Studies on protein binding of antibiotics. IV. Effect of the binding of drug to 100,000 X g supernatant fluid of rabbit liver homogenates on urinary excretion

The extent of the binding of beta-lactam antibiotics to 100,000 X g supernatant fluid of rabbit liver homogenates was investigated. Urinary excretion tended to decrease as the extent of the binding to 100,000 X g supernatant fluid increased. Predicting urinary excretion was achieved using the binding to 100,000 X g supernatant fluid and other physicochemical factors. A good coincidence resulted from multiple regression analysis. [14C]Benzylpenicillin binding proteins in rabbit liver were investigated and revealed that the affinity of cefoperazone was much stronger than that of cefazolin.

Effect of nicotinic acid on myelin lipids in brain of developing rat

Weanling rats (weaned 12 days after birth) were fed on nicotinic acid-deficient and on nicotinic acid-supplemented diet separately for 7 and 21 days. The yield of myelin in the brain of rat fed on the nicotinic acid-deficient diet was lower than that in the case of receipt of the nicotinic acid-supplemented diet at 19, 26 and 33 days of age. Despite the changing yield of myelin, the proportion of protein and total lipids, and the percentage composition of lipid were not changed between the groups fed on the nicotinic acid-deficient and the nicotinic acid-supplemented diet. Moreover, the ratio of long chain fatty acid (C20-23/C14-18) was markedly decreased in the nicotinic acid-deficient rats. These findings imply that nicotinic acid may play an important role in myelination associated with the synthesis of cerebrosides which contain high levels of long chain fatty acid.

Long-term captopril therapy in congestive heart failure: serial hemodynamic and echocardiographic changes

Ten patients with refractory congestive heart failure (CHF) were followed serially for systemic hemodynamic (radionuclide techniques) and M-mode echocardiographic changes during long-term captopril therapy with optimum doses. After 1 week of maintenance captopril therapy, all patients were clinically improved. This was associated with a significant (p less than 0.05) reduction of total blood volume (-6 +/- 2% N), mean blood pressure (-9 +/- 3 mm Hg), and peak systolic left ventricular wall stress (-50 +/- 19 X 10(3) dynes/cm2). At the end of 2 months of maintained therapy, mean blood pressure reduction was -12 +/- 4 mm Hg (p less than 0.05); further hemodynamic improvement was manifested by a significant shortening of pulmonary mean transit time (-3.7 +2- 1.33 seconds, p less than 0.05). Echocardiographic data revealed an increase in end-diastolic septal wall thickness (+0.13 +/- 0.05, p less than 0.05) and left ventricular posterior wall thickness (+0.13 +/- 0.03, p less than 0.05), and further reduction in peak systolic stress (-84 +/- 23 X 10(3) dynes/cm2, p less than 0.05). The present study indicates the importance of measuring peak systolic wall stress in the follow-up of CHF patients. Moreover, we found that for functional circulatory evaluation during vasodilator therapy, the radionuclide first-pass methods were more helpful than both M-mode echocardiography and radionuclide gated blood pool techniques.

[The whole body autoradiographic studies on the distribution of 14C-labelled sodium 7 beta-[(2R, 3S)-2-(4-ethyl-2, 3-dioxo-1-piperazine-carboxamido)-3-hydroxybutanamido]-7 alpha-methoxy-3-[(1-methyl-1H-tetrazol-5-yl)thiomethyl]-3-cephem-4-carboxylate (14C-T-1982) in mice]

The distribution of T-1982, a new semisynthetic cephamycin antibiotic, was studied with whole body autoradiography in normal male mice, pregnant mice and experimental pyelonephritic mice following a single intravenous administration of 80 mg/kg of 14C-T-1982. 1. In normal male mice, the radioactivity was distributed at high concentration in the liver, kidney, lung, gastrointestinal tracts, skin, salivary gland, tongue and muscle, but was hardly observed in the central nervous system that composed of the brain and spinal cord. 2. In pregnant mice, the radioactivity was hardly observed in the fetuses. 3. In experimental pyelonephritic mice, considerable radioactivity was concentrated on the acute inflammatory area.

