Differential modulation of the short- and long-latency somatosensory evoked potentials in a forewarned reaction time task.

OBJECTIVE: We investigated modulation of the short- and long-latency somatosensory evoked potentials (SEPs) in a forewarned reaction time task. METHODS: A pair of warning (auditory) and imperative stimuli (somatosensory) was presented with a 2 s interstimulus interval. In movement condition, subjects responded by grip movement with the ipsilateral hand to the somatosensory stimulation when the imperative stimulus was presented. In counting condition, they silently counted the number of imperative stimuli. The SEPs in response to the imperative stimuli were recorded. RESULTS: Frontal N30 and central N60 amplitudes were significantly smaller in the movement than in the counting or rest conditions. None of the short-latency components differed between the counting and rest conditions. In contrast to the short-latency components, P80 was significantly larger in the counting than in the rest condition, and showed a further increase from the counting to the movement condition. The N140 amplitude was significantly larger in the movement than the rest condition, but was not changed between the counting and the rest conditions. CONCLUSIONS: The attenuation of the frontal N30 and central N60, and the enhancement of the P80 and possibly the N140 resulted from the centrifugal mechanism. The present findings may show the different effects of voluntary movement on the early and subsequent cortical processing of the relevant somatosensory information requiring a behavioral response. SIGNIFICANCE: The present study demonstrated the differential modulation of short- and long-latency components of SEPs in a forewarned reaction time task.     

C3 Deposition in IgA Nephropathy in Children and Adolescents

The aim of this study was to assess the significance of C3 deposition in IgA nephropathy in children and adolescents. One hundred and two patients aged 5–21 years (57 male and 45 female) were studied. The findings of C3 deposition were classified into 8 groups by immunofluorescent (IF) pattern and intensity as follows: group MC3+ (N = 12): mesangiocapillary pattern and 3+ in intensity; group MC2+ (N = 13): mesangiocapillary and 2+; group MC1 + (N = 4): mesangiocapillary and 1 +; group M3+ (N = 11): mesangial and 3+; group M2+ (N = 24): mesangial and 2+; group M1 + (N=18): mesangial 1 +; group S (N = 12): only segmentally positive; and group N (N = 8): negative. Histological changes were scored semiquantitatively as an activity index (cellular proliferation, necrosis, interstitial cell infiltration, and cellular crescents) and a chronicity index (mesangial sclerosis, segmental and global glomerular sclerosis, fibrous crescents, adhesion and tubulo-interstitial change). IF findings were scored semiquantitatively and laboratory findings were also studied. The following results were obtained: 1) The scores of total activity index in MC groups were higher than in the M, S or N groups, and the greater the degree of C3 deposition, the higher the score; 2) Such result was not evident in the chronicity index; 3) High IF scores of IgG and IgM were found in the MC3+ and MC2+ groups; 4) Hematuria was more severe in MC3+ and MC2+ than in other groups, and proteinuria was more prominent in the MC than other groups. Thus the degree of C3 deposition was parallel with histological activity and urinary findings.     

The Levels of Serum Low-Density Lipoprotein Cholesterol Using Direct Measurement in Healthy Japanese School Children

This study aimed to investigate the levels of serum low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDLC) using direct measurement in healthy Japanese school children. The subjects were 621 children (325 boys and 296 girls) aged 9 to 10 in the 4th grade, and 688 children (334 boys and 354 girls) aged 12 to 13 in the 7th grade. The levels of serum LDLC and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol were measured by direct determination (Cholestest LDL and Cholestest NHDL; Daiichi Pure Chemicals Co., Ltd., Tokyo, Japan). In boys in the 4th grade, the mean, the 75th, the 90th and the 95th percentiles of LDLC levels (mg/dl) were 91.6, 104, 124 and 134, respectively. In girls in the 4th grade, they were 92.8, 108, 122 and 130. In boys in the 7th grade, they were 83.4, 96, 113 and 123. In girls in the 7th grade, they were 93.0, 106, 126 and 137. Serum LDLC levels in boys in the 7th grade were lower than those of other groups. The direct measurement of serum LDLC level is useful for evaluation of dyslipidemia in healthy school children, because the method is applicable to non-fasting serum.     

