Granulomatous balanoposthitis after intravesical Bacillus-Calmette-Guerin instillation therapy

We report a rare case of granulomatous balanoposthitis after intravesical Bacillus-Calmette-Guerin (BCG) instillation therapy in a 58-year-old man, which followed transurethral resection (TUR) for recurrent bladder cancer, when his anterior urethra was slightly narrow and his foreskin was with phimosis. Intravesical BCG instillation therapy was started for prophylaxis of recurrent bladder cancer after TUR. Multiple painless firm papules on glans penis, edema in the foreskin and low-grade fever appeared after the seventh instillation, for which the single antituberculous agent isoniazid (300 mg/day) was administered. Biopsy of the papules on glans penis and foreskin revealed granulomatous balanoposthitis. Low-grade fever normalized and the papules disappeared within 1 week. The patient continued chemotherapy with isoniazid for the next 12 months. There was no recurrence of bladder cancer or balanoposthitis for 15 months and to date.     

Immunoregulatory Factor Released From a Cell Line Derived From Human Decidual Tissue

ABSTRACT: The culture supernatant of the TTK-1 cell line, established from human decidual tissue, was found to contain a factor that strongly suppressed the mixed lymphocyte reaction (MLR). The mechanism of the MLR-suppressive activity as well as the biochemical characterization of this factor was analyzed. The TTK-1 supernatant suppressed the MLR much more strongly than the culture supernatants of the three other malignant cell lines examined. The molecular weight of this factor was estimated to be between 43 kilodaltons (kd) and 67 kd by gel filtration chromatography. The TTK-1 supernatant also suppressed the proliferation of the interleukin 2 (IL-2)-dependent T cell lines, but did not suppress that of the IL-2-independent T cell lines, suggesting that the TTK-1 supernatant inhibited the action of IL-2 and subsequently suppressed the MLR. The fact that the TTK-1 cell line originated from human decidual tissue might imply the important role of this factor in immunological fetomaternal balance.     

Expulsion of Hymenolepis nana from mice with congenital deficiencies of IgE production or of mast cell development

The roles of IgE and mast cells on expulsion of adult Hymenolepis nana from the intestine were examined in mice. IgE-dependency was determined by comparing congenitally IgE-deficient SJA/9 and IgE-producing SJL/J mice infected with 50 H. nana eggs. Anti-H. nana IgE antibody was detected at three weeks post infection (p.i.) in SJL but not in SJA mice. The number of adult worms in the intestines of SJA and of SJL mice were similar at two weeks, but significantly more were found in SJA mice at three weeks p.i. Treatment of mice with anti-ɛ antibody also resulted in an increased worm burden at three weeks, suggesting participation of IgE in expulsion of H. nana. Intestinal mastocytosis was induced by infection regardless of the IgE status of the mice. Mast cell-dependency was tested in mast cell-deficient W/W^u and in normal littermate +/+ mice infected with 100 H. nana eggs. Anti-H. nana antibody was detected in both groups of mice at three weeks p.i. Worm expulsion seemed to be mast cell dependent because expulsion was less complete in W/W^u mice at three weeks p.i. Peripheral blood eosinophilia was comparable at three weeks p.i. in both IgE and mast cell sufficient and deficient mice. These results suggest that IgE and mast cells participate in the expulsion of H. nana adults from intestine in mice.     

Clinical features of childhood-onset schizophrenia with obsessive-compulsive symptoms during the prodromal phase

Abstract Thirty-nine patients with schizophrenia, diagnosed according to DSM-III-R, who were under 15 years of age, were studied in two groups; 16 subjects with obsessive-compulsive symptoms during the prodromal phase, and 23 with no obsessive-compulsive disorders. The group with obsessive-compulsive symptoms during the prodromal phase was characterized by a higher ratio of males, higher incidences of perinatal and brain computed tomography (CT) abnormalities, fewer hereditary factors, longer duration of the prodromal phase, and a higher incidence of insidious onset and negative symptoms compared with the group without such prodromal symptoms. Schizophrenic patients with obsessive-compulsive symptoms during the prodromal phase were clinically distinct from those without, which suggests the possibility of subtype categorization.     

Stress barometer at diagnoses in children with school non-attendance

BACKGROUND: School non-attendance is a major social problem in Japan. Many children stop attending school for a variety of reasons. The authors previously reported stress barometer values for healthy Japanese children. In this study, the authors examined the stress barometer values of children with school non-attendance. METHODS: The authors measured stress barometer values, that is, urinary 17-hydroxycorticosteroids (17-OHCS) and 17-ketosteroid sulfates (17-KS-S) in 65 children (40 girls and 25 boys; 7-15 years of age) with school non-attendance, except for pervasive developmental disorder and mental retardation, who attended the outpatient department of Dokkyo University School of Medicine Hospital, Tochigi, Japan, during the past 4 years. RESULTS: A total of 24 (36.9%) of the 65 children had urinary 17-OHCS values above 2SD, and 14 (21.5%) had urinary 17-OHCS below 2SD. In total, 10 (15.4%) children had urinary 17-KS-S values above 2SD, and four (6.2%) had urinary 17-KS-S below 2SD. Five (7.7%) children had urinary 17-KS-S/17-OHCS values above 2SD, and 10 (15.4%) had urinary 17-KS-S/17-OHCS below 2SD. CONCLUSION: The stress barometer values appear to be clinically useful for evaluating objectively whether children with school non-attendance have emotional stress.     