[Studies on absorption, distribution and excretion of 14C labelled sodium 7 beta-[(2R, 3S)-2-(4-ethyl-2,3-dioxo-1-piperazinecarboxamido)-3-hydroxybutanamido]-7-methoxy-3-[(1-methyl-1H-tetrazol-5-YL)thiomethyl]-3-cephem-4-carboxylate (14C-T-1982) in mice and rats]

Absorption, distribution and excretion of sodium 7 beta-[(2R,3S)-2-(4-ethyl-2,3-dioxo-1-piperazinecarboxamido)-3-hydroxybutanamido ]-7 alpha-methoxy-3-[(1-methyl-1 H-tetrazol-5-yl) thiomethyl]-3-cephem-4-carboxylate (T-1982) were studied in rats and mice using of 14C-T-1982. 1. The binding rate of 14C-T-1982 to serum protein was about 16% in mouse, 27% in rat and 50% in human. 2. After intravenous administration to mice and rats, blood levels of radioactivity diminished rapidly. While, after subcutaneous administration to mice and intramuscular administration to rats, blood levels reached rapidly to high concentration and, declined gradually in comparison with intravenous studies. 3. Radioactivity after parenteral administration to rats and mice was distributed high into kidney, following by liver, stomach, heart, lung and ovarium, but low into brain. In new born rats, tissue levels diminished slower than that of adult rats. 4. With regard to oral administration to mice, almost all radioactivity was found in feces. This result suggested that T-1982 was hardly absorbed from gastrointestinal tracts. Urinary excretion rate after intravenous administration was about 60% in mice and 19% in rats, and the other radioactivity was found in feces. 5. In rats, radioactivity was excreted in bile at biliary excretion rate of about 80% after intravenous administration. 6. After intravenous administration to nursed rats, radioactivity was hardly detected in gastrointestinal tracts of sucklings. And from the study on distribution of radioactivity in pregnant mice, it was suggested that T-1982 scarcely passed placenta. 7. Excretion pattern after multiple administration to rats was similar to that of single administration. This result suggested that T-1982 did not produce accumulation of it in body.

Clinical evaluation of stress myocardial scintigraphy with thallium-201 in patients with ischemic heart disease. Semiquantitative analysis of single dose myocardial imaging

In order to evaluate the usefulness of a stress T1-201 myocardial scintigraphy in semiquantifying the myocardial perfusion, 10 normal subjects and 71 patients with coronary artery diseases were studied with sequential imaging over 3 hours. Myocardial to background ration (M/B) in the exercise phase was significantly higher in the normal subject group than in the coronary artery disease groups. Three hours after exercise (redistribution phase), M/B decreased significantly in the normal subject group but remained unchanged in the coronary artery disease groups. Percent change of M/B with exercise was lower in the effort angina pectoris group (97 +/- 11.2%), and the old myocardial infarction group (101 +/- 14.5%) than in the normal subject group (127 +/- 12%). Sensitivity and specificity of this method were 93% and 47%, respectively. Out of 11 patients with variant angina pectoris, 9 patients showed positive scintigram. Of the 9, however, 6 cases were without organic coronary stenosis in the coronary angiography. There was a significant correlation between M/B on redistribution images (RD.M/B) and ejection fraction determined by left ventriculograms (r = 0.61, p less than 0.001), indicating a close relation between the amount of the residual viable myocardium and the left ventricular function. M/B and its percent change with stress T1-201 myocardial scintigraphy reflect the myocardial perfusion and myocardial perfusion reserve and their semiquantitative analysis provides a useful means for detection of ischemic heart disease.

Reversal of left ventricular hypertrophy in hypertensive patients treated with methyldopa. Lack of association with blood pressure control

Ten patients with essential hypertension and left ventricular hypertrophy were treated with relatively small doses of methyldopa (500 to 750 mg/day) added to long-term diuretic therapy. Sequential M mode echocardiography showed significant reduction in left ventricular mass 36 weeks after addition of methyldopa in four patients (359 +/- 77 [standard error of the mean] to 235 +/- 63 g) although blood pressure was not significantly altered by the added treatment. In three of these patients, reduction of left ventricular mass was observed as early as 12 weeks of treatment (384 to 262 g). Neither left ventricular mass to left ventricular volume ratio nor fractional shortening was significantly altered by reduction in left ventricular mass (3.21 +/- 0.26 to 2.74 +/- 0.24 and 0.42 +/- 0.03 to 0.44 +/- 0.02, respectively). There was no apparent relation in these patients between changes in blood pressure and changes in left ventricular mass. Thus, reversal of cardiac hypertrophy with antihypertensive treatment is possible in human beings; however, it seems to depend on other factors besides blood pressure control.