Treatment of prolactinoma based on the results of transsphenoidal operations

Ninety-eight patients (16 male, 82 female) with prolactinomas were treated by transsphenoidal operation. The postoperative course was closely related to the tumor size and the preoperative levels of serum prolactin. In 37 (74%) of 50 patients with microadenomas, the levels of serum prolactin returned to normal postoperatively. There were 48 patients with macroadenomas; 27 of these were expansive and 21 were invasive. In 9 (33%) of the 27 patients with expansive macroadenomas, the postoperative levels of prolactin returned to normal; this was not the case in any of the 21 patients with invasive macroadenomas. Of 81 premenopausal women, 35 (43%) resumed normal menstruation postoperatively. All patients with preoperative deficits in the visual field experienced postoperative improvement. There were no postoperative deaths or serious complications in this series. Our data indicate that microprolactinomas are highly curable by transsphenoidal operation alone. In women who plan to have children, prolactinomas should be removed immediately. On the other hand, in patients with macroprolactinomas who manifest high levels of serum prolactin, initial treatment with bromocriptine should be considered because there is little hope for surgical cure and postoperative bromocriptine treatment might be necessary.     

Afferent fiber connections from lower brain stem to hypothalamus studied by the horseradish peroxidase method with special reference to noradrenaline innervation

Summary Attempts were made to determine the afferent projections to the anterior hypothalamus including the preoptic area from the lower brain stem by means of the horseradish peroxidase method combined with monoamine oxidase staining to identify noradrenaline (NA) neurons. In addition to this technique, a histofluorescence analysis was performed. NA fibers in the medial part of the anterior hypothalamus were mainly supplied by A1 and A2 NA neuron groups, while the lateral part and periventricular zone received NA terminals from both pontine and medulla oblongata NA neuron groups. Furthermore, the present study indicated that there were direct projections to the anterior hypothalamus from non-noradrenergic neurons in the lower brain stem: nuclei raphe dorsalis, centralis superior, cells in the mesencephalic and pontine central gray matter, nuclei parabrachialis lateralis and medialis, cells around fasciculus longitudinalis medialis.Abbreviations CA Commissura anterior - CO Chiasma opticum - DP Decussatio pyramidum - DPCS Decussatio pedunculorum cerebellarium superiorum - F Columna fornicis - FLM Fasciculus longitudinalis medialis - FMT Fasciculus mamillothalamicus - GCM Griseum centrale mesencephali - GCP Griseum centrale pontis - LL Lemniscus lateralis - LM Lemniscus medialis - PCM Pedunculus cerebellaris medius - PCS Pedunculus cerebellaris superior - TO Tractus opticus - TS Tractus solitarius - TVme Tractus mesencephalicus nervi trigemini - V Ventriculus tertius - VTS Tractus spinalis nervi trigemini - am nucleus ambiguus - B Barrington nucleus - com nucleus commissuralis - cp nucleus caudatus putamen - cs nucleus centralis superior - ct nucleus corporis trapezoidei - cu nucleus cuneatus - dX nucleus dorsalis nervi vagi - Gd nucleus tegmentalis dorsalis (von Gudden) - gr nucleus gracilis - Gv nucleus tegmentalis ventralis (von Gudden) - ha nucleus hypothalamicus anterior - hl nucleus hypothalamicus lateralis - hpe nucleus periventricularis (hypothalami) - hvm nucleus ventromedialis hypothalami - lc nucleus locus coeruleus - oi nucleus olivaris inferior - p nucleus pontis - pa nucleus paraventricularis - pbl nucleus parabrachialis lateralis - pbm nucleus parabrachialis medialis - ph nucleus praepositus hypoglossi - pol nucleus preopticus lateralis - pom nucleus preopticus medialis - pop nucleus preopticus periventricularis - rd nucleus raphe dorsalis - re nucleus reuniens - rl nucleus reticularis lateralis - rm nucleus raphe magnus - ro nucleus raphe obscrus - sc nucleus suprachiasmaticus - so nucleus supraopticus - st nucleus interstitialis striae terminalis - td nucleus tractus diagonalis (Broca) - ts nucleus tractus solitarii - Vme nucleus mesencephalicus nervi trigemini - Vmo nucleus motorius nervi trigemini - Vts nucleus tractus spinalis nervi trigemini - XII nucleus nervi hypoglossi     

Vertical transmission of human T-cell leukemia virus type I (HTLV-I): Detection of proviral DNA in HTLV-I carrier gravida

The seroprevalence rate of human T-cell leukemia virus type I (HTLV-I) in pregnant women in the Osaka district was determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and Western blot analysis. Twenty-one (1.0%) of 2192 samples tested were positive for both assays and the seropositive parturients were found to be integrated with HTLV-I proviral DNA in their mononuclear cells by a DNA dot blot hybridization assay using HTLV-I DNA probe or by a selective DNA amplification technique using the polymerase chain reaction (PCR). On the other hand, proviral DNA was not detected in cord blood of the neonates born to the carrier mothers, indicating that transplacental infection of HTLV-I during pregnancy could be excluded. The results support the hypothesis that postpartum infection via breast milk plays a significant role among the possible perinatal transmission routes.     