The Acute and Chronic Toxicities of Nivalenol in Mice

The Acute and Chronic Toxicities of Nivalenol in Mice. Ryu,J.-C, Ohtsubo, K., Izumiy-ama, N., Nakamura, JL, Tanaka, T.,Yamamura, H., and Ueno, Y. (1988). Fundam. Appl Toxicol. 11,38–47. In an attempt to ascertain precisely the toxiceffects of nivalenol (N1V), we conducted the determination ofLD50 values, and interim kills during the carcinogenic studyin mice. LD50 values (mg/kg) of NIV in 6-week-old male ddY micewere determined as 38.9 (po), 7.4 (ip), 7.2 (sc), and 7.3 (iv).Seven-week-old female C57BL/6CrSlc SPF mice were fed diets containing0, 6, 12, and 30 ppm (mg/kg) NIV over 1 year, and were assessedfor effects on body weight gain, feed efficiency, terminai organweights, hematology, and histopathology. The rates of body weightgain and feed efficiency showed a good dose-dependent correlationin all experimental periods. Gross and histopathological evaluationof the liver, thymus, spleen, kidneys, stomach, adrenal glands,pituitary gland, ovaries, sternum, bone marrow, lymph node,brain, and small intestines with or without Peyer's patch portionfrom control and all NIV-exposed mice revealed that these tissueswere normal in appearance and in histopathological structure.Also, no changes were observed in the ultrastructural studieson the bone marrow. Dietary NIV did, however, cause dose-dependentdecreases of absolute organ weights (mg) and increases of relativeorgan weights (mg/g body weight) in the terminal organ weightsrecorded. A significant leukopenia was observed in the 30 ppmgroup at 6 months and in all NIV-treated groups at 1 year. Nomarked changes were observed in the other hematological parameters.These results indicated that 6 ppm or more of dietary NIV for1 year showed a characteristic toxic effect of trichothecenemycotoxins in mice.     

冬凌草甲素通过改变Bax/Bcl-xL表达激活caspase-3诱导A375-S2细胞凋亡

目的　研究冬凌草甲素诱导人黑色素瘤A375 S2细胞凋亡的作用原理。方法　形态学观察 ,DNA凝胶电泳法及WesternBlot法。结果　冬凌草甲素能明显诱导A375 S2细胞发生凋亡 ,其作用呈明显的量效关系和时间依赖性。形态学观察可见凋亡小体的形成 ,琼脂糖凝胶电泳可见凋亡典型的DNA梯带 ;caspase 3的抑制剂能阻止caspase 3的活力升高 ;免疫印迹结果显示冬凌草甲素作用A375 S2细胞 12h改变Bax与Bcl xL蛋白的表达 ;且发现caspase 3的底物PARP蛋白在 12h时被降解。结论　冬凌草甲素 (34 3μmol·L-1)诱导A375 S2细胞凋亡 ,这种作用是通过改变了Bax/Bcl xL的表达比率 ,激活caspase 3而实现的。     

冬凌草的化学成分及其抗肿瘤活性

目的研究冬凌草的抗癌活性成分。方法利用硅胶柱色谱对冬凌草的乙醇冷浸提取物进行分离,根据化合物的理化性质和光谱数据确定其结构并进行冬凌草甲素和冬凌草乙素的抗癌活性对比。结果分离得到12个化合物,分别鉴定为α香树脂醇(1)、β谷甾醇(2)、熊果酸(3)、齐墩果酸(4)、水杨酸(5)、sideritoflavone(6)、冬凌草甲素(7)、冬凌草乙素(8)、冬凌草丙素(9)、胡萝卜苷(10)、enmenol1αOβDglucoside(11)、葡萄糖(12)。冬凌草甲素对人黑色素瘤细胞A375S2、小鼠纤维肉瘤细胞L929、人红白血病细胞系K562、人组织淋巴瘤细胞U937以及人早幼粒白血病细胞HL60都有较好活性而对人外周血单核细胞(PBMC)杀伤作用较弱。结论Sideritoflavone为首次从该植物中分离得到。冬凌草甲素比冬凌草乙素有更好的抗癌活性,且其抗癌活性有较强的选择性。