[Continuous recordings of the echocardiogram and electrocardiogram through the night in patients with nocturnal angina: "All-night echocardiography"]

Continuous observation of the left ventricular (LV) wall motion through the night has not been reported yet. So we developed the long-term recording system of the echocardiogram through all of the night, which was proved useful in a clinical setting. In order to record a long-term echocardiogram, a superimposed echocardiogram of each cardiac cycle was developed on the monitor television by using QRS complex as its trigger. This monitor view has a capacity to display such an echocardiogram with 2-channel electrocardiogram (ECG). Sudden changes of the cardiac motion during the recording were easily detected on the monitor view. These pictures were also recorded on the video cassette recorder through the video camera. We call this system "All-night echocardiography". Complete review of the video tape for 10 hours was possible for only 50 minutes by changing the speed of the review tape (one-twelfth of real time). A probe (Monitoring Probe) was fixed on the chest wall during the recording. "All-night echocardiograms" were recorded in eight patients for 10 hours in total 10 nights. LV posterior wall (PW) monitoring was succeeded in 3 patients for 4 nights during the anginal attack. Systolic motion of LVPW was decreased with ST elevation in a VF in the simultaneous ECG during spontaneous attack (Fig. 5).

The anticoagulant effect of chondroitin sulphates isolated from normal and atherosclerotic regions of human aortas

Chondroitin sulphates (CSs) were isolated from the intima and the media of normal (normal CSs) and atherosclerotic (sclerotic CSs) regions of human aortas. Normal and sclerotic CSs accelerated the inactivation of thrombin by antithrombin III to an equal extent. By this mechanism, both normal and sclerotic CSs prolonged thrombus formation time in a moving stream of platelet-rich plasma and thrombin-catalysed clotting time of platelet-poor plasma. However, anticoagulant activity of sclerotic CSs in thrombin-catalysed fibrin clot formation in platelet-poor plasma was lower than that of normal CSs. The lower anticoagulant activity of sclerotic CSs was due to the greater accelerating effect on the polymerization of monomeric fibrin to form clot, which was the final distinguishable step of fibrinogen-fibrin conversion.

Pseudo-knock sound in a patient with nephrotic syndrome and massive ascites

A patient with markedly elevated diaphragm due to massive ascites secondary to nephrotic syndrome demonstrated an intense early diastolic sound with low- and medium-pitch. This abnormal sound coincided closely with the "D" point of the anterior mitral valve echogram. This sound remarkably diminished in intensity during inspiration with lowering of diaphragm, and after removing ascites it completely disappeared. Noninvasive study with phonoechocardiograms showed neither constrictive pericarditis nor large pericardial effusion. These findings lead us to believe that the sound may be related to an abnormal ventricular recoil striking the extracardiac structures at the end of the isovolumetric relaxation time. To our knowledge, the fact that the elevated diaphragm itself can produce an early diastolic sound ("pseudo-knock sound") has not been previously reported.

[Differential diagnosis of idiopathic congestive cardiomyopathy and ischemic heart disease by echocardiography and 201Tl-myocardial scintigraphy (author's transl)]

This study was made to evaluate the usefulness of various non-invasive methods such as electrocardiography, echocardiography and 201T1 myocardial scintigraphy in the differential diagnosis of idiopathic congestive cardiomyopathy (CCM) and ischemic heart disease (IHD). Eighteen cases with CCM and 9 cases with IHD were subjected. For this study patients with IHD showing dilated cavity (LVDd over 66 mm) and diffuse hypokinesis of the left ventricle in the echocardiogram were selected. For echocardiographic study, cross-sectional sector-scan instrument, Toshiba SSH-11A was used, and 201T1 myocardial scintigraphy was performed using Toshiba jumbo gamma camera GCA-401. Cardiothoracic ratio of CCM and IHD were 59.6 +/- 6.3% and 58.3 +/- 6.3% in average, respectively. In CCM, mean LVDd was 76.0 +/- 5.6 mm and mean LVDs was 63.4 +/- 7.3 mm. In IHD, mean LVDd was 74.7 +/- 8.1 mm and mean LVDs as 63.2 +/- 4.6 mm. Both cardiothoracic ratios and echocardiographic findings showed no difference between CCM and IHD. Incidence of an abnormal Q wave in ECG was higher in IHD (2.72 leads per a case) than that in CCM (1.33 leads per a case). An abnormal Q wave in aVL was frequently (28%) observed in CCM but none in IHD. However, these ECG findings did not seem to be contributory to the differential diagnosis. Myocardial scintigraphic study revealed that 10 of 18 cases with CCM showed no perfusion defect or sparse uptake and others showed small and isolated defect in the apex or postero-lateral wall of the left ventricle, while 7 of 9 cases with IHD showed large perfusion defect over 15% in the anterior and inferior areas. However, small localized defects less than 14% in the apex were observed in both groups, 5 cases (27.8%) with CCM, and 2 cases (22.2%) with IHD, suggesting limitation of this method for the differential diagnosis.

