I-Naphthyl acetate esterase isoenzymes in synovial fluids and radiography of temporomandibular and knee joints

Esterase isoenzymes of synovial fluids were presented in cases of pain-dysfunction syndrome, osteoarthrosis, osteochondroma, malignant fibrous histiocytoma of temporomandibular joint, and hemarthrosis, rheumatoid arthritis of the knee joint. Radiographic features of them were also comparatively presented in several cases. The electrophoretogram of I-Naphthyl acetate esterase of pain-dysfunction syndrome showed the esterase-I, while when inflammatory process developed at joints, electrophoretic pattern of synovial fluids revealed a rather similar feature of sera with variable stainabilities of esterase-I, and -III, irrespective of any inflammation. Osteochondroma showed two components of esterase-I and -III, on the other hand malignant fibrous histiocytoma presented esterase-I and -III in the early stage but a more complicated pattern in recurrence. Among these conditions, the most similarity between synovial fluid and serum was demonstrated in the case of hemarthrosis on the electrophoretogram of I-Naphthyl acetate esterases.

Tooth extractions and sick sinus syndrome

The experience of tooth extraction in four patients with sick sinus syndrome (SSS) is described, and electrocardiographic features and a guideline for dental extractions are discussed. Patients controlled by medical therapy were safely treated under administration of an effective drug prior to treatment, while patients with a cardiac pacemaker were examined and checked on the apparatus before tooth extraction by their own specialist. After freedom from the cardiac problems, dental extractions were done smoothly. Electrocardiographically, in the cases with pharmacological treatments, either normal sinus rhythm revealed after additional administration of isoproterenol, or more severe bradycardia-tachycardia pattern was shown immediately after tooth extraction. In the patients with a cardiac pacemaker, ECG presented patterns controlled by pacemaker but beats rose from their own sinus node in the anesthesia-extraction procedure with various grades.

Effects of cemented tungsten carbide dust on rat lungs following intratracheal injection of saline suspension

In order to examine the effect of cemented tungsten carbide dust on the animal lung, saline suspensions were intratracheally administered into the lungs of rats in a single dosage. About one-fifth of the animals died during the first three days. The acute response of the lungs was hemorrhagic edema with intense alveolar congestion. The animals killed at six months all presented pulmonary lesions of patchy fibrosis in the vicinity of the deposited dusts, occasionally associated with focal traction emphysema and bronchobronchiolar ectasia. At twelve months, two-third of the animals had neither fibrosis nor dust deposition, although the remaining animals showed pulmonary lesions similar to those seen in the six-months responders. Fibrosis of the lungs seemed to consist of collapsed alveoli with condensation of the preexistent reticulin fibers, but without noticeable collagenization. It is supposed that both the early toxic and the late fibrogenic effects of the carbide dust are attributable to the cytotoxic action of cobalt present in the dust particles. It is possible that recovery of the pulmonary lesions results from removal of the dusts from the lesions.

Effects of organic and inorganic mercurials on thyroidal functions

Acute effects of methylmercuric chloride and mercuric chloride on thyroidal functions were examined. The organic mercurial concentration of 4 x 10(-5) M inhibited by 50% of Na+K+ATPase in the membraneous preparation from the hog thyroid, and 6 x 10(-7) M of the inorganic mercurial showed the same extent of the inhibition. The Mg2+ ATPase activity in the preparation was neither affected by CH3HgCl up to a concentration of 2 x 10(-3) M, nor by HgCl2 up to 1 x 10(-4) M. After an intraperitoneal injection to mice of 5 micrograms of mercurial per gram body weight daily for 2 consecutive days, the 4-hour and the 24-hour uptakes of 131I by the thyroids were partially reduced by both organic and inorganic mercurials. A significant reduction in percentages of labeled iodothyronines was demonstrated to suggest that mercurial may cause a coupling defect in the synthesis of iodothyronines. Incubation of hog thyroglobulin with 8 x 10(-3) M of methylmercuric chloride caused no observable aberration in slab disc electrophoreogram, but the protein was apparently denatured by the same concentration of mercuric chloride suggesting that thyroglobulin may carry a large binding capacity against either mercurial, but the inorganic mercurial can be more potent denaturant of the protein. The in vitro lysosomal hydrolysis of the mercurial-pretreated rat thyroglobulin which was labeled with 125I in vivo and fortified with the carrier hog thyroglobulin was not affected, but the direct addition of either mercurial in the medium resulted in a significant inhibition of the proteolytic action. Iodotyrosine deiodinase in the thyroid was inhibited by both mercurials in in vitro and in vivo systems. A partial reduction in the serum bound 131I-iodide in both mercurial treated groups was observed at 4 hours and 24 hours after the radioiodide administration. The blood thyroxine levels estimated by radioimmunoassay were quite reduced in the inorganic mercurial treated group and also moderately reduced in the methylmercurial treated group, indicating that the hormone secretion was affected by mercurials.

