Pharmacodynamic Modeling for Change of Locomotor Activity by Methylphenidate in Rats

Purpose. The locomotive activity changes after intravenous (i.v.) administration of methylphenidate (MPD) in rats were pharmacodynamically analyzed. Methods. MPD concentration in plasma, MPD concentration and dopamine (DA) level in striatal dialysate collected by microdialysis method, and the locomotor activity after i.v. administration of MPD (2, 5 and 10 mg/kg doses) were used for the analysis. Results. The transport of MPD from plasma to the interstitial fluid in the brain could be expressed by the linear two-compartment model. The clockwise hysteresis between the MPD concentration and the DA level in the dialysate could be explained by the pharmacodynamic model considering Michaelis-Menten type reuptake process of the extracellular DA into the terminal of the dopaminergic nerve and its competitive inhibition by the extracellular MPD. The inhibition constant (K_i) of MPD for DA reuptake was estimated to be 41.3 ± 73.8 nM (mean ± SE), which was closely consistent with the in vitro value after correction with dialysis recovery. The relationship between DA level in dialysate and locomotor activity was expressed by the Emax model considering two contrary effects, hyperkinesia and stereotypy. The bi-phasic locomotor activity-time profiles after high dose of MPD could be represented by this model. Conclusions. The developed model made it possible to explain the tolerance in DA increase and the complicated locomotive change induced by MPD, and may be useful for other DA reuptake inhibitors, such as amphetamine and methamphetamine.     

Gene polymorphism of myospryn (cardiomyopathy-associated 5) is associated with left ventricular wall thickness in patients with hypertension.

We examined a gene polymorphism of a novel Z-disc-related protein, myospryn (cardiomyopathy-associated 5). We focused on one haplotype block associated with a tag single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) that covered 16 of 27 coding SNPs with linkage disequilibrium (minor allele frequency 0.413). Screening a myospryn polymorphism (K2906N) in a general health check-up of a rural Japanese population revealed an association with cardiac diseases (p=0.0082). In further analysis of the interaction between K2906N and cardiac function in patients, K2906N was associated with the anteroseptal wall thickness of the left ventricle in a recessive model (p=0.0324) and with the ratio of the peak velocity of the early diastolic filling wave to the peak velocity of atrial filling (A/E) (p=0.0278). In an association study based on left ventricular wall thickness, we found a significant difference in the K2906N genotype between controls and patients with cardiac hypertrophy. These results suggest that the K2906N polymorphism could be clinically associated with left ventricular hypertrophy and diastolic dysfunction independent of known parameters. Although the precise mechanism underlying this association remains to be elucidated, treatment with angiotensin II induced an increase in heart myospryn mRNA level in vitro and in vivo. Our results suggest that the polymorphism of myospryn is associated with left ventricular hypertrophy, and an association between a Z-disc protein and cardiac adaptation in response to pressure overload.     

Comparison of p53 expression in proximal and distal gastric cancer: Histopathologic correlation and prognostic significance

Background: The overexpression of p53 has been found to be correlated with prognosis of some carcinomas, including gastric cancer, but no studies have reported on its relationship to the location of gastric cancer. In the present study, we compared the p53 expression of proximal and distal gastric cancer concerning histopathology and prognosis. Methods: A total of 170 tumors in the patients with proximal (80 cases) and distal (90 cases) gastric cancer were studied by immunohistochemical methods. Results: p53 immunopositivity was detected in 28.8% of all tumors. The p53-positive expression in proximal gastric cancer was higher than in distal gastric cancer (38.8% vs. 20.0%, p<0.05). A 5-year survival analysis showed that there is no significant difference between tumors that are p53 positive and p53 negative. No correlation was found between p53 expression and histopathology of gastric cancer. Conclusion: p53 nuclear staining is not useful as a prognostic indicator or as a parameter in gastric cancer.     

Construction of radiation-reduced hybrids and their use in mapping of microclones from chromosome 10p11.2-q11.2

Summary Radiation-reduced hybrids for mapping of DNA markers in the pericentromeric region of chromosome 10 were developed. A Chinese hamster/human somatic cell hybrid (762-8A) carrying chromosomes 10 and Y as the only human material were exposed to 40,000 rads of irradiation and then rescued by fusion with non-irradiated recipient Chinese hamster cells (GM459). Southern hybridization analyses revealed that 10 of 128 HAT-resistant clones contained human chromosomal fragments corresponding to at least one marker locus betweenFNRB (10p-11.2) andRBP3 (10q11.2). These hybrids were then used to map microdissection clones previously isolated and roughly mapped to this chromosomal region by fluorescencein situ hybridization (FISH). Two of the six microclones studied could be mapped to the proximity of the D10-S102 locus. These radiation hybrids are useful for the construction of refined genetic maps of the pericentromeric region of chromosome 10.     

Low-grade fibromyxoid sarcoma arising in the big toe

Low-grade fibromyxoid sarcoma (LGFMS) is a rare tumor. Reported herein is a case of LGFMS arising in the big toe. The patient was a 58-year-old man who underwent excision of the tumor. The tumor was well-demarcated. Histologically, there were proliferating spindle-shaped tumor cells arranged in a whorled growth pattern, and the stroma showed hyalinized collagen bundles and a myxoid matrix. Nuclear mitotic figures were conspicuous in part. A large rosette-like structure with hyalinized stroma was found, which is characteristic of LGFMS. The differential diagnosis included tumor occurrence in adults; tending to arise in distal extremities; and having bland fibromyxoid histological features, such as fibroma of tendon sheath, low-grade myxofibrosarcoma and acral myxoinflammatory fibroblastic sarcoma. It was not possible to detect the FUS/CREB3L2 and FUS/CREB3L1 fusion genes from the formalin-fixed and paraffin-embedded tissue, although the histological features of the present case were typical of LGFMS. LGFMS may become more common with time, and unique cases may accumulate.     

Cell biology and pathology of liver sinusoidal endothelial cells

Growing evidence revealed that liver sinusoidal endothelial cells (SEC) play several important roles in physiology and pathology of the liver. It has been well understood that their structural characteristics, such as the membrane sieve and lack of basement membrane, facilitate direct contact of soluble and insoluble serum substances with hepatic parenchymal cells, resulting in enhancement of hepatic metabolic activity. In addition, SEC is now regarded as a member of the scavenger endothelial cells, which have potential to eliminate a variety of macromolecules from the blood circulation by receptor-mediated endocytosis. It is reported that molecules preferentially eliminated by SEC are denatured or modified proteins such as advanced glycation end products, extracellular matrix components including hyaluronic acid, and some lipoproteins. The nature of the scavenger receptors corresponding to these molecules remains to be clarified. Recently, it was noted that SEC has an antigen-presenting function similar to dendritic cells. Taken together, it is suggested that SEC, cooperating with Kupffer cells and hepatic dendritic cells, may partake of immunoregulatory functions in the liver. SEC also plays a pivotal role in the pathological process of ischemia-reperfusion injury following liver surgery and liver transplantation. Thus, it is of importance to elucidate the mechanisms of apoptosis and proliferation of SEC. Recent results on the regulation of growth and apoptotic signaling of SEC are discussed.