A comparative study of acute and chronic diseases induced by two subgroups of Theiler’s murine encephalomyelitis virus

Theiler’s murine encephalomyelitis viruses (TMEV) are divided into two subgroups on the basis of their different biological activities. The GDVII strain produces acute polioencephalomyelitis in mice, whereas the DA strain produces demyelination with virus persistence in the spinal cord. A comparative study of GDVII and DA strains suggested that low host immune responses are responsible for the development of acute GDVII infection and that the persistence of infected macrophages plays a crucial role in the development of chronic white matter lesions in DA infection. All 78 mice infected with GDVII died or became moribund by day 13, while none of 54 mice infected with DA died. In the acute stage, the distribution of viral antigens in the central nervous system (CNS) tissue was similar in both GDVII and DA infections, although the virus titer was higher in GDVII infection. In DA infection, a substantial number of T cells were recruited to the CNS on day 6 when they were virtually absent in GDVII infection. The titer of neutralizing antibody was already high on day 6 in DA infection but was negligible in GDVII infection. Development of chronic paralytic disease from day 35 of the DA infection was accompanied by focal accumulation of viral antigen-positive macrophages in the spinal white matter. In addition, white matter lesions comparable to those in chronic DA infection were induced in the spinal cord within 7 days after intracerebral injection of DA-infected murine macrophages. Received: 26 June 1995 / Revised, accepted: 27 December 1995     

Protein kinase C in focal ischemic rat brain: dual autoradiographic analysis of [C]iodoantipyrine (IAP) and [H]phorbol-12,13-dibutyrate (PDBu)

Protein kinase C (PKC) activity was measured in rat brain with 2 h of middle cerebral artery (MCA) and common carotid artery (CCA) occlusion, using dual autoradiography of [¹⁴C]iodoantipyrine (IAP) and [³H]phorbol-12,13-dibutyrate (PDBu). In the ischemic brain, it required more than 120 min of incubation to obtain a plateau in PDBu binding. In contrast, the binding of PDBu in non-ischemic brain reached a plateau with incubation for 60 min. This delay of PDBu binding in the ischemic brain suggests that the affinity of this ligand is reduced due to a change in structure of the cell membrane caused by ischemia. PDBu binding in the ischemic brain increased significantly compared to the non-ischemic brain. This finding provides further evidence that excessive activation of PKC in the ischemic brain may play an important role in ischemic neuronal damage. ©1997 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.     

HA1077, a novel calcium antagonistic antivasospasm drug, increases both cerebral blood flow and glucose metabolism in conscious rats.

The effects of a novel calcium antagonistic antivasospasm drug, HA1077, on local cerebral blood flow (LCBF) and local cerebral glucose utilization (LCGU) were studied in 33 anatomically discrete regions of the brain in conscious rats, using the quantitative autoradiographic [14C]iodoantipyrine and [14C]2-deoxyglucose techniques. HA1077 was infused i.v. over a 30-min period (1 or 3 mg/kg). HA1077 significantly increased LCBF in 9 of 33 sites in rats given 1 mg/kg, and in 14 of 33 sites in rats given 3 mg/kg compared to the control group given vehicle. Significant increases in LCGU were also noted in 16 of 33 sites in rats given 3 mg/kg. HA1077 increased both cerebral blood flow and glucose metabolism in conscious rats.     

A case of prostatic leiomyosarcoma

A case of a 19-year-old male with leiomyosarcoma of the prostate is reported. He visited our hospital with the chief complaint of urinary retention in December, 1983. Following overall examination, needle biopsy of the prostate gland was performed with the suspicion of sarcoma. Histology of the prostate revealed leiomyosarcoma. Two courses of combined chemotherapy were given, but the tumor continued to enlarge. The patient died in April, 1984, 5 months after the appearance of the first symptom.     

A short daytime test using correlation dimension for respiratory movement in OSAHS.