Human milk folate and folate status in lactating mothers and their infants

Plasma and red blood cell folate levels of healthy, well-nourished lactating mothers were measured. Folate levels in their breast-fed infants were significantly higher than in the mothers. No abnormal hematological findings were observed in either mothers or infants. Folate levels in breast milk and in the infants' plasma were significantly correlated. The mean breast-milk folate level was 141.4 ng/ml. The total daily folate intake for breast-fed infants was assessed at 14 to 25 micrograms/kg body weight. The plasma and red blood cell folate levels of the lactating mothers were significantly increased after oral administration of 1 mg pteroylmonoglutamate daily for 4 weeks. However, milk folate level did not change.

Some properties of hog thyroidal membrane-bound adenosine tri-phosphatase: proteolytic activation of Mg-dependent activity

The ATPase preparations from the hog thyroid was preincubated with various amounts of trypsin. The activity of Mg-ATPase was consistently elevated. On the contrary, the Na, K-ATPase activity decreased with increasing amounts of trypsin. The effects were similar to those which were observed in the enzyme preparations treated with basis polyamino acids as previously reported. This phenomenon seemed to be specific in the preparations from the thyroid. The Mg-dependent activity was increased after pretreatment with trypsin or poly-L-lysine (PLL) when CTP, ITP and UTP were used as substrate. Thus the substrate specificity of Mg-ATPase was low. The enzyme-kinetics using ATP as substrate showed that the increase in activity was due to an increase in Vmax and not to a change in Km. The activity of Mg-ATPase was increased even after 30 min of preincubation with trypsin, while the Na, K-ATPase activity was almost diminished. These results suggest that the activity of Mg-ATPase in the preparation from the thyroid is specifically changed by the modification of the molecular environment of the enzyme with trypsin or basic polyamino acids.

Severe combined immunodeficiency disease with adenosine deaminase deficiency

Severe combined immunodeficiency disease with adenosine deaminase deficiency was reported of a 1-year-2-month-old boy, who showed clinical picture of pulmonary candidiasis. The serum immunoglobulin level and absolute lymphocyte count were markedly diminished. But immunological study revealed both T- and B-cell surface markers on the peripheral lymphocytes, in spite of complete deficiency of both systems.

Clinical evaluation of Warthin's tumor. An analysis of 43 cases

Forty-three patients with Warthin's tumor (26 males and 17 females) were analyzed and the following results were obtained: All tumors were related to the parotid gland with no bilateral involvements. The ages of the patients were 20-84 years old and the average age was about 62. The interval between tumor recognition and first examination was 1 week to 16 years with the average interval of 20-22 months. The method of treatment was complete enucleation. However, radiation therapy was also done in three cases, two of which were irradiated after operation. The other received palliative radiation therapy because of old age and poor general condition. Recurrence was observed in two cases in the course of the follow up, but the examination at the end of June 1977 revealed neither recurrence nor metastasis in the cases followed. A rare case of synchronous occurrence of warthin's tumor and another histological tumor was included in this series and similar cases are reviewed briefly in the literature.

Effects of the interpolated vibratory stimulation on the interdental dimension discrimination in normal and joint defect subjects

No significant differences in the interdental dimension discrimination (IDD) ability were found between normal and joint defect subjects. Furthermore, vibration onto the mandible gave similar effects on the nature of IDD in both subject groups. Thus, the muscle spindles of masticatory muscles may contribute to IDD, but temporomandibular receptors may not.

Carcinogenic effect of N-nitrosobis(2-hydroxypropyl)-amine in rabbits

The carcinogenic effect of N-nitrosobis(2-hydroxypropyl)amine (BHP) was studied in rabbits. The animals received the compound in drinking water in concentrations of 1000 ppm for 25 weeks and the survivors were sacrificed 60 weeks after the treatment was begun. Whereas no tumors were found in controls, 3 out of 6 treated rabbits developed hapatic lesions (hepatocellular adenoma, hemangioma, and angiosarcoma), and 3 animals developed lung tumors (adenoma and hemangioma); no pancreatic neoplasms were observed.

Malignant fibrous histiocytoma of the temporomandiblar joint. Report of a case

A case of malignant fibrous histiocytoma of the temporomandibular joint in a 21-year-old Japanese female was presented. The patient died of the tumor with local aggressive growth but without any organ metastasis, despite the intensive treatment including radical operation of the tumor, irradiation, and chemotherapy. This case suggested that radical curative operation was the only method of the treatment for this tumor. The clinicopathological features of the tumor are discussed, making reference to the malignant fibrous histiocytoma.

