult rat brains were determined by the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and immunohistochemistry. The content was the highest in the prenatal rats and highly predominant in the neuronal nuclei during the prenatal to newborn periods, whereas the immunoreactive kallikrein was mainly located around neuronal cell bodies and their processes in the adult rats. The preferential nuclear localization in the prenatal rat brains was further confirmed by the immunoblotting technique after the SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis of the lysate of the nuclei fractionated from the prenatal rat brains. The meaning(s) of this kallikrein localization in the neuronal nuclei at the prenatal and newborn stages is unknown. However, we would like to conclude that this enzyme plays an important role in the morphogenesis of brain by acting on the substance(s) in the neuronal nuclei at the developing stage.     

Milrinone attenuates serotonin-induced pulmonary hypertension and bronchoconstriction in dogs

We determined whether milrinone, a phosphodiesterase III inhibitor, attenuates serotonin-induced (5-hydroxytryptamine [5HT]) pulmonary hypertension (PH) and bronchoconstriction. Dogs were anesthetized with pentobarbital (30 mg/kg + 2 mg. kg(-1). h(-1)). Bronchoconstriction and PH were elicited by 5HT (10 microg/kg + 1.0 mg. kg(-1). h(-1)). Pulmonary vascular resistance was used to assess PH. Bronchoconstriction was also assessed by changes in bronchial cross-sectional area obtained from our bronchoscopic method. At 30 min after 5HT infusion started, seven dogs were given milrinone: 0 (saline), 5, 50, 500, and 5000 microg/kg at 10-min intervals. The other 12 dogs were given milrinone 5000 microg/kg 30 min after 5HT infusion, and 5 min later were given propranolol 0.2 mg/kg (n = 6) or saline (n = 6) IV. The 5HT significantly increased percentage of pulmonary vascular resistance to 208% +/- 27% and decreased percentage of bronchial cross-sectional area to 52% +/- 5% of the basal. Milrinone significantly attenuated both PH and bronchoconstriction in a dose-dependent manner. However, -log 50% effective concentration (mean ED(50) in microg/kg) of milrinone for bronchoconstriction: 4.32 +/- 0.13 (47.6) was significantly smaller than that for PH: 3.84 +/- 0.29 (144.9) (P < 0.01). In addition, the spasmolytic effects of milrinone (5000 microg/kg) were not antagonized by propranolol, although this dose significantly increased plasma catecholamines. In conclusion, milrinone attenuates 5HT-induced PH and bronchoconstriction; however, this drug may be more sensitive to phosphodiesterase III in the airway smooth muscle than in pulmonary vascular smooth muscle. In addition, the relaxant effects could not be caused by beta-adrenoceptor activation because beta-blocker did not antagonize. IMPLICATIONS: We studied the effects of milrinone on serotonin-induced pulmonary hypertension and bronchoconstriction in dogs. Milrinone produces pulmonary vasodilation and bronchodilation, whose effects may not be caused by beta-adrenoceptor activation. In addition, this drug may be more sensitive to phosphodiesterase III in the airway smooth muscle than that in pulmonary vascular smooth muscle.     

Concomitant abdominal aortic aneurysm repair and cholecystectomy. Combination of retroperitoneal aortic reconstruction and gassless laparoscopic cholecystectomy

The coexistence of cholelithiasis and abdominal aortic aneurysm is not uncommon. However, cholecystectomy at the time of abdominal aortic reconstruction has generally been delayed because of the potential contamination of the graft. The case described here had concomitant cholelithiasis and abdominal aortic aneurysm, both of which were required to be treated, and was successfully treated with a combination of retroperitoneal abdominal aortic reconstruction and gasless laparoscopic cholecystectomy.     

Neoadjuvant chemotherapy with cisplatin, aclacinomycin A, and mitomycin C for cervical adenocarcinoma – a preliminary study

