Blood flow in the operating field during controlled hypotension by nitroglycerin, trimetaphan and prostaglandin E1

We used the laser flowmeter to measure and compare the effect of nitroglycerin (TNG), trimetaphan (TMP) and prostaglandin E1 (PGE1) on the blood flow of operating field during hypotension induced by each drug. The study was done in 33 patients (TNG:13, TMP:13 and PGE1:7) anesthetized with modified NLA who underwent radical mastectomy. We put the probe of the laser flowmeter on the skin of the opposite breast to the operating field and measured the skin blood flow change. Measurements were made before and during hypotension induced by each drug. TMP-induced hypotension decreased blood flow significantly (P less than 0.05), but TNG and PGE1 had no significant effect. Intraoperative blood losses of TNG and PGE1 group were not significantly larger than that of TMP group. From this study we conclude that TNG, TMP and PGE1 can dry the operating field and decrease intraoperative blood loss similarly. Therefore we should choose the drugs to induce hypotension considering the effect of the drug on blood flow of the important organs and each patient's complications.     

New analogues of rosaramicin isolated from a Micromonospora strain. I. Taxonomy, fermentation, isolation and physico-chemical and biological properties

Antibiotics 6108 A1, B, C and D, a new series of analogues of rosaramicin, were found together with rosaramicin, juvenimicin A4 and M-4365 A1 from the cultured broth of strain BA06108 which was assigned to be a new species of Micromonospora. 6108 A1 and C showed inhibitory activity against Gram-positive and some Gram-negative bacteria as potent as rosaramicin and exhibited low acute toxicity in mice. However, 6108 B showed less potent antimicrobial activity and 6108 D showed higher toxicity than those two antibiotics.     

Dissecting aneurysm of the vertebral artery as a cause of Wallenberg's syndrome

Although it is well known that Wallenberg's syndrome is caused by occlusion of the vertebral artery (VA) or the posterior inferior cerebellar artery (PICA), the etiology of the occlusion is rarely documented. During the course of Wallenberg's syndrome, patients often complain of headache. We thought that these headaches might be caused by dissecting aneurysm (DA) of the vertebral artery, and so we studied the incidence of DA in our cases with Wallenberg's syndrome. Although many variants exist, Wallenberg's syndrome encompasses several neurological symptoms due to a disorder of the nucleus and nerve tracts located in the lateral part of the medulla. We diagnosed our patients as having Wallenberg's syndrome on the basis of symptoms such as loss of pain and temperature sensation in the unilateral face and contralateral body, cerebellar ataxia, and dysphasia. We investigated 22 cases of Wallenberg's syndrome over a five-year period, and excluded patients who developed subarachnoid hemorrhage upon onset of the syndrome. Our cases can be divided into two groups; one with severe stenosis or occlusion of VA (n = 15) and the other with occlusion of PICA (n = 5). The angiograms of the two remaining patients showed no abnormal findings. The mean age of the VA group (42.5 yrs.) was younger than that of the PICA group (64.2 yrs.). The age distribution of the PICA group is similar to that of other occlusive cerebrovascular diseases. Seven cases of the VA group demonstrated aneurysmal dilatation and luminal stenosis, and so they were diagnosed as having dissecting aneurysm of VA.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)     

Changes in the basal ganglia and thalamus following reperfusion after complete cerebral ischaemia

We report specific changes bilaterally in the basal ganglia and thalamus following reperfusion after complete cerebral ischaemia. A 69-year-old man, resuscitated after cardiac arrest, showed symmetrical lowdensity lesions in the head of the caudate nucleus and lentiform nucleus on CT. MRI revealed methaemoglobin derived from minor haemorrhage in the basal ganglia and thalamus, not evident on CT. We suggest that this haemorrhage results from diapedesis of red blood cells through the damaged capillary endothelium following reperfusion.     