Primary structure of the major coat protein of the filamentous bacterial viruses, If1 and Ike

The primary structures of the major coat proteins from If1 and Ike filmentous coliphages have been determined by automated Edman degradation before and after cyanogen bromide cleavage and by manual sequencing of certain tryptic peptides. Carboxypeptidase A and B digestion was also used to determine the sequence of the COOH termini of these proteins. A comparison of the major coat proteins from these two phages with those from other filamentous phages show that they all share several common features, namely an asymmetric distribution of positively and negatively charged amino acid residues, which are clustered with the COOH-terminal and NH2-terminal regions respectively, and a region of 19 residues which is located in the middle of the polypeptide chain. The consequences of this charge distribution for a possible mechanism of virus maturation are discussed.

Effect of nicotinic acid on cerebroside synthesis in rat brain

The effect of nicotinic acid on the synthesis of cerebrosides in the brain was studied during brain development. The concentration of cerebrosides in the brain was significantly lower in nicotinic acid-deficient animals than in those receiving a nicotinic acid-supplemented diet. The total lipid concentration in the brain of nicotinic acid-deficient rats was slightly lower than that of rats fed on the nicotinic acid-supplemented diet. Therefore, the ratio of cerebrosides to total lipids of nicotinic acid-deficient rats was markedly lower than that of nicotinic acid-supplemented rats. However, this low cerebroside level in nicotinic acid-deficient rats was restored by the administration of the nicotinic acid-supplemented diet. Synthesis of cerebrosides was followed in the brain of developing rats after intracerebral injection of L-[U]14C]serine. The total amount of radioactivity incorporated into the cerebroside fraction of nicotinic acid-deficient rat was smaller than that of nicotinic acid supplemented rats. These observations suggest that nicotinic acid affects cerebroside synthesis in the brain of rats.

[The autoradiographic studies on the distribution of 14C-labelled sodium 7-[D(-)-alpha-(4-ethyl-2, 3-dioxo-1-piperazinecarboxamido)-alpha-(4-hydroxyphenyl)-acetamido]-3-[(1-methyl -1 H-tetrazol-5-yl) thiomethyl]-3-cephem-4-carboxylate (14C-cefoperazone) in rats and mice]

The distribution of cefoperazone (CPZ), a new semisynthetic cephalosporin antibiotic, was studied by macroautoradiography following a single intravenous or subcutaneous administration of 100 mg/kg 14C-CPZ to rats, mice, pregnant mice and experimental pyelonephritic mice. (1) In whole body autoradiograms of rats administered subcutaneously and mice administered subcutaneously and intravenously, their distribution patterns of the radioactivity were found to be similar to each case. The radioactivity was distributed at high concentration in liver, kidney, lung, tongue, salivary gland, skin, gastrointestinal tracts and retina. The radioactivity was rapidly excreted in urine and bile. And it was observed that the radioactivity excreted through bile was not reabsorbed from gastrointestinal tracts. (2) In pregnant mice administered intravenously, the radioactivity was observed the same level as whole blood level in placenta, while was hardly observed in fetuses. (3) In the experimental pyelonephritic mice administered intravenously, a considerable radioactivity was concentrated on the acute inflammatory area.

The contribution of pancreas and kidney in regulating serum amylase levels in dogs

Amylase activity in canine serum before and after total pancreatectomy with or without additional removal of duodenum and other small intestines were determined and resulted that pancreas would provide approximately fifty per cent of amylase detected in the canine serum. Serum amylase levels were also measured before and after intravenous injection of canine pancreatic juice as a source of pancreatic amylase into normal or nephrectomized dogs in order to investigate the mode of disappearance of amylase from circulating blood and following result was obtained that intravenously injected amylase were removed from the blood of extraurinary mechanism in dogs.

[The effect of gamma-oryzanol on rat pituitary hormone secretion (author's transl)]

gamma-oryzanol (gamma-OZ), a ferulic acid ester of triterpene alcohol, was investigated with regard to its effect on pituitary LH, GH, prolactin and TSH secretion in normal male (M) and ovariectomized female (OVX) rats. gamma-OZ showed a suppressive tendency of LH by a single intravenous injection and also markedly reduced the LH release induced by LHRH when compared with only vehicle-dosed control groups in M and OVX rats. Serum prolactin release induced by TRH was markedly suppressed by 6 days pretreatment with gamma-OZ in OVX rats. These data suggest that gamma-OZ is a potent inhibitor of LH release and may be a weak inhibitor of prolactin in rats.