Between 1989 and 2002, 28 patients with locally advanced cervical adenocarcinoma (bulky IB-IIIB) were recruited for a pilot study aimed at evaluation of the effectiveness of neoadjuvant chemotherapy with cisplatin, aclacinomycin-A, and mitomycin-C (PAM), followed by radical surgery. This regimen was administrated intra-arterially or intravenously. In addition to patients treated with PAM, we retrospectively analyzed the prognoses of 26 patients in stage I and II, who had been treated between 1975 and 1981 with radical surgery with/without radiation therapy. Twenty-eight patients received PAM therapy as neoadjuvant chemotherapy, and 75.0% of the 16 intra-arterially infused patients showed a response, as did 66.7% of the 12 intravenously infused patients. There was a significant difference in the 5-year prognosis of stage II (PAM group, 72.9%; without-PAM group, 36.4%). The results suggest that, as the free space in the parametrium is widened by neoadjuvant chemotherapy with PAM, it is possible that the tumor could be completely resected by radical hysterectomy. Thus, neoadjuvant chemotherapy with PAM is expected to improve the survival rate of patients with advanced cervical adenocarcinoma by the preliminary study. However, the survival rates of stage II with lymph node metastasis in the without-PAM group seem low, and we must also consider that the various technologies to evaluate and treat the cervical adenocarcinomas, e.g. computed tomography, magnetic resonance imaging, and surgical equipments, had improved during 1989-2002 than was the scenario during 1975-1981, and these improvements contributed to better prognosis. A prospective-randomized study is needed to assess the value of this approach compared with standard management.     

Sleep loss and daytime sleepiness in the general adult population of Japan

Presynaptic dopamine metabolism was studied in a group of patients with schizophrenia and in an age- and gender-matched normal control group using 6-[(18)F]fluoro-L-DOPA ((18)F-DOPA) and positron emission tomography (PET). Nineteen patients, nine drug-free, 10 on neuroleptics, and 13 normal control subjects underwent PET scans using (18)F-DOPA. The neuroleptic-treated patients were taking typical neuroleptics (N=4) or the atypical neuroleptic, clozapine (N=6). The ratio of specific/non-specific activity was calculated for eight cortical and subcortical regions of interest. Medication-free patients had a significant reduction in (18)F-DOPA uptake in the ventral striatum (P=0.04) and significantly increased uptake in the posterior cingulate (P=0.02) compared with normal control subjects. The 18F-DOPA PET technique proved to be useful and sensitive in detecting changes in dopamine metabolism in patients with schizophrenia in vivo. The results of this study provide evidence of an aberrant dopamine system in schizophrenia.     

铜绿假单胞菌感应分子对照质粒及整合突变株的构建

目的 研究细胞间信息传递机制之一假单胞菌喹诺酮信号(PQS)在铜绿假单胞菌发病机制中的作用.方法 基于基因融合分析在转录研究中的实用性,构建了两种PQS相关对照质粒和整合突变株.一种是酶切质粒pYHP441获得pqsA'-lacZ片段后,亚克隆入质粒miniCTX-1中,构建成pqsA'的阳性表达质粒,随后将构建的质粒,通过双亲交配过程整合入野生型铜绿假单胞菌株PAO-1染色体组中;另一种是通过点特异插入诱变策略,将四环素基因盒插入启动子pqsD和pqsE之间,构建的阴性质粒转化入大肠杆菌S17-1株后,和上述pqsA'阳性表达突变株进行双亲交配过程.结果 针对今后PQS的相关研究,构建得到稳定表达PQS的质粒和阳性突变株作为阳性对照.构建获得pqsA-E启动子敲除质粒和相应PQS表达受阻的整合突变株作为阴性对照.结论 两种质粒和整合突变株的构建成功,使得PQS的相关研究结论具有客观性、精确性和有效性.     

Localization of mRNA for SHIP2, SH2 domain-containing inositol polyphosphate 5-phosphatase, in the brain of developing and mature rats

The localization of mRNA for SHIP2, SH2 domain containing inositol 5-phosphatase SHIP isozyme, was examined by in situ hybridization histochemistry in the brain of developing and mature rats. SHIP2 mRNA was first detected in the ventricular germinal zone at embryonic stages. As the postnatal development proceeded, the expression signal was evident in cell of the white matters, presumptive oligodendrocytes, and no significant expression was seen in neurons throughout the development.     

Collagenous gastritis

In the present paper, we report a case of rare collagenous gastritis. The patient was a 25‐year‐old man who had experienced nausea, abdominal distention and epigastralgia since 2005. Esophagogastroduodenoscopy (EGD) carried out at initial examination by the patient's local doctor revealed an extensively discolored depression from the upper gastric body to the lower gastric body, mainly including the greater curvature, accompanied by residual mucosa with multiple islands and nodularity with a cobblestone appearance. Initial biopsies sampled from the nodules and accompanying atrophic mucosa were diagnosed as chronic gastritis. In August, 2011, the patient was referred to Tohoku University Hospital for observation and treatment. EGD at our hospital showed the same findings as those by the patient's local doctor. Pathological findings included a membranous collagen band in the superficial layer area of the gastric mucosa, which led to a diagnosis of collagenous gastritis. Collagenous gastritis is an extremely rare disease, but it is important to recognize its characteristic endoscopic findings to make a diagnosis.