Pontine infarction with diffuse myelin destruction

A 57-year-old man with clinical symptoms of dementia and spastic paraplegia revealed pathologically scattered cerebral arteriosclerotic changes and diffuse myelin destruction in the basis pontis. The latter was characterized by comcomitances with an eminent fibrous gliosis and a neuronal as well as an axonal loss. Pontine infarction and the following fibrous gliosis possibly caused a wide area of myelin destruction resembling cpm.

Familial chorea and myoclonus epilepsy

A familial disorder was characterized by chorea, ataxia, myoclonus, convulsions, dementia, and mental retardation. In five cases, the main lesion affected cerebellar dentate nuclei, with nerve cell loss, gliosis, chromatolysis, and grumose degeneration. Fibrous glial cell proliferation was detected in the globus pallidus.

Metastasis of adenoid cystic carcinoma of the mandible to the Gasserian ganglion

A case of adenoid cystic carcinoma of the mandible in a 47-year-old woman metastasized to the Gasserian ganglion probably through the perineural space of the inferior alveolar nerve. The patient was treated by irradiation after excision of the tumor from the ganglion. She is currently an outpatient in the oral and maxillofacial surgery department; two years and seven months after the first examination, there is no sign of recurrence or metastasis of adenoid cystic carcinoma.

Effect of low-protein diets on free amino acids in plasma of young men: effect of protein quality with maintenance or excess energy intake

Hematological changes due to protein deprivation were studied in 34 young Japanese men who were given a standard diet with an N intake of 200mg/kg for one week and then low-protein diets with maintenance (45 +/- 2 kcal/kg) or excess (57 +/- 2 kcal/kg) energy and N intakes of about 44 to 99 mg/kg of whole egg or about 50 to 121 mg/kg of polished rice for three weeks. In the period of the low-protein diet the concentrations of most individual free plasma essential amino acids (EAA) decreased significantly in general, and thus the total EAA concentration decreased significantly. Lowering of the valine concentration and elevation of the alanine concentration were the highest changes. The total nonessential amino acid (NEAA) concentration increased significantly in men fed a low-rice-protein diet, but not in those fed a low-egg-protein diet. Consequently, in the former group the ratio of essential to nonessential amino acids fell significanly from 0.96 in the control period to 0.61--0.74 in the period of consuming the low-protein diet. The effect of protein deprivation on the plasma EAA concentration was also larger with egg protein than with rice protein, and the total EAA concentration of men fed egg protein changed significantly and in parallel with the N intake over the range of 44 to 99mg/kg. The decreases in serine and threonine and increase in alanine tended to be more when energy intake was over the maintenance level. The concentration of plasma proteins and especially albumin decreased significantly during the period of consuming the low-protein diet. The interrelation of plasma-free amino acids, the amino acid pool in tissures and dietary N and energy intakes is briefly discussed.

Hyperdynamic beta-adrenergic circulatory state. A case report

A 22-year-old Japanese male with hyperdynamic beta-adrenergic circulatr without premedication. An abnormal electrocardiographic pattern was observed during the dental treatment, which was analyzed from the standpoint of beta-adrenergic receptors and drugs. During treatment, local anesthetics without adrenergic beta-stimulant would be desirable but premedication with beta blocker may be enough even when anesthetic agents with beta-stimulators are used. Furthermore, premedication with minor tranquilizers is also effective.

1-naphthyl acetate esterases in fluids and tissues of jaw cysts

The activity and electrophoretic mobility of 1-naphthyl acetate esterases in cystic fluids and cystic tissues of ameloblastomas, follicular and apical cysts were examined. The cystic fluids showed lower activities than sera but had very similar patterns on the electrophoretogram. The activity levels of the three kinds of cystic fluids were not statistically significantly different. The fluid esterases may have originated from serum but they were not produced by the cystic lining tissue. Ameloblastoma tissues showed the highest activity per wet weight and per mg protein of the three kinds of cyst lesions (P less than 0.05). On the electrophoretogram, the esterase-I activity constituted 41% of the total activity in ameloblastomas, whereas in follicular cysts and apical cysts the esterase-I activity constituted 32% and 24% of the total activity, respectively.