Amino acid sequence studies on T4 gene 32 DNA-binding proteins

The amino acid sequence of a total of 281 residues (85%) out of 333 residues from T4 gene 32 protein has been determined. The unusual characteristics of the amino-terminal A and carboxyl-terminal B regions are discussed in relation to their possible roles in DNA replication and genetic recombination.

Effect of nicotinic acid on the concentration of cerebroside in rat brain

The effect of nicotinic acid on the changes of rat brain cerebroside levels has been studied during brain development. There is a gradual increase in the concentration of cerebroside from 12 days of age to adult level at approximately 47 days of age. However, the concentration of cerebroside was significantly lower in brain of rat fed the nicotinic acid-deficient diet. Therefore, nicotinic acid may play an important role in cerebroside synthesis in brain of developing rat.

Proliferation of cultured rabbit renal glomerular cells stimulated by platelet factor

Platelet contents stimulated the proliferation of cultured rabbit renal glomerular (probably mesangial) cells. Growth stimulatory effect of platelet factor was heat-stable at 56 degrees C for 30 min. These results suggest that platelets play an important role in glomerular lesions in glomerulonephritis.

Recurrent transient thyrotoxicosis with painless thyroiditis--a case report

A case of a 40-year-old woman who was suffering from painless thyroiditis with recurrent transient thyrotoxicosis is reported. Acute exacerbations occurred four times during the past ten years, two after delivery and two after catching a cold. Serum thyroid hormones increased, though radioiodine uptake by the thyroid was very low and no inflammatory signs were observed. The histological findings of the thyroid were of atypical thyroiditis and not consistent with either chronic lymphocytic thyroiditis or subacute thyroiditis. Tanned sheep red cell hemagglutination titers for anti-thyroglobulin antibodies (TRC) and for anti-microsomal antibodies (MHA) were negative or low. The disease seems to be rare and the pathophysiology and etiology are discussed.

Lipase and colipase in canine pancreatic juice as etiologic factors in fat necrosis

Lipase and colipase have been purified to homogeneity from canine pancreatic juice. The purity of the lipase and colipase preparations was established by acrylamide gel electrophoresis. Either lipase or colipase alone did not produce fat necrosis when injected intraperitoneally into mice. Fat necrosis was seen only when both lipase and colipase were used together. Selective removal of lipase from fresh canine pancreatic juice by immunoprecipitation with an antilipase specific antiserum also eliminated its fat necrotizing activity. Together, these results identify the fat necrotizing factors to be pancreatic lipase and colipase. Their uncontrolled release during acute pancreatitis is believed to constitute the cause of fat necrosis. The absolute amount of lipolytic activity was not found to be the crucial factor in the induction of fat necrosis. It is suggested that the colipase molecule may have other functions besides enhancing the lipolytic activity of purified lipase in causing fat cell necrosis.

Effect of nicotinic acid on catecholamine synthesis in rat brain

Effect of nicotinic acid on the formation of catecholamine has been studied. Norepinephrine and dopamine concentrations in brain were 30 per cent higher and brain catecholamine formation was 50 per cent higher in the nicotinic acid-supplemented rats than the nicotinic acid-deficient rats. However, these catecholamine levels of the nicotinic acid-deficient rats were recovered by the administration of nicotinic acid. The concentration of brain tyrosine was unaltered after administration of nicotinic acid to the nicotinic acid-deficient rats. Therefore, the changes catecholamine formation by the nicotinic acid supplementation were not due to the difference of tyrosine concentration in the brain which is the precursor for catecholamine biosynthesis. As the difference of catecholamine concentration between the nicotinic acid deficient and the nicotinic acid supplemented group was smaller than that of catecholamine formation of these groups, the turnover of catecholamine was supposed to be decreased in nicotinic acid deficiency.

"Hypertrophy of the column of Bertin" in a could-be case of adolescent idiopathic hematuria

A typical case of hypertrophy of the column of Bertin is first documented in Japan, which is characterized with the adolescence (13-year-old), intermittent gross hematuria, and the confirmation and recovery by the segmental resection. Emphasis is placed on the possibility of its concealment in so-called idiopathic hematuria, and the necessity of the recognition earlier among children with unknown hematuria. The term "hypertrophy of the column of Bertin" was proposed to be used unifyingly henceforce, because it most well describes the pathoanatomy.