In order to examine the pathology in patients with obstructive sleep apnoea/hypopnoea syndrome (OSAHS), the nonlinear properties of respiratory movement and breath-to-breath variations during resting wakefulness with eyes closed was investigated. Recording of the respiratory movement using inductive plethysmography was performed on 14 patients with OSAHS and 13 control subjects for 2 h in the supine position during daytime. To calculate the correlation dimension (D2) for respiratory movement, an algorithm proposed by Grassberger and Procaccia was applied. The indices of breath-to-breath variations were estimated. To calculate D2 and breath-to-breath variations, two different segments were selected (200 s each). The value of D2 for respiratory movement in patients with OSAHS was significantly greater than that in control subjects. In the case of > or = 2.0 of D2 for respiratory movement, the sensitivity and specificity of detecting the presence of OSAHS was 85.7% and 76.9%, respectively. On the basis of breath-to-breath variations, only the coefficient of variation of expiratory time for respiratory movement in patients with OSAHS was significantly greater than that in the control subjects. In conclusion, the measurements of correlation dimensions for respiratory movement with a brief period during wakefulness may be a useful index for identifying patients with obstructive sleep apnoea/hypopnoea syndrome.     

A study on the hemodialysis period following cadaveric kidney transplantation--a comparison between two centers sharing cadaver donor kidney pairs

To study the hemodialysis period following cadaveric renal transplantation, we reviewed 18 consecutive cadaver donor kidney pairs of which one kidney was transplanted at Shiga University of Medical Science (SUMS) while the contralateral kidney was transplanted at Kyoto Prefectural Medical University (KPMU) between January 1983 and September 1988. Of these 18 pairs, graft function was satisfactory and the recipient was free from hemodialysis in 13 pairs. However, the postoperative hemodialysis periods were different between the two centers. To clarify the factors causing this difference, recipient factors, such as age, HLA matching, total ischemic time of the graft (TIT), immunosuppression, onset of diuresis and postoperative complications were studied. There were no significant differences in age, HLA matching, or immunosuppression. TIT of cases at SUMS was significantly longer than that of cases at KPMU. The postoperative hemodialysis period at SUMS was 25.8 days and that at KPMU was 17.8 days, however, the difference was not statistically significant. The results of this study indicate that TIT seems to be a major factor relating to delayed graft function in cadaveric renal transplantation.     

Characterization of epitopes recognized by monoclonal antibodies to aphid transmissible and non-transmissible strains of turnip mosaic virus

Summary Fourteen monoclonal antibodies (MAbs) were prepared against two strains of turnip mosaic virus (TuMV) differing in aphid transmissibility. Serological specificity of fourteen MAbs against the two strains was tested by indirect ELISA. Three MAbs were able to distinguish aphid transmissible TuMV strain 1 from non-aphid transmissible strain 31 while four MAbs reacted only with strain 31. No cross-reactivity between the two strains was found using these specific MAbs. Based upon the ability of Mab to inhibit the reaction of other MAbs, antibody competition test indicated that fourteen MAbs recognized six different epitopes on the virus particle; MAbs specific to strain 1 recognized two epitopes while MAbs specific to strain 31 also recognized two epitopes. The remaining two epitopes are common. Since the six amino acid differences between the coat proteins of the two strains were found at the N-terminal regions, MAbs specific to strain 1 or 31 bound to the different epitopes on the N-terminal regions in coat proteins of the two strains.     

Uncoupling of local blood flow and metabolism in the hippocampal CA3 in kainic acid-induced limbic seizure status

Limbic seizure status was induced by microinjection of kainic acid into a unilateral amygdala in rats. Two hours after kainic acid injection, distant neuronal cell damage was produced, especially in the hippocampal CA3 on the kainic acid-injected side. In order to elucidate the mechanism of this neuronal cell damage, local cerebral glucose utilization and local cerebral blood flow were studied by means of an autoradiographic method using [14C]2-deoxyglucose and [14C]iodoantipyrine during kainic acid-induced limbic seizure status. These studies were performed 2 h after kainic acid microinjection into a unilateral amygdala. Both local cerebral glucose utilization and local cerebral blood flow were remarkably increased in the limbic system, ventrobasal complex of the thalamus, septal nucleus, nucleus accumbens, caudate nucleus, substantia nigra and hypothalamus on the kainic acid-injected side. In the hippocampus, local cerebral glucose utilization increased 2.6 times control in CA1 and 4.1 times in CA3, whereas the rates of increase in local cerebral blood flow were similarly low in CA1 and CA3: 1.2 and 1.4 times control, respectively. The results demonstrated that the degree of uncoupling of local cerebral glucose utilization and local cerebral blood flow were higher in CA3 than in CA1, and also suggested that relative hypoxia occurred in CA3 in this high degree of uncoupling, resulting in pyramidal cell damage in CA3 in kainic acid-induced limbic seizure status.