Some properties of thyroidal membrane adenosinetriphosphatase and iodide uptake: effects of basic polyamino acids

Poly L-lysine, poly L-ornithine, and histone significantly inhibited the iodide uptake by the thyroid slices, as previously reported. These basic polymers diminshed Na, K-ATPase and concomitantly markedly elevated Mg-ATPase activity in the NaI-treated microsomal preparation and the plasma membrane fraction obtained from thyroid. Poly L-glutamic acid, which was noneffetive to the iodide uptake in vitro, did not show such phenomenon. K-dependent p-nitrophenylphosphatase activity which is considered to reflect the terminal step of the reaction sequence of Na, K-ATPase was also inhibited by poly L-lysine. The effects mentioned above of poly L-lysine and other basic polyamino acids on membrane ATPase system were only found in the preparations from thyroid. The inhibitory effect of these reagents on thyroidal iodide uptake was discussed in terms of the change in membrane ATPase activities.

Further study of the mechanism of thyroid hormone secretion in an in vitro model system: direct evidence for fusion of lysosomes with thyroglobulin liposomes

The interaction between thyroglobulin liposomes, as a model of colloid droplets, and thyroidal lysosomes was studied in an in vitro system. On sucrose density gradient centrifugation analysis, particulate lysosomes were distributed in a high density region and were apparently clearly separated from the liposomal peak. However, when the liposomes and lysosomes were incubated together and then analyzed, the liposomes were found to migrate with the lysosomal peak. The extent of this translocation of liposomes depended on the incubation temperature: after incubations at 37 C and 0 C, 56% and 35%, respectively, of the radioactivity of liposomes was found in the lysosomal peak. This phenomenon was inhibited by 50% in the presence of 10(-3)M chlorpromazine. Matrix-labeled liposomes [125I]thyroglobulin liposomes), and membrane labeled lipolomes ([14C]-cholesterol-labeled thyroglobulin liposomes) showed similar distribution patterns in the lysosomal peak on gradient centrifugation. The liposomal thyroglobulin was hydrolyzed in a time-dependent manner in the fraction showing both radioactivity and acid phosphatase activity. These results provide direct evidence of liposome-lysosome fusion, or formation of phagolysosomes.

Two cases of plasmacytoma in the oral cavity

Two cases of plasmacytoma in the oral cavity are described. The first case was a plasmacytoma of the palate in a 64-year-old man, which be an oral manifestation of multiple myeloma, with fatal course 17 months after the first examination. The second was a plasmacytoma in a 43-year-old man, manifesting first in the mandible. A review of the recent Japanese dental literature was made: 14 cases were found in the literature exhibiting evidence of plasmacytoma in the oral region. Eight of these patients had oral manifestations of multiple myeloma (IgG myeloma, 3; IgA myeloma, 1; IgD myeloma, 1; B-J myeloma, 1; undetermined, 2). The other six cases were single lesions of plasmacytoma. The ratio of males to females was 1:1. The mandible was more frequently involved than the other oral structures. The site of predilection was the posterior portion of swelling and, less frequently, pain. Surgical treatment was favored in single lesions of plasmacytoma, while in myeloma chemotherapy and a combination of radiotherapy-chemotherapy constituted 75% of treatment.

Relationship between the structures of S-acyl thiol compounds and their rates of hydrolysis by pancreatic lipase and hepatic carboxylic esterase

About 100 S-fatty acyl thiol compounds designed as substrates for pancreatic lipase [EC 3.1.1.3] were synthesized and tested for susceptibility to hydrolysis by hog pancreatic lipase and hog hepatic carboxylic esterase [EC 3.1.1.1] using 5,5'-dithiobis(2-nitrobenzoic acid) as a chromogenic reagent to determine the hydrolytic rates of their S-acyl bonds. In general, the hydrolytic rates of S-acyl bonds by the lipase were fast with thioglycerol type thiol moieties, slow with dithioethyleneglycol type or monothiol type, and negligible with thiopolyol type. As for the acyl moieties, the hydrolysis of the S-acyl bonds was fast with C3-5 acyl groups, followed by C6-8 acyl groups, and the rate decreased as the acyl chain length deviated from these values or branched. On the other hand, the hydrolysis of S-acyl bonds by the esterase occurred with all types of S-acyl esters except for esters of long S-acyl chains. Of all the compounds tested with the lipase, the rate of hydrolysis of S-acyl bond was maximum with 2,3-dimercaptopropan-1-ol tributyroate [I], high with 3-mercaptopropane-1,2-diol tributyroate [II], but negligible with the analogous compound, 1,3-dimercaptopropan-2-ol tributyroate. Compounds [I] and [II] may be practically useful as substrates for lipase assay in human serum samples pretreated with phenylmethylsulfonyl fluoride, a potent inhibitor against both serum arylesterase [EC 3.1.1.2] and hepatic esterase, which attack [I] and [II].