Time course of superoxide generation by leukocytes—The MCLA chemiluminescence system

This study was performed to examine the pattern of Superoxide (O ₂ ^– ·) generation from leukocytes using the O ₂ ^– · specific chemiluminescence (CL) method.Cypridina luciferin analog, 2-methyl-6-(p-methoxyphenyl)-3,7-dihydroimidazo[1,2-alpha]pyrazin-3-one (MCLA) was used as a CL probe. The appropriate conditions of the MCLA method was first determined for the evaluation of the time course of O ₂ ^– · generation by leukocytes. The time course of O ₂ ^– · generation obtained by the MCLA-CL system was compared with that by the luminol-dependent CL, electron spin resonance (ESR)/spin trapping, and cytochromec systems. Following stimulation by three different stimulants (PMA, OZ, FMLP), leukocytes continuously generated O ₂ ^– · for up to 5 h in the MCLA-CL system, irrespective of the kind of stimulation. The curves obtained by generation ceased more rapidly in the luminol-CL, ESR/spin trapping, and cytochromec systems. A 50% activity of the initial value was observed at 70 min in the MCLA-CL system, but 30, 10 and 35 min in the other systems, respectively. The CL or O ₂ ^– · generation value decreased to less than 1% (possible termination) at 300, 90, 120 and 180 min, respectively. With the exception of ESR studies with OZ, the cell viability was not significantly affected in any of the trials. These results indicate that leukocytes can generate O ₂ ^– · much longer than previously estimated and that the MCLA-CL-system is the most suitable system for the measurement of the O ₂ ^– · generation by leukocytes.     

Alternative Expression of a Chitosanase Gene Produces Two Different Proteins in Cells Infected withChlorellaVirus CVK2

SeveralChlorellavirus CVK2 proteins had chitosanase and/or chitinase activities. A gene coding for an ORF of 328 amino acids (aa) with a predicted molecular mass of 36,769 Da was cloned from the viral genome. The predicted amino acid sequence of an N′-portion (174 aa) of this gene product (vChta-1) showed 22 to 25% identity with various bacterial chitosanases. A glutathioneS-transferase (GST)–vChta-1 fusion protein had strong chitosanase activity. Western blot analysis with antisera raised against the vChta-1 protein identified two proteins of 37 and 65 kDa in virus-infectedChlorellacells beginning at 240 min postinfection and continuing until cell lysis. The larger protein was packaged in the virion, while the smaller one remained in the cell lysate. Both chitosanase proteins were produced from the single gene,vChta-1,by a mechanism of alternative gene expression.     

Depressed convulsions by diazepam and its effects on brain monoamines and amino acids in E1 mice

The effect of diazepam on inbred mutant E1 mice, which develop convulsive seizures after repeated sessions of being tossed up, was examined. Acute administration of diazepam (32 mg/kg, i.p.) completely inhibited the convulsions. At that time, the dopamine level was increased in the cortex and hippocampus, and the norepinephrine level in the cerebellum was decreased. 5-Hydroxytryptamine levels were not changed. As for amino acids, the glutamine level increased and the levels of GABA, glutamic acid, aspartic acid, alanine and other amino acids were not changed.     

Yucca leaf protein (YLP) stops the protein synthesis in HSV-infected cells and inhibits virus replication.

Yucca leaf protein (YLP), an inhibitor of tobacco mosaic virus isolated from the leaves of Yucca recurvifolia Salisb., exhibited potent activity against herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) with no cytotoxicity below 300 micrograms/ml. The inhibitory dose was varied with the time of addition; 50% effective concentrations (ED50) of YLP were 3, 19 and 95 micrograms/ml when YLP exposure was begun 3 h before virus infection, 0 h and 3 h after infection, respectively. This protein also inhibited the multiplication of herpes simplex virus type 2 and human cytomegalovirus. YLP has been shown to have a weak virucidal activity at higher concentrations. Analysis of early events following infection showed that YLP affected viral penetration in HeLa cells but did not interfere with adsorption to the cells. YLP was found to exert strong inhibition of protein synthesis in virus-infected cells but not in uninfected cells. This selective effect can be considered to attribute mainly to the antiviral activity of YLP.