Oxygen radical production by neutrophils from patients with bacterial infection and rheumatoid arthritis

The production of three kinds of oxygen radicals (superoxide, hydrogen peroxide, and hydroxyl radicals) by neutrophils from patients with bacterial infection or rheumatoid arthritis was measured. The stimulators used in this study were opsonized zymosan (1 mg/ml), phorbol myristate acetate (20 ng/ml), A23187 (1M, and platelet activating factor (1M). Oxygen radical production by neutrophils from patients with rheumatoid arthritis was not significantly different from that of the control group. Hydrogen peroxide production by the neutrophils from patients with bacterial infection was significantly enhanced by only opsonized zymosan, but the production of the other kinds of oxygen radicals was not. Cytochalasin B reduced the production of hydrogen peroxide induced by opsonized zymosan more markedly than that of any other kind of oxygen radical. The measurement of hydrogen peroxide is suggested to be the most accurate indicator of the enhancement of intracellular production of oxygen radicals by neutrophils during infection.     

Analysis of circulating thyroid-stimulating activities in pregnant women with Graves' disease: differential measurement of activities induced by TSH receptor antibody and hCG]

Thyrotoxicosis in Graves' disease is often aggravated in early pregnancy and this aggravation is associated with postpartum relapse of thyrotoxicosis. To examine whether thyroid-stimulating TSH receptor antibody (TSAb) or human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG), which also has thyroid-stimulating activity (TSA), is responsible for this early aggravation, the respective TSA due to TSAb or hCG were evaluated with a sensitive cAMP accumulation assay using FRTL-5 cells. TSA, which was detectable in all of 11 women in normal early pregnancy, correlated positively with serum hCG level, but was abolished completely by the pretreatment of serum samples with the solid-phase hCG antibody coupled with Sepharose-4B. Total TSA in the model samples of mixture of Graves' and pregnant sera (Gr + Preg), was reduced by the pretreatment with the solid-phase antibody, just corresponding with the reduction in hCG-induced TSA. Total TSA in early pregnant sera in 15 patients with Graves' disease, decreased significantly but was still positive even by the pretreatment with the hCG antibody. Pregnancy-associated changes in TSA was examined serially in a patient with Graves' disease, and hCG-induced TSA increased predominantly along with the serum thyroid hormone in early aggravation period. These data indicate that (1) the respective TSA due to TSAb or hCG can be differentially measured by using the solid-phase hCG antibody and (2) hCG plays an important role for aggravation of Graves' thyrotoxicosis in early pregnancy.     

Positional cloning of the gene(WFS1) for Wolfram syndrome

Wolfram syndrome(DIDMOAD syndrome) is an autosomal recessive neurodegenerative disorder characterized by juvenile-onset, insulin-requiring diabetes mellitus and optic atrophy. Other symptoms including diabetes insipidus, neurosensory deafness, urinary tract and neurological abnormalities are often accompanied. In patients, beta-cells are selectively lost from their pancreatic islets of Langerhans. The gene was previously mapped to 4p16.1. By haplotype analysis and recombination mapping in 5 families, we localized the gene within a region less than 250 kb on chromosome 6p. In the region, we identified a novel gene(WFS1) encoding a putative transmembrane protein. Mutations were identified in all affected members of the families and these mutations were associated with disease phenotype. This finding was further confirmed by other investigators and to date, more than 50 mutations were identified in the WFS1 gene from the patients with Wolfram syndrome. The WFS1 gene encodes a protein of 100.3 kDa with 9 to 10 putative transmembrane domains. The protein appears to be important in the survival and maintenance of normal pancreatic beta-cells and neurons. Physiological function of the WFS1 protein and mechanisms by which defective WFS1 lead to the development of Wolfram syndrome need to be clarified.