Anaerobic coryneforms isolated from human bone marrow and skin. Chemical, biochemical and serological studies and some of their biological activities

Eighteen isolates if anaerobic coryneforms from human bone marrow and skin and four type strains of Propionibacterium were studied chemically, biochemically and antigenically. All of the isolates were identified as Propionibacterium acnes; of the 18 isolates,16 belonged to sterotype I and two to serotype II. By means of gas liquid chromatography and mass spectral analysis, a large amount of iso-type fatty acids, such as iso-pentadecanoic and iso-heptadecanoic acids were detected in whole cells of isolates and type strains. Antitumor and adjuvant effects of the isolates and type strains were found to differ considerably among the strains. One of the isolates, P. acnes C-7, which showed potent biological activities was fractionated by hot phenol-water extraction. The resulting insoluble middle layer was found the most effective in tumor protection, adjuvant action in immune response and phagocytic activity in mice.

Study of the mechanism of thyroid hormone secretion in an in vitro model system: indirect evidence for fusion of lysosomes with thyroglobulin liposomes

The interaction between [131I]-thyroglobulin liposomes and thyroidal lysosomes was used as an in vitro model system for analyzing the relation of colloid droplets to lysosomes in follicular cells. The rates of hydrolysis of [131I]-thyroglobulin in a liposome-lysosome system (Lipo-Lyso system) and a thyroglobulin-lysosome system (TG-Lyso system) were compared. Hydrolysis of thyroglobulin in the Lipo-Lyso system increased hyperbolically and was greater than that in the TG-Lyso system for about 10 h. Liposomal thyroglobulin was not degraded by the 20,000 X g supernatant obtained on disruption of the lysosomal fraction. On varying the pH of the incubation medium, the highest activity was observed under acidic conditions in both systems. Under neutral or weakly alkaline conditions, the Lipo-Lyso system still showed 50% of the maximal hydrolytic activity, while the TG-Lyso system showed no activity. ATP and anaerobic conditions had no effect on either system. Cysteine (5 X 10-2M) and p-chloromercuribenzene sulfonic acid (PCMBS, 10-3 M) had not influence on hydrolysis in the Lipo-Lyso system, but in the TG-Lyso system cysteine greatly increased, and PCMBS significantly reduced the rate of hydrolysis. Dibutyryl cyclic AMP had no effect. Chlorpromazine (Cpz) decreased liposomal thyroglobulin hydrolysis in a concentration-dependent manner. In the TG-Lyso system, concentrations of 10-4M Cpz had no effect. These results strongly suggest that liposomes rapidly fused with lysosomes, providing optimal conditions for hydrolysis of thyroglobulin.

Antibiotic synergism: enhanced susceptibility of enterococci to combinations of streptomycin and penicillins or cephalosporins

Mutanolysin partially purified from the culture filtrate of Streptomyces globisporus 1829 consists of two main lytic enzymes with an isoelectric point near pH 8.5 and 10, respectively, and proteolytic enzyme is associated with the latter lytic enzyme. Mutanolysin exhibited maximal lytic activity at 60 C in the pH range 6.5 to 7.0 and was stable at 50 C in the acid range. N -bromosuccinimide caused complete inhibition of lytic activity at 1 mM, whereas calcium and magnesium ions at the same concentration caused activation. Mutanolysin had lytic or bactericidal activity against the living cells of Streptococcus mutans, Streptococcus salivarius, Streptococcus sanguis, Lactobacillus acidophilus , and Actinomyces viscosus , which are considered to be etiologic agents of dental caries, but had no activity against S. aureus and all gram-negative strains tested. The lytic activity was well retained in human saliva. Digestion of the cell walls of S. mutans BHT by mutanolysin was accompanied by the liberation of free amino groups and reducing sugars. Mutanolysin may be expected to be a useful agent for dental caries control.

Lividomycin resistance in staphylococci by enzymatic phosphorylation

Enzymatic inactivation of lividomycin (LV) was attempted with nine clinical isolates of staphylococci including LV-susceptible and -resistant strains. LV inactivation and the incorporation into LV of (32)P from gamma-(32)P-adenosine triphosphate were demonstrated in the presence of cell-free extracts from LV-resistant strains but not from LV-susceptible ones. The enzyme was purified approximately 82-fold from a resistant Staphylococcus aureus strain by means of ammonium sulfate fractionation and column chromatography. Some properties of the partially purified LV-phosphorylating enzyme were quite similar to those of an enzyme from Escherichia coli carrying an R factor conferring LV resistance, and the phosphorylated product of the drug was also found to be identical with that produced by E. coli carrying an R factor, i.e., 5''-phosphoryl-LV.